Physics

Oct 18th, 2025 - The nature of dark matter remains one of the greatest mysteries in cosmology. Within the standard framework of non-collisional cold dark matter (CDM), various models are considered: WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles, with masses of around 100 GeV/c 2 ), primordial black holes, and ultralight axion-like particles (mass of 10 -22 to 1 eV/c 2 ). In the latter case, dark matter behaves like a wave, described by a Schrödinger equation, rather than as a collection of point particles. ... [Read More]

Oct 17th, 2025 - New research led by Flinders University has shed light on one of chemistry's big mysteries by describing how simple salts exist near the surface of liquid solvents. In a new international collaborative study, experts have used a technique called "ion scattering spectroscopy" on a range of solvents to understand the interface between air and water droplets in the atmosphere. Dr. Gunther Andersson, professor of chemical physics and nanotechnology at Flinders University, says the new technique ... [Read More]

Oct 15th, 2025 - pulses ever observed X-ray beams aren't used just by doctors to see inside your body and tell whether you have a broken bone. More powerful beams made up of very short flashes of X-rays can help scientists peer into the structure of individual atoms and molecules and differentiate types of elements. But getting an X-ray laser beam that delivers super short flashes to capture the fastest processes in nature isn't easy – it's a whole science in itself. Radio waves, microwaves, the ... [Read More]

Oct 15th, 2025 - When high-energy radiation interacts with water in living organisms, it generates particles and slow-moving electrons that can subsequently damage critical molecules like DNA. Now, Professor Petr Slavíček and his bachelor's student Jakub Dubský from UCT Prague (University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague) have described in detail one of the key mechanisms for the creation of these slow electrons in water, a process known as Intermolecular Coulombic Decay (ICD). Their ... [Read More]

Oct 10th, 2025 - Follow Earth on Google Quantum computing is full of ideas that sound great until you try to build them. A new experiment now shows a way to move quantum data to exactly where it is needed. It reports 95.3 % success on that routing task in the lab, which is strong enough to take notice. Instead of treating memory as an afterthought, the team built a router that can direct a quantum signal based on a quantum address. That ability is central to designs for quantum random access memory ( QRAM ). It ... [Read More]

Oct 8th, 2025 - Reseachers uses quantum simulations to vizualize the shape of a photon emitted by a single nanoparticle -- in this case, it's lemon-shaped. When we look at the world around us, all that we see is thanks to light. It reflects, refracts, and interacts, carrying shape and depth from the objects it touches. But what about light itself? Physicists have now visualized the simulated shape of a photon (the smallest unit of light) emitted from the surface of a nanoparticle using a novel theoretical ... [Read More]

Oct 3rd, 2025 - Engineers have developed a new coating technique that will help make quantum light sources more precise and consistent. The team used an organic molecule called PTCDA to coat a semiconductor and caused it to release single photons at a time. Each photon also had identical energies, which is required if quantum technologies are to function. The researchers hope these reliable semiconductors will improve the performance of quantum computers. "The big idea is that we want to go from individual ... [Read More]

Oct 2nd, 2025 - Follow Earth on Google A single particle of light can behave in surprising ways, but it still follows the strict rules of physics. A new experiment shows that even when one photon is split into two, the total angular momentum remains exactly the same. The work tested conservation at the smallest possible scale and did not cut corners. Lead author Lea Kopf of Tampere University , and colleagues built a setup sensitive enough to catch only a few successful events out of billions. Split photons ... [Read More]

Oct 1st, 2025 - A laser-controlled array of atoms may hold the key to scalable quantum computing In a Caltech lab, a computer screen showed thousands of tiny points of light—each one a single atom, held in place by laser beams. This striking image revealed 6,100 stable quantum bits, or qubits. It's the largest neutral-atom array ever created and a key achievement for quantum computing. The previous record for a neutral atom array was just 1,180 qubits. "This is an exciting moment for neutral-atom quantum ... [Read More]

Sep 29th, 2025 - , Phys.org Time-varying systems, materials with properties that change over time, have opened new possibilities for the experimental manipulation of waves. Contrarily to static systems, which exhibit the same properties over time, these materials break so-called temporal translation symmetry. This in turn prompts the emergence of various fascinating phenomena, including time reflection, refraction and diffraction. Most time-varying materials studies so far are optical systems , or in other ... [Read More]

Sep 21st, 2025 - The collision and merger of two neutron stars—the incredibly dense remnants of collapsed stars—are some of the most energetic events in the universe, producing a variety of signals that can be observed on Earth. New simulations of neutron star mergers by a team from Penn State and the University of Tennessee Knoxville reveal that the mixing and changing of tiny particles called neutrinos that can travel astronomical distances undisturbed impacts how the merger unfolds, as well as ... [Read More]

Sep 20th, 2025 - , Phys.org Excitons, bound states between an electron (i.e., a negatively charged particle) and a hole (i.e., the absence of an electron) in materials, are a key focus of condensed matter physics studies. These bound states can give rise to interesting and uncommon quantum physical effects, which could be leveraged to develop optoelectronic and quantum technologies. Over the past few years, physicists have observed a particular type of excitons, known as interlayer excitons, in various ... [Read More]

Sep 19th, 2025 - TEL AVIV: A breakthrough in diamond technology could bring quantum communication and ultra-sensitive sensors out of the lab and into real-world use. Israeli and German scientists announced the development of a method to capture nearly all the light emitted by microscopic defects in diamonds--an advance that could make quantum devices faster, more reliable, and easier to integrate into existing systems. Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in collaboration with Humboldt University ... [Read More]

Sep 13th, 2025 - Ellen Phiddian breaks down the complexities of quantum physics, so that newbies like her can understand the transformative technologies it promises. This article originally appeared in the Cosmos Print Magazine in December 2024. Quantum science describes the behaviour of matter and light on the atomic and subatomic scale," intones the introduction to the National Quantum Strategy. Atoms, matter, and light. Easy. But then: "Quantum behaviours – particularly quantisation, superposition and ... [Read More]

Sep 12th, 2025 - The concept of quantum entanglement is emblematic of the gap between classical and quantum physics. Referring to a situation in which it is impossible to describe the physics of each photon separately, this key characteristic of quantum mechanics defies the classical expectation that each particle should have a reality of its own, which gravely concerned Einstein. Understanding the potential of this concept is essential for the realization of powerful new quantum technologies. Developing such ... [Read More]

Sep 11th, 2025 - By Jennifer Chu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Share Super-cooling radioactive atoms could create a laser-like neutrino beam, potentially opening a new avenue for studying these elusive particles and even enabling novel forms of communication. Every instant, torrents of neutrinos pass through our bodies and the objects around us without leaving a trace. Smaller than electrons and lighter than photons, these ghostlike particles are the most abundant massive particles in the universe. The ... [Read More]