Physics
press releases.

Physics11 Aug 2025

Kennesaw State physics professor receives three-year grant to create simulations for particle colliders

Kennesaw State University researcher Andreas Papaefstathiou has received a three-year, $799,651 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to investigate the nature of nuclear matter through collisions of particles at high energies. The findings from Papaefstathiou’s research will help elevate the study of particle physics in the context of nuclear collisions at Kennesaw State, as well as help improve the understanding and interpretation of data coming out of the proposed Electron Ion Collider at the Brookhaven National Laboratory ...

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Physics10 Aug 2025

Research highlights depression risk in high-performance athletes, despite benefits of physical activity

Research by sports scientists reveals that high-performance athletes face unique mental health challenges despite the well-established benefits of physical activity for depression prevention and treatment. While moderate exercise is widely recognized for its positive impact on mental health, elite athletes experience specific pressures that can contribute to depression, including performance nerves, injury concerns and identity crises. These findings are detailed in the comprehensive new book, Physical ...

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Physics7 Aug 2025

ICFO researchers overcome long-standing bottleneck in single photon detection with twisted 2D materials

The ability to detect single photons (the smallest energy packets constituting electromagnetic radiation) in the infrared range has become a pressing need across numerous fields, from medical imaging and astrophysics to emerging quantum technologies. In observational astronomy, for example, the light from distant celestial objects can be extremely faint and require exceptional sensitivity in the mid-infrared. Similarly, in free-space quantum communication—where single photons need to travel across vast distances—operating in ...

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Physics6 Aug 2025

Nanophotonics: An ultrafast light switch

In nanophotonics, tiny structures are used to control light at the nanoscale and render it useful for technological applications. A key element here is optical resonators, which trap and amplify light of a certain color (wavelength). Previous methods of controlling these resonances were more like a dimmer switch: You could weaken the resonance or slightly shift its color. However, genuine on-and-off switching was not possible, as the resonators always remain fundamentally coupled with the light. A team led by Andreas Tittl, Professor of Experimental Physics at LMU, has now achieved precisely this breakthrough together with partners from Monash ...

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Physics6 Aug 2025

Nanoparticles for rheumatoid arthritis prevention, flare control

As a chronic condition, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can’t be cured, so treatment focuses on managing the disease and controlling its progression. Although current treatments help control RA symptoms in most people, they cannot prevent the onset of RA or painful flare-ups. Now, researchers publishing in ACS Central Science have developed nanoparticles that could slow disease progression and reduce flare severity, based on results from tests with human blood and mice models with RA-like disease. For a person diagnosed with RA, their immune system attacks tissue that makes up the joints, causing inflammation, swelling and pain. ...

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Physics4 Aug 2025

Lab to industry: InSe wafer-scale breakthrough for future electronics

Peking University, July 30, 2025: In a landmark advancement for next-generation electronics, researchers from the International Center for Quantum Materials at Peking University in collaboration with Renmin University of China have successfully fabricated wafer-scale two-dimensional indium selenide (InSe) semiconductors. Led by Professor Liu Kaihui, the team developed a novel “solid–liquid–solid” growth strategy that overcomes long-standing barriers in 2D semiconductor manufacturing. Published in Science under ...

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Physics1 Aug 2025

Physicists decode mysterious membrane behavior

Cell membranes cradle, protect, and gatekeep living cells. Membranes can even affect how a cell behaves. But membranes’ own erratic behavior has puzzled scientists for years. Turns out, it’s all about perspective: When physicist Rana Ashkar’s team members looked at how membranes behave on the nanoscale, they were able to identify unified biophysical laws that membranes have adhered to all along. Published in Nature Communications, these findings have significant implications for disease ...

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Physics29 Jul 2025

Physical inactivity crisis costing US $192 billion annually, new study reveals

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new study published in the American Journal of Health Promotion finds that inadequate leisure-time aerobic physical activity accounts for $192 billion in annual healthcare costs among U.S. adults—12.6% of total national health care spending. Researchers analyzed data from more than 76,000 adults between 2012 and 2019. The findings are stark: 52.4% of adults met aerobic activity guidelines 20.4% were insufficiently active 27.3% were completely inactive The average adult incurred $6,566 in annual healthcare costs Compared to active adults: Insufficiently active adults incurred $1,355 more than active adults in annual ...

