https://phys.org/physics-news/ en-us The latest news in physics, materials science, quantum physics, optics and photonics, superconductivity science and technology. Updated Daily. Researchers at ETH Zurich have shown that quantum states of single electron spins can be controlled by currents of electrons whose spins are evenly aligned. In the future, this method could be used in electronic circuit elements. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-alternative-quantum-states.html Condensed Matter Quantum Physics Thu, 20 Jun 2024 15:44:26 EDT news638117062 Scientists on the hunt for compact and robust sources of multicolored laser light have generated the first topological frequency comb. Their result, which relies on a small silicon nitride chip patterned with hundreds of microscopic rings, appears in the journal Science. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-photonic-chip-spawns-topological-frequency.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Thu, 20 Jun 2024 15:42:04 EDT news638116921 The human eye can only see light at certain frequencies (called the visible spectrum), the lowest of which constitutes red light. Infrared light, which we can't see, has an even lower frequency than red light. Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have now fabricated a device to increase or "up-convert" the frequency of short infrared light to the visible range. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-infrared-visible-device-2d-material.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 20 Jun 2024 13:18:45 EDT news638108321 A team of international scientists led by the University of Ottawa have gone back to the kitchen cupboard to create a recipe that combines organic material and light to create quantum states. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-qa-method-confines-material-hybrid.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Thu, 20 Jun 2024 12:17:00 EDT news638104614 A new study published in Physical Review Letters (PRL) explores the potential of quadratic electron-phonon coupling to enhance superconductivity through the formation of quantum bipolarons. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-high-temperature-superconductivity-exploring-quadratic.html Superconductivity Thu, 20 Jun 2024 07:00:02 EDT news638006587 The quantum internet would be a lot easier to build if we could use existing telecommunications technologies and infrastructure. Over the past few years, researchers have discovered defects in silicon—a ubiquitous semiconductor material—that could be used to send and store quantum information over widely used telecommunications wavelengths. Could these defects in silicon be the best choice among all the promising candidates to host qubits for quantum communications? https://phys.org/news/2024-06-platform-probe-qubits-silicon-quantum.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Wed, 19 Jun 2024 11:23:03 EDT news638014981 Terahertz waves are being intensely studied by researchers around the world seeking to understand the "terahertz gap." Terahertz waves have a specific frequency that puts them somewhere between microwaves and infrared light. This range is referred to as a "gap" because much remains unknown about these waves. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-generation-intense-terahertz-magnetic-material.html Condensed Matter Optics & Photonics Wed, 19 Jun 2024 10:15:03 EDT news638010901 A joint research team that included members from Tohoku University has unveiled a new topological insulator (TI), a unique state of matter that differs from conventional metals, insulators, and semiconductors. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-discovery-dimensional-topological-insulator-qubits.html Condensed Matter Quantum Physics Wed, 19 Jun 2024 09:12:48 EDT news638007164 Photonic alloys, alloy-like materials combining two or more photonic crystals, are promising candidates for the development of structures that control the propagation of electromagnetic waves, also known as waveguides. Despite their potential, these materials typically reflect light back in the direction where it originated. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-photonic-alloy-topological-properties.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 19 Jun 2024 08:00:01 EDT news637947432 In a paper recently published in Physical Review Letters, Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers offer a new theory that predicts defect density across a variety of phase transitions. The research opens new routes for the exploration of defect formation in fields such as materials science, high-energy physics and cosmology. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-theory-broadens-phase-transition-exploration.html General Physics Condensed Matter Tue, 18 Jun 2024 14:48:02 EDT news637940881 Remember how difficult it was to find one Higgs boson? Try finding two at the same place at the same time. Known as di-Higgs production, this fascinating process can tell scientists about the Higgs boson self-interaction. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-physicists-combine-multiple-higgs-boson.html General Physics Tue, 18 Jun 2024 13:32:13 EDT news637936331 X-ray microscopes are essential for examining components and materials because they can be used to detect changes and details in the material. Until now, however, it has been difficult to detect small cracks or tiny inclusions in the images. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-method-ray-microscopy-tiny-defects.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 18 Jun 2024 12:50:01 EDT news637933606 Researchers at University of Tsukuba have developed an ultrafast time-resolved scanning electron microscopy instrument by integrating a scanning electron microscope with a femtosecond laser. This innovative system facilitates the observation of the instantaneous states of various materials. Their paper is published in the journal ACS Photonics. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-technique-visualization-instantaneous-states-materials.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 18 Jun 2024 12:50:01 EDT news637933696 Brillouin scattering is the phenomenon of the inelastic scattering of light by thermally generated acoustic vibrations. Brillouin-based optical fiber sensing can be used to measure temperature and strain distributions by determining how the light scatters in the presence of various stimuli. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-method-brillouin-optical-fiber-infrastructure.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 18 Jun 2024 12:46:23 EDT news637933581 A research group from University of Tsukuba has discovered that fluctuations of electron spins in magnetic materials trigger a large anomalous Hall effect during phase transition known as the devil's staircase magnetic transition. