Browse Articles

Driven by strong fields, vacuum manifests itself as a nonlinear polarization medium, yet this hallmark prediction of quantum electrodynamics remains experimentally elusive for 90 years. Here, the authors uncover a super light-by-light scattering effect in vacuum, and propose an experimental scheme that holds promise for single-shot detection of this vacuum polarization effect with current technologies

The overdamped approximation, widely used to study micrometer-sized engines, fails to capture their thermodynamics when temperature changes over time, leading to discrepancies in heat dissipation and entropy production that we identify as thermodynamic anomalies. Here, the authors derive analytical expressions for these anomalies and show that viscosity and mass produce distinct behaviors, improving the evaluation of engine efficiency and enabling simple estimation of kinetic energy in overdamped systems.

Discrete time quasi-crystals represent a new kind of non-equilibrium phase of matter that can arise under incommensurate periodic drives, while their specific realization in popular Rydberg atom array platforms remains unexplored. Here, the authors investigate how two coupled PXP models with time-modulated drives give rise to robust quasi-periodic temporal order and discuss the associated experimental feasibility.

Topological superconductors can host Majorana zero modes that can enable fault-tolerant topological quantum computing. Using first-principles calculations, the authors show how the surface states of Ta3Sb depend on surface termination, atomic relaxation, and chemical passivation, which will be useful for the manipulation of the topological surface state.

In this work, the mathematical framework of catastrophe theory is applied to highly nonlinear strong-field processes, exemplified by multicolor-laser-field-assisted scattering. The authors demonstrate how such theory identifies critical values of control parameters at which qualitative changes arise in the spectral response, illustrating this with the fold, cusp, swallowtail, and wigwam catastrophes.

Nontrivial topologies are long believed to survive only in gapped systems, yet recent progress suggests their existence even at quantum critical points. By preparing low-lying states on a superconducting processor up to 100 qubits and applying entanglement Hamiltonian tomography, the authors experimentally observe these nontrivial topological properties and suggest low-lying states as useful quantum resources.

Rapid switching between optical mode sets is critical for adaptive photonic systems, yet spatial light modulators are limited to sub-kilohertz speeds. The authors devise a reconfigurable mode-sorter by combining a passive multi-plane light converter with an active photonic integrated circuit, able to generate four orhogonal mode groups with -22 dB crosstalk for sorting.

Cosmological observations face challenges such as the Hubble tension and dark energy, necessitating innovative experimental analogues. Here, the authors demonstrate that laser-driven annular plasma shock waves can simulate wCDM cosmologies and gravitational waves, offering a novel laboratory approach to explore complex cosmological models and dynamics.

Kindlin dimerization has been proposed as a key step in integrin activation and clustering, yet its very slow in vitro kinetics challenge this role. Here, the authors show that physiological mechanical forces drive kindlin dimerization through mechanical allostery, lowering the free-energy barrier of the rate-limiting closed-to-open transition and thereby enabling rapid, force-dependent kindlin dimerization and integrin mechanoactivation.

Quantum estimation with continuous variable systems faces challenges in deriving accessible and practical results for practitioners. Here, the authors present a unified framework for computing multiparameter bounds for Gaussian states, demonstrating their approach through semidefinite programming, which could significantly enhance precision in quantum measurements.

In non-Hermitian quantum systems, the skin effect causes states to cluster at the edges, which is straightforward in one dimension but gets complicated in higher dimensions because of different lattice shapes. Here, the authors report a flexible theory that adapts to any dimension and shape, revealing how these factors influence energy patterns and lead to unstable edge states sensitive to system size.

Synchronization in complex networks, crucial for understanding phenomena in systems like neuronal networks and power grids, is affected by higher-order interactions and non-Gaussian perturbations. The authors explore a higher-order Kuramoto model with Lévy noise, revealing how stability and scale parameters influence synchronization, offering insights into network dynamics and extreme events.

The superconducting diode effect describes the non-reciprocal transport behavior of the superconducting current and certain symmetry requirements must be met to realize this phenomenon in a given system. Here, the authors conduct electrical transport measurements on bi-crystal Josephson junctions (JJs) made from the chiral superconductor Mo₃Al₂C where each junction either has the same or opposite structural chirality. Under an applied magnetic field, they observe the diode effect for the JJs with opposite structural chirality but not for the JJs with the same structural chirality or for single crystals of the same material.

People often choose friends or partners who share parts of their identity (age, background, education), but it is unclear how several traits combine in that choice. In this study, the authors develop a framework to compare multidimensional tie-formation models, measure which traits matter most, and show people are picky: ties form when all relevant traits feel compatible.

The recently published GNoME material database contains a large number of new thermodynamically stable hydride compounds. In this work the authors assess their superconducting properties using ab initio methods and identify 25 cubic hydrides with a maximum critical temperature of 17 K.

Studying the condensation and intracellular interaction of membrane-anchored receptors and ligands is important for understanding physiological processes and stimulating therapeutic strategies. This study demonstrates that applied force affects protein condensation and interactions in a manner dependent on bond type and force distribution.

Folding is emerging as a promising manufacturing process to transform flat materials into functional structures, with a reduced need for welding, gluing, and molding, while minimizing waste and enabling automation. Here, the authors introduce a graph-based algorithm for mapping the complete discrete folding landscape of three-dimensional structures, including Platonic solids, from two-dimensional templates, optimizing folding pathways and enhancing manufacturing reliability.

Femtosecond X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) pulses enable structure analysis of single particles by diffraction, outrunning radiation damage and avoiding ensemble averaging. Here, the authors inject single lipid vesicles sequentially into an XFEL beam, and analyze the small-angle scattering for each hit to retrieve the radial electron density profile at a resolution high enough to resolve the lipid bilayer.

Low-temperature calorimeters used in rare-event searches are often limited in sensitivity by noise, especially at low energies. Here, the authors show that CUORE can detect microseismic vibrations from the Mediterranean Sea and that a denoising algorithm reduces this noise, improving detector resolution and rare-event sensitivity.

The pyrochlore compound CeRu2 hosts a three-dimensional kagome lattice with flat bands and it’s possible to tune superconductivity in the system under various conditions. Here, by combining muon spin rotation with uniaxial stress and hydrostatic pressure, the authors observe distinct and complementary tuning pathways, including a dome-shaped stress-induce devolution of Tc with a crossover from anisotropic to isotropic s-wave pairing, and a pressure-driven change from nodeless to nodal superconductivity.