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Physics28 Jul 2025

Family physicians improve rural maternity outcomes but those in high-need states need support

Background and Goal: This study explores the geographic distribution of family physicians providing maternity care and identifies opportunities for family physicians to expand access to maternity care. Study Approach: The study merged county-level counts of OB-GYNs, certified nurse-midwives, and hospitals offering obstetric services from the 2021–2022 HRSA Area Health Resource File with 2013–2021 American Board of Family Medicine data on family physicians who reported delivering babies. Researchers used ...

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Physics24 Jul 2025

Scientists discover how correlated disorder boosts superconductivity

Superconductivity is a unique state of matter in which electric current flows without any energy loss. In materials with defects, it typically emerges at very low temperatures and develops in several stages. An international team of scientists, including physicists from HSE MIEM, has demonstrated that when defects within a material are arranged in a specific pattern rather than randomly, superconductivity can occur at a higher temperature and extend throughout the entire material. This discovery could help develop ...

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Physics23 Jul 2025

A device developed at the EHU makes it simple to obtain platelet-rich plasma

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a fraction of blood plasma; its concentration of platelets is of great value in regenerative medicine as they are essential in accelerating healing and repairing tissue. Until now, obtaining them has been based on centrifugation techniques which, in addition to being expensive, could activate the platelets prematurely and reduce their effectiveness. “We realised that our device not only separated the plasma, but also obtained very high-quality PRP, with functional and minimally activated platelets,” explained ...

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Physics18 Jul 2025

Researchers demonstrate a new material to reduce power consumption of electronics

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (07/18/2025) — Research from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities gives new insight into a material that could make computer memory faster and more energy-efficient. The study was recently published in Advanced Materials, a peer-reviewed scientific journal. The researchers also have a patent on the technology. As technology continues to grow, so does the demand for emerging memory technology. Researchers are looking for alternatives and complements to existing memory solutions that can perform at high levels with ...

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Physics18 Jul 2025

New layered compound promotes two-dimensional magnetism researches and room-temperature magnetic applications

A major international collaboration between researchers in China and the U.S. has successfully synthesized a novel two-dimensional magnetic material (indium-based chromium telluride, CIT) using chemical vapor transport. A compound that exhibits robust ferromagnetism and magnetocaloric effect at room temperature with intriguing phase transition behavior and complex magnetic interaction. This discovery paves the way for novel applications in high-performance spintronics, magnetic refrigeration, and advanced electronic devices. The realm of 2D materials has intrigued researchers due to their distinctive physical properties and promising technological ...

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Physics18 Jul 2025

From passive to intelligent: Bioengineered organs meet electronics

Bioengineered organs are no longer just structural substitutes. A new review published in Trends in Biotechnology introduces a groundbreaking concept: biohybrid-engineered tissue (BHET) platforms—living constructs integrated with electronics that can monitor, modulate, and even autonomously control their own functions. The review, authored by Dr. Uijung Yong (Future IT Innovation Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)), Jihwan Kim (Department of Mechanical Engineering, POSTECH), and Prof. Jinah Jang (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Convergence IT Engineering, and School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering, POSTECH), ...

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Physics17 Jul 2025

Shedding new light on invisible forces: hidden magnetic clues in everyday metals unlocked

A team of scientists has developed a powerful new way to detect subtle magnetic signals in common metals like copper, gold, and aluminium—using nothing more than light and a clever technique. Their research, recently published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications, could pave the way for advances in everything from smartphones to quantum computing. The Longstanding Puzzle: Why Can’t We See the Optical Hall Effect? For over a century, scientists have known that electric currents bend in a magnetic ...

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Physics14 Jul 2025

New technique can dramatically improve laser linewidth

Macquarie University researchers have demonstrated a technique to dramatically narrow the linewidth of a laser beam by a factor of over ten thousand – a discovery that could revolutionise quantum computing, atomic clocks and gravitational wave detection. In research published in APL Photonics on 14 July 2025, the team described using diamond crystals and the Raman effect – where laser light stimulates vibrations in materials and then scatters off those vibrations – to narrow the linewidth of laser beams by factors exceeding ...

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Physics14 Jul 2025

Cryo-electron microscopy – Reaction cycle of an enzyme for CO2 fixation decoded

High-resolution cryo-electron microscopy makes it possible to study complex enzymatic processes in detail. With this method, a research team of the University of Potsdam and Humboldt-Universität Berlin succeeded in characterizing the CODH/ACS enzyme complex in detail. They discovered that the complex moves in the course of chemical reactions and thus determines the reaction sequence. Their results have been published in the journal Nature Catalysis. Before the start of photosynthesis in Earth's history and accumulation of oxygen in the atmosphere, anaerobic microorganisms lived here, which do not need oxygen for their metabolism. ...

