Brave new world - p81

doi:10.1038/nphys1188

The inauguration of President Obama signals hope — and hope for science.

Full Text - Brave new world | PDF (166 KB) - Brave new world

Madness in the method - p83

Mark Buchanan

doi:10.1038/nphys1189

Full Text - Madness in the method | PDF (66 KB) - Madness in the method

Our choice from the recent literature - p85

doi:10.1038/nphys1201

Full Text - Our choice from the recent literature | PDF (128 KB) - Our choice from the recent literature

Iron-based superconductors: Timing is crucial - pp87 - 88

Warren E. Pickett

doi:10.1038/nphys1192

Many studies into the properties of the recently discovered ferropnictide superconductors lead to seemingly contradictory interpretations. Such discrepancies could be explained by the emergence of temporally fluctuating excitations formed by the antiphase boundaries between local spin-density-wave domains.

Full Text - Iron-based superconductorsTiming is crucial | PDF (98 KB) - Iron-based superconductorsTiming is crucial

Subject Category: Condensed-matter physics

See also: Article by Mazin & Johannes

Fluid dynamics: Bounce into chaos - p88

Dan Csontos

doi:10.1038/nphys1187

Full Text - Fluid dynamicsBounce into chaos | PDF (82 KB) - Fluid dynamicsBounce into chaos

Cosmology: Designs for an asymmetric universe - pp89 - 90

David Wands

doi:10.1038/nphys1195

Puzzling anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background radiation across the sky are leading some researchers to contemplate cosmology in an asymmetric universe.

Full Text - CosmologyDesigns for an asymmetric universe | PDF (281 KB) - CosmologyDesigns for an asymmetric universe

Subject Category: Astrophysics

Physics of violins: A little light music - p90

Andreas Trabesinger

doi:10.1038/nphys1190

Full Text - Physics of violinsA little light music | PDF (134 KB) - Physics of violinsA little light music

Rydberg atoms: There can be only one - pp91 - 92

Matthias Weidemüller

doi:10.1038/nphys1193

In an ensemble of atoms with long-range dipolar interactions between them, only one atom can be excited at a time. This 'dipole blockade' has now been observed for two single atoms positioned at macroscopic distances.

Full Text - Rydberg atomsThere can be only one | PDF (86 KB) - Rydberg atomsThere can be only one

Subject Categories: Atomic and molecular physics | Quantum physics

See also: Letter by Urban et al. | Letter by Gaëtan et al.

Plasma physics: A new spin on quantum plasmas - pp92 - 93

Padma Kant Shukla

doi:10.1038/nphys1194

A model for dense degenerate plasmas that incorporates electron spin indicates that quantum effects can be seen even under conditions previously considered to be in the classical regime.

Full Text - Plasma physicsA new spin on quantum plasmas | PDF (92 KB) - Plasma physicsA new spin on quantum plasmas

Subject Category: Plasma physics

Ultrafast science: Attosecond plasma optics - pp93 - 94

Fabien Quéré

doi:10.1038/nphys1191

Using dense plasmas instead of atomic or molecular gases could enable the generation of attosecond light pulses with higher energy, shorter durations and more energetic photons.

Full Text - Ultrafast scienceAttosecond plasma optics | PDF (89 KB) - Ultrafast scienceAttosecond plasma optics

See also: Letter by Nomura et al.

A millisecond quantum memory for scalable quantum networks - pp95 - 99

Bo Zhao, Yu-Ao Chen, Xiao-Hui Bao, Thorsten Strassel, Chih-Sung Chuu, Xian-Min Jin, Jörg Schmiedmayer, Zhen-Sheng Yuan, Shuai Chen & Jian-Wei Pan

doi:10.1038/nphys1153

Two independent experiments that demonstrate memories for single quantum excitations with storage times of the order of a millisecond—two orders of magnitude longer than reported so far—should help to bring practical long-distance quantum-communication networks a step closer.

First Paragraph - A millisecond quantum memory for scalable quantum networks | Full Text - A millisecond quantum memory for scalable quantum networks | PDF (632 KB) - A millisecond quantum memory for scalable quantum networks

Subject Categories: Atomic and molecular physics | Quantum physics

Long-lived quantum memory - pp100 - 104

R. Zhao, Y. O. Dudin, S. D. Jenkins, C. J. Campbell, D. N. Matsukevich, T. A. B. Kennedy & A. Kuzmich

doi:10.1038/nphys1152

Two independent experiments that demonstrate memories for single quantum excitations with storage times on the order of a millisecond—two orders of magnitude longer than reported so far—should help to bring practical long-distance quantum-communication networks a step closer.

