Chinese Journal of Nature

Breaking the vitrification limitation of matter: Evidencing that the amorphous state is the fourth fundamental state

TONG Xing, KE Haibo, WANG Weihua, BAI Haiyang

2025, 47(4): 239-248. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2025.02.010

Asbtract ( 224 )

PDF (6220KB) ( 386 )

References | Related Articles | Metrics

Amorphous matters are ubiquitous in nature and daily life, exhibiting unique physical and chemical properties. In recent years, through extensive experimental and theoretical research, scientists have recognized the amorphous state as an independent and conventional state of matter, positioning it alongside solid, liquid, and gas as the fourth fundamental state. The long-standing question of whether all substances can form amorphous states, raised nearly a century ago, has remained unresolved until recently. The crux of this issue lies in determining if monatomic metals with the weakest glass-forming ability can be transformed into stable amorphous state, which would provide compelling evidence that the amorphous state is a fundamental property of matter. Recently, a method of ultrafast laser ablation was developed, successfully achieving the vitrification of various monatomic metals, including gold and silver, which are notoriously difficult to be vitrified. This result not only breaks the vitrification limitation of monatomic metals but also confirms that the vitrification is indeed an intrinsic property of matter. Moreover, this method provides a strategy for the preparation and design of amorphous materials.

Thunderstorm electricity and rocket triggering lightning

JIANG Rubin, LIU Dongxia, YUAN Shanfeng, ZHANG Hongbo, WU Xueke

2025, 47(4): 249-260. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2025.04.002

Asbtract ( 97 )

PDF (2766KB) ( 60 )

Related Articles | Metrics

Thunderstorms and lightning are serious natural weather hazards that affect all areas of society and economy. Charge transfer between hydrometeors such as graupel and ice crystals occurs under the complex influence of cloud dynamics and microphysical processes. This leads to the electrification of thunderstorms, which accumulate large amounts of charge in different regions of the cloud, resulting in lightning discharges. Lightning can produce nitrogen oxides, high-energy radiation, and cause material-energy exchanges in the upper and lower atmosphere, and the problems involved are multidisciplinary. The Tibetan Plateau is characterized by high altitude, large and complex topography, with frequent thunderstorms and lightning activity. Research by Chinese scientists has revealed its bottom-heavy tripolar charge structure with a strong lower positive charge center, which generally evolves from an initial inverted dipole. Its universality has been confirmed by studies of thunderstorms in other high-altitude regions. The unique structure of thunderstorms on the Tibetan Plateau and their responses and feedbacks to global and regional ecosystems and climate change, which are controlled by a combination of large-scale circulation and local thermodynamic factors, deserve further attention and focus. Triggering lightning technology allows the highly random lightning to occur in a certain spatial and temporal controlled state, providing unique conditions for research into the physical mechanisms and effects of lightning, as well as for testing of lightning protection technology, based on which a series of advances have been achieved. In the future, the artificial intervention of thunderstorms and lightning by influencing the process of cloud electrification and triggering lightning at high altitude is still to be explored through the development of a variety of new technologies.

Climate change and wildfires

ZHANG Wenxia, YU Yan, GUI Kexin, ZHOU Tianjun

2025, 47(4): 261-269. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2025.04.003

Asbtract ( 144 )

PDF (3944KB) ( 123 )

Related Articles | Metrics

Record-breaking extreme wildfires have occurred frequently around the globe in recent years, causing severe loss of life and property and sounding the alarm for climate and ecological changes. Wildfires are a type of compound extreme events, often with a combination of high temperatures, low relative humidity, strong winds, and droughts. Why have extreme wildfires occurred frequently in recent years? What is the possible connection with climate change? This article covers three topics: the meteorological conditions for wildfires, long-term changes of wildfires and their climatic causes, and the impacts of wildfires on climate and ecosystems. There is strong feedback between climate change and wildfires. On one hand, the wildfire risk is increasing with high temperatures and droughts under climate change. On the other hand, extreme wildfires can produce large amounts of greenhouse gas and aerosol emissions, as well as affect ecosystems, which can further feedback to regional and global climate. The complex feedbacks pose challenges for adaptation to climate and environmental changes.

