High optical nonlinearity can enable classical and quantum functionalities in all-fibre laser systems. However, despite long-standing efforts to exploit second-order optical nonlinearity in conventional all-fibre systems, nonlinear optical conversion efficiencies remain modest. Here we demonstrate all-fibre integration of twist-phase-matched rhombohedral boron nitride (rBN) flakes on the end facet of optical fibres for second-harmonic generation (SHG) and spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC). We provide local and global optimization of the interflake twist angles for phase-matching design, achieving an SHG conversion efficiency of ~4.1% and an SPDC coincidence rate of ~90 in van der Waals crystals integrated on optical fibre devices. Finally, we design an all-fibre frequency-doubling ultrafast laser by integrating a multifunctional nonlinear crystal of a graphene/rBN heterostructure to simultaneously generate mode-locked pulses and intracavity SHG emission. This work establishes a route for developing high-efficiency, second-order nonlinear functionalities, such as optical parametric oscillators, optical modulators and entangled photon sources, in all-fibre lasers.
{"title":"Nonlinear phase-matched van der Waals crystals integrated on optical fibres","authors":"Kaifeng Lin, Guangjie Yao, Jiahui Shao, Yilong You, Jiajie Qi, Daopeng Yuan, Yijun Wang, Muhong Wu, Lingjun Kong, Xiangdong Zhang, Enge Wang, Zhipei Sun, Hao Hong, Kaihui Liu","doi":"10.1038/s41563-025-02461-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-025-02461-x","url":null,"abstract":"High optical nonlinearity can enable classical and quantum functionalities in all-fibre laser systems. However, despite long-standing efforts to exploit second-order optical nonlinearity in conventional all-fibre systems, nonlinear optical conversion efficiencies remain modest. Here we demonstrate all-fibre integration of twist-phase-matched rhombohedral boron nitride (rBN) flakes on the end facet of optical fibres for second-harmonic generation (SHG) and spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC). We provide local and global optimization of the interflake twist angles for phase-matching design, achieving an SHG conversion efficiency of ~4.1% and an SPDC coincidence rate of ~90 in van der Waals crystals integrated on optical fibre devices. Finally, we design an all-fibre frequency-doubling ultrafast laser by integrating a multifunctional nonlinear crystal of a graphene/rBN heterostructure to simultaneously generate mode-locked pulses and intracavity SHG emission. This work establishes a route for developing high-efficiency, second-order nonlinear functionalities, such as optical parametric oscillators, optical modulators and entangled photon sources, in all-fibre lasers.","PeriodicalId":19058,"journal":{"name":"Nature Materials","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":41.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145956351","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-13DOI: 10.1038/s41563-025-02444-y
Hao Zhou, Xiaolei Wu, David Srolovitz, Yuntian Zhu
Heterostructures are composed of spatially distinct zones with differing mechanical and/or physical properties. When carefully engineered, these architectures can exhibit superior performance compared with their homogeneous counterparts. However, not all heterostructures inherently lead to a pronounced improvement in properties. Realizing the full potential of complex heterostructures requires a rigorous understanding of the structure-property relationships and mechanisms related to inter-zone interactions. This knowledge is essential if the heterostructure effect is to be effectively harnessed and the overall performance of the material optimized. Here we examine the fundamental mechanisms underlying the unusual mechanical properties of heterostructured materials, highlighting the important role of interactive coupling in the heterozone boundary-affected regions. We outline strategies for evaluating the effects that arise from heterostructures, in particular the heterodeformation-induced stress. We also provide guidelines for designing heterostructured materials with optimal mechanical properties, and discuss future directions for property design and characterization development.
