What do we want? - p775

doi:10.1038/nphys1440

Peer review is the cornerstone of scientific publishing. But it isn't always clear exactly what Nature Physics expects of its referees — let us explain.

Full Text - What do we want? | PDF (76 KB) - What do we want?

Waiting for the maths - p776

Mark Buchanan

doi:10.1038/nphys1443

Full Text - Waiting for the maths | PDF (89 KB) - Waiting for the maths

Radical arithmetic - pp777 - 778

Neil Wilson reviews Sustainable Energy – without the hot air by David J. C. MacKay

doi:10.1038/nphys1444

Full Text - Radical arithmetic | PDF (256 KB) - Radical arithmetic

Opera: Music of the spheres, and the planes - p778

doi:10.1038/nphys1445

Full Text - OperaMusic of the spheres, and the planes | PDF (189 KB) - OperaMusic of the spheres, and the planes

Research highlights - p779

doi:10.1038/nphys1446

Full Text - Research highlights | PDF (159 KB) - Research highlights

Nobel Prize 2009: Kao, Boyle & Smith - p780

Ed Gerstner

doi:10.1038/nphys1454

The 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to Charles K. Kao for the development of optical fibres for telecommunications, and to Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith for the invention of charge-coupled device sensors.

First Paragraph - Nobel Prize 2009: Kao, Boyle & Smith | Full Text - Nobel Prize 2009: Kao, Boyle & Smith | PDF (78 KB) - Nobel Prize 2009: Kao, Boyle & Smith

Quantum optics: Crystals of atoms and light - pp781 - 782

Helmut Ritsch

doi:10.1038/nphys1435

Cold atoms and photons confined together in high-quality optical resonators self-organize into complicated crystalline structures that have an optical-wavelength scale. Complex solid-state phenomena can be studied in real time on directly observable scales.

Full Text - Quantum opticsCrystals of atoms and light | PDF (582 KB) - Quantum opticsCrystals of atoms and light

Subject Categories: Atomic and molecular physics | Optical physics

See also: Article by Gopalakrishnan et al.

Particle physics: Environmental concerns - p782

Alison Wright

doi:10.1038/nphys1450

Full Text - Particle physicsEnvironmental concerns | PDF (540 KB) - Particle physicsEnvironmental concerns

Subject Category: Particle physics

Bioelectronics: Wiring-up ion channels - pp783 - 784

Friedrich C. Simmel

doi:10.1038/nphys1434

Coating nanowires with lipid bilayers allows the use of biological ion channels as biosensors.

Full Text - BioelectronicsWiring-up ion channels | PDF (172 KB) - BioelectronicsWiring-up ion channels

Subject Categories: Biological physics | Nanotechnology

Topological phases: Wormholes in quantum matter - pp784 - 785

Kareljan Schoutens

doi:10.1038/nphys1439

Proliferation of so-called anyonic defects in a topological phase of quantum matter leads to a critical state that can be visualized as a 'quantum foam', with topology-changing fluctuations on all length scales.

Full Text - Topological phasesWormholes in quantum matter | PDF (253 KB) - Topological phasesWormholes in quantum matter

Subject Categories: Quantum physics | Statistical physics, thermodynamics and nonlinear dynamics

See also: Article by Gils et al.

Quantum mechanics: Bad news for time travellers - p785

Andreas Trabesinger

doi:10.1038/nphys1451

Full Text - Quantum mechanicsBad news for time travellers | PDF (220 KB) - Quantum mechanicsBad news for time travellers

Subject Categories: Quantum physics | Information theory and computation

Plasma astrophysics: How to see a black hole - pp786 - 787

R. Paul Drake

doi:10.1038/nphys1448

One way to collect data about black holes is to analyse the X-rays emitted from the surrounding plasmas heated to extreme temperatures by the flux of photons flowing into them. The use of intense lasers to recreate these conditions in the lab provides a potentially valuable tool for understanding what these data mean.

Full Text - Plasma astrophysicsHow to see a black hole | PDF (202 KB) - Plasma astrophysicsHow to see a black hole

Subject Categories: Plasma physics | Astrophysics

See also: Letter by Fujioka et al.

High-temperature superconductivity: Alive and kicking - pp787 - 789

C. W. Chu

doi:10.1038/nphys1449

The discovery of iron-based pnictide superconductors may have reinvigorated the field of high-temperature superconductivity, but the cuprate superconductors are still in the game.

Full Text - High-temperature superconductivityAlive and kicking | PDF (180 KB) - High-temperature superconductivityAlive and kicking

Subject Categories: Condensed-matter physics | Materials physics

Single-shot qubit readout in circuit quantum electrodynamics - pp791 - 795

François Mallet, Florian R. Ong, Agustin Palacios-Laloy, François Nguyen, Patrice Bertet, Denis Vion & Daniel Esteve

doi:10.1038/nphys1400

The 'transmon' design for superconducting qubits is particularly promising, owing to the long coherence times that it enables. Now, high-fidelity single-shot readout of such qubits — necessary for operating a quantum processor — has been demonstrated

First Paragraph - Single-shot qubit readout in circuit quantum electrodynamics | Full Text - Single-shot qubit readout in circuit quantum electrodynamics | PDF (2,439 KB) - Single-shot qubit readout in circuit quantum electrodynamics

Subject Categories: Quantum physics | Condensed-matter physics | Information theory and computation

Arrested Kondo effect and hidden order in URu₂Si₂ - pp796 - 799

Kristjan Haule & Gabriel Kotliar

doi:10.1038/nphys1392

The so-called hidden-order state in URu₂Si₂ is further obscured by conflicting experimental observations. A first-principles calculation shows that an order parameter with real and imaginary parts can explain many of these conflicts.