Assessment of the impact of dry deposition of particulate matter on photovoltaic resources

HE Zhechen, LIU Nuohang, PEI Ziyue, SHI Hongrong, GE Baozhu, WANG Zifa

2025, 47(4): 270-280. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2025.04.004

Asbtract ( 63 )

PDF (4932KB) ( 28 )

Related Articles | Metrics

As the importance of photovoltaic (PV) power generation in global energy transition increases, the impact of particulate matter (PM) dry deposition on PV systems has garnered growing attentions. This study investigates the effect of coarse particulate matter (PM₁₀) dry deposition on photovoltaic resources, particularly its influence on the irradiation received by PV panels, which subsequently affects energy generation efficiency. A comprehensive PV resource assessment model was developed, incorporating factors such as particulate deposition rate, meteorological conditions, and dust accumulation density to evaluate their impact on irradiation and power generation. The results show that PM₁₀ deposition forms a dust layer on the surface of PV panels, significantly reducing their transmittance. This leads to an average reduction of about 10% in available solar energy resources nationwide. Notably, in northern China, higher PM₁₀ deposition causes a reduction in irradiation of approximately 600 kWh/m², while in central and southern regions, the impact is less severe, with irradiation loss around 100 kWh/m² due to the cleaning effect of rainfall. Seasonally, the reduction ratio is higher in winter and spring compared to summer and autumn. A comparison of results from 2018 and 2020 shows that, despite a decrease in dry deposition flux in the latter year, the reduced rainfall cleaning effect results in lower usable energy generation in 2020 compared to 2018. In conclusion, improving air quality and enhancing panel cleaning can significantly boost PV power generation efficiency. The findings of this study are crucial for future PV resource assessments, optimizing PV power generation strategies, and supporting the achievement of national carbon neutrality goals

Electric-driven smart window

JIANG Lihai, LIU Peirong, WANG Zhihao, WU Jinbo

2025, 47(4): 281-288. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2025.02.013

Asbtract ( 165 )

PDF (3644KB) ( 239 )

Related Articles | Metrics

With the increasing global energy consumption, energy shortages, and environmental pollution, the Chinese government has solemnly proposed the “dual-carbon” strategy to promote sustainable development. Building energy consumption is the main part of energy consumption, and windows are the least energy-efficient part, so developing sustainable smart windows that balance ecological responsibility with human comfort becomes imperative. There are many types of smart windows, and among other stimuli, electricity, as the most controllable driving force, stands out. And the combination of electricity and electrochromic materials and device structures makes electrochromic materials a suitable choice for intelligently adjusting colors. Traditional low emissivity glass is not smart enough for light regulation, so people begun looking for other electric-driven smart windows. Based on this, this paper introduces three types of electric-driven smart windows—electrochromic, polymer-dispersed liquid crystal, and suspended particle devices—including their concepts, structures, reaction mechanisms, applications, and a brief overview of their performance metrics. It is believed that electric-driven smart windows will have a broader market in the near future.

Cold atom vacuum metrology based on a grating-chip

WANG Yunhe, LI Zhehan, DENG Shujin, WU Haibin

2025, 47(4): 289-293. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2025.04.006

Asbtract ( 44 )

PDF (3709KB) ( 28 )

Related Articles | Metrics

Vacuum metrology plays an indispensable role in advanced manufacturing and scientific research. Compared with traditional metrological methods, cold atom vacuum metrology exhibits unique advantages, including a lower measurement limit and calibration stability without drift. In this paper, we realized the preparation of on-chip cold atoms based on a self-designed grating-chip and investigated the loading and dissipation processes of this compact chip-based cold atom system. Furthermore, the background vacuum of the system was measured. The experimental results demonstrate that this compact grating-chip cold atom vacuum metrology system meets the relevant requirements for vacuum measurement, achieving a measurement result of up to 3.2×10^-9 Pa. This work provides an important scientific tool for the future miniaturization and commercialization of cold atom vacuum metrology.

