A Cold-Atom Interferometer Finally Measures the Quantum Phase of Free Fall
Physicists in Israel measured the quantum phase of a free-falling atom for the first time, confirming Einstein's equivalence principle in the quantum realm.
Science Sub-category
Physics & Quantum
Authoritative reporting on quantum mechanics, condensed matter physics, thermodynamics, and optical breakthroughs. We analyze experimental physics from particle accelerators to superconducting quantum circuits.
A Reshaped Pulse Could Cut Magnetic Memory's Switching Energy Nearly 100-Fold
Edinburgh physicists simulated optimal-control pulses that cut magnetic-memory switching energy from 91.2 to 0.94 nanojoules, still unverified in hardware.
LUX-ZEPLIN's 248 keV Event: A Single Signal Reopens the Dark Matter Hunt
LUX-ZEPLIN recorded one 248 keV xenon recoil at 2.6σ global significance, its strongest dark matter hint yet, and theorists are already racing to explain it.
GlueX Searched for Y(2175) in Photoproduction and Found Two New Structures Instead
GlueX ran the first photoproduction search for Y(2175)/φ(2170); the state didn't appear, but two unexpected φπ+π− structures did, one at 5σ significance.
Inside IBM's 15-Minute Quantum Run That Comes With Its Own Fidelity Proof
IBM and UChicago ran a 70-qubit circuit in about 15 minutes and certified a 0.284 fidelity lower bound using quantum codes instead of trust assumptions.
Ultrathin Diamond Membranes Break a Century-Old Rule on Piezoelectricity
HKU physicists measured a 82.2 mV·m/N piezoelectric response in 5-micrometer diamond membranes, traced to charge buildup at internal grain boundaries.
A Hidden Electronic State Forms Inside a Crystal in Just 30 Femtoseconds
Physicists used 6-fs laser pulses to catch a metal-organic framework forming a new electronic state in 30 femtoseconds, driven by a bond-order wave.
Physicists Run the First Cyclic Quantum Heat Engine on a Superconducting Chip
Finnish researchers ran three quantum Otto cycles on a superconducting qubit, measuring positive work and 0.55% efficiency, a first for cyclic devices.