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materials science

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An illustration of electric current flowing through two types of materials. In the normal wire, current is represented by discrete electrons. In the unusual material, it is transformed into a psychedelic swirl of colors.
condensed matter physics

Meet Strange Metals: Where Electricity May Flow Without Electrons

By Charlie Wood
November 27, 2023
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For 50 years, physicists have understood current as a flow of charged particles. But a new experiment has found that in at least one strange material, this understanding falls apart.

An illustration. The head of a demon floats above an atomic lattice. Patches of its face disappear when illuminated by flashlights.
condensed matter physics

Invisible ‘Demon’ Discovered in Odd Superconductor

By Charlie Wood
October 9, 2023
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Physicists have long suspected that hunks of metal could vibrate in a peculiar way that would be all but invisible. Now physicists have spotted these “demon modes.”

Nobel Prize

Physicists Who Explored Tiny Glimpses of Time Win Nobel Prize

By Charlie Wood
October 3, 2023
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The development of attosecond pulses of light allowed researchers to explore the frame-by-frame movement of electrons.

An illustration of a honeycomb-shaped molecular mosaic. Formed by a six-sided molecule, the hexagonal mosaic is a pattern within a pattern, with multiple levels of organization.
materials science

The Simple Geometry That Predicts Molecular Mosaics

By Elise Cutts
June 21, 2023
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By treating molecules as geometric tessellations, scientists devised a new way to forecast how 2D materials might self-assemble.

Hands hold a ball-and-stick model of a pill-shaped molecule called a fullertube.
chemistry

‘Fullertubes’ Join the Family of Carbon Crystals

By James R. Riordon
December 20, 2022
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The buckminsterfullerene revolution never came, but some researchers are eagerly exploring the properties of newfound carbon crystals known as fullertubes.

Illustration of electrified brain embedded within a computer chip.
artificial intelligence

New Chip Expands the Possibilities for AI

By Allison Whitten
November 10, 2022
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An energy-efficient chip called NeuRRAM fixes an old design flaw to run large-scale AI algorithms on smaller devices, reaching the same accuracy as wasteful digital computers.

A photo illustration of Jie Shan and Kin Fai Mak’s faces overlaid with hexagonal grids.
condensed matter physics

Physics Duo Finds Magic in Two Dimensions

By Charlie Wood
August 16, 2022
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In exploring a family of two-dimensional crystals, a husband-and-wife team is uncovering a potent variety of new electron behaviors.

quantum physics

Quantum Complexity Tamed by Machine Learning

By Charlie Wood
February 7, 2022
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If only scientists understood exactly how electrons act in molecules, they’d be able to predict the behavior of everything from experimental drugs to high-temperature superconductors. Following decades of physics-based insights, artificial intelligence systems are taking the next leap.

Closeup photo of an automated two-wheeled robot on a wooden table
mathematical physics

A New Theory for Systems That Defy Newton’s Third Law

By Stephen Ornes
November 11, 2021
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In nonreciprocal systems, where Newton’s third law falls apart, “exceptional points” are helping researchers understand phase transitions and possibly other phenomena.


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