A proposed class of dark-matter detectors will look for fluorescent photons emitted when bosonic dark-matter particles resonantly excite gas molecules.

Researchers have figured out how to improve contrast and reduce background noise in ultrasound images acquired with a technique that uses air-filled protein structures.

Competing lasing mechanisms—population inversion and Raman scattering—operate simultaneously at the same wavelength in an optically pumped solid-state device consisting of three electronic levels.

New experiments provide evidence that terahertz thermal phonons undergo specular surface reflections at room temperature and are sensitive to surface imperfections of just a few atoms, a key insight that is needed for novel methods of controlling heat flow.

A modified version of a spectroscopic technique used at large-scale radioactive-ion-beam facilities could be used in tabletop experiments.

A new framework for analyzing a common building block in artificial neural networks offers new possibilities for understanding, comparing, and using unsupervised statistical models.

New theoretical and experimental groundwork for characterizing and analyzing multilevel coherence in quantum systems reveals a strict hierarchy among levels of coherence.

Laser spectroscopy in supersonic jets can reveal properties of short-lived nuclei. A new characterization of jet flow properties determines the final performance of a next-generation approach called the in-gas-jet method.

Nonequilibrium experiments often lean on intuition from equilibrium physics, but that leads to misconceptions. A new analysis using many-body theory outlines a better approach to understanding these complex systems.

Measurements of thermal conductivity in a cuprate reveal new details about the enigmatic pseudogap phase, demonstrating that at absolute zero this phase is metallic with a low carrier density.

Most studies of large-scale networks omit measurement errors. A new method for reconstructing the underlying network from available data takes this into account, providing error estimates even when none exist.

New experiments show that singularities known as C points in a random light field behave drastically differently in 2D confinement. Whereas points with the same “charge” normally repel, here they do not.

New tools for quantum electrodynamics predict surprising new behavior in the Cherenkov effect and lay the groundwork for a better understanding of quantum electrodynamics at attosecond timescales.

A time-resolved x-ray study indicates that certain chemical changes of oxygen atoms during photosynthesis occur in a different order than current models predict.

New algorithms for simulating correlated electrons on a quantum computer enable fault-tolerant computation that runs millions of times faster than state-of-the-art approaches.

Quantum sources of randomness are more powerful than classical sources, a new insight that will help the design of protocols for quantum information and cryptography.

One of the most controversial phenomena in nonlinear dynamics is the recurrence of initial conditions. New optical experiments reveal the origin of this enigma and demonstrate the ability to reconstruct the initial condition of an unstable system.

Coupling electrons through a resonating microwave network, rather than directly, offers a robust scalable approach to designing quantum devices with electron-based qubits.

Analyses of chaotic quantum systems don’t capture spatial structure. A new model solves this problem and predicts how quantum information and entanglement entropy spread in such systems.

A new exact theory for plasma turbulence could lead to new insights into plasma environments and simplifications of the complex equations used to describe them.

A new framework for predicting materials behavior at high pressure combines computational approximations with extant materials data to provide a tool for discovering new materials and their properties under nonambient conditions.

New calculations reveal nine incommensurate magnetic phases, which promise to explain puzzling findings in iron-based superconductors and open new perspectives for novel topological phases of matter.

Simulations of compressed binary single crystals provide new insight into the fabrication of ultrafine-grained polycrystals and the crystal-glass transition.

A new investigation of the candidate topological superconductor Cu${}_x$Bi${}_2$Se${}_3$ reveals microscopic details of its superconductivity under various magnetic fields, which is potentially useful insight for topological quantum computing.

In a newly discovered liquid crystalline nematic phase, a combination of molecular wedge shape and polarity leads to a fan-shaped deformation accompanied by polar order, which opens up possibilities for unique electrical behavior and properties.

A theoretical generalization of high-spin physics in topological insulators and semiconductors shows new phenomena, such as the presence of richer phases and unique superconductivity.

A proposed quantum network architecture offers a solution to the problems inherent in linking qubits with mechanical waves, which have several advantages over photons as information carriers.

New experiments reveal two bands of excitation for spin waves in the insulating honeycomb ferromagnet CrI${}_3$, showing promise for potential spintronic applications.

Contrary to wide belief, the onset of chaotic activity in a neural network does not coincide with optimal information processing in the presence of time-varying inputs.

