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Bernal-stacked bilayer graphene (BLG) has been extensively studied due to its tunable band gap and emerging electronic properties, but its low-energy band structure remains debated. Here, the authors report magnetotransport measurements of Bernal BLG, showing evidence of four Dirac cones and electrically induced topological transitions.

Neuronal PAS domain protein 4 (NPAS4) is an immediate early gene, but its role in striatal circuits in drug seeking behaviour is not understood. Here the authors show that exposure to cocaine in mice results in induction of NPAS4 in a subset of nucleus accumbens (NAc) neurons, and in D2-neurons of the NAc it contributes to cocaine-associations and cocaine seeking behaviour.

Optical experiments on WSe₂/MoSe₂ heterobilayers reveal signatures of moiré trions, including interlayer emission with sharp lines and a complex charge-density dependence, features that differ markedly from those of conventional trions.

Minimization of kinetic energy leads to ferromagnetic correlations between itinerant electrons in MoSe₂/WS₂ moiré lattices even in the absence of exchange interactions.

CrSBr is a van der Waals layered antiferromagnet. Unlike many other van der Waals magnetic materials it is air stable, and in addition hosts a rich array of magneto-optical responses. Here, Tabataba-Vakili et al demonstrate that the magnetic and optical response of CrSBr is sensitive to gating, allowing electrical control of the magneto-optical properties.

High-energy interlayer excitons in van der Waals semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides lie far above the bandgap and emit in the ultraviolet range.

Nonlinear optical processes like higher-order harmonic generation in solids depend on several factors. Here the authors explore the optical nonlinearity of hexagonal boron nitride and find that enhanced nonlinearity is due to electron-phonon and phonon-polariton couplings.

Optoelectronic properties of van der Waals heterostructures can be tuned via strain. Here, authors demonstrate strong and localized luminescence in the ultraviolet region from interface bubbles between stacked multilayers of hexagonal boron nitride.

The authors report the emergence of quadrupolar excitons in WS₂/WSe₂/WS₂ trilayer heterostructures where the electron is layer-hybridized in WS₂ layers and the hole localizes in WSe₂. Quadrupolar excitons exhibit distinct behaviour under electric fields, enriching exciton–exciton interactions.

Here, the authors integrate a photonic crystal, supporting photonic bound states in the continuum (BICs), with monolayer WSe₂, and leverage the high energy confinement of the BIC modes to demonstrate coherent directional dark exciton emission.

Single-photon emitters (SPEs) in 2D semiconductors are usually affected by complex spectral profiles that limit their understanding and applications. Here, the authors combine a noncovalent surface functionalization method with localized mechanical strain to simplify the spectra and enhance the purity of SPEs in monolayer WSe₂.

The rational design of optoelectronic devices based on 2D materials relies on quantitative knowledge of their excitonic properties. Here the authors perform circularly-polarized absorption spectroscopy on monolayer \({{\rm{MoS}}}_{2},{{\rm{MoSe}}}_{2},{{\rm{MoTe}}}_{2}\) and \({{\rm{WS}}}_{2}\) in magnetic fields up to 91 T, and derive the effective exciton masses, binding energies, radii, dielectric properties, and free-particle bandgaps of these monolayer semiconductors

In moiré materials, structural relaxation phenomena can lead to unexpected and novel material properties. Here, the authors characterize an unconventional non-local relaxation process in twisted double trilayer graphene, in which an energy gain in one domain of the moiré lattice is paid for by a relaxation that occurs in the other.

Propagating spin waves known as magnons are expected to carry a dipole moment in the quantum Hall regime. Now, this moment has been detected, demonstrating that the degrees of freedom of spin and charge are entangled in quantum Hall magnons.

Switching of magnetic behaviour is one of the main ideas that drives spintronics. Now, magnetic switching via spin-orbit torque is shown in a moiré bilayer, introducing a platform for spintronic applications.

Hyperbolic metamaterials exhibit interesting optical phenomena that could provide useful functionalities, if the losses can be reduced. Here Caldwell et al.show that hexagonal boron nitride supports hyperbolic polaritons, presenting a natural alternative to metamaterial systems.

Parallel-plate capacitors of the two-dimensional materials hBN and NbSe₂ are integrated with aluminium Josephson junctions to realize transmon qubits with coherence times reaching 25 μs.

Activation of innate immune responses by nucleic acids is crucial to protective and pathological immunities. This activation is known to be mediated by transmembrane Toll-like receptors and cytosolic receptors; however, it remains unclear whether a mechanism exists that integrates these two nucleic-acid-sensing systems. High-mobility group box (HMGB) proteins 1, 2 and 3 are now shown to function as universal sentinels for nucleic-acid-mediated innate immune responses.

The tumor suppressor p53 is the guardian of the genome. Here, the authors use comprehensive approaches to demonstrate that transient p53 activity induces revival stem cells to promote the regeneration of severely irradiated intestinal epithelium in mice.

