Condensates create Josephson arrays
A network of superconducting junctions could give insights into diverse fields of science
Author archive
Element 118 disappears two years after it was discovered
Physicists fail to repeat the ground-breaking experiment that created the heaviest element
Read article: Electronic properties of DNA
Electronic properties of DNA
The building block of life is often heralded as the cornerstone of a new generation of electronic devices and computers, but the electronic properties of DNA remain highly controversial
Magnetic vortices defy melting moment
The behaviour of magnetic vortices controls many physical properties of high-temperature superconductors, including their ability to carry current without resistance – a classic hallmark of superconductivity. Indeed, vortices provide an ideal platform for the creation and study of novel phases and phase transitions. Now Nurit Avraham at the Weizmann Institute in Israel and co-workers from […]
Quantum electrodynamics in the dark
Perhaps they’re just shy, but heavy atoms seem very embarrassed when most of their electrons are stripped off. In order to cover their nakedness as quickly as possible, they aggressively try to steal electrons from any source they encounter. Indeed, their electron-capture rates can be orders of magnitude higher than those of ordinary ions. As […]
Read article: Straight choices
Straight choices
Currently there are, at most, five centres operating in the front line of particle physics: CERN and DESY in Europe, Fermilab and Stanford in the US, and KEK in Japan. How many of these laboratories are still with us in a decade or two from now remains to be seen. The year 2020 might seem […]
Read article: Where did all the antimatter go?
Where did all the antimatter go?
Measurements of B mesons confirm that the Standard Model of particle physics cannot explain why the universe is made of matter rather than antimatter
Light strings draw together
Self-focusing occurs at high intensities in transparent media when the refractive index is proportional to the intensity. The change in refractive index causes the medium to act as a lens that focuses the laser – hence the name self-focusing. This lens is the ultimate adaptive-optics element as it responds instantly to the shape of the […]
Read article: Injection of spin for electronics
Injection of spin for electronics
Nearly all electronic and optoelectronic devices are made of semiconductors and rely on the exact control of electric charges. Electrons, however, possess a well defined “spin” angular momentum, in addition to a well defined charge. Their spin is either +1/2 or -1/2: in other words an electron can rotate either clockwise or anticlockwise around its […]
Nuclear symmetry enters a new phase
The point at which a phase transition occurs is called the critical point and is dear to every physicist’s heart. The fascination with systems at the critical point stems from the fact that a small change in one parameter, such as temperature, can trigger spectacular changes in the other properties. Indeed, it is this discontinuity […]
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