https://phys.org/physics-news/quantum-physics en-us The latest news on quantum physics, wave particle duality, quantum theory, quantum mechanics, quantum entanglement, quantum teleportation, and quantum computing. Long before researchers discovered the electron and its role in generating electrical current, they knew about electricity and were exploring its potential. One thing they learned early on was that metals were great conductors of both electricity and heat. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-law-quirky-quantum-materials.html General Physics Quantum Physics Thu, 30 Nov 2023 14:00:02 EST news620568352 A future quantum network may become less of a stretch thanks to researchers at the University of Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory and Cambridge University. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-diamond-quantum-bits.html Condensed Matter Quantum Physics Thu, 30 Nov 2023 10:11:08 EST news620561465 The practice of keeping time hinges on stable oscillations. In a grandfather clock, the length of a second is marked by a single swing of the pendulum. In a digital watch, the vibrations of a quartz crystal mark much smaller fractions of time. And in atomic clocks, the world's state-of-the-art timekeepers, the oscillations of a laser beam stimulate atoms to vibrate at 9.2 billion times per second. These smallest, most stable divisions of time set the timing for today's satellite communications, GPS systems, and financial markets. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-stable-clocks-quantum-phenomena-presence.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Thu, 30 Nov 2023 09:53:04 EST news620560381 Quantum technologies are currently maturing at a breath-taking pace. These technologies exploit principles of quantum mechanics in suitably engineered systems, with bright prospects such as boosting computational efficiencies or communication security well beyond what is possible with devices based on today's 'classical' technologies. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-quantum-storage-entangled-photons-telecom.html Quantum Physics Wed, 29 Nov 2023 11:22:04 EST news620479322 Entanglement is a quantum phenomenon where the properties of two or more particles become interconnected in such a way that one cannot assign a definite state to each individual particle anymore. Rather, we have to consider all particles at once that share a certain state. The entanglement of the particles ultimately determines the properties of a material. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-quantum-tool-door-uncharted-phenomena.html Quantum Physics Wed, 29 Nov 2023 11:00:01 EST news620476122 Scientists have developed a new way to study the shapes of atomic nuclei and their internal building blocks. The method relies on modeling the production of certain particles from high-energy collisions of electrons with nuclear targets. Such collisions will take place at the future Electron Ion Collider (EIC). The findings are published in the journal Physical Review Letters. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-theoretical-future-electron-ion-collider.html General Physics Quantum Physics Wed, 29 Nov 2023 10:27:29 EST news620476047 In the search for new particles and forces in nature, physicists are on the hunt for behaviors within atoms and molecules that are forbidden by the tried-and-true Standard Model of particle physics. Any deviations from this model could indicate what physicists affectionately refer to as "new physics." https://phys.org/news/2023-11-scientists-method-deviations-standard-physics.html General Physics Quantum Physics Wed, 29 Nov 2023 10:26:53 EST news620476011 Researchers from the University of Ottawa (uOttawa), in collaboration with the Weizmann Institute of Science and Lancaster University, have observed a hidden quantum transition that can only be seen depending on how observers perform measurements. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-hidden-quantum-transition-bridges-gap.html Quantum Physics Wed, 29 Nov 2023 09:56:03 EST news620474161 High-energy ion collisions at the Large Hadron Collider are capable of producing a quark-gluon plasma. But are heavy atomic nuclei really necessary for its formation? And above all: how are secondary particles later born from this plasma? Further clues in the search for answers to these questions are provided by the latest analysis of collisions between protons and protons or ions, observed in the LHCb experiment. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-lhcb-nuances-particle-birth.html General Physics Quantum Physics Tue, 28 Nov 2023 09:37:20 EST news620386637 When a negatively charged electron and a positively charged hole in a pair remain bound together following excitation by light, they produce states known as excitons. These states can influence the optical properties of materials, in turn enabling their use for developing various technologies. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-formation-excitonic-mott-insulator-state.html Condensed Matter Quantum Physics Mon, 27 Nov 2023 09:10:01 EST news620039139 True to form, a "strange metal" quantum material proved strangely quiet in recent quantum noise experiments at Rice University. Published this week in Science, the measurements of quantum charge fluctuations known as "shot noise" provide the first direct evidence that electricity seems to flow through strange metals in an unusual liquidlike form that cannot be readily explained in terms of quantized packets of charge known as quasiparticles. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-physicists-evidence-exotic-quantum-material.html Condensed Matter Quantum Physics Thu, 23 Nov 2023 14:00:01 EST news619867666 In recent years, physicists have been trying to better understand how quantum information spreads in systems of interacting particles—a phenomenon often referred to as "scrambling." Scrambling in closed systems, physical systems that can only exchange energy with degrees of freedom within the system, is a characteristic feature of chaotic many-body quantum dynamics. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-universal-framework-scrambling-quantum.html Quantum Physics Thu, 23 Nov 2023 12:00:01 EST news619782696 For the first time, researchers have succeeded in selectively exciting a molecule using a combination of two extreme-ultraviolet light sources and causing the molecule to dissociate while tracking it over time. This is another step towards specific quantum mechanical control of chemical reactions, which could enable new, previously unknown reaction channels. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-combining-extreme-ultraviolet-sources-quantum-mechanical.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Wed, 22 Nov 2023 15:53:03 EST news619890781 Writing in PRX Quantum, Nathan Goldman and Lucila Peralta Gavensky (Science Faculty, ULB) and their colleagues introduce a general framework for modifying and controlling the nature of nonlinearities in a broad class of physical systems, including optical devices and quantum atomic gases. