Direct observation reveals 'two-in-one' roles of plasma turbulence Producing fusion energy requires heating plasma to more than one hundred million degrees and confining it stably with strong magnetic fields. However, plasma naturally develops fluctuations known as t …
An old jeweler's trick could unlock next-generation nuclear clocks In 2008, a team of UCLA-led scientists proposed a scheme to use a laser to excite the nucleus of thorium atoms to realize extremely accurate, portable clocks. Last year, they realized this longstandin …
Surprising nanoscopic heat traps found in diamonds Diamond is famous in material science for being the best natural heat conductor on Earth—but new research reveals that, at the atomic scale, it can briefly trap heat in unexpected ways. The findings c …
Laser draws made-to-order magnetic landscapes Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, in collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder, Colorado, have for the first time succeeded in using existin …
From light to logic: Ultrafast quantum switching in 2D materials Scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay have found a way to use light to control and read tiny quantum states inside atom-thin materials. The simple technique could pave the way for …
Expanding the search for quantum-ready 2D materials Quantum technologies from ultrasensitive sensors to next-generation information processors depend on the ability of quantum bits, or qubits, to maintain their delicate quantum states for a sufficientl …
New model describes how reaction-diffusion networks develop 'foams' For numerous fundamental processes of life, the formation of certain protein patterns is essential. Protein pattern formation controlled by molecular switches is—like many processes in nature—far remo …
A new nuclear 'island' where magic numbers break down For decades, nuclear physicists believed that "Islands of Inversion"—regions where the normal rules of nuclear structure suddenly break down—were found mostly in neutron-rich isotopes. In th …