A team of researchers has developed a miniature, energy-efficient device capable of creating photon.

A photon is a particle of light. It is the basic unit of light and other electromagnetic radiation, and is responsible for the electromagnetic force, one of the four fundamental forces of nature. Photons have no mass, but they do have energy and momentum. They travel at the speed of light in a vacuum, and can have different wavelengths, which correspond to different colors of light. Photons can also have different energies, which correspond to different frequencies of light.

A bottom-up approach hints string scattering could be a real thing. Maybe it is time we look beyond electrons and quarks.

For decades, scientists have been looking for evidence of strings that connect everything in the universe. A new model offers a promising hint.

Three theoretical studies have uncovered novel types of topological order inherent in open quantum systems, enriching our understanding of quantum phases of matter.

Nature showcases an extraordinary diversity of phases of matter, including many that can be understood only through the principles of quantum mechanics. Such quantum phases can exhibit topological order, characterized by long-range quantum correlations and exotic quasiparticle excitations. Despite extensive theoretical and experimental exploration over the past few decades, our knowledge of topological order has been largely restricted to closed quantum systems. However, real-world quantum systems are inevitably influenced by dissipation and decoherence, underscoring the need for a deeper understanding of open quantum systems—those that exchange energy, particles, or information with their surroundings. Now three research teams have identified new forms of topological order intrinsic to open quantum systems, expanding the spectrum of possible quantum phases and paving the way for advances in quantum information science [1– 3].

Conventionally, different phases of matter are classified based on symmetry. For example, ferromagnets break rotational symmetry since their magnetic moments align in a specific direction, even though the underlying physical laws remain invariant under spatial rotation. While this concept of spontaneous symmetry breaking has proven valuable, the past few decades have seen a new paradigm: topological phases of matter. Representative examples of these phases, such as fractional quantum Hall fluids and quantum spin liquids, display topological order [4]. This property does not arise from spontaneous symmetry breaking but from an intricate pattern of entanglement—nonlocal correlations central to quantum physics.

Phonons, the quantum mechanical vibrations of atoms in solids, are often sources of noise in solid-state quantum systems, including quantum technologies, which can lead to decoherence and thus adversely impact their performance.

Strategies to reliably control phonons and their interactions with quantum systems could help to mitigate the adverse effects of these vibrations on the systems.

Researchers at Harvard University and other institutes have introduced a new approach to control the interactions between high-frequency phonons and single solid-state quantum systems. Their proposed method, outlined in a paper published in Nature Physics, relies on new diamond phononic crystals that they designed and fabricated, which can be used to engineer the local density of states in a host material.

A research team discovered a quantum state in which electrons move in a completely new way under a twisted graphene structure. The unique electronic state is expected to contribute to the development of more efficient and faster electronic devices. It may also be applicable to technologies such as quantum memory, which can process complex computations.

Quantum physics is a crucial theory that attempts to understand and explain how atoms and particles interact and move in nature. Such an understanding serves as the basis for designing new technologies that control or utilize nature at the microscopic level. The research conducted holds significance in discovering the quantum state, which is difficult to implement with conventional semiconductor technologies, and in greatly expanding future possibilities for quantum technologies.

Graphene is a material as thin as a piece of paper and is made of carbon atoms. This study utilized a unique structure comprising two slightly twisted layers of graphene, observing a new quantum state. When compared to two transparent films, each film has regular patterns, and when they are rotated slightly, the patterns overlap to reveal new patterns.