“Attoclock” measures electrons moving at quintillionths of a second

Electrons zip around in electronic devices extremely quickly, which can make it hard to see what’s going on in there. Now, engineers at the Universities of Michigan and Regensburg have developed an “attoclock” that can take snapshots of electrons in in… Continue reading “Attoclock” measures electrons moving at quintillionths of a second

Electron whirlpools: Scientists witness electricity behaving like water

Researchers at MIT have observed “electron whirlpools” for the first time. The bizarre behavior arises when electricity flows as a fluid, which could make for more efficient electronics.Continue ReadingCategory: Physics, ScienceTags: Electron Microscop… Continue reading Electron whirlpools: Scientists witness electricity behaving like water

New imaging technique offers unprecedented view of cells, inside and out

The microscopic world of cells and bacteria is incredibly important to understand, but tricky to study in detail, especially without harming the subjects. Researchers at EPFL have now developed a new microscopy technique that combines two existing ones… Continue reading New imaging technique offers unprecedented view of cells, inside and out

“Electron family” state of matter hints at new type of superconductivity

Superconductivity occurs when electrons in a metal pair up and move through the material without resistance. But there may be more to the story than we thought, as scientists in Germany have now discovered that electrons can also group together into fa… Continue reading “Electron family” state of matter hints at new type of superconductivity

Weird compound jumps from conductor to insulator and back under pressure

Normally metals and insulators sit at opposite ends of a spectrum of conductivity, but researchers have discovered a material that can switch between those states freely, even at room temperature. The material, a compound of manganese and sulfide (MnS2… Continue reading Weird compound jumps from conductor to insulator and back under pressure

Laser pincers generate antimatter by recreating neutron star conditions

Some of the greatest mysteries in cosmology revolve around antimatter, and it’s hard to study because it’s rare and hard to produce in the lab. Now a team of physicists has outlined a relatively simple new way to create antimatter, by firing two lasers… Continue reading Laser pincers generate antimatter by recreating neutron star conditions

Scientists create solid crystal form of electrons in the lab

Researchers at ETH Zurich have created a crystal made entirely of electrons. The structures have been theorized for decades, but this marks the first time they’ve been experimentally confirmed in the lab.Continue ReadingCategory: Physics, ScienceTags: … Continue reading Scientists create solid crystal form of electrons in the lab

Magic angle makes graphene simultaneously superconducting and insulating

Graphene just keeps getting weirder. Engineers at ETH Zurich have now managed to tweak the overachieving material so that some parts of a flake can be an electrical insulator while other areas act as a superconductor, just nanometers apart. The team de… Continue reading Magic angle makes graphene simultaneously superconducting and insulating

CERN anomaly hints at new particle physics Standard Model can’t explain

CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is designed to probe the fringes of known physics, and now the facility has found particles not behaving as predicted. While it’s still early days, the discovery hints at the existence of new particles or forces beyon… Continue reading CERN anomaly hints at new particle physics Standard Model can’t explain

“Fifth state of matter” used to make new type of superconductor

Superconductors – materials in which electricity flows without any resistance whatsoever – could be extremely useful for future electronics. Now, engineers at the University of Tokyo have managed to create a superconductor out of a state of matter call… Continue reading “Fifth state of matter” used to make new type of superconductor