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Exciting the alpha particle: International team validates helium-4 transition calculations

An important part of physics research is examining why theoretical calculations and experimental results sometimes don’t match. A recent experiment in Germany studied the helium-4 nucleus, also known as an alpha particle. Helium-4 consists of only two protons and two neutrons, making it relatively easy to describe using theoretical calculations. This makes it useful for […]

Escaping kinetic traps: How molecular interactions make it possible to overcome the energy barrier

In a paper in Physical Review Letters scientists from the department Living Matter Physics at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPI-DS) propose a mechanism on how energy barriers in complex systems can be overcome. These findings can help to engineer molecular machines and to understand the self-organization of active matter.

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Nonreciprocal interactions go nonlinear: Non-Hermitian dynamics observed in coupled nanoparticles

Using two optically-trapped glass nanoparticles, researchers observed a novel collective Non-Hermitian and non-linear dynamic driven by non-reciprocal interactions. This contribution expands traditional optical levitation with tweezer arrays by incorporating non-conservative interactions.

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An MRI-like tool for quantum materials: Sensor can detect minute magnetic fields at atomic scale

An international research team from Germany’s Forschungszentrum Jülich and Korea’s IBS Center for Quantum Nanoscience (QNS) has developed a quantum sensor capable of detecting minute magnetic fields at the atomic-length scale. This pioneering work realizes a long-held dream of scientists: an MRI-like tool for quantum materials.

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Physicists control electronic properties of moiré crystals

If you make a material thinner and thinner, at a certain point it undergoes a seemingly miraculous transformation: A two-dimensional material that consists of only one or two layers of molecules sometimes has completely different properties than the same material when it is thicker.

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Study finds active matter and shear flows share thinning behaviors

According to a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a research team led by Professor Xu Ning from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) has found that active matter and shear flows share similar thinning behaviors in self-propulsion and shear forces.

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Study shows elephant trunk dexterity can be mimicked with minimal actuators

The trunk of an elephant is among the versatile appendages in the animal kingdom. Now a research team has shown that most of its dexterity can be reproduced with a model using just three “muscles.” And they built a physical model to do just that. The findings are published in the journal Physical Review Letters. […]

Synthesis of a new compound with excellent intrinsic magnetic properties using smaller amounts of rare earth elements

The National Institute for Materials Science has successfully synthesized a new SmFe-based magnetic compound, SmFe8.8N1.1, which possesses superior intrinsic magnetic properties when compared to those of NdFeB compound used in neodymium magnets. The study is published in the journal Acta Materialia.

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Does heat travel differently in tight spaces? New insights into convection heat and fluid mechanics

A search for “air fryer recipe” on most social media platforms likely returns a flood of food videos touting quick and easy meal ideas. The market touts these devices as a convenient, clean, quick way to heat and crispen food, that offers a typically healthier option to using conventional deep fryers.

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Physicists uncover key to resolving long-standing inertial confinement fusion hohlraum drive deficit

A team of researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has made advancements in understanding and resolving the long-standing “drive-deficit” problem in indirect-drive inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments. This discovery could pave the way for more accurate predictions and improved performance in fusion energy experiments at the National Ignition Facility (NIF).

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Machine learning method uses nonlinear optics and structured light to expand information network accuracy and capacity

Structured light can significantly enhance information capacity, due to its coupling of spatial dimensions and multiple degrees of freedom. In recent years, the combination of structured light patterns with image processing and machine intelligence has shown vigorous development potential in fields such as communication and detection.

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Spontaneous supercrystal discovered in switching metal-insulator

A supercrystal formation previously unobserved in a metal-insulating material was discovered by a Cornell-led research team, potentially unlocking new ways to engineer materials and devices with tunable electronic properties.

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The experimental observation of a dissipative time crystal in a Rydberg gas

A dissipative time crystal is a phase of matter characterized by periodic oscillations over time, while a system is dissipating energy. In contrast with conventional time crystals, which can also occur in closed systems with no energy loss, dissipative time crystals are observed in open systems with energy freely flowing in and out of them. […]

Sensing ultraviolet light with the help of molecular switches

The old saying “the dose makes the poison” also holds true for ultraviolet (UV) light. While UV light is essential for vitamin D production, it is also important in phototherapy, several industrial processes, and plant growth. It also has harmful effects such as premature skin aging and cancer.

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Scientists resolves a long-debated anomaly in how nuclei spin

Atomic nuclei come in different shapes, varying from football-like (“prolate”) to pancake-like (“oblate”). Prolate and oblate shapes have different moments of inertia. This is a body’s resistance to having its speed of rotation altered by an external force. Atomic nuclei having different shapes with different moments of inertia implies that it takes different amounts of […]