Current takes a surprising path in quantum material

Cornell researchers have used magnetic imaging to obtain the first direct visualization of how electrons flow in a special type of insulator, and by doing so they discovered that the transport current moves through the interior ...

The exciting possibilities of tiny, twisted superconductors

Transporting energy is costly. When a current runs through conductive materials, some of the energy is lost due to resistance as particles within the material interact—just notice the warmth from your phone or laptop. This ...

Twisting up atoms through space and time

One of the most exciting applications of quantum computers will be to direct their gaze inwards, at the very quantum rules that make them tick. Quantum computers can be used to simulate quantum physics itself, and perhaps ...

Emergent behavior observed in self-interacting light

Particles of light—photons—that are forced to interact with each other through specially structured glass demonstrate behavior evocative of the "fractional quantum Hall effect," a phenomenon that garnered the 1998 Nobel ...

Ultracold atoms dressed by light simulate gauge theories

Our modern understanding of the physical world is based on gauge theories: mathematical models from theoretical physics that describe the interactions between elementary particles (such as electrons or quarks) and explain ...

Discovery of new mechanisms to control the flow of sound

Using a network of vibrating nano-strings controlled with light, researchers from AMOLF have made sound waves move in a specific irreversible direction and attenuated or amplified the waves in a controlled manner for the ...

A new age of 2.5D materials

Scientists are exploring new ways to artificially stack two-dimensional (2D) materials, introducing so-called 2.5D materials with unique physical properties. Researchers in Japan reviewed the latest advances and applications ...

Progress and prospects in magnetic topological materials

A new review paper on magnetic topological materials introduces a theoretical concept that interweaves magnetism and topology. It identifies and surveys potential new magnetic topological materials and suggests possible future ...

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