Big in Japan - p527

doi:10.1038/nphys1350

Welcome to J-PARC, Japan's new accelerator facility.

Full Text - Big in Japan | PDF (92 KB) - Big in Japan

A cook's tale - pp529 - 530

Paul C. Canfield

doi:10.1038/nphys1357

The design and synthesis of novel materials is the rubric of both haute cuisine and materials physics — and in both there is great pleasure in creating and sharing the results of a new recipe.

Full Text - A cook's tale | PDF (248 KB) - A cook's tale

Collectivist revolution in evolution - p531

Mark Buchanan

doi:10.1038/nphys1352

Full Text - Collectivist revolution in evolution | PDF (110 KB) - Collectivist revolution in evolution

Research highlights - p532

doi:10.1038/nphys1353

Full Text - Research highlights | PDF (135 KB) - Research highlights

Few-body physics: Giant trimers true to scale - pp533 - 534

Vitaly Efimov

doi:10.1038/nphys1355

Quantum mechanics predicts an infinite series of loosely bound states of three bosons, and the size of these trimers should scale with a factor of 22.7. This general result seems to be confirmed now in an experiment with an ultracold gas of potassium atoms.

Full Text - Few-body physicsGiant trimers true to scale | PDF (151 KB) - Few-body physicsGiant trimers true to scale

Subject Categories: Atomic and molecular physics | Quantum physics

See also: Article by Zaccanti et al.

Supersolid helium: Stiffer but flowing - pp534 - 535

Sébastien Balibar

doi:10.1038/nphys1354

There is growing evidence that solid helium-4 possesses superfluid properties, but the nature of this paradoxical phenomenon remains mysterious. The finding that helium-4 in its 'supersolid' form is stiffer than the normal solid adds to the enigma.

Full Text - Supersolid heliumStiffer but flowing | PDF (201 KB) - Supersolid heliumStiffer but flowing

Subject Categories: Condensed-matter physics | Statistical physics, thermodynamics and nonlinear dynamics

See also: Article by West et al.

Lunar science: In the Moon's wake - p535

David Gevaux

doi:10.1038/nphys1346

Full Text - Lunar scienceIn the Moon's wake | PDF (142 KB) - Lunar scienceIn the Moon's wake

Subject Category: Astrophysics

Cell migration: Going my way? - pp536 - 537

Joel Voldman

doi:10.1038/nphys1349

That ratchet-shaped structures patterned on a surface can direct the otherwise random motion of living cells across it is perhaps unsurprising. But that the direction of this motion depends on the type of cell is remarkable and potentially useful.

Full Text - Cell migrationGoing my way? | PDF (119 KB) - Cell migrationGoing my way?

Subject Categories: Biological physics | Fluid dynamics

See also: Article by Mahmud et al.

Astrophysics: A happy medium - pp537 - 538

M. Coleman Miller

doi:10.1038/nphys1356

The case for the existence of intermediate-mass black holes, hundreds to thousands of times more massive than our Sun, has received a major boost — with implications for gravitational waves and clustered star formation.

Full Text - AstrophysicsA happy medium | PDF (151 KB) - AstrophysicsA happy medium

Subject Category: Astrophysics

Atom chips: Read the labels - pp538 - 539

Chris Westbrook

doi:10.1038/nphys1348

Compact interferometers that exploit the wave character of atoms have the potential to outpace their optical counterparts in a number of sensing applications. A technique that harnesses the internal structure of atoms should bring such applications a step closer.

Full Text - Atom chipsRead the labels | PDF (160 KB) - Atom chipsRead the labels

Subject Categories: Atomic and molecular physics | Quantum physics | Techniques and instrumentation

See also: Article by Böhi et al.

