NEWSROOM

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have identified a stricter criterion for when quantum computers can outperform classical machines. Magic states, special qubit configurations required for universal quantum computation, are necessary but not always sufficient. Many states previously regarded as useful magic can still be simulated efficiently on classical computers. The team used the Kirkwood–Dirac distribution, a 1945 quasi-probability framework associated with Paul

Researchers at the University of Utah and the University of Texas at Austin have developed a holographic 3D printing method that forms complete objects in a single laser exposure. A nanopatterned mask diffracts the beam into a volumetric intensity pattern that crosslinks a specially formulated resin only in the intended solid regions. Because exposure occurs much faster than curing, computationally designed masks can keep selected volumes dark enough to remain hollow. The app

Thermodynamics was built for steam engines; quantum mechanics for atoms. The two meet again in a driven cavity, where an atom absorbs and emits photons while a laser continuously supplies energy and light leaks through the mirrors. Patrick Potts and colleagues at the University of Basel treat this textbook open system as a miniature light engine. Their key step is not to count every escaping photon as waste heat. Part of that outgoing energy can still do work on another quant

Electrons are indivisible, yet in a strong magnetic field they can move as if they carried only a fraction of their charge. Mitali Banerjee’s group at EPFL has built a bilayer-graphene antidot—a small electrically defined energy hill—that measures those fractions directly. Quasiparticles circle the hill and tunnel at regular intervals as the magnetic field or gate voltage is swept. The spacing of the resulting conductance oscillations gives the charge. The team recorded e/3 a

Rice University researchers have shown that sub-nanometer wrinkles in graphene generate flexoelectric charge separation, reshaping local electrical behavior through curvature alone. Extreme bending produces polarization far stronger than in larger systems and may enable geometry-controlled electronics without chemical doping. Published in Advanced Materials.

Researchers at the University of Basel and Technical University of Munich have used light to probe the collective motion of electrons in a Wigner crystal formed in monolayer tungsten diselenide. Optical signatures of Wigner crystal polarons reveal internal dynamics of this fragile quantum state, opening a new window into strongly correlated electronic systems. Published in Nature Physics.

Researchers have observed a three-dimensional woven structure of interlaced nano-dipole ensembles forming spontaneously inside a ferroelectric crystal. The fabric-like network emerges during cooling through a phase transition and can be locally untangled with focused laser light. The discovery reveals a new form of material organization with potential topological implications. Published in Light: Science & Applications.

Researchers at the University of Science and Technology of China have demonstrated skin mode tunability in photonic Floquet lattices. A potential applied at one boundary isolates a skin mode at the opposite boundary, turning it into a self-healing state that recovers its profile after disturbance. The approach enables control of non-Hermitian wave dynamics for mode routing and optical switching. Published in PhotoniX.

A joint team from SNU, KAIST, and KBSI has identified the distinct reaction sites of silver nanocatalysts in solid oxide cells. During electricity generation the catalyst–electrode interface dominates, while during hydrogen production the nanoparticle surface is key. The finding enables new design principles for higher-efficiency green hydrogen and clean power systems. Published in Energy & Environmental Science.

MIT and Broad Institute researchers have developed U-STORM, a super-resolution microscopy platform using engineered upconverting nanoparticles that blink spontaneously and indefinitely. The method achieves 0.6-angstrom localization precision with a single near-infrared laser, enabling multicolor imaging without complex buffers or multiple lasers. This simplifies high-precision molecular imaging for biological applications. Published in Nature Nanotechnology.

Rice University researchers and collaborators have found that ultrathin, strained ruthenium dioxide exhibits spin textures consistent with altermagnetism, a newly recognized class of magnetism. Lattice strain induces the magnetic state absent in the bulk form, offering a potential control mechanism for spintronic devices and next-generation RAM architectures. Published in Science Advances.

Researchers at the University of Osaka have developed an autonomous solid-state nanopore that senses molecules, generates electrical signals, and retains memory of recent events without external control. Chemical reactions inside the pore continuously reshape its structure, producing molecule-specific signal patterns. Machine learning distinguished DNA nucleotides and amino acids from these signatures. Published in ACS Nano.