Physics

Apr 24th, 2024 - Scientists report a new method that achieves for the first time valley polarization in centrosymmetric bulk materials in a non-material-specific way. This 'universal technique' may have major applications linked to the control and analysis of different properties for 2D and 3D materials, which can in turn enable the advancement of cutting-edge fields such us information processing and quantum computing. An ICFO team, together with international collaborators, report in Nature a new method that ... [Read More]

Apr 24th, 2024 - Nuclear theorists developed a high-resolution map of quark distributions within protons, distinguishing the roles of up and down quarks in proton properties using advanced computational models. A collaboration of nuclear theorists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory , Argonne National Laboratory , Temple University, Adam Mickiewicz University of Poland, and the University of Bonn, Germany , has used supercomputers to predict the spatial distributions of ... [Read More]

Apr 23rd, 2024 - Researchers have discovered a unique property, the quantum metric, within magnetic materials, altering the 'electron universe' geometry. This distinct electric signal challenges traditional electrical conduction and could revolutionize spintronic devices. Researchers at Tohoku University and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency have developed fundamental experiments and theories to manipulate the geometry of the 'electron universe,' which describes the structure of electronic quantum states in a ... [Read More]

Apr 23rd, 2024 - A new research study from Opto-Electronic Advances discusses tailoring electron vortex beams with customizable intensity patterns by electron diffraction holography. In recent years, the scientific community has witnessed a notable breakthrough in the study and development of electron vortices. Electron vortices are electron beams that carry orbital angular momentum , meaning the electrons move not only in their propagation direction but also rotate in a vortex-like manner. This unique ... [Read More]

Apr 23rd, 2024 - Using neutron scattering and voltage measurements, a group of researchers have discovered that a material's magnetic properties can predict spin current changes with temperature. The finding is a major breakthrough in the field of spintronics. Spintronics is a field garnering immense attention for its range of potential advantages for conventional electronics. These include reducing power consumption, high-speed operation, non-volatility, and the potential for new functionalities. Spintronics ... [Read More]

Apr 23rd, 2024 - The resting mass of ghostly neutrinos is one of the most sought-after quantities in particle physics that scientists are one step closer to accurately determining, thanks to a new experiment led by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Germany. If the mass of neutrinos was known, it could crack open the door towards physics beyond the realm of the Standard Model of particle physics , which describes all known forces and elementary particles in the Universe. To say ... [Read More]

Apr 23rd, 2024 - The quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE) has unique advantages in topotronic applications, but realizing the QAHE with tunable magnetic and topological properties for building functional devices is still a key scientific challenge. Through first-principles calculations, researchers have predicted a candidate material that meets these requirements. The related work was recently published in the National Science Review under the title "Tunable quantum anomalous Hall effects in ferromagnetic van ... [Read More]

Apr 22nd, 2024 - TOPICS: A team at HZB has investigated a new, simple method at BESSY II that can be used to create stable radial magnetic vortices in magnetic thin films. In some materials, spins form complex magnetic structures within the nanometre and micrometer scale in which the magnetization direction twists and curls along specific directions. Examples of such structures are magnetic bubbles, skyrmions, and magnetic vortices. Spintronics aims to make use of such tiny magnetic structures to store data or ... [Read More]

Apr 22nd, 2024 - Quantum physics requires high-precision sensing techniques to delve deeper into the microscopic properties of materials. From the analog quantum processors that have emerged recently, quantum-gas microscopes have proven to be powerful tools for understanding quantum systems at the atomic level. These devices produce images of quantum gases with very high resolution: They allow individual atoms to be detected. Now, ICFO researchers (Barcelona, Spain) Sandra Buob, Jonatan Höschele, Dr. ... [Read More]

Apr 22nd, 2024 - Physicists have shown that ultra-thin two-dimensional materials such as tungsten diselenide can rotate the polarization of visible light by several degrees at certain wavelengths under small magnetic fields suitable for use on chips. German and Indian physicists have shown that ultra-thin two-dimensional materials such as tungsten diselenide can rotate the polarisation of visible light by several degrees at certain wavelengths under small magnetic fields suitable for use on chips. It has been ... [Read More]

Apr 22nd, 2024 - There is a high level of interest, even excitement, among chemists and materials scientists about the potential of single-atom catalysts (SACs), but their development relies on very specialized tools available only at synchrotrons like the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask). "This is a really exciting research area," said Dr. Peng Zhang, professor of chemistry and biomedical engineering at Dalhousie University and a long-time CLS user. Catalysts are ... [Read More]

Apr 21st, 2024 - TOPICS: Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have developed experiments to replicate the chemical reactions of the Interstellar Medium, using techniques like laser cooling and mass spectrometry to observe interactions between ions and molecules. While it may not look like it, the interstellar space between stars is far from empty. Atoms, ions, molecules, and more reside in this ethereal environment known as the Interstellar Medium (ISM). The ISM has fascinated scientists for ... [Read More]

Apr 20th, 2024 - Researchers in China have moved a step closer to building a quantum chip with the world-first use of a common semiconductor to create a quantum light source. Quantum chips have the potential to solve complex problems exponentially faster than conventional, electron-based computation but scientists have struggled to build the components needed for an integrated circuit. A team in China now says they created one of those components – a quantum light source – using the semiconductor ... [Read More]

Apr 20th, 2024 - Researchers at Paderborn University have used a new method to determine the characteristics of optical, i.e. light-based, quantum states. For the first time, they are using certain photon detectors – devices that can detect individual light particles – for so-called homodyne detection. The ability to characterize optical quantum states makes the method an essential tool for quantum information processing. Precise knowledge of the characteristics is important for use in quantum ... [Read More]

Apr 15th, 2024 - Physicists have made a measurement at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) which could expand our understanding beyond the Standard Model of Particle Physics . Since the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012, questions have remained open in fundamental physics about what lies beyond the Standard Model's framework which describes all of the particles and forces in the universe. One such parameter which has, until now, remained a mystery is the width of the W boson particle. The W boson along with the ... [Read More]