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.

Persistent Free Volume Governs (Anti-)plasticization in Chitosan-Water Mixtures

Using molecular dynamics simulations, this study reveals that the transition from antiplasticization to plasticization in chitosan-water mixtures is governed by the connectivity of dynamically accessible free volume regions, which modulates the competition between weakened polymer-polymer and enhanced polymer-water interactions to dictate the material's elastic properties.

Baris E. Ugur, Michael A. Webb2026-04-17🔬 cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Anomalous Platinum and Oxygen Transport during Electroforming of NbOx Memristors

This study reveals that electroforming in Pt/NbOx memristors induces a previously unrecognized, highly correlated redistribution of oxygen and platinum, where localized Joule heating drives the formation of a Pt-rich filament alongside an oxygen-enriched pathway, challenging the conventional view of noble metal electrode inertness.

Shimul Kanti Nath, Sanjoy Kumar Nandi, Xiao Sun, Sujan Kumar Das, Bin Gong, Nicholas J. Ekins-Daukes, Deepak Mishra, Mahesh P. Suryawanshi, William D. A. Rickard, Songyan Yin, Michael P. Nielsen, Robe (…)2026-04-17🔬 cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Morphological Transition: From Meanders to Mound Structures

This study utilizes a vicinal Cellular Automata model to demonstrate that the morphological transition from meandered patterns to mound structures on crystal surfaces is governed by the competition between Ehrlich-Schwoebel barriers and adatom mobility, revealing a reversible pathway between these distinct growth regimes across varying deposition and diffusion conditions.

Marta A. Chabowska, Hristina Popova, Magdalena A. Załuska-Kotur2026-04-17🔬 cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Thermal conductivity tuning of scalable nanopatterned silicon membranes measured with a three-probe method

This paper demonstrates a scalable method for significantly reducing the thermal conductivity of silicon membranes through block copolymer self-assembly and controlled nanohole etching, validated by a novel three-probe technique that overcomes thermal contact resistance challenges to achieve a fivefold reduction in thermal conductivity at room temperature.

Jose M. Sojo-Gordillo, Alex Rodriguez-Iglesias, Dominik M. Koch, Arianna Nigro, Iñigo Martin-Fernandez, Marta Fernandez-Regulez, Marc Salleras, Ilaria Zardo2026-04-17🔬 cond-mat.mes-hall

Spontaneous Emission, Free Energy, and Relaxation-Limited Processes in Setting Limits on Solar Energy Conversion Efficiency

This paper proposes a simplified free-energy framework that establishes a theoretical thermodynamic maximum for solar energy conversion at approximately 74%, while acknowledging that practical limits like the Shockley-Queisser limit (~33%) and specific processes such as spontaneous emission and nonradiative losses currently constrain achievable efficiencies to lower values.

Sumanta Mukherjee2026-04-17🔬 physics.app-ph

Lattice dynamics and complete polarization analysis of Raman-active modes in LaInO3_3

This study combines polarization-angle resolved Raman spectroscopy with density functional theory calculations to comprehensively identify, assign, and characterize the Raman-active phonon modes in orthorhombic LaInO3_3, successfully extracting relative Raman tensor elements and confirming experimental frequencies through first-principles simulations.

Jonas Rose, Hai Nguyen, Moritz Meißner, Zbigniew Galazka, Roland Gillen, Georg Hoffmann, Oliver Brandt, Manfred Ramsteiner, Markus R. Wagner, Hans Tornatzky2026-04-17🔬 cond-mat.mtrl-sci