Condensed matter physics

One of the first quantum simulators has produced a puzzling phenomenon: a row of atoms that repeatedly pops back into place.

People have known about magnets since ancient times, but the physics of ferromagnetism remains a mystery. Now a familiar puzzle is getting physicists closer to the answer.

Throughout nature, throngs of relatively simple elements can self-organize into behaviors that seem unexpectedly complex. Scientists are beginning to understand why and how these phenomena emerge without a central organizing entity.

Experiments suggest that exotic superconducting materials share a “strange metal” state characterized by a quantum speed limit that somehow acts as a fundamental organizing principle.

By measuring mechanical forces inside an embryo for the first time, researchers have shown how a physical “jamming” mechanism assists development.

A new theory proposes that the quantum properties of an object extend into an “atmosphere” that surrounds the material.

The physicist Lisa Manning studies the dynamics of glassy materials to understand embryonic development and disease.

Two teams of physicists have created the "Higgs mode" – a link between particle physics and the physics of matter. The work could help researchers understand the strange behavior of deeply quantum systems.

A complete classification could lead to a wealth of new materials and technologies. But some exotic phases continue to resist understanding.