Latest news with #NaturePhysics
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Sussex researchers make world record-breaking discovery
Sussex researchers have made a world record-breaking discovery that could revolutionise brain scanning. The team at the University of Sussex has developed a technique to detect tiny electrical fields 100 times more effectively than current methods. This discovery, published in Nature Physics, has the potential to significantly improve applications in healthcare, defence, underwater detection and communication, and geological prospecting. The technique was initially developed to create more powerful quantum computers, but its potential extends far beyond this. Medical experts suggest it could lead to huge breakthroughs in our understanding of mental illness, including in the treatment of depression and epilepsy, through improved and less intrusive brain imaging. The researchers used a single charged atom inside a vacuum system, combined with a measurement technique they invented, to achieve this feat. This has made the technique around 100 times more powerful than was previously possible. However, the discovery has the potential to be one million times more powerful. Professor Winfried Hensinger, director of the Sussex Centre for Quantum Technologies, said: "We have built a machine that makes use of single charged atoms (ions), capable of unprecedented measurement capability. "We have managed to tame some of the very strange phenomena of quantum physics to create a device that can detect low frequency electric fields with unprecedented sensitivity. "And we recently developed a microchip that could enhance this sensitivity even further by yet another 10,000 times. "Using a different ion species with such a chip could enhance sensitivity indeed by a million times." James Stone, professor of psychiatry at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, said: "It is an exciting discovery – with development it could open the way for much less intrusive and more detailed 3D imaging of electrical activity in the brain, giving the potential to detect which parts of the brain are active in real-time, and potentially giving insights into how thoughts and sensations are represented in the brain. "It could potentially lead to huge breakthroughs in our understanding of consciousness, as well as of mental illness, and may even be useful in neurofeedback treatments for mental health conditions such as obsessive compulsive disorder or depression by allowing people to visualise their brain activity and respond directly to it. "It could also be useful in neurological conditions such as epilepsy – detecting regions of abnormal activity in deeper brain regions than would be possible with existing EEG methods."
New York Post
23-05-2025
- Science
- New York Post
‘Time mirrors' are actually a real thing, experts say: ‘Like pressing undo on the universe'
It's not just in your head — time can actually flip. Physicists in New York have pulled off what sounds like a page ripped from a sci-fi script: They've confirmed that 'time mirrors,' a trippy phenomenon where waves literally reverse in time — are real. The mind-bending experiment, led by Dr. Hussein Moussa at the Advanced Science Research Center at CUNY, involved tinkering with a futuristic 'metamaterial' — a strip of metal embedded with electronic components. Advertisement 3 The sci-fi-style breakthrough, led by Dr. Hussein Moussa at CUNY's Advanced Science Research Center, used a futuristic 'metamaterial' to bend the rules of time itself. Tsyb Oleh – When juiced with a precise burst of energy, the setup caused an electromagnetic wave to do the impossible: to flip the direction of time, as reported by — or, as one TikTokker put it, 'Like pressing undo on the universe.' 'This is experimental physics catching up to what mystics, mushrooms and mad geniuses have been saying for decades,' said TikTok creator @psychonautics in a recent video. Advertisement 'Time is not a line. It's a wave. And baby, we're just learning to surf it.' The wave reversal doesn't just bounce a signal back in space like your average mirror — it scrambles the whole timeline. The wave's frequency shifts — and suddenly — it's like rewinding reality. Scientists say this discovery, published in 'Nature Physics,' could one day revolutionize data transmission and computing. But for now, it's mostly blowing minds online. Advertisement More experiments will most likely follow this discovery. And while physicists are bending time in the lab, neuroscientists say the human brain may already be doing it naturally. 3 Experts say the breakthrough could one day flip the script on data transmission and computing. For now? It's just melting brains across the internet. New Africa – Back in 2021, scientists from France and the Netherlands discovered that our brains possess 'an internal or inherent flow of time, that was not driven by something going on in the external world,' according to neuroscientist Leila Reddy, who sat down with Vice for an interview. Advertisement Her team studied epilepsy patients with electrodes implanted in their brains and found 'time cells' firing — even in the absence of external cues. 'These patients have severe, drug-resistant epilepsy and are awaiting surgery,' Reddy told Vice. 'Once the electrodes are inserted into the brain, we ask the patients if they are willing to participate in short experiments for us.' The brain's inner clock, Reddy explained, could be the key to 'mental time travel' — the way we encode not just what happened, but when and where. 3 While those in labs are busy bending time with high-tech 'time mirrors,' neuroscientists say the human mind might already be pulling off a similar sci-fi stunt — no gadgets required. mikhail_kayl – 'Time cells could provide the scaffolding for representing the 'when,'' she added. In other words, while physicists are flipping waves, your neurons might be flipping through your past like a mental VHS tape. Between time-bending materials and our own memory machinery, the past isn't as fixed as we thought — and the future just got a lot weirder.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A College Student Accidentally Broke the Laws of Thermodynamics
