Atomic systems, as physical systems, consist of one or more atoms whose dynamics are governed by quantum mechanics, electromagnetic interactions, and, at high energies, relativistic effects. They include isolated atoms, ions, and small aggregates where electronic structure, discrete energy levels, and spin-orbit coupling dominate behavior. Atomic systems serve as model platforms for studying fundamental processes such as spectroscopy, scattering, coherence, and entanglement, and underpin precision measurements including atomic clocks and quantum sensors. Their states are described by many-body wavefunctions or density matrices, with interactions treated via effective Hamiltonians incorporating Coulomb potentials, external fields, and, in dense environments, interatomic forces and decoherence mechanisms.
UNSW Sydney engineers have riffed on the famous Schrödinger's cat analogy to demonstrate a more efficient way to eliminate errors in quantum computing.
Quantum Physics
Jun 3, 2026
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For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. What goes up must come down. Physical laws like these govern all of the natural world—except for the tiny internal components of today's microprocessors, which operate ...
Condensed Matter
Jun 3, 2026
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30
Researchers at the University of Oxford have demonstrated a new type of quantum interaction using a single trapped ion. By creating and controlling increasingly complex forms of "squeezing" – including a fourth-order effect ...
General Physics
May 1, 2026
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Researchers in the US and Germany have unveiled a theoretical blueprint for an atomic clock driven by a highly synchronized laser, where atoms work in concert rather than independently. Publishing their results in Physical ...
Few concepts in physics are as familiar, yet as enigmatic, as time. In Einstein's theory of relativity, time is not absolute: its passage depends on motion and gravity. But when combined with quantum physics, this relativistic ...
General Physics
Apr 20, 2026
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71
Two independent research teams have each demonstrated collisional quantum gates using fermionic atoms: a long-sought milestone in quantum computing where logic operations are performed through the direct physical overlap ...
For the first time, scientists have directly imaged the quantum process underlying superconductivity, a phenomenon in which paired electrons cause electric current to flow without resistance at sufficiently low temperatures. ...
Condensed Matter
Apr 15, 2026
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318
Adelaide University researchers have successfully tested a new type of portable atomic clock at sea for the first time, using technology that could help power the next generation of navigation, communications and scientific ...
Optics & Photonics
Apr 14, 2026
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27
Physicists in China have simulated the effect of "false vacuum decay": a phenomenon believed to play out constantly in the seemingly empty expanses of space, and which one theory even suggests could bring an abrupt end to ...
Researchers at ETH Zurich have realized particularly stable quantum logical operations with qubits made of neutral atoms. Since these operations, called quantum gates, are based on geometric phases, they are extremely robust ...
Quantum Physics
Apr 8, 2026
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