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-transcending-nonlinear-media-framework-nature.html Quantum Physics Tue, 21 Nov 2023 13:33:02 EST news619795981 Zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) is a cryptographic tool that allows for the verification of validity between mutually untrusted parties without disclosing additional information. Non-interactive zero-knowledge proof (NIZKP) is a variant of ZKP with the feature of not requiring multiple information exchanges. Therefore, NIZKP is widely used in the fields of digital signature, blockchain, and identity authentication. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-zero-knowledge-proof-based-device-independent-quantum.html Quantum Physics Tue, 21 Nov 2023 10:17:26 EST news619784244 Processing quantum information relies on interacting qubits—the basic building blocks of quantum information—to perform computational tasks. Scientists are searching for the optimal qubit platform that can perform operations more efficiently, accurately and as fast as possible. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-ions-nano-sized-particles-platform-quantum.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Tue, 21 Nov 2023 09:56:49 EST news619783006 As demand rises for increased data storage and faster-performing computers, researchers are creating a new generation of materials to meet consumers' expectations. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-magnets.html Condensed Matter Quantum Physics Tue, 21 Nov 2023 04:12:31 EST news619762349 Researchers at the University of Warsaw's Faculty of Physics have superposed two light beams twisted in the clockwise direction to create anti-clockwise twists in the dark regions of the resultant superposition. The results of the research have been published in Optica. This discovery has implications for the study of light-matter interactions and represents a step towards the observation of a peculiar phenomenon known as a quantum backflow. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-boomerang-like-quantum-backflow-dimensions.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Mon, 20 Nov 2023 12:44:21 EST news619706658 Quantum scientists have discovered a rare phenomenon that could hold the key to creating a 'perfect switch' in quantum devices which flips between being an insulator and a superconductor. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-reveals-rare-metal-revolutionary-future.html Condensed Matter Quantum Physics Mon, 20 Nov 2023 10:38:47 EST news619699123 Scientists carrying out quantum research will be able to do so faster and more adaptably, thanks to a new robotic arm which could hold the key to major breakthroughs. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-robot-arm-poised-heights-quantum.html Quantum Physics Fri, 17 Nov 2023 11:02:13 EST news619441329 In 1973, physicist Phil Anderson hypothesized that the quantum spin liquid, or QSL, state existed on some triangular lattices, but he lacked the tools to delve deeper. Fifty years later, a team led by researchers associated with the Quantum Science Center headquartered at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has confirmed the presence of QSL behavior in a new material with this structure, KYbSe2. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-three-pronged-approach-discerns-qualities-quantum.html Condensed Matter Quantum Physics Thu, 16 Nov 2023 15:31:47 EST news619371091 For the first time in space, scientists have produced a mixture of two quantum gases made of two types of atoms. Accomplished with NASA's Cold Atom Laboratory aboard the International Space Station, the achievement marks another step toward bringing quantum technologies currently available only on Earth into space. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-scientists-stage-quantum-chemistry-space.html Quantum Physics Wed, 15 Nov 2023 12:30:16 EST news619273810 For a magnet to stick to a fridge door, several physical effects inside of it need to work together perfectly. The magnetic moments of its electrons all point in the same direction, even if no external magnetic field forces them to do so. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-ferromagnetism-alignment-magnetic-moments.html Condensed Matter Quantum Physics Wed, 15 Nov 2023 11:44:06 EST news619271042 Absolutely empty—that is how most of us envision the vacuum. Yet, in reality, it is filled with an energetic flickering: the quantum fluctuations. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-tracking-quantum-fluctuations-vacuum-explore.html Quantum Physics Mon, 13 Nov 2023 10:25:03 EST news619093501 Deep within every piece of magnetic material, electrons dance to the invisible tune of quantum mechanics. Their spins, akin to tiny atomic tops, dictate the magnetic behavior of the material they inhabit. This microscopic ballet is the cornerstone of magnetic phenomena, and it's these spins that a team of JILA researchers—headed by JILA Fellows and University of Colorado Boulder professors Margaret Murnane and Henry Kapteyn—has learned to control with remarkable precision, potentially redefining the future of electronics and data storage. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-secrets-high-harmonic-probes.html Condensed Matter Quantum Physics Fri, 10 Nov 2023 14:00:01 EST news618827886 Quantum materials hold the key to a future of lightning-speed, energy-efficient information systems. The problem with tapping their transformative potential is that in solids, the vast number of atoms often drowns out the exotic quantum properties electrons carry. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-leverages-chiral-phonons-quantum-effect.html Condensed Matter Quantum Physics Thu, 09 Nov 2023 15:22:03 EST news618765721 Researchers from the Niels Bohr Institute (NBI) have removed a key obstacle for development of extremely sensitive monitoring devices based on quantum technology. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-major-obstacle-quantum-sensor.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Wed, 08 Nov 2023 12:40:40 EST news618669637 Electrons move through a conducting material like commuters at the height of Manhattan rush hour. The charged particles may jostle and bump against each other, but for the most part, they're unconcerned with other electrons as they hurtle forward, each with their own energy. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-physicists-electrons-3d-crystal.html Condensed Matter Quantum Physics Wed, 08 Nov 2023 12:40:07 EST news618669604 A method developed at the University of Duisburg-Essen makes it possible to read data from noisy signals. Theoretical physicists and their experimental colleagues have published their findings in the current issue of Physical Review Research. The method they describe could also be significant for quantum computers. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-eavesdropping-electron-method-noise.html Condensed Matter Quantum Physics Wed, 08 Nov 2023 11:06:17 EST news618663969 The Muon g-2 Collaboration is a large group of researchers at different institutes worldwide collaborating on the Muon g-2 experiment. This is a research effort aimed at exploring the interactions of muons, short-lived particles that are essentially heavy electrons, using powerful accelerators at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab). https://phys.org/news/2023-11-muon-g-positive-anomalous-magnetic.html General Physics Quantum Physics Wed, 08 Nov 2023 07:30:01 EST news618597026