Counting magnetic flux quanta offers new way to measure photon numbers
Researchers at AIST have directly observed magnetic flux quanta generated in a superconductor by photon absorption and demonstrated a new principle of photon detection that identi…
Scientists demonstrate AI-designed enzyme for drug synthesis
The new RFD4-Proteina unified generative model for protein design—created by the Institute for Protein Design (IPD) in collaboration with NVIDIA—uses advanced AI to generate entir…
Designing better adsorbents to remove PFAS from water
A review by Tohoku University researchers identifies key molecular features that could guide the development of more effective materials for removing PFAS from water. The study is…
Plain silicon grating reveals a hidden 'twist' in light from electron beams
In 1953, two physicists showed that an electron beam skimming past a grating emits light whose color depends only on the electron's speed and the grating's spacing. Known as Smith…
Potatoes could be the secret to better plant-based meat, say food scientists
Potatoes could hold the key to making better gluten-free plant-based meat, according to a new study.
Elusive uranium 'sandwich' molecule isolated after more than 50 years
In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers from The University of Manchester and Lancaster University have isolated and characterized uranocenium, the positively c…
What makes glass good at conducting heat? Sound holds the key
Glass can keep a drink safely contained, protect a smartphone screen, or serve as a foundation for electronic components. But when it comes to controlling heat, this familiar mate…
Experiment shows when quantum 'cat' states stop bouncing back
Quantum systems can occupy superpositions, quantum states that combine different possibilities. For instance, a microwave field can be prepared in a superposition of an empty stat…
Light-based method enables precise control of ultrafast electron flow in a scanning tunneling microscope
What would it take to watch an electron move through a material? Researchers would need to see individual atoms and capture an electron's motion at incredibly short timescales. A …
New test measures potentially harmful metals in cellulose food packaging
A technique for detecting potentially harmful metals in regenerated cellulose food packaging is discussed in the International Journal of Environment and Pollution. The new tool c…
Light-activated catalyst makes sustainable production of hydrogen peroxide more efficient
Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is a versatile chemical feedstock whose industrial production relies predominantly on an energy-intensive process with a substantial environmental footpri…
Material substitution can increase the potential environmental impact of packaging systems
New research suggests that replacing polyethylene (PE) packaging with paper, glass, aluminum or steel often does not reduce environmental impacts across a product's life cycle.
What is a neutrino anyway? A look at the science behind this year's Nobel Prize in Physics
If you wanted a Nobel Prize, you would do well to study neutrinos. To date, the Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded five times to research related to neutrino detection and di…
Ultrafast light pulses track molecular motion with three-femtosecond resolution
Researchers have observed a molecule in the first instants after it has absorbed light and tracked the coordinated motion of electrons and nuclei with a temporal resolution of thr…
Global database provides a fuller picture of the elements that make up plant life
What, exactly, is a plant made of? Scientists have a good understanding of the essential nutrients plants need to grow. But what plants need and what they contain are not necessar…
Clustering changes how charged polymers separate in water, challenging old assumptions
A polymer science revelation about how liquid mixtures separate could have major implications for human health, metabolism and disease, new research indicates. In a brief report p…
Nontoxic 'light-activated' compound shows promise for safer 3D printing of advanced biomaterials
Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a new class of light-activated compounds that could lead to safer and more versatile app…
Diamond laser system achieves 100% optical contrast in magnetic-field readout
Researchers at Fraunhofer IAF have developed a laser-enhanced quantum sensor that combines high magnetic-field sensitivity with a large dynamic range. Using laser threshold magnet…
Quantum interference traps electron waves in metal for first time
Ever since quantum mechanics first described particles, like electrons, as rippling waves, researchers have wondered if those waves could be trapped in place. Writing today in Sci…
Lost Schrödinger manuscript reveals his true view of quantum randomness
Unlike classical physics, quantum mechanics generally cannot tell us exactly what will happen in an individual event. Instead, it predicts the probabilities of different outcomes.…
Sapphire-grown semiconductor film sets bandgap record
Semiconductors with wider bandgaps could pave the way for smaller, more efficient electronics that can handle far higher voltages, but the wider this gap becomes, the harder it is…
Laser-made lattice reveals discrete light solitons in tunable atomic vapor
Scientists from the Quantum Technologies Group at the Institute of Physics Zagreb, in collaboration with a colleague from the Physics Department at the Faculty of Science (PMF), h…
Perovskite laser maintains stable performance over 400 million pulses
In a study published in Advanced Optical Materials, researchers at Vilnius University (VU) demonstrated perovskite-based laser structures that maintained stable performance over m…
AI designs functional enzyme components that could help expand drug discovery
New active ingredients for drugs to treat infections, cancer or other serious diseases are often based on substances originally discovered in microorganisms, plants or other livin…