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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 46m

A new technique for spinning — the process of generating solid fibers from a liquid jet — makes it easier to model and control than current methods. Learn more about how the method could reduce trial and error in industrial manufacturing: go.aps.org/4hCKuqv

Seven streams of freefalling liquid, shown horizontally. A purple band, representing ultraviolet light, extends across six of the streams. Those streams narrow as they extend from the light, showing their transformation into soft solid filaments.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 02/10/2026

Why does nanoconfined water have strong dielectric anisotropy and enhanced in-plane proton conductivity? A proposed microscopic mechanism could be the answer. Learn more about it: go.aps.org/4yrOPE9

An illustration of water molecules — represented by red and white spheres — constrained between two parallel surfaces — represented by gray spheres — that are a few nanometers apart. In the center is a row of four white spheres with white arrows between them pointing right, representing charge transport.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 01/10/2026

By placing rubidium atoms in a 1D optical lattice and tuning the lattice’s potential energy, researchers simulated false vacuum decay. See what they observed: go.aps.org/4z3Agqj

Diagram of a 1D optical lattice with sinusoidal potential energy wells. Blue spheres represent rubidium atoms. They occupy the wells, showing a transition from doubly occupied sites to adjacent single-occupancy sites to mimic false-vacuum decay and particle-pair creation.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 30/09/2026

The 2025 discovery of a phonon thermal Hall effect in common semiconductors upended long-held assumptions in condensed matter #physics. Now, scientists are trying to understand its origins. See how these efforts might revive other scientific cold cases: go.aps.org/4juux8r

Two scientific figures side-by-side. Left: Labeled “Electron gas,” the figure shows charged particles moving along straight paths when no magnetic field is present, and moving along arched trajectories when a magnetic field is applied. Right: Labeled “Molecular gas,” shows neutral particles traveling in straight lines between inter-particle collisions, where an applied magnetic field alters scattering angles and collision probabilities rather than bending individual trajectories.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 30/09/2026

Intense lasers can damage delicate molecular samples and complicate measurements. A new approach uses pairs of entangled photons instead to gently probe how a molecule’s environment impacts its ultrafast dynamics. Read the synopsis: go.aps.org/4ABfhwF

Artistic illustration of molecules — represented by blue and turquoise atomic spheres — surrounded by translucent light-blue solvents. The background is a gradient of cyan.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 29/09/2026

A new study in @physrevx.aps.org reveals vortex-like skyrmions hiding in 2D quasicrystalline wave patterns. Read the synopsis for more: go.aps.org/4xRj4DA

Two scientific figures side-by-side show the measured amplitude and phase of out-of-plane displacement fields of water waves. The left panel shows a symmetrical lattice in grayscale, representing the measured absolute wave amplitude. The right panel shows the corresponding wave phase in red, yellow, green, and blue.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 28/09/2026

New research suggests that a common method for predicting the behavior of systems with multiscale dynamics — like climate and ecosystems — might be misleading. Read the viewpoint to learn how: go.aps.org/4AAO9On

Diagram of a fast-slow dynamical system's phase space, with the fast variable on the vertical axis and the slow variable on the horizontal axis. A shaded pink region labeled 'Basin of A' contains stable state A near the origin, while an unshaded region labeled 'Basin of C' contains stable state C at high values of both variables. An unstable state B sits at their boundary. A thin pink tongue, labeled 'singular funnel,' extends from B along the bottom of the diagram to arbitrarily large slow-variable values, illustrated alongside a funnel/hourglass icon.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 24/09/2026

New research suggests the gallium anomaly, a decades-old mismatch between neutrino experiments and theory, could be solved not by new physics, but by a more rigorous approach to calculate the electron-neutrino capture rate. Read the Synopsis: go.aps.org/3T2BFhN

An illustration with a black background depicts the process of electron-neutrino capture by a gallium atomic nucleus. A horizontal arrow on the left shows an orange particle, an electron neutrino, directed into the nucleus, which is composed of many red and blue spheres representing protons and neutrons and is surrounded by a blurry turquoise halo representing the electron cloud. A bright blue particle to the right is directed outward at an angle, representing an outgoing electron as gallium transforms into germanium.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 23/09/2026