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." The Laws of Thermodynamics explain interactions among components in a system, including emulsification of liquids. A new surprising finding is that two immiscible liquids, when influenced by magnetized particles, will flout these established laws. The authors of this finding admit that this discovery has no practical use (as of right now) but is a never-before-seen state in soft-matter physics. As Homer Simpson once famously phrased, 'in this house we obey the laws of thermodynamics,' but a new and completely unexpected discovery by a student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst runs afoul of Homer's rule. The Laws of Thermodynamics describe the relationship of temperature, energy, and entropy in a system as well as how components of a system interact. Take emulsification for instance. This process describes how two otherwise unmixable (or immiscible) substances can combine into a homogeneous mixture. The oil in peanut butter, for example, naturally separates, forming a top layer that needs to be mixed in. However, some companies add substances known as 'emulsifiers' to keep this separation from occurring. The interaction of these components in a system can all be described by the Laws of Thermodynamics. 'Imagine your favorite Italian salad dressing,' UMass Amherst's Thomas Russell, senior author of a new paper published in the journal Nature Physics, said in a press statement. 'It's made up of oil, water and spices, and before you pour it onto your salad, you shake it up so that all the ingredients mix.' This is emulsification in action. That very same process got strange, though, when in a Amherst laboratory, Anthony Raykh, a graduate student, mixed a batch of immiscible liquids along with magnetized nickel particles. Instead of mixing together as expected (shown below), the mixture formed what the authors of a new paper in the journal Nature Physics describe as a Grecian urn shape. After turning to professors for answers as well as collaborating with scientists at nearby Syracuse University and Tufts University, Raykh discovered thanks to detailed simulations that when magnetism influencing the two liquids is strong, it can bend the boundary of the liquids into a curve and disrupt the emulsification as described by the laws of thermodynamics. No matter how hard you shook the magnetized mixture, the liquids eventually formed this same shape. 'When you look very closely at the individual nanoparticles of magnetized nickel that form the boundary between the water and oil,' says Hoagland, 'you can get extremely detailed information on how different forms assemble. In this case, the particles are magnetized strongly enough that their assembly interferes with the process of emulsification, which the laws of thermodynamics describe.' Raykh admits that this discovery doesn't immediately have any practical applications, but it is a never-before-seen state that could expand the field of soft-matter physics. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
New York Times
31-03-2025
- Science
- New York Times
Eating ‘Family Style' May Have Set the Stage for Life as We Know It
For a creature made up of only a single cell, the stentor is a giant. This trumpet-shape organism is among the largest unicellular organisms, stretching as long as a sharpened pencil tip. But sometimes it has a hard time vacuuming up the swimming bacteria and microscopic algae it eats to survive. New research reveals that stentors, which are part of a group called protists, may address this challenge by eating 'family style.' In a paper published on Monday in the journal Nature Physics, scientists shared the discovery that colonies of stentors can make water flow more quickly around them, helping them suck up more prey. The new findings suggest that, although they lack neurons or brains, stentors can cooperate with one another. 'These single-cell organisms can do things that we assume are limited to more complex organisms,' said Shashank Shekhar, a biophysicist at Emory University in Atlanta who is the lead author of the new paper. 'They form this higher order structure, like what we do as humans.' Scientists believe that the ability of single-cell creatures to form groups was a key step that led to the eventual evolution of multicellular life on Earth. And the new findings spotlight the role played by physical conditions — and the interplay of predators and prey — in these cellular collaborations. In the wild, stentors are found near the surface of ponds. The wider end of their bodies is fringed with ropelike cilia. These cilia can fluctuate in a wavelike pattern to generate water currents that sweep in prey. To visualize these currents in the lab, Dr. Shekhar put drops of milk alongside stentors in a petri dish and then watched how the liquid flew under a microscope. 'You see them create these swirls around their mouths that are just beautiful,' he said. He compared the movements to the whirling cosmos of van Gogh's 'The Starry Night.' When food is scarce, stentors usually live alone. But when food is plentiful, they often congregate in writhing clusters. Little work has been done to explore why the protists form these colonies. Dr. Shekhar and his colleagues first examined the interaction between pairs of stentors. Using microscope video footage, they measured the fluid dynamics as two stentors sucked in food particles in a petri dish. The videos revealed an odd pattern: The stentors would drift toward each other before moving away, as if repelled by a magnet. 'They constantly rotate between 'I love you, I love you not,'' Dr. Shekhar said. Further analysis then showed that stentor pairs were often in an unequal union, with one of the protists generating a stronger flow than its neighbor. When they got together, the resulting flow was the combined strength of both creatures. This meant that the weaker stentor benefited from the stronger one. Such dynamics among the stentors inspire what Dr. Shekhar calls 'promiscuous behavior.' When they gather in colonies, the stentors are constantly pairing with one another to find stronger partners and increase their feeding capabilities. This behavior increases the colony's overall flow velocity, allowing the stentors to siphon in larger, fast-moving prey from farther away, and increase the nutrients consumed by the group's members. The formation of groups by single-cell organisms to improve survival is viewed as an important early step in the evolution of multicellularity. According to William Ratcliff, an evolutionary biologist at the Georgia Institute of Technology who was not involved in the new paper, once groups of predators like stentors formed, single-cell prey were more susceptible. To survive, the prey often teamed up themselves. 'The improved feeding efficiency by group predators like stentors selects for multicellularity in their prey,' Dr. Ratcliff said. 'If you're a single cell, you're dinner. But if you can form large groups of cells, now you're too big to eat.' The new findings highlight how physical forces influence biological evolution. 'We always think about genes and chemicals, but there's also a strong underpinning of physics in the development of multicellular life,' Dr. Shekhar said. 'Even something like the flow of water could have affected evolution.'
