Synopses

Published March 15, 2010

Particles & Fields

Third-order corrections to the interquark potential within quantum chromodynamics are computed for the first time.

Published March 15, 2010

Optics Quantum Information

A method called quantum smoothing has been experimentally shown to provide a mean-square measurement error that is a factor of 2 smaller than the quantum limit.

Published March 15, 2010

Optics

In groundbreaking low-noise laser experiments, the linewidth limit of quantum cascade lasers is confirmed to be much lower than predicted by standard laser models.

Published March 15, 2010

Atomic & Molecular Physics Optics

A well-known model in condensed matter physics has now been applied to ultracold atoms in an optical lattice.

Published March 15, 2010

Gravitation

A three-dimensional version of gravity might lend itself to a quantum treatment.

Published March 11, 2010

Nanophysics Optics

A device based on photonic crystals exhibits strong optomechanical coupling.

Published March 11, 2010

Astrophysics Particles & Fields

A model in which the dark matter relic density was inherited from the lepton asymmetry in the early universe can result in lepton-favoring dark matter annihilations today, which may explain recent anomalous cosmic-ray positron observations.

Published March 8, 2010

Magnetism

Developments in detection allow nuclear forward scattering experiments to be performed at fields hitherto unusable for this technique.

Published March 5, 2010

Statistical Mechanics

Small systems with fluctuations appear to show that the second law of thermodynamics may be split into two contributions.

Published March 5, 2010

Superconductivity

A new tool has been developed to measure the local London penetration depth in a superconductor.

Published March 1, 2010

Astrophysics Particles & Fields

Cascades created by cosmic rays interacting with the atmosphere provide clues about the mass composition of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays.

Published March 1, 2010

Optics

Researchers demonstrate a new type of nonlinear diffraction with no linear analog.

Published March 1, 2010

Atomic & Molecular Physics Optics

Researchers have constructed a new high accuracy optical clock based on quantum spectroscopy of an aluminum ion.

Published February 26, 2010

Strongly Correlated Materials Superconductivity

A new phase of coexisting superconductivity and magnetic order is discovered in CeCoIn₅.

Published February 26, 2010

Strongly Correlated Materials

A fundamental theoretical technique for treating interacting fermions confined to one dimension is generalized to include systems out of equilibrium.

Published February 22, 2010

Atomic & Molecular Physics

Highly excited atoms arranged in a circular lattice exhibit unusual many-particle states.

Published February 22, 2010

Magnetism Spintronics

New experiments indicate that the intrinsic regime of the anomalous Hall effect is independent of scattering.

Published February 16, 2010

Fluid Dynamics

Molecular dynamics studies indicate a new phase of liquid hydrogen under high pressure.

Published February 16, 2010

Magnetism

Crystalline order is not a necessary condition for magnetic quantum tunneling in a molecular magnet.

Published February 16, 2010

Magnetism Strongly Correlated Materials Superconductivity

Unconventional superconductors in the proximity of a topological insulator exhibit zero-energy Majorana surface states.

Published February 16, 2010

Atomic & Molecular Physics

Acousto-optical techniques can be used to access a new regime of vortex nucleation in condensates in optical lattices with deep potential wells.

Published February 1, 2010

Graphene Mesoscopics

Transport characteristics of graphene nanoribbons have implications for nanodevices.

Published February 1, 2010

Biological Physics

Relatively small tension in a DNA strand can have large effects on its ability to control the expression of genes.

Published February 1, 2010

Materials Science Strongly Correlated Materials

Behavior particular to quantum critical metals is, surprisingly, found in a class of insulators.

Published January 25, 2010

Particles & Fields

A microscopic picture could explain puzzling data from RHIC.