iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

We are delighted to announce Prof Amir Yacoby as inaugural Ray Dolby Professor of Theoretical and Experimental Physics. He is joining the Cavendish from Harvard to develop new ways of probing and understanding quantum matter. A very warm welcome to Amir! 🔗 www.phy.cam.ac.uk/news/profess...

Two colleagues posing by a large office window, Amir Yacoby on the left and Mete Atature on the right, standing next to a tall red-and-green indoor plant with a campus building visible outside.

Smiling Amir Yacoby standing before a chalkboard, paired with a quote that reads: “I find new people and environments enormously stimulating, and I look forward to working with colleagues across the Cavendish and the wider University, including those well beyond my immediate field. I hope the people I meet here will help shape the questions we ask and the directions we take. The Dolby family’s generosity creates an exceptional opportunity to pursue that spirit of discovery alongside the next generation of physicists.”

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

🌌 Beyond Light: Understanding the Universe with #GravitationalWaves Join Richard Dyer at 6pm on 29 Sept at the Ray Dolby Centre to explore how gravitational waves reveal black holes, neutron stars, and a universe once hidden from view. Free and open to all. 🔗https://buff.ly/yc7G3Oc

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Earlier this week, we welcomed researchers for Phage Research @ Cambridge: Community Building - a research event that brought together the phage research community to connect, exchange perspectives and explore new ideas. Thank you to everyone who contributed!

Picture of one of the talks in progress during the event.

Picture of researchers networking during a coffee break at the event.

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

⚡ It begins before the arrival An experiment in sound by Cavendish Arts Science Fellow Thulani Rachia, reflecting on lightning as an agent in Indigenous Temporalities. 📅 Tuesday 29 Sept, 12.15–13.15 📍 Ray Dolby Centre atrium 20-min sound experiment + artist Q&A. To book, visit: buff.ly/zXqDsB6

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Physics at Work 2026 has inspired more than 1,900 students to think about a possible career in physics! Now in its 42nd year, our flagship outreach event brought together 22 exhibitors who showcased careers across physics and the many routes into them. Physics at Work returns 21–23 September 2027.

Picture of participants and demonstrators during one of the sessions.

Picture of participants and demonstrator during one of the sessions.

Picture of RDC buzzing with young curious students.

Picture of students watching the poster displays.

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

🎉Congratulations to Harry Cliff on his appointment as Assistant Professor in Experimental High Energy Physics! An Ernest Rutherford Fellow and member of the LHCb experiment at CERN, Harry is also the Cavendish’s Public Physicist and editor of CavMag, our alumni magazine. @harrycliff.bsky.social

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Help preserve Parton Kirk, closely associated with the founding head of the Cavendish Laboratory James Clerk Maxwell. Parton Community Council has until 1st November to raise £70,000 to save it for the community. Support 👉️ buff.ly/xXH6LRU

Image of Parton Kirk, burial place of the world-famous physicist James Clerk Maxwell

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Mayank Shreshtha @shreshthamayank.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Our group website "AI for Materials" led by Prof Jacqui Cole is now live: www.ai4mat.phy.cam.ac.uk Explore: open-source software, materials databases, domain-specific language models, and the carbon cost of our own models @cambridgephysics.bsky.social #ChemSky #MaterialsScience #SustainableAI

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

“It’s a lot of detective work, and it’s a lot of fun.” 🔭 Meet Lucy Oswald, our new Assistant Professor in Data-Driven Radio Astronomy. In the latest issue of CavMag, Lucy talks pulsars, big data, mentorship and why curiosity matters when finding your place in physics. 👉️ buff.ly/zTvhsAb

Picture of Lucy Oswald infront of a radio telescope

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Reposted by Cavendish Laboratory

Nicole Yunger Halpern @nicoleyh11.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Since I was a PhD student, I've wondered whether Kirkwood–Dirac quasiprobabilities could help with pinpointing the magic that underlies quantum-computational speedups. After all, Wigner quasiprobabilities are useful, if limited. We finally have an answer. journals.aps.org/prl/abstract...

