Research articles

Atomtronics uses ultracold atoms to construct quantum analogues of electronic devices such as diodes and transistors. The authors report an atomtronic switching device by controlling boson tunnelling in a triple well system.

Parity-time symmetric systems allow one to study new types of Hamiltonians which could have potential impact on our understanding of nonlinear physics. The authors investigate the energy stored in an electronic Floquet system and demonstrate that such a setup can be used to study the dynamics of dissipative parity-time symmetric systems.

While circular polarization-dependent optical responses in matter are being characterized experimentally and theoretically, the effect of angular momentum has largely been overlooked. In this work, the authors formulate a definition for the optical response due to both spin and orbital angular momentum of light using numerical simulations of stacked nanorods as a demonstration.

Quantum coherence represents one of the most fundamental features in quantum mechanics and is closely linked to the concept of wave-particle duality. The authors report an experimental realisation which proves the relation between coherence and path information as recently derived theoretically.

For most lasing and photonic applications, it is essential to control the number of lasing modes that are present. In this work, an interface between two topologically distinct photonic crystals is used to ensure single-mode lasing with enhanced light-matter interactions due to a near-diffraction-limited mode volume.

For small scale biological systems such as cilia, movement is achieved by rhythmic motor patterns that organize spontaneously within arrays of driven oscillators. The authors show that conductive spheres oscillating between biased electrodes create similar traveling wave motions which can be used to direct the transport of cargo.

The orbital angular momentum (OAM) of light is used in many applications and has the potential to increase the bandwidth of classical and quantum communication. The authors quantitatively investigate the way OAM is distributed between the fields of different wavelength generated from a four-wave mixing process in Rb vapour.

The development of two-dimensional (2D) layered materials is of particular importance for future electronics applications. The authors show how Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy outperforms other characterizing techniques for wafer-scale graphene.

Topological spin textures called skyrmions usually occur in magnetic materials in a crystalline state. The author addresses the nature of this skyrmion crystal and other emergent crystals by considering theoretically whether they are constructed from a gathering of particles or a coupling of waves.

There has been much recent experimental and theoretical interest in the physics of ionization, in particular the question of tunneling time. In this work, the authors derive a gauge invariant definition of the instantaneous ionization rate as a functional derivative of the total ionization probability.

Two-dimensional inorganic–organic hybrid perovskites are expected to play an important role in photovoltaic devices but suffer from issues related to dielectric confinement. The authors theoretically outline a method and experimentally succeed to overcome this issue by using materials with large dielectric constants.

Glasses are ubiquitous in nature and have many uses but many open questions remain over their microscopic behaviour. The authors experimentally study glass forming liquids, measure their properties and highlight the role of thermodynamical entropy in glass transitions.

A crumpled sheet of paper is a common image in many contexts but crumpling dynamics are considered a complex problem. Using Mylar sheets the authors experimentally show that the evolution of the damage network in crumpling dynamics is largely history independent and the accumulation rate of the total length of all creases can be accurately predicted.

Grain boundaries, the interfaces between individual crystallites which together make up a material, play a fundamental role in its physical properties. The authors develop a theory to understand the physics of thermal transport, which can be strongly influenced by grain boundaries, by considering the nanoscale structure of interfaces.

The standard model describes many aspects of particle physics but mechanisms such as the binding of quarks into hadrons, still remain a mystery. The authors theoretically outline an analogy with the Cooper pairs of a superinsulator to demonstrate that the mechanisms behind the infinite resistance of a superinsulator are analogous to that which confine quarks into hadrons.

Quantum communications rely on efficient quantum networks, which have been improved by quantum memory schemes. The paper reports on an experimental progress towards a heralded single photon source using a warm vapour cell, and demonstrates the feasibility of a quantum repeater scheme at room temperature.

Nanoimprinting is a technique where the surface features of a mould can be transferred onto a replica and is relevant to the production of nanostructured devices. The authors report a method that enables the imprinting of structural features of SrTiO₃ single crystals at the atomic level into a replica made from bulk metallic glass.

Lamellipodial waves are a very general phenomenon observed in many cell types and is a typical phenomenon for animal cells to adhere and move along substrates. The authors present a model showing that the dynamics of these waves can be reproduced with a minimal, well-defined set of parameters.

Strong magnetic anisotropic effects in nanostructures are an important property for materials to be used in spintronics and magnetic data storage devices. The authors theoretically investigate a method to increase the magnetic anisotropy of iridium molecules by attaching a halogen atom such as bromine.

The effect of spin orbit interactions on a typical BCS superconductor is becoming an important area of research for phenomena such as Majorana fermions and topological superconductivity. The authors investigate the effect of Pb clusters on the spin susceptibility of superconducting Al films via spin orbit interactions.