An analysis of what kind of effective statistical behavior is plausible if physics is assumed to be fundamentally quantum sets the stage for more robust tests of the validity of quantum theory.

A crystalline reflective coating being considered for future gravitational-wave detectors exhibits peculiar noise features at cryogenic temperatures.

The discovery of two distinct, electrically tunable phases in a semiconductor-based plasmonic crystal opens new paths to cost-effective, compact, controllable devices for terahertz optoelectronics.

A simplified model of a family of machine-learning architectures offers a way to explore a major form of training failure—mode collapse—that is not well understood.

Tantalum-based superconducting qubits have shown great promise in extending qubit lifetimes. New systematic measurements identify the key sources of loss and noise in this material system.  

A new methodology for calculating the rate at which a reaction-diffusion system switches between metastable macrostates provides a tool for understanding how macroscopic patterns arise from microscopic reactions.

A theoretical analysis of supermoiré structures in twisted trilayer graphene reveals novel physics, setting the stage for further exploration of such structures beyond the typical two-layer framework.

To simulate the action of an effective bath in a chaotic system of many quantum particles, one needs resources that grow exponentially in time.

A quantitative comparison of controversial approaches to calculating the self-energy of phonons is made possible by downfolding the problem to effective low-energy systems.

Self-limiting states of frustrated assembly—in which thermodynamics limits the size of an assembling structure at large scales—can exist at finite temperature, a new minimal model suggests.

Researchers have predicted—and confirmed—a secondary pattern on the ocellated lizard’s scales that is too subtle for our eyes to see.

Fabry-Perot interferometry can observe anyon behavior at complex fractional states—a key requirement for analyzing non-abelian states that are sought after for intrinsically fault-tolerant qubits.

A new model of qubit noise that is motivated by neutral atom qubits leads to much higher rates of error correction in tailored error-correcting codes.

Compression experiments of 2D cellular materials shed light on a long-standing debate on the nature of compressive failure and show how precursors to failure can be harnessed for assessing the mechanical health of a material.

Control signals can shift the frequency of spin-based qubits. New experiments show that this effect corresponds to a temperature increase and can be counterintuitively suppressed by operating at a higher temperature than normal.

Observation of a time crystal—a periodically driven state that breaks time-translation symmetry—at room temperature bolsters the case for using the state as a near-term robust quantum memory.

The information transmission rate of a system can usually be calculated only approximately. A new Monte Carlo simulation scheme makes it possible, for the first time, to do so exactly for a large class of systems.

In a layered transition-metal oxide, 3D magnetic order emerges as two 2D magnetic sheets intertwine and irreversibly imprint a new metastable sublattice magnetization.

Experiments on very clean crystals of the actinide superconductor UTe${}_2$ find no evidence of spontaneous time-reversal symmetry breaking that has been suggested in previous studies.

A framework to quantify the computational capacity of arbitrary physical systems in the presence of sampling noise provides a tool for best harnessing them for machine learning.

The LIGO experiment has demonstrated a noise-squeezing technique for its entire frequency-detection range—a feat that could boost the detection rate of black hole mergers by up to 65%.

A simple scheme to convert amplitude-damping noise in superconducting circuits to easier-to-correct heralded erasure noise overcomes conventional limits on quantum information fidelity.

The Jarzynski equality is a fundamental law connecting equilibrium processes with nonequilibrium fluctuations. Experiments, for the first time, test it in the quantum many-body regime.

Illuminating a high-resolution lens with waves whose intensity diminishes over time can improve the image quality.

A proposed technique to test for slight differences in symmetry between the mirror-image arrangements of chiral molecules opens the door to probe for tiny parity violations.

A theoretical analysis of twisted bilayer MoTe${}_2$, a model system for exploring the interplay between electron interactions and band topology, predicts cascading quantum phase transitions tuned by the twist angle between the layers.

In certain magnetic systems, one superposition of quantum eigenstates leads to a particular classical order, demonstrating that quantum-classical connections can be made via not only observables but also quantum states.

A connection between a subclass of quantum circuits and existing frameworks of statistical mechanics allows one to extract genuine quantum-mechanical properties from the boundary of a classical model.

