It has long been assumed that the quantum statistics of light are preserved when photons interact with plasmons. An analysis of the scattering process shows that this is not always the case, as light can mix and match different plasmonic pathways.

Most systems exhibiting topological superconductivity are artificial structures that require precise engineering. Now, a layered material shows tantalizing signs of the phenomenon.

Topological superconductors are an essential component for topologically protected quantum computation and information processing. Although signatures of topological superconductivity have been reported in heterostructures, material realizations of intrinsic topological superconductors are rather rare. Here we use scanning tunnelling spectroscopy to study the transition metal dichalcogenide 4Hb-TaS2

Recent successes in producing intermediate-scale quantum devices have focused interest on establishing whether near-term devices could outperform classical computers for practical applications. A central question is whether noise can be overcome in the absence of quantum error correction or if it fundamentally restricts any potential quantum advantage. We present a transparent way of comparing classical

The life and death of an organism rely on correct cell division, which occurs through the process of mitosis. Although the biochemical signalling and morphogenetic processes during mitosis are well understood, the importance of mechanical forces and material properties is only just starting to be discovered. Recent studies have revealed that the layer of proteins beneath the cell membrane—the so-called

A rich variety of physical effects in spin dynamics arise at the interface between different magnetic materials1. Engineered systems with interlaced magnetic structures have been used to implement spin transistors, memories and other spintronic devices2,3. However, experiments in solid-state systems can be difficult to interpret because of disorder and losses. Here we realize analogues of magnetic

The most well-known example of an ordered quantum state—superconductivity—is caused by the formation and condensation of pairs of electrons. Fundamentally, what distinguishes a superconducting state from a normal state is a spontaneously broken symmetry corresponding to the long-range coherence of pairs of electrons, leading to zero resistivity and diamagnetism. Here we report a set of experimental

Molecular spin qubits that can be controlled electrically are typically susceptible to decoherence. Holmium molecular spins provide a solution by combining robust coherence with strong spin–electric coupling.

At high pressure and temperature, water forms two crystalline phases, known as hot ‘black’ ices due to their partial opaqueness. A detailed characterization of these phases may explain magnetic field formation in giant icy planets like Neptune.

Integrating quantum technology with existing telecom infrastructure is hampered by a mismatch in operating frequencies. An optomechanical resonator now offers a strain-mediated spin–photon interface for long-distance quantum networks.

Electrical control of spins at the nanoscale offers significant architectural advantages in spintronics, because electric fields can be confined over shorter length scales than magnetic fields1,2,3,4,5. Thus, recent demonstrations of electric-field sensitivities in molecular spin materials6,7,8 are tantalizing, raising the viability of the quantum analogues of macroscopic magneto-electric devices9

A coherent ensemble of spins interfaced with a proxy qubit is an attractive platform to create many-body coherences and probe the regime of collective excitations. An electron spin qubit in a semiconductor quantum dot can act as such an interface to the dense nuclear spin ensemble within the quantum dot consisting of multiple high-spin atomic species. Earlier work has shown that the electron can relay

In the phase diagram of water, superionic ices with highly mobile protons within the stable oxygen sublattice have been predicted at high pressures. However, the existence of superionic ices and the location of the melting line have been challenging to determine from both theory and experiments, yielding contradictory results depending on the employed techniques and the interpretation of the data.

Quantum networks enable a broad range of practical and fundamental applications spanning from distributed quantum computing to sensing and metrology. A cornerstone of such networks is an interface between telecom photons and quantum memories, which has proven challenging for the case of spin-mechanical memories. Here we demonstrate a novel approach based on cavity optomechanics that utilizes the susceptibility

A microscopy technique allows the identification of parameters in a paradigmatic model of condensed-matter physics.

The measurement of pH is more complicated than it seems, recalls Andrea Taroni.

Publicly funded nuclear fusion laboratories are experiencing competition from the private sector, giving new energy to the field.

In a study on high-harmonic generation from a dense atomic xenon gas, the strong-field light–matter interaction is shown to leave a quantum mechanical imprint on the incident light that escapes the semiclassical picture of strong-field physics.

The crystal structure of a solid largely dictates its electronic, optical and mechanical properties. Indeed, much of the exploration of quantum materials in recent years including the discovery of new phases and phenomena in correlated, topological and two-dimensional materials—has been based on the ability to rationally control crystal structures through materials synthesis, strain engineering or

Singularities are common in diverse physical systems1 and lead to universal structures2,3. This universality suggests that they should also naturally arise in biological systems, where active growth, autonomous motion, kinesis and taxis focus deformations in spacetime, as exemplified in the morphogenetic processes determining biological size and shape4. A familiar example of a morphogenetic singularity

Complex networks have become the main paradigm for modelling the dynamics of interacting systems. However, networks are intrinsically limited to describing pairwise interactions, whereas real-world systems are often characterized by higher-order interactions involving groups of three or more units. Higher-order structures, such as hypergraphs and simplicial complexes, are therefore a better tool to

