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| Open AccessWavefunction matching for solving quantum many-body problems
An approach called wavefunction matching transforms particle interactions so that their wavefunctions match those of easily computable interactions, to allow for calculations of quantum many-body systems that would otherwise be difficult or impossible.
- Serdar Elhatisari
- , Lukas Bovermann
- & Gianluca Stellin
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Article
| Open AccessHigh-threshold and low-overhead fault-tolerant quantum memory
An end-to-end quantum error correction protocol that implements fault-tolerant memory on the basis of a family of low-density parity-check codes shows the possibility of low-overhead fault-tolerant quantum memory within the reach of near-term quantum processors.
- Sergey Bravyi
- , Andrew W. Cross
- & Theodore J. Yoder
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Nature Careers Podcast |
Scientific illustration: striking the balance between creativity and accuracy
A misleading image in a medical textbook could have life and death implications, but some disciplines can deploy myth and metaphor to convey their science through art.
- Julie Gould
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Article
| Open AccessUniversality in long-distance geometry and quantum complexity
Many different homogeneous metrics on Lie groups, which may have markedly different short-distance properties, are shown to exhibit nearly identical distance functions at long distances, suggesting a large universality class of definitions of quantum complexity.
- Adam R. Brown
- , Michael H. Freedman
- & Leonard Susskind
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Article |
Build-up and dephasing of Floquet–Bloch bands on subcycle timescales
The build-up and dephasing of Floquet-–Bloch bands is visualized in both subcycle band-structure videography and quantum theory, revealing the interplay of strong-field intraband and interband excitations in a non-equilibrium Floquet picture.
- S. Ito
- , M. Schüler
- & R. Huber
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Obituary |
Alexander Müller (1927–2023)
Physicist and co-discoverer of high-temperature superconductivity.
- Joseph D. Martin
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News |
Hint of crack in standard model vanishes in LHC data
Discrepancy in measurement of a type of particle decay had raised hopes of new physics.
- Davide Castelvecchi
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News & Views |
Obstacles need not impede cooperation in active matter
A theory shows that active agents can cooperate in the presence of disorder — a result that could inform the design of robots that organize on rough surfaces, or show how cells migrate en masse.
- Sam Cameron
- & Tannie Liverpool
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Article |
Attosecond clocking of correlations between Bloch electrons
By forcing electron–hole pairs onto closed trajectories attosecond clocking of delocalized Bloch electrons is achieved, enabling greater understanding of unexpected phase transitions and quantum-dynamic phenomena.
- J. Freudenstein
- , M. Borsch
- & R. Huber
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Article |
Dynamical topological phase realized in a trapped-ion quantum simulator
A dynamical topological phase with edge qubits that are dynamically protected from control errors, cross-talk and stray fields, is demonstrated in a quasiperiodically driven array of ten 171Yb+ hyperfine qubits in a model trapped-ion quantum processor.
- Philipp T. Dumitrescu
- , Justin G. Bohnet
- & Andrew C. Potter
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Research Briefing |
The knotty problem of tuning an instrument
Tuning the resonances of an object is crucial in many settings, from musical instruments to ultrasensitive detectors for electromagnetic and gravitational waves. This task might seem straightforward but its mathematical description has been shown to involve rich topological structures known as knots and braids.
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News |
Physicists spellbound by deepening mystery of muon particle’s magnetism
Theoretical predictions move closer to experimental results, but questions remain about possible gaps in the standard model of particle physics.
- Davide Castelvecchi
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Article
| Open AccessMany-body theory of positron binding to polyatomic molecules
A many-body theory of binding interactions between positrons and polar and nonpolar molecules is developed, showing agreement with experimental data up to within 1%.
- Jaroslav Hofierka
- , Brian Cunningham
- & Dermot G. Green
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News |
Particle’s surprise mass threatens to upend the standard model
Data from an old experiment find that the mass of the W boson is higher than theory predicts, hinting at future breakthroughs.
- Davide Castelvecchi
- & Elizabeth Gibney
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Where I Work |
Surmounting challenges with a passion for science
Insight is more important than vision in theoretical physics, says Sofia Qvarfort.
- Chris Woolston
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News |
The vanishing neutrinos that could upend fundamental physics
The search for exotic ‘Majorana’ particles that could solve a big antimatter mystery is ramping up around the world.
- Davide Castelvecchi
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News & Views |
Trip frequency is key ingredient in new law of human travel
An analysis of mobile-phone tracking data has revealed a universal pattern that describes the interplay between the distances travelled by humans on trips and the frequency with which those trips are made.
- Laura Alessandretti
- & Sune Lehmann
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News & Views |
Prediction for magnetic moment of the muon informs a test of the standard model of particle physics
A new first-principles computation of the effect that creates most uncertainty in calculations of the magnetic moment of the muon particle has been reported. The results might resolve a long-standing puzzle, but pose another conundrum.
- Harvey B. Meyer
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News & Views |
An exceptional view of phase transitions in non-equilibrium systems
Phase transitions in certain non-equilibrium systems cannot be described using the classical laws of statistical mechanics. A mathematical approach involving features called exceptional points now solves this far-reaching problem.
- Cynthia J. O. Reichhardt
- & Charles Reichhardt
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News & Views |
Competition at nuclear extremes explains why neutrons drip off nuclei
The neutron drip line refers to the maximum number of neutrons that can be packed into the atomic nuclei of each chemical element. A mechanism has been proposed that could explain the long-debated origin of this drip line.
