Quantum Physics

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Researchers in Birmingham have created the first image of a photon, a lemon-shaped particle of light emitted from the surface of a nanoparticle. The theory that made this image possible, reported Nov. 14 in the journal Physical Review Letters, enables scientists to calculate and understand various properties of these quantum particles — which could open…

Quantum physicists are familiar with wonky, seemingly nonsensical phenomena: atoms and molecules sometimes act as particles, sometimes as waves; particles can be connected to one another by a "spooky action at a distance," even over great distances; and quantum objects can detach themselves from their properties like the Cheshire Cat from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland…

Extreme Climate Survey Science News is collecting reader questions about how to navigate our planet's changing climate. What do you want to know about extreme heat and how it can lead to extreme weather events? Thermodynamics, developed in the 1800s in the context of the Industrial Revolution, describes physics concepts of heat, work and energy…

A new study suggests that black holes may not be the featureless, structureless entities that Einstein's general theory of relativity predicts them to be. Instead, the cosmic monsters might be bizarre quantum objects known as "frozen stars."While these would share some similarities with black holes, the hypothetical celestial bodies differ in crucial ways that could…

For the first time, a quantum computer has improved its results by repeatedly fixing its own mistakes midcalculation with a technique called quantum error correction. Scientists have long known that quantum computers need error correction to meet their potential to solve problems that stump standard, “classical” computers (SN: 6/22/20). Quantum computers calculate with quantum bits, or qubits, which…

Scientists have found a key process required for superconductivity occurring at higher temperatures than previously thought. It could be a small but significant step in the search for one of the "holy grails" of physics, a superconductor that operates at room temperature.The discovery, made inside the unlikely material of an electrical insulator, reveals electrons pairing…

The year 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of quantum mechanics. In the century since the field's inception, scientists and engineers have used quantum mechanics to create technologies such as lasers, MRI scanners and computer chips.Today, researchers are looking toward building quantum computers and ways to securely transfer information using an entirely new sister…

Time may not be a fundamental element of the universe but rather an illusion emerging from quantum entanglement, a new study suggests. Time is a thorny problem for physicists; its inconsistent behavior between our best theories of the universe contributes to a deadlock preventing researchers from finding a "theory of everything," or a framework to explain…

Earth’s rotation has been measured many times over — but never like this. In a first, scientists used entangled quantum particles called photons to reveal the rate at which the globe spins.  The feat is a step toward probing one of the biggest mysteries of physics: how the tiny world of quantum physics interfaces with…