Reports in Advances of Physical Sciences

The more-than-a-century history of superconductivity is marked by a great deal of progress in the understanding of this fascinating phenomenon as well as discovery and design of new superconducting materials and systems with enhanced critical parameters. Despite the achievements in theory, experiment and technology, many questions still remain open related to the mechanisms of superconductivity in so-called unconventional materials and aspects related to applications of superconductors which stimulates continuous research interest in the field. In this short review paper, we discuss some important recent advances in superconductivity and vortex matter made over about the last decade. In particular, we focus on novel iron-based and multigap superconductors and vortex matter in multi-component systems including multiband superconductors and multi-component Bose–Einstein condensates. We also discuss recent advances in manipulating vortex matter in nano-engineered superconducting systems such as non-periodic pinning arrays which can be used as devices that enhance the critical superconducting parameters and thus open new possibilities for applications of superconductors.

Graphene and graphene-based nanomaterials such as graphene oxide (GO), reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have gained a lot of attention from diverse scientific fields for applications in sensing, catalysis, nanoelectronics, material engineering, energy storage and biomedicine due to its unique structural, optical, electrical and mechanical properties. Graphene-based nanomaterials emerge as a novel class of nanomedicine for cancer therapy for several reasons. Firstly, its structural properties like high surface area and aromaticity enables easy loading of hydrophobic drugs. Secondly, presence of oxygen containing functional groups improve its physiological stability and also act as site for biofunctionalization. Thirdly, its optical absorption in the NIR region enable them to act as photoagents for photothermal and photodynamic therapies of cancer, both in vitro and in vivo. Finally, its intrinsic fluorescence property helps in bioimaging of cancer cells. Overall, graphene-based nanomaterials can act as agents for developing multifunctional theranostic platforms for carrying out more efficient detection and treatment of cancers. This review provides a detailed summary of the different applications of graphene-based nanomaterials in drug delivery, nucleic acid delivery, phototherapy, bioimaging and theranostics.

We review the developments of the statistical physics of fracture and earthquake over the last four decades. We argue that major progress has been made in this field and that the key concepts should now become integral part of the (under-) graduate level text books in condensed matter physics. For arguing in favor of this, we compare the development (citations) with the same for some other related topics in condensed matter, for which Nobel prizes have already been awarded.