A new universality theorem for how a large class of quantum systems behaves over long periods of time paves the way for improved quantum devices and fundamental insight into the evolution of generic quantum systems.

A proposed method for laser-based particle acceleration generates high energy proton beams with extremely low energy spread, opening a new route to developing compact ion sources.

The control of molecular-level quantum effects in artificial photosynthetic membranes is a powerful tuning knob for optimizing long-range energy transport, according to a theoretical study.

A new theory of measurement-induced phase transitions reveals the effective degrees of freedom at the transition, which capture the structural change in the wave function at large distances and describes the transition in macroscopic observables.

A new theory of how magnetized, turbulent plasma evolves after its energy source is removed may shed light on not only many astrophysical environments but also a wide class of turbulent systems.

Spectral functions, key ingredients in quantum many-body theory for describing particle propagation, are routinely used for single particles. New work extends this to an arbitrary number of particles.

A numerical method for computing multipoint correlators, which capture the rich spectrum of many scattering quantum particles, does so for quantum impurity systems over a much wider energy range than other approaches.

The simplest phase transition that remains a mystery may be the exit out of the “deconfined” phase in the self-dual Ising gauge model. Using simulations and theory, a new analysis explores what happens at that transition.

X-ray spectroscopies provide insights into the electronic structure of layered nickelate that provide solid footing for exploring its superconductivity mechanism.

Observations of how the electronic structure of one kagome metal evolves with temperature provide crucial information on the formation of charge-density waves and superconductivity in these systems.

Barren plateaus in quantum neural networks are a phenomenon that limit their use on large problems. One promising variation—the quantum convolutional neural network—does not exhibit this problem.

An investigation of how polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons respond to extreme ultraviolet radiation provides insight into internal molecular dynamics that can help improve models of interstellar chemistry.

Interacting electrons on triangular lattice structures arrange themselves in various competing magnetic and possible topological orders, leading to paradoxical electron localization as temperature increases.

Exotic quantum phases lack order parameters that are key to describing phases of matter. By creating entanglement-based order parameters, a new framework offers a way to probe topological and conventional phases.

Under certain conditions, the components of a polaron quasiparticle—an impurity plus a cloud of atoms—can form a long-lived collective excitation that may help explain recent studies of far-from-equilibrium impurity dynamics.

A universal framework for assessing the security of quantum-based communication describes bounds for generating secure keys and requirements for any entanglement-based protocol that distributes those keys among trusted users.

Continuously tracking the number of atoms in an evaporating ultracold quantum gas uncovers stochastic fluctuations, providing a platform for exploring the interplay between randomness and nonlinear dynamics.

A new method of studying dynamical phase transitions in strongly correlated quantum systems can predict transitions based on energy fluctuations in the system, paving the way for new studies of far-from-equilibrium dynamics.

A simplified model of plasticity exploits machine-learning techniques to connect particle-level behavior in deformed, disordered solids to observable, emergent behavior.

A new theory for coupled loss-gain structures, used to improve optical resonators, explains many behaviors of such systems and paves the way to a fully quantum description of active cavity resonators.

Novel numerical simulations suggest that the frustrated Heisenberg regime of a pyrochlore lattice cannot host a quantum spin liquid, contrary to many expectations.

The coupling between a chiral nanoparticle and a chiral optical field transforms chirality into a thermodynamic control parameter, which offers a new approach to nanoscale chiral sensing and recognition.

Ultrafast laser stimulation of 3D magnetic order in a layered material produces a well-ordered magnetic state in two dimensions that is fractured into thin domains in the third dimension.

A thermodynamic framework provides new bounds on how much work can be extracted from a system under nonidealized, real-world conditions.

Researchers successfully use an array of quantum dots to create and study a Heisenberg spin chain.

A machine-learning approach to visualizing high-dimensional energy landscapes provides a powerful tool for identifying stable arrangements of atoms that, in turn, can drive the discovery of new materials.

A fundamental theory of dielectric screening in quasi-2D materials provides an exact treatment of long-range electrostatic forces in real, nonidealized 2D crystals.

Laser pulses can trigger transient superconductivity in cuprates above their critical temperatures. A new computational method provides a look at the mechanism underlying this behavior.

Magnetic-induced changes in resistance often—but not always—follow a scaling law known as Kohler’s rule. New experimental work reveals why some materials violate this law.

A new class of kagome compounds exhibits several intriguing properties, including a novel charge-density-wave state. Quantum oscillation experiments reveal the origin of this state.

Solutions to hydrodynamic equations can be constructed from solutions to certain ideal gas equations, revealing an unexpected connection between two disparate regimes of matter transport.

