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Interactions between atoms and light rule the behavior of our physical world, but at the same time, can be extremely complex. Understanding and harnessing them is one of the major challenges for the development of quantum technologies.

To understand light-mediated interactions between atoms, it is common to isolate only two atomic levels, a ground level and an excited level, and view the atoms as tiny antennas with two poles that talk to each other. So, when an atom in a crystal lattice array is prepared in the , it relaxes back to the after some time by emitting a photon.

The emitted photon does not necessarily escape from the array, but instead, it can become absorbed by another ground-state atom, which then gets excited. Such an exchange of excitations, also referred to as dipole-dipole interaction, is key for making atoms interact, even when they cannot bump into each other.

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Yale physicists have discovered a sophisticated, previously unknown set of “modes” within the human ear that put important constraints on how the ear amplifies faint sounds, tolerates noisy blasts, and discerns a stunning range of sound frequencies in between.

By applying existing mathematical models to a generic mock-up of a cochlea—a spiral-shaped organ in the inner ear—the researchers have revealed a new layer of cochlear complexity. The findings, which appear in PRX Life, offer fresh insight into the remarkable capacity and accuracy of human hearing.

“We set out to understand how the ear can tune itself to detect faint sounds without becoming unstable and responding even in the absence of external sounds,” said Benjamin Machta, an assistant professor of physics in Yale’s Faculty of Arts and Science and co-senior author of the new study. “But in getting to the bottom of this we stumbled onto a new set of low frequency mechanical modes that the cochlea likely supports.”

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Southwest Research Institute partnered with the Carnegie Institution for Science to perform laboratory experiments to better understand how Saturn’s moon Titan can maintain its unique nitrogen-rich atmosphere. Titan is the second largest moon in our solar system and the only one that has a significant atmosphere.

“While just 40% the diameter of the Earth, Titan has an atmosphere 1.5 times as dense as the Earth’s, even with a lower gravity,” said SwRI’s Dr. Kelly Miller, lead author of a paper about these findings published in the journal Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. “Walking on the surface of Titan would feel a bit like scuba diving.”

The origin, age, and evolution of this atmosphere, which is roughly 95% nitrogen and 5% methane, has puzzled scientists since it was discovered in 1944.

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A research team has discovered that achiral hard banana-shaped particles can spontaneously form exotic structures like skyrmions and blue phase III phases. Skyrmions are tiny vortex-like structures found in various condensed-matter systems, such as helical ferromagnets and liquid crystals. Blue phase III is an amorphous phase of liquid crystals that possesses strong optical activity. Achiral particles are particles that can be superimposed on their mirror image. The team’s findings have potential applications in photonics and memory devices.

Their work was published in Nature Communications on August 8, 2024.

Skyrmions typically arise from chiral interactions, that is, a molecular interaction that occurs between molecules that both possess chirality. Molecules with chirality cannot be superimposed on their mirror images. British physicist Tony Skyrme introduced skyrmions in 1961.

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The gemstone spinel, known for its vibrant colors resembling gems such as rubies and sapphires, has now been shown to be capable of storing quantum information, making it a viable material in the field of quantum technology.

The discovery, which was made by collaborators from Tohoku University, the University of Chicago, and Argonne National Laboratory, was published in the journal Applied Physics Express.

This is the first paper resulting from the Chicago–Tohoku Quantum Alliance. The alliance between UChicago and Tohoku researchers was forged in June 2023 to help build bridges with Japanese companies and establish stronger industry ties with academia and government.

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Researchers from Oakland University have made a significant breakthrough in the field of optical materials, unveiling the exceptional capabilities of Ba₃(ZnB₅O₁₀)PO₄ (BZBP). Although this transparent crystal closely resembles ordinary window glass, it exhibits extraordinary properties that set it apart from others.

Already renowned for its exceptional qualities, such as excellent heat dissipation, minimal uneven expansion when exposed to temperature changes, and the ability to transmit (a type of light that comes from the sun and other sources like special lamps, but it’s invisible to the human eye), BZBP has emerged as an ideal choice for laser systems operating in deep ultraviolet ranges. These systems are crucial in fields such as medical diagnostics, semiconductor production, and cutting-edge scientific research.

In a study recently published in Advanced Functional Materials, researchers explored how BZBP performs under .

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The axon initial segment (AIS) is where nerve signals begin, and its adaptability is key to brain function. Scientists have found that the AIS changes in response to activity levels, helping neurons maintain balance. By using advanced imaging techniques, they have observed these changes live for the first time, deepening our understanding of brain plasticity.

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We often speculate that the reason we can’t hear aliens civilizations is because our SETI efforts (the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) relies on radio and telescopes to weak to hear them. But how plausible is that? and what would it tell us about our own future?

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Credits:
The Fermi Paradox: Whispers in the Night.
Episode 230; Mar 19, 2020

Writers:

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