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-large-anomalous-hall-effect-triggered.html Condensed Matter Quantum Physics Tue, 18 Jun 2024 09:50:02 EDT news637923001 While investigating how string theory can be used to explain certain physical phenomena, scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have stumbled upon on a new series representation for the irrational number π. It provides an easier way to extract π from calculations involved in deciphering processes like the quantum scattering of high-energy particles. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-physicists.html General Physics Quantum Physics Tue, 18 Jun 2024 09:28:04 EDT news637921679 Exciton-polariton lasers, renowned for their low-power operation, have long tantalized researchers with their promise for practical low-energy applications. However, until now, a clean measurement of the laser's linewidth, or spectral purity, has remained elusive. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-ultra-high-spectral-purity-revealed.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 18 Jun 2024 09:03:04 EDT news637920181 The potential of quantum computers is currently thwarted by a trade-off problem. Quantum systems that can carry out complex operations are less tolerant to errors and noise, while systems that are more protected against noise are harder and slower to compute with. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-quantum-problem.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Tue, 18 Jun 2024 09:01:04 EDT news637920061 The so-called Casimir force or Casimir effect is a quantum mechanical phenomenon resulting from fluctuations in the electromagnetic field between two conducting or dielectric surfaces that are a short distance apart. Studies have shown that this force can be either be attractive or repulsive, depending on the dielectric and magnetic properties of the materials used in experiments. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-method-reversibly-casimir-external-magnetic.html Condensed Matter Quantum Physics Tue, 18 Jun 2024 07:30:01 EDT news637857959 Using a specially designed 3D printed vacuum system, scientists have developed a way to "trap" dark matter with the aim of detecting domain walls. This will be a significant step forwards in unraveling some of the mysteries of the universe. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-scientists-3d-vacuum-aims-dark.html General Physics Mon, 17 Jun 2024 12:18:16 EDT news637845493 UCLA researchers have created a new type of imager that can capture features much smaller than the limitations of traditional optical systems. This innovation has the potential to revolutionize fields like bioimaging, lithography and material science. The research is published in the journal eLight. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-compact-diffractive-imager-subwavelength-resolution.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 17 Jun 2024 09:20:29 EDT news637834827 An experiment by a group of physicists led by University of Rochester physics professor Regina Demina has produced a significant result related to quantum entanglement—an effect that Albert Einstein called "spooky action at a distance." https://phys.org/news/2024-06-physicists-quantum-entanglement-persists-quarks.html Quantum Physics Fri, 14 Jun 2024 16:09:56 EDT news637600192 High-temperature fusion plasma experiments conducted in the Large Helical Device (LHD) of the National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS), have renewed the world record for an acquired data amount, 0.92 terabytes (TB) per experiment, in February 2022, by using a full range of state-of-the-art plasma diagnostic devices. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-years-massive-fusion-energy-cloud.html Plasma Physics Fri, 14 Jun 2024 16:09:24 EDT news637600159 A team of researchers led by Philip Walther at the University of Vienna carried out a pioneering experiment where they measured the effect of the rotation of Earth on quantum entangled photons. The work, published in Science Advances, represents a significant achievement that pushes the boundaries of rotation sensitivity in entanglement-based sensors, potentially setting the stage for further exploration at the intersection between quantum mechanics and general relativity. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-quantum-entangled-photons-react-earth.html General Physics Quantum Physics Fri, 14 Jun 2024 14:00:01 EDT news637573742 An international team led by researchers at the University of California, Riverside, has made a significant breakthrough in how to enable and exploit ultra-fast spin behavior in ferromagnets. The research, "Spin inertia and auto-oscillations in ferromagnets," is published in Physical Review Letters and highlighted as an editors' suggestion, paves the way for ultra-high frequency applications. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-ferromagnets-ready-ultra-fast-communication.html Condensed Matter Fri, 14 Jun 2024 10:30:03 EDT news637579801 Magnetic materials have traditionally been classified as either ferromagnetic, like the decorative magnets on iron refrigerator doors that are seemingly always magnetic, or antiferromagnetic, like two bar magnets placed end-to-end with opposite poles facing each other, canceling each other out so that the material has no net magnetism. However, there appears to be a third class of magnetic materials exhibiting what in 2022 was dubbed altermagnetism. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-approach-altermagnetic-materials.html Condensed Matter Fri, 14 Jun 2024 09:55:08 EDT news637577706 Halide perovskites are a class of materials with an underlying structure resembling that of mineral perovskites, but with X sites occupied by halide ions, while their A and B sites are occupied by cations. These materials have various advantageous properties that make them promising candidates for the development of photovoltaics (PVs), light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and other optoelectronic devices. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-exploring-polaron-formation-halide-perovskites.html Condensed Matter Quantum Physics Fri, 14 Jun 2024 08:20:01 EDT news637491282 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. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-physicists-optical-analog-krmn-vortex.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 13 Jun 2024 16:17:03 EDT news637514221 Data assimilation is a mathematical discipline that integrates observed data and numerical models to improve the interpretation and prediction of dynamical systems. It is a crucial component of Earth sciences, particularly in numerical weather prediction (NWP). https://phys.org/news/2024-06-quantum-assimilation-approach-weather.html General Physics Thu, 13 Jun 2024 12:10:16 EDT news637499410 Research teams led by Prof. Zeng Changgan and Zhang Hui from the Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have achieved a reversible transition from the Casimir attraction to repulsion under magnetic field control by using a magnetic fluid as an intermediate medium. Their study is published in Nature Physics. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-tune-casimir-magnetic-fields.html Condensed Matter Quantum Physics Thu, 13 Jun 2024 11:07:02 EDT news637495621