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Category: particle physics – Page 4

Topological insulators boost ultra-thin magnet strength by 20% for next-gen electronics

A team of international researchers led by the University of Ottawa has made a breakthrough in the development of ultra-thin magnets—a discovery that could lead to faster, more energy-efficient electronics, quantum computers, and advanced communication systems.

The study, led by Hang Chi, Canada Research Chair in Quantum Electronic Devices and Circuits, & Assistant Professor of Physics at uOttawa’s Faculty of Science, demonstrates a new way to strengthen magnetism in materials just a few atoms thick. This is a critical step toward making these practical for real-world technologies.

The paper is published in the journal Reports on Progress in Physics.

Universal embezzlers naturally emerge in critical fermion systems, study finds

Embezzlement of entanglement is an exotic phenomenon in quantum information science, describing the possibility of extracting entanglement from a resource system without changing its quantum state. In this context, the resource systems play the role of a catalyst, enabling a state transition that would otherwise be impossible, without being consumed in the process. For embezzlement of entanglement to be possible, the resource state needs to be highly entangled.

The term “universal embezzler” refers to the idea of a bipartite quantum system where every state is sufficiently entangled to make possible. So far, it seemed highly questionable that physical systems exhibiting such strong entanglement properties could exist in the first place.

Yet researchers at Leibniz University Hannover have now shown that universal embezzlement emerges in all critical fermion chains, meaning one-dimensional fermion systems at quantum phase transitions. While their paper, published in Nature Physics, is merely theoretical, it could open new possibilities for the study of many-body physics and for the development of quantum technologies.

China’s new 2.47kW portable laser works in Arctic cold, Saharan desert

Chinese scientists have developed a portable 2-kilowatt (kW) fiber laser weapon that can operate in extreme temperatures. Reportedly capable of functioning in conditions between −58°F (−50°C) and 122°F (50°C), the new laser does not require cooling or heating systems. This breakthrough means the laser can be used anywhere on Earth, from the Arctic to the Sahara, without the need for bulky infrastructure.

If true, the innovation is an impressive feat as most lasers of this power class require massive cooling units (like air conditioners in a shipping container) to avoid overheating or freezing. The device has been developed to cater to defense and industrial sectors.

“We have achieved a technological breakthrough in the performance of wide-temperature operating fibre lasers,” Chen Jinbao, vice-president of the National University of Defence Technology which led the development of the laser, explained in the paper published in the Chinese-language journal Higher Power Laser and Particle Beams in July.

https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/china-2-47…ert-arctic Particle Beams in July.

The laser beams enough power to disable drones and cut through several kinds of materials from over 0.62 miles (1 km) away.

Continue reading “China’s new 2.47kW portable laser works in Arctic cold, Saharan desert” | >

Vacuum fluctuations in optical cavities reveal hidden properties of embedded materials

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter (MPSD) have theoretically demonstrated that photons trapped inside an optical cavity carry detailed information about a material placed within it. By measuring the properties of the photons leaking out of the cavity, researchers can probe how an optical cavity modifies the properties of the embedded materials.

This insight opens new possibilities for experimental techniques to explore entangled light-matter systems. Their work has been published in Physical Review Letters.

According to basic quantum mechanics, empty space is not truly empty—it’s filled with particles that constantly pop in and out of existence, a phenomenon known as vacuum fluctuations. This process is somewhat analogous to atoms at the surface of boiling water, which continually jump in and out of the liquid.

Teleportation Becomes a Scientific Reality

When we think about the future of our communications, we rarely imagine that it could be hidden in the intricacies of the infinitely small. Yet, it is there, among frisky photons, that the next digital revolution could take shape. A simple photon, teleported from one point to another across the globe via the Internet, opens up dizzying horizons. Who would have thought that the key to our future exchanges would lie in an elementary particle, capable of challenging everything we thought we knew about information transmission?

Researchers at Northwestern University have recently achieved a major milestone in the field of quantum physics. They have succeeded in teleporting a photon over a distance of 30.2 km through an Internet network. This feat, once confined to the realm of science fiction novels, represents a significant advance in exploring the possibilities offered by quantum entanglement. With this accomplishment, the foundations of a future global quantum network seem to be rapidly approaching.

Where did cosmic rays come from? Astrophysicists are closer to finding out

New research published by Michigan State University astrophysicists could help scientists answer a century-old question: Where did galactic cosmic rays come from?

Cosmic rays—high-energy particles moving close to the speed of light—originated from somewhere in the Milky Way galaxy and beyond, but exactly where has been a mystery since they were discovered in 1912. Shuo Zhang, MSU assistant professor of physics and astronomy, and her group led two studies that shed new light on where cosmic rays might have come from. The recently published findings were presented at the 246th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Anchorage, Alaska.

The sources of these high-energy, fast-moving particles could bear the nature of black holes, supernova remnants and star-forming regions. These extreme astrophysical events are also known to produce neutrinos—tiny, nearly massless particles that are found in abundance not only deep in space, but also on our planet.

Reports in Advances of Physical Sciences

In this paper, the authors propose a three-dimensional time model, arguing that nature itself hints at the need for three temporal dimensions. Why three? Because at three different scales—the quantum world of tiny particles, the realm of everyday physical interactions, and the grand sweep of cosmological evolution—we see patterns that suggest distinct kinds of “temporal flow.” These time layers correspond, intriguingly, to the three generations of fundamental particles in the Standard Model: electrons and their heavier cousins, muons and taus. The model doesn’t just assume these generations—it explains why there are exactly three and even predicts their mass differences using mathematics derived from a “temporal metric.”

This paper introduces a theoretical framework based on three-dimensional time, where the three temporal dimensions emerge from fundamental symmetry requirements. The necessity for exactly three temporal dimensions arises from observed quantum-classical-cosmological transitions that manifest at three distinct scales: Planck-scale quantum phenomena, interaction-scale processes, and cosmological evolution. These temporal scales directly generate three particle generations through eigenvalue equations of the temporal metric, naturally explaining both the number of generations and their mass hierarchy. The framework introduces a metric structure with three temporal and three spatial dimensions, preserving causality and unitarity while extending standard quantum mechanics and field theory.

50 Years Later, a Quantum Mystery Has Finally Been Solved

The quantum physics community is buzzing with excitement after researchers at Rice University finally observed a phenomenon that had eluded scientists for over 70 years. This breakthrough, recently published in Science Advances is known as the superradiant phase transition (SRPT), represents a significant milestone in quantum mechanics and opens extraordinary possibilities for future technological applications.

In 1954, physicist Robert H. Dicke proposed an intriguing theory suggesting that under specific conditions, large groups of excited atoms could emit light in perfect synchronization rather than independently. This collective behavior, termed superradiance, was predicted to potentially create an entirely new phase of matter through a complete phase transition.

For over seven decades, this theoretical concept remained largely confined to equations and speculation. The primary obstacle was the infamous “no-go theorem,” which seemingly prohibited such transitions in conventional light-based systems. This theoretical barrier frustrated generations of quantum physicists attempting to observe this elusive phenomenon.

Study offers new insights into first-principles calculations of hadron structure

Researchers from the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), together with collaborators from the Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica in Brazil and Iowa State University, have theoretically explored the influence mechanism of quark-gluon interactions on the parton distribution functions (PDFs) within hadrons, providing new insights into first-principles calculations of hadron structure.

Their findings are published as a letter in Physical Review D.

Hadrons are essential building blocks of the universe. These composite particles, which are composed of quarks and , include protons, neutrons, , and others. Investigating the behavior of quarks and gluons within hadrons is crucial for unraveling the mysteries of the microscopic structure of matter.