SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3637-6
Traditional optical fiber communication encryption methods lack sufficient dynamic adaptability and hardware flexibility, while reconfigurable logic gates can overcome this limitation, thereby significantly improving the flexibility of encryption systems. This study reports a reconfigurable optoelectronic logic gate (OELG) system based on hafnium-zirconium oxide (HZO) ferroelectric thin films. Through ultra-low temperature atomic layer deposition technique, the fabricated HZO thin films demonstrate an exceptional pyroelectric coefficient of 1835.91 μC m−2 K−1 and robust multi-level polarization stability, enabling efficient broadband photon-to-current conversion. By leveraging the pyroelectric effect and tunable polarization states, the OELG device achieves dynamic optical signal modulation and logic processing. The OELG device supports five fundamental logic operations (AND, OR, NAND, NOR, NOT) via electrical bias and polarization control, without requiring hardware modifications. The OELG device demonstrates stable performance over 10^9 cycles with no degradation, meeting practical application requirements. Furthermore, a convolutional neural network (CNN)-integrated image encryption-decryption framework was validated, achieving 95.01% recognition accuracy on decrypted data, while unauthorized decryption attempts resulted in significant feature loss. This study addresses security challenges in optical communication networks by proposing an innovative solution that integrates pyroelectric materials with reconfigurable logic gate technology, offering a new pathway to enhance physical-layer security.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4169-9
Transition metal fluorides (TMFs) are promising cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their high theoretical capacity and energy density, yet their practical application is hindered by low utilization rates stemming from particle sizes exceeding the effective Li+ transport distance (<20 nm). This work introduces a multiphase metal fluoride composite (MMFC) synthesized via a hydrothermal method, leveraging high-entropy concepts and interface engineering to enhance electrochemical performance. The MMFC, after annealing at 400°C (MMFC-400), exhibits high specific capacity, excellent rate capability, and cycling stability. The multiphase interfaces accelerate Li+ migration kinetics and provide additional active sites, addressing the limitations of conventional TMF cathodes. This study proposes a multiphase interfacial energy storage strategy for advanced TMF cathodes, offering a pathway to high-performance LIBs.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4229-6
The escalating retirement of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) necessitates efficient recycling technologies to recover cathode materials, particularly lithium iron phosphate (LFP), which dominates the traction battery market. Conventional pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical methods are energy-intensive and environmentally burdensome. Here, we report a fluorine doping-assisted direct regeneration strategy for spent LFP (SLFP) cathodes, yielding a regenerated LFP-F (RLFP-F) with a hybrid structure of ordered crystalline and disordered domains. Fluorine doping reduces the Li+ diffusion energy barrier, as evidenced by density functional theory calculations, and strengthens Fe–O bonding, suppressing Fe migration and anti-site defect formation. The O 2p band center shifts downward, increasing the Fe 3d–O 2p energy separation from 3.23 eV in pristine LFP to 3.46 eV in RLFP-F, enhancing structural stability and electronic conductivity. Electrochemical tests demonstrate that RLFP-F delivers a high-rate capability and excellent cycling stability. Life-cycle assessment reveals that direct regeneration consumes only 9.986 MJ kg−1 and emits 0.324 kg CO2-equivalent per kg of cell, significantly outperforming pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy. Economic analysis based on 2025 Chinese market prices indicates a net profit of $397.15 per ton of SLFP battery recycling, attributed to the closed-loop cathode-to-cathode design. This work provides a sustainable and economically viable route for upcycling spent LFP batteries.