Recent Noteworthy Physics Papers

[Andy Resnick]

A. G. Manning et. al., "Wheeler's delayed-choice gedanken experiment with a single atom" Nature Physics (2015) doi:10.1038/nphys3343

Abstract:
The wave–particle dual nature of light and matter and the fact that the choice of measurement determines which one of these two seemingly incompatible behaviours we observe are examples of the counterintuitive features of quantum mechanics. They are illustrated by Wheeler’s famous ‘delayed-choice’ experimenthttp://www.nature.com/nphys/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nphys3343.html#ref1, recently demonstrated in a single-photon experimenthttp://www.nature.com/nphys/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nphys3343.html#ref2. Here, we use a single ultracold metastable helium atom in a Mach–Zehnder interferometer to create an atomic analogue of Wheeler’s original proposal. Our experiment confirms Bohr’s view that it does not make sense to ascribe the wave or particle behaviour to a massive particle before the measurement takes placehttp://www.nature.com/nphys/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nphys3343.html#ref1. This result is encouraging for current work towards entanglement and Bell’s theorem tests in macroscopic systems of massive particleshttp://www.nature.com/nphys/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nphys3343.html#ref3.

A delayed-choice experiment using massive particles.

 

[ZapperZ]

Wait I'm confused what is this about can you guys please explain

Did you read the very FIRST post in this thread?

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

No I'm new to this

Then you should always read the first page of any thread.

Zz.

 

[mfb]

We shouldn't forget the pentaquarks:

Observation of J/ψp Resonances Consistent with Pentaquark States in Λ⁰_b → J/ψK⁻p Decays
R. Aaij et al. (LHCb Collaboration)
Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 072001

 

[DennisN]

What's the matter with antimatter? Well...

S. Ulmer et al., High-precision comparison of the antiproton-to-proton charge-to-mass ratio, Nature 524, 196–199 (13 August 2015) doi:10.1038/nature14861
Paper available for free here: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v524/n7564/full/nature14861.html

Abstract:
Invariance under the charge, parity, time-reversal (CPT) transformation is one of the fundamental symmetries of the standard model of particle physics. This CPT invariance implies that the fundamental properties of antiparticles and their matter-conjugates are identical, apart from signs. There is a deep link between CPT invariance and Lorentz symmetry—that is, the laws of nature seem to be invariant under the symmetry transformation of spacetime—although it is model dependent. A number of high-precision CPT and Lorentz invariance tests—using a co-magnetometer, a torsion pendulum and a maser, among others—have been performed, but only a few direct high-precision CPT tests that compare the fundamental properties of matter and antimatter are available. Here we report high-precision cyclotron frequency comparisons of a single antiproton and a negatively charged hydrogen ion (H⁻) carried out in a Penning trap system. From 13,000 frequency measurements we compare the charge-to-mass ratio for the antiproton

to that for the proton

and obtain

. The measurements were performed at cyclotron frequencies of 29.6 megahertz, so our result shows that the CPT theorem holds at the atto-electronvolt scale. Our precision of 69 parts per trillion exceeds the energy resolution of previous antiproton-to-proton mass comparisons as well as the respective figure of merit of the standard model extension by a factor of four. In addition, we give a limit on sidereal variations in the measured ratio of <720 parts per trillion. By following the arguments of ref. 11, our result can be interpreted as a stringent test of the weak equivalence principle of general relativity using baryonic antimatter, and it sets a new limit on the gravitational anomaly parameter of

< 8.7 × 10⁻⁷.

 

[DennisN]

And another paper published yesterday by the ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) team, concerning antimatter and CPT invariance...

