Featured
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Letter |
Three-photon energy–time entanglement
Many-particle entangled states and entanglement between continuous properties are valuable resources for quantum information, but are notoriously difficult to generate. An experiment now entangles the energy and emission times of three photons, creating generalized Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen correlations.
- L. K. Shalm
- , D. R. Hamel
- & T. Jennewein
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Article |
Wave propagation control at the deep subwavelength scale in metamaterials
Photonic crystals efficiently control wave propagation on a wavelength scale, but this means they can become very large when long wavelengths are involved. Metamaterials made of resonant unit cells can confine and guide waves even at scales far below their wavelength.
- Fabrice Lemoult
- , Nadège Kaina
- & Geoffroy Lerosey
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News & Views |
Beyond ballistic
Hyper-transport — an increase in diffusion beyond the ballistic-transport regime — is observed in an optical system.
- Marco Peccianti
- & Roberto Morandotti
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News & Views |
The birth of a solar eruption
A sophisticated model of the birth and early evolution of coronal mass ejections could lead to better forecast of the 'weather' in space.
- Stefaan Poedts
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Article |
Explaining fast ejections of plasma and exotic X-ray emission from the solar corona
Sudden bursts of charged particles emitted from the surface of the Sun can disrupt the satellites orbiting Earth. However, the mechanisms that drive these so-called coronal mass ejections remain unclear. An advanced computer model now establishes a link between the onset of an ejection and the emergence of magnetic flux into the solar atmosphere.
- Ilia I. Roussev
- , Klaus Galsgaard
- & Jun Lin
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Letter |
Computing prime factors with a Josephson phase qubit quantum processor
Shor’s quantum algorithm factorizes integers, and implementing this is a benchmark test in the early development of quantum processors. Researchers now demonstrate this important test in a solid-state system: a circuit made up of four superconducting qubits factorizes the number 15.
- Erik Lucero
- , R. Barends
- & John M. Martinis
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Article |
Dynamics of relativistic transparency and optical shuttering in expanding overdense plasmas
When electrons are accelerated to near light-speeds through an overdense plasma by an intense laser beam, the usually opaque plasma becomes optically transparent. High-speed laser experiments provide unprecedented insight into the dynamics of this process.
- Sasi Palaniyappan
- , B. Manuel Hegelich
- & Rahul C. Shah
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Article |
A wideband, low-noise superconducting amplifier with high dynamic range
An ideal amplifier has low noise, operates over a broad frequency range and has large dynamic range. A superconducting-resonator-based amplifier that combines all of these qualities is now demonstrated. The concept is applicable throughout the microwave, millimetre-wave and submillimetre-wave bands and can achieve a noise limit very close to that set by quantum mechanics.
- Byeong Ho Eom
- , Peter K. Day
- & Jonas Zmuidzinas
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News & Views |
Atomic resolution comes into phase
Atomic-resolution differential phase-contrast imaging using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy now provides a sensitive probe of the electric field associated with individual atoms.
- Peter D. Nellist
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Letter |
Differential phase-contrast microscopy at atomic resolution
A technique capable of detecting the electric field associated with individual atoms is now demonstrated. Atomic-resolution differential phase-contrast imaging using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy provides a sensitive probe of the gradient of the electrostatic potential in a crystal lattice.
- Naoya Shibata
- , Scott D. Findlay
- & Yuichi Ikuhara
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Article |
Multistep redirection by cross-beam power transfer of ultrahigh-power lasers in a plasma
A demonstration of the ability to control the flow of laser energy in a dense plasma by tuning the colour of multiple laser beams injected into it could be useful in the development of laser-driven fusion.
- J. D. Moody
- , P. Michel
- & E. I. Moses
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News & Views |
Through the quantum chicane
In quantum control there is an inherent tension between high fidelity requirements and the need for speed to avoid decoherence. A direct comparison of quantum control protocols at these two extremes indicates where the sweet spot may lie.
- Lloyd C. L. Hollenberg
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News & Views |
The stress of light cools vibration
Brillouin scattering of light is now shown to attenuate the Brownian motion of microscopic acoustic resonators. This electrostrictive phenomenon could be a useful complement to the ponderomotive and photothermal effects that can optically control optomechanical systems.
- Ivan Favero
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Letter |
Observation of spontaneous Brillouin cooling
A novel mechanism for cooling tiny mechanical resonators is now demonstrated. Inelastic scattering of light from phonons in an electrostrictive material attenuates the Brownian motion of the mechanical mode.
- Gaurav Bahl
- , Matthew Tomes
- & Tal Carmon
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Article |
Optical cavity cooling of mechanical modes of a semiconductor nanomembrane
A novel mechanism for cooling nanomechanical objects has now been demonstrated. Optically excited electron–hole pairs produce a mechanical stress that damps the motion of a gallium arsenide membrane. In this way, the nanoscale resonator is cooled from room temperature to 4 K.
- K. Usami
- , A. Naesby
- & E. S. Polzik
A universal matter-wave interferometer with optical ionization gratings in the time domain
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