Michigan State University chemist Weiwei Xie knows a thing or two about working under pressure. Leveraging extreme forces similar to those found deep within our planet, her lab is pioneering the discovery of novel quantum materials with exciting electronic and magnetic properties.

The material, based on a framework of ruthenium, fulfils the requirements of the ‘Kitaev quantum spin liquid state’ - an elusive phenomenon that scientists have been trying to understand for decades. Published in Nature Communications the study, by scientists at the University of Birmingham, offers an important step towards achieving and controlling quantum materials with sought-after new properties that do not follow classical laws of physics.

In organic molecules an exciton is a particle bound pair of an electron (negative charge) and its hole (positive charge). They are held together by Coulombic attraction and can move within molecular assemblies. Singlet fission (SF) is a process where an exciton is amplified, and two triplet excitons are generated from a singlet exciton. This is caused by the absorption of a single particle of light, or photon, in molecules called chromophores (molecules that absorb specific wavelengths of light). Controlling the molecular orientation and arrangement of chromophores is crucial for achieving high SF efficiency in materials with strong potential for optical device applications.

One new study, conducted by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) and Princeton University, investigated ways to reliably grow diamond at lower temperatures than those currently used. Diamond has properties that make it attractive to the semiconductor industry. With its particular crystal lattice structure, diamond can withstand high electrical voltages. It’s also very good at dissipating heat.

A new study has uncovered important behavior in the flow of electric current through superconductors, potentially advancing the development of future technologies for controlled quantum information processing. The study is co-authored by Babak Seradjeh, Professor of Physics within the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University Bloomington, with theoretical physicists Rekha Kumari and Arijit Kundu of the Indian institute of Technology Kanpur. While the study is theoretical, the research team confirmed their results through numerical simulations. Published in Physical Review Letters, the world’s premier physics journal, the research focuses on “Floquet Majorana fermions” and their role in a phenomenon called the Josephson effect, which could lead to more precise control of the dynamics of driven quantum systems.

A discovery by Rice University physicists and collaborators is unlocking a new understanding of magnetism and electronic interactions in cutting-edge materials, potentially revolutionizing technology fields such as quantum computing and high-temperature superconductors. Led by Zheng Ren and Ming Yi, the research team’s study on iron-tin (FeSn) thin films reshapes scientific understanding of kagome magnets — materials named after an ancient basket-weaving pattern and structured in a unique, latticelike design that can create unusual magnetic and electronic behaviors due to the quantum destructive interference of the electronic wave function.

Quantum technologies exploit the unusual properties of the most fundamental building blocks of matter. They promise breakthroughs in communication, computing, sensors and much more. However, quantum states are fragile, and their effects are difficult to grasp, making research into real-world applications challenging. Empa researchers and their partners have now achieved a breakthrough: Using a kind of “quantum Lego”, they have been able to accurately realize a well-known theoretical quantum physics model in a synthetic material.

Irish-headquartered Equal1 expands team to include renowned scientists from TNO, the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research.

The Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park announced the inaugural leadership team that will be steering operations for the historic campus located at the former South Works site on Chicago’s South East Side. The team brings a unique depth of expertise and decades of relevant research experience to their roles, where they will manage the day-to-day operations of a campus that will bring economic development, job creation and community investment to the state. This first-of-its-kind project will support the full ecosystem of companies, researchers, suppliers and other partners working to facilitate the development of quantum technologies, and will build on historic investments by Governor Pritzker and the state to further establish Illinois as a global hub for this emerging technology.

An old physical phenomenon known as the Hall effect has revealed some new tricks, according to a team co-led by researchers at Penn State and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). They have reported their findings, which they said have potential implications for understanding the fundamental physics of quantum materials and developing applied technologies such as quantum communication and harvesting energy via radio frequencies in Nature Materials.