Theoretical study of the effects of chalcogen substitution and double-layer stacking on the electronic structure and mobility in two-dimensional TMDs PtS₂

DAI Wen, PEI Tiantian, QIAO Junyi, FANG Rongwei, XI Jinyang

2025, 47(4): 294-302. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2025.02.012

Asbtract ( 49 )

PDF (3838KB) ( 25 )

Related Articles | Metrics

The excellent electrical transport properties of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) materials have been demonstrated in recent years. To understand the relationship between structure and properties, first-principles calculations are carried out to study the electronic structure and mobility in two-dimensional PtS₂-like systems. The effects of Se substitution and double-layer stacking on the effective mass, electron-acoustic phonon coupling, and mobility are analyzed, revealing the influences on electrical transport properties. It is found that Se substitution and layer-stacking both have more influences on the valance band maximum than the conduction band minimum. Furthermore, the hole mobility in monolayer Pt(S_1-xSe_x)₂ decreases with the increase of Se concentration x. While mobility in bilayer systems such as PtS₂-PtS₂ , PtS₂-PtSe₂ are one-order larger than that in monolayer PtS₂ because of the so small electron-acoustic phonon coupling. Therefore, our work provides the theoretical guidance that the layer stacking is an effective way to optimize and improve the electrical transport in two-dimensional TMDs materials.

Life is electrical: From bioelectricity to ion channels

GUO Xiaoqiang, GUO Beiyi

2025, 47(4): 303-315. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2025.04.008

Asbtract ( 119 )

PDF (3188KB) ( 142 )

Related Articles | Metrics

The discovery and measurement of bioelectricity, as well as the mechanism elucidation of ion channels, reveal the basic laws and characteristics of life processes. The early researches of bioelectricity involved important historical events such as the Galvani's discovery of the animal electricity in 1791, the measurement of resting and action potentials in the 19th century, the proposal of membrane theory explaining resting potential in 1902, and the development of ion theory explaining the formation process of action potentials 50 years later. The existence of ion channels was confirmed using patch-clamp technology, and the molecular mechanisms of gating (voltage, ligand, temperature and mechanical stress) and ion selectivity (Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Cl^-) were perfectly interpreted with structural biology methods. Ion channels are a class of membrane pore proteins that allow selective passive transport of ions, participating in many important biological processes such as sensory formation, information processing, muscle contraction, and glandular secretion. Loss or dysfunction of ion channels can lead to various diseases in organs such as the brain, heart and muscles. The knowledge of bioelectricity and ion channels has been widely applied in clinical techniques such as electrocardiography, cochlear implants, and optogenetics, as well as in drug therapies such as anesthetics and anti-hypertensive drugs. This article comprehensively introduces the historical process from the discovery of bioelectricity to the elucidation of ion channels and related knowledge, in order to deepen our understanding and recognition of this field.

Perseverance and beauty: the crystal life of Dorothy Crawford Hodgkin

YIN Hui, LI Xia

2025, 47(4): 316-322. doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2025.02.014

Asbtract ( 169 )

PDF (2020KB) ( 233 )

Related Articles | Metrics

Dorothy Crawford Hodgkin, a famous British chemist, was awarded the 1964 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for “the determination of the structure of important biochemical substances by X-ray technique”. Dorothy devoted her life to X-ray crystallography and successfully analyzed the structures of complex molecules such as cholesterol iodide, penicillin, vitamin B12 and insulin, which had far-reaching impacts on the fields of biology and medicine. Dorothy was not only an outstanding scientist, but also an important messenger to promote international scientific cooperation and maintain world peace. By reviewing Dorothy’s growth experience, scientific research achievements and social activities, this article provides two inspirations for scientific researchers: firstly, they should be persistent in exploration and climb to the academic peak; secondly, they should take up social responsibility and hold fast to their beautiful hearts.

Table of Content