Quantum error correction beyond qubits - pp541 - 546

Takao Aoki, Go Takahashi, Tadashi Kajiya, Jun-ichi Yoshikawa, Samuel L. Braunstein, Peter van Loock & Akira Furusawa

doi:10.1038/nphys1309

As with any viable technology, quantum-information processors have to deal with imperfections. The experimental implementation of a quantum-error correction code indicates how imperfections can be handled in a system where quantum information is encoded in continuous variables.

First Paragraph - Quantum error correction beyond qubits | Full Text - Quantum error correction beyond qubits | PDF (1,041 KB) - Quantum error correction beyond qubits | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Quantum physics | Optical physics

Engineering the quantum transport of atomic wavefunctions over macroscopic distances - pp547 - 550

A. Alberti, V. V. Ivanov, G. M. Tino & G. Ferrari

doi:10.1038/nphys1310

How far can you stretch an atomic wavefunction? An experiment demonstrates that the wavefunction of an ensemble of ultracold atoms trapped in an optical lattice can be reversibly expanded and shrunk over a distance of 1.5 mm.

First Paragraph - Engineering the quantum transport of atomic wavefunctions over macroscopic distances | Full Text - Engineering the quantum transport of atomic wavefunctions over macroscopic distances | PDF (748 KB) - Engineering the quantum transport of atomic wavefunctions over macroscopic distances

Subject Categories: Atomic and molecular physics | Quantum physics

Stylus ion trap for enhanced access and sensing - pp551 - 554

Robert Maiwald, Dietrich Leibfried, Joe Britton, James C. Bergquist, Gerd Leuchs & David J. Wineland

doi:10.1038/nphys1311

An ion trap has been built and characterized in which the atom sits on the top of a stylus-like electrode. The design should find application in the construction of efficient light–matter interfaces and field sensors, where good access to the ion is crucial.

First Paragraph - Stylus ion trap for enhanced access and sensing | Full Text - Stylus ion trap for enhanced access and sensing | PDF (735 KB) - Stylus ion trap for enhanced access and sensing

Subject Categories: Atomic and molecular physics | Techniques and instrumentation | Quantum physics

Spin waves and magnetic exchange interactions in CaFe₂As₂ - pp555 - 560

Jun Zhao, D. T. Adroja, Dao-Xin Yao, R. Bewley, Shiliang Li, X. F. Wang, G. Wu, X. H. Chen, Jiangping Hu & Pengcheng Dai

doi:10.1038/nphys1336

It is likely that antiferromagnetism has a role in the superconductivity of iron arsenide. But is the magnetism local, as described by the Heisenberg model, or itinerant, which is more in agreement with the Stoner model? The answer is both.

First Paragraph - Spin waves and magnetic exchange interactions in CaFe: 2: As: 2 | Full Text - Spin waves and magnetic exchange interactions in CaFe2As2 | PDF (1,292 KB) - Spin waves and magnetic exchange interactions in CaFe2As2

Subject Categories: Condensed-matter physics | Materials physics

Measurement of single-molecule frictional dissipation in a prototypical nanoscale system - pp561 - 564

H. Hedgeland, P. Fouquet, A. P. Jardine, G. Alexandrowicz, W. Allison & J. Ellis

doi:10.1038/nphys1335

A picosecond technique for measuring the kinetic friction of a single benzene molecule on graphite reveals continuous Brownian motion, rather than the jerky hopping observed on most other surfaces.

First Paragraph - Measurement of single-molecule frictional dissipation in a prototypical nanoscale system | Full Text - Measurement of single-molecule frictional dissipation in a prototypical nanoscale system | PDF (1,023 KB) - Measurement of single-molecule frictional dissipation in a prototypical nanoscale system

Subject Categories: Nanotechnology | Atomic and molecular physics | Techniques and instrumentation

Appearance of a fractional Stokes–Einstein relation in water and a structural interpretation of its onset - pp565 - 569

Limei Xu, Francesco Mallamace, Zhenyu Yan, Francis W. Starr, Sergey V. Buldyrev & H. Eugene Stanley

doi:10.1038/nphys1328

The Stokes–Einstein equation relates the self-diffusion constant of a liquid with the mobility of its constituents. In water, however, the relation has to be modified for temperatures below 290 K. A combined experimental and numerical investigation suggests that this behaviour results from a specific change in the local water structure.