First Paragraph - Arrested Kondo effect and hidden order in URu: 2: Si: 2 | Full Text - Arrested Kondo effect and hidden order in URu2Si2 | PDF (819 KB) - Arrested Kondo effect and hidden order in URu2Si2 | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Condensed-matter physics | Materials physics

Heavy d-electron quasiparticle interference and real-space electronic structure of Sr₃Ru₂O₇ - pp800 - 804

Jinho Lee, M. P. Allan, M. A. Wang, J. Farrell, S. A. Grigera, F. Baumberger, J. C. Davis & A. P. Mackenzie

doi:10.1038/nphys1397

As well as providing subatomic-scale real-space images of metals, the scanning tunnelling microscope also reveals momentum–space information. Now it is possible to use this technique to image a heavy-electron liquid and obtain information on orbital structures.

First Paragraph - Heavy : d: -electron quasiparticle interference and real-space electronic structure of Sr: 3: Ru: 2: O: 7 | Full Text - Heavy d-electron quasiparticle interference and real-space electronic structure of Sr3Ru2O7 | PDF (1,416 KB) - Heavy d-electron quasiparticle interference and real-space electronic structure of Sr3Ru2O7 | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Condensed-matter physics | Techniques and instrumentation

Superfluidity of polaritons in semiconductor microcavities - pp805 - 810

Alberto Amo, Jérôme Lefrère, Simon Pigeon, Claire Adrados, Cristiano Ciuti, Iacopo Carusotto, Romuald Houdré, Elisabeth Giacobino & Alberto Bramati

doi:10.1038/nphys1364

Similar to atoms in cold gases, exciton–polaritons in semiconductor microcavities can undergo Bose–Einstein condensation. A striking consequence of the appearance of macroscopic coherence in these systems is superfluidity. Now, clear evidence for such behaviour has been found in an exciton–polariton condensate.

First Paragraph - Superfluidity of polaritons in semiconductor microcavities | Full Text - Superfluidity of polaritons in semiconductor microcavities | PDF (1,393 KB) - Superfluidity of polaritons in semiconductor microcavities | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Condensed-matter physics | Optical physics | Quantum physics

Assessment of carrier-multiplication efficiency in bulk PbSe and PbS - pp811 - 814

J. J. H. Pijpers, R. Ulbricht, K. J. Tielrooij, A. Osherov, Y. Golan, C. Delerue, G. Allan & M. Bonn

doi:10.1038/nphys1393

More efficient solar-energy conversion is possible if a single high-energy photon can be made to generate two electron–hole pairs in a cell, rather than a single pair plus heat. It is now shown that, contrary to expectation, this carrier multiplication is better in bulk semiconductor materials than in quantum dots.

First Paragraph - Assessment of carrier-multiplication efficiency in bulk PbSe and PbS | Full Text - Assessment of carrier-multiplication efficiency in bulk PbSe and PbS | PDF (661 KB) - Assessment of carrier-multiplication efficiency in bulk PbSe and PbS | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Electronics, photonics and device physics | Materials physics

Vacuum-ultraviolet frequency combs from below-threshold harmonics - pp815 - 820

Dylan C. Yost, Thomas R. Schibli, Jun Ye, Jennifer L. Tate, James Hostetter, Mette B. Gaarde & Kenneth J. Schafer

doi:10.1038/nphys1398

Frequency combs have revolutionized frequency metrology. High-harmonic generation in atoms has led to fast sources of short-wavelength photons. Combining these two technologies enables the transfer of frequency combs to the vacuum-ultraviolet with potential applications in spectroscopy.

First Paragraph - Vacuum-ultraviolet frequency combs from below-threshold harmonics | Full Text - Vacuum-ultraviolet frequency combs from below-threshold harmonics | PDF (1,094 KB) - Vacuum-ultraviolet frequency combs from below-threshold harmonics

Subject Category: Optical physics

X-ray astronomy in the laboratory with a miniature compact object produced by laser-driven implosion - pp821 - 825

Shinsuke Fujioka, Hideaki Takabe, Norimasa Yamamoto, David Salzmann, Feilu Wang, Hiroaki Nishimura, Yutong Li, Quanli Dong, Shoujun Wang, Yi Zhang, Yong-Joo Rhee, Yong-Woo Lee, Jae-Min Han, Minoru Tanabe, Takashi Fujiwara, Yuto Nakabayashi, Gang Zhao, Jie Zhang & Kunioki Mima

doi:10.1038/nphys1402

It has been suggested that the extreme states of matter generated by high-intensity lasers could allow conditions similar to those in the vicinity of black holes to be studied in the lab. The observation of striking similarities between the X-ray spectra emitted by a laser-driven laboratory plasma and those measured from two high-mass binary star systems suggests such potential has been realized.