{"title":"Designing heterostructured materials.","authors":"Hao Zhou, Xiaolei Wu, David Srolovitz, Yuntian Zhu","doi":"10.1038/s41563-025-02444-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-025-02444-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Heterostructures are composed of spatially distinct zones with differing mechanical and/or physical properties. When carefully engineered, these architectures can exhibit superior performance compared with their homogeneous counterparts. However, not all heterostructures inherently lead to a pronounced improvement in properties. Realizing the full potential of complex heterostructures requires a rigorous understanding of the structure-property relationships and mechanisms related to inter-zone interactions. This knowledge is essential if the heterostructure effect is to be effectively harnessed and the overall performance of the material optimized. Here we examine the fundamental mechanisms underlying the unusual mechanical properties of heterostructured materials, highlighting the important role of interactive coupling in the heterozone boundary-affected regions. We outline strategies for evaluating the effects that arise from heterostructures, in particular the heterodeformation-induced stress. We also provide guidelines for designing heterostructured materials with optimal mechanical properties, and discuss future directions for property design and characterization development.</p>","PeriodicalId":19058,"journal":{"name":"Nature Materials","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":38.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145966752","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A promising strategy for further miniaturizing metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors is the use of ultrathin two-dimensional channel materials. However, achieving robust dielectric integration with a sub-1-nm capacitance equivalent thickness (CET) remains challenging. Here we present a wafer-scale monolayer MoO3, transformed from MoS2, which can be seamlessly integrated with atomically thin semiconductors. Its atomically flat surface and the strong electronegativity of Mo6+ further enable the uniform deposition of high-κ dielectrics. Utilizing the 0.96-nm-CET MoO3/HfO2 as the dielectric, the top-gated p-type (n-type) two-dimensional transistors show a high ON/OFF ratio of 6.5 × 106 (3.2 × 108) and a steep subthreshold swing of 60.8 (63.1) mV dec−1. Statistical analysis of a 1,024-device array achieves a high yield of 92.2%. Furthermore, when monolayer MoO3 is used as the top-gated dielectric with an ultimately scaled CET of 0.64 nm, the gate leakage current meets the low-power limit standard (1.5 × 10−2 A cm−2) over the entire bias range. Our study provides a scalable approach for the integration of ultralow-CET dielectrics on two-dimensional materials, marking a critical step towards their future industrial deployment. Wafer-scale monolayer MoO3 enables the integration of dielectrics with ultralow capacitance equivalent thickness on atomically thin semiconductors, achieving high yield and effective operation of n-type and p-type top-gated transistors.
{"title":"Wafer-scale monolayer dielectric integration on atomically thin semiconductors","authors":"Zhenzhen Shen, Haoqi Wu, Chunsen Liu, Zizheng Liu, Yongbo Jiang, Tanjun Wang, Peng Zhou","doi":"10.1038/s41563-025-02445-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41563-025-02445-x","url":null,"abstract":"A promising strategy for further miniaturizing metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors is the use of ultrathin two-dimensional channel materials. However, achieving robust dielectric integration with a sub-1-nm capacitance equivalent thickness (CET) remains challenging. Here we present a wafer-scale monolayer MoO3, transformed from MoS2, which can be seamlessly integrated with atomically thin semiconductors. Its atomically flat surface and the strong electronegativity of Mo6+ further enable the uniform deposition of high-κ dielectrics. Utilizing the 0.96-nm-CET MoO3/HfO2 as the dielectric, the top-gated p-type (n-type) two-dimensional transistors show a high ON/OFF ratio of 6.5 × 106 (3.2 × 108) and a steep subthreshold swing of 60.8 (63.1) mV dec−1. Statistical analysis of a 1,024-device array achieves a high yield of 92.2%. Furthermore, when monolayer MoO3 is used as the top-gated dielectric with an ultimately scaled CET of 0.64 nm, the gate leakage current meets the low-power limit standard (1.5 × 10−2 A cm−2) over the entire bias range. Our study provides a scalable approach for the integration of ultralow-CET dielectrics on two-dimensional materials, marking a critical step towards their future industrial deployment. Wafer-scale monolayer MoO3 enables the integration of dielectrics with ultralow capacitance equivalent thickness on atomically thin semiconductors, achieving high yield and effective operation of n-type and p-type top-gated transistors.","PeriodicalId":19058,"journal":{"name":"Nature Materials","volume":"25 2","pages":"199-206"},"PeriodicalIF":38.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145955949","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nanoconfined water exhibits many abnormal properties compared with bulk water. However, the origin of those anomalies remains controversial due to the lack of experimental access to the molecular-level details of the hydrogen-bonding network of water within a nanocavity. Here we address this issue by combining scanning probe microscopy with nitrogen-vacancy-centre-based quantum sensing. Such a technique allows us to characterize both dynamics and structure of water confined between a hexagonal boron nitride flake and a hydrophilic diamond surface by nanoscale nuclear magnetic resonance. We observe a liquid–solid phase transition of nanoconfined water at ambient temperature with an onset confinement size of ~1.6 nm, below which the water diffusion is considerably suppressed and the hydrogen-bonding network of water becomes structurally ordered. The complete crystallization is observed below a confinement size of ~1 nm. The liquid–solid transition is further confirmed by molecular dynamics simulation. These findings shed new light on the phase transition of nanoconfined water and may form a unified picture for understanding water anomalies at the nanoscale.
