For the first time, researchers simultaneously used ultrafast X-rays and electrons to image a shockwave in water, a “multi-messenger” view that reveals details previous experiments couldn’t see. Researchers found an unexpected layer of water vapor made the shockwave symmetric, a feature similar to what happens in certain targets used for inertial confinement fusion. The work shows how researchers can use small-but-mighty systems called laser-plasma accelerators to explore the

A team from the Faculty of Physics and the Centre for Quantum Optical Technologies at the Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw has developed a new method for measuring elusive terahertz signals using a "quantum antenna." The authors of the work utilized a novel setup for radio wave detection with Rydberg atoms to not only detect but also precisely calibrate a so-called frequency comb in the terahertz band. This band was until recently a white spot in the electroma

For a long time, the two areas of strong-field physics and quantum optics were considered independent areas of physics research without any significant overlaps. Whilst strong-field physics focuses on the behavior of material, such as atomic gases, in intense light fields, quantum optics focuses on researching special quantum properties of light that cannot be described within the framework of classical physics. Strong-field physics requires intense laser rays, in other words

Lasers that emit extremely short light pulses are highly precise and are used in manufacturing, medical applications, and research. The problem: efficient short-pulse lasers require a lot of space and are expensive. Researchers at the University of Stuttgart have developed a new system in cooperation with Stuttgart Instruments GmbH. It is more than twice as efficient as previous systems, fits in the palm of a hand, and is highly versatile. The scientists describe their approa

Imagine a cloud that shines like a neon sign, but instead of raindrops it contains countless microscopic dust grains floating in midair. This is a dusty plasma, a bizarre state of matter found both in deep space and in the laboratory. In a new study, published this week in Physical Review E, Auburn University physicists report that even weak magnetic fields can reshape how these dusty plasmas behave—slowing down or speeding up the growth of nanoparticles suspended inside. The

In physics, some of the most striking phenomena emerge when perfect symmetry shatters. This principle, known as spontaneous symmetry breaking, underlies everything from the Higgs mechanism that gives particles mass to the twist of DNA and the handedness of seashells. Researchers have now uncovered a particularly fascinating stage for this phenomenon in liquid crystals—soft materials that flow like liquids yet maintain molecular order like solids.

A research group led by Kusuki, The University of Tokyo Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU, WPI) and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) Professor Hirosi Ooguri, and Caltech researcher Sridip Pal, has shown the universal features of quantum entanglement structures in higher dimensions by applying theoretical techniques developed in the field of particle physics to quantum information theory. The research team focused on th

Usually, light waves can pass through each other without any resistance. According to the laws of electrodynamics, two light beams can exist in the same place without influencing each other; they simply overlap. Light saber battles, as seen in science fiction films, would therefore be rather boring in reality.

MIT physicists have performed an idealized version of one of the most famous experiments in quantum physics. Their findings demonstrate, with atomic-level precision, the dual yet evasive nature of light. They also happen to confirm that Albert Einstein was wrong about this particular quantum scenario.

Solar cells and computer chips need silicon layers that are as perfect as possible. Every imperfection in the crystalline structure of a silicon wafer increases the risk of reduced efficiency or defective switching processes. If you know how silicon atoms arrange themselves to form a crystal lattice on a thin surface, you gain fundamental insights into controlling crystal growth. To this end, a research team from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), the University

Researchers from the CMS collaboration at DESY and the University of Hamburg have detected an unexpected excess of top quark-antiquark pairs at very low energies. This effect was first observed in the 2016 data and has been further reinforced by the analyses of 2017 and 2018 data. The results suggest that top quarks and their antiparticles may be able to combine into a short-lived bound state known as ‘toponium’. Until now, it was considered virtually impossible that such bon

Researchers at The University of Osaka have developed a novel method for generating ultrahigh magnetic fields via laser-driven implosions of blade-structured microtubes. This method achieves field strengths approaching one megatesla—a breakthrough in compact, high-field plasma science.