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Quantum interference of sodium nanoparticles, which can each contain more than 7,000 atoms at masses greater than 170,000 Da, is demonstrated.

High-contrast fringes and holographic grating imprinting rely on the coherence of the superimposing beams, and thus, it typically requires the interference of beams originating from a single laser. Here, Odoulov et al. demonstrate that holographic grating recording is possible using pulses of different colour.

The wave nature of light and particles is of interest to the fundamental quantum mechanics. Here the authors show the double-slit interference effect in the strong-field ionization of neon dimers by employing COLTRIMS method to record the momentum distribution of the photoelectrons in the molecular frame

Hyperbolic phonon polaritons occurring in anisotropic materials exhibit strong light confinement and propagation directionality. Matson et al. report real-space imaging and control of recently discovered hyperbolic shear phonon-polaritons in beta-Ga2O3, arising from symmetry breaking in the dielectric response.

Testing the validity of the quantum superposition principle with increasingly large particles may shed light on the quantum to classical transition for macroscopic objects. Here, Bateman et al. propose a near-field interference scheme based on the single-source Talbot effect for 10⁶ amu silicon particles.

Tailored ultrafast resonances (in amplitude, Q-factor, wavelength) in an unpatterned thin Si film driven by permittivity asymmetries. Spectrally selective third-harmonic generation (THG) enhancement is shown accordingly.

X-ray optics are notoriously challenging to fabricate due to the strict tolerances that result from the short wavelength of radiation. Here, Seibothet al. carefully quantify aberrations in complex X-ray lenses and correct them with an easy-to-fabricate broadband phase plate.

One of the ways excited-state atoms relax to ground state is by emitting radiation. Here the authors demonstrate sub- and super-radiant emission threshold from a cavity-mediated atomic ensemble of Sr atoms.

X-ray spectroscopy is a tool used for the investigation of aqueous solutions but the strong absorption of water means that very thin liquid sheets are needed for accurate analysis. Here the authors produce free-flowing liquid sheets 2 orders of magnitude thinner than sheets obtained with existing techniques.

Two-dimensional conjugated metal-organic frameworks (2D c-MOFs) are emerging candidates for organic 2D crystal materials, but the precise implantation of chirality has yet to be demonstrated. Here, the authors report a side chain-induced chirality amplification strategy to achieve tunable chiral expression in 2D c-MOFs.

Absorption by an optical nanoantenna determines its interaction strength with light, yet this quantity is hidden from conventional spectroscopy. Gennaro et al. now demonstrate a spectroscopic technique that reveals a nanoantenna’s absorption by recovering its amplitude and phase response.

Matter-wave interference experiments demonstrate quantum superposition of molecules consisting of up to 2,000 atoms—the heaviest objects to show this quantum behaviour to date. This provides a bound on potential modifications to quantum mechanics.

Superfluidity is a phenomenon usually restricted to cryogenic temperatures, but organic microcavities provide the conditions for a superfluid flow of polaritons at room temperature.

A modern version of Newton's 'dusty 'mirror' experiment is made, whereby X-ray pulses are focused on a thin membrane with polystyrene particles placed in front of an X-ray mirror. After a pulse traverses through the sample, triggering the explosion of a particle, it is reflected back on to the sample by the mirror to probe this reaction. The resulting diffraction pattern contains accurate time and spatially resolved information about the exploding particles.

Researchers demonstrate a laser-plasma accelerator-driven free-electron laser in a seeded configuration, where control over the radiation wavelength and longitudinal coherence are achieved.

The synthesis of crystalline 2D polymers typically relies on reversible dynamic covalent reactions, but achieving 2D polymers through irreversible carbon-carbon coupling reactions remains a formidable challenge. Here, the authors present an on-liquid surface synthesis method for constructing diyne-linked 2D polymers.

Engineered spin-orbit coupling can induce novel quantum phases in a Bose-Einstein condensate, however such demonstrations have been limited to cold atom systems. Here the authors realize a exciton-polarion condensate with tunable spin-orbit coupling in a liquid crystal microcavity at room temperature.

Spontaneous formation of a half-skyrmion lattice is observed in a thin-film chiral liquid crystal. The dynamics are shown to be thermally driven — presenting a platform to study the thermal fluctuations of topological defects.

It is difficult to prepare 2D polymers that are crystalline over large areas. Now, few-layer 2D polyimides and polyamides with good crystallinity on the micrometre scale have been synthesized on a water surface. A surfactant monolayer is used to organize amine monomers before their polymerization with anhydride moieties.

This paper reports the observation of a step-by-step state collapse by using atoms to non-destructively measure the photon number of a field stored in a cavity. The procedure illustrates all the postulates of quantum measurement and should facilitate studies of non-classical fields trapped in cavities.