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

🌌 MOONS, a new UK-led instrument, has taken its first look at the heart of our Galaxy, beginning an ambitious mission to map millions of stars and galaxies. Its mission? To uncover new insights into how the Milky Way and the wider Universe formed and evolved. More here: buff.ly/DE376gu

Image of First Light Target on Sky above ESO's Paranal Observatory

Image credit: Credit: ESO/MOONS team/VVV survey/F. Char

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

🔬 A new kind of magnetism has been confirmed deep inside chromium antimonide (CrSb) for the first time. The research provides firm experimental evidence for bulk #altermagnetism and could support future advances in efficient electronic technologies. buff.ly/pd3dXmQ

Illustration of g-wave altermagnetic order parameter

Image of Mengmeng Long, joint lead author of the study and a PhD student in the Quantum Matter group, showing graphical results from her research in the lab.

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

📖 Have you read the latest #CavMag? 💀 Discover how a growing supermassive black hole may have slowly starved Pablo’s Galaxy of the gas needed to form new stars - a cosmic ‘death by a thousand cuts.’ 🌌 Read the full story in CavMag 35 👇 buff.ly/CJ33ot2

The image provided is an artist's concept illustration depicting an active supermassive black hole quenching star formation within its host galaxy. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

🔬 'Physical Sciences at Alumni Festival' returns to Cambridge! Join us at the RDC on 18 September for a day of Physical Sciences events and talks. Explore quantum uncertainty and AI-driven materials discovery with Prof Dorian Gangloff and Nicola Marzari. buff.ly/uJlKIDX

Image of the past 'Cavendish Alumni Reunion' with alumni enjoying the day.

Portrait image of Professor Dorian Gangloff

Portrait image of Professor Nicola Marzari.

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Quantum computers need “magic” states to outperform classical machines but new Cambridge research shows magic alone may not be enough. The key may lie in negativity: Kirkwood–Dirac negativity. Read the story : www.phy.cam.ac.uk/news/a-littl... Cartoon by J.J Thio

A cartoon of a young man wearing glasses, a tie and a blazer, with a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead, is sitting opposite another man wearing glasses and turning its back to the viewer. On the table facing us a name tag reads: 'P.A.M Dirac, Head of Quantum Hiring'. On the wall a poster shows a spherical illustration with the words 'Quantum Computing, Incorporated'. A speech bubble above that man turning in the foreground reads : 'I'm sorry Harry, you haven't got what it takes!'
The cartoon's caption reads: Even Wizards Struggle in the Quantum Industry.

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

A tiny satellite could use the far side of the Moon to listen for whispers from the early Universe. The CosmoCube mission will search for a faint hydrogen signal from the cosmic dark ages - before the first stars appeared. 🛰️ Read: buff.ly/ulAsA9O

Artist's impression of Cosmo Cube
Credit: Surrey Space Technology Ltd

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

The latest issue of CavMag, our Alumni magazine, is here! 🔬 Among the stories, discover how the new MicroBooNE results rule out a ‘sterile’ neutrino - but mysteries remain. Read the story: buff.ly/ItJq6WD Image: MicroBooNE Collaboration and Fermilab

The image shows the interior of the MicroBooNE (Micro Booster Neutrino Experiment) detector, a groundbreaking particle physics experiment located at Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois. A wide-angle, symmetrical photograph looking down the interior length of a large cylindrical metal chamber, brightly illuminated by a saturated, monochromatic red light.

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Are you ready to shape the future of physics with #AI? Frontiers is a new training programme for incoming and prospective Physics PhD students at the Cavendish Laboratory in 2026. Gain the skills to tackle tomorrow's biggest scientific challenges. Learn more: buff.ly/wVMRKRO

Two people interacting with augmented reality technology in a futuristic setting

Image credit: Westend61 via Getty Images

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

💧 How do protons move through water? Using AI-powered quantum simulations, researchers tracked 51 interconnected molecular vibrations simultaneously, revealing that protons move by "hopping" from one water molecule to the next. 🔗 buff.ly/j27SzuA

The image is an illustration of hydrated proton (yellow/green) with six water molecules (blue/grey): quantum simulations of an extended Zundel complex provide new insight into how protons move through water.

