SwissFEL

Fifty years after Anderson’s resonating valence-bond proposal, the spin-1/2 triangular-lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet (TLHAF) remains the ultimate platform to explore highly entangled quantum spin states in proximity to magnetic order. Yb-based delafossites are ideal candidate TLHAF materials, which allow experimental access to the full range of applied in-plane magnetic fields. We perform a systematic neutron scattering study of CsYbSe₂, first proving the Heisenberg character of the interactions and quantifying the second-neighbor coupling.

Dr. Tim A. Butcher from the Microspectroscopy group was awarded the first prize in the "Art in Magnetism" competition of the JEMS 2023 conference with his contribution "Biffo", obtained from a ptychography image of a BiFeO3 nanoplate.

Carbon supports are ubiquitous components of heterogeneous catalysts for acetylene hydrochlorination to vinyl chloride, from commercial mercury-based systems to more sustainable metal single-atom alternatives. Their potential co-catalytic role has long been postulated but never unequivocally demonstrated. Herein, combining operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy with other spectroscopic and kinetic analyses, we evidence the bifunctionality of carbons and metal sites (Pt, Au, Ru) in the acetylene hydrochlorination catalytic cycle.

Increasing the selectivity of a chemical process through rational catalyst design is the Holy Grail of heterogeneous catalysis. Researchers at PSI and ETH Zürich showcase how revealing hidden steps in reaction pathways can steer processes towards preferred products, as demonstrated in a study focused on biomass valorization.

The basis for our understanding of quantum magnetism has been the study of elegantly simple model systems. However, even for the antiferromagnetic honeycomb lattice with isotropic spin interactions – one of the simplest model systems – a detailed understanding of quantum effects is still lacking. Here, using inelastic neutron scattering measurements of the honeycomb lattice material YbCl₃, we elucidate how quantum effects renormalize ...

Chalk River Unidentified Deposits (CRUD) are dissolved and suspended solids, product of the corrosion of structural elements in water circuits of nuclear reactors.  

The chemical composition of CRUD is variable as it depends on the composition of the reactor’s structural material, as well as the types of refueling cycles.  Recent internal investigations have found unexpected but significant Si-amount in CRUD. The chemical composition of CRUD holds key information for an improved understanding of CRUD formation and possible impact in fuel reliability and contamination prevention.

The standard analytical methods available in the hot laboratory did not allow an easy quantitative determination of the Si-amount in CRUD. A new innovative procedure has been developed and tested with synthetic CRUD name Syntcrud.

The adapted flex-fusion digestion method presented here is able to provide reliable concentrations of several elements within CRUD, including Si, which was not possible in methods used previously for ICPMS measurement.

Manipulating the spin state of thin layers of superconducting material is a promising route to generate dissipationless spin currents in spintronic devices. Approaches typically focus on using thin ferromagnetic elements to perturb the spin state of the superconducting condensate to create spin-triplet correlations. We have investigated simple structures that generate spin-triplet correlations without using ferromagnetic elements.