X-ray free-electron laser sets new record for shortest high-energy pulses
Researchers at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) at the U.S. Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have measured the shortest high-energy X-ray pulses e…
Ultrafast light can control ferromagnetism without relying on heating
Despite being known for more mundane uses such as sticking notes to refrigerators or keeping bags shut, magnetization is one of the most fundamental and useful properties of a mat…
Mirror-image molecules are difficult to separate from their counterparts, but a new catalytic method might be the answer
Just like gloves, molecules can have left- and right-handed—or mirror-image—forms. Because the left- and right-handed molecules are still very similar, scientists have had trouble…
'Invisible' tweak could help make protein shakes less clumpy
Scientists from RMIT University and Riga Technical University in Latvia have shown that static charge left on surfaces can be controlled, which may have big benefits for companies…
Physicists trap and tame single particle of antimatter for months
For the first time, Northwestern University physicists have coaxed a single positron—the antimatter counterpart of an electron—into an exquisitely controlled quantum state.
Atomic memory keeps distant ions entangled for about 10 seconds
Quantum networks, systems that connect devices and allow them to exchange information encoded in the quantum states of particles, could enable more secure communications. To build…
Controlled vapor treatment guides molecules into highly oriented soft quasicrystals
Molecules can spontaneously organize into complex, ordered structures through a process known as self-assembly. Among these structures, soft quasicrystals display unusual patterns…
Soybean waste yields 3D-printable material that could help repair skin
Transforming a soybean processing byproduct into a material for skin protection and repair is the prospect outlined by a study that used okara, a residue from the production of to…
A hidden rivalry between two quantum states at the heart of superconductors
Transmitting electricity without losing any energy may sound impossible, yet this is precisely the promise of superconductivity. For nearly 40 years, scientists have been working …
Oxygen collisions show evidence of jet quenching, a signature of early-universe matter
New results from the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) provide strong evidence that smashing oxygen nuclei together at nearly the speed of light genera…
'Smoking gun' may help solve mystery of high-temperature superconductivity
Superconductivity has many important practical applications, including creating powerful magnets used in high-resolution medical scans, transporting electricity efficiently and bu…
Fluorescent reaction maps reveal how catalyst activity changes with operating conditions
Catalysts spur chemical reactions used across industries, from producing fuels and medicines to manufacturing chemicals and treating pollutants. Improving their performance requir…
Custom frame timing captures ultrafast events across five orders of magnitude in time
Most conventional methods of ultrafast photography use evenly spaced intervals in which images are taken, but new developments have shown how much can be left out of the story, es…
Steering electrons with extreme ultraviolet light—team achieves quantum coherent control
Light is one of the most powerful tools scientists have for probing matter. By interacting with electrons, light reveals how atoms, molecules and materials are structured and how …
Individual atomic collisions can now be detected in the lab, potentially opening up pathways to new physics
Tiny atoms and molecules are constantly bombarding each other all around us. While we regularly measure the large-scale effects of these interactions, measuring the effect of each…
Quantum probability can't be derived without assuming it first
For nearly a century, physicists have relied on the Born rule to calculate the chances of different outcomes when they measure a quantum system. Yet despite decades of effort, nob…
A quantum pathway to entropy-free energy transfer
For scientists, breakthroughs often stem from unexpected turns. A research team led by Oscar Dahlsten, an associate professor in the Department of Physics at City University of Ho…
New analytical method reveals what happens inside tiny molecular frameworks
Tiny magnetic probes can be used to investigate the chemical forces at work inside the pores of molecular framework compounds, but until now, this had only been possible to a limi…
Forgotten particle could answer mystery of why we exist, say physicists
Scientists have unveiled a new theory on the birth of the cosmos, suggesting the early universe was shaped by an ancient particle that has been overlooked for decades.
Synthetic molecules self-assemble into triple helices with new control method
Researchers at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, have developed a new strategy for programming synthetic molecules to self-assemble into precisely defined three-dimensional st…
Simpler recycling process recovers pure raw materials from acrylic glass without solvents
Large quantities of acrylic glass are used worldwide in a wide range of applications, from windowpanes and car taillights to furniture. The polymer is also known by the brand name…
Molecular pendulum shuttles protons to enable rapid hydrogen production in enzymes
Nearly all metabolic processes require protons—positively charged hydrogen atoms. Although these are abundant in the cellular fluid, the biocatalysts involved depend on mechanisms…
New 'hunter-killer' chemistry captures and destroys forever chemicals
They can turn up in a nonstick frying pan, a waterproof jacket, a takeout food wrapper or the foam used to fight fires. Known as "forever chemicals," these substances are ubiquito…
Normally forbidden emissions from graphene could expose quantum fluctuations in incoming light
Voltage fluctuations, light fluctuations, temperature fluctuations—any fluctuations are troublesome and thus undesirable. They don't just cause discomfort; in engineering and medi…