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  • Article
    | Open Access

    The third law of thermodynamics, first formulated in 1912, states that any process cannot reach absolute zero temperature in finite time. Here, the authors derive the third law in the quantum regime as a bound on the resources necessary to cool a system to any temperature.

    • Lluís Masanes
    •  & Jonathan Oppenheim

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Néel skyrmions are spin textures with a magnetization that rotates from in- to out-of-plane with distance from its centre. Here, the authors show that Lorentz transmission electron microscopy can be used to directly image Néel skyrmions with high resolution in thick exchange-coupled magnetic multilayers.

    • Shawn D. Pollard
    • , Joseph A. Garlow
    •  & Hyunsoo Yang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Electronic and vibrational correlations report on the dynamics and structure of molecular species, yet revealing these correlations experimentally is challenging. Here the authors develop a method called GAMERS that probes correlations between states within the vibrational and electronic manifold with quantum coherence selectivity.

    • Austin P. Spencer
    • , William O. Hutson
    •  & Elad Harel

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Controlling the self-assembly of oligothiophene complexes that are used in multi-functional thin films can be challenging. Here the authors show a hierarchy of non-covalent interactions for robust self-assembly that orders Saturn-like complexes of fullerenes with oligothiophene macrocycles.

    • José D. Cojal González
    • , Masahiko Iyoda
    •  & Jürgen P. Rabe

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Quantum metrology investigates the improvement given to precision measurements by exploiting quantum mechanics, but it has been mostly limited to systems with static Hamiltonians. Here the authors study it in the general case of time-varying Hamiltonians, showing that optimizing the quantum Fisher information via quantum control provides an advantage.

    • Shengshi Pang
    •  & Andrew N. Jordan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Double-resonance Raman scattering is a sensitive spectroscopic probe of the interplay between electrons and phonons in a crystal. Here, the authors unveil the signature of double-resonance intervalley scattering by acoustic phonons in two-dimensional MoS2, underpinning the physics of valley depolarization.

    • Bruno R. Carvalho
    • , Yuanxi Wang
    •  & Marcos A. Pimenta

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Robust molecular junctions demand highly reproducible switching between two or more well-defined conductance states upon control. Here, Gerhardet al. show the utility of elastic deformation of tripodal spirobifluorene derivatives in the junction of a scanning tunnelling microscope to achieve this goal.

    • Lukas Gerhard
    • , Kevin Edelmann
    •  & Wulf Wulfhekel

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Cold atoms coupled to photonic crystals constitute a platform for exploring many-body physics. Here the authors study the effect of coupling between the atomic internal degrees of freedom and motion, showing that such systems can realize extreme spin-orbital coupling and uncover a rich phase diagram.

    • Marco T. Manzoni
    • , Ludwig Mathey
    •  & Darrick E. Chang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Broken symmetry phases may occur in 2D materials upon doping, yet introducing doping without inducing chemical disorder remains a challenge. Here, the authors use a modulation doping approach that unveils a hidden equilibrium phase involving spontaneous symmetry breaking in a hole-doped Sn bilayer.

    • Fangfei Ming
    • , Daniel Mulugeta
    •  & Hanno H. Weitering

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Time reversal symmetry breaking gives rise to magnetic circular dichroism and Faraday rotation in graphene. The authors use terahertz magneto-electro-optical spectroscopy to demonstrate that electrostatic doping at a fixed magnetic field allows inversion of magnetic circular dichroism and Faraday rotation.

    • Jean-Marie Poumirol
    • , Peter Q. Liu
    •  & Alexey B. Kuzmenko

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Bioaerosols may be generated when bubbles break on the surface of water, but it is unclear if this mechanism works with soil-based microbes. Here, the authors show that soil bacteria may be transferred from the soil surface and dispersed by raindrops.

    • Young Soo Joung
    • , Zhifei Ge
    •  & Cullen R. Buie

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Hyperpolarized MRI uses molecules with a nuclear spin polarization beyond the thermodynamic equilibrium to enhance imaging contrast. Here, Schmidtet al. enable a single MRI system to both generate a hyperpolarized tracer and perform imaging, eliminating the need for an external polarizer.

    • A. B. Schmidt
    • , S. Berner
    •  & J. -B. Hövener

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Single molecule magnets exhibit faster spin relaxation rates than expected from models based on tunnelling through the relaxation barrier. Here, the authors show, using first principles calculations, that anharmonic spin-phonon interactions may explain the under-barrier spin relaxation.

