Correcting hybrid density functionals to model Y6 and other non-fullerene acceptors

This paper addresses the challenges of modeling Y6 non-fullerene acceptors by tuning a range-separated hybrid functional to account for solvatochromic effects and oscillator strength borrowing in solid-state dimers, while cautioning that standard range-separated hybrids may be less accurate than global hybrids and proposing that reducing the range-separation length can improve accuracy without complex tuning.

Tom Ward, Isabel Creed, Tim Rein + 1 more2026-03-06🔬 cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Temperature-Dependent Dielectric Function of Tantalum Nitride Formed by Atomic Layer Deposition for Tunnel Barriers in Josephson Junctions

This study demonstrates that atomic layer deposition (ALD) of tantalum nitride (TaN) films yields thermally stable, insulating tunnel barriers with a band gap of 1.5–1.8 eV and uniform composition, making them a superior alternative to aluminum oxide for fabricating high-quality Josephson junctions in superconducting quantum circuits.

Ekta Bhatia, Aaron Lopez Gonzalez, Yoshitha Hettige + 9 more2026-03-06🔬 cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Extending spin-lattice relaxation theory to three-phonon processes

This paper extends first-principles spin-lattice relaxation theory to include three-phonon processes, demonstrating that while these contributions are negligible for the studied Chromium nitride complex under experimental conditions—thereby validating the weak coupling assumption—the framework reveals that slightly stronger coupling could make three-phonon effects significant at room temperature.

Nilanjana Chanda, Alessandro Lunghi2026-03-06⚛️ quant-ph

Equilibrium Thermochemistry and Crystallographic Morphology of Manganese Sulfide Nanocrystals

This study establishes a validated computational framework using r2^2SCAN+UU density functional theory to predict the equilibrium morphologies of rock salt, zinc blende, and wurtzite manganese sulfide nanocrystals as a function of sulfur chemical potential, a prediction that is experimentally confirmed by the synthesis of cubic rock salt nanocrystals and oxidative solution calorimetry measurements.

Junchi Chen, Tamilarasan Subramani, Deep Mekan + 8 more2026-03-06🔬 cond-mat.mes-hall

High-Pressure Inelastic Neutron Spectroscopy: A true test of Machine-Learned Interatomic Potential energy landscapes

This study experimentally validates the transferability of a machine-learned interatomic potential across different thermodynamic states by demonstrating its ability to accurately reproduce high-pressure inelastic neutron spectroscopy data of crystalline 2,5-diiodothiophene, thereby establishing high-pressure INS as a rigorous benchmark for predictive computational chemistry.

Jeff Armstrong, Adam Jackson, Alin Elena2026-03-06🔬 cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Long-distance propagation of high-velocity antiferromagnetic spin waves

This paper demonstrates the room-temperature coherent propagation of high-velocity antiferromagnetic spin waves over approximately 10 micrometers in canted α\alpha-Fe2_2O3_3, achieving group velocities up to 22.5 km/s through the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and validating these findings with an analytical model of quasi-linear dispersion.

Hanchen Wang, Rundong Yuan, Yongjian Zhou + 8 more2026-03-05🔬 cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Cryogenic spin 3/2 nuclear quadrupole resonance: Spin relaxation and electric field gradient via Rabi frequency goniometry

This study demonstrates a method to determine the electric field gradient principal axes frame in single-crystal potassium chlorate via Rabi frequency goniometry and characterizes spin relaxation mechanisms at cryogenic temperatures (17–200 K) using a cryogen-free system to enhance the accessibility of NQR spectroscopy.

Ritik R. Modi, Karen L. Sauer2026-03-05🔬 cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Deep Learning-Assisted Weak Beam Identification in Dark-Field X-ray Microscopy

This paper introduces a deep learning framework using a lightweight convolutional neural network to automate the rapid and objective identification of weak-beam imaging conditions in Dark-Field X-ray Microscopy, thereby enabling scalable, non-destructive, and statistically significant 3D characterization of dislocations in bulk crystalline materials.

A. Benhadjira, C. Detlefs, S. Borgi + 2 more2026-03-05🔬 cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Modulation of structural short-range order due to chemical patterning in multi-component amorphous interfacial complexions

This study demonstrates that chemical patterning in amorphous interfacial complexions of Cu-rich nanocrystalline alloys, driven by dopant segregation to amorphous-crystalline transition regions, directly modulates local structural short-range order, thereby enabling new avenues for microstructural engineering.

Esther C. Hessong, Zhengyu Zhang, Tianjiao Lei + 3 more2026-03-05🔬 cond-mat.mtrl-sci