- Calvin W. Johnson
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Article |
Axionic charge-density wave in the Weyl semimetal (TaSe4)2I
In the charge-density-wave Weyl semimetal (TaSe4)2I, an axion is observed and identified as a sliding mode in the charge-density-wave phase characterized by anomalous magnetoelectric transport effects.
- J. Gooth
- , B. Bradlyn
- & C. Felser
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Books & Arts |
Deciphering dark matter: the remarkable life of Fritz Zwicky
Jaco de Swart enjoys a biography of the scientist who pioneered findings on dark matter and supernovae.
- Jaco de Swart
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News |
Speculative ‘supergravity’ theory wins US$3-million prize
Three physicists honoured for theory that has been hugely influential — but might not be a good description of reality.
- Zeeya Merali
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Obituary |
Murray Gell-Mann (1929–2019)
Theoretical physicist who won a Nobel for codifying fundamental particles.
- Robert P. Crease
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Books & Arts |
A struggle for the soul of theoretical physics
A riposte to the view that mathematics has led physics astray beguiles Jon Butterworth.
- Jon Butterworth
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News |
Black-hole jets begin to reveal their antimatter secrets
The first simulations of matter and antimatter particles swirling around a rotating black hole hint at the origins of the enigmatic jets.
- Davide Castelvecchi
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News & Views |
Gravity measured with record precision
The gravitational constant, G, which governs the strength of gravitational interactions, is hard to measure accurately. Two independent determinations of G have been made that have the smallest uncertainties so far.
- Stephan Schlamminger
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News & Views |
Special relativity validated by neutrinos
Neutrinos are tiny, ghost-like particles that habitually change identity. A measurement of the rate of change in high-energy neutrinos racing through Earth provides a record-breaking test of Einstein’s special theory of relativity.
- Matthew Mewes
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Books & Arts |
How the belief in beauty has triggered a crisis in physics
Anil Ananthaswamy parses Sabine Hossenfelder’s analysis of why the field is at an impasse.
- Anil Ananthaswamy
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Books & Arts |
Richard Feynman at 100
Paul Halpern celebrates the oeuvre of the brilliant, unconventional scientist.
- Paul Halpern
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Editorial |
Fourier’s transformational thinking
The mathematics of Joseph Fourier, born 250 years ago this week, shows the value of intellectual boldness.
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Books & Arts |
The doubly dextrous physics of Enrico Fermi
Catherine Westfall lauds a candid life of a Manhattan Project scientist at home in theory and experimentation.
- Catherine Westfall
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News |
Dark-matter hunt fails to find the elusive particles
Physicists begin to embrace alternative explanations for the missing material.
- Elizabeth Gibney
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News & Views |
Quarks fuse to release energy
In nuclear fusion, energy is produced by the rearrangement of protons and neutrons. The discovery of an analogue of this process involving particles called quarks has implications for both nuclear and particle physics. See Letter p.89
- Gerald A. Miller
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News |
LIGO's unsung heroes
Nature highlights just a few of the people who played a crucial part in the discovery of gravitational waves — but didn’t win the Nobel Prize.
- Davide Castelvecchi
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Books & Arts |
Theoretical physics: When the doer met the dreamer
Graham Farmelo applauds a study on the productive friendship of two very different physicists.
- Graham Farmelo
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Letter |
Experimental signatures of the mixed axial–gravitational anomaly in the Weyl semimetal NbP
A positive magneto-thermoelectric conductance is observed in the Weyl semimetal niobium phosphide, suggesting the presence of the elusive mixed axial–gravitational anomaly.
- Johannes Gooth
- , Anna C. Niemann
- & Kornelius Nielsch
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News |
Tricks to mute quantum noise aid hunt for gravitational waves
Physicists find ways to make LIGO and other gravitational-wave detectors even more sensitive.
- Elizabeth Gibney
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News |
Neutron stars set to open their heavy hearts
Space mission will peer inside the densest matter in the Universe.
- Elizabeth Gibney
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News |
Physicists excited by latest LHC anomaly
A series of odd findings have theorists hoping for new particles.
- Davide Castelvecchi
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News |
Muons’ big moment could fuel new physics
Fermilab experiment to measure muon magnetic moment more precisely might reveal unknown virtual particles.
- Elizabeth Gibney
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News |
Battle between quantum and thermodynamic laws heats up
Physicists try to rebuild the laws of heat and energy for processes at a quantum scale.
- Davide Castelvecchi
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News & Views |
Axions exposed
Physicists are hunting for a particle called the axion that could solve two major puzzles in fundamental physics. An ambitious study calculates the expected mass of this particle, which might reshape the experimental searches. See Letter p.69 See Clarification p.176
- Maria Paola Lombardo
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News |
Axion alert! Exotic-particle detector may miss out on dark matter
Supercomputer calculation suggests hypothesized particle may be heavier than thought.
- Davide Castelvecchi
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Books & Arts |
Physics: Fallible pontiff of physics
Graham Farmelo assesses a biography of star theorist-experimentalist Enrico Fermi.
- Graham Farmelo
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Autumn Books |
Theoretical physics: The emperor's new physics
Richard Dawid examines a critique of quantum mechanics, string theory and inflationary cosmology.
- Richard Dawid
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Outlook |
Dark matter: What's the matter?
The leading theory of dark matter is running out of room to hide.
- Jeff Hecht
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Research Highlights |
Neutrino search closes in
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News |
China, Japan, CERN: Who will host the next LHC?
Labs are vying to build ever-bigger colliders against a backdrop of uncertainty about how particle physicists will make the next big discoveries.
- Elizabeth Gibney