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Physicists elucidate connection between symmetry and Mott physics in step towards understanding high-temperature superconductivity

Researchers at University of Illinois discover key connection between symmetry and Mott physics, providing new insight into high-temperature superconductivity. They found that breaking a hidden symmetry destroys Fermi liquids, implying that all models of Mott insulators must break this particle-hole symmetry.

Researchers use supercomputers for largest-ever turbulence simulations of its kind

Researchers at TU Darmstadt and Universitat Politècnica de València used HPC resources to develop a new symmetry-based turbulence theory, resolving the closure problem of turbulence. This approach allows for reduced computational grid size and direct access to mean values like air pressure and speed.

SourceGauss Centre for Supercomputing·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateFeb 14, 2022

Time crystals leave the lab

Researchers at University of California - Riverside observe time crystals in a system not isolated from its environment, achieving a major breakthrough. The all-optical time crystal uses a disk-shaped magnesium fluoride glass resonator and has potential applications in accurate measurements and precision timekeeping.

SourceUniversity of California - Riverside·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 14, 2022

High risk, high rewards

The team's achievement marks a significant step towards discovering physical phenomena where symmetry breaks down, which could explain the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe. The researchers plan to use the new optical clock to search for time symmetry violation and make large steps towards discovery.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Barbara·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateFeb 9, 2022

Studying the big bang with artificial intelligence

Scientists at Vienna University of Technology have developed a new type of neural network that can accurately simulate the quark-gluon plasma, a state of matter present in the early universe. The networks use gauge invariant convolutional neural networks to recognize patterns and predict properties of the plasma.

SourceVienna University of Technology·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJan 25, 2022

Nematicity is a new piece in a phase diagram puzzle

Researchers have discovered a new electronic nematic phase in twisted double bilayer graphene, which breaks the material's symmetry and allows for the re-alignment of electrons. This finding adds to our understanding of graphene-based systems and may hold implications for the study of superconductivity.

SourceColumbia University·JournalNature Physics·DateJan 6, 2022

Revising a generalized spin current theory for the magnetoelectric effect in multiferroics

The team of researchers from Tokyo Institute of Technology developed a generalized spin current theory that accounts for various multiferroic scenarios and provides a transparent toy model for electric polarization. The study demonstrates how the new theory can effectively rationalize the properties of multiferroic materials.

SourceTokyo Institute of Technology·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateNov 2, 2021

This pyramid scheme could be helpful

Rice University researchers have developed a method to control the growth of tetrahedron-shaped nanoparticles, which can be used as building blocks for unique metamaterials. The team discovered that balancing thermodynamic and kinetic forces during crystallization allows for symmetry breaking, forming pyramid-shaped nanocrystals.

SourceRice University·JournalACS Nano·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 22, 2021

The Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology study examines thin film surface symmetries

Researchers at GIST develop a non-contact, nondestructive approach to characterize crystal structures in thin films, shedding light on surface symmetries in SrRuO3. The technique offers a platform for structural characterization of surfaces and interfaces using optical techniques.

SourceGIST (Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology)·JournalApplied Surface Science·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 11, 2021

Switched on IR-active organic pigments

Researchers developed a modular organic molecular system with customizable properties, creating a potent dye that absorbs light in the near-infrared range. The pigments' electronic switchability makes them suitable for studying electron transfer in photosynthesis and as efficient electron-transporting materials.

SourceWiley·JournalAngewandte Chemie·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 9, 2021

From symmetry to asymmetry: The two sides of life

The study uses innovative imaging techniques to demonstrate the role of symmetric cell nucleus alignment in left-right asymmetric development. Collective nuclear behavior and proper nuclear positioning are found to be responsible for subsequent LR-asymmetric development of the midgut.

SourceOsaka University·JournalDevelopment·DateJun 15, 2021

Investigating heavy quark physics with the LHCb experiment

The LHCb experiment has probed the nature of physics for ten years, examining CP violation and symmetry between matter and antimatter. The review highlights its achievements in studying heavy quarks and their interactions, shedding light on the universe's fundamental questions.

SourceSpringer·JournalThe European Physical Journal H·DateApr 15, 2021

A new tool in the search for axions

Researchers have developed a new method to detect axions, which are thought to make up 26% of the universe's energy content. The BASE collaboration used ultra-sensitive detectors in Penning trap experiments to set new limits on axion-photon coupling.

SourceRIKEN·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateFeb 4, 2021

Synthetic biology reinvents development

Researchers have developed a new type of model using synthetic biology to replicate symmetry breakage observed in embryos, enabling the creation of complex structures. The study identified essential parameters that modulate spatial pattern emergence in E. coli, paving the way for understanding embryonic development.

SourceUniversitat Pompeu Fabra - Barcelona·JournalACS Synthetic Biology·DateFeb 1, 2021

Enlightening dark ions

Researchers at University of California - Santa Barbara have created a new way to detect dark ions using laser-cooled radium molecules. This breakthrough allows for precise measurements of ion motional frequency and mass, enabling sensitivity to time symmetry violations in quantum mechanics.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Barbara·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateJan 12, 2021

Why consumers think pretty food is healthier

A study published in the Journal of Marketing found that consumers rate healthy foods as more natural and nutritious when they are presented in a visually appealing way, according to classical aesthetics principles. This effect can influence consumer behavior, leading to increased willingness to pay for pretty food.

SourceAmerican Marketing Association·JournalJournal of Marketing·DateNov 7, 2020

Hidden-symmetry-enforced nexus points of nodal lines in layer-stacked dielectric photonic crystals

Scientists discovered a new kind of hidden symmetry in photonic crystals, leading to the emergence of triply degenerate nexus points that behave like magnetic monopoles. These nexus points enable unusual photonic band connectivities and novel transport phenomena, including spin-1 conical dispersion and canonical diffraction.

Quantum shake

Researchers use Poincaré sections to simplify chaotic behavior, revealing underlying symmetry and structure. This insight enables a deeper understanding of quantum chaos and potential links between classical and quantum physics.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Barbara·JournalPhysical Review Research·DateSep 9, 2020

Squaring the circle -- Breaking the symmetry of a sphere to control the polarization of light

Scientists at Tokyo Tech and ICFO develop a method to generate circularly polarized light from a sphere by breaking its symmetry through electron beam excitation. This enables the precise control of phase and polarization, paving the way for novel quantum communication and encryption technologies. The approach has been experimentally v...

SourceTokyo Institute of Technology·JournalACS Nano·DateSep 4, 2020