Electronic Devices

Researchers report semiconductor with record 7-electronvolt bandgap

Writing in Nature, Steele and colleagues describe a semiconductor material whose electronic bandgap exceeds 7 electronvolts, the largest reported for any semiconductor. This value places the material in a range of electronic properties previously associated only with insulators.

nature.com · 2026-10-07

Second Circuit rules border agents can search phones without a warrant

The Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that U.S. border agents may search travelers' electronic devices without any individualized suspicion, rejecting arguments for a warrant requirement. The decision came in United States v. Alisigwe, a case in which prosecutors used evidence from two warrantless cellphone searches conducted at the border. The Knight First Amendment Institute and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press had filed a brief urging the court to require warrants, citing First and Fourth Amendment concerns.

knightcolumbia.org · 2026-09-18