ALICE Collaboration, Precision measurement of the mass difference between light nuclei and anti-nuclei, Nature Physics (2015), doi:10.1038/nphys3432
Paper available for free here: http://www.nature.com/nphys/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nphys3432.html

Abstract:
The measurement of the mass differences for systems bound by the strong force has reached a very high precision with protons and anti-protons. The extension of such measurement from (anti-)baryons to (anti-)nuclei allows one to probe any difference in the interactions between nucleons and anti-nucleons encoded in the (anti-)nuclei masses. This force is a remnant of the underlying strong interaction among quarks and gluons and can be described by effective theories, but cannot yet be directly derived from quantum chromodynamics. Here we report a measurement of the difference between the ratios of the mass and charge of deuterons (d) and anti-deuterons (http://www.nature.com/nphys/journal/vaop/ncurrent/images/nphys3432-m1.gif), and ³He and http://www.nature.com/nphys/journal/vaop/ncurrent/images/nphys3432-m2.gif nuclei carried out with the ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) detector in Pb–Pb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of 2.76 TeV. Our direct measurement of the mass-over-charge differences confirms CPT invariance to an unprecedented precision in the sector of light nuclei. This fundamental symmetry of nature, which exchanges particles with anti-particles, implies that all physics laws are the same under the simultaneous reversal of charge(s) (charge conjugation C), reflection of spatial coordinates (parity transformation P) and time inversion (T).

 

[DennisN]

More life for the electrons...

M. Agostini et al. (Borexino Collaboration), Test of Electric Charge Conservation with Borexino
Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 231802 – Published 3 December 2015
On arxiv: http://arxiv.org/abs/1509.01223

Abstract:
Borexino is a liquid scintillation detector located deep underground at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS, Italy). Thanks to the unmatched radio purity of the scintillator, and to the well understood detector response at low energy, a new limit on the stability of the electron for decay into a neutrino and a single monoenergetic photon was obtained. This new bound, τ ≥ 6.6 × 10²⁸ yr at 90% C.L., is 2 orders of magnitude better than the previous limit.

An APS synopsis is here: Synopsis: Still Waiting For Electron Decay

 

[DennisN]

B. P. Abbott et al. (LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration)
Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger
Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 061102 – Published 11 February 2016

Abstract:
On September 14, 2015 at 09:50:45 UTC the two detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory simultaneously observed a transient gravitational-wave signal. The signal sweeps upwards in frequency from 35 to 250 Hz with a peak gravitational-wave strain of 1.0×10⁻²¹. It matches the waveform predicted by general relativity for the inspiral and merger of a pair of black holes and the ringdown of the resulting single black hole. The signal was observed with a matched-filter signal-to-noise ratio of 24 and a false alarm rate estimated to be less than 1 event per 203 000 years, equivalent to a significance greater than 5.1σ. The source lies at a luminosity distance of 410+160−180Mpc corresponding to a redshift z=0.09+0.03−0.04. In the source frame, the initial black hole masses are 36+5−4M⊙ and 29+4−4M⊙, and the final black hole mass is 62+4−4M⊙, with 3.0+0.5−0.5M⊙c2 radiated in gravitational waves. All uncertainties define 90% credible intervals. These observations demonstrate the existence of binary stellar-mass black hole systems. This is the first direct detection of gravitational waves and the first observation of a binary black hole merger.

Article on APS: Viewpoint: The First Sounds of Merging Black Holes

 

[ZapperZ]

R. Pohl et al., "Laser spectroscopy of muonic deuterium" Science v.353, p.669 (2016).

Abstract: The deuteron is the simplest compound nucleus, composed of one proton and one neutron. Deuteron properties such as the root-mean-square charge radius rd and the polarizability serve as important benchmarks for understanding the nuclear forces and structure. Muonic deuterium μd is the exotic atom formed by a deuteron and a negative muon μ–. We measured three 2S-2P transitions in μd and obtain rd =

fm, which is 2.7 times more accurate but 7.5σ smaller than the CODATA-2010 value rd =

fm. The μd value is also 3.5σ smaller than the rd value from electronic deuterium spectroscopy. The smaller rd, when combined with the electronic isotope shift, yields a “small” proton radius rp, similar to the one from muonic hydrogen, amplifying the proton radius puzzle.