{"title":"Experimental observation of liquid–solid transition of nanoconfined water at ambient temperature","authors":"Wentian Zheng, Shichen Zhang, Jian Jiang, Yipeng He, Rainer Stöhr, Andrej Denisenko, Jörg Wrachtrup, Xiao Cheng Zeng, Ke Bian, En-Ge Wang, Ying Jiang","doi":"10.1038/s41563-025-02456-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-025-02456-8","url":null,"abstract":"Nanoconfined water exhibits many abnormal properties compared with bulk water. However, the origin of those anomalies remains controversial due to the lack of experimental access to the molecular-level details of the hydrogen-bonding network of water within a nanocavity. Here we address this issue by combining scanning probe microscopy with nitrogen-vacancy-centre-based quantum sensing. Such a technique allows us to characterize both dynamics and structure of water confined between a hexagonal boron nitride flake and a hydrophilic diamond surface by nanoscale nuclear magnetic resonance. We observe a liquid–solid phase transition of nanoconfined water at ambient temperature with an onset confinement size of ~1.6 nm, below which the water diffusion is considerably suppressed and the hydrogen-bonding network of water becomes structurally ordered. The complete crystallization is observed below a confinement size of ~1 nm. The liquid–solid transition is further confirmed by molecular dynamics simulation. These findings shed new light on the phase transition of nanoconfined water and may form a unified picture for understanding water anomalies at the nanoscale.","PeriodicalId":19058,"journal":{"name":"Nature Materials","volume":"39 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":41.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145956343","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-09DOI: 10.1038/s41563-025-02452-y
Junyoung Kwon,Kyoung Yeon Kim,Dongwon Jang,Min Seok Yoo,Alum Jung,Dong-Su Ko,Yoonhoo Ha,Huije Ryu,Woon Ih Choi,Yeonchoo Cho,Changhyun Kim,Eunji Yang,Eun Kyu Lee,Chang-Seok Lee,Sang Won Kim,Uihui Kwon,Dae Sin Kim,Sung Kyu Lim,Kyung-Eun Byun,Minsu Seol,Jeehwan Kim
The foundry industry and academia are confronting the limits of Moore's Law scaling for logic transistors. Silicon field‑effect transistors (FETs) now rely on gate‑all‑around structures and ultrathin channels, even at the cost of decreased carrier mobility and complex fabrication processes. Two‑dimensional (2D) semiconductors offer a promising alternative because they retain their crystalline quality at atomic thicknesses. Nonetheless, whether they truly exhibit higher performance than silicon remains questionable. Here, by implementing a dual‑gate structure on bilayer MoS2 FETs, we mitigate the fringing‑field barrier created by the elevated top contact and achieve high carrier densities without increasing fabrication complexity. Simulations and statistical analysis confirm that the dual‑gate compensates the fringe field, enabling a drain current of 1.55 mA µm-1 even with conventional gold contacts. Quantum‑transport simulation indicates that, with further gate‑length and equivalent‑oxide‑thickness scaling, the on-state current can reach levels comparable to silicon FETs at the 3-nm node, and monolithic 3D integration can extend the applicability of dual‑gate 2D transistors to future logic technologies.
{"title":"Gate structuring on n-type bilayer MoS2 field-effect transistors for ultrahigh current density.","authors":"Junyoung Kwon,Kyoung Yeon Kim,Dongwon Jang,Min Seok Yoo,Alum Jung,Dong-Su Ko,Yoonhoo Ha,Huije Ryu,Woon Ih Choi,Yeonchoo Cho,Changhyun Kim,Eunji Yang,Eun Kyu Lee,Chang-Seok Lee,Sang Won Kim,Uihui Kwon,Dae Sin Kim,Sung Kyu Lim,Kyung-Eun Byun,Minsu Seol,Jeehwan Kim","doi":"10.1038/s41563-025-02452-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-025-02452-y","url":null,"abstract":"The foundry industry and academia are confronting the limits of Moore's Law scaling for logic transistors. Silicon field‑effect transistors (FETs) now rely on gate‑all‑around structures and ultrathin channels, even at the cost of decreased carrier mobility and complex fabrication processes. Two‑dimensional (2D) semiconductors offer a promising alternative because they retain their crystalline quality at atomic thicknesses. Nonetheless, whether they truly exhibit higher performance than silicon remains questionable. Here, by implementing a dual‑gate structure on bilayer MoS2 FETs, we mitigate the fringing‑field barrier created by the elevated top contact and achieve high carrier densities without increasing fabrication complexity. Simulations and statistical analysis confirm that the dual‑gate compensates the fringe field, enabling a drain current of 1.55 mA µm-1 even with conventional gold contacts. Quantum‑transport simulation indicates that, with further gate‑length and equivalent‑oxide‑thickness scaling, the on-state current can reach levels comparable to silicon FETs at the 3-nm node, and monolithic 3D integration can extend the applicability of dual‑gate 2D transistors to future logic technologies.","PeriodicalId":19058,"journal":{"name":"Nature Materials","volume":"244 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":41.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145937738","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-06DOI: 10.1038/s41563-025-02448-8