First Paragraph - Appearance of a fractional Stokes-Einstein relation in water and a structural interpretation of its onset | Full Text - Appearance of a fractional Stokes–Einstein relation in water and a structural interpretation of its onset | PDF (896 KB) - Appearance of a fractional Stokes–Einstein relation in water and a structural interpretation of its onset

Subject Categories: Condensed-matter physics | Statistical physics, thermodynamics and nonlinear dynamics

Self-organized helical equilibria as a new paradigm for ohmically heated fusion plasmas - pp570 - 574

R. Lorenzini, E. Martines, P. Piovesan, D. Terranova, P. Zanca, M. Zuin, A. Alfier, D. Bonfiglio, F. Bonomo, A. Canton, S. Cappello, L. Carraro, R. Cavazzana, D. F. Escande, A. Fassina, P. Franz, M. Gobbin, P. Innocente, L. Marrelli, R. Pasqualotto, M. E. Puiatti, M. Spolaore, M. Valisa, N. Vianello, P. Martin & RFX-mod team and collaborators

doi:10.1038/nphys1308

A reversed-field pinch is a toroidal device for magnetically confining plasmas, and a potential alternative to the tokamak for a future fusion reactor. Observations of the evolution of a reversed-field-pinch plasma towards a self-organized single-helicity state suggest that instability problems, which have previously hindered the development of these devices, could now be overcome.

First Paragraph - Self-organized helical equilibria as a new paradigm for ohmically heated fusion plasmas | Full Text - Self-organized helical equilibria as a new paradigm for ohmically heated fusion plasmas | PDF (2,014 KB) - Self-organized helical equilibria as a new paradigm for ohmically heated fusion plasmas

Subject Category: Plasma physics

Field-sensitive addressing and control of field-insensitive neutral-atom qubits - pp575 - 580

N. Lundblad, J. M. Obrecht, I. B. Spielman & J. V. Porto

doi:10.1038/nphys1330

A quantum computer requires quantum systems that are well-isolated from external perturbations, but which can still be easily manipulated with external fields. A scheme that uses spatially inhomogeneous fields to selectively address neutral-atom qubits while they are in field-insensitive superposition states satisfies these competing needs.

Abstract - Field-sensitive addressing and control of field-insensitive neutral-atom qubits | Full Text - Field-sensitive addressing and control of field-insensitive neutral-atom qubits | PDF (787 KB) - Field-sensitive addressing and control of field-insensitive neutral-atom qubits

Subject Categories: Atomic and molecular physics | Quantum physics | Techniques and instrumentation

Observation of electric-field-induced Cs Rydberg atom macrodimers - pp581 - 585

K. R. Overstreet, A. Schwettmann, J. Tallant, D. Booth & J. P. Shaffer

doi:10.1038/nphys1307

Bound macrodimers have now been directly observed for the first time. Macrodimers comprise two Rydberg atoms with a separation as large as 9 m. The unique properties of macrodimers mean that they enable new experiments for investigating ultracold gases.

Abstract - Observation of electric-field-induced Cs Rydberg atom macrodimers | Full Text - Observation of electric-field-induced Cs Rydberg atom macrodimers | PDF (677 KB) - Observation of electric-field-induced Cs Rydberg atom macrodimers

Subject Category: Atomic and molecular physics

Observation of an Efimov spectrum in an atomic system - pp586 - 591

M. Zaccanti, B. Deissler, C. D'Errico, M. Fattori, M. Jona-Lasinio, S. Müller, G. Roati, M. Inguscio & G. Modugno

doi:10.1038/nphys1334

In 1970, Vitaly Efimov predicted that three interacting particles can form an infinite series of bound trimer states, even when none of the two-particle subsystems is stable. Experimental evidence for such an exotic state was obtained in 2006, but now an Efimov spectrum, containing two such states with the predicted scaling between them, has been observed.