    • Alessandro Lunghi
    • , Federico Totti
    •  & Stefano Sanvito

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Turbulent mixing next to rough topographic features is believed to be key in the closure of the abyssal ocean circulation. Here, using Southern Ocean data, the authors show that mixing hotspots trap fluid and mix it for long periods, explaining the global impact of relatively few mixing hotspots.

    • A. Mashayek
    • , R. Ferrari
    •  & A. Naveira Garabato

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Single electrons of solid-state defects can be used to detect nearby nuclear spins, but so far only a few at a time have been resolved. Here the authors propose an approach based on delayed entanglement echo that demonstrates improved detection and manipulation capabilities of nuclear spins by an NV centre.

    • Zhen-Yu Wang
    • , Jorge Casanova
    •  & Martin B. Plenio

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The onset of yielding can be difficult to define unambiguously for amorphous materials. Here the authors undertake computer simulations of model glasses of varying system sizes and show that, under oscillatory shear, they exhibit a sharp transition independent of preparation history.

    • Premkumar Leishangthem
    • , Anshul D. S. Parmar
    •  & Srikanth Sastry

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Optomechanical systems could form logic gates, but key requirements are two stable static states and the ability to switch between them. Here, the authors observe radiation-pressure induced buckling transitions in an optomechanical system, and control this transition by varying laser power and detuning.

    • H. Xu
    • , U. Kemiktarak
    •  & J. M. Taylor

  • Article
    | Open Access

    X-ray optics are notoriously challenging to fabricate due to the strict tolerances that result from the short wavelength of radiation. Here, Seibothet al. carefully quantify aberrations in complex X-ray lenses and correct them with an easy-to-fabricate broadband phase plate.

    • Frank Seiboth
    • , Andreas Schropp
    •  & Christian G. Schroer

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Molybdenum has long been speculated to undergo an exceptionally steep increase in melting temperature when compressed but without direct experimental evidence. Here authors claim such a direct observation and also report a transition at high pressure and high temperature.

    • Rostislav Hrubiak
    • , Yue Meng
    •  & Guoyin Shen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Observed sea-ice loss near ice sheets has, in many cases, been accompanied by accelerated iceberg calving. Here, using a new model, the authors show that iceberg calving from glaciers can be suppressed by a mélange of sea ice and icebergs, with an increased likelihood of calving as sea ice thins.

    • Alexander A. Robel

  • Article
    | Open Access

    How quantum size effects affect superconductivity has been predicted, but it has never been verified. Here, Vlaicet al. report superconducting parity effect as a function of lead nanocrystal volume, unambiguously validating the Anderson criterion.

    • Sergio Vlaic
    • , Stéphane Pons
    •  & Hervé Aubin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The interaction between electric currents and magnetic textures in frustrated magnetic materials leads to rich nonlinear dynamics. Here, the authors show how currents can be used to control topology of edge states in nanostripes by inducing the emission and absorption of skyrmions.

    • A. O. Leonov
    •  & M. Mostovoy

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Controlling acoustic fields is of interest for diverse applications. Here the authors develop metasurfaces using a small set of pre-manufactured three-dimensional unit cells, quantized in both the spatial and phase domains, achieving with them acoustic levitation.

    • Gianluca Memoli
    • , Mihai Caleap
    •  & Sriram Subramanian

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Droplet formation processes are ubiquitous in nature and accompanied by a free-energy barrier. Here, the authors present a numerical approach for a shape-free determination of free-energy barriers and demonstrate on this level an analogy between particle condensation and polymer aggregation.

    • Johannes Zierenberg
    • , Philipp Schierz
    •  & Wolfhard Janke

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Spin–orbit coupling produces spin–orbital-entanglement in quasiparticle eigenstates. Here, Yajiet al. present a general description of spin–orbital-entangled states and establish a model for dipole transition based on spin-dependent quantum interference, that permits optical spin control.

    • Koichiro Yaji
    • , Kenta Kuroda
    •  & Shik Shin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Experimental identification of pairing mechanism in unconventional superconductors is challenging. Here, Wuet al. show that the field dependence of the pairing strength influences the superconducting upper critical field in UCoGe, suggesting the dominant role of ferromagnetic spin fluctuations.

    • Beilun Wu
    • , Gaël Bastien
    •  & Jean-Pascal Brison

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Artificial gauge fields promise a route to controlling topological properties of photonic systems but have only been realized by static design. Here, Limet al. demonstrate that perpendicular electric and magnetic fields can effect dynamically controlled artificial gauge potentials for polaritons.