Organ development involves complex shape transformations driven by active mechanical stresses that sculpt the growing tissue1,2. Epithelial gland morphogenesis is a prominent example where cylindrical branches transform into spherical alveoli during growth3,4,5. Here we show that this shape transformation is induced by a local change from anisotropic to isotropic tension within the epithelial cell

The interplay between strong electron–electron interactions and band topology can produce electronic states that spontaneously break symmetries. The discovery of flat bands in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene (MATBG)1,2,3 with non-trivial topology4,5,6,7 has provided a compelling platform in which to search for new symmetry-broken phases. Recent scanning tunnelling microscopy8,9 and transport experiments10

General-purpose quantum computers can, in principle, entangle a number of noisy physical qubits to realize composite qubits protected against errors. Architectures for measurement-based quantum computing intrinsically support error-protected qubits and are the most viable approach for constructing an all-photonic quantum computer. Here we propose and demonstrate an integrated silicon photonic scheme

The single-particle and many-body properties of twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) can be dramatically different from those of a single graphene layer, particularly when the two layers are rotated relative to each other by a small angle (θ ≈ 1°), owing to the moiré potential induced by the twist. Here we probe the collective excitations of TBG with a spatial resolution of 20 nm, by applying mid-infrared

The tin isotope 100Sn is key to understanding nuclear stability, but little is known about its properties. Precision measurements of closely related indium isotopes have now pinned down its mass.

Most water in the Universe may be superionic, and its thermodynamic and transport properties are crucial for planetary science but difficult to probe experimentally or theoretically. We use machine learning and free-energy methods to overcome the limitations of quantum mechanical simulations and characterize hydrogen diffusion, superionic transitions and phase behaviours of water at extreme conditions

The tin isotope 100Sn is of singular interest for nuclear structure due to its closed-shell proton and neutron configurations. It is also the heaviest nucleus comprising protons and neutrons in equal numbers—a feature that enhances the contribution of the short-range proton–neutron pairing interaction and strongly influences its decay via the weak interaction. Decay studies in the region of 100Sn have

Topological phases of matter connect mathematical principles to real materials, and may shape future electronic and quantum technologies. So far, this discipline has mostly focused on single-gap topology described by topological invariants such as Chern numbers. Here, based on a tunable kagome model, we observe non-Abelian band topology and its transitions in acoustic semimetals, in which the multi-gap

In the presence of interactions, electrons in condensed-matter systems can behave hydrodynamically, exhibiting phenomena associated with classical fluids, such as vortices and Poiseuille flow1,2,3. In most conductors, electron–electron interactions are minimized by screening effects, hindering the search for hydrodynamic materials; however, recently, a class of semimetals has been reported to exhibit

Quantum states with long-lived coherence are essential for quantum computation, simulation and metrology. The nuclear spin states of ultracold molecules prepared in the singlet rovibrational ground state are an excellent candidate for encoding and storing quantum information. However, it is important to understand all sources of decoherence for these qubits, and then eliminate them, to reach the longest

This month, we celebrate the discovery of electromagnetic rotation, the principle behind the electric motor.

The European Researchers’ Night provides a platform for scientists to engage with the public.

The uptake of graphene-based materials calls for standardization. Silvia Milana explains what this entails.

Ultracold polar molecules possess long-range, anisotropic and tunable dipolar interactions, providing opportunities to probe quantum phenomena that are inaccessible with existing cold gas platforms. However, experimental progress has been hindered by the dominance of two-body loss over elastic interactions, which prevents efficient evaporative cooling. Although recent work has demonstrated controlled

Scanning tunnelling microscopy reveals an unexpected periodicity in the local density of states of a transition metal dichalcogenide — with a puzzling wavelength that casts the material as a quantum spin liquid.

Two-dimensional triangular-lattice antiferromagnets are predicted under some conditions to exhibit a quantum spin liquid ground state with no energy barrier to create emergent, fractionalized spinon excitations that carry spin but no charge. Materials that realize this kind of spin liquid are expected to have a low-energy behaviour described by a spinon Fermi surface. Directly imaging the resulting

The physics of intense laser–matter interactions1,2 is described by treating the light pulses classically, anticipating no need to access optical measurements beyond the classical limit. However, the quantum nature of the electromagnetic fields is always present3. Here we demonstrate that intense laser–atom interactions may lead to the generation of highly non-classical light states. This was achieved

Charged particles can be accelerated to high energies by collisionless shock waves in astrophysical environments, such as supernova remnants. By interacting with the magnetized ambient medium, these shocks can transfer energy to particles. Despite increasing efforts in the characterization of these shocks from satellite measurements at Earth’s bow shock as well as powerful numerical simulations, the

Polaritons are hybrid states of light and matter that occur in a wide range of physical platforms. When a nanosphere is levitated inside an optical cavity, light can hybridize with the motion on a plane rather than along an axis, resulting in ‘vectorial’ polaritons.

