The United Nations has declared 2025 the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, marking 100 years since the birth of quantum mechanics. Fittingly, this October saw Garching become a hub of international exchange on the frontiers of quantum materials, as over 70 researchers from around the world gathered for the first-ever Munich Quantum Matter Days.

The universe consists of significantly more matter than current theories can explain. The use of ultracold neutrons allows fundamental physical questions such as these to be investigated.

A team of scientists based at the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ) has taken an important step toward developing safer and more efficient batteries. Their research reveals how sodium ions diffuse and migrate through a promising class of solid materials known as NASICONs. The findings, published in the journal Materials Chemistry A, could support the future development of sodium-based solid-state batteries for applications ranging from electric vehicles to grid-scale energy storage.