Recent Articles

Soft Matter

Synopsis: Friction Means Life or Death for Ants

Experiments show that the mass of an object determines whether it slides down a sandy slope, which may explain why insect predators called antlions can trap ants in sand pits. Read More »

Statistical Physics

Viewpoint: The Thermodynamic Cost of Measuring Time

A simple model of an autonomous quantum clock yields a quantitative connection between the clock’s thermodynamic cost and its accuracy and resolution. Read More »

Magnetism

Synopsis: Organically Made Quantum Spin Liquids

Versatile materials called metal-organic frameworks might be good systems in which to search for quantum spin liquids. Read More »

FEATURE

Research News: Editors’ Choice

A movie stored in DNA, dancing black holes, and more in our monthly wrap-up of papers from the literature. Read More »

Particles and Fields

Viewpoint: Causality in the Quantum World

A new model extends the definition of causality to quantum-mechanical systems. Read More »

Condensed Matter Physics

Focus: For Colloidal Glasses, Size Matters

Imaging of the individual particles of a glass reveals the different behaviors of slightly smaller vs slightly larger particles, suggesting new ways to adjust the properties of commercial glasses. Read More »

Optics

Synopsis: Particle Acceleration with Multiple Laser Pulses

Trains of laser pulses can be used to accelerate high-repetition-rate electron bunches to high energies. Read More »

Electronics

Synopsis: Electronic Tagging for Cells

Researchers have made a radio-frequency identification device that fits inside a cell. Read More »

Quantum Physics

Synopsis: Quantum Sensing of Magnetic Fields

A new design for an atomic magnetometer utilizes so-called quantum nondemolition measurements to detect very weak magnetic-field signals. Read More »

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