High Energy Physics and Computational Science

The new interface paves the way for connecting quantum devices. Quantum networks are often described as the next stage of the internet. Instead of transferring ordinary digital information in bits, they use photons to carry quantum information. This approach could make communication virtually unbreakable, connect faraway quantum computers into one powerful system, and enable sensing technologies capable of measuring time and environmental conditions with extraordinary precision. For this kind of network to work, researchers must develop quantum network nodes that can both store quantum information and exchange it through light particles. In a recent breakthrough, a team led by Ben Lanyon at the Department of Experimental Physics, University of Innsbruck, demonstrated such a node by using a chain of ten calcium ions inside a prototype quantum computer. By finely controlling electric fields, the scientists guided the ions one at a time into an optical cavity. Inside the cavity, a carefu...

A research team has provided the first experimental proof that flat electronic bands in a kagome superconductor are active and directly shape electronic and magnetic behaviors. Researchers from Rice University, working with international partners, have found the first clear evidence of active flat electronic bands within a kagome superconductor . The discovery marks an important step toward creating new strategies for designing quantum materials, including superconductors, topological insulators, and spin-based electronics, which could play a central role in advancing future electronics and computing. The findings, published on August 14 in Nature Communications, focus on the chromium-based kagome metal CsCr₃Sb₅, a material that becomes superconducting when placed under pressure. Kagome metals are defined by their unique two-dimensional lattice of corner-sharing triangles. Recent theories have suggested that these structures can host compact molecular orbitals, or standing-wave patter...

A research team led by Prof. Jiao Chengliang at the Yunnan Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with collaborators, has introduced a self-consistent model that addresses long-unresolved theoretical gaps in the study of self-gravitating spherical accretion. Accretion, the fundamental astrophysical process by which matter is drawn onto a central celestial object (such as a black hole or star), underpins our understanding of phenomena ranging from star formation to black hole growth. For decades, the classical Bondi model developed in the 1950s and still widely used today has served as the backbone of accretion research. However, this foundational framework overlooks a critical factor: the self-gravity of the gas being accreted. This omission, the researchers note, can drastically alter flow structures and accretion rates in high-density astrophysical environments , limiting the model's accuracy in key scenarios. To address this challenge, the team developed a compr...

A breakthrough in spintronics reveals that material defects can be harnessed to boost device efficiency, overturning decades of assumptions. Scientists have discovered a way to transform what was once considered a major problem in electronics, material defects, into a powerful quantum-based advantage. This breakthrough could open the door to a new generation of spintronic devices that operate with extremely low power demands. Spintronics, short for “spin electronics,” is an area of research that seeks to move beyond the boundaries of traditional electronic technology. Standard devices depend solely on the electrical charge of electrons to process and store data. In contrast, spintronics taps into two additional quantum features: spin angular momentum, which can be pictured as an inherent “up” or “down” orientation of each electron, and orbital angular momentum, which describes the paths electrons follow as they circle atomic nuclei. By using these added dimensions, spintronic systems...

Physicists have, for the first time, shown that even a single photon obeys one of nature’s strictest rules: conservation of angular momentum. Achieved only once in a billion attempts, this needle-in-a-haystack success not only proves a cornerstone law of physics at the smallest scale but also opens a pathway to advanced quantum technologies , from entangled states to secure communication. Quantum-Level Confirmation of Angular Momentum Conservation Researchers at Tampere University, working with colleagues in Germany and India, have demonstrated for the first time that angular momentum remains conserved when a single photon splits into two. This result confirms a core principle of physics at the quantum scale and marks a milestone that could help in creating advanced quantum states for use in computing, communication, and sensing technologies. Conservation laws are central to science because they determine which processes are possible and which are not. A familiar example is seen in bi...

A discarded mathematical oddity has become the key to unlocking universal quantum computing. By combining Ising anyons with a newly recognized particle, the neglecton, researchers showed that complex computations could be done with braiding alone. This breakthrough could make once-impossible quantum operations a reality. Fragile Qubits and the Quantum Challenge Quantum computers could one day tackle problems that even the most advanced supercomputers cannot approach. Yet the machines available today are extremely delicate. Their basic units of information, called quantum bits or “qubits,” are highly sensitive to their surroundings, which causes frequent disruptions and rapidly accumulating errors. A leading strategy for overcoming this weakness is topological quantum computing. Instead of relying on fragile qubits, this method seeks to safeguard quantum information by embedding it within the geometric properties of unusual particles known as anyons. Predicted to exist in certain two-di...

By controlling this state, researchers can enable the development of smarter, reconfigurable, and energy-efficient devices that function like the brain. Researchers at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) have successfully created a new form of magnetic state known as a magneto-ionic vortex, or “vortion.” Their findings, published in Nature Communications, demonstrate an unprecedented ability to control magnetic properties at the nanoscale under normal room temperature conditions. This achievement could pave the way for next-generation magnetic technologies . As the growth of Big Data continues, the energy needs of information technologies have risen sharply. In most systems, data is stored using electric currents, but this process generates excess heat and wastes energy. A more efficient approach is to control magnetic memory through voltage rather than current. Magneto-ionic materials make this possible by enabling their magnetic properties to be adjusted when ions are insert...

