Wigner crystal — not Mott insulator — in 'magic-angle' graphene Recently, scientists created a stir in the field of condensed matter physics when they showed that two sheets of graphene twisted at specific angles display two emergent phases of matter. After a care …
Shedding light on — and through — 2D materials Scientists use a computational method to calculate the optical properties of two-dimensional materials. Their work promises to simplify the process of identifying the right materials for next-generati …
Graphene bilayer provides efficient transport and control of spins Physicists have built an optimized bilayer graphene device which displays both long spin lifetimes and electrically controllable spin-lifetime anisotropy. It has the potential for practical applicatio …
How long does a quantum jump take? Quantum jumps are usually regarded to be instantaneous. However, new measurement methods are so precise that it has now become possible to observe such a process and to measure its duration precisely …
Searching for errors in the quantum world The theory of quantum mechanics is well supported by experiments. Now, however, a thought experiment by physicists yields unexpected contradictions. These findings raise some fundamental questions — …
Extremely small and fast: Laser ignites hot plasma When light pulses from an extremely powerful laser system are fired onto material samples, the electric field of the light rips the electrons off the atomic nuclei. A plasma is created. The electrons …
New world record magnetic field Researchers have recorded the highest magnetic field ever achieved indoors — a discovery that may open doors for materials science and fusion energy research.
Graphene helps protect photocathodes for physics experiments Researchers have used thin sheets of graphene to prevent photocathode materials from interacting with air, which increases their lifetimes. Photocathodes are used to convert light to electricity in ac …
Tech streamlines computational science projects A new research team has continuously updated a workflow management system they first developed in 2010 to help computational scientists develop software, visualize data, and solve problems, saving tim …
New photonic chip promises more robust quantum computers Scientists have developed a topological photonic chip to process quantum information, promising a more robust option for scalable quantum computers. The research team has for the first time demonstrat …
Quantum-level control of an exotic topological quantum magnet Physicists have discovered a novel quantum state of matter whose symmetry can be manipulated at will by an external magnetic field. The methods demonstrated in a series of experiments could be useful …
Enhancing data analysis for large hadron collider Physicists have created new techniques that deploy machine learning as a means to significantly improve data analysis for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world's most powerful particle accel …
Bismuth shows novel conducting properties Scientists have discovered a new class of materials: higher-order topological insulators. Theoretical physicists first predicted the existence of these insulators with conducting properties on the edg …
A trick of the light Researchers are using nanoparticles to make photodetectors better able to handle the ultraviolet radiation produced in high-energy physics experiments.
Separating the sound from the noise in hot plasma fusion For fusion power plants to be effective, scientists must find a way to trigger the low-to-high confinement transition, associated with zonal flows of plasma. Theoretically, these consist of both a sta …
Novel nano material for quantum electronics An international team has synthesized a novel nano material with electrical and magnetic properties making it suitable for future quantum computers and other applications in electronics.
Just seven photons can act like billions A system made of just a handful of particles acts just like larger systems, allowing scientists to study quantum behavior more easily.
Solar power: Golden sandwich could make the world more sustainable Scientists have developed a photoelectrode that can harvest 85 percent of visible light in a 30 nanometers-thin semiconductor layer between gold layers, converting light energy 11 times more efficient …
Scientists 'teleport' a quantum gate Researchers have demonstrated one of the key steps in building the architecture for modular quantum computers: the 'teleportation' of a quantum gate between two qubits, on demand.
Could a 'demon' help create a quantum computer? Physicists have employed a version of Maxwell's demon to reduce entropy in a three-dimensional lattice of super-cooled, laser-trapped atoms — a process that could help speed progress toward crea …
Probing molecular limit of plasmonics Researchers are probing the physical limits of excited electronic states called plasmons by studying them in organic molecules with fewer than 50 atoms.
Ultracold atoms used to verify 1963 prediction about 1D electrons Atomic physicists have verified a key prediction from a 55-year-old theory about one-dimensional electronics that is increasingly relevant thanks to Silicon Valley's inexorable quest for miniatur …
Quantum weirdness in 'chicken or egg' paradox The 'chicken or egg' paradox was first proposed by philosophers in Ancient Greece to describe the problem of determining cause-and-effect. Now, a team of physicists has shown that, as far as …
Superradiance: Quantum effect detected in tiny diamonds An atom gives off energy and causes many other atoms in its vicinity to emit light as well. This phenomenon is called 'superradiance'. For the first time, this phenomenon has now bean measur …
Terahertz spectroscopy enters the single-molecule regime Researchers showed that long-wavelength terahertz (THz) spectroscopy can detect motion of single molecules, not just molecular ensembles. They used a single-molecule transistor design, where pairs of …
Using physics to predict crowd behavior Electrons whizzing around each other and humans crammed together at a political rally don't seem to have much in common, but researchers are connecting the dots. They've developed a highly a …
Watching two-dimensional materials grow The production of ultra-thin 2D crystals is difficult. In the past, different techniques have yielded quite diverse results, but the reasons for this could not be accurately explained. Thanks to a new …
Higgs particle's favorite 'daughter' comes home In a finding that caps years of exploration into the tiny particle known as the Higgs boson, researchers have traced the fifth and most prominent way that the particle decays into other particles. The …