There is an article on Ars Technica that describes this proton radius problem in a greater detail.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

A. Hamo et al., "Electron attraction mediated by Coulomb repulsion" Nature v.535, p.395 (2016).

Abstract: One of the defining properties of electrons is their mutual Coulomb repulsion. However, in solids this basic property may change; for example, in superconductors, the coupling of electrons to lattice vibrations makes the electrons attract one another, leading to the formation of bound pairs. Fifty years ago it was proposedhttp://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v535/n7612/full/nature18639.html#ref1 that electrons can be made attractive even when all of the degrees of freedom in the solid are electronic, by exploiting their repulsion from other electrons. This attraction mechanism, termed ‘excitonic’, promised to achieve stronger and more exotic superconductivity. Yet, despite an extensive search, experimental evidence for excitonic attraction has yet to be found. Here we demonstrate this attraction by constructing, from the bottom up, the fundamental building blockhttp://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v535/n7612/full/nature18639.html#ref8 of the excitonic mechanism. Our experiments are based on quantum devices made from pristine carbon nanotubes, combined with cryogenic precision manipulation. Using this platform, we demonstrate that two electrons can be made to attract each other using an independent electronic system as the ‘glue’ that mediates attraction. Owing to its tunability, our system offers insights into the underlying physics, such as the dependence of the emergent attraction on the underlying repulsion, and the origin of the pairing energy. We also demonstrate transport signatures of excitonic pairing. This experimental demonstration of excitonic pairing paves the way for the design of exotic states of matter.

Also see the News and Views article on this paper in the same issue of Nature.

So now we have two types of "glue" that can cause electrons to attraction each other in a solid. The phononic source that forms Cooper pairs in conventional superconductors, and now the excitonic glue that essentially is due to other electrons and charges in the material. This channel has been searched for for a long time, since William Little first proposed it in 1964.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

L. F. Pašteka et al., "Relativistic Coupled Cluster Calculations with Variational Quantum Electrodynamics Resolve the Discrepancy between Experiment and Theory Concerning the Electron Affinity and Ionization Potential of Gold", Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 023002 (2017).

Abstract: The first ionization potential (IP) and electron affinity (EA) of the gold atom have been determined to an unprecedented accuracy using relativistic coupled cluster calculations up to the pentuple excitation level including the Breit and QED contributions. We reach meV accuracy (with respect to the experimental values) by carefully accounting for all individual contributions beyond the standard relativistic coupled cluster approach. Thus, we are able to resolve the long-standing discrepancy between experimental and theoretical IP and EA of gold.

A review of this work can be found at the APS Physics page.

Zz.

 

[Andy Resnick]

Precise measurements of antimatter systems might cast light on why the Universe is dominated by matter. The observation of a transition in an antihydrogen atom heralds the next wave of high-precision antimatter studies.

Observation of the 1S–2S transition in trapped antihydrogen M. Ahmadi,et. al. Nature 541, 506–510 (26 January 2017) doi:10.1038/nature21040

Abstract: The spectrum of the hydrogen atom has played a central part in fundamental physics over the past 200 years. Historical examples of its importance include the wavelength measurements of absorption lines in the solar spectrum by Fraunhofer, the identification of transition lines by Balmer, Lyman and others, the empirical description of allowed wavelengths by Rydberg, the quantum model of Bohr, the capability of quantum electrodynamics to precisely predict transition frequencies, and modern measurements of the 1S–2S transition by Hänsch1 to a precision of a few parts in 1015. Recent technological advances have allowed us to focus on antihydrogen—the antimatter equivalent of hydrogen. The Standard Model predicts that there should have been equal amounts of matter and antimatter in the primordial Universe after the Big Bang, but today’s Universe is observed to consist almost entirely of ordinary matter. This motivates the study of antimatter, to see if there is a small asymmetry in the laws of physics that govern the two types of matter. In particular, the CPT (charge conjugation, parity reversal and time reversal) theorem, a cornerstone of the Standard Model, requires that hydrogen and antihydrogen have the same spectrum. Here we report the observation of the 1S–2S transition in magnetically trapped atoms of antihydrogen. We determine that the frequency of the transition, which is driven by two photons from a laser at 243 nanometres, is consistent with that expected for hydrogen in the same environment. This laser excitation of a quantum state of an atom of antimatter represents the most precise measurement performed on an anti-atom. Our result is consistent with CPT invariance at a relative precision of about 2 × 10⁻¹⁰.

