Explore

Physicists Observe Synchronization of Distant Time Crystals in Semiconductor Material

Physicists Observe Synchronization of Distant Time Crystals in Semiconductor Material

Physicists at TU Dortmund University have observed that multiple time crystals, forming within a semiconductor made of gallium arsenide with indium and silicon, can synchronize their electron-nuclear spin oscillations despite being spatially separated. Time crystals are unusual physical systems that exhibit a repeating internal behavior over time without external periodic driving. In these experiments, localized electrons within the semiconductor interact with surrounding nuclear spins at extremely low temperatures (around -270 °C). A pump laser aligns electron spins, which then transfer their polarization to nuclear spins. When a weak magnetic field is applied, these nuclear spins begin to rotate, and feedback between electron and nuclear spins sustains these oscillations. While local variations in the semiconductor would typically cause time crystals in different regions to oscillate at slightly different frequencies, illuminating many regions simultaneously with a broad laser beam causes these separate ...

Engineering Defined as Application of Scientific Principles to Solve Real-World Problems

Engineering Defined as Application of Scientific Principles to Solve Real-World Problems

Engineering is fundamentally defined as the practice of applying scientific and mathematical principles to solve real-world problems. This discipline involves the analysis, implementation, and testing of materials, the design of functional instruments, and the modification of existing products or processes to enhance efficiency and performance. Engineering is a versatile field that intersects with numerous other disciplines, including agricultural science, biology, chemistry, computer science, economics, energy, entrepreneurship, health sciences, physics, and transportation science. It is described as a powerful tool for change, with its ultimate impact determined by the engineers who practice it. The nature of engineering, whether it leads to defiant or oppressive outcomes, depends on how problems are defined and which interests are advanced. While it can be influenced by industries with ethical concerns, the core practice remains the pursuit of change.

LSU Secures $20 Million National Science Foundation Award for Advanced X-ray Facility

LSU Secures $20 Million National Science Foundation Award for Advanced X-ray Facility

Louisiana State University (LSU) has been awarded a $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish a state-of-the-art X-ray facility. This new facility, named the Laboratory for Next-Generation X-ray Science and Technology (LaNeXT), is designed to provide researchers with unprecedented capabilities to observe some of nature's fastest processes. LaNeXT will enable the study of chemical, biological, and materials processes at the atomic and molecular level, with timeframes as short as 30 femtoseconds (30 quadrillionths of a second). The facility will integrate ultrafast laser-based X-rays, synchrotron X-rays, and LSU’s nanofabrication capabilities, creating a unique combination of powerful tools in one location. This initiative aims to fill a gap in U.S. research infrastructure by allowing scientists to capture molecular changes that current synchrotron facilities cannot observe, complementing major national facilities across the country. The project is a collaborative effort, buil...

Scientists Initially Thought the Geneva System Could Detect 5-Kiloton Underground Blasts

Scientists Initially Thought the Geneva System Could Detect 5-Kiloton Underground Blasts

The path to nuclear test ban treaties was fraught with complex verification challenges, particularly concerning the detection of underground nuclea...

How Artificial Intelligence Quietly Reshaped What AI Can Do

How Artificial Intelligence Quietly Reshaped What AI Can Do

Beyond the headlines about chatbots, fundamental shifts in AI architecture are quietly transforming science, software, and what the technology is capable of.

Researchers Demonstrate New Path to Universal Quantum Computing Using Non-Abelian Anyons

Researchers Demonstrate New Path to Universal Quantum Computing Using Non-Abelian Anyons

Scientists from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME), Harvard, Stony Brook University, and Quantinuum have experimentally demonstrated a novel approach to universal quantum computing using non-Abelian anyons. This research, published in Nature, shows that these exotic quantum particles can support the broad range of operations required for a practical quantum computer. Unlike traditional qubits that store information in two states, non-Abelian anyons encode information through their braiding patterns and fusion operations. The team successfully created and tested a full set of operations, including an entangling gate via braiding and two measurements through fusion, which together can produce any quantum operation. This method could potentially offer a more efficient route to reliable quantum machines by sidestepping the costly 'magic state distillation' process typically used for quantum error correction. The experiment utilized Quantinuum's H2 trapped-ion proc...

