Electrons

Researchers control quantum states with spin-polarized currents

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Researchers at ETH Zurich have achieved a significant breakthrough in quantum physics by demonstrating that quantum states of single electron spins can be controlled using spin-polarized electron currents. This pioneering method holds potential for future applications in electronic circuit elements, potentially revolutionizing data storage and processing. The Spin of Electrons Electrons possess an intrinsic angular … Read more

Researchers develop platform to control qubits in silicon defects for quantum communications

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The dream of a quantum internet, one capable of unprecedented levels of security and computational power, is tantalizingly close. Making this dream a reality would be significantly more feasible if we could harness existing telecommunications technologies and infrastructure. Recently, researchers have made significant strides in this direction by exploring defects in silicon—a ubiquitous semiconductor material—as … Read more

Photocatalytic quadruple electron transfer enables light-driven ester reduction

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The sweet smell of strawberries and other fruits is thanks to a chemical compound called ester, which is also found in many fats and polyesters. The ubiquitous compound can be broken down to produce desirable alcohols and other chemicals for use across industries, including pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, but the process can be costly, both financially … Read more

Physicists achieve breakthrough in quantum entanglement with top quarks

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A team of physicists led by University of Rochester professor Regina Demina has made a groundbreaking discovery in the realm of quantum entanglement, an enigmatic phenomenon famously referred to by Albert Einstein as “spooky action at a distance.” Quantum entanglement involves the interlinked behavior of tiny particles that, once having interacted, can influence each other … Read more

Cosmology: Studying the Origin and Evolution of the Universe

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Cosmology is the scientific study of the large-scale properties of the universe as a whole. It aims to understand the origin, evolution, structure, and eventual fate of the universe. By examining cosmic phenomena such as the Big Bang, cosmic microwave background radiation, dark matter, and dark energy, cosmologists develop theories and models that explain how … Read more

Scientists create optical Kármán vortex street

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In a study published in Nature Communications, collaborating physicists from Singapore and the UK have reported an optical analog of the Kármán vortex street (KVS). This optical KVS pulse reveals fascinating parallels between fluid transport and energy flow of structured light. Yijie Shen, study lead author from Nanyang Technological University, says, “We introduce a type of light pulse … Read more

Scientists generate relativistic plasmas on Earth

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An international team of scientists has developed a novel way to experimentally produce plasma ‘fireballs’ on Earth. Black holes and neutron stars are among the densest known objects in the universe. Within and around these extreme astrophysical environments exist plasmas, the fourth fundamental state of matter alongside solids, liquids, and gases. Specifically, the plasmas at … Read more

Scientists unravel the electronic structure of promethium

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When element 61, also known as promethium, was first isolated by scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 1945, it completed the series of chemical elements known as lanthanides. However, aspects of the element’s exact chemical nature have remained a mystery until last year, when a team of scientists from ORNL … Read more

Scientists discover unforeseen vortex behavior in light particles

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Vortices are a common physical phenomenon. You find them in the structure of galaxies, tornadoes and hurricanes, as well as in a cup of tea, or water as it drains from the bathtub. Normally, vortices are formed when very fast-flowing air, water or another substance encounters an area with a slower flow. They are characterized … Read more

Scientists discover slowest-spinning neutron star yet

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Australian scientists from the University of Sydney and Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, have detected what is likely a neutron star spinning slower than any other ever measured. No other radio-emitting neutron star, out of the more than 3,000 discovered so far, has been discovered rotating so slowly. The results are published in Nature Astronomy. Lead author Dr. … Read more

FRIB facility measures mass of aluminum-22, potential proton halo candidate

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In May 2022, the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at Michigan State University (MSU), launched its precision measurement program. Staff from FRIB’s Low Energy Beam and Ion Trap (LEBIT) facility take high-energy, rare-isotope beams generated at FRIB and cool them to a lower energy state. Afterward, the researchers measure specific particles’ masses at high … Read more

Scientists develop data-driven method to speed up electron-phonon interaction calculations

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Materials scientists and engineers aim to understand electron interactions and movements in novel materials to predict the behavior of devices made from these materials. Key questions include whether electrical current will flow easily, if there is a temperature at which the material becomes superconducting, and how long the quantum state of an electron spin will … Read more

Groundbreaking terahertz source pushes limits to ionize matter

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Terahertz waves, typically known as non-ionizing radiation, have now been pushed to new limits where they can behave as ionizing radiation under specific conditions. A groundbreaking advancement by a collaborative team of scientists from Korea and the U.S. has led to the creation of the most intense terahertz pulses ever recorded. These pulses are powerful … Read more

PhaseLift-based photoemission orbital tomography simplifies 3D MO visualization in materials

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Discoveries and progress in materials science often lay the foundation for technological breakthroughs that reshape many industrial and commercial fields, including medicine, consumer electronics, and energy generation. The development of experimental techniques is crucial in exploring new materials, paving the way for groundbreaking discoveries. These techniques allow scientists to delve into a material’s chemical and … Read more

Iron cathodes for lithium-ion batteries promise sustainability and cost reduction

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What if a common element, rather than scarce and expensive ones, became a key component in electric car batteries? A groundbreaking collaboration, co-led by an Oregon State University chemistry researcher, is aiming to ignite a green battery revolution by demonstrating that iron can replace cobalt and nickel as a cathode material in lithium-ion batteries. The … Read more

Adjustable filter paves the way for next-gen wireless communication

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In the early 2010s, LightSquared, a multibillion-dollar startup promising to revolutionize cellular communications, declared bankruptcy. The company couldn’t figure out how to prevent its signals from interfering with those of GPS systems. Now, Penn Engineers have developed a new tool that could prevent such problems from ever happening again: an adjustable filter that can successfully prevent … Read more

Engineers develop world-record microwave squeezer for dark matter detection

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UNSW quantum engineers have developed a new amplifier that could help other scientists search for elusive dark matter particles. Imagine throwing a ball. You’d expect science to be able to work out its exact speed and location at any given moment, right? Well, the theory of quantum mechanics says you can’t actually know both with … Read more

2D material with single atomic defect shows promising spin coherence at room temperature

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Scientists have discovered that a “single atomic defect” in a layered 2D material can hold onto quantum information for microseconds at room temperature, underscoring the potential of 2D materials in advancing quantum technologies. The defect, found by researchers from the Universities of Manchester and Cambridge using a thin material called hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), demonstrates … Read more

Entangled two-photon absorption unveils unique molecular properties

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Spectroscopy is the study of how matter absorbs and emits light and other radiation. It allows scientists to study the structure of atoms and molecules, including the energy levels of their electrons. Classical optical spectroscopy relies on the way particles of light called photons interact with matter. These classical spectroscopy techniques include one-photon absorption (OPA) … Read more

Harvard-led review examines progress in majorana research for quantum computing

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Named after an Italian theoretical physicist, Majoranas are complex quasiparticles that could be the key to building next-generation quantum computing systems. Most materials contain many electrons, each of which has a negative charge and a type of intrinsic quantum momentum known as spin. Interactions between electrons in some materials can produce emergent particles, or particles … Read more