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In topological crystalline insulators, crystal symmetries give rise to particular electronic structures. As now shown, strain further induces pseudo-Landau states in IV–VI heterostructures—a mechanism possibly responsible for the superconductivity observed in such systems.
Atomic matter waves provide a controllable platform for studying the behaviour of solitons. In a lithium condensate, a characterization of the dynamics of collisions between solitons reveals a dependence on their relative phases.
Supersymmetry and Majorana fermions that are their own antiparticles are both concepts from particle physics that may become testable in condensed-matter systems. The observation of Cooper pairs in a helical Dirac gas brings this goal a step closer.
Randomness can disorder a two-dimensional vortex lattice and lead to enhanced long-range correlations. The resulting order–disorder transition occurs in two steps, with critical exponents exceeding predictions.
A Fulde–Ferrell–Larkin–Ovchinnikov superconductor comprises pairs of fermions with non-zero momentum, which form alternating superconducting and normal regions in a magnetic field. NMR measurements now provide microscopic evidence for such a state.
Rydberg atoms offer an avenue for quantum simulation of many-body problems, but evidence for the coherent nature of their interaction is indirect. An externally-tuned resonance now reveals coherent oscillations between two single Rydberg atoms.
Coupling the fluorescence of cold atoms to plasmons propagating on a gold surface offers a means of controlling the radiation from optical emitters without the need for a cavity.
A superconductor placed near a quantum Hall edge can show emergent excitations with a range of exotic features. For instance, such heterostructures are predicted to exhibit non-local signatures that are direct extensions of ‘Andreev reflection’.
A variational approach for a three-band model provides deeper insights into the dynamics of a hole doped into an antiferromagnetic layer, with important implications for theories of high-temperature superconductivity.
Quantum technologies are extremely sensitive to environmental disturbance. Control techniques inspired by classical systems engineering allow selective filtering of the noise spectrum, suppressing time-varying noise over defined frequency bands.
Cuprate superconductors are created by adding electrons or holes to a ‘parent’ compound. They have dissimilar phase diagrams and the asymmetry is further highlighted by unexpected collective modes measured using resonant inelastic X-ray scattering.
The pairing symmetry of iron pnictide superconductors has been hotly debated. First-principles simulations suggest low-energy spin excitations play a central role in raising the superconducting transition temperature of such materials.
Quantum effects allow black holes to radiate—offering a glimpse of how quantum field theory and general relativity might fit together. Hawking radiation has now been observed in a black hole analogue, with evidence that it can self-amplify.
The coupling between spin, valley and layer degrees of freedom in transition-metal dichalcogenides is shown to give rise to spin-polarized electron states, providing opportunities to create and manipulate spin and valley polarizations in bulk solids.
The absorption properties of a resonator can be tuned by varying the phase between incoming coherent light beams. Such control is now shown under strong coupling conditions, allowing all incoming energy to be converted into polaritons.
Electron scattering limits the optical excitations produced by metal-based lasers to femtosecond timescales. But sub-picosecond pulsing can be achieved in a plasmonic nanowire laser by operating near the surface plasmon frequency.
Nuclear magnetic resonance measurements reveal two separate relaxation channels—one associated with a Fermi liquid state and the other with a non-Fermi liquid state—coexisting near a quantum phase transition in YbRh2Si2.
Dipole-forbidden vibrational transitions in molecular ions are very weak and difficult to characterize. The sympathetic cooling provided by a Coulomb crystal is shown to allow interrogation times long enough to observe them.
Nonlinear inertial flows usually influence the motion of swimming organisms, but most studies focus on the tractable case of swimmers too small to feel such effects. A mechanistic principle now unifies the varied dynamics of macroscopic swimmers.
The electrons associated with the conducting surface states of topological insulators are described by a two-component wavefunction. Experiments on Bi2Se3 now show that the structure of Landau levels reflects this two-component nature.