Scientists reveal the first known observation of time-reversal symmetry breaking in the type-I superconductor ytterbium diantimonide. Learn more about the discovery and what it could mean for topological superconductivity: go.aps.org/46Kw5DR

Scientific illustration of a type-I superconducting YbSb2 crystal exhibiting time reversal symmetry breaking. Purple magnetic field lines approach the crystal from the left and bend around the wireframe unit cell, illustrating magnetic field expulsion due to the Meissner effect. The unit cell contains two Yb atoms coordinated by surrounding Sb atoms. Inside the crystal, a red arrow indicates the presence of a spontaneous magnetic field in the superconducting state probed by muons, while translucent Dirac cone structures represent topological electronic states. The background is pale yellow.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 23/09/2026

How do you confirm your excitons formed a real Bose-Einstein condensate, and not just a crowd that looks like one? A synopsis covers a proposed test that could finally tell the difference: go.aps.org/4xDOHAg

Diagram of a two-layer device: a blue upper layer labeled e⁻ contains circulating electrons, and a red lower layer labeled h⁺ contains circulating holes, connected by dashed oval lines indicating electron-hole pairing between the layers. Each layer is wired into its own circuit loop, one containing a battery and the other containing an ammeter, with arrows showing current direction in each loop.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 22/09/2026

Using a crystal made out of organic magnetic molecules to explore the S = 1 Haldane chain’s unusual properties, physicists have mapped its phase diagram for the first time, confirming decades-old theoretical predictions. Read the synopsis: go.aps.org/4AtoTtc

3D molecular structure of the organic magnetic compound BoNO, showing a ring of gray carbon and white hydrogen atoms with two green-and-red nitroxide groups on either side, and a yellow sphere with an upward arrow at the center representing the molecule's S = 1 electron-pair spin.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 21/09/2026

🌀 A tabletop experiment that uses a classical water vortex provides the first direct observation of Kelvin-wave turbulence, confirming a decades-old theory of how turbulence decays in quantum fluids. Read more: go.aps.org/4yGa4So

Numerical simulation of a quantized vortex line, shown as a wavy red-and-blue filament with helical, corkscrew-like undulations, surrounded by faint gray circular patterns representing sound excitations radiating outward.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 18/09/2026

New experiments show that foams made from carbon nanotubes have perfect “memory” — they return to their original shape after being compressed, regardless of compression speed. The material could be used to design smarter helmets. Read the story: go.aps.org/4dlAmRO

Grayscale composite image showing vertically aligned carbon nanotube foam. Left: dark gray cylindrical foam sample about 5 mm wide. Right: scanning electron microscope image showing dense, vertically-oriented nanotube fibers.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 18/09/2026

Researchers working on the P3 experiment have produced their first positron beam using a magnet made from high-temperature superconductors. Here's what it could mean for future particle colliders: go.aps.org/4xCkqSC

Artist's rendering of a particle detector at CERN's planned Future Circular Collider, showing bright orange particle tracks streaming from a central collision point between two beam pipes. An image credit to Polar Media is in the lower right corner.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 17/09/2026

A lab-based quantum sensor could measure frame dragging — a phenomenon where Earth's spin twists spacetime — in seconds. It uses ultracold superfluid helium and could match satellite-level precision without leaving the ground. 🔗 go.aps.org/4yDFRU3

Illustration of Earth surrounded by curved orange field lines representing its gravitomagnetic field, with a blue disc-shaped quantum sensor and green arrow near the top depicting the twisting of spacetime.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 16/09/2026

A step toward a quantum internet: Researchers built a memory device that holds a single photon's quantum state for 180 microseconds — long enough to synchronize network nodes 30 kilometers apart, using pulses of radio waves to shield it from noise. 🔗 go.aps.org/4yD7PPP

Close-up of a quantum memory device: a gold-plated optical mount holding a copper mesh shield, a coiled copper wire component, and a white ceramic block, all secured with screws on a metallic base.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 16/09/2026

In conventional ferromagnets, demagnetization slows down near a phase transition, but a weak ferromagnet does the opposite: Heat, light, or magnetic fields speed up its demagnetization. The results are promising for faster spintronic devices. Read more: go.aps.org/46rIVa2