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Research from QphoX, Rigetti, and Qblox Demonstrating Optical Readout Technique for Superconducting Qubits Published in Nature Physics
DELFT, The Netherlands and Berkeley, Calif., Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- QphoX B.V., a Dutch quantum technology startup that is developing leading frequency conversion systems for quantum applications, Rigetti Computing, Inc. (Nasdaq: RGTI), a pioneer in full-stack quantum-classical computing, and Qblox, a leading innovator in quantum control stack development, today announced that their joint research demonstrating the ability to readout superconducting qubits with an optical transducer was published in Nature Physics. Quantum computing has the potential to drive transformative breakthroughs in fields such as advanced material design, artificial intelligence, and drug discovery. Of the quantum computing modalities, superconducting qubits are a leading platform towards realizing a practical quantum computer given their fast gate speeds and ability to leverage existing semiconductor industry manufacturing techniques. However, fault-tolerant quantum computing will likely require 10,000 to a million physical qubits. The sheer amount of wiring, amplifiers and microwave components required to operate such large numbers of qubits far exceeds the capacity of modern-day dilution refrigerators, a core component of a superconducting quantum computing system, in terms of both space and passive heat load. A potential solution to this problem may be to replace coaxial cables and other cryogenic components with optical fibers, which have a considerably smaller footprint and negligible thermal conductivity. The challenge lies in converting the microwave signals used to control qubits into infrared light that can be transmitted through fiber. This is where microwave-to-optical transduction comes into play, a field dedicated to the coherent conversion of microwave photons to optical photons. QphoX has developed transducers with piezo-optomechanical technology that are capable of performing this conversion, forming an interface between superconducting qubits and fiber-optics. To demonstrate the potential of this technology, QphoX, Rigetti and Qblox connected a transducer to a superconducting qubit, with the goal of measuring its state using light transmitted through an optical fiber. The results of this collaborative effort have been published in Nature Physics. Remarkably, it was discovered that not only is the transducer capable of converting the signal that reads out the qubit, but that the qubit can also be sufficiently protected from decoherence introduced by thermal noise or stray optical photons from the transducer during operation. "Microwave-to-optics transduction is a rapidly emerging technology with far-reaching implications for quantum computing. Our work demonstrates that transducers are now ready to interface with superconducting qubit technology. This is an exciting and crucial demonstration, with the potential for this technology being far reaching and potentially transformative for the development of quantum computers,' says Dr. Thierry van Thiel, lead author of the work and Lead Quantum Engineer at QphoX. 'Developing more efficient ways to design our systems is key as we work towards fault tolerance. This innovative, scalable approach to qubit signal processing is the result of our strong partnerships with QphoX and Qblox and showcases the value of having a modular technology stack. By allowing our partners to integrate their technology with ours, we are able to discover creative ways to solve long-standing engineering challenges,' says Dr. Subodh Kulkarni, Rigetti CEO. 'Realizing industrial-scale quantum computers comes with solving several critical bottlenecks. Many of these lie in the scalability of the readout and control of qubits. As Qblox is entirely focused on exactly this theme, we are proud to be part of this pivotal demonstration that shows that QphoX microwave-to-optical transducers are a solid route to scalable quantum computing. We look forward to the next steps with Rigetti and QphoX to scale up this technology,' says Dr. Niels Bultink, Qblox CEO. About QphoXQphoX is the leading developer of quantum transduction systems that enable quantum computers to network over optical frequencies. Leveraging decades of progress in photonic, MEMS and superconducting device nanofabrication, their single-photon interfaces bridge the gap between microwave, optical and telecom frequencies to provide essential quantum links between computation, state storage and networking. QphoX is based in Delft, the Netherlands. See for more information. About RigettiRigetti is a pioneer in full-stack quantum computing. The Company has operated quantum computers over the cloud since 2017 and serves global enterprise, government, and research clients through its Rigetti Quantum Cloud Services platform. In 2021, Rigetti began selling on-premises quantum computing systems with qubit counts between 24 and 84 qubits, supporting national laboratories and quantum computing centers. Rigetti's 9-qubit Novera™ QPU was introduced in 2023 supporting a broader R&D community with a high-performance, on-premises QPU designed to plug into a customer's existing cryogenic and control systems. The Company's proprietary quantum-classical infrastructure provides high-performance integration with public and private clouds for practical quantum computing. Rigetti has developed the industry's first multi-chip quantum processor for scalable quantum computing systems. The Company designs and manufactures its chips in-house at Fab-1, the industry's first dedicated and integrated