Particles’ properties at the quantum level could one day enable faster computing and better cybersecurity.
Category: quantum physics – Page 14
Listening to ‘ringing’ black holes unlocks future gravitational-wave astronomy
Listening to the “ringing” produced by black holes after they collide and merge could allow scientists to test Einstein’s theory of general relativity under the most extreme conditions in the universe while unlocking the secrets of these mysterious objects.
Leading a major international review with the Institute of Physics, astrophysicists at the University of Birmingham, Johns Hopkins University and Instituto Superior Técnico of Lisbon show how black hole “spectroscopy” is rapidly evolving from a theoretical concept into a powerful experimental science. The work is published in the journal Classical and Quantum Gravity.
During the “ringdown” phase following a collision and merger, a newly formed black hole emits characteristic gravitational-wave vibrations known as “quasinormal modes.” By measuring these frequencies, scientists can determine the black hole’s mass and how fast it is spinning, as well as investigate whether Einstein’s theory is correct.
Quantum teleportation could reduce photon loss in long-distance communications
Quantum technologies, which leverage the principles of quantum mechanics, have been found to outperform their classical counterparts on specific tasks. Among other things, past studies have highlighted the potential of quantum systems that can enable long-distance communication, using photons (i.e., particles of light) to carry quantum information.
Despite their promise, quantum communication systems are often prone to photon loss, the scattering, absorption or disappearance of traveling photons. This photon loss becomes increasingly pronounced as transmission distances increase.
One proposed approach for reducing photon loss relies on a process known as quantum teleportation. This process entails the transfer of a quantum state from one particle to another without moving the particle to a different location, via a phenomenon known as quantum entanglement.
Scientists create stable ‘boron graphene’ and uncover quantum liquid crystal state
Graphene has long been regarded as one of the most promising materials for future electronics, but its relatively weak electron interactions have limited its potential for applications such as high-temperature superconductivity. Now, researchers from Tohoku University have overcome a major obstacle by creating a stable version of the long-sought “boron graphene” on the surface of a three-dimensional crystal, revealing a new quantum state that could lead to more energy-efficient electronic devices. The findings were published in Science Advances on July 2, 2026.
“We demonstrated a fundamentally new way of creating two-dimensional quantum materials,” says Takafumi Sato of Tohoku University’s Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR). “Rather than attempting to produce an unstable free-standing sheet of boron atoms, we exposed a naturally occurring honeycomb boron layer that already exists within a stable three-dimensional crystal called LaRh3B2.”
For years, scientists have been interested in borophene—a two-dimensional sheet of boron atoms—because its stronger electron interactions could produce exotic quantum phenomena not seen in graphene. However, borophene’s ideal honeycomb structure is extremely unstable, making it almost impossible to manufacture.
Schrödinger‑like charges in six‑molecule clusters point to new quantum components
Researchers from the University of Basel have published details of how electrons within a cluster of molecules interact with one another and can be controlled. Their findings pave the way for new approaches to developing quantum components and electronic circuits on the nanometer scale.
Electronic components are becoming increasingly small—so small, in fact, that quantum phenomena such as the superposition of states play a key role. Understanding this phenomenon is vital for the further development of molecular components and tiny circuits on the nanometer scale.
The behavior of paired electrons within molecules is already well understood. However, for radicals—molecules with an unpaired electron in their outer shell—there were no theoretical models describing interactions between molecules and the associated charge redistribution in small molecule clusters.
Scientists achieve all-electrical control of single-molecule quantum states
Quantum technologies promise revolutionary advances in computing, sensing and information processing. However, controlling individual quantum bits (qubits) at the atomic scale remains a major challenge because conventional approaches rely on magnetic fields, which are difficult to confine to a single molecule.
A research team at the Center for Quantum Nanoscience (QNS), led by Director Andreas Heinrich at the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), together with collaborators at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), has demonstrated that the quantum state of an individual magnetic molecule can instead be controlled electrically using a newly identified exchange-mediated mechanism. The study published in Nature Physics provides a new strategy for electrically controlling molecular quantum systems and could help pave the way for more scalable quantum technologies.
Magnetic molecules are considered attractive building blocks for future quantum technologies because they are only a few nanometers in size, can self-assemble into ordered structures and can be chemically tailored to possess desired quantum properties. These characteristics make them promising candidates for molecular quantum computing, quantum sensing and spintronic applications.
Braided, exotic particles could build reliable, universal quantum computers
A truly useful quantum computer must be able to run any algorithm, with the same versatility an ordinary laptop offers. Physicists have now shown a new way to give a quantum computer exactly that flexibility, harnessing the capabilities of exotic quantum particles called non-Abelian anyons.
A team of scientists from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME), Harvard, Stony Brook University and Quantinuum built and tested a complete toolkit of operations using non-Abelian anyons, proving for the first time the broad utility of this approach.
“We demonstrated a so-called universal gate set—meaning that if you store information in these emergent versions of quarks, and you move them around, you can do any quantum computation you might want to do,” said Ruben Verresen, assistant professor of molecular engineering at UChicago PME and a co-author of the new study published in Nature.
Faster quantum computers can learn from their own mistakes
Quantum computers promise to solve problems that would take even the fastest conventional supercomputers a vast amount of time, but the quantum information they store and process is extremely sensitive to even tiny disturbances from their surroundings. To keep these systems operating reliably, they need to be constantly recalibrated—interrupting their calculations in the process.
In a new experiment published in Nature, researchers led by Volodymyr Sivak at Google Quantum AI developed a machine-learning approach that continuously adjusts a quantum computer as it works. Their approach could allow quantum calculations to run far longer without costly interruptions.
Sensitive measurements uncover dual superconducting states in atom-thin NbSe₂ and TaS₂
A new study reveals that two widely studied ultrathin superconducting materials are more sophisticated than they appear. Although they seem to behave like simple superconductors with a single energy gap, they actually contain two strongly interacting superconducting states that work together and disguise themselves as one. This finding resolves a long-standing mystery about how these materials behave, providing new insight into superconductivity that could help scientists design better superconducting materials for future technologies such as quantum computers, ultra-efficient electronics and advanced sensors.
Sometimes, the biggest scientific discoveries come from looking more closely at something we thought we already understood. For decades, physicists have studied a remarkable class of materials called superconductors—materials that can carry electricity with zero energy loss. These materials could one day help power ultra-efficient electronics, quantum computers and advanced medical technologies.
One of the most widely studied superconductors, niobium diselenide (NbSe₂), seemed straightforward when peeled down to just a few atomic layers. Experiments suggested it behaved like a superconductor with a single energy gap—a fundamental fingerprint that describes how electrons order in pairs to flow without resistance.
What does it mean to be ‘quantum?’ A physicist explains the basics behind Einstein’s spooky actions at a distance
Imagine shining a flashlight across a dark room. You can predict exactly what the light will do: travel in a straight line from one point to another. That seems obvious because, in the world we see around us, light appears to follow a single, clear path.
Quantum mechanics paints a far stranger picture.
If you zoom in to the atomic scale, light does not behave as though it follows only one straight route. Instead, a particle of light explores every path available to it at once. One path may indeed be the straight line across the room. But others could involve the light bouncing off walls, curving through space or tracing wildly improbable detours before reaching its destination.