A demonstration of full control over a two-qubit system with only one qubit directly addressable shows that “hidden qubit” architectures with reduced control electronics may soon be practical.

A surface ion trap with integrated waveguides produces no additional heating and modest frequency shifts due to photoinduced charging when uv light is delivered to an ion, thus providing the stability needed for compact quantum timekeeping devices.

Experiments with monolayer WTe${}_2$ show clear evidence of helicity in currents flowing around its edge, all but confirming that this system is a quantum spin Hall insulator.

A detailed computational study of millions of molecules identifies a number of candidates whose properties make them ideal for converting terahertz radiation to visible light.

A new approach for suppressing noise in quantum computation uses multiple copies of a quantum state to cancel out certain kinds of noise, using much less overhead than traditional techniques.

In biological tissues, cells often swap places with their neighbors. A new modeling study shows that the time it takes to complete that swap has profound impacts on tissue dynamics.

Observations of charge fluctuations in a cuprate provide evidence of a quantum critical point that may hold a key to understanding high-temperature superconductivity in these materials.

Randomized compiling, a technique in quantum computing for turning coherent errors into stochastic noise, improves the performance of quantum algorithms and their predictability.

An efficient theoretical approach for studying two-particle response functions in strongly correlated systems paves the way for investigating novel superconductivity and phase transitions in realistic materials.

A demonstration of the first full quantum control of a tin-vacancy spin qubit shows that this type of qubit is a viable building block for quantum network hardware.

A first observation of quantum features in a laser-driven electron accelerator provides a path to novel accelerator designs and highlights how classical behavior emerges from quantum interactions.

A superconducting quantum circuit coupled to a tailored waveguide reservoir provides a platform for exploring non-Markovian quantum-optical dynamics, in which the reservoir maintains a memory of past events.

X-ray experiments and theoretical modeling provide a movie of how a water molecule responds to ionizing radiation, setting the stage for further studies of radiation chemistry in aqueous environments.

Variational quantum algorithms could help researchers improve the performance of optical atomic clocks and of other quantum-metrology schemes.

By coupling a quantum gas to a lossy optical cavity and driving it with lasers, an out-of-equilibrium phase of matter emerges that sheds light on how macroscopic properties connect to microscopic processes in driven, dissipative matter.

A new network theory that accounts for the time it takes to change between states reveals a novel type of hysteresis that is essential for the identification of broken time-reversal symmetry.

An unconventional high angular momentum electron pairing in a half-Heusler superconductor may provide opportunities for topological superconducting states.

A new approach to laser cooling vastly extends this technique to many more species and even macroscopic objects, as demonstrated by cooling a highly charged ion to under 200 $\mu$K—close to the quantum-mechanical ground state.

Sixteen years of timing data from the double pulsar confirm the validity of Einstein’s theory of general relativity to a new level.

A general theory of how topological phases of matter play out in quasicrystals predicts that exotic elastic modes encode the underlying topological character and provide for a richer structure of topological phases.

Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering reveals the momentum dependence of electron-phonon interactions and offers new ways to measure the interaction strength of highly excited electrons.

A new theory for representing changes in wave function due to perturbations opens a path for studying how electron states respond to change in real materials.

Experiments with chains of ultracold trapped atoms realize an idealized model to describe spin physics and probe how the dynamics of wavelike spin patterns depends on how the spins interact.

Optical and terahertz laser pulses lead to identical ultrafast magnetization dynamics in iron samples, showing that related applications can work with any laser wavelength.

When tunneling through a rotating chiral barrier, electron wave packets retain a signature of the barrier dynamics in both their amplitude and phase.

In complex photonic devices called photonic topological insulators, nonlinearity at high optical power acts to confine light in wave forms that behave akin to “solitons,” or self-guided waves.

An experiment shows that errors in quantum computation can be repeatedly corrected on the fly.

A theoretical framework explains the interplay between topology and quantum critical points and leads to the discovery of surprising new examples.

X-ray core-level spectroscopy with attosecond time resolution unambiguously reveals the energy evolution among photons, charge carriers, and phonons in graphite, settling long-standing questions about this system.

Thermodynamic uncertainty relations aim to put quantitative lower bounds on the entropy change of any physical process. A new analysis shows that correlations among observables can improve on those bounds.

A machine-learning framework can utilize an on-chip superconducting circuit to enable accurate and resource-efficient measurement of multiple qubits.

When twisted bilayer graphene is strained, a periodic distortion in the electron density is triggered by electron interactions, giving rise to a novel electronic state that may help explain the observed diversity of insulating behaviors.

The crystalline corners of common table salt may host emergent electrical charges with just one-eighth the charge of an electron—a manifestation of a recently proposed topological phase of matter.