Physicists discover quantum-mechanical monopoles

Researchers at Aalto University (Finland) and Amherst College have observed a point-like monopole in a quantum field itself for the first time. This discovery connects to important characteristics of the elusive monopole ...

Close to absolute zero, electrons exhibit their quantum nature

What would happen if an electric current no longer flowed, but trickled instead? This was the question investigated by researchers working with Christian Ast at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research. Their investigation ...

It's a negative on negative absolute temperatures

The concept of a perpetual motion machine is an enticing one: Imagine a machine that runs continuously without requiring any external energy—a feat that could make refueling vehicles a thing of the past.

Cooling with the coldest matter in the world

Physicists at the University of Basel have developed a new cooling technique for mechanical quantum systems. Using an ultracold atomic gas, the vibrations of a membrane were cooled down to less than 1 degree above absolute ...

The coldest spot in the known universe

Everyone knows that space is cold. In the vast gulf between stars and galaxies, the temperature of gaseous matter routinely drops to 3 Kelvin, or 454 degrees below zero Fahrenheit.

Synchrotrons help bring superconductors out of the cold

(Phys.org) -- The longstanding search for a room temperature superconductor is fueled by a tantalizing set of possible applications that sound like science fiction: infinitely long power lines that never lose energy, magnetically ...

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