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

What happens when a chain flies off the 3rd floor of the Ray Dolby Centre and why does it do *that*? To mark 20 years of the Senior Physics Challenge (SPC), we recreated the famous chain fountain, which was explained by physicist and founder of the SPC Mark Warner and his then-student John Biggins 👀

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

From the future of quantum computing to the earliest galaxies and a final look inside 'Cavendish 2' iconic 1974 buildings before demolition, the latest CavMag gives you all the news and stories from across the Cavendish community. Read issue 35 : buff.ly/BNpMj4V

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

After a fantastic first Undergraduate Open Day yesterday, we're looking forward to welcoming more future physicists at the Ray Dolby Centre on Day 2, and giving them a glimpse of what it's like to study Physics at Cambridge. If you're joining us today, we can't wait to meet you!

Prospective students visiting the undergraduate laboratories.

One of the volunteers can be seen helping prospective students by providing information.

Prospective students looking at demonstrations in the laboratory.

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

🍫 Happy World Chocolate Day! The next time you unwrap a chocolate bar, remember - you are holding a fascinating piece of science. Swipe through to explore the physics of chocolate and discover how concepts like crystal structures, viscosity and density shape every bite.

A premium dark chocolate bar with one square broken off on a dark background.
The text reads: World Chocolate Day
Think chocolate is just a sweet treat?
From crystal structures to fluid mechanics, every bite is packed with fascinating physics. Swipe to discover the science behind your favourite chocolate.

A close-up comparison:
• Left: glossy chocolate
• Right: chocolate with white bloom.
The text reads: Why does chocolate turn white? That white coating isn't usually mould - it's called chocolate bloom.
There are two types:
Fat bloom: Cocoa butter melts, moves to the surface and recrystallises.
Sugar bloom: Moisture dissolves sugar, which recrystallises as the water evaporates. It may not look perfect, but it's usually still safe to eat.

Dark Chocolate being poured on a round chocolate.
The text reads: Why doesn't melted chocolate pour like water?
Chocolate is a non-Newtonian fluid.
Unlike water, it doesn't always flow the same way.
It's made of cocoa butter, cocoa particles, sugar and milk solids suspended together.
Temperature and movement change how easily it flows—which is why chocolatiers carefully control both to create the perfect texture.

A macro cross-section of aerated chocolate (like Aero-style bubbles).
The test reads: The sweetest science.
Ever wondered why bubbly chocolate melts so quickly?
Tiny trapped air bubbles mean there's less chocolate in every bite, so your mouth warms it faster, creating that signature melt-in-the-mouth sensation.
From crystal structures and viscosity to air pressure and density, chocolate is full of incredible physics.
This World Chocolate Day, celebrate the science behind every bite.

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Thinking about studying Physics at Cambridge? Only a few days to go until our Open Days at the Ray Dolby Centre on 9 and 10 July, from 1pm to 4.30 pm. Attend sample lectures, meet our current students, and explore the Natural Sciences course. Book your place now: buff.ly/sW6uJXj

Prospective student with family getting more information about Isaac Science

Prospective student enquiring about societies during 2025 Open Day

Prospective students attending 2025 Open day

Prospective student with family attending 2025 Open day

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Good luck to the UK’s International Physics Olympiad team, who completed their final training camp at the Cavendish before heading to Colombia for #IPhO2026. Practicals and theory prep done, those 5 bright young minds are ready to take on the world stage! We’ll be cheering you on from Cambridge! 👏

Students working on physics experiments and attending a classroom lecture with a chalkboard.

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Researchers from the AION collaboration, including Cavendish physicists, have demonstrated a key technique to cancel laser noise in atom interferometers under real-world conditions. The work marks an important milestone in developing the quantum technologies of the future: buff.ly/bdEi0VG

Polarisation of blue laser light being adjusted before cooling atoms to near absolute zero. Credit: Dr Thomas Walker. © Imperial College London.

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

📢 We're hiring: IonQ Project Manager Want to help deliver one of the UK's most exciting quantum initiatives? Join the University of Cambridge to support our landmark partnership with IonQ, which will bring the UK's most powerful quantum computer to Cambridge. Apply by 12 July: buff.ly/Lznjd0B

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined the inaugural Dolby Symposium last week 🎉 This year's theme, AI in Science, inspired great talks and discussion. The Dolby Symposium will be back on 17 June 2027 - stay tuned for next year’s theme!

