Quantum computing tackles classical fluid dynamics challenges
Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have tested a quantum computing approach to an old challenge: solving classical fluid dynamics problems....
Physics General News
Cascaded-mode interferometer could replace beam-splitting waveguides for fiber optics
Interferometers, devices that can modulate aspects of light, play the important role of modulating and switching light signals in fiber-optic communications networks and are frequently used for gas sensing and optical computing....
Simulations show six valves provide ideal setup for rapidly dispersing cooling gas
When the plasma inside a fusion system starts to misbehave, it needs to be quickly cooled to prevent damage to the device. Researchers at Commonwealth Fusion Systems believe the best bet is a massive gas injection: essentially, a well-timed, rapid blast of cooling gas inside their fusion system,...
'Half ice, half fire': Physicists discover new phase of matter in a magnetic material
Two scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have discovered a new phase of matter while studying a model system of a magnetic material....
When systems suddenly tip: New insights into hard-to-predict transitions
Many systems in nature—and in society—can suddenly change their properties: Water freezes at normal pressure at 32°F, a power grid collapses when a central substation fails, or a society splits into opposing factions following a major event. All of these processes are examples of so-called phase...
Patterned spintronic emitter enables room-temperature THz polarization control for wireless and biomedical applications
Terahertz (THz) waves are located between microwaves and infrared light in the electromagnetic spectrum. They can pass through many materials without causing damage, making them useful for security scanning, medical imaging, and high-speed wireless communication. Unlike visible light or radio waves,...
Engineers redefine how heat transfers on advanced surfaces
When University of Texas at Dallas researchers tested a new surface that they designed to collect and remove condensates rapidly, the results surprised them. The mechanical engineers' design collected more condensates, or liquid formed by condensation, than they had predicted based on a classic...
Breathing-soliton laser study unveils new complexities in synchronization phenomena
An Aston University researcher has conducted the first experimental demonstration of intricate and previously theorized behaviors in the fundamental patterns that govern oscillatory systems in nature and technology....
Might the proton decay in other places or at other times?
Does the proton decay? While this was a famous prediction of Grand Unified Theories (GUTS) developed in the 1970s and 1980s, experimentalists have ruled it out—or rather, put lower limits on its mean lifetime of about 1034 years. That's 24 orders of magnitude greater than the age of the universe....
Researchers unveil unidirectional light focusing using diffractive optics
Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have unveiled a new optical technology that enables precise focusing of light—only in one direction. This novel unidirectional focusing design uses structured diffractive layers that are optimized using deep learning to transmit light...