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Quantum physics is a very diverse field: it describes particle collisions shortly after the Big Bang as well as electrons in solid materials or atoms far out in space. But not all quantum objects are equally easy to study. For some—such as the early universe—direct experiments are not possible at all.

However, in many cases, quantum simulators can be used instead: one quantum system (for example, a cloud of ultracold atoms) is studied in order to learn something about another system that looks physically very different, but still follows the same laws, i.e. adheres to the same mathematical equations.

It is often difficult to find out which equations determine a particular quantum system. Normally, one first has to make theoretical assumptions and then conduct experiments to check whether these assumptions prove correct.

Nuclear fission is the most reliable source of antineutrinos, but they are difficult to characterize. A recent study suggests how their emission can be simulated most effectively.

Antineutrinos are mysterious fundamental anti-particles with no charge and an exceptionally small but non-zero mass. The JUNO project (Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory) in China is a large scintillation detector designed to detect them and to characterize their properties, particularly in precise measurements of that tiny mass. Anti-particles are hard to measure and even harder to control, even when they come from a strong and reliable source.

A group of Italian physicists, led by Monica Sisti of the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) in Milan and Antonio Cammi of the Politecnico di Milano and part of the JUNO collaboration of over 700 scientists from 17 countries, has now modeled parameters that determine the ‘antineutrino spectrum’ emitted by a source.

Phase transitions in the collective motions of self-propelled particles are directly impacted both by the initial velocity of each particle, and the repulsive radius surrounding them.

Collective motions of self-propelled particles can be found across many systems in nature. One of the most striking features of this phenomenon is the way in which systems transition between different states of motion: a behavior which can be compared directly with phase transitions in physics. So far, however, it is still not fully understood how these transitions are impacted by the initial parameters of these deeply complex systems.

Through analysis published in The European Physical Journal E, Salma Moushi and colleagues at the University of Hassam II, Morocco, show how the conditions required for transitions to occur are heavily dependent on the initial velocities of each particle, and the repulsion radius surrounding them.

USTC researchers created a groundbreaking on-chip photonic simulator, leveraging thin-film lithium niobate chips to simplify quantum simulations of complex structures, achieving high-dimensional synthetic dimensions with reduced frequency demands.

A research team led by Prof. Chuanfeng Li from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) has made a significant breakthrough in quantum photonics. The team successfully developed an on-chip photonic simulator capable of modeling arbitrary-range coupled frequency lattices with gauge potential. This achievement was detailed in a recent publication in Physical Review Letters.

<em>Physical Review Letters (PRL)</em> is a prestigious peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the American Physical Society. Launched in 1958, it is renowned for its swift publication of short reports on significant fundamental research in all fields of physics. PRL serves as a venue for researchers to quickly share groundbreaking and innovative findings that can potentially shift or enhance understanding in areas such as particle physics, quantum mechanics, relativity, and condensed matter physics. The journal is highly regarded in the scientific community for its rigorous peer review process and its focus on high-impact papers that often provide foundational insights within the field of physics.

A groundbreaking study has revealed a new regime of cooperative radiative phenomena, addressing a 70-year-old puzzle in quantum optics.

By using arrays of synthetic atoms and ultracold matter waves, they uncovered previously unseen collective spontaneous emission effects. These findings not only advance our understanding of fundamental quantum behaviors but also hold promise for practical applications, such as enhancing long-distance quantum networks and improving technologies in quantum science.

Quantum Optical Phenomena

For the first time, scientists have observed a collection of particles, also known as a quasiparticle, that’s massless when moving one direction but has mass in the other direction. The quasiparticle, called a semi-Dirac fermion, was first theorized 16 years ago, but was only recently spotted inside a crystal of semi-metal material called ZrSiS. The observation of the quasiparticle opens the door to future advances in a range of emerging technologies from batteries to sensors, according to the researchers.

The team, led by scientists at Penn State and Columbia University, recently published their discovery in the journal Physical Review X.

Continue reading “Particle that only has mass when moving in one direction observed for first time” »

Did you see the Northern Lights this week? The new year arrived not only with fireworks, but with displays of aurora across the world at much more southerly latitudes than is normal.

Aurora were spotted as far south as Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Wales in the U.K and France, with spectacular displays in Alaska, Scandinavia and New Zealand, according to SpaceWeather.com.

The display aurora came in the wake of forecasts for northern and Midwest U.S. states after a flurry of solar flares from the sun’s surface in the last few days of 2024, most notably an X-class event on Dec. 29 that hurled two clouds of charged particles in Earth’s direction.

Scientists are exploring 2D materials — sheets just one atom thick — with unique and promising electronic properties.

When two of these sheets are layered at specific angles, they can exhibit remarkable behaviors, such as superconductivity. Antonija Grubišić-Čabo, a materials scientist at the University of Groningen, and her colleagues investigated one such “twisted” material and found that it behaved in ways that defied existing theoretical predictions.

2D Materials and Superconductivity.

Oregon State University researchers have found luminescent nanocrystals with fast light-dark switching capabilities.

“The extraordinary switching and memory capabilities of these nanocrystals may one day become integral to optical computing – a way to rapidly process and store information using light particles, which travel faster than anything in the universe,” said Artiom Skripka, assistant professor in the OSU College of Science.

The race for faster, more efficient computing is on. And now, scientists have taken a significant leap forward with the discovery of a unique type of nanocrystal.

Continue reading “Achieving bone regeneration and adhesion with harmless visible light” »