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Critical phenomena are well understood in a wide range of physical systems. The dynamics of snap-through instabilities, a widespread phenomenon in their own right, are now shown to display critical scaling properties.
Atom–molecule interactions are orientation-dependent. Now the anisotropy of He–H2 interactions has been probed by measuring how the associated quantum scattering resonances respond to tuning of the H2 rotational state.
A circuit that pairs a flux qubit with an LC oscillator via Josephson junctions pushes the coupling between light to matter to uncharted territory, with the potential for new applications in quantum technologies.
A superconducting artificial atom coupled to a 1D waveguide tests the limits of light–matter interaction in an unexplored coupling regime, which may enable new perspectives for quantum technologies.
In a nematic liquid crystal, electron orbitals align themselves along one axis, as rods. Thermodynamic observations of such rod-like alignments in CuxBi2Se3 provide evidence for a nematic superconductor.
Drawing microscopic information out of the diffusive dynamics of complex processes often requires an assumption of ergodicity. Precision experiments on a single atom in a periodic potential suggest that this may be too simplistic in many cases.
Our understanding of collective animal behaviour generally assumes that flocks and herds move through homogeneous environments. Colloidal experiments suggest that flocking can be distorted or even suppressed by the introduction of disorder.
Spin currents can be carried by electrons and by magnons. Experiments now show that, in one-dimensional spin chains, spin currents can also be carried by particle-like excitations known as spinons.
Surprising observations in the evolution of electronic states in electron-doped iridates provide fresh insight into the melting of the Mott state and might lead to a fuller understanding of corresponding processes in copper-oxide superconductors.
Valleys in momentum space provide a degree of freedom that could be exploited for applications. A demonstration of valley pseudospin control now completes the generation–manipulation–detection paradigm, paving the way for valleytronic devices.
Spindle-shaped cells readily form nematic structures marked by topological defects. When confined, the defect distribution is independent of the domain size, activity and type of cell, lending a stability not found in non-cellular active nematics.
Observations of topological surface states provide strong evidence that MoTe2 is a type-II Weyl semimetal, hosting Weyl fermions that have no counterpart in high-energy physics.
A colloidal particle connected to suspensions of motile bacteria forms a model system for studying microscale engines in contact with active baths. The engine outperforms its passive counterparts due to the presence of non-Gaussian fluctuations.
The acoustic analogue of a topological insulator is shown: a metamaterial exhibiting one-way sound transport along its edge. The system — a graphene-like array of stainless-steel rods — is a promising new platform for exploring topological phenomena.
Condensed-matter physics meets quantum optics in a study of light–matter interaction in the strong-coupling regime using a two-dimensional electron gas in a high-quality-factor terahertz cavity.
Images of the second-generation Dirac cones that form when graphene is placed on hexagonal boron nitride show the potential of using superlattices to engineer the electronic band structure of van der Waals heterostructures.
The prediction of an antiferromagnetic semimetal that breaks both time-reversal and inversion symmetry but respects their combination could provide a platform for studying the interplay between Dirac fermions and magnetism.
The response of amorphous solids to external stress is not very well understood. A study now shows that certain glasses, upon decreasing temperature, undergo a phase transition characterized by diverging nonlinear elastic moduli.