Abstract - Observation of an Efimov spectrum in an atomic system | Full Text - Observation of an Efimov spectrum in an atomic system | PDF (1,042 KB) - Observation of an Efimov spectrum in an atomic system | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Atomic and molecular physics | Quantum physics

See also: News and Views by Efimov

Coherent manipulation of Bose–Einstein condensates with state-dependent microwave potentials on an atom chip - pp592 - 597

Pascal Böhi, Max F. Riedel, Johannes Hoffrogge, Jakob Reichel, Theodor W. Hänsch & Philipp Treutlein

doi:10.1038/nphys1329

Simultaneous coherent control of internal and motional states of a Bose–Einstein condensate has been demonstrated on an 'atom chip'. The method should provide a route to generating many-particle entangled states, which are needed for entanglement-based technologies such as quantum-information processing or quantum-enhanced metrology.

Abstract - Coherent manipulation of Bose-Einstein condensates with state-dependent microwave potentials on an atom chip | Full Text - Coherent manipulation of Bose–Einstein condensates with state-dependent microwave potentials on an atom chip | PDF (1,284 KB) - Coherent manipulation of Bose–Einstein condensates with state-dependent microwave potentials on an atom chip | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Atomic and molecular physics | Techniques and instrumentation | Atomic and molecular physics

See also: News and Views by Westbrook

Role of shear modulus and statistics in the supersolidity of helium - pp598 - 601

Joshua T. West, Oleksandr Syshchenko, John Beamish & Moses H. W. Chan

doi:10.1038/nphys1337

The first evidence of supersolidity—the potential ability of solids to move without friction—in solid ⁴He was obtained in torsional-oscillator experiments. But later observations raised the possibility that the characteristic frequency changes were simply due to stiffening of the solid. Now, the results from a series of experiments comparing ³He and ⁴He rule out that explanation.

Abstract - Role of shear modulus and statistics in the supersolidity of helium | Full Text - Role of shear modulus and statistics in the supersolidity of helium | PDF (771 KB) - Role of shear modulus and statistics in the supersolidity of helium

Subject Categories: Condensed-matter physics | Statistical physics, thermodynamics and nonlinear dynamics

See also: News and Views by Balibar

Lévy flights of photons in hot atomic vapours - pp602 - 605

N. Mercadier, W. Guerin, M. Chevrollier & R. Kaiser

doi:10.1038/nphys1286

Lévy flights, a form of random walk, are quite common in nature. However only macroscopic signatures, obtained by averaging over many steps, have been measured so far. Now, the individual steps are observed directly as light scatters in a hot atomic vapour.

Abstract - Levy flights of photons in hot atomic vapours | Full Text - Lévy flights of photons in hot atomic vapours | PDF (630 KB) - Lévy flights of photons in hot atomic vapours

Subject Category: Optical physics

Directing cell motions on micropatterned ratchets - pp606 - 612

Goher Mahmud, Christopher J. Campbell, Kyle J. M. Bishop, Yulia A. Komarova, Oleg Chaga, Siowling Soh, Sabil Huda, Kristiana Kandere-Grzybowska & Bartosz A. Grzybowski

doi:10.1038/nphys1306

It is not surprising that a microfluidic channel whose walls have a ratchet-like structure can preferentially direct the flow of large particles in one direction. But a study of the movement of living cells through such channels provides the remarkable observation that the direction of preferred motion can be different for different species of cell.

Abstract - Directing cell motions on micropatterned ratchets | Full Text - Directing cell motions on micropatterned ratchets | PDF (1,568 KB) - Directing cell motions on micropatterned ratchets | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Biological physics | Fluid dynamics

See also: News and Views by Voldman