First Paragraph - Long-lived quantum memory | Full Text - Long-lived quantum memory | PDF (778 KB) - Long-lived quantum memory

Subject Categories: Atomic and molecular physics | Quantum physics

Nonlinear response of the vacuum Rabi resonance - pp105 - 109

Lev S. Bishop, J. M. Chow, Jens Koch, A. A. Houck, M. H. Devoret, E. Thuneberg, S. M. Girvin & R. J. Schoelkopf

doi:10.1038/nphys1154

The exploration of the Jaynes–Cummings Hamiltonian in a circuit-QED system—where an 'artificial atom' made of a superconducting circuit is strongly coupled to a microwave field—provides direct evidence for nonlinearities due to quantum mechanics on the level of single atoms and photons.

First Paragraph - Nonlinear response of the vacuum Rabi resonance | Full Text - Nonlinear response of the vacuum Rabi resonance | PDF (1,918 KB) - Nonlinear response of the vacuum Rabi resonance | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Quantum physics | Condensed-matter physics

Observation of Rydberg blockade between two atoms - pp110 - 114

E. Urban, T. A. Johnson, T. Henage, L. Isenhower, D. D. Yavuz, T. G. Walker & M. Saffman

doi:10.1038/nphys1178

When two single Rydberg atoms—those having electrons in highly excited states—interact, one can be used to control the quantum state of the other. Two independent experiments now demonstrate a 'Rydberg blockade', an effect that might make long-range quantum gates between neutral atoms possible.

First Paragraph - Observation of Rydberg blockade between two atoms | Full Text - Observation of Rydberg blockade between two atoms | PDF (878 KB) - Observation of Rydberg blockade between two atoms | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Atomic and molecular physics | Quantum physics

See also: News and Views by Weidemüller

Observation of collective excitation of two individual atoms in the Rydberg blockade regime - pp115 - 118

Alpha Gaëtan, Yevhen Miroshnychenko, Tatjana Wilk, Amodsen Chotia, Matthieu Viteau, Daniel Comparat, Pierre Pillet, Antoine Browaeys & Philippe Grangier

doi:10.1038/nphys1183

When two single Rydberg atoms—those with electrons in highly excited states—interact, one can be used to control the quantum state of the other. Two independent experiments demonstrate such 'Rydberg blockade', an effect that might make long-range quantum gates between neutral atoms possible.

First Paragraph - Observation of collective excitation of two individual atoms in the Rydberg blockade regime | Full Text - Observation of collective excitation of two individual atoms in the Rydberg blockade regime | PDF (406 KB) - Observation of collective excitation of two individual atoms in the Rydberg blockade regime | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Atomic and molecular physics | Quantum physics

See also: News and Views by Weidemüller

Energy gaps in the failed high-T_c superconductor La_1.875Ba_0.125CuO₄ - pp119 - 123

Rui-Hua He, Kiyohisa Tanaka, Sung-Kwan Mo, Takao Sasagawa, Masaki Fujita, Tadashi Adachi, Norman Mannella, Kazuyoshi Yamada, Yoji Koike, Zahid Hussain & Zhi-Xun Shen

doi:10.1038/nphys1159

ARPES measurements of the 'failed' superconductor LBCO-1/8 suggest that its pseudogap phase consists of two distinct components. The result could be an important clue into the nature of this phase in the copper oxide superconductors.

First Paragraph - Energy gaps in the failed high-: T: c: superconductor La: 1.875: Ba: 0.125: CuO: 4 | Full Text - Energy gaps in the failed high-Tc superconductor La1.875Ba0.125CuO4 | PDF (841 KB) - Energy gaps in the failed high-Tc superconductor La1.875Ba0.125CuO4 | Supplementary information

Subject Category: Condensed-matter physics

Attosecond phase locking of harmonics emitted from laser-produced plasmas - pp124 - 128

Y. Nomura, R. Hörlein, P. Tzallas, B. Dromey, S. Rykovanov, Zs. Major, J. Osterhoff, S. Karsch, L. Veisz, M. Zepf, D. Charalambidis, F. Krausz & G. D. Tsakiris

doi:10.1038/nphys1155

An experiment demonstrating the generation of subfemtosecond pulses of light through the interaction of laser light with a solid target underlines the potential of this approach to lead to a new generation of intense sources of attosecond pulses.

