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Experiments with small flocks of sheep show intermittent collective motion events driven by random leaders that guide the group. A model reveals information pooling capabilities, suggesting a mechanism for swarm intelligence.
Ensembles of weakly interacting atoms have enabled some of the most precise measurements ever made. Now researchers have shown that making these atoms work together in a strongly interacting regime can boost sensitivity by orders of magnitude.
Many quantum applications require the careful preparation of quantum harmonic oscillators. The combination of a high-power microwave drive and weak nonlinearity enables fast control of such systems, with implications for quantum computing and metrology.
Making monolayer superconductors creates interesting effects, but often decreases the transition temperature compared to 3D materials. Instead, intercalating molecules into a layered superconductor tailors the superconductivity with fewer trade-offs.
Quantum sensing that uses electron spins in diamond can perform precise magnetic field measurements but does not work well at high magnetic fields. An alternative approach involving the spins of carbon-13 nuclei can operate in the high-field regime.
Bayesian history matching is a statistical tool used to calibrate complex numerical models. Now, it has been applied to first-principles simulations of several nuclei, including 208Pb, whose properties are linked to the interior of neutron stars.
Fractional charges are one of the hallmarks of topological matter and the building blocks of various topological devices. Now, there are indications that their fingerprint in terms of electrical noise is less obvious, but more universal, than expected.
A quantum rotor periodically kicked stops absorbing energy after a certain time and enters into a localized regime. Two experiments with cold atoms have now shown how many-body interactions can suppress dynamical localization.
Laser light is usually limited to the same wavelength range as the spontaneous emission of the active material. A judicious choice of dielectric coatings on the cavity has now enabled laser emission far beyond the spectral range of the gain medium.
Using a quantum annealer to simulate the dynamics of phase transitions shows that superconducting quantum devices can coherently evolve systems of thousands of individual elements. This is an important step toward quantum simulation and optimization.
Limits on the quantum entanglement entropy in one dimension have been a key factor in understanding the physics of many-body systems. A bound that applies in any dimension has now been derived for a different measure known as entanglement spread.
All-optical devices hold promise as a platform for ultralow-power, sub-nanosecond photonic classical and quantum information processing. Measurements of the dynamics of a single photon switch unveil the quantum correlations at the root of its operation.
Experiments with ultracold atoms can be used to create nearly ideal quantum simulations of theoretical models. A realization of a model of exotic magnetism has tested the limits of what can be studied numerically on a classical computer.