IonQ's Superion 256 Platform Selected by Florida International University for Flagship Deployment

IonQ's Superion 256 Platform Selected by Florida International University for Flagship Deployment

IonQ has announced a contract with Florida International University (FIU) for the deployment of its Superion 256-qubit trapped-ion quantum computer. This agreement establishes FIU as IonQ's flagship academic partner in Florida, marking the state's first on-premises trapped-ion quantum system. The Superion 256 system, featuring 256 physical trapped-ion qubits, will be housed in a specialized, secure facility on FIU's campus, with installation anticipated in late 2027, following the completion of FIU's on-campus data center. This partnership aims to create a central hub for quantum research and education across the region, providing direct access to one of the most advanced computing architectures globally for FIU's 1,200 faculty members, 56,000 students, and regional industry partners. The scientific applications and research facilitated by this deployment are expected to span material science, artificial intelligence, logistics, cybersecurity, health, and power grid management. FIU President Jeanette M. Nu...

Detroit Free Press

Nuclear regulators probe fuel assembly installation mishap at Palisades

Nuclear regulators probe fuel assembly installation mishap at Palisades

"There has been no radiological release and no workers or the public have been affected," an NRC spokeswoman said of the incident.

Prehistoric Animal Fossils Discovered at Oceanside Construction Site

Prehistoric Animal Fossils Discovered at Oceanside Construction Site

Fossilized remains of a massive prehistoric mammal, potentially a 'thunder beast' or 'swamp rhino,' have been unearthed at a construction site in Oceanside, Southern California. The discovery was made during routine excavation for a water infrastructure project, where crews found several limb bones, ribs, and other fragments believed to belong to a single animal. According to Joseph El Adli, a consulting paleontologist overseeing the site, the fossils were located approximately 12 feet below the surface within the fossil-rich Santiago Formation. The animal is estimated to have inhabited the area around 40 million years ago. El Adli narrowed down the possibilities to two extinct mammal families that roamed North America during the Uintan North American Land Mammal Age: Brontotheriidae, a large hoofed mammal with a deep chest, or an amynodon, a semi-aquatic herbivore distantly related to rhinos.

Palm Springs Desert Sun

'Remarkable' 40-million-year-old fossils found at California project site

'Remarkable' 40-million-year-old fossils found at California project site

Fossils from a mammal that roamed California 40 million years ago were uncovered during excavation for an Oceanside infrastructure project.

NSF Awards $540,000 Grant to Paul Evans for Study of Disordered Materials Crystallization

NSF Awards $540,000 Grant to Paul Evans for Study of Disordered Materials Crystallization

Paul Evans, a professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, has been awarded a three-year, $540,000 grant from the Ceramics Program within the Division of Materials Research of the National Science Foundation (NSF). The grant will support his research into the transition of disordered materials into crystals, specifically focusing on metal oxides. This process, known as solid-phase epitaxy (SPE), involves transforming an amorphous material into an ordered crystal by using a neighboring crystal as a structural template. Evans and his research team will employ precise, in situ growth and synchrotron X-ray techniques to observe the crystallization in real-time, tracking atomic rearrangements at the boundary between amorphous and crystalline materials. The challenge lies in the small volume of material involved, the rapid atomic rearrangement, and the subtle structural signatures of the process.

U.S. Researchers Identify Off-Grid Opportunities for Small Modular Nuclear Reactors

U.S. Researchers Identify Off-Grid Opportunities for Small Modular Nuclear Reactors

A new analysis published in Nature Communications by researchers from the University of Michigan indicates that 172 GW of U.S. small modular reactor (SMR) capacity could be economically viable off-grid. The study suggests that SMRs cannot effectively compete on the open electricity grid against cheaper renewable energy sources and large conventional power plants. Instead, their financial success in the United States is dependent on powering heavy manufacturing hubs and producing clean hydrogen. The research focused on mapping where these compact nuclear systems can generate profit without being burdened by escalating construction costs. The study evaluated the business case for SMRs by modeling energy demand profiles for various industrial facilities, including 34 ammonia synthesis plants, nine steel mills, 47 oil refineries, and nearly 1,000 manufacturing sites that utilize process heat. This comprehensive analysis provides the first detailed examination of the specific locations and industrial applicatio...