In 2004, just before the launch of Nature Physics, Andrei Geim and colleagues hit on a straightforward way to make graphene, launching a burgeoning field of research into the properties of this remarkable 2D material. A new curiosity, the topological insulator, is now also making its mark, alongside other exotica such as magnetic monopoles, supersolids and Wigner crystals.

It's still a hot topic — the study of atoms and molecules cooled to temperatures close to absolute zero, where quantum effects appear. Ultracold matter has become a useful route in the exploration of few-body physics, many-body physics, and beyond.

Since 2005, we've watched the development of ideas, guided by data, in the pursuit of a mechanism for high-temperature superconductivity. Iron-based superconductors are the latest players.

There's no clear winner yet in the race to build the first large-scale quantum computer, but, as quantum effects are harnessed for the storage, processing and transmission of information, experimental and theoretical advances are in turn providing a fuller foundational understanding of quantum mechanics itself.

We've tackled a wealth of other topics too: from space to spintronics, the Big Bang to biophysics. Here is just a small selection.