Physical Review Research

What if light had a hidden geometry? A new international collaboration between Tohoku University and Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light shows that the geometry behind light waves can affect how light moves and interacts inside materials. Their research explores the hidden geometry of light and reveals new connections between photonics, topology, and quantum physics.

Free-electron lasers can be tuned to operate over a wide range of wavelengths, but they conventionally require large-scale facilities. Researchers from The University of Osaka show that laser wakefield acceleration can dramatically miniaturize this technology by improving plasma stability and electron beam quality. Their study demonstrates such lasers in the extreme ultraviolet, with the ultimate goal of further refining the technology to operate at x-ray wavelengths.

Altermagnets are a newly discovered class of magnets that exhibit unique magnetic behavior. They lack net magnetization but still influence the polarization of reflected light. This makes them difficult to study using conventional optical techniques. A research group has overcome this stumbling block using a new formula, enabling them to clarify the magnetic properties and origins of an organic crystal altermagnet.

Quantum computers can solve calculations that would take traditional computers thousands of years in mere minutes. What if that analytical power is turned inwards?

Tohoku University’s Dr. Le Bin Ho has explored how quantum squeezing can improve measurement precision in complex quantum systems, with potential applications in quantum sensing, imaging, and radar technologies. These findings may lead to advancements in areas like GPS accuracy and early disease detection through more sensitive biosensors.

Applying chaos theory to the movement of iconic arctic whales uncovered a 24-hour diving cycle and a long-range (~100 km) synchronization.

Quantum physicists have found that the outcomes of measurements are shaped by the complex dynamics of measurement interactions, questioning our usual understanding of observable reality.

Precise control of quantum systems, such as quantum computers, is of great importance for modern quantum science. One way this has been done is via spin echoes. A research group has discovered a new type of echo, labelling them “energy-band echoes.”

Scientists from The University of Tokyo formulated nonlinear, nonequilibrium energy dissipation relationships using methods from geometry to better understand the kinetics of irreversible chemical processes

Researchers at The University of Tokyo create a geometric representation of thermodynamic systems and apply it to self-replicating processes, which may help improve our understanding of the physical constraints of living organisms

Researchers at The University of Tokyo demonstrate the theoretically optimal search method for organisms that employ the “run-and-tumble” technique, and find that it conforms with observations of chemotaxis by E. coli, which may help automate drones

A new study provides a theoretical basis for the influence of learning from ancestors on the acceleration of natural selection using Fisher’s fundamental theorem

Researchers from The University of Tokyo Institute of Industrial Science use optical microscopy to form a picture of what’s really going on inside surfactant onions

Researchers at The University of Tokyo Institute of Industrial Science use artificial intelligence to predict the size of cells over time without the need for simplifying assumptions, which may lead to a new understanding of microbiology principles and improved drug manufacturing from recombinant bacteria

Researchers at The University of Tokyo use the mathematics of adaptive learning and artificial intelligence to describe how T helper cells adjust the response of the vertebrate immune system, which may lead to new vaccines and treatments for infections

Holger F. Hofmann, professor in the Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, published a method to experimentally demonstrate the precision of quantum measurements on Feb. 3 in Physical Review Research. His work has implications for our fundamental understanding of physics at the level of individual quantum objects.