The physics desk
Physics from the quantum to the cosmos: particle physics, quantum computing, astrophysics, cosmology and the discoveries that change what is possible.
Spin-resolved measurements at Germany's BESSY II revealed a dense network of topologically protected electronic states in plain cobalt metal, opening a possible route to faster, magnetically controlled spintronic devices.
University of Minnesota discovery shows how tiny thickness adjustments can alter metal properties by more than one electron volt.
EPFL researchers develop chip-scale ultrafast laser that matches tabletop performance, potentially revolutionizing medical diagnostics and atomic clock technology.
Lawrence Livermore researchers find that cooling pathways dramatically alter radioactive particle formation, especially for volatile elements like cesium.
Physicists in India and Japan watched electrons abandon their particle-like behavior and move as a near-perfect 'Dirac fluid,' breaking the Wiedemann-Franz law by more than 200 times.
A superconducting detector built at Aalto University registered just 0.83 zeptojoules — about the work needed to lift a single red blood cell one nanometer — a milestone for quantum computing and the hunt for dark matter.
After 20-year quest, researchers create chip-scale ultrafast laser matching performance of room-sized systems, opening door to miniaturized precision technologies.
By clocking iron-laced winds screaming across seven ultra-hot gas giants, astronomers found a pattern that ordinary weather physics can't explain — but magnetism can.
Molybdenum oxychloride demonstrates the strongest light-bending effect ever measured in nature, potentially enabling ultrathin smart contact lenses and AR glasses.
EPFL researchers successfully miniaturize powerful femtosecond laser technology onto a photonic chip, promising dramatic cost reductions.
New compact detector increases terahertz radiation detection efficiency by 20 times, promising advances in healthcare and communications.
EPFL researchers achieve breakthrough that could miniaturize powerful femtosecond laser technology for medical diagnostics and atomic clocks.
Lawrence Livermore scientists discover that cooling rate dramatically alters radioactive particle formation, challenging existing fallout models.
A University of Pittsburgh team showed the direction of turbulent energy transfer can be flipped, challenging Kolmogorov's 1941 theory and opening the door to steering ocean currents and microfluidic devices.
Lawrence Livermore researchers recreate extreme conditions using plasma flow reactor, revealing how cooling patterns dramatically alter radioactive particle formation.
Monash University scientists create integrated device that can generate, steer, and read quantum light signals using valley degree of freedom, operating at room temperature.
Monash University scientists create compact circuit that generates, directs, and reads quantum light signals, marking major leap toward ultra-fast computing.
Lawrence Livermore researchers recreate intense chaos inside nuclear explosions, revealing how cooling rate dramatically changes radioactive particle formation.
Lawrence Livermore researchers used plasma flow reactor to simulate post-detonation environment, revealing how cooling rates dramatically alter radioactive particle formation. Findings could improve nuclear event analysis and safety models.
NASA scientists traced the unprecedented Type IV burst to a vast magnetic 'helmet streamer' fed by three coronal mass ejections — a marathon outburst that could sharpen forecasts for the space weather that threatens satellites.
Lawrence Livermore researchers found that the cooling process dramatically changes radioactive particle formation, especially for volatile elements like cesium.
Monash University scientists created the first fully integrated device that can generate, steer, and read light-based information using quantum valley properties.
Physicists at the University of Portsmouth argue that the 'bridges' in Einstein's equations are not tunnels through space but mirrors of time — a framework they say could resolve the black hole information paradox and hint that our universe predates the Big Bang.
Using terahertz laser pulses, a German-led team caught angular momentum reversing direction as it moved through a crystal — a quantum effect they say could sharpen control of next-generation memory and quantum materials.
A Cal Poly study in Physical Review B shows that rapidly switching a magnetic field can create quantum phases that don't exist in static materials — and may resist the errors that plague quantum computers.
A Chinese team reported in Nature the first direct observation of a 1939 prediction: an electron flung from a recoiling atom, a trick that could finally reveal lightweight dark matter.
Scientists create integrated device that generates, steers, and reads light-based information at room temperature, marking major breakthrough for quantum technologies.
Molybdenum oxychloride exhibits strongest light-bending effect ever measured in natural material, potentially enabling invisible wearable technologies.
The breakthrough device generates, steers, and reads light-based information in a single chip using atomically thin materials and nanoscale structures.
Molybdenum oxychloride exhibits the strongest light-bending effect ever measured in a natural material, potentially revolutionizing optical technologies.