Spotlight |
Featured
-
-
Article |
Laser spectroscopy of triply charged 229Th isomer for a nuclear clock
The trapping of triply charged 229mTh3+ is described and its nuclear decay half-life determined, showing useful properties for the development of a nuclear clock and applications in the search for new physics.
- Atsushi Yamaguchi
- , Yudai Shigekawa
- & Hidetoshi Katori
-
Article |
Corner- and edge-mode enhancement of near-field radiative heat transfer
Near-field radiative heat transfer between two coplanar silicon carbide membranes in close proximity is enhanced by the electromagnetic corner and edge modes.
- Lei Tang
- , Lívia M. Corrêa
- & Chris Dames
-
News & Views |
A step along the path towards AlphaFold — 50 years ago
Paring down the astronomical complexity of the protein-folding problem, plus Isaac Newton’s ambiguous use of the word ‘axiom’, in the weekly dip into Nature’s archive.
-
Nature Careers Podcast |
How a young physicist’s job move helped Argentina join the ATLAS collaboration
A stint at CERN exposed María Teresa Dova to longstanding collaborators and mentors, culminating in a successful bid to join a landmark project.
- Julie Gould
-
Article
| Open AccessLight-wave-controlled Haldane model in monolayer hexagonal boron nitride
We introduce strong tailored light-wave-driven time-reversal symmetry breaking in monolayer hexagonal boron nitride, realizing a sub-laser-cycle controllable analogue of the topological model of Haldane and inducing non-resonant valley polarization.
- Sambit Mitra
- , Álvaro Jiménez-Galán
- & Shubhadeep Biswas
-
Obituary |
Peter Higgs obituary: physicist who predicted boson that explains why particles have mass
Theoretical physicist saw his eponymous particle discovered after 48 years.
- Christine Sutton
-
Research Briefing |
Controlling single polyatomic molecules in an optical array for quantum applications
Applications from quantum computing to searches for physics beyond the standard model could benefit from precision control of polyatomic molecules. A method of confining and manipulating single polyatomic molecules held in tightly focused ‘optical tweezer’ laser arrays at ultracold temperatures could boost progress on all those fronts.
-
News & Views |
Light makes atoms behave like electromagnetic coils
Microscopic magnetic fields form in non-magnetic materials when light makes the atoms rotate. A similar macroscopic effect has long been known, but proof of its atomic equivalent could give rise to ultrafast data processing.
- Carl P. Romao
- & Dominik M. Juraschek
-
Article |
Phononic switching of magnetization by the ultrafast Barnett effect
Ultrafast light-induced driving of phonons at resonance in a substrate facilitates the permanent reversal of the magnetic state of a material mounted on it.
- C. S. Davies
- , F. G. N. Fennema
- & A. Kirilyuk
-
Article |
Direct observation of a magnetic-field-induced Wigner crystal
A magnetic-field-induced Wigner crystal in Bernal-stacked bilayer graphene was directly imaged using high-resolution scanning tunnelling microscopy and its structural properties as a function of electron density, magnetic field and temperature were examined.
- Yen-Chen Tsui
- , Minhao He
- & Ali Yazdani
-
Article
| Open AccessTerahertz electric-field-driven dynamical multiferroicity in SrTiO3
We demonstrate the emergence of magnetism induced by a terahertz electric field in SrTiO3.
- M. Basini
- , M. Pancaldi
- & S. Bonetti
-
Article |
A hybrid topological quantum state in an elemental solid
A hybrid topological phase of matter is discovered in the simple elemental-solid arsenic and explored using tunnelling microscopy, photoemission spectroscopy and a theoretical analysis.
- Md Shafayat Hossain
- , Frank Schindler
- & M. Zahid Hasan
-
Article |
Giant energy storage and power density negative capacitance superlattices
Using a three-pronged approach — spanning field-driven negative capacitance stabilization to increase intrinsic energy storage, antiferroelectric superlattice engineering to increase total energy storage, and conformal three-dimensional deposition to increase areal energy storage density — very high electrostatic energy storage density and power density are reported in HfO2–ZrO2-based thin film microcapacitors integrated into silicon.
- Suraj S. Cheema
- , Nirmaan Shanker
- & Sayeef Salahuddin
-
News |
Exclusive: official investigation reveals how superconductivity physicist faked blockbuster results
The confidential 124-page report from the University of Rochester, disclosed in a lawsuit, details the extent of Ranga Dias’s scientific misconduct.
- Dan Garisto
-
News & Views |
A quirky fluid that has robotic capabilities
Scientists have designed a liquid that behaves as both a solid and a fluid owing to the presence of tiny gas-filled capsules. An unusual relationship between pressure and volume enables this material to grasp fragile objects.
- P.-T. Brun
-
Article
| Open AccessHeat flows enrich prebiotic building blocks and enhance their reactivity
Heat flows through thin, crack-like geo-compartments are shown to purify previously mixed compounds and enhance their reactivity, providing a selective mechanism for separating molecules relevant to the chemical origins of life.
