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The observation of edge modes in topological systems is challenging because precise control over the sample and occupied states is required. An experiment with atoms in a driven lattice now shows how edge modes with programmable potentials can be realized.
Remote detection protocols use waves scattering off a target, but a formal description of how waves acquire and transmit information about objects has been lacking. The density and flux of Fisher information now provide a way to understand this process.
Topological boundary modes within charge-ordered states have not yet been observed experimentally. Now an in-gap boundary mode, stemming solely from the charge order, is visualized in the topological material Ta2Se8I.
Some features resembling superconductivity at high temperature have been seen under pressure in La3Ni2O7, but a transition to a zero-resistance state has not been observed. Now transport studies demonstrate this transition, along with strange metallicity.
An analysis of images from the Juno spacecraft reveals dynamics at high latitudes that are reminiscent of the generation of frontal structures in Earth’s atmosphere and oceans.
A superfluid is a macroscopic system with zero viscosity through which entropy is reversibly transported by waves. An unexpected transport phenomenon has now been observed between two superfluids, where irreversible entropy transport is enhanced by superfluidity.
In solids, the quantum metric captures the quantum coherence of the electron wavefunctions. Recent experiments demonstrate the detection and manipulation of the quantum metric in a noncollinear topological antiferromagnet at room temperature.
Multi-step transitions between a variety of topological spin textures have been unveiled in a centrosymmetric magnet, which may enable efficient multistate memory and logic devices.
Supracellular cues play a key role in directing collective cell migration in processes such as wound healing and cancer invasion. New findings emphasize the importance of all length scales of the microenvironment in shaping cell migration patterns.
The nature of turbulence that occurs when fluids flow in a pipe is still controversial. Now the onset of turbulence in pipe flow has been shown to be a directed-percolation phase transition.
Quantum geometry and electron–phonon coupling are two fundamental concepts in condensed matter physics that govern many correlated ground states. Now a generalized theory connects these two ideas.
The nature of the fractional quantum Hall state when the lowest Landau level is half-filled remains controversial. Now, the observation of a topological phase transition at related filling fractions suggests that the half-filled state is non-Abelian.
The sign of the Casimir force depends on the electric permittivities and the magnetic permeabilities of the materials involved. For a gold sphere immersed in a ferrofluid, tuneability of the Casimir force by means of a magnetic field is now shown.
The Leidenfrost effect—a droplet hovering on a hot surface due to vapour in between—requires a surface temperature of about 230 °C. Now a tailored microstructured surface is shown to enable quick hovering of water droplets at 130 °C.
A clear picture of how and why cells inevitably lose viability is still lacking. A dynamical systems view of starving bacteria points to a continuous energy expenditure needed for maintaining the right osmotic pressure as an important factor.
When bacteria starve, their cytoplasm detaches from the cell wall. A model now shows that this process determines bacterial death rates and can be controlled to keep bacteria viable in a starved state.