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. Some innovations in physics come from entirely new technologies, others from fresh theoretical insights. Others still take shape by bringing together existing tools in new ways, working out how to combine them to outperform other solutions. The branch of particle physics that studies weakly interacting particles—such as neutrinos and some types of dark-matter candidates—could use innovative detection approaches: technological challenges in this research area quickly become practical as well as economic, as increases in detector volume and spatial resolution improve the sensitivity to the processes producing the particles of interest. Similarly, demanding targets on instrument capability apply to the calorimeters used in collider experiments. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-neutrinos-caught-camera-prototype-elementary.html General Physics Fri, 24 Apr 2026 18:20:01 EDT news696257942 Urea is an extremely important chemical, especially for fertilizers. But, making urea is energy intensive and relies heavily on fossil fuels. However, new findings from Griffith University and the Queensland University of Technology have highlighted new ways to produce urea electrochemically, using electricity and waste gases such as carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NO) instead. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-machine-catalyst-sweet-greener-urea.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 24 Apr 2026 16:40:01 EDT news696252988 Researchers have demonstrated the first "all-in-one" cocatalyst for photocatalytic overall water splitting, a breakthrough that could simplify the production of clean hydrogen fuel. The discovery marks an important step toward practical technologies that use sunlight and water to generate hydrogen, a key energy carrier expected to play a major role in building a decarbonized and sustainable society. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-hydrogen-production-photocatalytic-cocatalyst.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 24 Apr 2026 16:20:01 EDT news696252902 In materials science, if you can understand the "texture" of a material—how its internal patterns form and shift—you can begin to design how it behaves. That's the focus of the work of Zhenglu Li, assistant professor in the Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at USC Viterbi School of Engineering. Li's recently published paper in PNAS, titled "Moiré excitons in generalized Wigner crystals," demonstrates that the way electrons organize themselves inside a material determines how that material responds to light—and how this organization can be engineered. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-electron-affects-responses-moir-materials.html Condensed Matter Fri, 24 Apr 2026 05:30:02 EDT news696223587 It was 1972 and Apollo astronauts Harrison "Jack" Schmitt and Eugene Cernan had just stepped onto the moon's surface to begin collecting rock and soil samples. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-qa-apollo-astronaut-schmitt-moon.html Space Exploration Fri, 24 Apr 2026 04:20:01 EDT news696222126 The most demanding calculations in quantum chemistry can now be solved with graphics processing unit (GPU) supercomputers. A recently published study shows that software adapted to use GPU hardware can provide not just speed, but also the accuracy needed to solve complex chemistry problems. The work solved the two chemical structures often seen as too complex and expensive to tackle. The advance, published in the Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation, could allow researchers to make meaningful progress in designing new catalysts and improve predicted behaviors of magnetic and electronic materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ai-accurate-quantum-chemistry.html Quantum Physics Thu, 23 Apr 2026 18:00:11 EDT news696180301 Semiconductor spin qubits are a promising candidate for the building blocks of next-generation quantum computers due to their high potential for integration and compatibility with existing semiconductor technologies. Qubits—like the 0s and 1s of a traditional computer—serve as a basic unit of information for quantum computers. However, the practical realization of these computers requires a massive number of qubits, making the development of more efficient adjustment methods a critical challenge for the field. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ai-automates-quantum-dot-voltage.html Condensed Matter Thu, 23 Apr 2026 18:00:01 EDT news696173161 Excitons are being explored in materials science and information technology as a means of storing light. These luminous quasiparticles move through individual layers of quantum materials and can absorb and emit light with high efficiency. They form when a laser pulse excites an electron, leaving behind a positively charged "hole." The electron and hole attract each other and behave together like a new, independent particle. When the quasiparticle recombines, it emits light and can be detected in high-tech laboratories. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-quantum-quasiparticles-reveal-magneto-optical.html Nanophysics Thu, 23 Apr 2026 16:10:06 EDT news696177481 It was a head-spinning discovery. In 2018, researchers in Japan claimed to find concrete evidence of an elusive particle, a Majorana fermion, in a quantum spin liquid called ruthenium trichloride. Majoranas are highly sought-after by quantum materials scientists because when a pair are localized, or trapped, they can securely encode information and form a stable qubit—the building block of quantum computing. