Commentary

As we move beyond the twentieth anniversary of the teleportation of a quantum state, it's clear that the coming years will be just as fruitful.

The validity of our scientific descriptions of reality does not hinge on their emergence from a more fundamental theory.

The two-way symmetry of electromagnetic wave propagation can be broken effectively in optomechanical systems, enabling new devices that route photons in unconventional ways.

The emergent phenomena that characterize quantum materials have received prominent exposure thanks to experimental techniques based on photoemission. In turn, the challenges and opportunities presented by quantum materials have driven improvements in the photoemission technology itself.

Science prizes should better reflect how modern science is carried out, argue Shivaji Sondhi and Steven Kivelson.

Physicists are accustomed to dealing with large datasets, yet they are fortunate in that the quality of their experimental data is very good. The onset of big data has led to an explosion of datasets with a far more complex structure — a development that requires new tools and a different mindset.

INSPIRE, the central information resource of the high-energy physics community, pioneered the open dissemination of scientific literature. It has been evolving to keep up with the new technologies and it is not slowing down.

That we now live in the grip of post-factualism would seem naturally repellent to most physicists. But in championing theory without demanding empirical evidence, we're guilty of ignoring the facts ourselves.

Introduced originally to mimic the unusual, frustrated behaviour of spin ice pyrochlores, artificial spin ice can be realized in odd, dedicated geometries that open the door to new manifestations of a higher level of frustration.

Physics teaching in schools could be transformed by highlighting its role in the animal kingdom.

Secure communication is emerging as a significant challenge for our hyper-connected data-dependent society. The answer may lie in a clever combination of quantum and classical cryptographic techniques.

An old branch of mathematics has paved the way for discovering new phases of matter.

Topological matter can host low-energy quasiparticles, which, in a superconductor, are Majorana fermions described by a real wavefunction. The absence of complex phases provides protection for quantum computations based on topological superconductivity.

The topological state of matter depends on its dimension. Remarkably, topological properties of quasiperiodic systems are found to emerge from higher dimensions.

Optics played a key role in the discovery of geometric phase. It now joins the journey of exploring topological physics, bringing bosonic topological states that equip us with the ability to make perfect photonic devices using imperfect interfaces.

Electronic topological insulators have inspired the design of new mechanical systems that could soon find real-life applications.

The announcement confirming the discovery of gravitational waves created sensational media interest. But educational outreach and communication must remain high on the agenda if the general public is to understand such a landmark result.

Fusion power is one of a very few sustainable options to replace fossil fuels as the world's primary energy source. Although the conditions for fusion have been reached, much remains to be done to turn scientific success into commercial electrical power.

Energy-producing nuclear fusion reactions taking place in tokamaks cause radiation damage and radioactivity. Remote-handling technology for repairing and replacing in-vessel components has evolved enormously over the past two decades — and is now being deployed elsewhere too.

Fusion research is driven by the applied goal of energy production from fusion reactions. There is, however, a wealth of fundamental physics to be discovered and studied along the way. This Commentary discusses selected developments in diagnostics and present-day research topics in high-temperature plasma physics.