    • Hyang-Tag Lim
    • , Emre Togan
    •  & Atac Imamoğlu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Properties of topological insulators can be realized in mechanical systems, opening potential applications of topological mechanics. Here, Prodanet al. report a dynamical topological Majorana edge mode in self-assembled chains of rigid bodies with particle-hole symmetry.

    • Emil Prodan
    • , Kyle Dobiszewski
    •  & Camelia Prodan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The spread of instabilities in financial systems, similarly to ecosystems, is influenced by topological features of the underlying network structures. Here the authors show, independently of specific financial models, that market integration and diversification can drive the system towards instability.

    • Marco Bardoscia
    • , Stefano Battiston
    •  & Guido Caldarelli

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Silicon vacancy centres in diamond have been identified as potential highly efficient solid-state qubits for on-chip integration. Here, Zhouet al. demonstrate coherent control of silicon vacancy centres in nanodiamonds and observe Autler-Townes splitting, Mollow triplet and Rabi oscillations.

    • Yu Zhou
    • , Abdullah Rasmita
    •  & Wei-bo Gao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Developing room-temperature magnets from materials containing onlysporbitals has remained an elusive but important goal. Here, Zbořil and co-workers report hydroxofluorographenes that exhibit room-temperature antiferromagnetic ordering and low-temperature ferromagnetic behaviour with high magnetic moments.

    • Jiří Tuček
    • , Kateřina Holá
    •  & Radek Zbořil

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The absence of a bandgap in the electronic spectrum of graphene can be overcome by breaking its lattice symmetry. The authors show that the insulating state of gapped graphene is electrically shorted by narrow edge channels exhibiting high conductivity.

    • M. J. Zhu
    • , A. V. Kretinin
    •  & M. Ben Shalom

  • Article
    | Open Access

    When a single mode optical cavity is coupled to a Bose-Einstein condensate, one usually observes a single mode of light when strongly pumped. Here the authors observe a supermode in the output of a multimode cavity and relate this to a signature of a nonequilibrium condensation phase transition.

    • Alicia J. Kollár
    • , Alexander T. Papageorge
    •  & Benjamin L. Lev

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Targeted delivery of microparticles is desirable for rapid, sensitive biological assays or self-assembly process. Here Daset al. use catalytic reactions on the surface of microfluidic chambers to generate unidirectional flows that carry and deposit microparticles to selective regions of the chamber.

    • Sambeeta Das
    • , Oleg E. Shklyaev
    •  & Ayusman Sen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The nature of an insulating phase in Ta2NiSe5 is an open question. Here, Lu et al. report transport, thermodynamic and optical evidences being fully consistent with an excitonic insulator phase in this material.

    • Y. F. Lu
    • , H. Kono
    •  & H. Takagi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Chirality affects many properties of materials, but how it affects superconductivity remains unclear. Here, Qinet al. report nonreciprocal supercurrent flows in individual nanotubes of WS2via ionic gating, evidencing chiral superconducting transport.

    • F. Qin
    • , W. Shi
    •  & Y. Iwasa

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Whether and how the Dirac electrons can be driven into superconducting state remains unclear. Here, Duet al. present systematic study to demonstrate the Dirac electrons condensing into Cooper pairs on the surface of a possible topological superconductor SrxBi2Se3.

    • Guan Du
    • , Jifeng Shao
    •  & Hai-Hu Wen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Whether and under what circumstances chemical bonds could be imaged via force microscopy is a controversial topic. Here authors develop a particular combination of model surface, imaging procedures and simulation approach and discuss possible indications of chemical contrast in imaging data they obtain.

    • Hatem Labidi
    • , Mohammad Koleini
    •  & Robert A. Wolkow

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The atomic mechanisms of reversible phase transitions are challenging to probe experimentally. Here, the authors induce melting and freezing processes in bismuth nanoparticles inside a high-resolution electron microscope, observing the atom-level stages of this phase transition pathway in real time.

    • Yingxuan Li
    • , Ling Zang
    •  & Chuanyi Wang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Layered materials are held together by weak van der Waals forces facilitating layer-by-layer cleavage. Here, the authors demonstrate mechanical exfoliation of a naturally occurring franckeite mineral heterostructure, possessing p-type conductivity and remarkable electrochemical properties.

    • Matěj Velický
    • , Peter S. Toth
    •  & Robert A. W. Dryfe

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Whether electron–phonon coupling is a generic feature in FeSe/SrTiO3 to enhance superconductivity remains unclear. Here, Zhang et al. report replica bands in FeSe/SrTiO3(110), suggesting a common mechanism in FeSe on SrTiO3with different surface terminations.

    • Chaofan Zhang
    • , Zhongkai Liu
    •  & Zhixun Shen

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