Browse Articles

Precise qubit manipulation is essential in quantum computation; however errors can occur from fluctuations in the magnetic field. Wanget al. propose a robust scheme for universal control of qubits in a semiconductor double quantum dot, cancelling leading orders of error in field gradient variation.

Chirality can be induced both by physical forces and by chemical induction processes. Here, a self-assembled system is reported in which chiral selection is controlled by the combined action of a chiral dopant and vortical stirring, which can act either constructively or destructively.

Light-emitting electrochromic cells are a promising alternative to organic light-emitting diodes, as their performance is less sensitive to fabrication conditions. Here, a roll-to-roll compatible fabrication of such devices is presented, demonstrating large-area continuous production in ambient conditions.

Generating arbitrary orientation of light polarization has been an elusive goal, yet it is important to light interactions with nano-objects. By combining azimuthally and radially polarized beams, Liet al. overcome this obstacle and demonstrate its use for polarization-based encryption with gold nanorods.

Glycoprotein hormone receptors show negative cooperativity following a single molecule of agonist binding to each receptor dimer. Here, constitutively active receptors are shown to display less cooperative allosteric regulation, suggesting a direct relationship between conformational changes in the transmembrane domain and allosteric behaviour of the receptor dimers.

The TREX complex and Nxf1 are involved in the export of mRNA from the nucleus but the precise molecular function of TREX is unclear. Here, the TREX components Aly and Thoc5 are shown to bind to Nxf1 resulting in a change in Nxf1 conformation that permits binding to mRNA and nuclear export.

Understanding ultrafast demagnetisation is key to manipulating magnetic structures on fast timescales, yet laser sources limit the attainable spatial resolution. Here, a soft X-ray high harmonic source enables a high temporal and spatial resolution study of domain demagnetisation in [Co/Pt]₃₀multilayer films.

Cancer cells form by somatic mutations and natural selection, but how these factors affect tumorigenesis is not clear. Here, somatic mutations are characterized in human cancer genomes, revealing that DNA replication timing influences the frequency of single-nucleotide variants in different genomic regions.

Resilin is a polymeric elastic protein that is important for the flight and jumping of insects. Here, the structure-function relationships ofDrosophilaresilin are investigated, and a mechanical model is proposed to account for its elasticity.

The protein ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) detects DNA damage and can trigger cellular apoptosis, but how this process is regulated at the molecular level is unclear. Here, Chunget al. show that the transcription factor FOXO3 controls the formation of ATM-containing signalling complexes at sites of DNA damage that trigger apoptosis.

Optomechanical systems allow for the exploration of macroscopic behaviour at or near the quantum limit. Masselet al. use micromechanical resonators to study the hybridisation of one photonic and two phononic modes with phonon numbers down to 1.8, showing a coupling between all three degrees of freedom.

Along with its electronic characteristics, the spin properties of graphene have recently received increasing attention in the context of spintronic applications. Using microwave radiation, Maniet al. identify resistively detected spin resonance in monolayer and trilayer graphene sheets and extract the value for the Landé g-factor.

Current-induced motion of magnetic nanostructures, such as skyrmions or domain walls, is envisioned as a promising scalable technology for information storage. Yuet al.demonstrate near-room-temperature motion of skyrmions with current densities orders of magnitude lower than previously reported in domain walls.

Measuring the entanglement between down-converted photons is central to many quantum optical experiments, and is normally performed by scanning detectors stepwise across a plane. Edgaret al. use a CCD camera to measure the entire entangled light field, finding strong correlations in position and momentum.

Coherent diffractive imaging exploits coherent X-ray sources to image objects from their diffraction patterns, but fails for decreasing coherence. Using partially coherent diffraction patterns, Clarket al. obtain three dimensional reconstructions of nanocrystals and determine the wavefield coherence.

Quantum spin ice is a magnetic state of matter which can play host to monopole excitations. Using polarized neutron scattering, Changet al. show that the quantum spin ice material ytterbium titanate undergoes a Higgs transition of emergent magnetic monopoles from a Coulomb liquid to a ferromagnetic phase.

Changes in gene expression in the hippocampus and the cortex are pivotal for memory consolidation. Gräff and colleagues use a recognition task in mice to show that epigenetic post-translational modifications are rapidly activated in the hippocampus after learning, but induced with a delay in the cortex.

The bacterial channel protein MscL opens in response to mechanical forces and could be exploited for vesicular-based drug delivery. Doerneret al. show that functional MscL can be expressed in mammalian cells and facilitate the controlled cellular uptake of relatively large, membrane-impermeable bioactive molecules.

Following retinalcis/trans isomerisation, the active form of the G-protein-coupled receptor rhodopsin decays to opsin and all-trans-retinal. In this study, arrestin, a regulator of G-protein-coupled receptor activity, is shown to facilitate the concurrent sequestering of toxic all-trans-retinal and regeneration of 11-cis-retinal within the opsin population.

The role of CD4⁺ T cells in the generation of memory CD8⁺ T cells is not fully understood. In this study, the exposure of CD8 memory precursors to interleukin-2 during early antigen priming is shown to be controlled by FoxP3⁺ regulatory CD4⁺T cells, resulting in the production of functional memory cells.