Quantum superposition is a phenomenon in which a tiny particle can be in two states at the same time — but only if it is not being directly observed.
Category: quantum physics – Page 57
Scientists observe exotic quantum phase once thought impossible
A team of Rice University researchers reported the first direct observation of a surprising quantum phenomenon predicted over half a century ago, opening pathways for revolutionary applications in quantum computing, communication, and sensing.
Known as a superradiant phase transition (SRPT), the phenomenon occurs when two groups of quantum particles begin to fluctuate in a coordinated, collective way without any external trigger, forming a new state of matter.
The discovery was made in a crystal composed of erbium, iron, and oxygen that was cooled to minus 457 Fahrenheit and exposed to a powerful magnetic field of up to 7 tesla (over 100,000 times stronger than Earth’s magnetic field), according to a study published in Science Advances.
Space itself may have created galaxies
According to new research, the earliest seeds of structures may have been laid down by gravitational waves sloshing around in the infant universe.
Cosmologists strongly suspect that the extremely early universe underwent a period of exceptionally rapid expansion. Known as inflation, this event expanded the universe by a factor of at least 1060 in less than a second. Powering this event was a new ingredient in the cosmos known as the inflaton, a strange quantum field that ramped up, drove inflation, and then faded away.
Inflation didn’t just make the universe big. It also laid down the seeds of the first structures. It did so by taking the quantum foam, the subatomic fluctuations in spacetime itself, and expanding that along with everything else. Slowly, over time, those fluctuations grew, and hundreds of millions of years later they became the first stars and galaxies, ultimately leading to the largest structure in the universe, the cosmic web.
What’s New In Science with Sabine | Dark Energy, Quantum Computing, Pyramid Mysteries, and More!
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A note from Lawrence:
I’m excited to announce the third episode of our new series, What’s New in Science, co-hosted by Sabine Hossenfelder. Once again, Sabine and I each brought a few recent science stories to the table, and we took turns introducing them before diving into thoughtful discussions. It’s a format that continues to spark engaging exchanges, and based on the feedback we’ve received, it’s resonating well with listeners.
This time, we covered a wide range of intriguing topics. We began with the latest buzz from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument suggesting that dark energy might be changing over time. I remain skeptical, but the possibility alone is worth a closer look. We followed that with results from the Euclid space telescope, which has already identified nearly 500 strong gravitational lensing candidates—an impressive yield from just the early data.
Electron transport in bilayer graphene nanoconstrictions patterned using atomic force microscope nanolithography
Here we report on low temperature transport measurements of encapsulated bilayer graphene nano constrictions fabricated employing electrode-free AFM-based local anodic oxidation (LAO) nanolithography. This technique allows for the creation of constrictions as narrow as 20 nm. While larger constrictions exhibit an enhanced energy gap, single quantum dot (QD) formation is observed within smaller constrictions with addition energies exceeding 100 meV, which surpass previous experiments on patterned QDs. These results suggest that transport through these narrow constrictions is governed by edge disorder combined with quantum confinement effects. Our findings introduce electrode-free AFM-LAO lithography as an easy and flexible method for creating nanostructures with tunable electronic properties without relying on patterning techniques such as e-beam lithography. The excellent control and reproducibility provided by this technique opens exciting opportunities for carbon-based quantum electronics and spintronics.
Citation.
Physical Review B
