Zdenek Sofer

In the layered crystal CrSBr, the magnetic moments of atoms are arranged like notes in a score: within each layer they point in the same direction, but between layers they point in opposite directions. This antiferromagnetic melody plays up to 132 kelvin, beyond which thermal motion destroys the order.

Water and metal: a partnership humanity has used for two hundred years, yet still hasn't fully learned to control. In a typical battery, the zinc electrode gradually degrades: during charging, metal deposits on it in uneven growths resembling frost crystals. If one such growth reaches the other electrode, it shorts the circuit and kills the battery.