Brookhaven National Laboratory

New approach to designing ordered composite materials for possible energy applications.

The elusive quantum phenomenon—called van Vleck magnetism—may allow scientists to manipulate topological insulators and engineer new electronics.

Delivering the capability to image nanostructures and chemical reactions down to nanometer resolution requires a new class of x-ray microscope that can perform precision microscopy experiments using ultra-bright x-rays from the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) at Brookhaven National Laboratory. This groundbreaking instrument, designed to deliver a suite of unprecedented x-ray imaging capabilities for the Hard X-ray Nanoprobe (HXN) beamline, brings researchers one step closer to the ultimate goal of nanometer resolution at NSLS-II, a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility.

Data from the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and other experiments nearly rule out role of 'dark photons' as an explanation for the 'g-2' anomaly.

Advance could lead to quantum computing and the secure transfer of information over long-distance fiber optic networks.

Nanostructured surface textures—with shapes inspired by the structure of moths' eyes—prevent the reflection of light off silicon, improving conversion of sunlight to electricity.

New family of materials produces "twin" electrical charges on single molecules, potentially paving the way for easy manufacture of more efficient solar devices.

Brookhaven Lab and Stony Brook University scientists use x-rays to map internal atomic transformations and advance promising lithium-based batteries.

From new insights into the building blocks of matter to advances in understanding batteries, superconductors, and a protein that could help fight cancer, 2014 was a year of stunning successes for the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory. Oh, and did we mention the opening of a brand new facility that will push the limits of discovery across the scientific spectrum? For details on these and the rest of our Top-10 breakthroughs, check out the items below. You can follow Brookhaven Lab on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr to learn about the discoveries of 2015 as they happen.

Rust never sleeps. Whether a reference to the 1979 Neil Young album or a product designed to protect metal surfaces, the phrase invokes the idea that corrosion from oxidation—the more general chemical name for rust and other reactions of metal with oxygen—is an inevitable, persistent process. But a new study performed at the Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN) at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory reveals that certain features of metal surfaces can stop the process of oxidation in its tracks.