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The new theory, developed by physicists at Aalto University, describes gravity in a way that’s compatible with the Standard Model of particle physics, opening the door to an improved understanding of how the Universe began. The Standard Model of particle physics describes electromagnetic, weak, and strong interactions, which are three of the four known fundamental forces of nature. The unification of the fourth interaction, gravity, with the Standard Model has been challenging due to incompatibilities of the underlying theories — general relativity and quantum field theory. While quantum field theory utilizes compact, finite-dimensional symmetries associated with the internal degrees of...

Quantum scientists have shown it’s possible to generate Schrödinger cat states in warmer conditions, challenging the assumption that cold is essential for quantum effects. Credit: SciTechDaily.com *************************************************************************** Researchers have pulled off a quantum feat that defies traditional expectations—they’ve created Schrödinger cat states not from ultra-cold ground states, but from warm, thermally excited ones. Using a superconducting qubit setup, the team demonstrated that quantum superpositions can exist even at higher temperatures, overturning the long-held belief that heat destroys quantum effects. This breakthrough not only validates Schrödinger’s original “hot cat” concept but also paves the way for more practical and accessible quantum...

In a study published on March 26 in Nature Communications, the team showed that certain quantum states can retain their essential information even when exposed to environmental "noise" that would normally disrupt them...Quantum entanglement, the strange connection that allows particles to instantly affect each other regardless of distance, is central to many quantum technologies...But despite its promise, entanglement is extremely fragile. In real-world settings, it can quickly break down due to background light, stray signals, imperfect detectors, or lost photons. These forms of environmental noise can sever the connection between entangled particles, making them useless for transmitting quantum information...To overcome...

A novel discovery has introduced “time crystals” and “time quasicrystals,” which operate on perpetual motion and could potentially transform quantum computing and precision measurements. Credit: SciTechDaily.com Physicists at Washington University have forged ahead in the field of quantum mechanics by creating a new phase of matter known as “time crystals” and the even more advanced “time quasicrystals.” These groundbreaking materials defy traditional physics by maintaining perpetual motion and could revolutionize quantum computing and precision timekeeping by providing a stable, energy-conserving method of measuring time and storing quantum information. Time Crystals Physicists at Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) have created...

In a remarkable development, researchers have successfully turned light into a supersolid for the first time, paving the way for new insights into the unusual quantum states of matter. This achievement marks a significant milestone in the field of condensed matter physics. Dimitrios Trypogeorgos from Italy’s National Research Council (CNR) reportedly said, “We actually made light into a solid. That’s pretty awesome.” This feat builds on earlier work by fellow CNR scientist Danielle Sanvitto, who demonstrated over a decade ago that light could behave like a fluid. However, Trypogeorgos, Sanvitto, and their team have taken it further by creating what...

A supersolid is a paradox of physics — a material that is both solid and liquid at the same time. This contradictory form of matter was first proposed more than 60 years ago, and, for a long time, people thought it was too nuts to actually exist. But we’re talking about the realm of quantum mechanics, and normal expectations should be thrown out the window. In 2007, researchers at ETH Zurich and MIT unveiled the world’s first supersolids, starting with superflooding sodium and rubidium, respectively. Now, an international team of researchers has unveiled an entirely new route to supersolidity, harnessing...

· Scientists used a 5,564-qubit quantum computer to simulate and observe "false vacuum decay" — a process that could determine our Universe's ultimate fate by transitioning it to a more stable state· The research team created and tracked quantum bubbles containing up to 306 qubits, revealing how smaller bubbles bounce around among larger ones in a complex quantum dance that persisted for over 1,000 qubit time units· This breakthrough demonstrates how table-top quantum experiments can help us understand fundamental cosmic processes without requiring massive facilities like the Large Hadron ColliderNearly 50 years ago, physicist Sidney Coleman proposed an intriguing idea:...

CIENTISTS FIRST SHOWED TELEPORTATION WAS POSSIBLE back in 1993, when a team from IBM published a paper about teleporting a quantum state—rather than just an object—in the journal Physical Review Letters.

Time travel has long captured the human imagination, from its appearances in science fiction fantasies to its profound implications in modern theoretical physics. Now, a recent study by Dr. Lorenzo Gavassino, a theoretical and mathematical physicist at Vanderbilt University, delves into the enigmatic nature of time travel involving time loops to examine their profound implications for quantum mechanics, entropy, and human experience. Dr. Gavassino’s findings, published in Classical and Quantum Gravity, present a strikingly different picture of time travel. They reveal that traveling through such time loops would prevent many classical time travel paradoxes, including the infamous “grandfather paradox.” “It...

Rice University physicists have mathematically unveiled the possibility of paraparticles, which defy the traditional binary classification of particles into bosons and fermions. Their research, which delves into the realms of abstract algebra and condensed matter, hints at groundbreaking applications in quantum computing and information systems, suggesting an exciting, albeit speculative, future for new material properties and particle behavior. Breaking Conventional Particle Categories Since the early days of quantum mechanics, scientists have believed that all particles fall into one of two categories — bosons or fermions — defined by their distinct behaviors. However, recent research by Rice University physicist Kaden Hazzard...

