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condensed matter physics
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The Strange Second Life of String Theory
String theory has so far failed to live up to its promise as a way to unite gravity and quantum mechanics. At the same time, it has blossomed into one of the most useful sets of tools in science.
An Explorer of Quantum Borderlands
Suchitra Sebastian’s searches for quantum anomalies have led to the potential discovery of a new building block of matter.
The Quantum Secret to Superconductivity
In a virtuoso experiment, physicists have revealed details of a “quantum critical point” that underlies high-temperature superconductivity.
Taming Superconductors With String Theory
The physicist Subir Sachdev borrows tools from string theory to understand the puzzling behavior of high-temperature superconductors.
Paradoxical Crystal Baffles Physicists
At super-low temperatures, a crystal called samarium hexaboride behaves in an unexplained, imagination-stretching way.
Forging a Qubit to Rule Them All
A scientist at Bell Labs has started construction of a topological qubit, which could be the building block of a robust, scalable quantum computer.
Decoding the Secrets of Superconductivity
Experimentalists have pinpointed the microscopic structure of waves inside high-temperature superconductors, which could be the key to understanding the complex materials.
A Strange Side to Nature
New findings suggest that beneath the surface of quantum theory lies a vibrant string theory world where some matter corresponds to black holes in higher dimensions.
Solid or Liquid? Physicists Redefine States of Matter
Glass and other strange materials have long confounded textbook definitions of what it means to be solid. Now, two groups of physicists propose a new solution to the riddle.