Physics

Majorana zero modes are emergent excitations in topological superconductors. This Perspective introduces the physics of these modes, recaps the recent history of the experimental search for them and discusses the future prognosis for success.

Iron is one of the most abundant trace elements in the human body, however, detection at a single-cell level with redox status is challenging. Here, the authors demonstrate magnetometry of neurons with a microscale magnetometer using a superconducting flux qubit, and Fe (III) ions in the cells are identified at a single-cell level spatial resolution.

The Lindemann criterion states that crystals melt when thermal vibrations overcome binding forces. It is now found that this picture does not hold for glasses, and that there is a universal relationship between glass temperature and thermal expansion.

Heavily doping silicon with phosphorus produces a dense population of metallic conduction electrons and localized magnetic moments. Low-temperature measurements show evidence of strongly correlated state.