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. In order to build the computers and devices of tomorrow, we have to understand how they use energy today. That's harder than it sounds. Memory storage, information processing, and energy use in these technologies involve constant energy flow—systems never settle into thermodynamic balance. To complicate things further, one of the most precise ways to study these processes starts at the smallest scale: the quantum domain. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-quantum-dots-reveal-entropy-production.html General Physics Mon, 09 Feb 2026 10:40:01 EST news689854258 The properties of a quantum material are driven by links between its electrons known as quantum correlations. A RIKEN researcher has shown mathematically that, at non-zero temperatures, these connections can only exist over very short distances when more than two particles are involved. This finding, now published in Physical Review X, sets a fundamental limit on just how "exotic" a quantum material can be under realistic, finite-temperature conditions. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-quantum-exponentially-distance-temperature.html Quantum Physics Fri, 06 Feb 2026 14:20:01 EST news689602195 Time crystals, a collection of particles that "tick"—or move back and forth in repeating cycles—were first theorized and then discovered about a decade ago. While scientists have yet to create commercial or industrial applications for this intriguing form of matter, these crystals hold great promise for advancing quantum computing and data storage, among other uses. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-scientists-levitating-crystals.html General Physics Fri, 06 Feb 2026 12:29:24 EST news689603342 When cooled to its superconducting state, niobium blocks the radiative flow of heat 20 times better than when in its metallic state, according to a study led by a University of Michigan Engineering team. The experiment marks the first use of superconductivity—a quantum property characterized by zero electrical resistance—to control thermal radiation at the nanoscale. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-niobium-superconducting-field.html Superconductivity Tue, 03 Feb 2026 07:46:05 EST news689326683 A team of theoretical researchers has found duality can unveil non-invertible symmetry protected topological phases, which can lead to researchers understanding more about the properties of these phases, and uncover new quantum phases. Their study is published in Physical Review Letters. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-duality-quantum-phases.html Condensed Matter Tue, 03 Feb 2026 07:20:10 EST news689324978 With an advanced technology known as angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), scientists are able to map out a material's electron energy-momentum relationship, which encodes the material's electrical, optical, magnetic and thermal properties like an electronic DNA. But the technology has its limitations; it doesn't work well under a magnetic field. This is a major drawback for scientists who want to study materials that are deployed under or even actuated by magnetic fields. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-clearer-critical-materials-refrigerator-magnets.html Condensed Matter Mon, 02 Feb 2026 13:00:55 EST news689259601 Time is almost up on the way we track each second of the day, with optical atomic clocks set to redefine the way the world measures one second in the near future. Researchers from Adelaide University worked with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the United States and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in the United Kingdom to review the future of the next generation of timekeeping. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-optical-atomic-clocks-poised-redefine.html General Physics Sat, 31 Jan 2026 11:50:09 EST news688737016 A team of researchers from the University of Stuttgart and the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg led by Prof. Stefanie Barz (University of Stuttgart) has demonstrated a source of single photons that combines on-demand operation with record-high photon quality in the telecommunications C-band—a key step toward scalable photonic quantum computation and quantum communication. "The lack of a high-quality on-demand C-band photon source has been a major problem in quantum optics laboratories for over a decade—our new technology now removes this obstacle," says Prof. Stefanie Barz. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-photons-telecom-wavelengths-demand.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 30 Jan 2026 13:59:49 EST news689003942 Quantum technology has the potential to transform society. But how can you effectively inform the public about such complex and enigmatic science and technology? Ph.D. candidate Aletta Meinsma explored this. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-communicating-quantum-explanations-confidence.html Education Tue, 27 Jan 2026 17:00:25 EST news688755601 Quantum computing represents a potential breakthrough technology that could far surpass the technical limitations of modern-day computing systems for some tasks. However, putting together practical, large-scale quantum computers remains challenging, particularly because of the complex and delicate techniques involved. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-wavelengths-approach-circuit-quantum.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 27 Jan 2026 15:40:36 EST news688750801 An old puzzle in particle physics has been solved: How can quantum field theories be best formulated on a lattice to optimally simulate them on a computer? The answer comes from AI. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-ai-quantum-field-theories.html General Physics Mon, 26 Jan 2026 13:11:58 EST news688655448 Quantum computers, systems that process information leveraging quantum mechanical effects, are expected to outperform classical computers on some complex tasks. Over the past few decades, many physicists and quantum engineers have tried to demonstrate the advantages of quantum systems over their classical counterparts on specific types of computations. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-particle-permutation-task-tackled-quantum.html Quantum Physics Fri, 23 Jan 2026 12:30:01 EST news688303371 For many years, cesium atomic clocks have been reliably keeping time around the world. But the future belongs to even more accurate clocks: optical atomic clocks. In a few years' time, they could change the definition of the base unit second in the International System of Units (SI). It is still completely open, which of the various optical clocks will serve as the basis for this. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-optical-atomic-clock-combine-ion.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 21 Jan 2026 16:21:41 EST news688234861 Researchers from the University of Waterloo's Faculty of Science and the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) are prioritizing collaboration over competition to advance quantum computer development and the field of quantum information. They are doing this through Open Quantum Design (OQD), a non-profit organization that boasts the world's first open-source, full stack quantum computer. