https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Imagine shuffling a deck of cards where some of the cards are fading just because of the way they interact with the external environment as you shuffle them. Your job is to figure out the interplay between the shuffling, or "imposed randomness," due to the way you shuffle your cards and how that relates to the fading as cards are exposed to the external environment. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-fingerprints-noisy-random-quantum.html Quantum Physics Tue, 03 Nov 2026 18:40:01 EST news712934101 Researchers from the Faculty of Physics at the University of Warsaw, the Military University of Technology (Poland), IBM Research Zurich and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) have observed a new quantum state of matter known as a supersolid in an exciton-polariton Bose-Einstein condensate. Remarkably, the phenomenon occurs not at temperatures close to absolute zero, but at room temperature. The results have been published in Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-hybrids-supersolid-quantum-state-room.html Condensed Matter Tue, 03 Nov 2026 17:20:11 EST news712933261 One approach to making information storage in quantum computing less prone to errors is known as topological quantum computing. It relies on special quantum states that are expected to be more resistant to local disturbances. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-theoretical-foundation-potentially-error-resistant.html Quantum Physics Mon, 02 Nov 2026 13:30:01 EST news712848081 Quantum computers rely on qubits as their units of information. To connect them into a larger network across long distances, they need to transmit quantum information using light. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-molecules-blocks-future-quantum-networks.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 02 Nov 2026 12:00:05 EST news712840736 As quantum computers grow more ambitious, many researchers believe the best way forward is to build them in multiple interconnected parts. In these modular designs, separate quantum processors are linked so they can work together as one larger machine. For this to happen, however, connections must carry fragile quantum information without destroying it. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-superconducting-cables-link-large-quantum.html Quantum Physics Sat, 31 Oct 2026 12:00:02 EDT news712581515 Particle accelerators are expensive. Not just to build or to run, but also to predict the outcome of measurements obtained from them. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-tropical-shortcut-particle-collider.html General Physics Fri, 30 Oct 2026 15:40:01 EDT news712582502 Quantum researchers are searching for a topological superconductor—a material that, if discovered, would allow major advances in quantum computing by combining two distinct "flavors" of superconductivity. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ute-reveals-flavors-superconductivity-extreme.html Superconductivity Fri, 30 Oct 2026 15:00:09 EDT news712581901 Quantum networks could one day connect quantum computers into more powerful systems and enable new forms of secure communication. But a fundamental obstacle stands in the way: Quantum information is extraordinarily fragile, and the entanglement between particles of light on which such networks would depend is easily disrupted. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-quantum-skyrmions-outlast-entanglement-hinting.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 30 Oct 2026 11:40:01 EDT news712572482 For decades, physicists recognized only two types of magnetism that occur in materials without external influence: ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism. In findings published in Science, a team led by the U.S. Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory has delivered conclusive experimental proof of a third magnetic phase called altermagnetism. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-altermagnetism-geometric-experimental-proof.html Condensed Matter Fri, 30 Oct 2026 08:20:01 EDT news712566421 Researchers at EPFL have developed a chip-scale blue laser that combines stable light emission with rapid frequency control, opening possibilities for underwater communication, environmental sensing and quantum technologies. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-blue-laser-underwater-communication.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 29 Oct 2026 14:40:08 EDT news712494481 Theoretical physicists at Emory University have discovered a way to use light to detect the "spectral fingerprints" of anyons—exotic quasiparticles that emerge from the collective behavior of many electrons. Their findings are published in Physical Review Letters. The work offers a new tool for the study of anyons, which hold potential as fundamental building blocks for quantum computing. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-theoretical-method-anyons-potential-quantum.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 29 Oct 2026 10:40:01 EDT news712484101 An NMR spectrometer can reveal molecular structure down to the atomic level, but weak signals limit what it can see. Now, Aarhus University researchers have used AI to let the spectrometer learn the best pulse sequence directly from the sample. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-simulations-fall-short-spectrometer.html Condensed Matter Wed, 28 Oct 2026 12:40:08 EDT news712409701 In a new study published in Chemical Science, researchers from the University of Oxford's Department of Chemistry have used machine learning simulations to trace how a common polymer transforms into hard carbon, revealing the atomic-scale processes that give this technologically important material its disordered structure. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-machine-simulations-reveal-plastic-hard.html Polymers Wed, 28 Oct 2026 07:00:08 EDT news712321141 Envision a material whose magnetic properties and electronic topology can be toggled by exposure to light, paving the way for future electronic devices that do not rely on traditional electrical switching, which wastes energy by producing heat. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-scientists-uncover-magnetism-topology-atomically.html Condensed Matter Tue, 27 Oct 2026 17:40:06 EDT news712244365 Researchers from Jülich, Aachen and Cologne have performed a quantum operation on a qubit in just 6.8 nanoseconds—with more than 99.98% accuracy. Such operations typically take several tens of nanoseconds in superconducting quantum computers. The paper was published in Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-quantum-gates-nanoseconds-accuracy.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 27 Oct 2026 14:40:12 EDT news712317781 A team of Yale researchers has figured out what gives a magnetic material its mysterious properties, a discovery that could help boost computing memory and the field of "spintronics." Their work is published in Physical Review Letters. