Quantum Server Newsletter on the latest news in Materials Science research

By Quantum Server Networks — November 2025 In a remarkable step toward smarter and more sustainable additive manufacturing, researchers at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) have developed a new class of self-healing photopolymers that could dramatically extend the lifespan of 3D-printed parts. Led by Professor Christopher Lewis from RIT’s College of Engineering Technology, the research introduces a novel way for printed materials to automatically repair cracks and deformation — bringing 3D printing a step closer to mimicking the resilience of biological systems. The work, supported by the U.S. Department of Defense and conducted in partnership with RIT’s AMPrint Center , focuses on designing stimuli-responsive photopolymers that react to light exposure by self-repairing internal damage. The results, reported by 3D Printing Industry , highlight a transformative direction in materials science — one that merges chemistry, engineering, and biomimicry to give printed c...

By Quantum Server Networks — November 2025 Understanding how electrons pair to create superconductivity has long been one of physics’ greatest mysteries. Now, a team of researchers from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has introduced a groundbreaking experimental protocol that may finally make one of the field’s most elusive quantum signatures — d-wave pairing — directly measurable. Their study, published in Physical Review Letters and reported by Physics World , could open a new chapter in understanding high-temperature superconductivity . For decades, physicists have been captivated by the strange behavior of electrons in copper-oxide superconductors (cuprates), materials that can conduct electricity without resistance at temperatures much higher than traditional superconductors. Yet the exact mechanism behind this phenomenon remains one of condensed matter physics’ unsolved puzzles. The Harvard–MIT collaboration brings fresh insight b...

By Quantum Server Networks — November 2025 In a major stride for advanced nuclear materials, scientists at the All-Russian Thermal Engineering Institute (VTI) have announced the completion of an extraordinary 400,000-hour long-term strength test of EP302M-Sh steel — a specially engineered “super steel” designed to withstand the extreme conditions inside next-generation nuclear reactors. This achievement marks one of the most comprehensive durability studies ever conducted in the field of nuclear materials science and represents a significant leap toward the reliable deployment of fourth-generation reactors . The research, featured by Interesting Engineering , highlights both the scientific and industrial importance of this alloy. The steel demonstrated exceptional resistance to both heat and corrosion , maintaining its mechanical integrity over years of continuous high-stress operation. The data derived from this project are already being transferred to design and engineering...

By Quantum Server Networks — November 2025 In a remarkable leap forward for impact-resistant materials, researchers from Peking University have engineered a fabric that surpasses Kevlar in both strength and energy absorption. By aligning carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with aramid polymer chains , the team achieved a nanocomposite fabric so strong that a sheet only 1.8 millimeters thick can stop a bullet. The material represents one of the most significant breakthroughs in protective fabrics since Kevlar’s invention in the 1960s. The original report, published in Matter and featured by New Scientist , details how the Chinese research team led by Professor Jin Zhang developed this hybrid “ carbon nanotube/heterocyclic aramid composite .” Their work tackles one of the key limitations of current bulletproof materials — molecular slippage under high stress. A Revolution in Polymer Engineering Conventional bulletproof vests rely on fibers such as Kevlar or Dyneema , which absorb i...