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Illustration of the spatially structured self-imaging phenomenon known as the Montgomery effect. The color palette corresponds to the phase profile of the light, revealing the helical wavefront of light with orbital angular momentum, re-appearing over propagation. @ Joshua Mornhinweg First demonstration of the structured Montgomery effect in free space Applied physicists in the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have demonstrated a new w

© EPFL “The concept of time has troubled philosophers and physicists for thousands of years, and the advent of quantum mechanics has not simplified the problem,” says Professor Hugo Dil, a physicist at EPFL. “The central problem is the general role of time in quantum mechanics, and especially the timescale associated with a quantum transition.” Quantum events, like tunnelling, or an electron changing its state by absorbing a photon, happen at mind‑bending speeds. Some take on

Caption:This image of a woven deformable metamaterial was taken with a scanning electron microscope. @Image courtesy of the researchers. New framework supports design and fabrication of compliant materials such as printable textiles and functional foams, letting users predict deformation and material failure. Metamaterials — materials whose properties are primarily dictated by their internal microstructure, and not their chemical makeup — have been redefining the engineering

The three atoms of the excited NeKr 2 trimer keep roaming around each other for up to one picosecond. © FHI Together with an international team, researchers from the Molecular Physics Department at the Fritz Haber Institute revealed how atoms rearrange themselves before releasing low-energy electrons in a decay process initiated by X-ray irradiation. For the first time, they gain detailed insights into the timing of the process – shedding light on related radiation damage me

The researchers used a laser pulse (blue) to change the polarity of a ferromagnetic state in a special material consisting of twisted atomic layers (red).   (Visualisation: Enrique Sahagún, Scixel / ETH Zurich, University of Basel) Researchers at ETH Zurich and the University of Basel have succeeded in changing the polarity of a special ferromagnet using a laser beam. In the future, this method could be used to create adaptable electronic circuits with light.     In a ferroma

Figure | Dynamic tuning of Bloch modes in the α-MoO₃ PoC/graphene device. a , Schematic of an α-MoO 3 PoC/graphene device, consisting of a square periodically perforated α-MoO 3 /graphene heterostructure on a SiO 2 (285 nm)/Si substrate. b Theoretically calculated band structure of the α-MoO 3 PoC as a function of E F at a fixed frequency of 931 cm −1 . The yellow dashed lines indicate the free space light cone. Inset: the first Brillouin zone of the square-type PoC. Cre

UCLA study sets new benchmarks for 3D, atom-by-atom maps of disordered materials @ UCLA Researchers at the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA published a step-by-step framework for determining the three-dimensional positions and elemental identities of atoms in amorphous materials. These solids, such as glass, lack the repeating atomic patterns seen in a crystal. The team analyzed realistically simulated electron-microscope data and tested how each step affected accura

It has been revealed that simply twisting and stacking two layers of oxide crystals can allow the atomic arrangement itself to control the behavior of electrons. Much like the new patterns that emerge when two meshes are overlapped and rotated, a twisted oxide interface forms specific atomic configurations that act as an “invisible fence,” either trapping or repelling electrons. A research team from Korea has elucidated the mechanism underlying this phenomenon in twisted oxid

More than a century after the Titanic sank, engineers still have hopes of someday creating “unsinkable” ships. In a step toward reaching that lofty goal, researchers at the University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics have developed a new process that turns ordinary metal tubes unsinkable—meaning they will stay afloat no matter how long they are forced into water or how heavily they are damaged.

Scientists have created 3D printed surfaces featuring intricate textures that can be used to bounce unwanted gas particles away from quantum sensors, allowing useful particles like atoms to be delivered more efficiently, which could help improve measurement accuracy. The researchers from the University of Nottingham’s School of Physics and Astronomy created intricate, fine-scale surface textures that preferentially bounce incident particles in particular directions. This can

In a new study, an international group of researchers has found that chiral phonons can create orbital current without needing magnetic elements – in part because chiral phonons have their own magnetic moments. Additionally, this effect can be achieved in common crystal materials. The work has potential for the development of less expensive, energy-efficient orbitronic devices for use in a wide array of electronics. All electronic devices are based upon the charge of an elect

Can a small lump of metal be in a quantum state that extends over distant locations? A research team at the University of Vienna answers this question with a resounding yes. In the journal Nature, physicists from the University of Vienna and the University of Duisburg-Essen show that even massive nanoparticles consisting of thousands of sodium atoms follow the rules of quantum mechanics. The experiment is currently one of the best tests of quantum mechanics on a macroscopic s