RSS Parrot

Ultrashort laser pulses offer a new way to probe electrons' quantum geometry

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ultrashort-laser-pulses-probe-electrons.html

Published: October 13, 2026 19:40

Researchers at Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the University of Regensburg have developed a method for determining, using light, a quantum property of electrons that has hitherto been difficult to access. The focus is on what is known as Berry…

Optical skyrmions can control the motion of magnetic skyrmions

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-optical-skyrmions-motion-magnetic.html

Published: October 13, 2026 18:40

Magnetic skyrmions (MSks) are swirling patterns of magnetization that form inside certain magnetic materials. They can behave like actual particles in many ways, exhibiting a stable internal structure and distinct boundaries. Because they are extremely…

Computational model guides lighting design to improve color discrimination in aging eyes

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-discrimination-aging-eyes.html

Published: October 13, 2026 18:20

Researchers have developed a new computational model that accounts for the effects of aging on our eyes' ability to discriminate color. It could help guide lighting designs that make it easier for older adults to perceive colors while preserving the…

Could meditation reveal an SU(3) symmetry shared by the observer and the universe?

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-meditation-reveal-su3-symmetry-universe.html

Published: October 13, 2026 17:40

You sit down to meditate. A conversation returns, then thoughts. You bring your attention back to the breath. Sometimes, after many such returns, the effort eases. Thoughts lose their urgency, while awareness remains clear. Less occupies the mind, yet the…

'Carpet' growth method yields long-sought 2D quantum material

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-carpet-growth-method-yields-sought.html

Published: October 13, 2026 17:30

For decades, physicists have sought a practical two-dimensional topological insulator: an ultrathin material whose interior blocks electricity but whose edges conduct it. In ordinary wires, electrons constantly bounce off imperfections, losing energy. But…

Faster molecular simulations identify promising diamond defects for quantum computers and sensors

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-faster-molecular-simulations-diamond-defects.html

Published: October 13, 2026 17:20

A faster way of finding the best diamond-based materials for quantum computers has been developed by a researcher at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL). The new approach has already identified promising…

New topological microscope tip reveals evidence of 2D altermagnetism

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-topological-microscope-reveals-evidence-2d.html

Published: October 13, 2026 17:10

Researchers have fashioned a layered topological material into a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) tip that senses spin-related electronic states at atomic resolution.

Quantum physicists trace a century of controlling spin

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-quantum-physicists-century.html

Published: October 13, 2026 16:30

A concept from the field of quantum mechanics, spin is a property of particles that has no direct counterpart in everyday experience. Since the early 20th century, researchers have learned to manipulate it deliberately by means of precisely shaped…

Gravity and quantum information linked through a derivation of Einstein's equations

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-gravity-quantum-linked-derivation-einstein.html

Published: October 12, 2026 19:20

Recent research shows that gravity and quantum information are deeply connected and that the shape of spacetime can be traced back to the way information is stored in quantum fields.

Magnetic sculpting transforms single-source fields into predetermined shapes with mathematical precision

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-magnetic-sculpting-source-fields-predetermined.html

Published: October 12, 2026 18:40

Magnetic fields are invisible yet essential components in technologies ranging from MRI scanners and particle accelerators to atomic clocks and future quantum computers. Each of these applications requires magnetic fields with specific shapes and…

From nonmagnetic to magnetic: A 2D semiconductor with electrically tunable magnetism

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-nonmagnetic-magnetic-2d-semiconductor-electrically.html

Published: October 12, 2026 17:40

Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS), in collaboration with scientists from institutions in Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Germany, have demonstrated a way to introduce magnetism into an otherwise nonmagnetic two-dimensional…

One step closer to quantum computers that can correct their own mistakes

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-closer-quantum.html

Published: October 12, 2026 11:20

Researchers from Rutgers, IBM and collaborating institutions have shown that a quantum computer can check what is happening inside it and respond while it is running, repeatedly resetting parts of the system to bring chaotic behavior under control.

Hybrid quantum computers could finally get to grips with light and matter

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-hybrid-quantum.html

Published: October 12, 2026 06:40

Many of nature's most important processes depend on how particles of matter interact with light and other force-carrying particles. So far, however, it has proven difficult for conventional computers to determine how individual particles behave in these…

Quantum 'birthmarks' hold lasting traces of a system's past

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-quantum-birthmarks.html

Published: October 11, 2026 14:20

Some classical physical systems can explore many configurations over time until their long-term behavior no longer reveals their starting conditions. The sampling of available configurations according to the appropriate statistical distribution is a…

Ultraviolet laser pulses engineer diamond defects selectively, leaving quantum qubits intact

