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Condensed matter physics

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Inside the Knotty World of ‘Anyon’ Particles

February 28, 2017

A new class of quantum particle is about to emerge from the tangled considerations of quantum statistics.

Nobel Prize Awarded for Quantum Topology

October 4, 2016

Three physicists have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for rewriting our understanding of exotic quantum states on the surfaces of materials.

The Strange Second Life of String Theory

September 15, 2016

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.

Q&A

An Explorer of Quantum Borderlands

June 9, 2016

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

February 22, 2016

In a virtuoso experiment, physicists have revealed details of a “quantum critical point” that underlies high-temperature superconductivity.

Q&A

Taming Superconductors With String Theory

January 21, 2016

The physicist Subir Sachdev borrows tools from string theory to understand the puzzling behavior of high-temperature superconductors.

Paradoxical Crystal Baffles Physicists

July 2, 2015

At super-low temperatures, a crystal called samarium hexaboride behaves in an unexplained, imagination-stretching way.

Forging a Qubit to Rule Them All

May 15, 2014

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

April 30, 2014

Experimentalists have pinpointed the microscopic structure of waves inside high-temperature superconductors, which could be the key to understanding the complex materials.

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