In physics, 2-dimensional systems are idealized physical systems whose relevant degrees of freedom are confined to a plane or an effectively two-dimensional manifold, such that dynamics and interactions occur predominantly within two spatial dimensions. They exhibit distinct phenomena compared with three-dimensional counterparts, including modified density of states, altered screening and fluctuation behavior, and dimensionality-dependent phase transitions (e.g., Kosterlitz–Thouless transitions mediated by topological defects). Examples include electrons in quantum wells or at interfaces, ultrathin films, and certain spin or lattice models defined on 2D lattices, which serve as fundamental platforms for studying critical phenomena, topological phases, and low-dimensional quantum many-body effects.
Multiferroic metals are materials that exhibit both electric polarization and magnetic order in the same crystal—a state known as multiferroicity. Because these properties coexist, they can interact through magnetoelectric ...
Condensed Matter
Mar 13, 2026
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Researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have created a chip-scale device that can dynamically control the "handedness" of light as it passes through—also known as its optical ...
Optics & Photonics
Mar 11, 2026
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The future for our computers will literally be at the speed of light. Extremely short light pulses can perform ultrafast logical operations: these are the findings of a study recently published in the journal Nature Photonics. ...
Optics & Photonics
Mar 10, 2026
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By controlling magnetic fields using light, a team of researchers led by NTU scientists has solved a long-standing challenge to precisely direct electric currents produced by quantum materials. Their findings unlock new avenues ...
Condensed Matter
Mar 10, 2026
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When mobile charge carriers, also known as itinerant electrons, interact with the strong exchange magnetic fields associated with the intrinsic angular momentum of localized electrons, this can give rise to the so-called ...
The electronic and magnetic properties of two-dimensional materials both have strong potential for technological applications. Researchers have long assumed that they are distinct phenomena, but Illinois Grainger engineers ...
Nanophysics
Mar 8, 2026
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Superconductivity is a quantum state of matter characterized by an electrical resistance of zero and the expulsion of magnetic fields at low temperatures below a critical point. Superconductors, materials in which this state ...
Scientists at the University of Manchester have discovered that placing magnetic films on atomically thin molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) fundamentally changes how they lose energy, a finding that could bring 2D‑material spintronics ...
Condensed Matter
Mar 6, 2026
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Light is an unusually rich carrier of information. Its direction of travel, wavelength, and polarization can all be used to encode signals or images. Yet controlling these properties independently remains difficult, especially ...
Optics & Photonics
Mar 4, 2026
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In recent years, van der Waals crystals have evolved from scientific curiosities into a versatile platform for exploring novel quantum phases and unconventional nanophotonic phenomena. Their layered nature allows stacking, ...
Nanophysics
Mar 3, 2026
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