First Paragraph - Attosecond phase locking of harmonics emitted from laser-produced plasmas | Full Text - Attosecond phase locking of harmonics emitted from laser-produced plasmas | PDF (832 KB) - Attosecond phase locking of harmonics emitted from laser-produced plasmas | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Optical physics | Plasma physics

See also: News and Views by Quéré

Sub-ångström-resolution diffractive imaging of single nanocrystals - pp129 - 133

W. J. Huang, J. M. Zuo, B. Jiang, K. W. Kwon & Moonsub Shim

doi:10.1038/nphys1161

Techniques for reconstructing an object's microstructure from its diffraction pattern have substantially improved the future imaging potential of next-generation X-ray sources. Yet the same techniques can already be applied to conventional electron microscopes, to extend their resolution to below an ångström.

First Paragraph - Sub-angstrom-resolution diffractive imaging of single nanocrystals | Full Text - Sub-ångström-resolution diffractive imaging of single nanocrystals | PDF (1,526 KB) - Sub-ångström-resolution diffractive imaging of single nanocrystals

Subject Categories: Techniques and instrumentation | Nanotechnology | Optical physics

Simplifying quantum logic using higher-dimensional Hilbert spaces - pp134 - 140

Benjamin P. Lanyon, Marco Barbieri, Marcelo P. Almeida, Thomas Jennewein, Timothy C. Ralph, Kevin J. Resch, Geoff J. Pryde, Jeremy L. O'Brien, Alexei Gilchrist & Andrew G. White

doi:10.1038/nphys1150

A general approach to simplifying quantum logic circuits—the 'programs' of quantum computers—is described and demonstrated on a platform based on photonic qubits.

Abstract - Simplifying quantum logic using higher-dimensional Hilbert spaces | Full Text - Simplifying quantum logic using higher-dimensional Hilbert spaces | PDF (4,607 KB) - Simplifying quantum logic using higher-dimensional Hilbert spaces

Subject Categories: Quantum physics | Optical physics | Information theory and computation

A key role for unusual spin dynamics in ferropnictides - pp141 - 145

I. I. Mazin & M. D. Johannes

doi:10.1038/nphys1160

Many studies on the properties of the recently discovered ferropnictide superconductors report seemingly contradictory results. A theoretical study suggests that these contradictions might be resolved by considering such materials as having a strongly magnetic ground state whose domain boundaries fluctuate, preventing their experimental detection.

Abstract - A key role for unusual spin dynamics in ferropnictides | Full Text - A key role for unusual spin dynamics in ferropnictides | PDF (363 KB) - A key role for unusual spin dynamics in ferropnictides

Subject Category: Condensed-matter physics

See also: News and Views by Pickett

Diffraction-limited performance and focusing of high harmonics from relativistic plasmas - pp146 - 152

B. Dromey, D. Adams, R. Hörlein, Y. Nomura, S. G. Rykovanov, D. C. Carroll, P. S. Foster, S. Kar, K. Markey, P. McKenna, D. Neely, M. Geissler, G. D. Tsakiris & M. Zepf

doi:10.1038/nphys1158

A systematic demonstration of the generation and focusing of laser-driven high-order harmonics to a near-diffraction-limited spot suggests that scaling this approach to ever higher intensities could be easier than first thought.

Abstract - Diffraction-limited performance and focusing of high harmonics from relativistic plasmas | Full Text - Diffraction-limited performance and focusing of high harmonics from relativistic plasmas | PDF (3,617 KB) - Diffraction-limited performance and focusing of high harmonics from relativistic plasmas | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Plasma physics | Optical physics

Tuning intermolecular interaction in long-range-ordered submonolayer organic films - pp153 - 158

Christoph Stadler, Sören Hansen, Ingo Kröger, Christian Kumpf & Eberhard Umbach

doi:10.1038/nphys1176

The force between molecules deposited on a surface during the growth of an organic film is usually attractive. But for certain metal phthalocyanine molecules, this force can change with temperature from attractive to repulsive, resulting in unusual ordering behaviour.

Abstract - Tuning intermolecular interaction in long-range-ordered submonolayer organic films | Full Text - Tuning intermolecular interaction in long-range-ordered submonolayer organic films | PDF (1,311 KB) - Tuning intermolecular interaction in long-range-ordered submonolayer organic films

Subject Categories: Nanotechnology | Materials physics | Polymer physics

Visualization of the interplay between high-temperature superconductivity, the pseudogap and impurity resonances - p159

Kmalesh Chatterjee, M. C. Boyer, W. D. Wise, Takeshi Kondo, T. Takeuchi, H. Ikuta & E. W. Hudson

doi:10.1038/nphys1200

Full Text - Visualization of the interplay between high-temperature superconductivity, the pseudogap and impurity resonances | PDF (73 KB) - Visualization of the interplay between high-temperature superconductivity, the pseudogap and impurity resonances