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-soundwaves-debate-elusive-quantum-particle.html Condensed Matter Wed, 22 Apr 2026 16:40:02 EDT news696079861 A new method developed at LMU overcomes fundamental resolution limits and may provide insights into high-temperature superconductivity. Physicist Dr. Sebastian Paeckel has developed a method that can be used to calculate spectral functions of complex quantum systems much more precisely than was possible previously. His approach reconstructs precise energy spectra without requiring lengthy calculations. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-quantum-simulations-bypass-resolution-limits.html Superconductivity Wed, 22 Apr 2026 16:00:08 EDT news696079081 A team of scientists has identified a new physical mechanism that could help explain one of the most persistent mysteries in science: why life consistently uses one "handed" version of its molecules and not the other. In a new study led by Prof. Yossi Paltiel of the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology at Hebrew University and Prof. Ron Naaman of the Weizmann Institute, researchers show that electron spin, a fundamental quantum property, can cause mirror-image molecules to behave differently during dynamic processes, even though they are otherwise identical. The work appears in Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-life-electron.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 22 Apr 2026 14:00:02 EDT news696010742 An international team of physicists has achieved a significant advance in laser science, demonstrating for the first time a practical route to dramatically boosting the intensity of high-power laser light. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-laser-plasma-mirror-path-extreme.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 22 Apr 2026 11:00:14 EDT news695979301 Researchers from the University of Twente and Harvard University have developed a new way to generate ultraviolet (UV) light on a photonic chip at power levels high enough for real-world use. For the first time, the technique produces milliwatt-level UV light on a chip. It is an important step for quantum technology, optical atomic clocks and advanced measurement equipment. The research is published in the journal Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-photonic-chip-generates-milliwatt-uv.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 21 Apr 2026 17:40:06 EDT news696003542 Perovskite quantum dots are considered promising materials for LEDs, photocatalysis, and future quantum light sources. Researchers at LMU Munich have managed to master two major hurdles in working with these quantum dots: their stability in solution and precise control of their growth. The results could open new avenues for the processing and application of the materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-perovskite-quantum-dots-big-barriers.html Nanophysics Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:20:03 EDT news695986321 Superconductors, materials that can conduct electricity with a resistance of zero, have proved to be highly promising for the development of quantum technologies, medical imaging devices, particle accelerators and other advanced technologies. These materials can be divided into two broad categories: conventional and unconventional superconductors. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-alternating-atomic-layers-enable-rare.html Superconductivity Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:20:01 EDT news695985154 Researchers have discovered a new way to tune the quantum properties of tiny defects in diamond—by gently stretching or compressing the crystal. These findings could pave the way for next-generation sensors that can detect pressure, temperature, and other physical changes with unprecedented precision. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-diamond-path-ultra-precise-quantum.html Condensed Matter Tue, 21 Apr 2026 10:40:01 EDT news695984881 A quantum spin liquid is a phase of matter in which the magnetic moments in a material do not align or freeze, even at temperatures close to absolute zero (i.e., at 0 K). The experimental realization of this highly dynamic state could have important implications for the development of quantum computers and other technologies that operate leveraging quantum mechanical effects. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-pressure-tuned-quantum-liquid-behavior.html Condensed Matter Tue, 21 Apr 2026 08:00:02 EDT news695910243 Rob Moore is a recognized leader in the development of autonomous science and self-driving laboratories at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). A Tennessee native who spent five years as a U.S. Navy submarine officer, Moore joined ORNL in 2019 to perform research in the syntheses and characterization of quantum materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-qa-expert-discusses-ai-automation.html Education Mon, 20 Apr 2026 21:00:05 EDT news695900318 The cosmological constant is the mathematical description of the energy that drives the ever-accelerating expansion of the cosmos. It's also the source of one of the most enduring and confounding problems in modern physics. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-mathematical-universe-cosmological-constant-problem.html General Physics Mon, 20 Apr 2026 18:40:01 EDT news695907962 Researchers from Google DeepMind in Berlin, BIFOLD, and the Technical University of Berlin have introduced a new machine learning method—Euclidean Fast Attention (EFA)—that enables global atomic interactions in chemical systems to be represented more efficiently. This could allow chemical and materials science processes to be simulated more accurately in the future, potentially accelerating the development of new drugs, more efficient batteries, and more sustainable materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ai-method-captures-range-atomic.