An increase in electrical resistance caused by the fundamental process of electrons scattering off of each other (umklapp scattering) is observed in graphene superlattice devices. This will limit the electrical properties of such devices.

Imaging the electron and hole that bind to form interlayer excitons in a 2D moiré material enables direct measurement of its diameter and indicates the localization of its centre of mass.

A structure of monolayer and bilayer graphene with a small twist between them shows correlated insulating states that can be tuned by changing the twist angle or applying an electric field.

A photocurrent enhancement at the charge neutrality point is observed in graphene when the Fermi level matches the Dirac point.

Here, the authors demonstrate that dark excitons in two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides can diffuse over several micrometers, and prove that this repulsion-driven propagation is robust across non-uniform samples.

Klf5 is a transcription factor that regulates self-renewal of pluripotent stem cells. Here the authors test the function of Klf5 in somatic stem cells, and discover that it controls stem cell homing and adhesion by regulating endocytosis of beta integrins.

A study reports a dual quantum spin Hall insulator in monolayer TaIrTe₄, arising from the interplay of its single-particle topology and density-tuned electron correlations.

We report the experimental realization and room-temperature operation of a low-power (20 pW) moiré synaptic transistor based on an asymmetric bilayer graphene/hexagonal boron nitride moiré heterostructure.

Observations of the Schwinger effect—the creation of matter by electric fields—have been hindered by the high required field strength. A mesoscopic variant of the Schwinger effect has now been realized in graphene transistors.

The authors show a hysteretic behaviour of superconductivity as a function of electric field in bilayer Td-MoTe₂, representing observations of coupled ferroelectricity and superconductivity.

Superconducting single-photon detectors are critical for quantum communication, fluorescence lifetime imaging and remote sensing, but commonly operate at very low temperatures. Now, high-temperature cuprate superconducting nanowires enable single-photon detection up to 25 K.

Nakahara et al. identify five transcriptional regulators that can revitalize Nestin-expressing mesenchymal stromal cells to enhance the synthesis of haematopoietic stem cell niche factors, improve haematopoietic stem cell expansion and protect them against DNA damage.

Optical receivers based on graphene still suffer from low responsivity. Here, the authors integrate a photo-thermoelectric graphene photodetector with a Si micro-ring resonator, and obtain a voltage responsivity ~ 90 V/W and a reduction of energy-per-bit consumption, enabling performance on par with mature semiconductor technology.

The unexpected phenomenon of rapid, long-distance transport of an ultrathin and uniform metal film on two-dimensional crystals is reported at temperatures well below the melting points of all of the materials involved. The effect is generalizable and may offer possibilities in confined space chemistry, as well as in two-dimensional crystal growth and devices.

Interlayer transport can be made to occur slower or faster than intralayer scattering in van der Waals heterostructures, allowing the thermalization pathways for optically excited carriers to be tuned.

Surface plasmons have unique physical properties that make them also interesting for technology. Here, the authors observe plasmons in mixed-dimensional heterostructures that can be highly modulated with electrostatic gating, which may be explained by plasmon hybridization

Correlated electronic states in moiré matter are of great fundamental and technological interest. Here, the authors demonstrate a Josephson junction in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene with a correlated insulator weak link, showing magnetism and programmable superconducting diode behaviour.

Thermoelectric measurements show an unusual form of critical behaviour at the superconducting quantum phase transition in monolayer WTe₂.

Woermann and colleagues describe a deaminase-independent function for APOBEC3A in initiating chromosomal instability and STING-dependent metastasis in human and mouse pancreatic cancer.

A study shows that rhombohedral graphene is an ideal platform for well-controlled tests of many-body theory and reveals that magnetism in moiré materials is fundamentally itinerant in nature.

The optical properties of two species of localized interlayer excitons in a van der Waals heterostructure are shown to depend on their spin–valley–layer configuration, enabling the identification of the moiré atomic registry and offering insights for engineering quantum states in two-dimensional materials.

Superconductivity often appears due to suppression of competing electronic orders. Here, the authors present a contrary example showing a superconducting dome inside the parent phase with a stripe charge order in IrTe₂ nanoflakes and identify their unusual superconducting properties.

The supercurrent diode effect was recently observed in a Nb/V/Ta superlattice thin film with Rashba-type spin-orbit coupling. Here, the authors observe this effect in few-layer NbSe₂ crystals driven by valley-Zeeman-type spin-orbit coupling and find that the effect is proportional to out-of-plane magnetic field.

Excitons control the optical properties of transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers. Here, the authors measure the exciton fine structure of MoS₂ and MoSe₂ monolayers encapsulated in hBN in magnetic fields up to 30 T, and observe a brightening of the spin-forbidden dark excitons in MoS₂.