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Condensed matter physics
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‘Digital Alchemist’ Seeks Rules of Emergence
Computational physicist Sharon Glotzer is uncovering the rules by which complex collective phenomena emerge from simple building blocks.
Inside the Knotty World of ‘Anyon’ Particles
A new class of quantum particle is about to emerge from the tangled considerations of quantum statistics.
Nobel Prize Awarded for Quantum Topology
Three physicists have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for rewriting our understanding of exotic quantum states on the surfaces of materials.
The Strange Second Life of String Theory
String theory has so far failed to live up to its promise as a way to unite gravity and quantum mechanics. At the same time, it has blossomed into one of the most useful sets of tools in science.
An Explorer of Quantum Borderlands
Suchitra Sebastian’s searches for quantum anomalies have led to the potential discovery of a new building block of matter.
The Quantum Secret to Superconductivity
In a virtuoso experiment, physicists have revealed details of a “quantum critical point” that underlies high-temperature superconductivity.
Taming Superconductors With String Theory
The physicist Subir Sachdev borrows tools from string theory to understand the puzzling behavior of high-temperature superconductors.
Paradoxical Crystal Baffles Physicists
At super-low temperatures, a crystal called samarium hexaboride behaves in an unexplained, imagination-stretching way.
Forging a Qubit to Rule Them All
A scientist at Bell Labs has started construction of a topological qubit, which could be the building block of a robust, scalable quantum computer.