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 20 Apr 2026 17:50:02 EDT news695921161 Aromatic molecules are known for their stable electronic structures. These molecules typically adopt planar geometries with delocalized π-electrons and can form assemblies through π–π stacking interactions. In contrast, antiaromatic molecules, which possess fundamentally different electronic structures, are inherently unstable, and it has been considered that their instability can be alleviated when two molecules fully overlap. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-antiaromatic-molecules-rare-stacked-dimers.html Materials Science Mon, 20 Apr 2026 17:20:02 EDT news695911770 A new theoretical study finds shorter laser pulses achieve higher quantum efficiency for photoemission from a solid surface without increasing power or intensity. Using light to knock electrons loose from a surface—known as photoemission—may soon be achievable more easily in smaller labs with smaller lasers. Shortening the length of a laser pulse can increase the emitted electrons by several orders of magnitude without increasing the laser intensity or power, according to a University of Michigan Engineering study. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ultrashort-laser-pulses-power-electron.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 20 Apr 2026 17:00:03 EDT news695905801 Superconducting qubits—bits of quantum information—have been widely considered a promising technology for moving quantum computing forward. But there's still much work to be done before they can be brought out of a near absolute zero temperature environment. The lab of Professor Hong Tang has recently published two studies that advance the technology. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-paths-scalable-quantum-optical-links.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:30:01 EDT news695914322 In the quirky quantum world, particles can be affected by forces that they never directly encounter. A classic example is the Aharonov–Bohm (AB) effect, where electrons are affected by a magnetic field, despite not passing through it. Although predicted in 1959, it took more than two decades to confirm this effect experimentally, as the specific changes to the electrons' wave properties could only be inferred indirectly, and with great difficulty. Now, physicists from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), in collaboration with the University of Oslo and Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, have used a classical fluid analog that mimics and extends the AB effect using a simple platform: a water tank. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-simulation-famous-quantum-effect-reveals.html Soft Matter Mon, 20 Apr 2026 05:00:01 EDT news695634547 Researchers in the UC Santa Barbara Materials Department have uncovered the elusive quantum mechanism by which energetic electrons break chemical bonds inside microelectronic devices—a detrimental process that slowly degrades performance over time. The discovery, published as an Editors' Suggestion in Physical Review B, explains decades-old experimental puzzles and moves scientists closer to engineering more reliable devices. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-quantum-electrons-silicon-chips.html Condensed Matter Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:00:02 EDT news695402653 Last year, tungsten diselenide (WSe2) had its magic moment. Two independent research groups discovered "magic angles" at which two atom-thin layers of the unique semiconductor, when twisted relative to one another into what's known as a moire pattern, can superconduct electricity. Cory Dean and his colleagues at Columbia documented superconductivity at a 5° twist angle; upstate at Cornell, Jie Shan and Kin Fai Mak's team saw it at around 3.5°. Until then, graphene was the only other moire material capable of the feat. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-range-magic-angles-superconductivity-2d.html Superconductivity Sun, 19 Apr 2026 08:00:04 EDT news695572951 Superconductivity is a state of matter characterized by an electrical resistance of zero, typically at very low temperatures. Past studies have found that in various materials, this unique state is accompanied by unusual electron arrangements. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-link-metallicity-superconductivity-uncovered-trilayer.html Condensed Matter Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:00:04 EDT news695304845 A joint research team led by Professor Park Kyoung-Duck and Associate Director Suh Yung Doug of the Center for Multidimensional Carbon Materials within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) has succeeded in realizing a high-efficiency quantum light source that emits bright lights even at room temperature. The study is published in the journal Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-bright-quantum-emission-room-temperature.html Optics & Photonics Sat, 18 Apr 2026 09:00:01 EDT news695395962 In the era of precision cosmology, research often means big science: large observatories, highly complex instruments, international collaborations and substantial funding. Yet even in such an advanced field, progress is still possible—including in the search for elusive dark matter—through more agile approaches, driven by small teams and young researchers, supported by institutions and a good dose of ingenuity. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-student-limits-axions.html Astronomy Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:00:01 EDT news695547002 A new Bar-Ilan University study points to a major advance in quantum information processing, demonstrating a way to send, manipulate, and measure quantum information across many frequency channels simultaneously, rather than one at a time. The study was recently published in the journal Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-quantum-bottleneck-wide-channels.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:30:01 EDT news695575381