Designing effective dielectrics in a broad range of the spectrum is of huge interest. Here, the authors demonstrate how transparent effective dielectrics can be constructed from dense arrays of metallic nanoparticles and can result in being more transparent than real dielectrics renowned for their transparency.

The propagation of light in photonic crystals with a honeycomb structure mirrors the behaviour of charges in graphene, therefore allowing for the investigation of electronic properties that cannot otherwise be accessed in graphene itself. This approach is now used to predict unexpected edge states that localize in the bearded edges of hexagonal lattices.

Directional excitation of ghost hyperbolic phonon polaritons is achieved using an asymmetric antenna, enabling long-range propagation and tunable control for mid-IR nanophotonic applications.

The experimental investigation of relaxation times in graphene quantum dots has long been hindered by the limited tunability of these devices. Here Volk et. al.employ a device design to study this problem and report charge relaxation times of around 60–100 ns.

The three-dimensional architecture of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis was determined by in situ cryo-electron tomography. The tips of multiple thylakoids merge and contact the plasma membrane, performing a specialized biogenic function.

The high-voltage oxygen redox activity of Li-rich layered oxides enables additional capacity beyond conventional transition metal redox contributions. Here, authors investigate the correlation between oxygen redox activity and superstructure units. They prove that an excess of LiNiMn5 hinders the extraction/insertion of lithium ions.

Heterogeneous reactions associated with porous films are vital in nature and industry. A hierarchical-structure-accelerated interfacial dynamic strategy is reported to improve interfacial gas transfer on conductive metal-organic framework films.

Previous work has realized a superconducting switch in heterostructures of superconductors and ferromagnetic insulators, but the effect has been smaller than originally predicted. Here, the authors report an absolute superconducting switch by inserting a heavy metal layer in the EuS/Nb/EuS heterostructure.

Based on a passively phase-locked superposition of a dispersive wave and a soliton from two branches of a femtosecond Er-doped fibre laser, researchers demonstrate that single cycles of light can be achieved using existing fibre technology and standard free-space components. The pulses have a pulse duration of 4.3 fs, close to the shortest possible value for a data bit of information transmitted in the near-infrared.

Proposals for skyrmion-based high-density memory devices require an understanding of the formation and shape of skyrmions in confined geometries. Here, the authors use electron holography to image magnetic textures in FeGe nanostripes and explore the parameters governing skyrmion morphology.

Single photon emitters (SPEs) in 2D semiconductors can be deterministically positioned using localized strain induced by underlying nanostructures. Here, the authors show SPE coupling in WSe₂ to GaP dielectric nanoantennas, substantially increasing quantum efficiency and photoluminescence brightness.

A reflective spatial light modulator for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) or soft X-ray light is demonstrated in an electronic Wigner crystal material with a sub-90-nm feature size. The diffraction grating imprinted by sub-picosecond EUV beams is rewritable. The projected efficiency according to the modelling exceeds 1%.

X-ray free electron lasers provide high photon flux to explore single particle diffraction imaging of biological samples. Here the authors present dynamic electronic structure calculations and benchmark them to single-particle XFEL diffraction data of sucrose clusters to predict optimal single-shot imaging conditions.

Canalized polaritons are light-matter excitations characterized by intrinsic collimation of electromagnetic energy along a specific crystal axis. Here, the authors report the observation of intrinsically canalized phonon polaritons in a single thin layer of a van der Waals crystal, LiV₂O₅.

Mollusks have evolved an exquisite diversity of complex mineralized shells for protection. One such example, the blue-rayed limpet, incorporates a vivid display of blue lines, which originate from the interference of light in a nano-periodic photonic architecture buried within the animal's translucent shell.

Understanding lithium sulfide’s electrodeposition and stripping is key to developing practical Li-S batteries. Here, the authors demonstrate that the discharge product in Li-S batteries consists of nano-size solid polysulfide particles and nano-crystalline lithium sulfide.

Quantum Hall systems represent an example of topological quantum matter, where quasiparticles with fractional statistics (anyons) may emerge. This Technical Review presents a survey of recent developments in quantum Hall interferometry.

Insights into active sites on cathode surfaces are important in developing lithium–oxygen batteries. Here, Lu et al.present a cathode architecture deposited with precisely controlled small metal clusters, and report a cluster size-dependence of the battery discharge product morphology.

Fourier analysis has become a standard tool in contemporary science. Here, Weimann et al. report classical and quantum optical realizations of the discrete fractional Fourier transform, a generalization of the Fourier transform, with potential applications in integrated quantum computation.

Qubits in solid state systems like point defects in diamond can be influenced by local strain. Here the authors use surface acoustic waves to coherently control silicon vacancies in diamond, which have the potential to reach the strong coupling regime necessary for many applications.