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 the University of Michigan have created a device that enables them to control the flow of electrons through a semiconductor using only laser light—no electrical power source required. The device was built to explore fundamental physics and realize a previously unobserved behavior, but it could also open doors for new applications in areas that bridge optics and electronics, including sensing, imaging and telecommunications. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-lasers-aim-electron-currents-semiconductor.html Condensed Matter Tue, 21 Jul 2026 16:40:08 EDT news703859101 Artificial intelligence faces an energy crisis stemming from a physical traffic jam inside modern computer chips. Processors must continually shuffle data, such as the billions of parameters in complex models, between separate computing and memory nodes. This traffic jam, known as the "von Neumann bottleneck," hinders the speed and energy efficiency of advanced processors. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-quantum-microscope-illuminates-transistor.html Condensed Matter Tue, 21 Jul 2026 16:20:11 EDT news703858561 Researchers have developed a new type of optical fiber by freezing a glass capillary filled with liquid. It guides light and sound waves simultaneously and enables highly efficient coupling between them. The high coupling strength lowers the energy consumption of photonic neuromorphic computing schemes and quantum signal processing applications by several orders of magnitude. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-frozen-fiber-couples-strongly-standard.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 21 Jul 2026 14:00:03 EDT news703854301 One of the deepest ambitions in modern physics is understanding how the fabric of space and time could emerge from fundamental quantum degrees of freedom to establish a quantum theory of gravity. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-quantum-error-emergent-gravity-probing.html General Physics Tue, 21 Jul 2026 11:10:02 EDT news703850636 Artificial intelligence (AI) models are now used daily by many people worldwide, both for professional and personal purposes. Over the past decades, scientists specialized in various disciplines have also started using these models to conduct research or simplify their experimental practices. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ai-agent-synchrotron-ray-experimental.html General Physics Tue, 21 Jul 2026 07:40:04 EDT news703763124 A diamagnetic substance is slightly repelled by magnetic fields. With a strong enough magnet, the diamagnetic force can override gravity, and the substance will float in the air. Graphite, the main component of pencil lead, is considered one of the best substances for such real-world levitation, and its potential application in sensing weak external perturbations is drawing growing interest. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-aligned-graphite-particles-stable-levitation.html General Physics Tue, 21 Jul 2026 06:07:40 EDT news703832839 The inevitable leakage of energy and information from a quantum system into its surrounding environment is the enemy of quantum technology. Now, researchers have demonstrated that it can be exploited to generate entanglement—the "resource" that quantum technologies use to perform tasks inaccessible to standard classical technologies. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-quantum-entanglement-leaky-qubits-route.html Quantum Physics Sun, 19 Jul 2026 14:20:01 EDT news703687891 Quantum computers, devices that process information by leveraging the laws of quantum mechanics, have been found to outperform classical computers in some advanced tasks. Instead of storing information in the form of classical binary bits (i.e., 0 or 1), quantum computers rely on quantum bits (i.e., qubits), which can also exist in combinations of 0 and 1 states. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-quantum-circuits-based-neutral-atoms.html General Physics Sat, 18 Jul 2026 09:20:01 EDT news703232840 A new paper in the journal Nature Physics offers insights into the physics of liquid droplets—and while many people may not appreciate the mathematical accomplishment, they will benefit from the athletic wear and raincoats it makes possible. The recent article, "Tricky Tension," explores the intersection of physics and textiles and how wetting is influenced by the structure of tiny individual liquid droplets. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-physics-mathematical.html General Physics Sat, 18 Jul 2026 08:30:01 EDT news703497428 A technology has been developed that allows artificial intelligence to inversely determine the process conditions for quantum-dot light-emitting diode (QLED) devices—conditions that previously required extensive trial and error to identify. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ai-qled-recipe-efficiency-boosts.html Optics & Photonics Sat, 18 Jul 2026 08:00:09 EDT news703512040 A new study by Queen Mary University of London mathematician Professor Ginestra Bianconi proposes a new perspective on one of the deepest questions in modern physics: How can the universe become increasingly structured and complex while still obeying the second law of thermodynamics? https://phys.org/news/2026-07-gravity-entropy-theory-law-thermodynamics.html General Physics Fri, 17 Jul 2026 15:00:01 EDT news703512912 Seoul National University College of Engineering announced that a joint research team led by Professor Namkyoo Park and Professor Sunkyu Yu of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at SNU, in collaboration with Professor Xianji Piao of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Seoul, has developed a photonic integrated circuit that can slow light on demand. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-optical-chip-real-simulations.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 17 Jul 2026 14:40:02 EDT news703506023 Deep beneath the French-Swiss border, the world's largest scientific instrument has fallen silent. After years of smashing protons together at nearly the speed of light, CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has stopped operations and entered a long shutdown. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-large-hadron-collider-secrets-higgs.html General Physics Fri, 17 Jul 2026 14:20:03 EDT news703500502 Quantum computers, systems that process information using the principles of quantum mechanics, could solve some problems that cannot be tackled by the classical computers currently used worldwide. Despite their potential, verifying that these computers are working correctly and can reliably perform computations remains challenging. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-scheme-gates-quantum-devices.html Quantum Physics Fri, 17 Jul 2026 09:20:11 EDT news703232854 In a single experiment, physicists have measured the "excess" emission of high-energy gamma rays from more than a dozen heavy, unstable atomic nuclei. Mapping the gamma-ray emissions of so many isotopes produced in nuclear fission marks an important step toward a better understanding of one of the key phenomena in modern nuclear physics: the fission process itself. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-fission-excess-gamma-rays-dozen.html General Physics Thu, 16 Jul 2026 17:40:01 EDT news703427417 For the first time, researchers have developed a way to create chilled molecules containing the radioactive element radium. The resulting laboratory concoctions, generated in part through steps similar to those used to make candy, are poised to help researchers solve one of the biggest mysteries of our universe: How did matter in the early universe come to dominate over its antimatter counterpart? https://phys.org/news/2026-07-cold-radioactive-molecules-prepped-readied.html General Physics Thu, 16 Jul 2026 14:00:14 EDT news703345902 Superconducting technologies have the potential to supercharge the decarbonization of transport, saving gigatonnes of emissions in the future, a landmark new paper suggests. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-roadmap-paper-superconductors-decarbonize-sector.html Superconductivity Thu, 16 Jul 2026 12:30:01 EDT news703418641 Graphene has long been regarded as one of the most promising materials for future electronics, but its relatively weak electron interactions have limited its potential for applications such as high-temperature superconductivity. Now, researchers from Tohoku University have overcome a major obstacle by creating a stable version of the long-sought "boron graphene" on the surface of a three-dimensional crystal, revealing a new quantum state that could lead to more energy-efficient electronic devices. The findings were published in Science Advances on July 2, 2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-scientists-stable-boron-graphene-uncover.html Condensed Matter Thu, 16 Jul 2026 12:20:10 EDT news703407615 Researchers from the University of Basel have published details of how electrons within a cluster of molecules interact with one another and can be controlled. Their findings pave the way for new approaches to developing quantum components and electronic circuits on the nanometer scale. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-schrdingerlike-sixmolecule-clusters-quantum-components.html Quantum Physics Thu, 16 Jul 2026 11:40:13 EDT news703407232 Elite athletes competing in the Tour de France could gain more than eight seconds in the individual time trial depending solely on the type of team car following them, a new study has revealed. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-choice-team-car-de-france.html General Physics Thu, 16 Jul 2026 11:20:01 EDT news703418761 Researchers have shown that it's possible to take clear, high-resolution X-ray images using very little radiation. With more development, the new approach could eventually make medical X-ray diagnostics less risky and more accessible. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-imaging-method-ray-dose-high.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:00:09 EDT news703318227 Quantum technologies promise revolutionary advances in computing, sensing and information processing. However, controlling individual quantum bits (qubits) at the atomic scale remains a major challenge because conventional approaches rely on magnetic fields, which are difficult to confine to a single molecule. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-scientists-electrical-molecule-quantum-states.html Quantum Physics Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:30:03 EDT news703407599 Theoretical physicists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have developed a new method of ordering Feynman integrals. This critical step in making theoretical predictions for high-energy precision measurements has posed a major computational bottleneck until now. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-library-feynman.html General Physics Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:20:05 EDT news703405367 A research team led by the University of Osaka, working with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), RIKEN and the Institute of Science Tokyo, has uncovered a fundamental mechanism behind superionic conduction, in which ions move rapidly through a solid while its crystalline framework remains intact. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ions-liquid-solid-crystal.html General Physics Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:00:01 EDT news703405336 A truly useful quantum computer must be able to run any algorithm, with the same versatility an ordinary laptop offers. Physicists have now shown a new way to give a quantum computer exactly that flexibility, harnessing the capabilities of exotic quantum particles called non-Abelian anyons. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-braided-exotic-particles-reliable-universal.html Quantum Physics Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:50:01 EDT news703406691 Quantum technologies, which leverage the principles of quantum mechanics, have been found to outperform their classical counterparts on specific tasks. Among other things, past studies have highlighted the potential of quantum systems that can enable long-distance communication, using photons (i.e., particles of light) to carry quantum information. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-quantum-teleportation-photon-loss-distance.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:40:07 EDT news703332685 Fabrics are made by repeatedly intertwining yarns into characteristic patterns. Many of their properties, such as stretchiness, arise not only from the material itself but also from how the yarns are arranged and entangled. Such properties illustrate how topology—the underlying patterns of connectivity and entanglement within a structure—can shape a material's overall behavior. Understanding these relationships could help researchers design materials with tailored properties through the design of their topology. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-doughnutshaped-topology-reveals-crochet-textiles.html General Physics Wed, 15 Jul 2026 20:40:01 EDT news703340713 Imagine shining a flashlight across a dark room. You can predict exactly what the light will do: travel in a straight line from one point to another. That seems obvious because, in the world we see around us, light appears to follow a single, clear path. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-quantum-physicist-basics-einstein-spooky.html Quantum Physics Wed, 15 Jul 2026 17:00:01 EDT news703345934 Occasionally, the sun unleashes powerful flares and coronal mass ejections, which hurl plasma and energetic particles into space. On the infant Earth, this solar activity drove cascades of atmospheric chemical reactions that may have helped form the building blocks of life. More recently, scientists have discovered that applying plasma to seeds in a controlled way can trigger similar activity, making them faster-growing and more resilient. Researchers at Nagoya University and Kyushu University in Japan have compiled a comprehensive review of this new field—termed "plasma agriculture"—as a potential sustainable solution to address global food shortages. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-plasma-agriculture-super-seeding-conventional.html Plasma Physics Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:20:04 EDT news703329254 A new study reveals that two widely studied ultrathin superconducting materials are more sophisticated than they appear. Although they seem to behave like simple superconductors with a single energy gap, they actually contain two strongly interacting superconducting states that work together and disguise themselves as one. This finding resolves a long-standing mystery about how these materials behave, providing new insight into superconductivity that could help scientists design better superconducting materials for future technologies such as quantum computers, ultra-efficient electronics and advanced sensors. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-sensitive-uncover-dual-superconducting-states.html Superconductivity Wed, 15 Jul 2026 11:40:07 EDT news703326511