Cheers! Maxwell's electromagnetism extended to smaller scales More than one hundred and fifty years have passed since the publication of James Clerk Maxwell's "A Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic Field" (1865). What would our lives be withou …
Heat energy leaps through empty space, thanks to quantum weirdness A surprising new study shows that heat energy can leap across a few hundred nanometers of a complete vacuum, thanks to a quantum mechanical phenomenon called the Casimir interaction. Though this inter …
Physicists image electrons flowing like water Physicists have imaged electrons flowing viscously through a nanodevice, just like water flowing through a pipe. Long predicted but only now visualized for the first time, this curious new behavior fo …
Communications device offers huge bandwidth potential Several countries are building futuristic communication systems using higher frequency electromagnetic waves to transfer more data at faster rates, but they have lacked network components to handle th …
How to induce magnetism in graphene Graphene, a two-dimensional structure made of carbon, is a material with excellent mechanical, electronic and optical properties. However, it did not seem suitable for magnetic applications. Researche …
Creating switchable plasmons in plastics Researchers have developed optical nanoantennas made from a conducting polymer. The antennas can be switched on and off, and will make possible a completely new type of controllable nano-optical compo …
A tech jewel: Converting graphene into diamond film Can two layers of the ''king of the wonder materials,'' i.e. graphene, be linked and converted to the thinnest diamond-like material, the ''king of the crystals' …
Liquid flow is influenced by a quantum effect in water Researchers have discovered that the viscosity of solutions of electrically charged polymers dissolved in water is influenced by a quantum effect. This tiny quantum effect influences the way water mol …
Has physics ever been deterministic? Researchers have proposed a new interpretation of classical physics without real numbers. This new study challenges the traditional view of classical physics as deterministic.
Proton-hydrogen collision model could impact fusion research A new study uses new techniques to calculate the cross sections of atoms which have been excited to higher energy levels. Researchers analyzed the behavior over a wide range of impact energies.
Gamma-ray laser moves a step closer to reality A physicist has performed calculations showing hollow spherical bubbles filled with a gas of positronium atoms are stable in liquid helium. The calculations take scientists a step closer to realizing …
A momentous view on the birth of photoelectrons The creation of photoelectrons through ionization is one of the most fundamental processes in the interaction between light and matter. Yet, deep questions remain about just how photons transfer their …
Fusion by strong lasers Nuclear physics usually involves high energies, as illustrated by experiments to master controlled nuclear fusion. One problem is how to overcome the strong electrical repulsion between atomic nuclei …
Scientists see defects in potential new semiconductor A research team has reported seeing, for the first time, atomic scale defects that dictate the properties of a new and powerful semiconductor. The study shows a fundamental aspect of how the semicondu …
Making higher-energy light to fight cancer Researchers have achieved photon up-conversion, the emission of light with energy higher than the one that excites the material, using carefully designed structures containing silicon nanocrystals and …
Cracking 60-year-old mystery of Sun's magnetic waves Scientists have discovered why the Sun's magnetic waves strengthen and grow as they emerge from its surface, which could help to solve the mystery of how the corona of the Sun maintains its multi …
Missing link between soft surface adhesion and surface roughness New research finds the missing link between soft surface adhesion and the roughness of the hard surface it touches. The key to this foundational discovery is a close look at the rough surface itself u …
The coldest reaction In temperatures millions of times colder than interstellar space, researchers have performed the coldest reaction in the known universe. But that's not all. In such intense cold, their molecules …
A new theory for how black holes and neutron stars shine bright Astrophysicists employed massive super-computer simulations to calculate the mechanisms that accelerate charged particles in extreme environments. They concluded their energization is powered by the i …
Milestone in quantum standardization Researchers have developed a method that could pave the way to establishing universal standards for measuring the performance of quantum computers. The new method, called cycle benchmarking, allows re …
Ultrafast quantum simulations: A new twist to an old approach Billions of tiny interactions occur between thousands of particles in every piece of matter in the blink of an eye. Simulating these interactions in their full dynamics was said to be elusive but has …
New method for using spin waves in magnetic materials In order to miniaturize individual components of mobile phones or computers, for example, magnetic waves are currently regarded as promising alternatives to conventional data transmission functioning …
A super-fast 'light switch' for future cars and computers Switching light beams quickly is important in many technological applications. Researchers have now developed an 'electro-opto-mechanical' switch for light beams that is considerably smaller …
Quantum computers learn to mark their own work A new test to check if a quantum computer is giving correct answers to questions beyond the scope of traditional computing could help the first quantum computer that can outperform a classical compute …
A four-way switch promises greater tunability of layered materials A scientific team has made the first experimental observation of a material phase that had been predicted but never seen. The newly discovered phase couples with a known phase to enable unique control …
Hot electrons harvested without tricks Semiconductors convert energy from photons into an electron current. However, some photons carry too much energy for the material to absorb. These photons produce 'hot electrons', and the ex …
New state of matter: A cooper pair metal In a finding that reveals an entirely new state of matter, research shows that Cooper pairs, electron duos that enable superconductivity, can also conduct electricity like normal metals do.
Researchers generate terahertz laser with laughing gas Researchers have built a compact device, the size of a shoebox, that produces a terahertz laser whose frequency they can tune over a wide range. The device is built from commercial, off-the-shelf part …
Tiny low-energy device to rapidly reroute light in computer chips Researchers have developed an optical switch that routes light from one computer chip to another in just 20 billionths of a second — faster than any other similar device. The compact switch is the fi …
New material breaks world record turning heat into electricity Thermoelectric materials convert heat into electrical energy. The amount of energy that can be generated is measured by the so-called ZT value. The best thermoelectrics to date were measured at ZT val …
A milestone in ultrashort-pulse laser oscillators With the demonstration of a sub-picosecond thin-disk laser oscillator delivering a record-high 350-W average output power, physicists set a new benchmark and pave the path towards even more powerful l …
Magnetic tuning at the nanoscale Physicists are working to produce engineered magnetic nanostructures and to tailor material properties at the nanoscale. The scientists use a special microscope to achieve this goal. This microscope …