A mathematical problem underlying fundamental questions in particle and quantum physics is probably unsolvable, according to scientists at UCL, Universidad Complutense de Madrid – ICMAT and Technical University of Munich. It is the first major problem in physics for which such a fundamental limitation could be proven.

Researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Ludwig Maximillians University of Munich (LMU) have used a new procedure to produce extremely thin and robust, yet highly porous semiconductor layers. The material shows promise for small, light-weight, flexible solar cells or improving the performance of rechargeable battery electrodes.

Physicists at the Technical University of Munich, the Los Alamos National Laboratory and Stanford University (USA) have tracked down semiconductor nanostructure mechanisms that can result in the loss of stored information – and halted the amnesia using an external magnetic field. The new nanostructures comprise common semiconductor materials compatible with standard manufacturing processes.

A key issue with lithium ion batteries is ageing. It significantly reduces their potential storage capacity. To date, very little is known about the causes of the ageing effects. Scientists from the Department of Technical Electrochemistry and the Research Neutron Source FRM II at the Technical University of Munich have now come a step closer to identifying the causes in their latest experiments.

Transmission losses and fluctuations in electric power grids can be reduced when renewable energy is stored locally. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Kraftwerke Haag, VARTA Storage and the Bavarian Center for Applied Energy Research (ZAE-Bayern) have developed a stationary intermediate storage system: the Energy Neighbor.

  Lecithin plays a vital role in the production of chocolate and many other foods. It’s never been clear how this ingredient works on a molecular level, and confectioners have relied on observational methods to perfect their recipes.

Physicists at the Technische Universität München (TUM) have successfully printed microelectronic components with extremely thin polymer electrodes, which have improved electrical properties. Flexible displays and touch screens, glowing films, RFID tags and solar cells represent a future market.

Magnetic fields easily penetrate matter. Creating a space practically devoid of magnetic fields thus presents a great challenge. An international team of physicists has now developed a shielding that dampens low frequency magnetic fields more than a million-fold. Using this mechanism, they have created a space that boasts the weakest magnetic field of our solar system. The physicists now intend to carry out precision experiments there.

Magnetic vortex structures, so-called skyrmions, could in future store and process information very efficiently. They could also be the basis for high-frequency components. For the first time, a team of physicists succeeded in characterising the electromagnetic properties of insulating, semiconducting and conducting skyrmion-materials and developed a unified theoretical description of their behaviour, thus laying the foundation for future electro...