With neutron experiments and theoretical modelling, an international team uncovered 3D QSL behavior in Nickel Langbeinite. A 3D quantum spin liquid has been discovered in the vicinity of a member of the langbeinite family. The material’s specific crystalline structure and the resulting magnetic interactions induce an unusual behaviour that can be traced back to an island of liquidity. An international team has made this discovery with experiments at the ISIS neutron source and theoretical modelling on a nickel-langbeinite sample. The…

New results from the world’s most sensitive dark matter detector put the best-ever limits on particles called WIMPs, a leading candidate for what makes up our universe’s invisible mass. Figuring out the nature of dark matter, the invisible substance that makes up most of the mass in our universe, is one of the greatest puzzles in physics. New results from the world’s most sensitive dark matter detector, LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ), have narrowed down possibilities for one of the leading dark matter…

Physicists from Aalto University in Finland, alongside an international team of collaborators, have theoretically and experimentally shown that superconducting qubit coherence loss can be directly measured as thermal dissipation in the electrical circuit holding the qubit. At the heart of the most advanced quantum computers and ultrasensitive detectors are superconducting Josephson junctions, the basic elements of qubits –– or quantum bits. As the name suggests, these qubits and their circuitry are very efficient conductors of electricity. ‘Despite the fast progress…

Integrated photonic circuits operating at room temperature combined with optical nonlinear effects could revolutionize both classical and quantum signal processing. Scientists from the Faculty of Physics at the University of Warsaw, in collaboration* with other institutions from Poland as well as Italy, Iceland, and Australia, have demonstrated the creation of perovskite crystals with predefined shapes that can serve in nonlinear photonics as waveguides, couplers, splitters, and modulators. The research results, published in the prestigious journal Nature Materials, describe the fabrication…

Study observes key minuscule molecular interactions. An international team of scientists is the first to report incredibly small time delays in a molecule’s electron activity when the particles are exposed to X-rays. To measure these tiny high-speed events, known as attoseconds, researchers used a laser to generate intense X-ray flashes that allowed them to map the inner workings of an atom. Their findings revealed that when electrons are ejected by X-rays, they interact with another type of particle called the…

Scientists and engineers are ready to fly an infrared mission called EXCITE (EXoplanet Climate Infrared TElescope) to the edge of space.  EXCITE is designed to study atmospheres around exoplanets, or worlds beyond our solar system, during circumpolar long-duration scientific balloon flights. But first, it must complete a test flight during NASA’s fall 2024 scientific ballooning campaign from Fort Sumner, New Mexico. “EXCITE can give us a three-dimensional picture of a planet’s atmosphere and temperature by collecting data the whole time the world orbits its…

Highly secure quantum communication in an urban environment. Researchers from Jena, Berlin, Erlangen and Oberpfaffenhofen from the QuNET initiative are preparing to connect several users within the Berlin metropolitan region in a quantum-secure network as part of a large-scale key experiment. With this experiment, they will demonstrate the current state of development of the initiative for highly secure communication. QuNET is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Launched by the BMBF, the QuNET initiative is working…

Physicists from the STAR Collaboration have observed a new antimatter hypernucleus, antihyperhydrogen-4, for the first time. This is the heaviest antimatter hypernucleus discovered in experiments to date. This study, led by researchers from the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was published in Nature on Aug. 21. Current physics assumes that the properties of matter and antimatter are symmetrical and that equal amounts of matter and antimatter existed at the birth of the universe. However, some mysterious…

We know that the Earth has an iron core surrounded by a mantle of silicate bedrock and water (oceans) on its surface. Science has used this simple planet model until today for investigating exoplanets – planets that orbit another star outside our solar system. “It is only in recent years that we have begun to realise that planets are more complex than we had thought,” says Caroline Dorn, Professor for Exoplanets at ETH Zurich. Most of the exoplanets known today…

Researchers at the University of Helsinki have succeeded in something that has been pursued since the 1970s: explaining the X-ray radiation from the black hole surroundings. The radiation originates from the combined effect of the chaotic movements of magnetic fields and turbulent plasma gas. Using detailed supercomputer simulations, researchers at the University of Helsinki modeled the interactions between radiation, plasma, and magnetic fields around black holes. It was found that the chaotic movements, or turbulence, caused by the magnetic fields…

– new imaging method for neutral atomic beam microscopes developed by Swansea researchers. Microscope images could be obtained much more quickly – rather than one pixel at a time – thanks to a new imaging method for neutral atomic beam microscopes developed by Swansea University researchers.   It could ultimately lead to engineers and scientists getting faster results when they are scanning samples. Neutral atomic beam microscopes are a major focus of research interest at present.  They are capable of imaging…

Physicists use modeling to forecast a black hole’s feeding patterns with precision. The dramatic dimming of a light source ~ 860 million light-years away from Earth confirms the accuracy of a detailed model developed by a team of astrophysicists from Syracuse University, MIT and the Space Telescope Science Institute. Powerful telescopes like NASA’s Hubble, James Webb, and Chandra X-ray Observatory provide scientists a window into deep space to probe the physics of black holes. While one might wonder how you…

In an analysis of smartphones of ten manufacturers, researchers at TU Graz have found that the Android kernels used are vulnerable to known attacks – so-called one-day exploits – despite existing protection mechanisms. Smartphones are a constant companion and important work tool for many people. In addition to contacts, appointments and emails, the devices are increasingly being used for sensitive tasks such as online banking or official matters. This increases the safety requirements. As Lukas Maar, Florian Draschbacher, Lukas Lamster…

The electron shell of atoms acts as an “electromagnetic shield”, preventing direct access to the nucleus and its properties. A team in the group of Klaus Blaum, director at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, has now succeeded in precisely measuring the effect of this shielding in beryllium atoms. The magnetic moment of beryllium-9 could was also determined with 40 times better precision than before. Such precision measurements are not only relevant to fundamental physics. They also…

Nanoscale optoelectronics is a rapidly advancing field focused on developing electronic and photonic devices at the nanometer scale. These tiny devices have the potential to revolutionize technology, making components faster, smaller, and more energy-efficient. Achieving precise control over photoreactions at the atomic level is crucial for miniaturizing and optimizing these devices. Localized surface plasmons (LSPs), which are light waves generated on nanoscale material surfaces, have emerged as powerful tools in this domain, capable of confining and enhancing electromagnetic fields. Until…

Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have been improving the resolution of a process known as photolithography. They hope to use their technique to help advance the miniaturisation of computer chips. Miniaturising computer chips is one of the keys to the digital revolution. It allows computers to become ever smaller and, at the same time, more powerful. This in turn is a prerequisite for developments such as autonomous driving, artificial intelligence and the 5G standard for mobile communications. Now…