Danqing Wang, Yufeng Wu, Naomi Pieczulewski, Prachi Garg, Manuel C. C. Pace, Charlotte G. L. Bøttcher, Baishakhi Mazumder, David A. Muller, Hong X. Tang
{"title":"All-nitride superconducting qubits based on atomic layer deposition","authors":"Danqing Wang, Yufeng Wu, Naomi Pieczulewski, Prachi Garg, Manuel C. C. Pace, Charlotte G. L. Bøttcher, Baishakhi Mazumder, David A. Muller, Hong X. Tang","doi":"10.1038/s41563-025-02448-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-025-02448-8","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19058,"journal":{"name":"Nature Materials","volume":"459 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":41.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145902860","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Array fabrication and the wafer-scale integration of artificial oscillatory chemoreceptors are crucial for enabling biomimetic chips with bio-realistic chemoreception in practical bioapplications. However, existing chemoreceptors based on conventional architectures require sophisticated or non-scalable fabrication techniques due to inherent material or structural defects. Here we introduce a monolithic cell-on-memristor (CoM) chemoreceptive architecture featuring a unique oscillation mechanism for self-powered biosensing and in situ spike encoding. Through rational material selection and complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor-compatible fabrication, we realize the demonstration of a wafer-scale 10 × 10 CoM array with a spatial resolution of 51 pixels per inch and a very small pixel size of 150 μm, with potential for further scaling down. Using its bio-plausible ion-modulated voltage oscillations with spatiotemporal probabilistic spiking information, we exploit the CoM-array-based gustatory chip to replicate gustation for accuracy salty taste classification. Our CoM architecture offers a general and scalable approach for implementing chemoreceptive oscillatory systems aimed at human–machine biointegration applications. The fabrication of conventional artificial chemoreceptors are difficult to scale up. Here a wafer scale cell-on-memristor chemoreceptive array is reported, allowing for self-powered biosensing and in situ spike encoding.
{"title":"Monolithic cell-on-memristor architecture enables wafer-scale integration of oscillatory chemoreceptors for bio-realistic gustatory chips","authors":"Bowen Zhong, Xiaokun Qin, Hao Xu, Fei Deng, Hailong Wang, Linlin Li, Zhexin Li, Wenxuan Zhang, Zheng Lou, Lili Wang","doi":"10.1038/s41563-025-02436-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41563-025-02436-y","url":null,"abstract":"Array fabrication and the wafer-scale integration of artificial oscillatory chemoreceptors are crucial for enabling biomimetic chips with bio-realistic chemoreception in practical bioapplications. However, existing chemoreceptors based on conventional architectures require sophisticated or non-scalable fabrication techniques due to inherent material or structural defects. Here we introduce a monolithic cell-on-memristor (CoM) chemoreceptive architecture featuring a unique oscillation mechanism for self-powered biosensing and in situ spike encoding. Through rational material selection and complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor-compatible fabrication, we realize the demonstration of a wafer-scale 10 × 10 CoM array with a spatial resolution of 51 pixels per inch and a very small pixel size of 150 μm, with potential for further scaling down. Using its bio-plausible ion-modulated voltage oscillations with spatiotemporal probabilistic spiking information, we exploit the CoM-array-based gustatory chip to replicate gustation for accuracy salty taste classification. Our CoM architecture offers a general and scalable approach for implementing chemoreceptive oscillatory systems aimed at human–machine biointegration applications. The fabrication of conventional artificial chemoreceptors are difficult to scale up. Here a wafer scale cell-on-memristor chemoreceptive array is reported, allowing for self-powered biosensing and in situ spike encoding.","PeriodicalId":19058,"journal":{"name":"Nature Materials","volume":"25 2","pages":"275-284"},"PeriodicalIF":38.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145903473","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-05DOI: 10.1038/s41563-025-02433-1
Ayushi Shukla, Sraddha Agrawal, Shoshanna Peifer, Mercouri G. Kanatzidis, Pierre Darancet, Richard D. Schaller
{"title":"A metastable tetragonal phase in two-dimensional halide perovskite lattices driven by a coherent Higgs mode","authors":"Ayushi Shukla, Sraddha Agrawal, Shoshanna Peifer, Mercouri G. Kanatzidis, Pierre Darancet, Richard D. Schaller","doi":"10.1038/s41563-025-02433-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-025-02433-1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19058,"journal":{"name":"Nature Materials","volume":"175 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":41.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145902858","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}