Scientific news

Some magnetic materials feature peculiar states the fundamental understanding of which may pave the way for future applications. Neutron experiments have just revealed that they can be unexpectedly stable with respect to microscopic disorder.

In everyday life, we typically encounter water in one of three familiar states – solid, liquid or gas. But there are in fact many more phases, some of which – predicted to exist at high temperature and pressure – are so strange they’re referred to as…

Multiferroic materials will be at the heart of new solutions for data storage, data transmission, and quantum computers. Understanding the origin of such properties at fundamental level is key for developing applications, and neutron scattering…

By linking theoretical predictions with neutron experiments, researchers have found evidence for quantum spin ice in the material Ce2Sn2O7. Their findings could inspire the technology of tomorrow, such as quantum computers. The results have been…

Bacteria may soon replace viruses as primary pandemic concern. In our shrinking antibiotic arsenal, polymyxin B stands out as a last-resort drug capable of breaching the bacterial outer membrane – though not without side effects. A study now…

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are used to treat a large variety of diseases. In order to allow patients to inject these therapeutic molecules autonomously, it is crucial to understand the origin of and to control their viscosity. An international team…

Foams are highly complex systems, and an essential component of many different drinks and foods. Collaboration between the ILL and Aarhus University has connected unique capabilities to investigate foam with critically relevant food science…

The recently published European strategy clearly recommends the exploitation of ILL well beyond 2033 – due to its scientific relevance, competitiveness in nuclear (and particle) physics, and capability for producing radioisotopes for research and…

The lipid membranes surrounding human cells are known to be asymmetric in terms of their molecular composition. The localisation of cholesterol within these membranes has, however, been difficult to pinpoint until recently. Using neutron scattering…