Graph comparing spin specific heat versus temperature for a conventional ferromagnet (teal curve, diverging near critical temperature Tc, labeled 'SLOW DOWN') and the CaRuO3/SrTiO3 superlattice (orange curve, remaining flat, labeled 'SPEED LIMIT' crossed out), illustrating how the superlattice bypasses the usual thermodynamic slowdown in magnetization dynamics.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 15/09/2026

Researchers quantified the trade-off between speed and reliability in quantum batteries, finding that increasing charging rate leads to unavoidable fluctuations in the total energy stored. They also identified an architecture that optimizes for both. 🔗 go.aps.org/4j4DUvh

A stylized graphic of a horizontal cylindrical battery with a glowing green core and silver metal end caps. At the center of the battery body is a bright orange atom symbol model with intersecting elliptical orbital rings.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 14/09/2026

Cells can't see their own hidden chemistry, but new work shows they can still optimize balance information gained against energy spent in biochemical sensing using only what they can observe. Read the viewpoint: go.aps.org/46WYnLm

Diagram showing a sensor (right, teal) trying to gather information about fluctuations (η) in a hidden chemical network (left, orange, labeled “Hidden network”) via an intermediate signaling molecule Z (“Signal”) and a downstream readout molecule X (“Readout”).

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 11/09/2026

New research shows humans and #ArtificialIntelligence approach chess strategy differently: humans simplify the board more quickly, while #AI engines remain comfortable in tangled, high-tension positions much longer. Read the focus: go.aps.org/4xegh6Z

Side-by-side comparison of a mid-game chess position and its corresponding network diagram, with white and black pieces plotted as labeled nodes on the right and colored lines connecting squares that threaten, defend, or capture one another, illustrating how the board's strategic tension is mapped as a network of piece interactions.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 10/09/2026

Chaotic quantum systems may carry a permanent birthmark of their starting state. Theorists show the odds of returning to its origin increased by a factor of two compared to any other state — forever. Read the viewpoint: go.aps.org/3VmxFZY

Three-panel diagram of a quantum wave packet in a racetrack-shaped "stadium" billiard: an arrow marks the starting point and direction (top left), a bow-tie-shaped trajectory shows early motion, a scrambled, evenly spread pattern shows the state at a later time (bottom left), and a bright central spot on the right shows an enhanced probability of the system returning to its initial state.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 10/09/2026

A crystal with special geometric properties can emit light in any polarization just by tuning a laser with two light fields. The method uses quantum geometry and works on femtosecond timescales. Read the synopsis: go.aps.org/4xIHb85

Illustration of a faceted crystal illuminated by a two-color laser pulse (red and blue waveforms), emitting a helical purple light beam that represents tunable polarization, with red and yellow arrows indicating the crystal's internal symmetry axes.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 09/09/2026

By crushing and heating ultrapure water between diamond anvils, scientists confirm a predicted hexagonal close-packed phase of superionic ice. The results could have implications for modelling ice giants like Uranus and Neptune. 🪐 Read the synopsis: go.aps.org/3VkKN1K

A scientific visualization featuring Uranus in blue at the center with dozens of gold lines that represent its magnetic field extending out and around the planet. The background is black.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 08/09/2026

A coordinated flock doesn't always stay coordinated. When two groups follow conflicting rules — one aligning, the other antialigning — the flock can spontaneously rotate. But beyond a certain size, that coherent motion breaks down into chaos. Read more: go.aps.org/4hf71Lc

Two-panel figure. The first is a swirling red-and-blue pattern showing chaotic motion in a simulated two-species flocking model. The second, a microscope image of starfish embryos with blue and red arrows indicating the differing movement directions of young versus old embryos.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 04/09/2026

Why do stars other than the sun rarely show coronal mass ejections? An experiment recreated stellar plasma ejections and found that strong magnetic fields can suppress them, offering evidence for a long-standing theory. 🔗 go.aps.org/4zXnQlc

Close-up image of the Sun's surface showing a coronal mass ejection: a long, dark filament of plasma arcing outward from a bright, glowing region, against the fiery orange and yellow textures of the solar atmosphere.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 03/09/2026

