In new research appearing in Physical Review Letters, an international research team, including UC Davis physicists, has expanded the Fermi-Hubbard model, allowing for a more detailed exploration of materials and their properties. In the study, the researchers measured the equation of state for Ytterbium atoms in an optical lattice. Specifically, they used the fermionic isotope 173Yb, which is a metallic element with atoms that can adopt six possible states.

A simple method for manufacturing extremely low-density palladium nanofoams could help advance hydrogen storage technologies, reports a new study from researchers in the UC Davis College of Letters and Science.

Electronic devices operate, as the name implies, on the movement of electrons. But ions – here atoms with extra electrons and negative charges – can also move in and near interfaces and take part in magnetoelectric effects. Devices based on this “magneto-ionics” principle could use much less energy, and therefore generate less heat, than conventional electronics.