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A device made of multilayer graphene exhibits topologically protected edge currents whose direction can be switched using an electric field.

Topological phases of matter have captivated physicists for several decades, promising exotic phenomena and new paradigms for electronic devices [1]. So-called Chern insulators—systems exhibiting quantized Hall conductance without an external magnetic field—are particularly enticing. These materials support dissipationless, one-way electron transport along their edges, which could enable robust low-power electronics or even form the backbone of future topological quantum-computing architectures [2]. Yet, the defining feature of a Chern insulator—its chirality, which determines the direction of the edge-state current—is set by material symmetry and is therefore notoriously rigid and difficult to manipulate dynamically [3–5].

A mysterious menagerie of quantum states — once purely theoretical — has been brought to life by researchers at Columbia using twisted molybdenum ditelluride.

These newly observed states, some never seen before, hint at the possibility of topological quantum computers that don’t require magnetic fields, overcoming a major obstacle in the field. By employing a highly sensitive optical technique, scientists have not only identified a range of exotic quantum states but also demonstrated a new experimental approach that may transform the way we study quantum matter.

Quantum States: A Growing “Zoo”

Working with the Quantum Statistical Physics (PQS) group, Dengis developed a protocol for rapidly generating NOON states. “These states, which look like miniature versions of Schrödinger’s famous cat, are quantum superpositions,” he explains. “They are of major interest for technologies such as ultra-precise quantum sensors or quantum computers.”

The obstacle of time

The main challenge? Manufacturing these states normally takes far too long. We’re talking tens of minutes or more, which often exceeds the lifetime of the experiment. The cause? An energy bottleneck, a “sharp bend” in the system’s evolution that forces it to slow down.

Microsoft has released the optional KB5055612 preview cumulative update for Windows 10 22H2 with two changes, including a fix for a GPU paravirtualization bug in Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL2).

The KB5055612 cumulative update preview is part of Microsoft’s “optional non-security preview updates” schedule, typically released at the end of every month. This update allows Windows admins to test upcoming fixes and features that will be released in the upcoming May Patch Tuesday.

Unlike Patch Tuesday cumulative updates, this preview update does not include security updates.

To address issues in stellarator reactors, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory has developed its QUADCOIL computer code for optimizing and accelerating the design process.

Quantum technologies, which operate leveraging quantum mechanical phenomena, have the potential to outperform their classical counterparts in some optimization and computational tasks. These technologies include so-called quantum networks, systems designed to transmit information between interconnected nodes and process it, using quantum phenomena such as entanglement and superposition.

Quantum networks could eventually contribute to the advancement of communications, sensing and computing. Before this can happen, however, existing systems will need to be improved and perfected, to ensure that they can transfer and process data both reliably and efficiently, minimizing errors.

Researchers at Tsinghua University, Hefei National Laboratory and the Beijing Academy of Quantum Information Sciences recently demonstrated the coherent control of a hybrid and scalable quantum network node. Their demonstration, outlined in Nature Physics, was realized by combining solutions and techniques that they developed as part of their earlier work.

There are a seemingly endless number of quantum states that describe quantum matter and the strange phenomena that emerge when large numbers of electrons interact. For decades, many of these states have been theoretical: mathematical and computational predictions potentially hiding among real-life materials—a zoo, as many scientists are coming to refer to it, with new “species” just waiting to be discovered and described.

In a new study published on April 3 in Nature, researchers added over a dozen states to the growing quantum zoo.

“Some of these states have never been seen before,” said lead author Xiaoyang Zhu, Howard Family Professor of Nanoscience at Columbia. “And we didn’t expect to see so many either.”

Researchers have achieved a major leap in quantum computing by simulating Google’s 53-qubit Sycamore circuit using over 1,400 GPUs and groundbreaking algorithmic techniques. Their efficient tensor network methods and clever “top-k” sampling approach drastically reduce the memory and computational