List of Stories by Keywords

Whether with people, particles or the forces of physics, love always finds a way.

Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac was an outstanding twentieth century theoretical physicist whose work was fundamental to the development of quantum mechanics and quantum electrodynamics.

Enrico Fermi was a titan of twentieth-century physics.

Theoretical physicist Richard Phillips Feynman greatly simplified the way in which the interactions of particles could be described through his introduction of the diagrams that now bear his name (Feynman diagrams) and was a co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965 for his reworking of quantum electrodynamics (QED).

In a career that lasted seven decades, Max Planck achieved an enduring legacy with groundbreaking discoveries involving the relationship between heat and energy, but he is most remembered as the founder of the "quantum theory."

Use a science trick called a ‘reflection illusion’ to make a mini 3D projector using a smartphone.

Nuclear magnetic resonance measurements were performed in the all-new 32 T superconducting magnet in an effort to confirm a new quantum state. Results confirm the game-changing nature of this magnet.

A pane of window glass and a piece of quartz are both are transparent to light, but their atomic structure is very different. Quartz is crystalline at the atomic level while window glass is amorphous. This can also occur with magnetism at the atomic level in solids containing magnetic states such as antiferromagnetism (ordered) and spin-glass (disorded). This work describes the interaction (exchange bias) between ordered and disordered magnetic states and how the magnetic properties of the material are altered as a result.

Gallium nitride (GaN) and Niobium nitride (NbN) are widely used in today's technologies: GaN is used to make blue LEDs and high-frequency transistors while NbN is used to make infrared light detectors. This experiment explores whether a nitride-based device may be relevant for quantum technologies of the future.

By stacking thin crystal sheets with a slight twist, scientists created a "moiré" metal whose electrons behave as if they live in an effectively higher-dimensional landscape. Using the MagLab's powerful DC magnets, the team mapped this hidden electronic structure for the first time — a step toward designing new quantum materials with custom-tuned properties.

High-resolution electron magnetic resonance studies of the spin-wave spectrum in the high-field phase of the multiferroic Bismuth ferrite (BiFeO₃) reveal direct evidence for the magnetoelastic coupling through a change in lattice symmetry from rhombohedral to monoclinic. This study provides important information for designing future spintronics devices based on BiFeO₃.

Using far-infared magnetospectroscopy in high magnetic fields, scientists probed coupled electronic and vibrational modes in a molecular magnet that are of interest in future classical and quantum information applications.

Electron spin coherence was enhanced through engineering of so-called clock transitions in molecular magnets, an advance in quantum computing strategies. The use of clock transitions to enhance quantum coherence is employed in trapped-ion quantum computers, an approach that may also be viable in magnetic molecules to yield next-generation quantum technologies. 

Studying a mysterious magnetic material (Na₂Co₂TeO₆) that could be used in future quantum computing schemes, researchers revealed the crucial role microscopic disorder in the crystals plays in affecting the macroscopic magnetic properties.

Previous work at the MagLab demonstrated that it is possible to design molecules containing a LuII ion such that its lone unpaired electron is shielded against harmful magnetic noise, giving rise to a prototype molecular spin qubit with enhanced coherence. The present investigation extends this strategy to other members of the lanthanide series, such as PrII, which also has a lone unpaired electron in the 5d shell, while its two unpaired f-electrons are non magnetic.

Chemists from the Naval Air Warfare Center and UC Berkeley have demonstrated chemical control of the electron-nuclear hyperfine interaction in a series of molecular lutetium(II) complexes, which were characterized using high-field EMR at the MagLab. The record hyperfine interactions are expected to give rise to molecules with enhanced spin coherence, of interest for next-generation quantum technologies.

This is B=0 work in the new dry system in HBT Bay 1 as the magnet delivery was delayed until Nov 2023. The work demonstrates the ability to cool electrons to below 20 mK in a routine manner.

A new class of correlated quasiparticle states discovered in a multi-valley semiconductor using optical absorption measurements in pulsed magnetic fields. This new type of multi-particle state results when excitons interact simultaneously with multiple electron reservoirs that are quantum-mechanically distinguishable by virtue of having different spin and/or valley quantum numbers.

The electrical resistance of ring-shaped TaSe₃ devices was measured in magnetic fields of up to 60 T and at temperatures down to 0.6 K. High-field experiments on these devices show that changes in the microscopic quantum mechanical behavior of electrons in TaSe₃ can be controlled by tiny mechanical forces, suggesting a completely new route towards very responsive sensors and devices.

Scientists investigated a magnetic compound, identifying a possible spin liquid phase in a quantum material that may be a candidate for robust quantum information technologies.

Pulsed magnetic fields of up to 75 T were applied at many different angles to a newly discovered metal, CsV₃Sb₅, in temperatures down to 0.5 K. Unusual oscillations in the metal’s electrical conductivity were found, giving definitive evidence of Chern pockets, a key indicator of a quantum mechanical property known as topology. Topology promises to be invaluable in future electronic devices that will work on completely new quantum principles.

The layered material Fe_3-xGeTe₂ (FGT) shows new and unusual magnetic and electrical behavior when it is subjected to 60 T magnetic fields. This behavior is a manifestation of quantum mechanical effects that could be used in future devices based on FGT for storing and transmitting data with dramatically reduced energy consumption.

Tiny crystals of a copper-based compound, attached to a microscopic trampoline-like sensor (0.1 mm × 0.1 mm), exhibit subtle mechanical vibrations when placed in extremely strong magnetic fields (up to 75 T) and cooled to temperatures just above absolute zero. These vibrations reveal the presence of a long-predicted quantum state known as a spin-liquid, in which electrons appear to fractionalize into separate particles—one carrying electric charge and another carrying magnetic spin.

Magnetic fields of up to 73 T were used to provoke electrons in the compound CeRh₂As₂ into a frenzy of very varied and unexpected behavior. These experimental results reveal that the electrons inhabit an unstable quantum-mechanical environment, resulting in unusual properties that may find applications in future electronic devices.

Physicists prove a 30-year-old theory — the even-denominator fractional quantum Hall state — and establish bilayer graphene as a promising platform that could lead to quantum computation.

Ultrafast manipulation of material properties with light could stimulate the development of novel electronics, including quantum computers.

In a uranium-based compound once dismissed as boring, scientists watched superconductivity arise, perish, then return to life under the influence of high magnetic fields.

Columbia researchers first to discover a quantum fluid—fractional quantum Hall states, one of the most delicate phases of matter—in a monolayer 2D semiconductor; finding could provide a unique test platform for future applications in quantum computing.

A new experimental technique allowed physicists to precisely probe the electron spins of an intriguing compound and uncover unexpected behavior.

New research has potential applications in quantum computing and introduces a new way to measure the secrets of superconductivity.

Work connecting physics, chemistry and materials science illustrates new methods to yield materials with quantum properties.

The surprising behavior of two distinct superconducting states within the same material could inspire new technologies.

Stephen Hill, Dragana Popović, and Theo Siegrist are honored for their physics research.

Researchers at MIT have developed a way to use solid-state chemistry to grow moiré materials in bulk, opening new avenues for incorporating the highly tunable materials into next-generation electronics.

The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory plays a critical role in global quantum research. Using the strongest continuous and pulsed magnetic fields on Earth, the MagLab allows scientists to observe quantum phenomena that govern how matter behaves at the most fundamental level.

A material that you may never have heard of could be paving the way for a new electronic revolution.

This MagLab user talks about meeting Leonardo da Vinci, making magnetic soup and the freedom of being a scientist.