Scientists achieve record-breaking low temperature on China’s space station, paving the way for new physics experiments

Matter starts to behave differently at extremely low temperatures, creating conditions ideal for studying quantum physics and new states of matter. Now, researchers from China have achieved a new low-temperature record aboard their Tiangong space station. Their research, recently published in Science, might lead to a new generation of experiments in quantum physics and precision […]

From chaos to ‘intelligent’ soft matter—how tiny chemical differences guide droplets into ordered structures

Disorder can make sense, and understanding its logic can be genuinely useful. A study by a research group at the University of Trento shows how a minimal chemical difference can turn chaotic, disordered motion into a highly coordinated and reproducible structure.

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Paired but out of step: Why electron pairing alone is not enough for room-temperature superconductivity

Levitating trains, ultra-efficient energy storage, and quantum computers: superconductivity could unlock a wealth of possibilities for the future. New research led by scientists from Utrecht, Leiden, and Munich has now shed light on one of the key requirements for achieving superconductivity at room temperature. Their findings, published in Science, bring scientists a step closer to […]

Pinning down the structure of quark-gluon plasma, the universe’s first fluid

In the first fraction of a second following the Big Bang, matter existed as a trillion-degree plasma of quarks and gluons—subatomic particles that zinged around at close to the speed of light. This roiling soup lasted for just a few microseconds before the particles coalesced into more stable protons and neutrons.

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Laser-plasma accelerator could generate bright X-rays for biological imaging, simulations show

X-rays with wavelengths between approximately 2.3 and 4.4 nanometers, i.e., in the so-called water window, are particularly well suited to examining biological samples in their natural, aqueous environment. To date, however, it has been technically difficult to access this type of radiation at an appropriate quality and intensity, as only free-electron lasers in large-scale accelerator […]

Physicist develops detector capable of counting photons for quantum computing

Detecting a single photon is a challenge in itself. But what if you also want to know exactly how many photons arrive at a particular point at the same time? Physicist Erik Baalbergen is working on light detectors that can do just that. They form a key building block for the optical quantum computer of […]

How palm orientation shapes spin characteristics in volleyball jump serves

A new biomechanical study has uncovered how elite volleyball players control ball spin during jump serves, offering fresh scientific insight into one of the sport’s most decisive offensive skills.

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Electrical control of an unconventional quantum transport state demonstrated in a magnet for the first time

Researchers at Tohoku University and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) have successfully controlled a unique quantum phenomenon—the quantum-geometric nonlinear Hall (QgNLH) state—using electric current for the first time. The breakthrough was achieved by revealing and exploiting the coupling between the spin structure and the QgNLH state in an electrically switchable chiral antiferromagnet.

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After 40 years of searching, physicists find evidence for an ultrarare particle decay

Physicists at CERN report that they’ve detected evidence of a rare meson particle decay (B⁰→ µ⁺µ⁻) that occurs when the meson’s beauty quark annihilates with a down-type quark. The pair decays into a muon and antimuon, which are particles similar to electrons. Because evidence for this decay helps test theoretical predictions from the Standard Model, […]

When Einstein’s gravitational waves meet Newton’s tides

Newton’s theory of gravity has described the tides accurately for centuries. But could a tiny trace of Einstein’s general relativity also be hidden in them? In a new study, a mathematician at Freie Universität Berlin has outlined how a targeted approach could be used to search for effects of this nature.

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A new route to calculating gluon production in proton–nucleus collisions

In the theoretical study of proton-nucleus collisions, the colliding projectiles can be described as streams of color charges moving along their respective trajectories. These color charges couple to gluons, which then produce the particles that are observed in the final state (gluons and quarks, which eventually produce hadrons).

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A carefully timed pair of light pulses can amplify the motion of atomic layers in a quantum material

The principle “Work smarter, not harder!” apparently also applies to controlling quantum materials with light. Many of their fascinating properties depend on how the atoms are arranged in the crystal. Ultrashort laser pulses can be used to alter these structures in a targeted way—the light first excites electrons, whose changed energy and dynamics exert forces […]

A new superinductor created within a silicon integrated circuit

A recent study published in Nature Electronics and carried out by researchers from nanoGUNE’s Quantum Hardware research group, Quantum Motion, London Center for Nanotechnology, Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge introduces a new superinductor created within a silicon integrated circuit fabricated in a commercial complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) process.

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New research uncovers chiral topological phases in metals without structural order

Fermions are among the most important particles in physics and include both everyday electrons and more exotic variants. Chiral fermions, like gloves, come in left- and right-handed versions and were proposed over a century ago. While high-energy neutrinos—the leading candidates for massless chiral fermions—proved to have mass, nearly (semi-) metallic solid-state crystals were discovered 15 […]

Five things to know about guiding sound for better communication

Every time someone picks up a call, the phone does a quiet bit of translation. Incoming radio signals are converted into tiny sound waves that ripple across chips before being turned back into data.

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