-
2 weeks ago | 
mappingignorance.org | Cesar Lopez |César Tomé López
Organic electronics in the form of organic solar cells — thin, flexible, and printable on everyday surfaces — promise a sustainable future in renewable energy. Unlike traditional silicon-based solar panels, organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices rely on carbon-based polymers, a class of molecules more commonly associated with plastic bags than power generation. Among these, a family of materials built around a chemical unit called benzodithiophene (BDT) has emerged as a star performer.
-
1 month ago | 
mappingignorance.org | Cesar Lopez |César Tomé López
In the realm of modern physics, few materials have captured the imagination quite like graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb lattice. Its remarkable properties, such as exceptional electrical conductivity and strength, have made it a cornerstone of research into quantum materials. A recent study published in Nature 1 takes this fascination a step further by exploring how electrons interact with vibrations in a special configuration called twisted bilayer graphene (TBG).
-
1 month ago | 
mappingignorance.org | Cesar Lopez |César Tomé López
Nanotechnology is like a playground for scientists, where they tinker with materials at the scale of atoms to create new tools and devices with extraordinary properties. One of the most exciting areas in this field involves nanographenes, which are tiny pieces of graphene—a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb pattern, known for its strength and ability to conduct electricity.
-
1 month ago | 
mappingignorance.org | Cesar Lopez |César Tomé López
Imagine peering through a microscope, marvelling at the intricate dance of cells, proteins, or tiny structures within a living organism. These images, known as bioimages, are a treasure trove of information for scientists studying life’s mysteries, from how cells divide to how diseases disrupt tissues. But analysing these images is no small feat. The sheer volume of data and the complexity of patterns often require advanced computational tools.
-
1 month ago | 
mappingignorance.org | Cesar Lopez |César Tomé López
Imagine sending a tiny particle, like an electron, through a material so thin it’s just a single layer of atoms. You’d expect it to take a certain amount of time to pass through, right? Maybe a little longer if the material gets thicker, or shorter if it’s super thin. But what if the electron seemed to zip through faster than it should, or even appeared to arrive before it was supposed to?
-
2 months ago | 
mappingignorance.org | Cesar Lopez |César Tomé López
Imagine a glass of water or a bottle of ethanol. These are molecular liquids, substances where molecules are free to move but are still closely packed, interacting with each other through forces like hydrogen bonds or weaker attractions. Scientists have long been fascinated by how these molecules move and interact, especially at scales that are neither as small as individual atoms nor as large as the bulk liquid we see with our eyes.
-
2 months ago | 
mappingignorance.org | Cesar Lopez |César Tomé López
A quiet revolution is unfolding in the study of distant galaxies, one that lets astronomers pinpoint individual stars across the vast gulfs of time and space. Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a team of researchers has identified 1 over 40 individual stars in a single galaxy located halfway across the observable universe. These stars weren’t visible through any ordinary means—they were seen because the universe itself magnified them for us.
-
2 months ago | 
mappingignorance.org | Cesar Lopez |César Tomé López
Quantum simulation, a concept that once seemed like science fiction, is now revolutionizing the way physicists study the quantum world. The idea, famously suggested by Richard Feynman in the 1980s, is to use a controllable quantum system to mimic the behaviour of another system that is too complex to study directly. Over time, researchers have developed various platforms—ranging from ultracold atoms to photonic lattices and engineered electronic materials—that make this idea a reality.
-
Mar 27, 2025 | 
mappingignorance.org | Cesar Lopez |César Tomé López
The interplay between the electron and phonon dynamics in 2D materials is a complex and fascinating subject. By examining the behaviour of NbSe₂ on graphene, a new study has provided new insights into how substrates influence superconductivity through moiré phonons. In recent years, the study of two-dimensional (2D) materials has transformed the field of condensed matter physics.
-
Mar 20, 2025 | 
mappingignorance.org | Cesar Lopez |César Tomé López
X-ray fluorescence imaging (XFI) is a powerful technique that enables scientists to visualize and map the distribution of elements within various samples, including biological tissues. By detecting the unique fluorescent signals emitted by elements when they are excited by X-rays, XFI provides detailed information about the elemental composition and spatial distribution in a non-destructive manner.
