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The diode is a well-known component of semiconductor electronics, but equivalent behaviour in superconductors is rare. Now, two demonstrations of a superconducting diode effect show that this is possible, through different mechanisms.
Statistical correlations between particles play a central role in the study of complex quantum systems. A new study introduces microscopic detection of ultracold molecules and demonstrates the measurement of two-particle correlations.
Computer simulations have revealed the topological nature of the liquid–liquid phase transition in colloidal water. This finding might lead to an experimental observation of this topological transition with colloids as building blocks.
Tensor networks are mathematical structures that efficiently compress the data required to describe quantum systems. An algorithm for the optimal simulation of quantum dynamics based on tensor networks has now been implemented on a trapped-ion processor.
Experiments with chiral magnets may hold the key to a better understanding of fundamental aspects of transformations between different skyrmionic states, necessary for magnetic memory and logic applications to become a reality.
Trapped ion quantum computers can use two different kinds of ion to avoid crosstalk between adjacent qubits. Encoding two different qubit types in only one ion species can achieve the same goal while reducing experimental complexity.
An experiment with photonic waveguides demonstrates the connection between non-Abelian holonomies and adiabatic particle transport, paving the way to the geometric and topological control of light trajectories.
Cells can sense the mechanical properties of their environment. By adjusting the ruffling of their membranes, cells respond to different viscosities of their surrounding liquid medium.
Colloidal random lasers are hard to design and control. Combining optically controlled micro-heaters with thermophilic particles attracted by them leads to microlasers with programmable and reversible patterns.
Originally suggested for the detection of gravitational waves, resonantly vibrating metal beams have been used in a recent laboratory experiment to measure Newton’s constant of gravitation and to verify Newton’s gravitational law.
Quantum confinement effects offer a more comprehensive understanding of the fundamental processes that drive extreme optical nonlinearities in nano-engineered solids, opening a route to unlocking the potential of high-order harmonic generation.
The hydrodynamic description of many-body quantum systems is a key part of our understanding of out-of-equilibrium physics. Exotic, highly constrained quantum particles called fractons require a treatment that goes beyond hydrodynamics.
The hunt for new particles helps to complete our understanding of hadronic matter. The LHCb Collaboration now reports the surprising observation of a doubly charmed tetraquark.
