NIMS has succeeded in simulating the magnetization reversal of Nd-Fe-B magnets using large-scale finite element models constructed based on tomographic data obtained by electron microscopy. Such simulations have shed light on microstructural features that hinder the coercivity, which quantifies a magnet’s resistance to demagnetization in opposing magnetic fields. New tomography-based models are expected to guide toward the development of sustainable permanent magnets with ultimate performance.

Researchers Kazuaki Takasan and Kyogo Kawaguchi of the University of Tokyo with Kyosuke Adachi of RIKEN, Japan's largest comprehensive research institution, have demonstrated that ferromagnetism, an ordered state of atoms, can be induced by increasing particle motility and that repulsive forces between atoms are sufficient to maintain it. The discovery not only extends the concept of active matter to quantum systems but also contributes to the development of novel technologies that rely on the magnetic properties of particles, such as magnetic memory and quantum computing. The findings were published in the journal Physical Review Research.

Cobalt-substituted BiFeO₃ nanodots, engineered by Tokyo Tech researchers, demonstrate magnetoelectric-coupled ferroelectric and ferromagnetic single domain, offering significant promise for the advancement of low-power, nonvolatile magnetic memory devices. This innovation opens avenues for memory technologies where data can be written and read via electric and magnetic fields, respectively, thereby enhancing energy efficiency. This breakthrough can lead to the development of more energy-efficient memory technologies to meet the demands of modern electronic applications.

Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) in Japan have improved on their green and sustainable method of extracting hydrogen from water by using a custom-made catalyst for the chemical reaction. Published in Nature Catalysis, the study details how they manipulated the catalyst’s 3D structure, which led to improved stability and an increase in the catalyst’s lifetime by almost 4,000%. The findings impact the ability to achieve a lasting and sustainable hydrogen-based energy economy.  

Our brains are truly miraculous. They can process vast swathes of information with very little energy supply. One of the many ways our brain may do this is through dilation of blood vessels, which enhances energy circulation and clears wasteful materials. A research team has recently developed a method that easily observes and monitors this phenomenon. 

Regenerative heart therapies involve transplanting cardiac muscle cells into damaged areas of the heart to recover lost function. However, the risk of arrhythmias following this procedure is reportedly high. In a recent study, researchers from Japan tested a novel approach that involves injecting ‘cardiac spheroids,’ cultured from human stem cells, directly into damaged ventricles. The highly positive outcomes observed in primate models highlight the potential of this strategy.

A group of archaeologists, led by researchers from the University of Tokyo, announce the discovery of a part of a Roman villa built before the middle of the first century. This villa, near the town of Nola in southwestern Italy’s Campania region, was found beneath a more recent, but still ancient building from the 2nd century. Specific findings at the site, buried by multiple eruptions of Mount Vesuvius, suggest it might have been the home of Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (Octavian), the founding emperor of the Roman Empire, as they coincide with contemporary writings by known Roman writers Tacitus, Suetonius, and Dio Cassius. This excavation is also significant as it was previously thought that only areas to the south of Vesuvius, famously the ancient Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, were heavily damaged, but this villa is located in the valley of Somma Vesuviana to the north.

Chemical and heat treatment of sewage sludge can recover phosphorus in a process that could help address the problem of diminishing supplies of phosphorus ores.

The use of pliable soft materials to collaborate with humans and work in disaster areashas drawn much recent attention. However, controlling soft dynamics for practical applications has remained a significant challenge. Researchers developed a method to control pneumatic artificial muscles, which are soft robotic actuators. Rich dynamics of these drive components can be exploited as a computational resource.