- Thomas Matreux
- , Paula Aikkila
- & Christof B. Mast
-
Article |
An optical tweezer array of ultracold polyatomic molecules
An optical tweezer array of individual polyatomic molecules is created, revealing the obvious state control in the tweezer array and enabling further research on polyatomic molecules with diverse spatial arrangements.
- Nathaniel B. Vilas
- , Paige Robichaud
- & John M. Doyle
-
Book Review |
Cosmologist Claudia de Rham on falling for gravity
The aspiring astronaut turned theoretical physicist talks travelling, the accelerating expansion of the Universe, thinking beyond three dimensions and detecting gravitational waves.
- Davide Castelvecchi
-
News & Views |
Electrons flip a switch on optical communications
Clever manipulation of electrons has enabled scientists to change a key property of light emitted by a device using electrically controlled magnetization. The method could lead to stable and energy-efficient information transfer.
- Satoshi Hiura
-
Article |
A global timekeeping problem postponed by global warming
Increased melting of ice in Greenland and Antarctica, measured by satellite gravity, has decreased the angular velocity of Earth more rapidly than before and has already affected global timekeeping.
- Duncan Carr Agnew
-
Article |
Optomechanical realization of the bosonic Kitaev chain
We report the experimental realization of a bosonic Kitaev chain in a nano-optomechanical network.
- Jesse J. Slim
- , Clara C. Wanjura
- & Ewold Verhagen
-
Article
| Open AccessHigh-fidelity spin qubit operation and algorithmic initialization above 1 K
Initialization and operation of spin qubits in silicon above 1 K reach fidelities sufficient for fault-tolerant operations at these temperatures.
- Jonathan Y. Huang
- , Rocky Y. Su
- & Chih Hwan Yang
-
Article |
Evidence for chiral graviton modes in fractional quantum Hall liquids
Through inelastic light scattering chiral spin-2 long-wavelength magnetorotons are observed, revealing chiral graviton modes in fractional quantum Hall states and aiding in understanding the quantum metric impacts in topological correlated systems.
- Jiehui Liang
- , Ziyu Liu
- & Aron Pinczuk
-
Article
| Open AccessHigh-threshold and low-overhead fault-tolerant quantum memory
An end-to-end quantum error correction protocol that implements fault-tolerant memory on the basis of a family of low-density parity-check codes shows the possibility of low-overhead fault-tolerant quantum memory within the reach of near-term quantum processors.
- Sergey Bravyi
- , Andrew W. Cross
- & Theodore J. Yoder
-
Analysis
| Open AccessA figure of merit for efficiency roll-off in TADF-based organic LEDs
Efficiency roll-off in a wide range of TADF OLEDs is analysed and a figure of merit proposed for materials design to improve efficiency at high brightness, potentially expanding the range of applications of TADF materials.
- S. Diesing
- , L. Zhang
- & I. D. W. Samuel
-
News & Views |
How Sydney Harbour Bridge was shaping up 100 years ago
Plans for Sydney’s iconic landmark become concrete, plus a ‘Michelin Guide’ to superconductive tunnelling, in the weekly dip into Nature’s archive.
-
Research Highlight |
These levitating bubbles are long-lived and puncture-proof
Soap bubbles bombarded with ultrasonic waves rise into mid-air and can survive being stabbed with a needle.
-
Essay |
How did the Big Bang get its name? Here’s the real story
Astronomer Fred Hoyle supposedly coined the catchy term to ridicule the theory of the Universe’s origins — 75 years on, it’s time to set the record straight.
- Helge Kragh
-
News |
Weird new electron behaviour in stacked graphene thrills physicists
This 2D material is only the second to exhibit the fractional quantum anomalous Hall effect, and theorists are still debating how it works.
- Dan Garisto
-
Research Highlight |
A supercollider glimpses a gathering of three particles never seen together before
Data from billions of proton collisions reveal that subatomic particles called W+ and W− bosons keep company with a photon.
-
News & Views |
Magnetic whirlpools offer improved data storage
Complex magnetic structures called skyrmions have been generated on a nanometre scale and controlled electrically — a promising step for fast, energy-efficient computer hardware systems that can store large amounts of data.
- Qiming Shao
-
News & Views |
Complex motions emerge from robot interactions
An array of robots has been set up so that pushes between them produce movements that do not conform to the usual laws of motion. Fascinating behaviour emerges from these interactions: wave phenomena known as solitons.
- Sebastian D. Huber
- & Kukka-Emilia Huhtinen
-
Article |
Evidence of the fractional quantum spin Hall effect in moiré MoTe2
Transport evidence of a fractional quantum spin Hall insulator is reported in 2.1°-twisted bilayer MoTe2, which supports spin-Sz conservation and flat spin-contrasting Chern bands.
- Kaifei Kang
- , Bowen Shen
- & Kin Fai Mak
-
Article
| Open AccessPattern formation by turbulent cascades
Turbulent energy cascades can be arrested by non-dissipative viscosities, resulting in pattern formation at intermediate length scales.
- Xander M. de Wit
- , Michel Fruchart
- & Vincenzo Vitelli
-
Article
| Open AccessRotating curved spacetime signatures from a giant quantum vortex
By stabilizing a stationary giant quantum vortex in superfluid 4He and introducing a minimally invasive way to characterize the vortex flow, intricate wave–vortex interactions are shown to simulate black hole ringdown physics.
