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Strain can lead to emergent quantum states. Here, the authors identify a strain induced topological crystalline insulator phase in bilayer SnTe on bulk 2H-NbSe₂.

Graphene nanoribbons have potential applications as nanoscale wires, though experimentally studied ribbons display wide bandgaps. Here, the authors synthesise the narrowest armchair graphene nanoribbon predicted to have metallic behaviour and show these ribbons—5 carbon atoms wide—indeed display almost metallic behaviour.

Graphene nanostructures have a tremendous potential for electronic applications, although contacting them with atomic precision remains a challenge. Here, van der Lit and colleagues achieve contacting graphene nanoribbons via only a single atom, without affecting its electronic structure.

A study demonstrates the synthesis and characterization of a two-dimensional van der Waals heterostructure hosting artificial heavy fermions, providing a tunable platform for investigations of heavy-fermion physics.

A four-level conductance switch can be created by using a scanning tunnelling microscope to remove a hydrogen atom from the central cavity of a porphyrin molecule.

Quantitatively studying how the rate of a chemical reaction is affected by a reactant's atomic-scale environment is extremely challenging. This has now been achieved at the single-molecule level using scanning tunnelling microscopy to monitor tautomerization in an atomically well-defined environment.

Individual vacancies in a chlorine monolayer on copper can be manipulated with scanning tunnelling microscopy to engineer artificial lattices that have topologically nontrivial electronic states.

Engineering quantum states requires precise manipulations at the atomic level. Here, the authors use deep reinforcement learning to manipulate Ag adatoms on Ag surfaces, which combined with path planning algorithms enables autonomous atomic assembly.

A van der Waals structure based on a two-dimensional magnet and layered superconductor offers a potential system in which topological superconductivity could be easily tuned and integrated into devices.

Most systems exhibiting topological superconductivity are artificial structures that require precise engineering. Now, a layered material shows tantalizing signs of the phenomenon.

A study of the electronic structure of molecular wires as a function of their length reveals strong coupling between electrons and molecular vibrations. The mechanism provides a means to coherently couple electronic levels by nuclear motion, and possibly to mechanically control electron transport in molecular electronics.

A single-particle model is usually used to interpret the tunnelling spectra of molecules on surfaces, but scanning tunnelling microscopy now shows that many-body effects can occur in a single molecule.

Topological frustration in the π-electron network of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon C₃₈H₁₈ yields unpaired electrons and a magnetically non-trivial ground state. Here, the authors synthesize this molecule, known as Clar’s goblet, on Au(111) and characterize the antiferromagnetic ground state with scanning tunnelling microscopy.

Whether two dimensional magnetic ordering exists in monolayers of VSe₂ has been the subject of recent debate. Here, the authors investigate monolayers of VSe₂ grown on an NbSe₂ substrate and demonstrate a reduction in the superconducting gap of the NbSe₂ and absence of charge density wave formation supporting the presence of a magnetic ground state in the VSe₂.

Symmetry is key for magnetism of molecules as well as other nanostructures. Here, the authors tune the magnetic moment of a metal-organic molecule deposited on NbSe2 via the adsorption symmetry, and observe a non-collinear intramolecular spin-spin interaction.