Bee nest linings could inspire plastics that break down in soil
Hundreds of millions of metric tons of plastics are produced every year, and most of them end up sitting in landfills or polluting natural environments after use. These plastics e…
Iridium catalyst activates chemotherapy drug directly at targeted cancer cells
Conventional chemotherapy treatments often attack not only cancer cells but also healthy tissue, leading to severe side effects such as hair loss or nausea. The team led by Dr. Th…
Physicists step closer to the 'Zeptoverse' after 42-year particle search
Physicists have found evidence of a particle decay so rare that it is expected to occur only around once in every 10 billion "beauty" particles. The result, from the upgraded LHCb…
Fingernail-sized chip untangles mixed light into clean beams
Stanford engineers and colleagues designed a chip that can take a muddled mixture of light from multiple lasers and output clean beams of light. It's the first time researchers ha…
Exactly solvable model reveals how trapped light can create magnetic order in one-dimensional spin chains
A research team wanted to better understand how the forces between particles inside a material change. They discovered that by confining one-dimensional classical spin chains insi…
Molecular dinitrogen anions pave the way for low-temperature ammonia synthesis
While ammonia (NH₃) is best known for its role in fertilizer production, it is attracting attention as a carbon-free hydrogen carrier, potentially offering a practical way to stor…
A new way to make better use of ruthenium in single-atom catalysts
Ruthenium (Ru) is a valuable metal used in catalysts to speed up chemical reactions in many industrial processes. It can help improve efficiency and reduce the energy needed for c…
Ultrashort laser pulses can slice lab-grown diamond along useful crystal plane
More than just a precious gemstone for jewelry, diamond has properties that make it attractive for several next-generation, high-performance technologies. Its high thermal conduct…
Experiment supports theoretical foundation for potentially more error-resistant quantum computing
One approach to making information storage in quantum computing less prone to errors is known as topological quantum computing. It relies on special quantum states that are expect…
Single molecules could provide the building blocks for future quantum networks
Quantum computers rely on qubits as their units of information. To connect them into a larger network across long distances, they need to transmit quantum information using light.
Ultrathin kagome material opens a route to study unusual quantum states
How atoms are arranged inside materials can influence the behavior of electrons and the resulting electronic states. Kagome lattices, repeating arrangements of atoms forming trian…
Breaking the ice: Scientists use attracting particles to form an anti-spin ice
In a recent Nature Communications study, researchers have reported the realization of an anti-spin ice, a system that does the opposite of conventional spin ices by breaking the i…
Chemists develop AI tool to convert human ingenuity into life-enhancing enzymes
Many have voiced concerns that artificial intelligence will take jobs away from humans. But assistant professor of chemistry Zhongyue (John) Yang, along with his former doctoral s…
Ultracold atoms simulate hard-to-observe matter-antimatter pair production
According to quantum electrodynamics, the theory describing interactions between light and electrically charged particles, a sufficiently strong electric field can, in principle, …
Four superconducting cables link two large quantum processors into one
As quantum computers grow more ambitious, many researchers believe the best way forward is to build them in multiple interconnected parts. In these modular designs, separate quant…
'Molecular armor' can trap shape-matched planar molecules
A research team has designed and synthesized a molecular cage with an internal cavity by connecting two curved π-conjugated molecules face-to-face at three points.
Chemists create disappearing tattoos: Here's the science behind how they work
How handy would it be if you could make your tattoos invisible for a job interview in the morning, and reveal them again for a party in the evening? This sounds like science ficti…
How a 'tropical' shortcut could help particle collider experiments
Particle accelerators are expensive. Not just to build or to run, but also to predict the outcome of measurements obtained from them.
Novel chemical reaction expands options for building DNA-encoded libraries
Finding new drugs requires screening vast numbers of compounds to identify those that interact with a biological target. DNA-encoded libraries (DELs) help researchers explore thes…
UTe₂ reveals two flavors of superconductivity under extreme pressure
Quantum researchers are searching for a topological superconductor—a material that, if discovered, would allow major advances in quantum computing by combining two distinct "flavo…
Quantum skyrmions outlast entanglement, hinting at more resilient networks
Quantum networks could one day connect quantum computers into more powerful systems and enable new forms of secure communication. But a fundamental obstacle stands in the way: Qua…
Scientists find that a 10-millisecond flash could help build more sensitive gas sensors
Nitrogen dioxide is a harmful gas that requires sensitive detection. Researchers used intense light pulses lasting 10 milliseconds to make molybdenum disulfide flakes and anchor i…
Confirming altermagnetism: A geometric twist offers experimental proof
For decades, physicists recognized only two types of magnetism that occur in materials without external influence: ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism. In findings published in …
Unusual quantum states in six-layer graphene offer clues to superconductivity
Graphene, a material consisting of a sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb pattern, has proved promising for various technological applications. Materials in which several…