The authors have developed Bend Contour Electron Tomography (BCET), a computational framework that turns conventional electron microscope images into quantitative maps of morphology and strain tensors in ultrathin materials, which are essential for understanding and designing their mechanical, magnetic, and optical properties. Rather than scanning a sample point-by-point, BCET analyzes full-field images by decoding bend contours created as electrons scatter through a deformed crystal. Combining images acquired at different viewing angles then allows the reconstruction of both the membrane shape and its local strain. BCET offers an accessible route to efficiently mapping nanoscale deformation and, ultimately, tracking how ultrathin materials respond dynamically to light, heat, and applied forces.

As a rare strongly correlated kagome metal, CsCr${}_3$Sb${}_5$ hosts exotic intertwined orders, quantum criticality, and pressure-induced superconductivity. Here, the authors report a range of anomalous magnetotransport signatures and identify a potential additional electronic order characterized by $T_3$. Their measurements reveal unconventional magnetotransport features linked to this anomaly, including increased conductivity, a nontrivial temperature dependence of the Hall coefficient, and a pressure-enhanced anomalous-Hall-like effect. Combined with Hall and mobility-spectrum analyses, they show that the electronic carrier profile is severely altered below $T_3$, pointing to the presence of an additional electronic order in CsCr${}_3$Sb${}_5$.

This study investigates the atomic-scale structure and stability of Guinier-Preston I (GP-I) zones in Al-Zn-Mg alloys. Large-scale simulations combine molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo techniques using a newly developed atomic cluster expansion (ACE) interatomic potential. Annealing of supersaturated solid solutions leads to the formation of nearly spherical GP-I zones composed of ordered Mg-Zn building blocks, with Zn atoms frequently shifting toward interstitial positions. The resulting precipitates exhibit distinct core-shell chemistry: a Zn-rich core surrounded by an Mg-enriched interfacial region, yielding an overall Zn/Mg ratio of approximately 1.5. Simulated HAADF-STEM images reproduce key features observed experimentally. At elevated temperatures, GP-I zones preferentially dissolve rather than transform directly into more stable precipitates, while vacancies and divacancies can stabilize small solute clusters even at high temperatures.

Ultrashort laser pulses offer a route to controlling quantum coherence in atomically thin semiconductors. Using first-principles simulations, the authors investigate coherent excitonic oscillations in monolayer tungsten disulfide. They reveal how coupling between excitonic states shapes these oscillations and how an additional resonance modifies their dynamics. Building on this microscopic understanding, they propose a sequence of laser pulses that generates and regenerates coherent oscillations on demand. The results connect the microscopic physics of interacting excitons with an optical control scheme, suggesting opportunities for ultrafast optical switching and future devices that use quantum coherence to manipulate and process information in solid-state materials.

Kinetomagnetism describes magnetization, or related pseudovector responses, induced by linear momentum k or symmetry-equivalent external stimuli. Its necessary and sufficient symmetry condition is broken parity-time (PT) symmetry, which also permits spin-split electronic bands. The authors establish a connection between kinetomagnetism and altermagnetism within the generalized SAM classification. All altermagnets can exhibit kinetomagnetism: S- and M-type altermagnets support even-order responses, whereas A-type altermagnets support odd-order responses. This symmetry-based framework unifies piezomagnetism, higher-order nonlinear Hall responses, and spin-splitting torques. By analyzing spin-rotation symmetries in the spin configurations of candidate materials, it also identifies when nonrelativistic spin-split bands can contribute to these responses.

The V₂Se₂O family represents the only experimentally verified family of van der Waals altermagnets to date, offering a unique platform for low-dimensional spintronics. The authors develop a symmetry-constrained tight-binding model for six representative members, fitted to first-principles calculations. The model can capture well the low-energy bands and crystal-symmetry-paired spin–momentum locking (CSML) with and without spin–orbit coupling, enabling simulations of diverse CSML-related phenomena, including noncollinear spin currents, electric-field-controlled layer polarization, and the piezo-Hall effect. By connecting realistic materials with a compact, extensible model, this framework opens new directions for exploring coupled spin, valley, and layer physics and lays the groundwork for future advances in low-dimensional altermagnetism and spintronics.

The structurally complex tetragonal sigma (σ) phase provides a unique platform for investigating the interplay between chemical disorder, electronic structure, and superconductivity, particularly in Re-based alloys, in which unconventional superconductivity has been widely discussed. Here, the authors investigate superconductivity in σ-phase Re–X (X = V, Nb, and Ta) alloys, covering 3d, 4d, and 5d transition-metal substitutions, as well as in a derived medium-entropy alloy incorporating multiple transition metals. The narrow stability range of the σ phase highlights the sensitivity of its structural stabilization to chemical composition and valence electron concentration. Magnetization, electrical resistivity, and specific heat measurements establish bulk type-II superconductivity in all compounds. The electronic heat capacity is consistent with a fully gapped, weak-coupling BCS state. These findings highlight σ-phase Re-based alloys as model systems for exploring the roles of structural complexity, chemical disorder, and spin-orbit coupling in superconductivity.