Physicists finally put Feynman's path integral to the test
For nearly 80 years, physicists have relied on a thought experiment created by Richard Feynman to predict how quantum particles behave. For the first time, researchers in China ha…
'Cut-to-fuse' strategy: A new route for molecular skeletal editing
Restructuring a molecule without rebuilding it from scratch is an increasingly important goal in modern organic chemistry. Skeletal editing is an approach that helps chemists expl…
Hollow-core fiber platform could help different quantum technologies connect
Quantum technologies promise secure communication networks, powerful forms of computing and new sensing tools. One of the major challenges, however, is that different quantum syst…
How plastic welds retain a molecular 'memory' of their former surfaces to strengthen pipe joints
Welding plastic is a critically important part of everyday engineering—especially for preventing leaks in underground water and gas pipes. For decades, engineers have understood t…
Scientists capture first molecular-level images of water reorganization during a reaction crucial for life
Some of nature's most important chemical reactions rely on the coupled movement of negatively and positively charged particles. These processes play central roles in photosynthesi…
Diamond clock combines two signals to cut temperature-driven drift
Despite all the advertisements for engagement rings and necklace gifts, natural diamonds are imperfect. Their carbon atoms are arranged in a cubic lattice, but they nonetheless co…
Compound with the potential to treat drug-resistant HIV identified
A large international team has developed a new compound that showed strong antiviral activity against HIV, including some drug-resistant variants.
Light reveals internal motion in electron crystals and can trigger their melting
Electrons, particles that carry a negative electric charge, typically move through materials. At low densities and temperatures, however, the electrical repulsion between them can…
Molecular makeover brightens organic light near 1,000 nanometers
Near-infrared organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) that emit about 1,000 nanometers could support biomedical and security technologies. Yet pushing organic light to these longer …
Shear flow in narrow channels sparks amyloid formation, experiments reveal
Many cars and not enough lanes is a recipe for traffic jams. Now, researchers from Japan show that even proteins can get backed up and start behaving poorly when too many try to s…
MOF-coated catalyst converts CO₂ to CO nearly five times faster under ultrasonic vibration
Researchers at the University of Osaka have developed a catalyst that uses mechanical vibration to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into carbon monoxide (CO), an important chemical fe…
Fast but error-prone AI assists in solving a decades-old fluid mechanics problem in five weeks
An AI assistant helped University of Colorado Boulder researchers solve a mathematical problem that had challenged their lab for a year and a half, though it made subtle errors al…
ATLAS and CMS narrow in on twin Higgs production
Finding one Higgs boson was hard enough, but physicists at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) are hunting for something even more elusive: pairs of Higgs bosons. At the recent Intern…
The physics of kiiking, Estonia's extreme sport of swinging
When an athlete swings upside down atop a 7-meter (23-foot) pendulum, it may seem like a feat of strength, courage or technique. A new study suggests it is something more fundamen…
Oxygen collisions reveal how quark–gluon matter approaches equilibrium
High-energy nuclear collisions recreate extreme conditions similar to those in the early universe, producing quark–gluon plasma (QGP), a hot state of matter in which quarks and gl…
Deep underground, SuperCDMS begins hunting light dark matter with 24 cryogenic crystals
In the hunt for one of nature's most elusive substances—dark matter, which makes up 85% of all matter in the universe—scientists are going to extremes. Deep underground and chille…
First observation of optical Magnus effect could sharpen quantum computer control
Table tennis professionals are true masters at redirecting fast-moving projectiles. Putting a targeted spin on a serve can make the little white ball fly straight toward the edge …
Geomimicry offers a new framework for engineering sustainable materials
When engineers look to nature for inspiration, they often turn to living systems. The flight of birds has influenced aircraft design, gecko feet inspired new adhesives and lotus l…
Going beyond simple models of neural networks: Extended mean-field theory offers a better approach
Physics is most readily applied to relatively simple systems: a pendulum, two electrons colliding or the structure of the solar system. But when systems become complicated—when ma…
Light particles reveal critical scaling in a two-dimensional photon gas
A team of researchers from the University of Bonn, Heidelberg University and the National Autonomous University of Mexico has studied the critical behavior of light particles (pho…
Electrically charged raindrops could be corroding metal with protective coatings
Electrically charged raindrops, a naturally occurring phenomenon, can break down surfaces treated with protective coatings, according to new research published in Nature. This pre…
Ramped fields create more robust entanglement between trapped-ion qubits
While quantum computing could be the future, it is currently plagued by finicky hardware. To make the technology practical, researchers must demonstrate that it consistently and c…
Machine learning methods move self-driving labs closer to materials discovery at scale
Machine learning doesn't replace human intelligence, but it can outlast human endurance, which makes it a helpful tool for chemistry and materials discovery. Scientists know machi…
Observing the vibrations of neighboring atoms with an atomic-scale double slit
Efficiently controlling heat generation has become a major challenge as the semiconductors used in smartphones, computers and similar devices have become higher-performing and mor…