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ultraviolet-laser-pulses-diamond-defects.html

Published: October 10, 2026 17:20

When we think about a diamond, we often think about a material whose value comes from its perfection. In my research, however, I am interested in something almost opposite: the tiny imperfections inside diamonds. These atomic-scale defects can give…

New stability rules distinguish quantum phases of matter that an older method wrongly groups together

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-stability-distinguish-quantum-phases-older.html

Published: October 10, 2026 13:00

Most of us recognize basic phases of matter and their properties: solids maintain their shape, liquids flow freely with constant volume, and gases expand to fill their container. Quantum phases, on the other hand, are much harder to categorize, overturning…

Hybrid quantum computer observes foundational quantum effect in a new setting

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-hybrid-quantum-foundational-effect.html

Published: October 10, 2026 06:57

Physicists in the Department of Physics at the University of Oxford have used a hybrid quantum computer, made up of qubits and quantum oscillators, to observe the Aharonov–Bohm effect in a quantum simulation. The effect is a quantum phenomenon in which a…

Three quantum-inspired cores leave opposite fingerprints on the ringing of black holes

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-quantum-cores-fingerprints-black-holes.html

Published: October 9, 2026 17:40

Every black hole hides a question at its center. Einstein's theory predicts that whatever falls in is crushed into a singularity, a point of infinite density where the theory itself breaks down. Most physicists expect quantum gravity to replace that point…

Quantum chip holds multiple photons at once, opening path to scalable memory

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-quantum-chip-multiple-photons-path.html

Published: October 9, 2026 13:00

For highly fragile quantum information systems, the ability to store quantum information is vital—but also challenging. Quantum information is transported in particles of light called photons, which often must be temporarily paused (or "stored") while…

Light reads electron spins inside porous crystals, opening path to quantum chemical sensors

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-electron-porous-crystals-path-quantum.html

Published: October 9, 2026 10:40

University of Glasgow researchers are part of an international collaboration that could lead to a new generation of quantum sensors. The team, which included researchers from the University of Tokyo, University of Glasgow, University of Sheffield and Kobe…

Ultrafast core-level spectroscopy reveals elusive precursors of exciton condensation in quantum materials

https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ultrafast-core-spectroscopy-reveals-elusive.html

Published: October 9, 2026 10:14

Many fascinating phases in quantum materials emerge when electrons, atoms and other microscopic components begin to act collectively. But these phases do not necessarily appear out of nowhere when a material crosses a transition temperature. Before…

Physics model reveals fundamental trade-off between prediction and energy efficiency in intelligent systems

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-physics-reveals-fundamental-energy-efficiency.html

Published: October 9, 2026 09:30

Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming part of our everyday lives, from digital assistants to robots that respond to their surroundings. Each of these capabilities is based on physical computational processes that consume energy. An international…

Superconducting circuit links smaller photon groups into larger entangled states

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-superconducting-circuit-links-smaller-photon.html

Published: October 9, 2026 08:00

Quantum computers, computer systems that leverage the laws of quantum mechanics, store and process information using qubits (i.e., quantum bits). In many quantum computers, qubits are linked via entanglement, a quantum mechanical effect that connects…

Lensless imaging method enables long-term monitoring of living cells without staining

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-lensless-imaging-method-enables-term.html

Published: October 8, 2026 17:50

In a study led by Tampere University, researchers have developed a new lensless imaging method that produces precise quantitative data on living cells from a single image. The compact system can be placed inside a standard cell-culture incubator, allowing…

Nonchaotic model reveals how predictability can emerge from seemingly unpredictable dynamics

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-nonchaotic-reveals-emerge-seemingly-unpredictable.html

Published: October 8, 2026 17:00

Predicting a system's final outcome from its initial state is the ultimate goal for many physicists. In certain complex systems, however, this goal is thwarted by chaos, where even the subtlest tweaks to the initial state can lead to completely different…

How researchers tell different quantum excitations apart in individual molecules

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-quantum-individual-molecules.html

Published: October 8, 2026 16:50

Molecules can be placed in a wide variety of quantum states. How can these states be distinguished in measurements when theoretical models are unreliable? Which excitation process lies behind which measurement signal?