First Paragraph - X-ray astronomy in the laboratory with a miniature compact object produced by laser-driven implosion | Full Text - X-ray astronomy in the laboratory with a miniature compact object produced by laser-driven implosion | PDF (922 KB) - X-ray astronomy in the laboratory with a miniature compact object produced by laser-driven implosion

Subject Categories: Astrophysics | Plasma physics

See also: News and Views by Drake

Laser-driven soft-X-ray undulator source - pp826 - 829

Matthias Fuchs, Raphael Weingartner, Antonia Popp, Zsuzsanna Major, Stefan Becker, Jens Osterhoff, Isabella Cortrie, Benno Zeitler, Rainer Hörlein, George D. Tsakiris, Ulrich Schramm, Tom P. Rowlands-Rees, Simon M. Hooker, Dietrich Habs, Ferenc Krausz, Stefan Karsch & Florian Grüner

doi:10.1038/nphys1404

High-intensity X-ray sources such as synchrotrons and free-electron lasers need large particle accelerators to drive them. The demonstration of a synchrotron X-ray source that uses a laser-driven particle accelerator could widen the availability of intense X-rays for research in physics, materials science and biology.

First Paragraph - Laser-driven soft-X-ray undulator source | Full Text - Laser-driven soft-X-ray undulator source | PDF (970 KB) - Laser-driven soft-X-ray undulator source | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Optical physics | Particle physics | Plasma physics

Charge-4e superconductivity from pair-density-wave order in certain high-temperature superconductors - pp830 - 833

Erez Berg, Eduardo Fradkin & Steven A. Kivelson

doi:10.1038/nphys1389

In a 'striped' superconductor, it may be possible to observe a superconducting state that, with increasing temperature, melts into a unique phase with charge-4e superconductivity, instead of the usual charge of 2e from paired electronic excitations.

Abstract - Charge-: 4: e: superconductivity from pair-density-wave order in certain high-temperature superconductors | Full Text - Charge-4e superconductivity from pair-density-wave order in certain high-temperature superconductors | PDF (665 KB) - Charge-4e superconductivity from pair-density-wave order in certain high-temperature superconductors

Subject Category: Condensed-matter physics

Topology-driven quantum phase transitions in time-reversal-invariant anyonic quantum liquids - pp834 - 839

Charlotte Gils, Simon Trebst, Alexei Kitaev, Andreas W. W. Ludwig, Matthias Troyer & Zhenghan Wang

doi:10.1038/nphys1396

Quantum many-body systems can show an elusive form of order known as topological order. Theoretical work now unifies several microscopic models whereby topological phases have been found, and predicts quantum phase transitions that are driven by quantum fluctuations of the topology.

Abstract - Topology-driven quantum phase transitions in time-reversal-invariant anyonic quantum liquids | Full Text - Topology-driven quantum phase transitions in time-reversal-invariant anyonic quantum liquids | PDF (2,273 KB) - Topology-driven quantum phase transitions in time-reversal-invariant anyonic quantum liquids | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Quantum physics | Statistical physics, thermodynamics and nonlinear dynamics

See also: News and Views by Schoutens

Room-temperature ferromagnetism in graphite driven by two-dimensional networks of point defects - pp840 - 844

J. ervenka, M. I. Katsnelson & C. F. J. Flipse

doi:10.1038/nphys1399

Ferromagnetism usually only occurs in materials containing elements that form covalent 3d and 4f bonds. Its occurrence in pure carbon is therefore surprising, even controversial. A systematic magnetic force microscope study indicates that ferromagnetism in graphite is the result of localized spins that arise at grain boundaries.

Abstract - Room-temperature ferromagnetism in graphite driven by two-dimensional networks of point defects | Full Text - Room-temperature ferromagnetism in graphite driven by two-dimensional networks of point defects | PDF (1,282 KB) - Room-temperature ferromagnetism in graphite driven by two-dimensional networks of point defects | Supplementary information

Subject Category: Condensed-matter physics

Emergent crystallinity and frustration with Bose–Einstein condensates in multimode cavities - pp845 - 850

Sarang Gopalakrishnan, Benjamin L. Lev & Paul M. Goldbart

doi:10.1038/nphys1403

Optical lattices, generated by interfering laser beams, provide a platform for observing condensed-matter phenomena in ultracold-atom systems. By extending the lattice idea to a multimode cavity, it should be possible to observe even more complex effects, such as frustration, crystallization, glass phases and supersolidity.

Abstract - Emergent crystallinity and frustration with Bose-Einstein condensates in multimode cavities | Full Text - Emergent crystallinity and frustration with Bose–Einstein condensates in multimode cavities | PDF (2,476 KB) - Emergent crystallinity and frustration with Bose–Einstein condensates in multimode cavities | Supplementary information

Subject Category: Condensed-matter physics

See also: News and Views by Ritsch