The strong coupling between photons and bosonic excitations in matter produces hybrid quasiparticle states known as polaritons1,2,3. Their signature is the avoided crossing between the eigenfrequencies of the coupled system illustrated by the Jaynes–Cummings Hamiltonian4. It has been observed in quantum electrodynamics experiments based on atoms5,6, ions7, excitons8,9,10, spin ensembles11,12 and superconducting

Transition metal dichalcogenide moiré heterostructures provide an ideal platform to explore the extended Hubbard model1, where long-range Coulomb interactions play a critical role in determining strongly correlated electron states. This has led to experimental observations of Mott insulator states at half filling2,3,4 as well as a variety of extended Wigner crystal states at different fractional fillings5

Floquet engineering is the concept of tailoring a system by a periodic drive, and it is increasingly employed in many areas of physics. Ultracold atoms in optical lattices offer a particularly large toolbox to design a variety of driving schemes. A strong motivation for developing these methods is the prospect to study the interplay between topology and interactions in a system where both ingredients

They say a picture tells a thousand words, so by that accounting, the visual word count of a Nature Physics paper doubles that of its text. So how best to use that budget?

Some material defects have quantum degrees of freedom that are measurably disturbed by environmental changes, making them excellent sensors. A two-dimensional material with such defects could improve the versatility of quantum-sensing technologies.

The unit length of DNA is a base pair, which serves as a ruler for DNA compaction and processing, as Michelle Wang explains.

Light propagating in the topological edge channel of an array of ring resonators is predicted to generate nested frequency combs: like a Matryoshka doll containing a set of smaller dolls, each ‘tooth’ of the comb comprises another frequency comb.

The state that forms at low temperatures in a quantum antiferromagnet on a kagome lattice has been debated for decades. Nuclear magnetic resonance has now shown the gradual emergence of entangled spin singlets in a disordered kagome antiferromagnet.

Recent advances in realizing optical frequency combs using nonlinear parametric processes in integrated photonic resonators have revolutionized on-chip optical clocks, spectroscopy and multichannel optical communications. At the same time, the introduction of topological physics in photonic systems has allowed the design of photonic devices with novel functionalities and inherent robustness against

The kagome Heisenberg antiferromagnet formed by frustrated spins arranged in a lattice of corner-sharing triangles is a prime candidate for hosting a quantum spin liquid (QSL) ground state consisting of entangled spin singlets1. However, the existence of various competing states makes a convincing theoretical prediction of the QSL ground state difficult2, calling for experimental clues from model materials

Frictional sliding starts with a crack front propagating across an interface — a process that is well described by fracture mechanics. Experiments now show that the onset of crack formation is governed by physics that is yet to be fully understood.

Rapid rupture fronts—akin to earthquakes—mediate the transition to frictional motion. Once formed, their singular form, dynamics and arrest are well described by fracture mechanics. Ruptures, however, first need to be created within initially rough frictional interfaces. Hence, static friction coefficients are not well defined, with frictional ruptures nucleating over a wide range of applied forces

Spin waves can carry information that could be used for data processing, but producing and controlling them can be challenging. Now it is possible to generate short-wavelength coherent spin waves that can travel at high speed over a long distance.

Magnonics is a research field complementary to spintronics, in which the quanta of spin waves (magnons) replace electrons as information carriers, promising lower dissipation1,2,3. The development of ultrafast, nanoscale magnonic logic circuits calls for new tools and materials to generate coherent spin waves with frequencies as high and wavelengths as short as possible4,5. Antiferromagnets can host

Using pressure to tune the balance of interactions in a new class of kagome superconductor results in a surprising competition between states — and hints at an unusual, electronically intertwined order.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals outline a roadmap towards a more equitable future for humanity. Along with other scientists, physicists have long made valuable contributions to this endeavour.

The flagella of microorganisms have provided inspiration for many synthetic devices, but they’re typically not easy to produce. A new class of swimmer makes it look simple by spontaneously growing a tail that it can whip to self-propel.

Excitons, quasiparticles of electrons and holes bound by Coulombic attraction, are created transiently by light and play an important role in optoelectronics, photovoltaics and photosynthesis. They are also predicted to form spontaneously in a small-gap semiconductor or a semimetal, leading to a Bose–Einstein condensate at low temperature, but there has not been any direct evidence of this effect so

The design of artificial microswimmers is often inspired by the strategies of natural microorganisms. Many of these creatures exploit the fact that elasticity breaks the time-reversal symmetry of motion at low Reynolds numbers, but this principle has been notably absent from model systems of active, self-propelled microswimmers. Here we introduce a class of microswimmers that spontaneously self-assembles

Initially used to measure the brightness of radio sources, the jansky has spread to other areas of astronomy, as Natasha Hurley-Walker recounts.