Physical Review Letters published the new theoretical framework. Physicists have identified a mechanism for the formation of oscillating superconductivity known as pair-density waves. Physical Review Letters published the discovery, which provides new insight into an unconventional, high-temperature superconductive state seen in certain materials, including high-temperature superconductors. “We discovered that structures known as Van Hove singularities can produce modulating, oscillating states of superconductivity,” says Luiz Santos, assistant professor of physics at Emory University and senior author of the study. “Our work…

Machine learning for customised particle beams. A team of researchers has been using machine learning to teach a compact particle accelerator to produce customised beams for a number of different applications. This technique expands the conceivable range of applications for so-called laser-plasma accelerators, innovative compact next-generation accelerators that are currently under development. The scientists led by DESY researcher Sören Jalas are presenting their technique in the journal Physical Review Accelerators and Beams. Particle accelerators are used in many different applications,…

Groups report evidence that the cosmos is filled with a background of gravitational waves likely due to mergers of supermassive black hole binaries. The universe is humming with gravitational radiation — a very low-frequency rumble that rhythmically stretches and compresses spacetime and the matter embedded in it. That is the conclusion of several groups of researchers from around the world who simultaneously published a slew of journal articles in June describing more than 15 years of observations of millisecond pulsars within…

New observations and simulations of three spiral arms of gas feeding material to three protostars forming in a trinary system have clarified the formation of multi-star systems. Most stars with a mass similar to the Sun form in multi-star systems together with other stars. So an understanding of multi-star system formation is important to an overall theory of star formation. However, the complexity and lack of high-resolution, high-sensitivity data left astronomers uncertain about the formation scenario. In particular, recent observations…

Scientists at TU Wien (Vienna) succeeded in keeping a rather unstable system consisting of many particles stable and then releasing its energy all at once. Very special diamonds are being experimented on at TU Wien (Vienna): Their crystal lattice is not perfectly regular; it contains numerous defects. In places where one would usually expect two neighboring carbon atoms, there is one nitrogen atom and an empty place without any atom. Microwaves can be used to switch these defects between two…

Researchers have modified a commercial virtual reality headset, giving it the ability to measure brain activity and examine how we react to hints, stressors and other outside forces. The research team at The University of Texas at Austin created a noninvasive electroencephalogram (EEG) sensor that they installed in a Meta VR headset that can be worn comfortably for long periods. The EEG measures the brain’s electrical activity during the immersive VR interactions. The device could be used in many ways,…

By fine-tuning the spin density in some materials, researchers may be able to develop new quantum sensors or quantum simulations. Electronic devices typically use the charge of electrons, but spin — their other degree of freedom — is starting to be exploited. Spin defects make crystalline materials highly useful for quantum-based devices such as ultrasensitive quantum sensors, quantum memory devices, or systems for simulating the physics of quantum effects. Varying the spin density in semiconductors can lead to new properties…

New methods from ISTA scientists at SIGGRAPH 2023. 3D light sculptures. Tsunami waves on a beach. Previewing color tattoos. Contributions from the Bickel and Wojtan groups at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) to the 2023 SIGGRAPH conference tackle an impressive variety of classic and novel questions. While their focuses range from computer graphics to fabrication methods, the computer scientists are united in finding cost-effective, innovative solutions and empowering users. SIGGRAPH is the top worldwide annual convention for…

Employing state-of-the-art numerical simulations, a study led by scientists at the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) has obtained the first systematic characterization of the properties of stellar winds in a sample of cool stars. They found that stars with stronger magnetic fields produce more powerful winds. These winds create unfavourable conditions for the survival of planetary atmospheres, thus affecting the possible habitability of these systems. The Sun is among the most abundant stars in the universe known as “cool…

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has recorded breath-taking new images of the iconic Ring Nebula, also known as Messier 57. The images, released today by an international team of astronomers led by Professor Mike Barlow (UCL, UK) and Dr Nick Cox (ACRI-ST, France), with Professor Albert Zijlstra of The University of Manchester, showcase the nebula’s intricate and ethereal beauty in unprecedented detail, providing scientists and the public with a mesmerizing view of this celestial wonder. For many sky enthusiasts,…

Highlights: Since its inception in 2014, Insilico Medicine has developed multiple AI models for predicting the probability of success of clinical trials focusing on Phase II to Phase III transition probabilities. To validate the models, it pursued three strategies – retrospective, quasi-prospective, and prospective validation. In 2016, it deposited on a preprint server the first date-stamped article with the predictions of clinical trials. The publication titled “Prediction of clinical trials outcomes based on target choice and clinical trial design with…

Discovery inspired by experiments of Einstein and de Haas. A common metal paper clip will stick to a magnet. Scientists classify such iron-containing materials as ferromagnets. A little over a century ago, physicists Albert Einstein and Wander de Haas reported a surprising effect with a ferromagnet. If you suspend an iron cylinder from a wire and expose it to a magnetic field, it will start rotating if you simply reverse the direction of the magnetic field. “Einstein and de Haas’s…

CISPA Faculty Dr. Michael Schwarz has been researching side-channel attacks for years. He was involved, among other things, in the discovery of Platypus and Meltdown. These are cyberattacks in which data is stolen via a detour, the so-called side-channel. Side-channel attacks exploit information that the Central Processing Unit (CPU) reveals involuntarily during processing, such as runtime behavior or power consumption. With Collide+Power, Michael Schwarz, his PhD student Lukas Gerlach, and a group of researchers at TU Graz, have now discovered…

Using AR glasses for online lectures. Online offers by universities are mostly limited to playing back videos of lecturers’ presentations. There aren’t any opportunities for direct interaction. Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications, Heinrich-Hertz-Institut, HHI, want to change that with their VoluProf project. This project involves 32 cameras recording the lecturer’s presentation from all angles. The video data is used to generate a photo-realistic animated avatar that appears lifelike via AR glasses, and can even answer questions. Almost all…

Around 150 million doctor’s letters are written every year in Germany. This takes precious time which could be used elsewhere. The “doctor’s letter generator”, which is currently being developed by scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems IAIS, could provide a solution for creating the document in a fraction of the time. The application is based on a combination of algorithms and artificial intelligence that is applied for Natural Language Processing (NLP). The new white paper…

New method improves proton acceleration with high power laser. Bringing protons up to speed with strong laser pulses – this still young concept promises many advantages over conventional accelerators. For instance, it seems possible to build much more compact facilities. Prototypes to date, however, in which laser pulses are fired at ultra-thin metal foils, show weaknesses – especially in the frequency with which they can accelerate protons. At the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), an international working group has tested a new…