Mete Atatüre, Head of Department, Cavendish Laboratory with John Jumper, Google DeepMind

Panel discussion in progress on 'AI for Science and Society'

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Thinking of studying Physics at Cambridge? Visit us in our new home the Ray Dolby Centre during #CambridgeOpenDays on 9 and 10 July, from 1pm to 4.30pm. Register: buff.ly/BAWzIOJ General information stands can also be found at the Student Services Centre, from 9.30am to 4.30pm on both days.

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

We're deeply saddened by the death of Prof Peter Littlewood, internationally renowned condensed matter physicist and former Head of the Cavendish. Peter’s lifelong ties to the Department, as a student, researcher, professor and leader, left a lasting impact on our community. 1/2

Peter Littlewood in his Head of Department office

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Huge congratulations to Roberto Maiolino for his 2026 Feltrinelli Prize in Physics from the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, for his pioneering work on galaxies and massive black holes across cosmic times. Roberto received the prize in a ceremony attended by Italian President Sergio Mattarella 📷️

Roberto Maiolino with the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella.

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

🎉 We turn 152 today! 🎉 It is hard to believe that it has already been a little over a year since we officially opened the doors to the #RayDolbyCentre. In this past year, the Centre has become a vibrant home for our community. Here’s to this year of many firsts and many more to come ✨

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Mayank Shreshtha @shreshthamayank.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

A summary illustration capturing the work of Prof. Jacqueline Cole published in @chemistryworld.com @cambridgephysics.bsky.social www.chemistryworld.com/features/ai-... #AI #Chemistry #DataMining #MaterialsScience

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Didier Queloz has long been on our #PeopleDoingPhysics ideal guest list, so we're excited to share this new episode. Listen to Didier discuss his path into physics, his search for life in the universe, and why failing and bouncing back matters in research. Available everywhere and 👉️ buff.ly/lerXKtb

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

⚡The rain and lightning over Cambridge today remind us of this stunning image of the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory (MRAO), captured by a local resident during an electrical storm last month. What a show of drama and beauty! ✨ 📸 Photo credit: Douglas Thompson #RadioAstronomy

This stunning photograph was taken by local resident from near the facility, perfectly showcasing the dramatic power and beauty of the night sky above MRAO. 📸 Photo credit: Douglas Thompson

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Join us for the next Big Science Colloquium with Prof Sarah Seager (MIT): 'From Lab to Cosmos: The Possibility for Life in Non-Water Planetary Environments' 📅 Tuesday 9 June from 4.15pm 📍 Ray Dolby Centre, Cambridge Free and open to all members of the University. For more details 👉️ buff.ly/g4MVc9P

Overlaid display of candidate dark matter production event at an LHC with a Gravitational Lens image of the mass distribution in the Bullet Cluster from the Hubble telescope.

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Final few days to register for the Dolby Symposium: AI in Science. 📅 18 June |📍 Ray Dolby Centre, Cambridge Hear from Nobel Prize laureate John Jumper (Google DeepMind) and an outstanding line-up of speakers. Register for this free one-day event before 08 June: www.phy.cam.ac.uk/event/dolby-...

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Welcome to Marcos Guimarães (@mhdguimaraes.bsky.social), our new Associate Professor in the Physics of Energy Materials 💫 His work on charge, light, spin and magnetism in quantum van der Waals materials advances energy-efficient information technologies. Delighted to have you on board Marcos!

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

A new radio antenna system is being built at the mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory near Cambridge📡 The instrument will help REACH scientists study signals from more than 13 billion years ago, when the first stars and galaxies began to form. Learn more about the REACH project: buff.ly/bL61gPz

Cavendish Researchers who are building a new radio telescope in Cambridge

Precision radio antenna system being built at Lords Bridge for the REACH project.

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Cavendish researchers have discovered a new way to make “forbidden” molecular triplet states shine🔬✨ The findings, published in Nature Chemistry, could lead to brighter #OLED materials, improved imaging technologies, and future quantum sensing applications. Read the paper: buff.ly/IbDB3N7

Image description: Triplet states glowing on anthracene molecules attached to lanthanide nanocrystals in solution
Image credit: Rakesh Arul, Huangtianzhi Zhu, Google Gemini, Powerpoint

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

We're pleased to announce the full programme and speaker lineup for our free one-day Dolby Symposium: AI in Science. Join us Thursday 18 June, 9.30am to 6.30pm at the Ray Dolby Centre, Cambridge to explore the transformative role of AI across scientific discovery. Book by 8 June: buff.ly/tEbs1nx

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

Spring is in the air at the Cavendish Laboratory 🌸 From the apple tree at the Battcock Centre to the blossoms surrounding the Ray Dolby Centre and the Mullard's telescopes in all their springtime glory, the season is unmistakably in full swing. A gentle reminder to pause and take it all in.

