Optical pumping of an “unconventional” iron-chalcogenide superconductor leads to a metastable state in which superconductivity disappears on very fast timescales, possibly due to magnetic correlations triggered by the pumping.

Experiments provide the first observation of Cherenkov radiation emitted into 2D light modes, achieving a unity free-electron–photon coupling strength, paving the way for unexplored phenomena in free-electron quantum optics.

The exotic surfaces of topological insulators have so far required an accompanying bulk insulator. But dynamical engineering of synthetic spatial dimensions could enable the realization of topological surfaces in isolation.

An analysis of the electron-nuclear entanglement structure in solid-state defect spins leads to protocols for generating multinuclear entanglement, opening the full potential of nuclear spin memories in quantum networks.

The integration of an optically coherent, long-lived spin qubit in a silicon carbide-on-insulator photonics platform showcases the potential of silicon carbide in quantum computing and communications applications.

A waveguide sculpted in air with lasers transmits light over a distance of nearly 50 meters, which is 60 times farther than previous air-waveguide schemes.

State-of-the-art numerical techniques suggest that charge order in the 2D Hubbard model sets in at a nonzero temperature, answering a major open question in the physics of this paradigmatic model of quantum materials.

A quantum device shows promise for simulating molecular dynamics in a difficult-to-model photochemical process that is relevant to vision.

A model for information storage in the brain reveals how memories decay with age.

A proposed route to high-temperature superconductivity by increasing the binding between electron pairs without unduly increasing the pair mass suggests superconductivity at temperatures higher than previously thought possible.

Experiments identify the mechanism that accelerates ions in a laser-driven neutron source (LDNS) as well as a scaling law for the neutron yield, key insights that move LDNS closer to practical neutron generation.

Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering reveals the fundamental magnetic modes in hematite thin films, which are relevant for the development of fast, low-power antiferromagnetic spintronics–based devices.

A new, unified thermodynamic theory reveals an intimate relationship between optimal transport distances and stochastic and quantum thermodynamics in discrete-state systems.

Experiments and theoretical modeling show that disassembly of vimentin intermediate filaments—a key process in many biological cell functions—proceeds via filament breakage without the assistance of other proteins.

The known linear relationship between nuclear radius, nuclear mass, and isotope shift also holds for diatomic molecules, insight that can help measure the radii of short-lived nuclei that are not currently accessible in single atoms.

Unaccounted for thermodynamic costs in controlling quantum systems can be made arbitrarily small, as long as the control is not implemented too quickly.

A proposed mechanism for efficiently coupling optical photons and nuclear spins opens the door to hybridizing these two building blocks of quantum technology and to a number of novel device applications.

Experiments show that the torsion modes of nanostructures can experience dissipation dilution, yielding a new class of ultrahigh-Q resonators with broad applications to quantum experiments and precision measurement.

A new quantum-mechanical theory predicts that a neutral liquid can generate an electric current in the solid wall along which it flows. The current in turn reduces the friction at the liquid-solid interface.

Vibrations are the main drivers of a mysterious process in which a liquid flow generates an electric current in the solid below it.

Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering reveals the presence and character of charge order in a low-valence nickelate, a step toward understanding this newly found family of superconductors.

A magnetic field tunes UTe${}_2$ between two superconducting pairing mechanisms, possibly driving a change from a spin-triplet state to a spin-singlet state. This enables explorations of how exotic spin-triplet superconductivity emerges. 

A newly developed compact charge sensor quickly reads the state of electron spin qubits with high fidelity, demonstrating a performance suitable for robust, spin-based quantum processors.

The “capillarytron” lets researchers access mechanical properties of very dense suspensions.

The geometric patterns on dry, salty lake beds are generated by convection of high- and low-salinity water underground, according to simulations and observations.

In stacked van der Waals materials, atomic relaxation in the 2D layers can propagate throughout the stack, altering even the electronic properties of the entire heterostructure.

When electrons couple to transverse phonons in topological semimetals, two novel spontaneous symmetry-breaking quantum phases can emerge.

A novel GaAs interferometer provides experimental evidence that strengthens the case for non-Abelian anyons, hypothetical quasiparticles highly sought for use in topologically protected quantum computing.

Experiments reveal previously unknown quantum dynamics of quasiparticles called attractive and repulsive polarons in an ultrathin semiconductor.

To date, only two methods have provided convincing signs of exotic anyon quasiparticles. A reexamination of one method extends it to other types of anyons and establishes how much information the technique can provide.

An anyon collider can distinguish between two types of anyons associated with two fractional quantum Hall states of a 2D electron gas, a step toward further investigation of anyons deemed useful for quantum computing.

Nonmagnetic nematic interactions in one iron-based superconductor can increase the strength of Cooper pairs in the material, demonstrating a fundamentally new way to enhance superconductivity.

Kinetic constraints in many-body quantum systems can give rise to an intriguingly fast “superdffusive” transport of energy, suggesting a new class of transport behaviors whose origin remains to be understood.

A new class of chiral symmetries in models of massless quantum electrodynamics and axions could help explain the large ratios found among properties, such as mass, of elementary particles.

The first demonstration of spiral magnetic order in a Weyl semimetal sets the stage for finding other materials with these structures, which could be used for high-density magnetic information storage.

Segregation of chromosomes in dividing cells can be disrupted if the cells are constrained by their surroundings.

Experiments show that lattice relaxations play a role in the gradual spin-state and insulator-to-metal transitions of LaCoO${}_3$. The findings call for a reconsideration of the transition energetics in this and related materials.

A new methodology for analyzing the 3D distribution of galaxies borrows techniques from the study of colloids and other disordered materials.

A new numerical theory provides a framework that can guide the search for high-temperature superconductivity in quasi-1D systems.

Varying the width of a waveguide around the circumference of a microresonator provides a way to significantly extend the bandwidth of a type of laser comb without reducing the material dispersion.

Strongly disordered interacting systems remember their initial conditions for very long times. But a popular explanation invoking emergent local integrals of motion appears to be unstable in interacting models.

An analysis and improvement of the spectral properties of nitrogen-vacancy defects in diamond nanostructures paves the way for efficient entanglement generation necessary for many quantum information applications.

Averaging many noise realizations is a tried-and-true way to study how out-of-equilibrium quantum systems interact with their environment. But if one has access to individual realizations, new and surprising behavior can emerge.

A soft x-ray probe reveals the contribution of specific atoms in the compound fenchone to the molecule’s overall chirality following photoexcitation, paving the way for broader studies of chirality during ultrafast reactions.

Fluctuations of quantum mechanical coherences in small, nonequilibrium systems can be described by a universal mathematical framework that draws from free probability theory, a tool that may aid understanding of noisy many-body quantum systems.

A quantum phase of matter detected in an iron-based superconductor could host Majorana zero modes—quasiparticles that may serve as building blocks for future quantum computers.

Researchers have attained a 100-fold increase in the accuracy of a molecular clock that could serve as a terahertz-frequency standard and as a platform for investigating new physics.

An analysis of gravitational waves from 76 compact binary mergers provides new constraints on the population properties of neutron stars and black holes, as well as on their formation and evolution pathways.

A new protocol for measuring the state of a quantum simulator allows for the extraction of arbitrary physical information by relying on ancillary degrees of freedom and the natural randomness of quantum dynamics.

A new analysis methodology of K-${}^3$He comagnetometer data provides vastly improved constraints on axion neutron-spin coupling, shrinking the parameter search space for this proposed constituent of dark matter.