Anti-butterfly effect enables new benchmarking of quantum-computer performance: Running a quantum system backward, then forward in time distinguishes information leaks from the desired information scrambling
Research drawing on the quantum “anti-butterfly effect” solves a longstanding experimental problem in physics and establishes a method for benchmarking the performance of quantum computers. “Using the simple, robust protocol we developed, we can determine the degree to which quantum computers can effectively process information, and it applies to information loss in other complex quantum […]
Smaller, stronger magnets could improve devices that harness the fusion power of the sun and stars
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) have found a way to build powerful magnets smaller than before, aiding the design and construction of machines that could help the world harness the power of the sun to create electricity without producing greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. The […]
Scientists make leap forward for genetic sequencing: Research to lead to improved personalized medicine and understanding of evolution
In a paper published today in Sciences Advances, researchers in the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the University of California, Irvinerevealed new details about a key enzyme that makes DNA sequencing possible. The finding is a leap forward into the era of personalized medicine when doctors will be able […]
Discovery unravels how atomic vibrations emerge in nanomaterials: Advances in microscopy reveal source of phonons’ puzzling behavior
A hundred years of physics tells us that collective atomic vibrations, called phonons, can behave like particles or waves. When they hit an interface between two materials, they can bounce off like a tennis ball. If the materials are thin and repeating, as in a superlattice, the phonons can jump between successive materials. Now there […]
Physicists watch as ultracold atoms form a crystal of quantum tornadoes: The new observations record a key crossover from classical to quantum behavior.
The world we experience is governed by classical physics. How we move, where we are, and how fast we’re going are all determined by the classical assumption that we can only exist in one place at any one moment in time. But in the quantum world, the behavior of individual atoms is governed by the […]
Synthetic tissue can repair hearts, muscles, and vocal cords
Combining knowledge of chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering, scientists from McGill University develop a biomaterial tough enough to repair the heart, muscles, and vocal cords, representing a major advance in regenerative medicine. “People recovering from heart damage often face a long and tricky journey. Healing is challenging because of the constant movement tissues must withstand […]
‘Back to basics’ approach helps unravel new phase of matter
A new phase of matter, thought to be understandable only using quantum physics, can be studied with far simpler classical methods. Researchers from the University of Cambridge used computer modelling to study potential new phases of matter known as prethermal discrete time crystals (DTCs). It was thought that the properties of prethermal DTCs were reliant […]