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Blog – Page 12

Polarization, along with intensity, wavelength, and phase, is a fundamental property of light. It enhances contrast and resolution in imaging compared to traditional intensity-based methods. On-chip polarization devices rely on complex four-pixel arrays or external polarizers.

Current solutions face two key challenges: limited spectral response in plasmonic and metasurface-based devices, and difficulty in simultaneously detecting the angle (AoLP) and degree (DoLP) of linear in low-dimensional anisotropic materials. Achieving wide-spectrum, high-precision polarization detection remains a critical challenge in the field.

To address this, a research team led by Prof. Li Liang from the Institute of Solid State Physics, the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Prof. Zhai Tianyou from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, has developed a novel “torsion unipolar barrier heterojunction” device.

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In a landmark achievement for fusion energy, ITER has completed all components for the world’s largest, most powerful pulsed superconducting electromagnet system.

ITER is an international collaboration of more than 30 countries to demonstrate the viability of fusion—the power of the sun and stars—as an abundant, safe, carbon-free energy source for the planet.

The final component was the sixth module of the Central Solenoid, built and tested in the United States. When it is assembled at the ITER site in Southern France, the Central Solenoid will be the system’s most powerful magnet, strong enough to lift an aircraft carrier.

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Researchers at Swansea University have discovered a way to use mirrors to dramatically reduce the quantum noise that disturbs tiny particles—a breakthrough that might seem magical but is rooted in quantum physics.

When scientists measure extremely small objects, such as nanoparticles, they face a difficult challenge: simply observing these particles disturbs them. This happens because photons, particles of light, used for measurement “kick” the they hit, an effect known as “backaction.”

In a new study published in Physical Review Research, a team from the university’s Physics Department has revealed a remarkable connection, that this relationship works both ways.

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A research team from Skoltech and the University of Wuppertal in Germany determined that an all-optical universal logic gate that was previously developed at Skoltech can operate at a speed of 240 GHz at room temperature.

In an article published in the Physical Review B journal, the authors also examined what limits the time between successive condensations by examining the effect of bimolecular quenching—it plays a key role in limiting the speed of transistors.

The Skoltech Laboratory of Hybrid Photonics, headed by Distinguished Professor Pavlos Lagoudakis, Senior Vice President for Fundamental Research at Skoltech and a laureate of the Vyzov Scientific Prize, continues its research project on how to speed up computing and computers with optics.

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Swinburne researchers have discovered unexpected and entirely new quantum behaviors that only occur in one-dimensional systems, such as electrical current. Their new paper, published in Physical Review Letters, explores a fundamental question in quantum physics: what happens when a single “impurity” particle, such as an atom or electron, is introduced into a tightly packed crowd of identical particles.

Nearly every material in the world contains small imperfections or extra particles; understanding how these “outsiders” interact with their environment is key to figuring out how materials conduct electricity, create light, or respond to external forces.

A team at the Center for Quantum Technology Theory at Swinburne studied this in the setting of a one-dimensional optical lattice (a kind of artificial crystal made with ) using a well-known theoretical framework called the Fermi-Hubbard model.

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Recently, a group of researchers discovered a novel way to achieve spin-valve effects using kagome quantum magnets.

“This approach uses a prototype device made from the kagome magnet TmMn₆Sn₆,” explained Associate Prof. XU Xitong, “This breakthrough eliminates the need for the complex fabrication techniques traditionally required by spin-valve structures.”

The findings were published in Nature Communications. The team was led by Prof. Qu Zhe from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with Prof. Chang Tay-Rong from National Cheng Kung University.

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Recently, a research team achieved real-time tracking of electronic/magnetic structure evolution in Li-rich Mn-based materials during the initial cycling through the self-developed operando magnetism characterization device.

Their study, published in Advanced Materials, elucidated the critical mechanism underlying the oxygen reaction. The research team was led by Prof. Zhao Bangchuan from the Institute of Solid State Physics, the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Prof. Zhong Guohua from the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology and Prof. Li Qiang from Qingdao University.

With the rise of electric vehicles and the low-altitude economy, the demand for high-energy-density batteries is growing. Li-rich Mn-based materials stand out due to their high capacity, wide voltage range, and .

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Picture yourself at a busy pedestrian crossing. When the light is red, everyone waits—until one person starts to cross. Soon, others follow, and eventually everyone follows the crowd and crosses. Amsterdam physicists have discovered that a very similar process happens at the microscopic level, when two touching surfaces start to slide. Their results were published in Physical Review Letters this week.

In their experiment, Liang Peng, Thibault Roch, Daniel Bonn and Bart Weber pressed a smooth silicon surface against a rough one. The researchers, from the University of Amsterdam and the Advanced Research Center for Nanolithography, then explored how the friction behaved when the strength with which the two surfaces are pressed together was varied. Does it get harder to slide the two surfaces along one another when one presses harder? And, importantly: why?

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“Our data shows that Oropouche virus is massively under-diagnosed in Latin America,” says Drexler, who also conducts research at the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF). “In some areas, at least one person in ten has experienced a prior infection with the pathogen.”

More widespread than thought – but still insufficiently investigated

Oropouche virus causes nonspecific symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, pain in the limbs, and, in some cases, nausea and skin rashes. For a long time, the disease was considered to be predominantly mild, and reports of more severe bouts, including meningitis, were rare.

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Scientists at UC Berkeley have developed a new platform called “Oz” that can simultaneously control up to 1,000 photoreceptors in the eye, offering new insights into the mechanisms of human vision and the causes of vision loss. In Frank Baum’s original novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Emeral

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