A new theory, that explains how light and matter interact at the quantum level has enabled researchers to define the precise shape of a single photon. Research at the University of Birmingham, published in Physical Review Letters, explores the nature of photons (individual particles of light) in unprecedented detail to show how they are emitted by atoms or molecules and shaped by their environment. The nature of this interaction leads to infinite possibilities for light to exist and propagate, or travel, through its surrounding environment. This limitless possibility, however, makes the interactions exceptionally hard to model, and is a challenge...

Quantum teleportation, once confined to the pages of science fiction, is steadily becoming a tangible scientific achievement. Advances in quantum mechanics over the last decade have transformed teleportation from a theoretical concept into an experimental reality. These breakthroughs have revealed innovative methods for transmitting information instantaneously over vast distances, offering transformative possibilities for computing, communication, and cryptography. Scientists are now closer than ever to bridging the gap between imagination and reality in this cutting-edge field.

A research team from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), led by Prof. Jianwei Pan, Qiang Zhang, and Kai Chen, in collaboration with CHEN Jingling from Nankai University, has achieved the loophole-free test of Hardy's paradox for the first time. The team successfully demonstrated Hardy's nonlocality, closing both the detection efficiency loophole and the locality loophole...Hardy's paradox, introduced by Lucien Hardy in the 1990s, offers a simplified test of local realism—the classical idea that physical properties exist independently of observation and that no signals exceed the speed of light. This...

Scientists have for the first time observed quantum entanglement — a state in which particles intermingle, losing their individuality so they can no longer be described separately — between quarks. The feat, achieved at CERN, Europe’s particle-physics laboratory near Geneva, Switzerland, could open the door to further probes of quantum information in particles at high energies. Entanglement has been measured in particles such as electrons and photons for decades, but it is a delicate phenomenon and easiest to measure in low-energy, or ‘quiet’, environments, such as in the ultracold refrigerators that house quantum computers. Particle collisions, such as those between...

“We proved that the Einstein field equation from general relativity is actually a relativistic quantum mechanical equation,” the researchers note in their study. In simple words, this new framework connects the science that governs the macroscopic world with that of the microscopic world. Therefore, it has the potential to explain every physical phenomenon known to humanity ranging from the mysterious dark matter in space to the photons emitted by your phone’s flashlight. “To date, no globally accepted theory has been proposed to explain all physical observations,” the researchers added. They claim that their theory can challenge the foundations of physics...

A recent study underscores the dynamic nature of black holes and extends similar thermodynamic characteristics to Extremely Compact Objects, advancing our comprehension of their behavior in quantum gravity scenarios.A paper titled "Universality of the thermodynamics of a quantum-mechanically radiating black hole departing from thermality," published in Physics Letters B highlights the importance of considering black holes as dynamical systems, where variations in their geometry during radiation emissions are critical to accurately describing their thermodynamic behavior.The study also suggests that extremely compact objects (ECOs) share these thermodynamic properties with black holes, regardless of their event horizon status. The significance of this...

A research group in China has shown that many entangled photons can be generated inside the myelin sheath that covers nerve fibers...It could explain the rapid communication between neurons, which so far has been thought to be below the speed of sound, too slow to explain how the neural synchronization occurs.

Sandia National Laboratories’ four-channel, silicon photonic single-sideband modulator chip, measuring 8 millimeters on each side and marked with a green Sandia thunderbird logo, sits inside packaging that incorporates optical fibers, wire bonds, and ceramic pins. Credit: Craig Fritz, Sandia National Laboratories ==================================================================== A milestone in quantum sensing is drawing closer, promising exquisitely accurate, GPS-free navigation. Peel apart a smartphone, fitness tracker or virtual reality headset, and inside you’ll find a tiny motion sensor tracking its position and movement. Bigger, more expensive versions of the same technology, about the size of a grapefruit and a thousand times more accurate, help navigate...

Scientists say they have created a new method of testing materials that allows predictions to be made about their ductility, which could lead to the production of virtually “unbreakable” metals for use with components in a variety of applications. Drawing from quantum mechanics principles, the new method allows for significant improvements by enhancing predictions about metals’ ability to be drawn out into thinner shapes while maintaining their strength. According to researchers involved with the discovery, the new method has proven very effective for metals used in high-temperature applications and could help industries like aerospace and other fields perform tests of...

An artist's impression of the experiment. (University of Southampton) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Acting on a tiny particle levitating in a magnetic trap, physicists have just measured the smallest gravitational pull ever recorded. The particle weighed just 0.43 grams. And the strength of the gravitational force at play was on the scale of attonewtons (10-18 newtons). That's small enough to be right on the verge of the quantum realm, teasing the possibility of finally figuring out how classical physics and quantum mechanics interact. "For a century, scientists have tried and failed to understand how gravity and quantum mechanics work together," says physicist Tim...