A rare mineral found in a centuries-old meteorite and even on Mars has stunned scientists with its bizarre heat behavior. Neither fully crystal nor fully glass, this hybrid material conducts heat in a way unlike anything else known: it stays constant across temperatures instead of rising or falling. Why Heat-Conduction Matters in Modern Technology Crystals and glasses handle heat in completely different ways, a property that plays an important role in many modern technologies . These include everything from making electronics smaller and more efficient, to recovering wasted heat for energy, to extending the life of thermal shields used in aerospace. Improving the performance and durability of the materials behind these technologies depends on understanding how their chemistry and atomic arrangement (for example, crystalline, glassy, or nanostructured) affects the way they carry heat. Michele Simoncelli, an assistant professor of applied physics and applied mathematics at Columbia Engi...

Collapsing stars might act as cosmic laboratories for discovering hidden neutrino interactions. Neutrinos are among the most puzzling particles in the universe. Nearly massless and incredibly elusive, they rarely interact with anything, yet they play a deadly role in the life cycle of stars far larger than our sun. These subatomic particles exist in three known types electron, muon, and tau and despite decades of study, many of their behaviors remain poorly understood. Because neutrinos interact so weakly, it is nearly impossible to make them collide under laboratory conditions. As a result, scientists still do not know whether they follow the interaction rules laid out by the standard model of particle physics or if they engage in theorized “secret” interactions exclusive to neutrinos. In a new study, researchers with the Network for Neutrinos, Nuclear Astrophysics , and Symmetries (N3AS), including members from UC San Diego, have used theoretical models to demonstrate that massive s...

Physicists are harnessing thorium-229’s unusual nuclear properties to develop an ultra-precise “nuclear clock” capable of detecting forces 10 trillion times weaker than gravity. Such sensitivity could make it the ultimate tool for spotting the elusive influence of dark matter, which subtly distorts the properties of ordinary matter. The Long Quest for Dark Matter For nearly 100 years, researchers worldwide have been attempting to uncover the nature of dark matter , an invisible substance believed to comprise roughly 80 percent of the universe’s total mass. This mysterious substance is essential for explaining many observed cosmic phenomena, yet it remains undetected in any direct experiment. Scientists have explored a wide range of approaches to find it, from attempting to create dark matter particles in high-energy particle accelerators to searching for faint cosmic radiation it might emit. Despite these efforts, its core characteristics are still largely unknown. While it does not in...

A Copenhagen team has unlocked a clever “backdoor” into studying rare quantum states once thought beyond reach. Scientists at the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, have discovered a new approach for investigating rare quantum states that occur within superconducting vortices . These states were first proposed in the 1960s, but confirming their existence has proven extremely challenging because they occur at energy levels too small for most experiments to detect directly. This breakthrough was achieved through a mix of creative problem-solving and the advanced development of custom-made materials in the Niels Bohr Institute’s laboratories. The research findings have been published in Physical Review Letters. Synthetic superconducting vortices – finding a “backdoor.” Instead of trying to observe the elusive states in their original setting, the researchers, led by a professor at the Niels Bohr Institute, Saulius Vaitiekėnas, built a completely new material system that mimic...

Fast, precise, and ready for use in the field: a quantum-level optical frequency comb system capable of measuring 0.34 nanometers in just 25 microseconds. The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science has developed a cutting-edge system for measuring length with a level of precision that comes remarkably close to the fundamental quantum limit. This new system delivers exceptional measurement accuracy and is built to be both compact and durable, making it well-suited for use outside of laboratory settings. Its performance positions it as a promising candidate for establishing the next standard in advanced length metrology. At present, the highest-precision tools for measuring length are known as national length measurement standards, which define the meter. These instruments, managed by top metrology organizations such as KRISS, rely on interferometers that use single-wavelength lasers to achieve nanometer-scale precision. The problem with single-wavelength lasers Single-wavele...

In a first, scientists have recreated the formation of the first ever molecules in the universe to learn more about early star formation. For the first time, researchers have recreated the universe's first ever molecules by mimicking the conditions of the early universe. The findings shake up our understanding of the origin of stars in the early universe and "calls for a reassessment of the helium chemistry in the early universe," the researchers wrote in the new study, published July 24 in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics . The first stars in the universe Just after the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago, the universe was subject to extremely high temperatures. A few seconds later, though, temperatures decreased enough for hydrogen and helium to form as the first ever elements. Hundreds of thousands of years after those elements formed, temperatures became cool enough for their atoms to combine with electrons in a variety of different configurations, forging molecules...

A peer-reviewed study reports the development of ultrafast modulation technology in nanoelectronics. Physicists from Bielefeld University and the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (IFW Dresden) have introduced a new technique that uses ultrashort light pulses to manipulate atomically thin semiconductors . Their research, published in Nature Communications, could lead to the development of optoelectronic components that operate at extremely high speeds using light as the control mechanism, opening the door to next-generation technologies. The team achieved this by designing nanoscale antennas that transform terahertz light into vertical electric fields within atomically thin materials such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂). Terahertz radiation falls in the electromagnetic spectrum between infrared and microwave frequencies. Thanks to the novel antenna design, the resulting electric fields can reach strengths of several megavolts per centimeter. “Traditionall...

Scientists propose a groundbreaking experiment using quantum computers and atomic clocks to test whether gravity alters the fundamental rules of quantum theory. A recent study featured in the journal PRX Quantum reveals how a network of quantum computers equipped with optical clocks can be used to investigate how gravity influences quantum systems. The researchers found that placing three quantum computers at different elevations, even with just a 1-kilometer difference in height, allows Earth’s curved gravitational field to measurably affect the quantum states shared among them. Their work outlines how this setup could offer the first direct evidence that conventional quantum theory may need to be revised to incorporate the principles of general relativity. “There is an extensive body of theoretical work suggesting that what we currently accept as quantum theory needs to be modified to account for general relativity, and we have devised an experiment to explore one aspect of this devi...