Physicists discover “secret sauce” behind exotic properties of a new quantum material

New work on superconducting kagome metal will aid design of other unusual quantum materials, with many potential applications.

Elizabeth A. Thomson | Materials Research Laboratory • mit
Jan. 21, 2022 ~10 min

Physicists watch as ultracold atoms form a crystal of quantum tornadoes

The new observations record a key crossover from classical to quantum behavior.

Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office • mit
Jan. 5, 2022 ~7 min


New material could be two superconductors in one

Work has potential applications in quantum computing, and introduces new way to plumb the secrets of superconductivity.

Elizabeth A. Thomson | Materials Research Laboratory • mit
Nov. 15, 2021 ~8 min

Physicists bring human-scale object to near standstill, reaching a quantum state

The results open possibilities for studying gravity’s effects on relatively large objects in quantum states.

Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office • mit
June 18, 2021 ~8 min

Researchers design new experiments to map and test the quantum realm

Professor Kang-Kuen Ni and her team have collected real experimental data from an unexplored quantum frontier, providing strong evidence of what the theoretical model got right (and wrong) and a roadmap for further exploration into the shadowy next layers of quantum space.

Caitlin McDermott-Murphy • harvard
May 19, 2021 ~7 min

Bacteria use quantum mechanics for protection

A certain speces of bacteria uses quantum mechanics to protect itself from oxygen damage during photosynthesis.

U. Chicago • futurity
March 15, 2021 ~6 min

The search for dark matter gets a speed boost from quantum technology

Researchers have found a way to speed up the search for dark matter using technology from quantum computing. By squeezing quantum noise, detectors can now look for axions twice as fast.

Benjamin Brubaker, Postdoctoral Fellow in Quantum Physics, University of Colorado Boulder • conversation
Feb. 10, 2021 ~9 min

New type of atomic clock keeps time even more precisely

The design, which uses entangled atoms, could help scientists detect dark matter and study gravity’s effect on time.

Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office • mit
Dec. 16, 2020 ~7 min


A cool advance in thermoelectric conversion

A quantum effect in topological semimetals demonstrated by MIT researchers could allow for the utilization of an untapped energy source.

Steve Nadis | Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering • mit
Dec. 11, 2020 ~7 min

Cracking the secrets of an emerging branch of physics

In a new realm of materials, PhD student Thanh Nguyen uses neutrons to hunt for exotic properties that could power real-world applications.

Leda Zimmerman | Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering • mit
Nov. 20, 2020 ~8 min

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