quantum device manufacturing facility. Learn more at About QbloxQblox is a leading provider of scalable and modular qubit control stacks. Qblox operates at the frontier of the quantum revolution in supporting academic and industrial labs worldwide. The Qblox control stack, known as the Cluster, combines key technologies for qubit control and readout and supports a wide variety of qubit technologies. Qblox has grown to 130+ employees and continues to innovate to enable the quantum industry. Learn more at ReferenceT.C. van Thiel, M.J. Weaver, F. Berto, P. Duivestein, M. Lemang, K.L. Schuurman, M. Žemlička, F. Hijazi, A.C. Bernasconi, C. Ferrer, E. Cataldo, E. Lachman, M. Field, Y. Mohan, F.K. de Vries, C.C. Bultink, J.C. van Oven, J.Y. Mutus, R. Stockill, and S. Gröblacher, Optical readout of a superconducting qubit using a piezo-optomechanical transducer, Nature Physics, 11 February QphoX Media ContactSimon Gröblacher, CEOpress@ Rigetti Media ContactRebecca Malamud, Senior Marketing & Communications Managerpress@ Qblox Media ContactEva Flipse, Head of Marketing eflipse@ Cautionary Language and Forward-Looking StatementsCertain statements in this communication may be considered 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements with respect to the Company's expectations with respect to its future success and performance, including expectations with respect to the ability to use an optical transducer to perform readout on the Company's superconducting qubits; the potential with respect to quantum computing driving transformative breakthroughs in fields such as advanced material design, artificial intelligence, and drug discovery; the number of qubits necessary to reach fault tolerance; potential to replace coaxial cables and other cryogenic components with optical fibers; the ability to convert microwave signals used to control qubits into infrared light that can be transmitted through fiber; expectations of using optical transducers to protect a qubit from decoherence introduced by thermal noise or stray optical photons; readiness of interfacing optical transducers with semiconducting qubit technology; expectations with respect to scaling to create larger qubit systems without sacrificing gate performance using the Company's modular chip architecture, including expectations with respect to the Company's anticipated systems; expectations with respect to the Company's partners and customers and the quantum computing plans and activities thereof; and expectations with respect to the anticipated stages of quantum technology maturation, including the Company's ability to develop a quantum computer that is able to solve practical, operationally relevant problems significantly better, faster, or cheaper than a current classical solution and achieve quantum advantage on the anticipated timing or at all; expectations with respect to the quantum computing industry and related industries. These forward-looking statements are based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company and its management, are inherently uncertain. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: the Company's ability to achieve milestones, technological advancements, including with respect to its technology roadmap, help unlock quantum computing, and develop practical applications; the ability of the Company to obtain government contracts successfully and in a timely manner and the availability of government funding; the potential of quantum computing; the ability of the Company to expand its QPU sales and the Novera QPU Partnership Program; the success of the Company's partnerships and collaborations; the Company's ability to accelerate its development of multiple generations of quantum processors; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against the Company or others; the ability to maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and attract and retain management and key employees; costs related to operating as a public company; changes in applicable laws or regulations; the possibility that the Company may be adversely affected by other economic, business, or competitive factors; the Company's estimates of expenses and profitability; the evolution of the markets in which the Company competes; the ability of the Company to implement its strategic initiatives, expansion plans and continue to innovate its existing services; the expected use of proceeds from the Company's past and future financings or other capital; the sufficiency of the Company's cash resources; unfavorable conditions in the Company's industry, the global economy or global supply chain, including financial and credit market fluctuations and uncertainty, rising inflation and interest rates, disruptions in banking systems, increased costs, international trade relations, political turmoil, natural catastrophes, warfare (such as the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine and related sanctions and the state of war between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and related threat of a larger conflict), and terrorist attacks; the Company's ability to maintain compliance with the continued listing standards of the Nasdaq Capital Market; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in the section entitled 'Risk Factors' and 'Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements' in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, and other documents filed by the Company from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and the Company assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements other than as required by applicable law. The Company does not give any assurance that it will achieve its in to access your portfolio
