Reviews & Analysis

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  • The WavemiX network has made significant progress in bringing together theoreticians, experimentalists, and machine scientists. At the third edition of its flagship workshop, different communities collaborated to discuss the practical challenges of achieving superior spatial and time resolution and devise useful applications in ultrafast science.

    • Jacopo Fregoni
    Meeting ReportOpen Access
  • The authors present a report on the Quantum Matter 2023 international conference and expo that took place in Madrid, on June 2023.

    • Ramon Aguado
    • Alba Cervera-Lierta
    • Daniel Sanchez-Portal
    Meeting ReportOpen Access
  • Surface wetting describes the interaction between a solid surface and a liquid droplet, the dynamics of which govern the performance of functional surfaces for nanoscience and industrial applications. Here, the authors review how a combination of new surface characterization techniques allows the probing of surface wettability in greater detail compared to conventional methods (e.g., contact angle measurement).

    • Dan Daniel
    • Maja Vuckovac
    • Robin H. A. Ras
    Review ArticleOpen Access
  • X-ray science at modern Synchrotrons and X-ray Free Electron Laser facilities are enabling the study of subtle structural changes of matter from the single atom to the macroscopic scale. This paper reviews new concepts in synchrotron storage rings design and reports on the successful commissioning and operation of the new X-ray storage ring of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble.

    • Pantaleo Raimondi
    • Chamseddine Benabderrahmane
    • Federico Zontone
    PerspectiveOpen Access
  • Bound states in the continuum, for decades a theoretical curiosity, have more recently found application in nanophotonic platforms due to their high quality factors and spatial confinement. Here, the authors review recent progress in the development of active and passive photonic devices exploiting these properties.

    • Min-Soo Hwang
    • Kwang-Yong Jeong
    • Hong-Gyu Park
    Review ArticleOpen Access
  • Magnetic susceptibility measurements are an integral technique used across chemistry, physics and materials science; however, while straightforward to perform, interpretation of the data is often not. Here, the authors provide a basic guide to help newcomers interpret magnetic susceptibility data outlining examples based around the Curie-Weiss law that are ideal for those wishing to learn the basics of this method.

    • Sam Mugiraneza
    • Alannah M. Hallas
    Review ArticleOpen Access
  • The Microscience and Microscopy Congress (mmc) is the standout event of the microscopist’s calendar. This July, hundreds of delegates signed into a virtual mmc2021 to see the latest research and advancements in microscopy, spanning both physical and life sciences.

    • Liam Mark Rooney
    Meeting ReportOpen Access
  • Drawing around 60 attendees and 20 presenters to a virtual lecture room, April’s CHI-2 Photonics in Microresonators and Beyond conference explored recent progress in the use of microresonators and integrated photonic devices exhibiting second-order nonlinearity for optical frequency conversion.

    • Dmitry V. Skryabin
    • Ingo Breunig
    Meeting ReportOpen Access
  • Topological materials are extensively studied in condensed matter physics and several have been studied to the point where it is now time to ask if these unique materials have a role to play in next generation technologies. The author reviews the current status of well-characterized topological materials such as Bi2Se3 for electronic device applications, focusing on selected technological aspects and their promise for engineering applications.

    • Matthew J. Gilbert
    Review ArticleOpen Access
  • Gravitational wave astronomy has opened the door to test general relativity and the effect of gravity in the Universe. The authors present the capabilities of an overlap between space gravitational wave detectors LISA and Taiji to constrain the Hubble constant to 0.5%, in 10 years, and what can be learned from the satellite pilot Taiji-1 launched in 2019.

    • Yue-Liang Wu
    • Zi-Ren Luo
    • Zi-Ming Zou
    PerspectiveOpen Access
  • Interrogating emergent nonequilibrium phenomena in light-driven quantum materials requires probing microscopic spin, charge and orbital excitations at ultrafast timescales. In this Perspective, time-resolved resonant inelastic X-ray scattering is discussed as a nascent method to investigate photoinduced states of matter.

    • Matteo Mitrano
    • Yao Wang
    PerspectiveOpen Access
  • The neutron-rich, weakly bound fluorine isotope 29F has been extensively investigated theoretically, but its significance has been revived by recent experiments. The authors present the latest developments and make prediction on the electromagnetic transitions occurring in this isotope that may be observed in the near future.

    • L. Fortunato
    • J. Casal
    • A. Vitturi
    PerspectiveOpen Access
  • Drawing around 140 attendees to the serene hills of Tuscany, Italy, February’s Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Ultrafast Phenomena in Cooperative Systems explored recent advances in the understanding of light-induced phases of condensed matter.

    • Daniel T. Payne
    Meeting ReportOpen Access
  • Quantum information processing holds promise to achieve more secure data transfer in the current network of telecommunication fibres. Here, the authors review recent works implementing spatial division multiplexing in optical fibres and discuss their potential for quantum communication in classical networks.

    • Guilherme B. Xavier
    • Gustavo Lima
    Review ArticleOpen Access
  • Optical frequency combs were realized nearly two decades ago to support the development of the world’s most precise atomic clocks, but their versatility has since made them useful instruments well beyond their original goal, and spans across a wide variety of fundamental and applied physics in a wide range of wavelengths. Fortier and Baumann present a comprehensive review of developments in optical frequency comb technology and a view to the future with these technologies.

    • Tara Fortier
    • Esther Baumann
    Review ArticleOpen Access
  • Magnonics involves the manipulation of spin waves in order to develop more energy efficient spintronics devices which do not rely on the movement of electronic charge. Here, the authors review the various methods designed to control magnonics with particular focus on voltage i.e. electric-field.

    • Bivas Rana
    • YoshiChika Otani
    Review ArticleOpen Access