🧪 A new asymmetric interface turns platinum into a quantum filter for spin currents, producing the orientations needed for field-free magnetic bit switching. Read the Synopsis: go.aps.org/4x8Vf9Z

Illustration of spin-polarized electrons passing through an engineered platinum interface, with arrows showing spins being reoriented out-of-plane as they pass through a quantum filtering layer above a crystal lattice structure.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 02/09/2026

As air passes through a wind farm, it leaves a wake of sluggish wind behind it. But new simulations show radiative cooling in clouds can drive turbulence that helps cut that wake’s length nearly in half. Read the synopsis: go.aps.org/4x8N39v

3D illustration of an offshore wind farm viewed from the side, with turbines producing a turquoise, turbulent wake of slowed air that stretches downwind across the ocean surface beneath a cloudy sky.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 02/09/2026

A proposed neutrino laser hits a wall: two new studies show quantum mechanics prevent the superradiance needed to make it work. Read the viewpoint: go.aps.org/4h5RZY3

Three-panel diagram illustrating why a proposed neutrino laser fails: (left) an energy-level diagram showing a first neutrino decay allowed but a second decay forbidden by the Pauli exclusion principle; (center) a Bose-Einstein condensate (green) with an extremely narrow neutrino emission cone (purple) compared to a much wider photon emission cone (orange); (right) a krypton atom (blue) recoiling rapidly out of the condensate, disrupting the coherence needed for collective emission.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 01/09/2026

Why does the superhydride LaSc₂H₂₄ outperform every other high-pressure, high-remperature superconductor? It turns out that its scandium atoms modify the electronic structure, bridging a split in the superconducting gap that limits its rival LaH₁₀. 🔗 go.aps.org/4xx3ePf

Crystal structure diagram of the superhydride LaSc2H24, showing large green spheres representing lanthanum atoms surrounded by hexagonal and pentagonal cages formed by smaller pink, teal, and brown atoms representing hydrogen and scandium, illustrating the clathrate-like hydrogen cage structure responsible for its high-temperature superconductivity.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 31/08/2026

AI chatbots are learning to "speak" #physics: one model's score on exam-style physics tests jumped from 64% to 90% in a year. Another predicted the properties of the top quark in under an hour from pre-1990 data — years before it was observed. 🔗 go.aps.org/3Urd9Y0

Illustration of a human physicist in a lab coat and a humanoid robot sitting side by side at a desk, both surrounded by floating equations and Feynman diagrams, with a coffee mug between them — symbolizing collaboration between physicists and AI.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 28/08/2026

#ICYMI: Researchers implemented a quantum neural network on two different platforms: trapped ions and superconducting qubits. The work helps establish whether trainable models can make use of superposition and other quantum effects: go.aps.org/3TuQiKn

This image illustrates the difference between classical and quantum mechanics. On the left, labeled "Classical," there's a large red arrow inside a teal circle. On the right, labeled "Quantum," a teal-blue sphere shows a small red arrow with two white arrows, representing different axes. A gradient semicircle with a central gray arrow transitions from red to blue between them.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 26/08/2026

#ICYMI: The collective behavior of neuron networks seems governed by just a few variables, suggesting mean-field theory applies. Researchers found simple versions fail, but an extended version successfully captures real neural activity patterns: go.aps.org/4vIiqYS

An illustration of interconnected neurons with glowing synapses set against a dark background.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 24/08/2026

#ICYMI: Researchers calculated what happens if a mirror vanishes suddenly while a single photon's wave packet is reflecting from it. The answer: a quantum state of countless daughter photons. Read the Synopsis: go.aps.org/4fgZIAx

A graph displaying a bell-shaped curve with solid and dashed lines, an arrow pointing right above indicating direction, and an arrow pointing left below.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 21/08/2026

Breaking today's most used #crypto security may need just 500,000 qubits, a 20 times drop from prior estimates. Researchers say future quantum computers could do it in just 10 minutes. Read more: go.aps.org/4il2Nm6

Close-up of a square superconducting quantum computing chip on a dark background, etched with a dense grid of qubit circuitry and the word 'Google,' with colorful wire bundles radiating outward from its edges.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 20/08/2026

We're giving you more ways to explore the people, ideas, and stories behind physics research, wherever you scroll. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. 🧵👇

