By Ty Tkacik
By combining approaches from two rapidly growing fields of quantum physics, researchers at Penn State and Saint Louis University have demonstrated a novel specialized material can naturally enable a new way to study unusual physical phenomena known as non-Hermitian dynamics.
Discovering the physical principles of superconductivity in diamond opens the door for new quantum technologies, scientists report
Diamond is extremely valuable to science and technology not for its sparkle but for its extreme hardness, ability to transfer heat, transparency to a large fraction of the light spectrum and a host of other exceptional properties. Two decades ago, scientists discovered another advantage: under the right conditions, diamond can become a superconductor — allowing electricity to flow through it with zero resistance.
Over the past fiscal year, LEO has continued to evolve with one goal in mind: making research operations more efficient, transparent, and user-friendly. While many of these improvements happen behind the scenes, their impact is felt every day across our user community. This issue highlights key enhancements and tools that are helping streamline workflows, improve access, and support high-quality research.
Key Highlights
July 2026 marks an exciting milestone for Dr. Maria Hilse, who was recently promoted to associate research professor at Penn State. Her work spans fundamental materials research, user facility operations, mentorship, and scientific service.
By Jamie Oberdick
In a Penn State lab, a small cylinder of soil sits wired with sensors, slowly cooling as it mimics conditions thousands of miles away.
At first, it looks unremarkable, like dirt from an average backyard mixed with water. But as the temperature drops, the sample begins to freeze, and its internal structure shifts in ways that are invisible to the eye. Each measurement adds another piece to a complex puzzle, one that connects microscopic structures in a lab to vast landscapes in the Arctic and to global systems that affect people everywhere.
A plastic bottle tossed into a recycling bin could one day help power an electric vehicle, smartphone or renewable energy storage system, according to a team of Penn State researchers.
2DCC CHet system enables synthesis of 2D metals, alloys, and functionalized graphene
Confinement heteroepitaxy (CHet) is an emerging approach for stabilizing atomically thin metals and alloys that normally prefer to form 3D structures by confining their growth at interfaces such as graphene. This enables access to truly two-dimensional metallic phases with unusual electronic and optical properties. This opens new directions in quantum materials and nanoscale device engineering.
Ryan Hawks joins the Nanofab technical staff team as a research engineer.
We're excited to announce that the ClassOne Solstice electroplating and wet processing system is currently undergoing factory acceptance testing and is on track to ship in May 2026.
The tool will be temporarily installed in the Nanofab in June 2026, with copper electroplating capability available to users right away. Once the cleanroom expansion is complete in late 2026 or early 2027, the Solstice will move to its permanent home with its full suite of capabilities online.
