physics

We formulate a condition for the admissibility of parametrized trajectories in relativistic spacetime based on compatibility between worldline ordering and causal structure. A trajectory represents the history of a single physical system only if its parameter ordering agrees with the causal ordering defined by the spacetime metric. It follows that any trajectory for which this condition fails can…

PPPL researchers have identified a novel mechanism in which expanding plasmas rapidly self-magnetize through the Weibel instability, generating magnetic fields strong enough to alter heat transport. The finding, supported by first-principles simulations, has direct implications for inertial fusion research and for understanding how magnetic fields arise in astrophysical plasmas.

There’s a connection between wave types that scientists once thought were fundamentally different.

Nature Communications, Published online: 05 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-72651-x Recently, there has been growing interest in realizing quantum heat engines using superconducting circuits. Here the authors demonstrate a cyclic quantum heat engine based on superconducting circuits, showing controlled heating, cooling, and positive work extraction, with measured power and efficiency in agreemen…

Scientists at the University of Oxford have achieved something never done before in quantum physics: they created a new type of interaction called “quadsqueezing.” This breakthrough could open new doors for quantum computing, ultra-sensitive measurements, and advanced simulations of complex systems. To understand why this matters, it helps to start with a simple idea. Many […] The post Scientists…

At constant pressure we have: $$ dq_{p}=dH=C_{p} dT $$ which implies The enthalpy change dH reflects the increase in internal energy associated with molecular motions such as rotational and vibrational modes. The atoms, molecules or ions that compose a system can undergo several types of... Read more

There’s a mineral called bustamentite that almost nobody studies. It forms in flat hexagonal plates, grows readily in warm water, and turns up as an unwanted contaminant in perovskite solar cells. For decades it sat at the margins of materials science, useful mostly as a precursor for more fashionable compounds. Then a group of physicists decided to look at it very carefully in the terahertz rang…

Scientific Reports, Published online: 05 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41598-026-51362-9 Optimized simultaneous generation of dual-wavelength phase and polarization singularities

Physicists at the University of Oxford have accomplished a landmark achievement in quantum science, demonstrating for the first time a fourth-order quantum effect known as "quadsqueezing". The breakthrough, detailed in Nature Physics on May 1, was achieved using a single trapped ion confined between electrode structures and manipulated with precisely calibrated laser fields. Remarkably, the Oxfor…

This story is part of a series highlighting the university’s outstanding graduates crossing the stage on May 16. For Lizette Rodriguez, a first-generation college student and San Antonio native, the journey to earning her bachelor’s degree in physics at The University of Texas at San Antonio has been defined by curiosity, resilience and a passion […] The post Aiming for the stars: Physics major c…

The magnetic moment of an electron is about 700 times bigger than that of a proton. Both have spin 1/2, but in equal external magnetic field, the energy of an unpaired electron is about 700 times bigger than the energy of an unpaired proton. (All nuclei other than the triton have magnetic... Read more

Scientific Reports, Published online: 07 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41598-026-50214-w Photonic topological transitions for surface waves with resonant plasmonic metasurfaces: interplay between meta-atom and lattice stretching

Is it possible to split a single light beam as on the diagram below, where the source of light S sends a beam of light A to the optical device X and device X splits beam A into beams B and C which ...

Two quantum computers and two supercomputers teamed up to break the record on the biggest molecule yet to be simulated using quantum hardware

Sergio L. Cacciatori, Bianca Cerchiai, Alessio Marrani, Squaring the Magic [arXiv:1208.6153] Sergio L. Cacciatori, Bianca Cerchiai, Alessio Marrani, Magic coset decompositions, Adv. Theor. Math. Phys. 17 5 (2013) 1077-1128 [doi:10.4310/ATMP.2013.v17.n5.a4] On generalizations of exceptional structures, including E8, octonions and the exceptional Jordan algebra: On 12-dimensional supergravity, D=14…

algebraic quantum field theory (perturbative, on curved spacetimes, homotopical) quantum mechanical system, quantum probability interacting field quantization For classes of gauge theories, such as (super) Yang-Mills theory or Chern-Simons theory or various matrix models, whose gauge groups may be square matrices for any natural number , notably in the special unitary group , the special orthogon…

Introducing discussion of D=2 Yang-Mills theory: Early discussion of flux tubes/Wilson lines as effective strings in Yang-Mills theory (Gauge/String duality): “So the world sheet of string should be interpreted as the color magnetic dipole sheet. The string itself should be interpreted as the electric flux tube in the monopole plasma.” On the large-N limit of QCD: Alexander A. Migdal, Loop equati…

A new quantum physics study reveals that simply changing a magnetic field over time can unlock entirely new forms of matter that don’t exist under normal conditions. By carefully “driving” materials with timed magnetic shifts, researchers created exotic quantum states that could be far more stable and resistant to errors—one of the biggest challenges in quantum computing. This breakthrough sugges…