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Category: particle physics – Page 30

Laying the groundwork for quantum communication systems of the future, engineers at Caltech have demonstrated the successful operation of a quantum network of two nodes, each containing multiple quantum bits, or qubits—the fundamental information-storing building blocks of quantum computers.

To achieve this, the researchers developed a new protocol for distributing in a parallel manner, effectively creating multiple channels for sending data, or multiplexing. The work was accomplished by embedding ytterbium atoms inside crystals and coupling them to optical cavities—nanoscale structures that capture and guide light. This platform has unique properties that make it ideal for using multiple qubits to transmit quantum information-carrying photons in parallel.

“This is the first-ever demonstration of entanglement multiplexing in a quantum network of individual spin qubits,” says Andrei Faraon (BS ‘04), the William L. Valentine Professor of Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering at Caltech. “This method significantly boosts quantum communication rates between nodes, representing a major leap in the field.”

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Researchers at the National Graphene Institute at the University of Manchester have achieved a significant milestone in the field of quantum electronics with their latest study on spin injection in graphene. The paper, published recently in Communications Materials, outlines advancements in spintronics and quantum transport.

Spin electronics, or spintronics, represents a revolutionary alternative to traditional electronics by utilizing the spin of electrons rather than their charge to transfer and store information. This method promises energy-efficient and high-speed solutions that exceed the limitations of classical computation, for next generation classical and quantum computation.

The Manchester team, led by Dr. Ivan Vera-Marun, has fully encapsulated in , an insulating and atomically flat 2D material, to protect its high quality. By engineering the 2D material stack to expose only the edges of , and laying magnetic nanowire electrodes over the stack, they successfully form one-dimensional (1D) contacts.

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A new study from the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) explores the behavior of photons, the elementary particles of light, as they encounter boundaries where material properties change rapidly over time. This research uncovers remarkable quantum optical phenomena that may enhance quantum technology and paves the road for an exciting nascent field: four-dimensional quantum optics.

Four-dimensional optics is a research area investigating light scattering from structures which change in time and space. It holds immense promise for advancing microwave and optical technologies by enabling functionalities such as frequency conversion, amplification, polarization engineering and asymmetric scattering. That is why it has captured the interest of many researchers across the globe.

Previous years have seen significant strides in this area. For instance, a 2024 study published in Nature Photonics and also involving UEF highlights how incorporating optical features like resonances can drastically influence the interaction of electromagnetic fields with time-varying two-dimensional structures, opening exotic possibilities to control light.

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To develop a practical fusion power system, scientists need to fully understand how the plasma fuel interacts with its surroundings. The plasma is superheated, which means some of the atoms involved can strike the wall of the fusion vessel and become embedded. To keep the system working efficiently, it’s important to know how much fuel might be trapped.

“The less fuel is trapped in the wall, the less radioactive material builds up,” said Shota Abe, a staff research physicist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL).

Abe is the lead researcher on a study published in Nuclear Materials and Energy. The study looks specifically at how much —thought to be one of the best fuels for —might get stuck in the boron-coated, graphite walls of a doughnut-shaped fusion vessel known as a tokamak. Boron is used in some experimental fusion systems to reduce plasma impurities. However, researchers do not fully understand how a boron coating might impact the amount of fusion fuel that leaves the plasma and becomes embedded in the vessel walls.

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A team of scientists from Princeton University has measured the energies of electrons in a new class of quantum materials and has found them to follow a fractal pattern. Fractals are self-repeating patterns that occur on different length scales and can be seen in nature in a variety of settings, including snowflakes, ferns, and coastlines.

A quantum version of a , known as “Hofstadter’s butterfly,” has long been predicted, but the new study marks the first time it has been directly observed experimentally in a real material. This research paves the way toward understanding how interactions among electrons, which were left out of the theory originally proposed in 1976, give rise to new features in these quantum fractals.

The study was made possible by a recent breakthrough in , which involved stacking and twisting two sheets of carbon atoms to create a pattern of electrons that resembles a common French textile known as a moiré design.

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Scientists are hunting for axions, tiny particles that could solve major physics mysteries, including why neutrons don’t have an electric dipole moment and what dark matter is made of. Using the powerful European XFEL in Hamburg, researchers fired X-rays through special crystals, hoping to witness axions converting into light—a sign of their existence. This pioneering experiment, already competitive with major particle accelerator studies, demonstrates that XFEL technology could be a game-changer in particle physics.

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Dark matter is an elusive type of matter that does not emit, absorb or reflect light and is thus impossible to detect using conventional techniques employed in particle physics. In recent years, groups of physicists worldwide have been trying to observe this matter indirectly using advanced detectors and equipment, by detecting signals other than electromagnetic radiation that could be linked to its activity or interactions with other matter.

Researchers at Tokyo Metropolitan University, PhotoCross Co. Ltd, Kyoto Sangyo University and other collaborating institutions recently released the findings of the first search for dark matter that relied on data collected by WINERED, a near-infrared and high-dispersion spectrograph mounted on a in Chile.

Their paper, published in Physical Review Letters, sets the most stringent constraints to date on the lifetime of dark matter particles with masses between 1.8 and 2.7 eV.

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From integrated photonics to quantum information science, the ability to control light with electric fields—a phenomenon known as the electro-optic effect—supports vital applications such as light modulation and frequency transduction. These components rely on nonlinear optical materials, in which light waves can be manipulated by applying electric fields.

Conventional nonlinear optical materials such as lithium niobate have a large electro-optic response but are hard to integrate with silicon devices. In the search for silicon-compatible materials, aluminum scandium nitride (AlScN), which had already been flagged as an excellent piezoelectric—referring to a material’s ability to generate electricity when pressure is applied, or to deform when an electric field is applied—has come to the fore. However, better control of its properties and means to enhance its electro-optic coefficients are still required.

Researchers in Chris Van de Walle’s computational materials group at UC Santa Barbara have now uncovered ways to achieve these goals. Their study, published in Applied Physics Letters, explains how adjusting the material’s atomic structure and composition can boost its performance. Strong electro-optic response requires a large concentration of scandium—but the specific arrangement of the scandium atoms within the AlN crystal lattice matters.

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RESEARCHERS at Rice University, US have discovered a green process which can quickly and cheaply produce graphene from almost any carbon source, including coal, mixed plastic waste, biomass, and waste food. It could facilitate a reduction in the environmental impact of concrete and other building materials.

Graphene is the strongest known material. It is comprised of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a two-dimensional hexagonal lattice, in which one atom forms each vertex. A tiny amount of graphene can significantly enhance the properties of materials such as plastics, paints, composites, wood composites, concrete, metals, and lubricant. However, it is expensive to manufacture, so has limited industrial applications.

The process discovered at Rice employs flash Joule heating is a process where an electric current is passed through a conductor to produce heat. Using a custom reactor, the Rice researchers can produce graphene in 10 ms. The carbon source is placed between two electrodes and 200 V is applied in a short electrical pulse, heating the material to more than 3,000K (2726.9°C). Non-carbon elements sublime and the remaining carbon atoms reconstruct into carbon.

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Scientists have found a new way to control quantum information using a special material, chromium sulfide bromide.

It can store and process data in multiple forms, but its magnetic properties are the real game-changer. By adjusting its magnetization, researchers can confine excitons—quantum particles that carry information—allowing for longer-lasting quantum states and new ways to process data.

Quantum “Miracle Material” Enables Magnetic Switching.

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