News & Views in 2006

A 'real life' quantum computer requires well-protected qubits, as available in quantum optical systems, and scalability, usually the domain of solid-state devices. Polar molecules integrated with superconducting stripline resonators might offer the best of both worlds.

The non-superconducting state of a high-temperature superconductor is in many ways more anomalous than the superconducting state. Unlike a standard metal, the 'normal' state shows possible signs that adding or removing one electron affects all the others.

Astrophysicists have proposed that sound waves could drive some of the largest explosions in the Universe. The emerging field of gravitational-wave astronomy might provide a means to listen in.

When a tiny constriction is introduced into the path of electrons, the conductance becomes quantized. In many experiments an unexpected additional feature is observed. An explanation might now be available.

The Klein paradox, which relates to the ability of relativistic particles to pass through extreme potential barriers, could be yet another of the strange quantum phenomena made accessible by the properties of graphene.

Predicting the properties of complex organic molecules from first principles is computationally restrictive. But by modelling their behaviour as that of a series of scattering vertices, accurate calculations of their electronic structure become possible.

One might have expected there was little left to learn about the dynamics of hot charge-carriers in semiconductors. But an unexpected heating mechanism in semiconducting quantum rods suggests there is still room for surprise.

How did the first stars form, and the early Universe develop? A meeting of minds from astronomy, cosmology and nuclear physics achieved some consensus on what we know, and what we don't.

Turbulent flows, such as those generating the thermonuclear flames of a supernova, are difficult to measure, so we rely on simulations for insights. The largest simulation to date reveals unexpected flow dynamics.

Further analysis of controversial data questioning the role of surface plasmons in extraordinary optical transmission reasserts the conventional view, and suggests there is still much to be done to understand the details of this phenomenon.

Many predictions and consequences of quantum mechanics defy intuition. New insights into the limits of communication between spatially separated parties could bring us closer to grasping the nature of the quantum world.

Electromagnetic waves below the plasma frequency usually reflect off a metal. A theory now suggests that a nonlinear Josephson plasma wave — an excitation in an anisotropic superconductor — can propagate below the plasma frequency.

The mass and radius of a neutron star constrain the equation of state and the symmetry energy of its nuclear matter. A new analysis suggests how these quantities might be pinned down more precisely.

The reordering of field lines during magnetic reconnection plays an important part in many astrophysical and terrestrial plasma phenomena. Satellite measurements of a so-called null point during magnetic reconnection should help refine theoretical models of this process.

Every metal, semimetal and doped semiconductor has a Fermi surface that determines its physical properties. A new state of matter within the 'pseudogap' state of a high-temperature superconductor destroys the Fermi surface, the process of which provides information about the new state.

The pursuit of ultracold atomic gases has revolutionized atomic physics. Will translationally cold molecules — which are now becoming available — similarly transform molecular and chemical physics?

Tiny collapsing bubbles can focus acoustic energy into bursts of visible light. Careful measurements of the emitted light reveal extraordinary conditions at the centre of the implosion of a single bubble, but not so extraordinary as to support fantastical claims.

X-rays enable the structure of matter to be imaged with near-atomic resolution, but the continuous output of conventional X-ray sources prevents rapidly evolving changes in the material's structure to be followed. The emission of a train of attosecond X-ray pulses from a laser-driven relativistic plasma could solve this limitation.

Trapped atomic Fermi gases currently provide models of neutron stars, high-temperature superconductors, and even the quark–gluon plasma that comprised the early universe. The ability to produce these important systems on a chip could also open the way to their practical use.

Observing coherent coupling between two quantum objects in the solid state is hard enough at millikelvin temperatures. Now, this has been achieved at room temperature — using nitrogen defects in diamond — opening up an avenue to practical quantum computing.