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-world-source-quantum.html Quantum Physics Mon, 19 Jan 2026 22:30:01 EST news688040647 A group of scientists, including Sergey Frolov, professor of physics at the University of Pittsburgh, and co-authors from Minnesota and Grenoble have undertaken several replication studies centered around topological effects in nanoscale superconducting or semiconducting devices. This field is important because it can bring about topological quantum computing, a hypothetical way of storing and manipulating quantum information while protecting it against errors. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-replication-efforts-gun-evidence-isnt.html General Physics Thu, 08 Jan 2026 14:00:08 EST news687088142 Researchers from the Faculty of Engineering at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) have made a significant discovery regarding quantum entanglement. This phenomenon, which has long been viewed as a significant obstacle in classical quantum simulations, actually enhances the speed of quantum simulations. The findings are published in Nature Physics in an article titled "Entanglement accelerates quantum simulation." https://phys.org/news/2026-01-entanglement-quantum-simulations-obstacles-powerful.html Quantum Physics Thu, 08 Jan 2026 12:20:01 EST news687096347 A team of researchers at the University of Waterloo have made a breakthrough in quantum computing that elegantly bypasses the fundamental "no cloning" problem. The research, "Encrypted Qubits can be Cloned," appears in Physical Review Letters. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-quantum-longstanding-cloning-problem-encryption.html Quantum Physics Tue, 06 Jan 2026 10:13:32 EST news686916782 Researchers at Kumamoto University, in collaboration with colleagues in South Korea and Taiwan, have discovered that a unique cobalt-based molecule with metal–metal bonds can function as a spin quantum bit (spin qubit)—a fundamental unit for future quantum computers. The findings provide a new design strategy for molecular materials used in quantum information technologies. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-metalmetal-bonded-molecule-stable-qubit.html Condensed Matter Mon, 05 Jan 2026 14:31:37 EST news686845861 Any time you use a device to communicate information—an email, a text message, any data transfer—the information in that transmission crosses the open internet, where it could be intercepted. Such communications are also reliant on internet connectivity, often including wireless signal on either or both ends of a transmission. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-quantum-entanglement-drones-disaster-relief.html Quantum Physics Sat, 20 Dec 2025 12:10:01 EST news685368198 In order to scale quantum computers, more qubits must be added and interconnected. However, prior attempts to do this have resulted in a loss of connection quality, or fidelity. But, a new study published in Nature details the design of a new kind of processor that overcomes this problem. The processor, developed by the company Silicon Quantum Computing, uses silicon—the main material used in classical computers—along with phosphorus atoms to link 11 qubits. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-silicon-atom-processor-links-qubits.html Quantum Physics Thu, 18 Dec 2025 11:10:06 EST news685278269 For the first time, researchers in China have demonstrated a high-temperature superconducting diode effect, which allows a supercurrent to flow in both directions. Published in Nature Physics, the team's result could help address the noisy signals that pose a fundamental challenge in quantum computing. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-physicists-superconducting-diodes-high-temperatures.html Condensed Matter Wed, 17 Dec 2025 07:40:02 EST news685103809 For much of my career, I have been fascinated by the ways in which materials behave when we reduce their dimensions to the nanoscale. Over and over, I've learned that when we shrink a material down to just a few nanometers in thickness, the familiar textbook rules of physics begin to bend, stretch, or sometimes break entirely. Heat transport is one of the areas where this becomes especially intriguing, because heat is carried by phonons—quantized vibrations of the atomic lattice—and phonons are exquisitely sensitive to spatial confinement. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-mystery-atoms-thin-materials.html Nanophysics Sun, 14 Dec 2025 10:00:03 EST news684755618 Researchers have discovered how to design and place single-photon sources at the atomic scale inside ultrathin 2D materials, lighting the path for future quantum innovations. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-atom-advance-quantum-emitter.html General Physics Fri, 12 Dec 2025 09:30:35 EST news684754202 If quantum computing is going to become an every-day reality, we need better superconducting thin films, the hardware that enables storage and processing of quantum information. Too often, these thin films have impurities or other defects that make them useless for real quantum computer chips. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-iron-telluride-thin-superconductivity-quantum.html Superconductivity Wed, 10 Dec 2025 12:12:16 EST news684591121 Imagine a future where quantum computers supercharge machine learning—training models in seconds, extracting insights from massive datasets and powering next-gen AI. That future might be closer than you think, thanks to a breakthrough from researchers at Australia's national research agency, CSIRO, and The University of Melbourne. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-quantum-machine-nears-partial-error.html Quantum Physics Wed, 10 Dec 2025 09:20:06 EST news684580675 A prototype device that has demonstrated record-breaking longevity could help open up new frontiers in next-generation communications and computing technologies. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-terahertz-device-quantum-horizons.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 03 Dec 2025 11:33:26 EST news683983981 A tiny device that entangles light and electrons without super-cooling could revolutionize quantum tech in cryptography, computing, and AI. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-scientists-advance-quantum-technology.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 02 Dec 2025 13:40:01 EST news683904546 Synchrotron radiation sources generate highly brilliant light pulses, ranging from infrared to hard X-rays, which can be used to gain deep insights into complex materials. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-synchrotron-sources-toolboxes-quantum-technologies.html Condensed Matter Tue, 02 Dec 2025 10:30:21 EST news683893795 A new paper published in Nature Communications could put scientists on the path to understanding one of the wildest, hottest, and most densely packed places in the universe: a neutron star. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-quantum-neutron-star.html Quantum Physics Fri, 28 Nov 2025 12:20:01 EST news683554588 Hybrid materials made of magnets and superconductors give rise to fascinating quantum phenomena, which are so sensitive that it is crucial to measure them with minimal interference. Researchers at the University of Hamburg and the University of Illinois Chicago have now demonstrated, both experimentally and theoretically, how these quantum phenomena can be detected and controlled over longer distances using special techniques with a scanning tunneling microscope. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-corral-technique-fragile-quantum-states.html Superconductivity Wed, 26 Nov 2025 15:49:27 EST news683394541