New theoretical work investigates topological insulators with synthetic dimensions and finds that the interactions in such systems are effectively long ranged and lead to unexpected classification of topological insulators.

A 1D chain of bosonic cavities driven in the appropriate manner should exhibit many unique properties suitable for novel realizations of quantum amplifiers and entangled-light generators.

A new approach to single-shot real-time readout of spin-based qubits with just one gate demonstrates high readout fidelity, an important step for scaling up spin-based quantum processors.

Tensor networks are a powerful tool for studying emergent behavior in physical systems, but they often fail at predicting nonlocal properties. A new procedure demonstrates precisely how to extract that information.

An optomechanical scheme selectively dampens sound waves traveling in a centimeter-long optical waveguide.

Experiments reveal that Mn${}_3$NiN has enormous ability to control heat flow when subjected to mechanical pressure, establishing the family of Mn-antiperovskite materials as promising tools for energy-efficient refrigeration.

Microbunched electron beams in a free-electron laser (FEL) rotate toward a new direction of travel if kicked, an insight that could lead to improved multiuser operation at FEL facilities.

Experiments demonstrate that a room in a house or office building could act as an analog computer processing the microwaves used for Wi-Fi.

A new theoretical framework for studying nonclassicality provides a scheme for understanding this resource in quantum optics and describes quantum technologies in which it may be useful.

A theoretical analysis of the pyrochlore iridate Pr${}_2$Ir${}_2$O${}_7$ reveals an interplay between spins and conduction electrons that could be leveraged to drive transitions among topological phases.

Computer simulations reveal how disorder in insulating quantum magnets can lead to a new kind of state, which has implications for the role of various sources of disorder in experimental observations of so-called spin liquids.

A new theoretical analysis explores the nature and origin of the superconducting and insulating phases recently seen in twisted bilayer graphene.

New experiments show that the use of chirps inspired by biological sonar can probe the mechanical properties of rapidly changing soft materials with unprecedented resolution in a fraction of the time as standard techniques.

A new theoretical framework provides a mathematically rigorous approach to network design that provides the desired spectrum of resonances—and hence network behavior—for a wide array of real-world complex systems.

An experimental investigation into collisions between ultracold sodium rubidium molecules reveals the complexity of dipolar molecular interactions and how they can be manipulated with electric fields.

By engineering the Berry curvature in a Heusler magnet, it is possible to tune the anomalous Hall conductivity without affecting the material’s magnetization.

New experiments demonstrate the validity of the Kelvin equation in describing nucleation at molecular scales in a vapor-to-liquid transition, potentially paving the way toward a better understanding of this fundamental process.

New experiments reveal anomalous metamagnetic transitions in single crystals of YbRh${}_3$Si${}_7$, likely arising from competition between the crystal’s highly anisotropic electric field and magnetic exchange interactions.

A machine-learning based approach to computing the energy and forces of silicon atoms circumvents the need for complex electronic structure calculations, offering an efficient method for predicting material properties that can be extended to other materials.

In the quantum world, all that is needed to extract the optimal amount of work from a quantum system are two simple experimental controls—changing the energy levels and thermalizing over any two of those levels.

It may be possible to create a confined electronic spin qubit with a long coherence time in a semiconductor quantum dot, greatly increasing the utility of quantum dots as light-matter interfaces in quantum information processing applications.

Recent research has hinted at the need for a family of thermodynamic second laws at the quantum scale, but a new analysis shows this isn’t always the case.

A new analysis shows that rates of plasma dissipation stabilize in large systems and strong applied magnetic fields, thus enabling better estimates of heating in numerous space and astrophysical applications.

A new model of organ shape development explains morphological features seen in several developing organs that cannot be explained via a classical mechanism thought to control organ wrinkling and folding generally.

A new optical-tweezer design allows researchers to trap and probe single strontium atoms, whose two valence electrons could pave the way to new timekeeping devices and quantum computing architectures.

New experiments demonstrate the ability to image and cool individual strontium atoms in an array of optical tweezers, paving the way to controlled manipulation of alkaline-earth atoms in a wide variety of applications.

New experiments find that Majorana zero modes—quasiparticles with potential quantum computing applications—can persist in topological superconductors, despite previous difficulties in doing so.