One challenge of controlling quantum systems is striking a balance between the random disturbances caused by the act of measurement and stabilizing the system in a desired state. Researchers conduct an experiment in the so-called “quantum feedback regime” in which the disturbance due to a measurement is suppressed.

Scientists explore how thermal fluctuations affect the mechanics of thin amorphous spherical shells.

An experimental setup based on a modified scanning electron microscope is used to explore fundamental aspects of the coupling of free electrons to plasmonic crystals and localized plasmonic resonances.

When exposed to an ultrafast laser pulse, electrons within graphite are warmed to the same temperature as the surface of the Sun. This behavior could explain how laser light can turn graphite into diamond and allow for efficient chemistry on the surface of graphitic materials.

Developing exotic optical devices such as super-resolution lenses and cloaks requires atoms that interact strongly with the magnetic field of light. Such an interaction between a laser and an ensemble of europium atoms is shown for the first time.

Three-dimensional topological solitons have long been a facet of theoretical physics, but they have also remained experimentally elusive. Experimental and theoretical analysis uncovers topologically nontrivial solitons in liquid crystals.

A circulator that routes microwave signals is suitable for scaling up quantum-computing architectures.

Thermodynamics describes how macroscopic systems exchange energy in the form of heat and work, yet many microscopic systems such as molecular motors exhibit behavior that seems to follow the same principles. A new theoretical framework for describing the thermodynamics of microscopic systems that interact strongly with their surroundings is presented.

Quantum computers need new materials to protect their delicate quantum states. Evidence for such a material—a topological superconductor—has been detected as a breaking of rotational symmetry in a crystal of Nb-doped Bi${}_2$Se${}_3$.

Bacteria accumulate on surfaces, but the physical mechanism that is responsible for this entrapment is not well understood. Holographic imaging and an optical trap reveal how contact forces and hydrodynamic torques compete to cause cells of E. coli to become stuck to a surface.

Cooperative rearranging regions are small patches of molecules that are essential to understanding the physics of glass-forming liquids. Researchers present a theory to characterize the shape of these regions and how the shape changes with temperature.

A single artificial atom has been observed changing a cavity’s transparency in agreement with a recently predicted new type of quantum phase transition.

When analyzing the robustness of complex, interconnected networks—such as interdependent infrastructures—models often predict that the system becomes more fragile as the number of layers increases. A new model indicates that such multilayered networks can instead be made more robust with the introduction of redundant interdependencies.

Multilayer networks can be used to describe many phenomena such as the flow of information and the spread of disease. A new mathematical description of these networks in the context of disease transmission reveals behaviors such as multiple transmission rates and localization of disease in a network layer.

A brain-inspired computer made with optoelectronic parts runs faster thanks to a hardware redesign, recognizing simple speech at the rate of 1 million words per second

Nonequilibrium phase transitions, where the physical properties of a system change suddenly, are of fundamental importance in condensed matter physics but are not well understood. Such phase transitions are now observed in a circuit quantum electrodynamics lattice, paving the way for greater insight into exotic materials.

Electrides are electron-rich compounds with a range of potential applications as catalysts and reducing agents. A new computer-assisted design methodology has been developed which can efficiently identify potential inorganic electrides and has found 89 new candidates.

Quantum effects are usually lost when interacting particles are disturbed by an external force, such as a laser, and heat up. Recent research points to a new class of universal phenomena that emerge from this heating.

While entropy always increases on large scales, it can transiently decrease in systems of the size of proteins and in the molecular machinery found in living cells. Scientists find universal laws for entropy production in mesoscopic systems and show how these laws can illuminate general properties of stochastic processes in biology.

Not much is known about the role that geometric symmetries play in exotic states of quantum matter known as symmetry-protected topological phases. A new approach is developed to classify and understand these phases, which are shown to be comprised of simpler, lower-dimensional states.

When performing operations in a quantum computer, the system can easily end up in some undesired state. A new technique controls the quantum dynamics to reliably bring a quantum system from some initial state to a final desired state.

For decades, researchers have debated assumptions used when interpreting scattering experiments that probe the structure of matter at increasingly shorter length scales. A theoretical framework resolves some of these questions and sheds light on the nature of ultracold quantum gases.

Intrinsic limitations of semiconductors have spurred a search for new materials that can be used in next generation electronics, and transition-metal oxides (TMOs) are attractive candidates. A new scheme for predicting the electrical and magnetic behavior of TMOs shows promise for helping design future components.

Quantum entanglement has typically been the focus of research into quantum technologies, but other phenomena are needed to characterize quantum systems. A theory for manipulating quantum coherence in distributed scenarios is studied, leading to a mathematical characterization of the transformations that quantum states undergo in this process.

Recurrence behaviors are well known in wave systems that initially exhibit phase coherence. A new theory shows that similar recurrences can occur among initially disordered waves as well, thus leading to a reduction of entropy that is contrary to everyday experience.

In systems driven by time-varying fields, new phases of matter might exist that do not appear when the system is static. A mathematical formulation shows that novel phases of matter also exist in prethermal states, where the system exchanges heat with its environment very slowly.

Weyl semimetals have highly mobile charged particles that may make them useful in electronic devices, but only a few of them have been identified thus far. Computational analysis reveals that the compound CeRu${}_4$Sn${}_6$ exhibits Weyl-like behavior and may be a new type of material known as a heavy Weyl fermion state.

Synchronization of individual behavior in a population of self-propelling units, such as fireflies or bacteria, arises in a wide variety of disciplines. A new mathematical framework provides a generalized description of such systems, revealing among other things how self-propulsion can accelerate synchronization.

Living liquid crystals are biosynthetic composites, comprised of living bacteria and liquid crystals, that exhibit unique optical and mechanical properties. A new computational model and set of experiments show how defects in the liquid crystal can concentrate or deplete the bacteria, suggesting a novel method for control and manipulation of microbial populations.

A system combining a quantum dot and a superconducting cavity achieves the strongest light-matter coupling for this type of hybrid system.

In cell membranes, the dynamic organization of proteins into areas that serve various purposes is critical to proper cell function, but how this occurs is not well understood. New high-resolution imaging of mammalian cells confirms that the actin cytoskeleton actively partitions the membrane into compartments that control protein motion.

The crystal Sr${}_2$RuO${}_4$ is a rare superconductor where electrons pair together in a symmetry that is thought to be a $p$ wave, which indicates how the electrons orbit one another and orient their spins. A new investigation of heat conduction in Sr${}_2$RuO${}_4$ reveals behavior more typical of a $d$ wave, raising questions about how the electrons are actually paired.

Practical invisibility cloaks are typically limited to rendering objects invisible to only a very narrow, inflexible range of electromagnetic frequencies. A new prototype cloak, made from SrTiO${}_3$ cuboids, demonstrates a simple approach to designing an invisibility cloak whose working frequency can be changed by altering its temperature.

In an isolated many-body localized system, initial quantum correlations can remain local rather than spread throughout the system. But experimental studies of such systems are difficult because of unavoidable interactions with the environment, which ultimately spoil the effect. A new method for controlling a photon bath demonstrates a first step toward understanding the effects of this coupling and extrapolating to fully isolated systems.

A new quantum communication protocol is robust in the presence of thermal noise, paving the way for all-microwave quantum networks.