 

[ZapperZ]

J. Handsteiner et al., "Cosmic Bell Test: Measurement Settings from Milky Way Stars", Phys. Rev. Lett. v.118, p.060401 (2017).

Abstract: Bell’s theorem states that some predictions of quantum mechanics cannot be reproduced by a local-realist theory. That conflict is expressed by Bell’s inequality, which is usually derived under the assumption that there are no statistical correlations between the choices of measurement settings and anything else that can causally affect the measurement outcomes. In previous experiments, this “freedom of choice” was addressed by ensuring that selection of measurement settings via conventional “quantum random number generators” was spacelike separated from the entangled particle creation. This, however, left open the possibility that an unknown cause affected both the setting choices and measurement outcomes as recently as mere microseconds before each experimental trial. Here we report on a new experimental test of Bell’s inequality that, for the first time, uses distant astronomical sources as “cosmic setting generators.” In our tests with polarization-entangled photons, measurement settings were chosen using real-time observations of Milky Way stars while simultaneously ensuring locality. Assuming fair sampling for all detected photons, and that each stellar photon’s color was set at emission, we observe statistically significant ≳7.31σ and ≳11.93σ violations of Bell’s inequality with estimated p values of ≲1.8×10⁻¹³ and ≲4.0×10⁻³³, respectively, thereby pushing back by ∼600  years the most recent time by which any local-realist influences could have engineered the observed Bell violation.

Read the synopsis of this paper here. This paper can also be obtained for free under the Creative Commons License.

Zz.

 

[JoePhysics]

Mikhail Lemeshko, "Quasiparticle Approach to Molecules Interacting with Quantum Solvents", Phys. Rev. Lett. v.118, p.095301, (2017).

arXiv pre-print here.

Abstract: Understanding the behavior of molecules interacting with superfluid helium represents a formidable challenge and, in general, requires approaches relying on large-scale numerical simulations. Here, we demonstrate that experimental data collected over the last 20 years provide evidence that molecules immersed in superfluid helium form recently predicted angulon quasiparticles [Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 203001 (2015)]. Most important, casting the many-body problem in terms of angulons amounts to a drastic simplification and yields effective molecular moments of inertia as straightforward analytic solutions of a simple microscopic Hamiltonian. The outcome of the angulon theory is in good agreement with experiment for a broad range of molecular impurities, from heavy to medium-mass to light species. These results pave the way to understanding molecular rotation in liquid and crystalline phases in terms of the angulon quasiparticle.

Also featured on phys.org.

 

[ZapperZ]

G. Rubino et al., "Experimental verification of an indefinite causal order", Sci. Adv., 3, e1602589 (2017).

Abstract: Investigating the role of causal order in quantum mechanics has recently revealed that the causal relations of events may not be a priori well defined in quantum theory. Although this has triggered a growing interest on the theoretical side, creating processes without a causal order is an experimental task. We report the first decisive demonstration of a process with an indefinite causal order. To do this, we quantify how incompatible our setup is with a definite causal order by measuring a “causal witness.” This mathematical object incorporates a series of measurements that are designed to yield a certain outcome only if the process under examination is not consistent with any well-defined causal order. In our experiment, we perform a measurement in a superposition of causal orders—without destroying the coherence—to acquire information both inside and outside of a “causally nonordered process.” Using this information, we experimentally determine a causal witness, demonstrating by almost 7 SDs that the experimentally implemented process does not have a definite causal order.

You may get the full paper here while it is available for free on Sci. Adv. Press release can be found here.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

D. Akimov et al., "Observation of coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering" Science 10.1126/science.aao0990 (2017).

Abstract: The coherent elastic scattering of neutrinos off nuclei has eluded detection for four decades, even though its predicted cross-section is the largest by far of all low-energy neutrino couplings. This mode of interaction provides new opportunities to study neutrino properties, and leads to a miniaturization of detector size, with potential technological applications. We observe this process at a 6.7-sigma confidence level, using a low-background, 14.6-kg CsI[Na] scintillator exposed to the neutrino emissions from the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Characteristic signatures in energy and time, predicted by the Standard Model for this process, are observed in high signal-to-background conditions. Improved constraints on non-standard neutrino interactions with quarks are derived from this initial dataset.