Layered semiconductor unlocks magnetic control of light emitted by quantum condensates

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-layered-semiconductor-magnetic-emitted-quantum.html

Published: October 8, 2026 16:00

Quantum technologies are considered key technologies of the future. However, research in this field requires not only scientific expertise but sometimes also highly specialized laboratory conditions. Bose–Einstein condensates are a remarkable example, in…

Gravity and light reveal how liquids turn into thin fibers

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-gravity-reveal-liquids-thin-fibers.html

Published: October 8, 2026 15:52

From spiders spinning their webs to the manufacturing of textiles, the formation of fibers from liquids plays an important role in both nature and industry. Yet accurately predicting the properties of such fibers remains a challenge. The fiber is often…

Liquid-crystal-like magnetism explains puzzling properties in a rare-earth compound

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-liquid-crystal-magnetism-puzzling-properties.html

Published: October 8, 2026 15:20

In some materials, physical properties don't emerge from their individual particles, but from the collective behavior of their quantum spins. Now, researchers led by Pengcheng Dai at Rice University in the U.S. have discovered that in one compound…

Electronic stripes linked to unusual vortex states in a superconductor

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-electronic-stripes-linked-unusual-vortex.html

Published: October 8, 2026 08:00

Superconductors, materials that can carry electric current with an electrical resistance of zero, have proved to be promising for the development of various technologies, including medical devices, particle accelerators and quantum computers. Studying…

What pig hearts and a little noise can teach us about designing better soft valves

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-pig-hearts-noise-soft-valves.html

Published: October 8, 2026 07:00

Some of the best engineers and inventors are copycats. They look at how the natural world solves complex problems and use those mechanisms as the basis for innovations. But Mother Nature doesn't always give up her secrets easily.

Nobel physics winner's pride at pioneering AI role

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-nobel-physics-winner-pride-ai.html

Published: October 7, 2026 18:40

Francis Halzen, winner of the Nobel Prize in physics, spoke with pride on Wednesday about his early promotion of artificial intelligence in his research on neutrinos.

Ultrashort laser pulses let new microscope map electron interactions across thin materials

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ultrashort-laser-pulses-microscope-electron.html

Published: October 7, 2026 17:10

A new type of advanced microscope (wide-field coherent multidimensional microscopy) has been developed. It uses a carefully designed sequence of ultrashort light pulses to study the behavior of high-tech materials, with potential practical applications in…

Acoustic experiments confirm topology can persist at gapless critical points

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-acoustic-topology-persist-gapless-critical.html

Published: October 7, 2026 16:40

Two studies on critical topology have recently been published in the journal Nature. These studies were led by the teams of Prof. Baile Zhang at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and Prof. Jianhua Jiang at the University of Science and…

First observation of quantum spins shifting a centimeter-scale object in the lab

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-quantum-shifting-centimeter-scale-lab.html

Published: October 7, 2026 14:00

Modern technological breakthroughs like lasers, MRI scanners, semiconductors and quantum computers rest on the study of quantum mechanics. However, the field has predominantly focused on (sub)atomic phenomena far removed from our human senses.

One quantum material, two superconducting states: Stretching helps explain conflicting experiments

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-quantum-material-superconducting-states-conflicting.html

Published: October 7, 2026 13:00

Unconventional superconductors can host unusual electronic states, but understanding what drives their superconductivity becomes difficult when different forms of order coexist. The kagome metal CsV3Sb5 has become a particularly debated example.

Levitating glass sphere becomes entangled with light at room temperature

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-levitating-glass-sphere-entangled-room.html

Published: October 7, 2026 12:40

Today, many physicists are actively exploring how light could be used to link objects through quantum entanglement. By fully harnessing the effect, they hope to unlock a wide array of applications, from secure communication networks spanning vast distances…

The first stand-alone nuclear clock is ticking in Vienna

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-nuclear-clock-vienna.html

Published: October 7, 2026 11:00

For decades, researchers around the world have been working toward this goal—and now major advances are following in rapid succession. Vienna is now home to the world's first nuclear clock that stabilizes itself, as atomic clocks typically do. This system…

Uranium compound known since the 1960s reveals hidden spiral structure with unusual magnetic properties

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-uranium-compound-1960s-reveals-hidden.html

Published: October 7, 2026 11:00

A University of Texas at Dallas scientist and her colleagues have discovered an unusual atomic pattern in a uranium-based material that gives it a rare combination of magnetic properties, a finding that could open new pathways for designing advanced…

Cricket's day-night pink ball not always so pretty

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-cricket-day-night-pink-ball.html

Published: October 7, 2026 09:20

The pink ball was introduced for day-night matches over a decade ago, and in June this year the International Cricket Council (ICC) approved a trial of pink balls in Tests expected to be affected by bad light—subject to prior agreement from both teams.

Quantum computing shortcut makes particle collisions easier to simulate

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-quantum-shortcut-particle-collisions-easier.html

Published: October 7, 2026 08:00

Collisions between particles at high energies can sometimes produce new particles and shed light on interactions between the fundamental constituents of matter. Simulating these collisions and their underlying processes could yield valuable insights into…