A digital representation of a wavy, grid-like structure with purple and blue hues against a dark purple background. The text "Physics Magazine" is displayed in the top right corner.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 20/08/2026

Researchers demonstrate the quantum teleportation of a 100-pixel image using a method that could help to scale up quantum networks. Find out what it is: go.aps.org/4qrC1up

Diagram of a neural network layer showing three blocks. The left block has dots connected by lines to the center block, which in turn connects by lines to the right block. The lines represent connections between nodes in the network.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 19/08/2026

Researchers have made the first definitive measurement of spin-triplet superconductivity, where Cooper pairs form from parallel-spin electrons. Read how: go.aps.org/4ctGsz4

Scientific illustration of superconducting phases in K₂Cr₃As₃, showing two distinct three-dimensional structures against a smooth cyan, green, magenta, and yellow gradient background.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 18/08/2026

"Biodiversity is more than genes. It’s culture…" Physicist Gabriel Mindlin is using acoustic robots to bring lost ancestral songs back to sparrow populations. Learn how in this Q&A: physics.aps.org/articles/v19/106

Andean sparrow perched on a concrete ledge, facing left. The bird has brown and tan plumage, a grayish head with dark markings, an orange-brown patch around its neck, and white markings on its wings. The background is softly blurred with pale sky and green vegetation.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 18/08/2026

Can acoustic wave interference make energy travel faster than light? A new theory inspired by whale tracking suggests an unexpected wave-interference effect can speed up signal arrival times. 🔗 go.aps.org/4g4vdiV

A large humpback whale swims gracefully underwater, surrounded by a deep blue ocean. Sunlight filters through the surface, illuminating the whale's textured skin.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 17/08/2026

New experiments suggest that superconductivity in twisted bilayer graphene depends on an unconventional electron-pairing mechanism. Read the viewpoint: go.aps.org/4zjZ26A

Diagram showing two twisted bilayer graphene structures stacked on top of each other with a 10 degree twist between them. The red and green at the top represent the superconducting magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene, while pink and cyan at the bottom represent a normal metal.

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 18/12/2025

Data-driven approaches to machine learning generally yield black boxes whose deductions are inaccessible. To address that shortcoming, researchers have designed a machine-learning method that can discover simple, human-interpretable laws from data. physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 18/12/2025

Researchers have applied a quantum trick called weak-value amplification to beam displacements outside its usual setting, an interferometer. In principle, the technique could eavesdrop on conversations inside a building by using a laser to measure window vibrations. physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 17/12/2025

This year new observatories offered fresh views of the dark Universe, quantum computers edged closer to performing practical tasks, and gravitational-wave detectors delivered their cleanest signal yet. These stories and others are our highlights of 2025. physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 16/12/2025

Researchers have demonstrated a quantum-state-verification method that should work efficiently on quantum computers with an arbitrary number of qubits. The method should prove a boon for quantum computers made of multiple modules. physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 16/12/2025

In a striking validation of physics-inspired approaches to social sciences, researchers have used data from the Tokyo Stock Exchange to find a simple mathematical law that describes how the price of every traded stock responds to trading volume. physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 15/12/2025

Researchers have translated spin signals into phonon signals that can be transmitted through materials. Because phonons travel undisturbed for longer distances than spins can, the conversion potentially extends the capabilities of spintronics. physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 11/12/2025

Quantum networks that rely on entangled photons reduce transmission errors by having receiving nodes send a signal, called a herald, each time an entangled photon arrives. Now researchers have shown that producing heralds at sending nodes reduces errors further. physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 10/12/2025

Researchers have succeeded in laser cooling and trapping aluminum fluoride molecules. This feat takes physicists a step closer to cooling AlF molecules into a Bose-Einstein condensate. physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 08/12/2025

A survey conducted by the UK’s Institute of Physics Publishing found that 41% of its authors and referees thought generative AI had an overall positive impact on peer review, while 37% thought the overall impact was negative. physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

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Physics Magazine @physicsmagazine.aps.org · 08/12/2025

A new fluid-control valve inspired by the way strong wind flaps an umbrella inside out could find uses in wearable devices, microfluidics, and soft robotics. physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

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