Condensed matter physics and materials science form a dynamic partnership, exploring how the collective behavior of atoms gives rise to the unique properties of solids and liquids. This field bridges the gap between fundamental quantum mechanics and the practical engineering of everything from flexible electronics to superconductors, turning abstract theories into tangible innovations that shape our daily lives.

At Gist.Science, we process every new preprint in this category directly from arXiv to make these complex discoveries accessible to everyone. Our team generates both plain-language overviews and detailed technical summaries for each paper, ensuring that researchers, students, and curious minds alike can grasp the latest breakthroughs without getting lost in dense jargon.

Below are the latest papers in condensed matter and materials science, organized by their most recent publication dates.

Bragg-Williams order competes with superconductivity

This study demonstrates that Bragg-Williams order acts as an independent competing order parameter that suppresses superconductivity in In2/3PSe3, where the disordered phase exhibits a significantly higher critical temperature (11 K) than the ordered phase (7 K) due to enhanced electron-phonon interactions.

Xu Liu, Xu Chen, Chuizhen Chen, Boqin Song, Jing Chen, Xijing Dai, Qinghua Zhang, Feng Jin, Xingya Wang, Weiwei Dong, Dongliang Yang, Gefei Li, Pengju Zhang, Jiangping Hu, Jian-gang Guo, Tianping Ying (…)2026-04-29🔬 cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Spin-to-charge-current conversion in altermagnetic candidate RuO2_2 probed by terahertz emission spectroscopy

Using terahertz emission spectroscopy, this study investigates spin-to-charge current conversion in altermagnetic RuO2\text{RuO}_2 thin films, concluding that the observed anisotropic signals are primarily driven by the inverse spin Hall effect rather than the altermagnetic inverse spin-splitter effect.

J. Jechumtál, O. Gueckstock, K. Jasenský, Z. Kašpar, K Olejník, M. Gaerner, G. Reiss, S. Moser, P. Kessler, G. De Luca, S. Ganguly, J. Santiso, D. Scheffler, J. Zázvorka, P. Kubaščík, H. Reichlova, E. (…)2026-04-28🔬 cond-mat.mes-hall

Field re-entrant superconductivity in Eu-doped infinite-layer nickelates

The study demonstrates that Eu-doped infinite-layer nickelates exhibit a magnetic-field-induced re-entrant superconducting phase in the over-doped regime, providing a new platform for exploring the interplay between magnetism and high-temperature superconductivity.

Mingwei Yang, Jiayin Tang, Xianfeng Wu, Heng Wang, Wenjing Xu, Haoliang Huang, Zhicheng Pei, Wenjie Meng, Guangli Kuang, Ming Yang, Jinfeng Xu, Sixia Hu, Junfeng Wang, Liang Li, Ze Wang, Chuanying Xi (…)2026-04-28🔬 cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Spin-orbit torque switching of Néel order in band-inverted antiferromagnetic bilayer MnBi2_2Te4_4

This paper demonstrates through first-principles calculations that spin-orbit torque can electrically switch the Néel order and layer-resolved Chern marker in antiferromagnetic MnBi2Te4\text{MnBi}_2\text{Te}_4 bilayers, offering both dissipationless in-gap control and enhanced current-induced switching via doping.

Rajibul Islam, Shakeel Ahmad, Fei Xue2026-04-28🔬 cond-mat.mes-hall

Plasma engineered Hydroxyl Defects in NiO a DFTSupported-Spectroscopic Analysis of Oxygen Hole States and Implications for Water Oxidation

This study demonstrates that plasma-assisted synthesis, by tuning the O2 and H2O discharge environment, allows for the precise engineering of oxygen vacancy and hydroxyl defect landscapes in NiO thin films, thereby modulating ligand hole states and covalency to optimize the material's electronic structure for water oxidation catalysis.

Harol Moreno Fernandez, Mohammad Amirabbasi, Crizaldo Jr. Mempin, Andrea Trapletti, Garlef Wartner, Marc F. Tesh, Esmaeil Adabifiroozjaei, Thokozile A. Kathyola, Carlo Castellano, Leopoldo Molina Luna (…)2026-04-28🔬 physics.app-ph

Photonic Interactions with Semiconducting Barrier Discharges

This study demonstrates that nanosecond pulsed irradiation synchronized with Semiconducting Barrier Discharges enhances plasma emission and the reduced electric field through photoconductive coupling, where the specific wavelength-dependent absorption length determines whether photogenerated carriers are efficiently separated at the SiO2_2-Si interface or lost in the silicon bulk.

Ayah Soundous Taihi, David Z. Pai2026-04-28🔬 physics.app-ph

Emergent Nodal Spheres and Weyl Fermions via Spin-Texture Coupled to Thin Film Orbital Dirac Semimetals

This paper demonstrates that coupling a thin-film orbital Dirac semimetal to a generic spin-texture can generate a wide range of topological phenomena, including Weyl semimetals with anomalous Hall and chiral magnetic effects, Lifshitz-like transitions, and the emergence of momentum-space nodal spheres under time-dependent driving.

Pritam Chatterjee, Anirudha Menon2026-04-28🔬 cond-mat.mes-hall