The recent discovery of ferromagnetism in 2D van der Waals Chromium trihalides CrX$_3$ (X = Cl , Br and I) down to the monolayer has gain research attraction because of their interesting electronic and magnetic properties. The magnetic properties of CrX$_3$ can be manipulated by applying perturbations such as external magnetic field, strain, pressure. This makes CrX$_3$ prime candidates for...
Hydrogen fuel cells have proven to be the best alternative to fossil fuels for ecofriendly and high performing clean power generation. Among the various types of fuel cells, proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) has demonstrated a wider range of applications mainly because of low operating temperature (50 oC – 80 oC), high efficiency, and higher power range (1KW – 100 KW). In PEMFC, the...
The unique simultaneous appearance of zero resistivity and magnetic field expulsion enable superconductors to have tremendous potential for various applications, such as efficient electric power transmission, much smaller or more powerful magnets, magnetic levitation, high-speed computing, etc. The superconducting critical transition temperature (Tc) has continuously been enhanced owing to the...
Pursuing hydrogen fuel via water electrolysis has attracted much attention to overcome the diminishing reserves of fossil fuels and their environmental repercussions. The efficiency of water electrolysis largely hinges on overcoming the inherently sluggish kinetics of oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Innovating highly active, durable, cost-effective OER electrocatalysts is essential,...
Ultrafast Electron Diffraction Studies in the Two-Dimensional Magnet CrSBr
CrSBr is an air-stable, novel two-dimensional (2D) magnetic van der Waals (vdW) single crystal that received intense study as a future spintronics material. The material shows some interesting properties such as a large optical band gap (~ 1.5 eV), strong spin-phonon coupling (SPC) effect, quasi 1-D electronic...
In recent times, there has been a growing interest in thermoelectric Zintl compounds due to their excellent thermoelectric performance across various families. Among these, Mg3Sb2-based Zintl compounds have garnered attention as potential thermoelectric materials. However, their effectiveness is hindered by weak electrical transport properties stemming from their p-type nature. The poor...
Recent reports of room temperature ambient pressure superconductivity in LK-99 sparked tremendous excitement. While the materials is no longer believed to be superconducting, interest in its electronic and topological properties of the material still stands. Here, we utilize first-principle density functional theory and augment a recently proposed model tight-binding Hamiltonian to study the...
Seawater electrolysis stands as a promising technology for sustainable hydrogen production and desalination. It consists of two processes, Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER) and Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER). A bifunctional catalyst plays the crucial role of performing both these reactions simultaneously thus reducing the cost of this technology. This study focuses on the synthesis and...
This study investigates the thermoelectric properties of Mg₃Bi₂ compounded with varying amounts of Bi₂Te₃ to enhance its thermoelectric performance for cooling applications. The composites were synthesized using a solid-state reaction by ball milling method and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), ZEM 3...