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-tiny-shifts-iron-content-potential.html Condensed Matter Mon, 26 Oct 2026 10:28:02 EDT news712229158 Quantum computers need qubits that can be controlled both quickly and reliably. Yet making semiconductor spin qubits faster often makes them more sensitive to electrical noise, creating a difficult trade-off. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-extra-quantum-dot-stability-qubits.html Condensed Matter Mon, 26 Oct 2026 09:40:06 EDT news712224061 One of the fundamental challenges of quantum computing is obtaining information from a quantum bit, or qubit. Unlike a conventional bit, which can be read repeatedly without altering its content, direct measurement of a quantum system typically causes the state to collapse before it can be determined. In other words, reading the information modifies it. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-supercurrent-enables-quantum-destroying.html Superconductivity Sun, 25 Oct 2026 15:00:20 EDT news711982659 Researchers at AIST have directly observed magnetic flux quanta generated in a superconductor by photon absorption and demonstrated a new principle of photon detection that identifies the number of photons based on the number of these flux quanta. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-magnetic-flux-quanta-photon.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 23 Oct 2026 17:20:02 EDT news711982021 Quantum systems can occupy superpositions, quantum states that combine different possibilities. For instance, a microwave field can be prepared in a superposition of an empty state and a state that contains microwave light. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-quantum-cat-states.html Quantum Physics Fri, 23 Oct 2026 08:40:02 EDT news711719213 New research started with a special material that behaves unusually when it's extremely cold—135 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (minus 93 degrees Celsius), close to the most frigid temperature ever recorded in Antarctica—and showed that the unusual behavior could be extended to well above room temperature—up to about 135 F (57 degrees Celsius), close to the highest heat ever measured in Death Valley, California. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-amino-acid-stabilizes-material-quantum.html Nanophysics Thu, 22 Oct 2026 17:40:13 EDT news711902942 Ever since quantum mechanics first described particles, like electrons, as rippling waves, researchers have wondered if those waves could be trapped in place. Writing today in Science a century later, a team of Columbia University researchers reports waves of electrons becoming trapped for the first time in a metal called Pd₅AlI₂. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-quantum-electron-metal.html Condensed Matter Thu, 22 Oct 2026 14:00:18 EDT news711812644 Quantum networks, systems that connect devices and allow them to exchange information encoded in the quantum states of particles, could enable more secure communications. To build these networks, physicists need to devise strategies that allow distant particles to share quantum states, preserving them long enough to perform calculations or enable communication between devices. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-atomic-memory-distant-ions-entangled.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 21 Oct 2026 07:40:12 EDT news711706392 Transmitting electricity without losing any energy may sound impossible, yet this is precisely the promise of superconductivity. For nearly 40 years, scientists have been working to understand materials that exhibit this remarkable property at relatively high temperatures. Unlocking their secrets could one day help make power grids more efficient, enhance medical technologies and support the development of quantum computing. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-hidden-rivalry-quantum-states-heart.html Superconductivity Tue, 20 Oct 2026 18:00:07 EDT news711721321 Today's computer technology, based on silicon chips, is slowly reaching its physical limits. Components cannot be miniaturized indefinitely, and clock speeds cannot be increased indefinitely. At the same time, huge AI data centers are being built in many places, and these consume an immense amount of electricity. This is why scientists around the world are searching for novel materials that can replace or complement silicon technology and consume significantly less electricity. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-rays-reveal-copper-oxide.html Condensed Matter Mon, 19 Oct 2026 11:40:06 EDT news711621013 Some quantum systems are so complex that even the most powerful supercomputers struggle to simulate their behavior. One solution is quantum simulation: building a controllable quantum system in the lab and tuning it to mimic the one researchers want to understand. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-monolithic-ion-quantum-simulations.html General Physics Sun, 18 Oct 2026 14:00:06 EDT news711191698 Whether we are waiting for a car windshield to defrost in winter or a warm drink to cool down, how long it takes for an object to settle into a stable, even temperature within its environment (thermal equilibrium) depends on numerous factors. These can include surface area, the material properties of an object and airflow. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-physicists-quantum-limit-thermalization.html General Physics Sun, 18 Oct 2026 13:20:01 EDT news711375948 Researchers have developed and demonstrated a new hybrid photonic platform that integrates quantum emitters with photonic devices, providing a way to reliably control the interaction between photons and quantum information carriers. The chip-based platform, which combines gallium phosphide (GaP) with a diamond substrate, could help make quantum networks more practical by providing a way to connect quantum devices over long distances. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-hybrid-diamond-chip-interactions-quantum.html Optics & Photonics Sun, 18 Oct 2026 09:00:05 EDT news711300067 Qubits, the quantum equivalent of digital bits, are fragile and prone to errors. That makes building reliable quantum computers extremely difficult. One fix has been to use traditional magic state distillation, which filters out flaws, but it is extremely resource-intensive. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-quantum-magic-state-cleanup-errors.html Quantum Physics Sat, 17 Oct 2026 14:00:02 EDT news711367172 Quantum computers represent a next step in the fast-paced evolution of technology. Using quantum bits (qubits), they have the potential to run certain calculations exponentially faster than conventional computers. However, developing and fine-tuning quantum computers requires an enormous number of repetitive tests. To accelerate quantum technology development, we need a method that can read quantum states at ultrafast speeds. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-high-frequency-method-boosts-2d.html Quantum Physics Fri, 16 Oct 2026 18:00:01 EDT news711373496