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Nickelates have recently joined the cuprates and iron pnictides as unconventional superconductors with transition temperatures above 80 K. This Review looks for their shared superconducting mechanisms for building a coherent theoretical framework.
Warm dense matter — the peculiar state between condensed matter and hot plasma — can be studied with exceptional detail at X-ray free-electron laser facilities. This Review summarizes pioneering experiments and discusses the perspectives for the near and mid-term future.
Spatiotemporal structuring of optical fields offers opportunities to probe and control electron motions in light–matter interactions. This Review discusses the recent advances in both fundamental physics and practical applications in ultrafast physics that involve structured light.
Our understanding of how heavy elements form within stars is incomplete. This Review highlights the emerging role of the intermediate neutron-capture process (i process) — between the slow and rapid processes — backed by stellar observations in tandem with advances in nuclear physics experiments and modelling.
Single-molecule junctions, which exist at the intersection of quantum physics and molecular electronics, are a rapidly advancing topic of research. This Review examines quantum correlation phenomena in these systems.
FLASH radiotherapy delivers a cancer treatment dose in less than a second, reducing side effects while maintaining tumour control. This Review explores technological advances, safety considerations and future directions needed to bring this promising ultra-fast radiotherapy approach into clinical practice.
This Review explores how cells sense and respond to mechanical signals across timescales. By integrating mechanosensing at membranes, mechanotransduction in the cytoplasm, and nuclear reprogramming, it reveals a role of temporal dynamics in tissue development and disease.
Artificial gauge fields unlock additional degrees of freedom to manipulating light in structured photonic systems. This Review strives to unify topological, non-Abelian and non-Hermitian photonics using the concept of gauge fields.
The Tomonaga–Luttinger liquid framework can be used to describe 1D quantum systems, spanning fermions, bosons and anyons. In this Review, we discuss the various platforms that can host TLL states, including Josephson junctions, cold atoms and topological materials, and discuss the advances TLL theory can provide in quantum criticality, nonequilibrium dynamics and condensed-matter physics exploration.
Most bacteria exist in dense aggregates, yet this lifestyle is relatively poorly understood compared with planktonic cultures. This Review explores biophysical models of aggregate development, and how models can be extended to account for the complex behaviours of single-species and multispecies colonies.
Point defects can have a critical influence on carrier dynamics and ion migration in metal halide perovskites. This Review surveys recent understandings of point defects and discusses new insights into defect tolerance in these materials.
Water’s structure and viscosity change markedly under reduced dimensionality. This Review explores how viscosity depends on the dimensionality of confinement (1D or 2D) and examines the interplay between geometric and ionic constraints in shaping transport properties within angstrom-scale water channels.
Carbon nanomaterials have strong electron–photon interactions in the terahertz range, gate-tunable photoresponse and high carrier mobilities. This Review provides a discussion of the use of carbon nanotubes and graphene for the generation, detection and modulation of terahertz waves.
The dynamic wetting of sliding drops, particularly of water, remains poorly understood. New experimental techniques have shown that, in addition to viscous dissipation, other energy dissipation mechanisms such as adaptation, electrostatic charging and deformation can contribute significantly and affect the motion of the drops.
This article reviews atomistic methods for computing solid–fluid surface free energy and tension, highlighting challenges from anisotropy. It discusses simulation techniques and methodological developments, and emphasizes the need for improved methods to address complex, confined or disordered systems.
Topological rainbow trapping combines slow-wave effects with topological robustness to spatially separate wave frequencies. This Review highlights its physical principles, implementation in different waves-based systems and potential technological impacts.
Amorphous materials yield through complex, history-dependent mechanisms involving localized defects and avalanche dynamics. This Review unifies theoretical advances across glasses, foams, biological tissues and active matter, revealing universal features and critical behaviour that govern the transition from elasticity to plastic flow and macroscopic failure.
Nonlocality has gained increasing attention in metamaterial and metasurface design. This Review discusses recent advances, focusing on the physical mechanisms of nonlocality that lead to intriguing properties and functions.
Neutrinos have a crucial role in explosive transients, influencing the source dynamics and element synthesis. This Review summarizes our understanding of sources linked to collapsing massive stars and neutron-star mergers, emphasizing multi-messenger detection strategies.
The strong electro-optic interaction, low optical loss and high microwave bandwidth of thin-film lithium niobate have enabled applications from computing to quantum information. This Review explores the fundamental principles, recent advances and the future potential of integrated lithium niobate technologies.
