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New levitating sensors could pave way to dark matter detection and quantum sensing

A new type of sensor that levitates dozens of glass microparticles could revolutionize the accuracy and efficiency of sensing, laying the foundation for better autonomous vehicles, navigation and even the detection of dark matter.

Using a camera inspired by the human eye, scientists from King’s College London believe they could track upwards of 100 floating particles in what could be one of the most sensitive sensors to date.

Levitating sensors typically isolate small particles to observe and quantify the impact of outside forces like acceleration on them. The higher the number of particles which could be disturbed and the greater their isolation from their environment, the more accurate the sensor can be.

X-ray laser offers new look at protein movement inside cells

At European XFEL, researchers have observed in detail how the vital iron protein ferritin makes its way in highly dense environments—with implications for medicine and nanotechnology.

Inside biological cells, there is a dense crowd where millions of proteins move side by side, bump into each other or temporarily accumulate. At the same time, these proteins often have to fulfill important tasks at short notice. How exactly the proteins move in this confined space has been difficult to track until now.

An international research team led by Anita Girelli and Fivos Perakis, both from Stockholm University, has now used the European XFEL X-ray laser in Schenefeld near Hamburg to take a closer look at these movements—and discovered a surprising pattern. The results are published in Nature Communications.

Chance discovery converts toxic nitric oxide into nitrogen gas at room temperature

Nitrogen is a crucial component of proteins and nucleic acids, the fundamental building blocks of all living things, and thus is essential to life on Earth. Gaseous N2 from the atmosphere can be fixed by soil bacteria capable of converting N2 to ammonia or nitrates (NO3).

Nitrifying bacteria in the soil then convert ammonia into NO3, which plants utilize for growth. Animals that consume plants put the N2 back into the soil in the form of ammonia when they die or excrete waste.

The NO3 in the soil is converted back into N2 and released into the atmosphere by the activity of denitrifying microbes in the soil. This native nitrogen cycle regulates the N2 levels in the atmosphere and on Earth and is vital for sustaining life.

Optical clock sets new accuracy record, bringing us closer to a new definition of the second

A research team at VTT MIKES has set a new record in optical-clock absolute frequency measurements using a strontium single-ion clock with exceptionally low uncertainty and high uptime.

The official definition of the second is set to be updated for the first time in decades. The change will be based on new optical clocks, which are far more precise than today’s standards.

Now, researchers at VTT MIKES have demonstrated a strontium single-ion optical clock with an exceptionally low systematic uncertainty of 7.9×10⁻¹⁹, among the lowest ever reported. Over 10 months, the clock’s frequency was measured against International Atomic Time (TAI) with an impressive 84% uptime. The record-setting total uncertainty of this measurement was just 9.8×10⁻¹⁷, limited by the cesium clocks that realize the current definition of the second and calibrate TAI. The study is published in Physical Review Applied.

Scientists advance quantum signaling with twisted light technology

A tiny device that entangles light and electrons without super-cooling could revolutionize quantum tech in cryptography, computing, and AI.

Present-day quantum computers are big, expensive, and impractical, operating at temperatures near-459 degrees Fahrenheit, or “absolute zero.” In a new paper, however, materials scientists at Stanford University introduce a new nanoscale optical device that works at room temperature to entangle the spin of photons (particles of light) and electrons to achieve quantum communication—an approach that uses the laws of quantum physics to transmit and process data. The technology could usher in a new era of low-cost, low-energy quantum components able to communicate over great distances.

“The material in question is not really new, but the way we use it is,” says Jennifer Dionne, a professor of materials science and engineering and senior author of the paper just published in Nature Communications describing the novel device. “It provides a very versatile, stable spin connection between electrons and photons that is the theoretical basis of quantum communication. Typically, however, the electrons lose their spin too quickly to be useful.”

Impaired touch perception in Alzheimer’s associated with Tau pathology and lower cognitive scores

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative condition characterized by the progressive deterioration of brain cells, which prompts memory loss, a decline in mental functions and behavioral changes. Estimates suggest that this disease affects approximately 1 in 14 people who are more than 65 years old and over 35% of people who are over 85 years old.

Due to its prevalence and debilitating nature, AD has become the focus of numerous neuroscience and medical studies. Most of these studies examined brain regions and neurogenetic processes that appear to be different in people diagnosed with AD.

Recently, some neuroscientists gathered evidence suggesting that parts of the brain that support somatosensory processing (i.e., the interpretation of tactile stimuli, pressure and the body’s position in space), are also affected in individuals with AD. Yet the extent to which these tactile sensation-related deficits play a role in the cognitive decline typical of AD has not yet been determined.

Seeing physics as a mountain landscape for classification of nonlinear systems

Imagine standing on top of a mountain. From this vantage point, we can see picturesque valleys and majestic ridges below, and streams wind their way downhill. If a drop of rain falls somewhere on this terrain, gravity guides it along a path until it settles in one of the valleys. The trajectory traced by this droplet is known as a flow line, a path that indicates the direction of movement determined by the landscape’s gradient.

The complete network of valleys, ridges, and flow lines forms a topographic (or cartographic) map that captures the organization of the landscape. This organization, which remains stable as long as the terrain does not change, corresponds to a kind of “topological invariant,” as physicists would call it: It characterizes the global structure of the flows without reference to local details.

Now imagine that a jolt goes through the landscape and it changes, with new valleys appearing, others merging and ridges shifting. The flow lines reorganize accordingly, forming a new pattern of connections. Comparing these patterns—like two maps placed next to each other—reveals how the system’s topology evolves when its underlying conditions change.

Synchrotron radiation sources: Toolboxes for quantum technologies

Synchrotron radiation sources generate highly brilliant light pulses, ranging from infrared to hard X-rays, which can be used to gain deep insights into complex materials.

An international team has published an overview of synchrotron methods for the further development of quantum materials and technologies in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.

Using concrete examples, they show how these unique tools can help to unlock the potential of quantum technologies such as quantum computing, overcome production barriers and pave the way for future breakthroughs.

NASA Satellite Captures First-Ever High-Res View of a Giant Pacific Tsunami

A rare satellite view captured a major Pacific tsunami in unprecedented detail, revealing wave behaviors scientists did not expect. A satellite designed to track the height of the ocean’s surface proved its capabilities when a powerful earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in late July, s

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