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AI helps solve decades-old maze in frustrated magnet physics

By partnering with artificial intelligence (AI), a researcher at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory has solved a long-standing physics problem and uncovered the mathematical trickery that underlies the generalization of recently discovered, extremely surprising new states of matter. The work exemplifies the paradigm shift that is taking place in research, as […]

New agentic AI platform accelerates advanced optics design

Stanford engineers debuted a new framework introducing computational tools and self-reflective AI assistants, potentially advancing fields like optical computing and astronomy.

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Newly engineered giant superatoms show promise for reliable quantum state transfer

Quantum technologies are systems that leverage quantum mechanical effects to perform computations, share information or perform other functions. These systems rely on quantum states, which need to be reliably transferred and protected against decoherence (i.e., a gradual loss of quantum information).

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Ultrashort laser pulses catch a snapshot of a ‘molecular handshake’

Liquids and solutions are complex environments—think, for example, of sugar dissolving in water, where each sugar molecule becomes surrounded by a restless crowd of water molecules. Inside living cells, the picture is even more complex: tiny liquid droplets carry proteins or RNA and help organize the cell’s chemistry.

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Long-hypothesized dynamic transition seen in deeply supercooled water for the first time

In a new study published in Nature Physics, researchers have achieved the first experimental observation of a fragile-to-strong transition in deeply supercooled water, resolving a scientific puzzle that has persisted for nearly three decades.

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Zero lasing modes are not always topological

The convergence of non-Hermitian physics and topological photonics has opened exciting research directions in recent years, particularly in the development of robust laser systems.

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Atomic Josephson contacts: How Bose-Einstein condensates replicate Shapiro steps

The microscopic processes taking place in superconductors are difficult to observe directly. Researchers at the RPTU University of Kaiserslautern-Landau have therefore implemented a quantum simulation of the Josephson effect: They separated two Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) by means of an extremely thin optical barrier.

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Water’s enigmatic surface: X-ray snapshots reveal atoms and molecules at work

Water is all around us, yet its surface layer—home to chemical reactions that shape life on Earth—is surprisingly hard to study. Experiments at SLAC’s X-ray laser are bringing it into focus.

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Pinpointing the glow of a single atom to advance quantum emitter engineering

Researchers have discovered how to design and place single-photon sources at the atomic scale inside ultrathin 2D materials, lighting the path for future quantum innovations.

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Dual substitution induces room-temperature ferromagnetism and negative thermal expansion in BiFeO₃

Using a dual-cation substitution approach, researchers at Science Tokyo introduced ferromagnetism into bismuth ferrite, a well-known and promising multiferroic material for next-generation memory technologies. By replacing ions at both the bismuth and iron sites with calcium ions and heavier elements, they modified the spin structure and achieved ferromagnetism at room temperature. Additionally, negative thermal expansion […]

Tiny optical modulator could enable giant future quantum computers

Researchers have made a major advance in quantum computing with a new device that is nearly 100 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair.

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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 sufficiently long time to be useful.

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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 removed from a state of equilibrium.

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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 these unusual pockets of the nuclear chart, magic numbers disappear, spherical shapes collapse, and nuclei unexpectedly transform into strongly deformed objects. So far, all such islands have been exotic nuclei […]

Quantifying unknown quantum states: Study explores effectiveness of existing methods

Reliably quantifying and characterizing the quantum states of various systems is highly advantageous for both quantum physics research and the development of quantum technologies. Quantifying these states typically entails performing several measurements and reconstructing them via a process known as quantum-state tomography.

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