A new model of a polymer folded into loops shows how such loops leave a distinct signature in experimental data and change chromosome topology, aiding understanding of how chromosomes fold themselves into the small volume of a cell nucleus.

A new approach to benchmarking large-scale quantum devices overcomes existing hurdles, scales to thousands of qubit, and can test a variety of universal gate sets.

The use of x rays to generate stress sources in a glass reveals how glasses, at the atomic scale, respond elastically to the accumulation of stress before becoming fully plastic.

A new approach to computing optimal nonequilibrium controls applicable to complex systems far from equilibrium, providing a tool for expanded studies into optimized nanotechnology and the evolution of biomolecular systems.

Models of systems in physics usually start with elementary processes. New work with a neural network shows how models can also be built by observing the system as a whole and deducing the underlying interactions.

Three research groups have exploited the nuclear spins of ytterbium-171 to manipulate qubits before they are read out—an approach that could lead to efficient error-correction schemes for trapped-atom computing platforms.

Three research groups have exploited the nuclear spins of ytterbium-171 to manipulate qubits before they are read out—an approach that could lead to efficient error-correction schemes for trapped-atom computing platforms.

A first-principles model accounts for the wide range of critical temperatures ($T_c$’s) for four materials and suggests a parameter that determines $T_c$ in any high-temperature superconductor.

Strain engineering of diamond provides a way to realize high-performance tin-vacancy spin qubits that avoid many of the trade-offs inherent to optical quantum control techniques.

A new multiscale approach allows for estimating high-dimensional probability distributions and fast sampling of many-body systems in various domains, from statistical physics to cosmology.

The third Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog contains 90 probable gravitational-wave candidates, including binary black holes, binary neutron stars, and black hole–neutron star binaries across a wide range of masses.

A proposed model unites quantum theory with classical gravity by assuming that states evolve in a probabilistic way, like a game of chance.

An algorithm for simulating coupled classical oscillators on a quantum computer offers a new example of quantum advantage, requiring far fewer resources than simulations on a classical computer.

In 1D Ising systems, a protocol for weakly measuring the critical degrees of freedom uncovers a rich interplay between measurements and correlations accessible by both experiment and theory.

Nonequilibrium activity may provide a surprisingly general way to improve the ability of a system to store and retrieve memory.

A framework for describing phase transitions generalizes the usual statistical mechanics approach to include systems that are out of equilibrium, extending such study to a wide range of applications.

A field-theoretic description of monitored free fermions reveals the entanglement phase diagram of one class of such systems and new universality classes of phase transitions.

A new analytic theory of a monitored 1D free-fermion system shows the absence of a measurement-induced entanglement phase transition conjectured in recent studies.

Neural dynamics are typically described by neural field theories derived long ago using simplified neuron models. A new framework incorporates biophysical nonlinearities into these theories.

A new way to compare numerical simulations of gravitational waves with observations removes existing limitations, enabling the study of new astrophysical phenomena.

The fundamental model for understanding Mott insulators is the single-band Hubbard model. An ideal realization of that model arises in Nb${}_3$Cl${}_8$, proving a powerful system for exploring Mott physics and other correlated states.

Combining two ultrafast spectroscopy techniques allows for measurements of the electron-phonon coupling in two prototypical topological materials.

Shelving data qubits in protected hyperfine states while measuring an ancilla qubit allows for robust midcircuit measurements in a neutral atom array, a key step toward extending the lifetime of atomic quantum memories.

Major technical improvements to a quantum computer based on trapped ions could bring a large-scale version closer to reality.

A new model reproduces both the dynamical and steady-state behavior of a group of living organisms, a first for such systems.

Disease contagion is suppressed when different social groups have a large overlap in membership.

The combined analysis of present and upcoming atmospheric-neutrino experiments may lead to the solution of outstanding puzzles in neutrino physics.

A new calculation of the entropy of an expanding universe suggests the microscopic building blocks of space and time reside on a sort of cosmic holographic screen.

A technique for compressing a quantum program into a small number of qubits pushes quantum computing closer to its goal of solving meaningful problems that cannot be solved on classical computers.

Quantum fluids of light are coupled to their environments. A joint theory-experiment analysis shows this environment includes the thermal vibrations of the lattice hosting the fluid.