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Physics11 Jul 2025

Power in numbers: Small group professional coaching reduces rates of physician burnout by nearly 30%

New UCLA research finds that small group professional coaching can reduce physician burnout rates by up to 30%, suggesting that it is more effective than the traditional, and more expensive, one-on-one coaching method. Nearly half of physicians in the US suffer from burnout, which is marked by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and decreased personal accomplishment. These can lead to medical errors and other harmful consequences to the healthcare system and patient outcomes, said lead author Dr. Joshua Khalili, director of physician wellness in the UCLA Department of Medicine and ...

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Physics11 Jul 2025

New high-temperature stable dispersed particle gel for enhanced profile control in CCUS applications

A novel dispersed particle gel (DPG) suspension has been developed by researchers from Chengdu University of Technology and University of Alberta, offering enhanced profile control in high-temperature carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) applications. The study, published in Engineering, details the creation of a DPG suspension that exhibits significant improvements in thermal stability and plugging efficiency compared to traditional CO2-responsive gels. CCUS is a crucial strategy for mitigating climate change by capturing CO2 from industrial sources ...

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Physics11 Jul 2025

Inking heterometallic nanosheets: A scalable breakthrough for coating, electronics, and electrocatalyst applications

Coordination nanosheets are a unique class of two-dimensional (2D) materials that are formed by coordination bonds between planar organic ligands and metal ions. These 2D nanomaterials are increasingly utilized in energy storage, electronic devices, and as electrode-based catalysts due to their excellent electronic, optical, redox properties, and catalytic activity. Over the last decade, coordination nanosheets composed of various transition metal ions, such as nickel (Ni) ions linked to benzenehexathiol (BHT)—an ...

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Physics10 Jul 2025

Being consistently physically active in adulthood linked to 30–40% lower risk of death

Being consistently physically active in adulthood is linked to a 30–40% lower risk of death from any cause in later life, while upping levels from below those recommended for health is still associated with a 20–25% lower risk, finds a pooled data analysis of the available evidence, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The findings prompt the researchers to conclude that switching to a more active lifestyle at any point in adult life may extend the lifespan, and that it’s never too late to start. Currently, it’s recommended that adults should aim for 150-300 weekly minutes of moderate intensity physical activity, or 75-150 ...

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Physics10 Jul 2025

Short-term physical activity reduces metabolic-associated steatohepatitis by promoting the degradation of branched-chain amino acids in skeletal muscle

Background and Aims Metabolic-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is an advanced and progressive liver disease that potentially causes cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Exercise is a crucial and effective intervention for ameliorating metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms of MASH, which benefit a broad spectrum of MASH patients, including those who have difficulty engaging in physical activity. Methods We established a mouse model of MASH and selectively knocked down ...

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Physics10 Jul 2025

Tunable laser light

Key takeaways A team at Harvard and Technical University of Vienna have invented a new tunable laser that uses a series of rings to smoothly emit many light wavelengths from a single chip. The laser could replace many of today’s products that face tradeoffs in accuracy, range, and cost. Tunable lasers are used in many applications, from gas sensing to medical diagnostics. Researchers in the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and Technical University of Vienna (TU Wien) have invented a new type of tunable semiconductor laser that ...

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Physics10 Jul 2025

Scientists uncover magnetic-field control of ultrafast spin dynamics in 2D ferromagnets

A research team led by Prof. SHENG Zhigao from the High Magnetic Field Laboratory, the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Prof. A.V. Kimel from Radboud University, has demonstrated that strong magnetic fields can effectively regulate laser-induced ultrafast demagnetization in a two-dimensional van der Waals (vdW) ferromagnet. The findings were published online in National Science Review. Suppressing slow processes could boost spin-based data processing to femtosecond speeds, potentially revolutionizing information technology. Therefore, understanding and controlling ultrafast ...

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Physics9 Jul 2025

Keeping the photon in the dark

Excitons – bound pairs of electrons and electron hole – are quasiparticles that can arise in solids. While so-called “bright” excitons emit light and are therefore accessible, dark excitons are optically inactive. As a result, they have a significantly longer lifetime – which makes them ideal for storing and controlling quantum states and using them for advanced methods to generate entanglement. Gregor Weihs and his team from the Department of Experimental Physics at the University of Innsbruck, together with researchers in Dortmund, ...

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