- Patrik Švančara
- , Pietro Smaniotto
- & Silke Weinfurtner
-
Article |
Non-reciprocal topological solitons in active metamaterials
A local driving mechanism for solitons that accelerates both solitons and antisolitons in the same direction, called non-reciprocal driving, is introduced, showing a subtle interplay between non-reciprocity and topological solitons and providing waveguiding and wave-processing possibilities for other fields.
- Jonas Veenstra
- , Oleksandr Gamayun
- & Corentin Coulais
-
Article
| Open AccessBenchmarking highly entangled states on a 60-atom analogue quantum simulator
Fidelity benchmarking of an analogue quantum simulator reaches a high-entanglement regime where exact classical simulation of quantum systems becomes impractical, and enables a new method for evaluating the mixed-state entanglement of quantum devices.
- Adam L. Shaw
- , Zhuo Chen
- & Manuel Endres
-
Article |
Dual quantum spin Hall insulator by density-tuned correlations in TaIrTe4
A study reports a dual quantum spin Hall insulator in monolayer TaIrTe4, arising from the interplay of its single-particle topology and density-tuned electron correlations.
- Jian Tang
- , Thomas Siyuan Ding
- & Qiong Ma
-
Article |
All-electrical skyrmionic magnetic tunnel junction
Wafer-scale realization of a nanoscale magnetic tunnel junction hosting a single, ambient skyrmion enables its large readout, efficient switching, and compatibility with lateral manipulation, and thereby provides the backbone for all-electrical skyrmionic device architectures.
- Shaohai Chen
- , James Lourembam
- & Anjan Soumyanarayanan
-
News |
China’s giant underground neutrino lab prepares to probe cosmic mysteries
Due to come online this year, the JUNO facility will help to determine which type of neutrino has the highest mass — one of the biggest mysteries in physics.
- Gemma Conroy
-
Research Highlight |
A fundamental constant in physics gets an update
Scientists controlled a hydrogen atom with electric fields to derive a highly precise estimate of the Rydberg constant.
-
Muse |
Do black holes explode? The 50-year-old puzzle that challenges quantum physics
Stephen Hawking’s paradoxical finding that black holes don’t live forever has profound, unresolved implications for the quest for unifying theories of reality.
- Davide Castelvecchi
-
Article
| Open AccessPenning micro-trap for quantum computing
A micro-fabricated Penning trap that operates at a 3 T magnetic field demonstrates full quantum control of an ion and the ability to transport the ion arbitrarily in the trapping plane above the chip.
- Shreyans Jain
- , Tobias Sägesser
- & Jonathan Home
-
Article |
Self-enhanced mobility enables vortex pattern formation in living matter
We demonstrate that self-enhanced mobility offers a simple physical mechanism for pattern formation in living systems and, more generally, in other active matter systems near the boundary of fluid- and solid-like behaviours.
- Haoran Xu
- & Yilin Wu
-
News Q&A |
The science of Oppenheimer: meet the Oscar-winning movie’s specialist advisers
Oppenheimer has been praised for its portrayal of the creation of the atomic bomb. Nature spoke to three scientists involved in the film’s production.
- Jonathan O'Callaghan
-
Article |
All-optical frequency division on-chip using a single laser
We demonstrate an all-optical, mode-locking, Kerr-comb frequency division method that provides a chip-scale microwave source that is extremely versatile, accurate, stable and has ultralow noise, using only a single continuous-wave laser.
- Yun Zhao
- , Jae K. Jang
- & Alexander L. Gaeta
-
Article
| Open AccessAnomalous electrons in a metallic kagome ferromagnet
Laser-based micro-focused angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy reveals both fractionalized and marginal quasiparticles in C3-symmetric electron pockets near the Brillouin zone centre of the ferromagnetic kagome metal Fe3Sn2.
- Sandy Adhitia Ekahana
- , Y. Soh
- & G. Aeppli
-
Article
| Open AccessNear-ultraviolet photon-counting dual-comb spectroscopy
We demonstrate a photon-counting approach that extends the unique advantages of spectroscopy with interfering frequency combs into regions where nonlinear frequency conversion tends to be very inefficient, providing a step towards precision broadband spectroscopy at short wavelengths and extreme-ultraviolet dual-comb spectroscopy.
- Bingxin Xu
- , Zaijun Chen
- & Nathalie Picqué
-
Article |
The structure and physical properties of a packaged bacteriophage particle
Multiresolution computational simulations generate all-atom models of a complete packaged virus particle.
- Kush Coshic
- , Christopher Maffeo
- & Aleksei Aksimentiev
Browse broader subjects
Browse narrower subjects
- Applied physics
- Astronomy and astrophysics
- Atomic and molecular physics
- Biological physics
- Chemical physics
- Condensed-matter physics
- Electronics, photonics and device physics
- Fluid dynamics
- Information theory and computation
- Nuclear physics
- Optical physics
- Particle physics
- Plasma physics
- Quantum physics
- Space physics
- Statistical physics, thermodynamics and nonlinear dynamics
- Techniques and instrumentation