Apple tree at the Battcock Centre - Courtesy of Eloy de Lera Acedo.

MERLIN radio telescope at the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory (MRAO)

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Our latest episode of #PeopleDoingPhysics is live. This time we speak to Siddharth Shankar Saxena (Montu to everyone) about mentorship, belonging and dealing with failure. All this plus a dash of superconductivity. Listen on your favourite podcast app or 👉️ buff.ly/GgsVkgk

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

The Mercedes Formula One Team is at the Ray Dolby Centre today for a showcase event for students and postdocs. Organised by the #CareersService at the University of Cambridge, the event offers a unique opportunity to explore careers across engineering, technology, strategy, and more.

F1 simulation experience during the showcase event

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Cavendish Laboratory @cambridgephysics.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

What gives rise to life in the universe? Prof Didier Queloz, Director of the Leverhulme Centre for Life in the Universe, explores the origins of life and humanity’s quest to understand our place in the cosmos in this EXPeditions video - buff.ly/0Pe91zb

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Reposted by Cavendish Laboratory

CORDE @cordecavendish.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

When materials are only atoms thick, even tiny contamination matters. New AFM paper from Cambridge researchers, with work carried out in part at CORDE, uses scanning helium microscopy to map sub-monolayer contamination on wafer-scale 2D MoS₂. 🔗 buff.ly/whrxZyX

$Schematics of helium atom diffraction from crystalline surfaces under different levels of contamination. The scattering is a mixture of ordered Bragg scattering and disordered diffuse scattering. Figure adapted/reproduced from Zhao et al., Advanced Functional Materials, 2026, DOI: 10.1002/adfm.75366, used under the article’s Creative Commons licence.$ Spatial resolution of the contamination process on MoS2.

Figure adapted/reproduced from Zhao et al., Advanced Functional Materials, 2026, DOI: 10.1002/adfm.75366, used under the article’s Creative Commons licence.

Spatial resolution of the contamination process on MoS2.

Figure adapted/reproduced from Zhao et al., Advanced Functional Materials, 2026, DOI: 10.1002/adfm.75366, used under the article’s Creative Commons licence.

$A schematic depiction of the Cambridge B-SHeM as employed in the current work. High pressure helium gas is expanded into a vacuum and repeatedly collimated to produce a microscopic probe. The helium atoms scatter from the sample either in ordered manner (specular/diffraction) or disordered manner (diffuse). The atoms scattered in a specific direction are collected and detected. The sample is manipulated in x y to image and y z to perform diffraction scans. A specialized, heater compatible, SEM sample stub is used to control the sample temperature. Figure adapted/reproduced from Zhao et al., Advanced Functional Materials, 2026, DOI: 10.1002/adfm.75366, used under the article’s Creative Commons licence.$

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Leverhulme Trust @leverhulme.ac.uk · 05/05/2026

Nobel Laureates, Didier Queloz and Konstantin Novoselov, on what it really takes to make a scientific discovery. 🎬 media.leverhulme.ac.uk/video/everyt... 🎬 media.leverhulme.ac.uk/video/discov... @expeditions.bsky.social @lclu.bsky.social @ethz.ch @manchester.ac.uk @cambridgephysics.bsky.social

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Reposted by Cavendish Laboratory

Leverhulme Trust @leverhulme.ac.uk · 01/05/2026

All life on earth shares a common origin, shaped over vast timescales. Professor Didier Queloz, Director @lclu.bsky.social, on the emergence of life and the power to understand the universe. 🎬 media.leverhulme.ac.uk/video/power-... @expeditions.bsky.social @ethz.ch @cambridgephysics.bsky.social

media.leverhulme.ac.uk

The power of life

We are the first species to reach this level of consciousness — perhaps the only one in the galaxy, or even in the universe at this moment. But there is a price that comes with this level of conscious...

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