As of now, you may get the full copy of the paper at the Science website.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

M. Ahmadi, et. al., "Observation of the hyperfine spectrum of antihydrogen" Nature v.548, p.66 (2017).

Abstract: The observation of hyperfine structure in atomic hydrogen by Rabi and co-workers1, 2, 3 and the measurement4 of the zero-field ground-state splitting at the level of seven parts in 10¹³ are important achievements of mid-twentieth-century physics. The work that led to these achievements also provided the first evidence for the anomalous magnetic moment of the electron5, 6, 7, 8, inspired Schwinger’s relativistic theory of quantum electrodynamics9, 10 and gave rise to the hydrogen maser11, which is a critical component of modern navigation, geo-positioning and very-long-baseline interferometry systems. Research at the Antiproton Decelerator at CERN by the ALPHA collaboration extends these enquiries into the antimatter sector. Recently, tools have been developed that enable studies of the hyperfine structure of antihydrogen12—the antimatter counterpart of hydrogen. The goal of such studies is to search for any differences that might exist between this archetypal pair of atoms, and thereby to test the fundamental principles on which quantum field theory is constructed. Magnetic trapping of antihydrogen atoms13, 14 provides a means of studying them by combining electromagnetic interaction with detection techniques that are unique to antimatter12, 15. Here we report the results of a microwave spectroscopy experiment in which we probe the response of antihydrogen over a controlled range of frequencies. The data reveal clear and distinct signatures of two allowed transitions, from which we obtain a direct, magnetic-field-independent measurement of the hyperfine splitting. From a set of trials involving 194 detected atoms, we determine a splitting of 1,420.4 ± 0.5 megahertz, consistent with expectations for atomic hydrogen at the level of four parts in 10⁴. This observation of the detailed behaviour of a quantum transition in an atom of antihydrogen exemplifies tests of fundamental symmetries such as charge–parity–time in antimatter, and the techniques developed here will enable more-precise such tests.

The paper is open access. You may read the entire paper at the Nature website. An overview of the result can be found here.

Zz.

 

[ISamson]

Why just a thread? Wouldn't this make a good category?

I agree. This thread would really make a great category.

 

[mfb]

What is a category?

Individual papers can always get discussed in separate threads in their corresponding subforums.

 

[Amrator]

The Pierre Auger Collaboration et al., Observation of a large-scale anisotropy in the arrival directions of cosmic rays above 8 × 10¹⁸ eV, Science, Vol. 357, pp. 1266-1270, (2017)

Abstract: Cosmic rays are atomic nuclei arriving from outer space that reach the highest energies observed in nature. Clues to their origin come from studying the distribution of their arrival directions. Using 3 × 10⁴ cosmic rays with energies above 8 × 10¹⁸ electron volts, recorded with the Pierre Auger Observatory from a total exposure of 76,800 km² sr year, we determined the existence of anisotropy in arrival directions. The anisotropy, detected at more than a 5.2σ level of significance, can be described by a dipole with an amplitude of

percent toward right ascension α_d = 100 ± 10 degrees and declination δ_d =

degrees. That direction indicates an extragalactic origin for these ultrahigh-energy particles.

Science website (requires subscribtion): http://science.sciencemag.org/content/357/6357/1266/tab-article-info

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1709.07321

 

[ZapperZ]

The Pierre Auger Collaboration
Observation of a large-scale anisotropy in the arrival directions of cosmic rays above 8 × 10¹⁸ eV
Science 22 Sep. 2017
DOI: 10.1126/science.aan4338

Abstract: Cosmic rays are atomic nuclei arriving from outer space that reach the highest energies observed in nature. Clues to their origin come from studying the distribution of their arrival directions. Using 3 × 104 cosmic rays with energies above 8 × 1018 electron volts, recorded with the Pierre Auger Observatory from a total exposure of 76,800 km2 sr year, we determined the existence of anisotropy in arrival directions. The anisotropy, detected at more than a 5.2σ level of significance, can be described by a dipole with an amplitude of View attachment 211636 percent toward right ascension αd = 100 ± 10 degrees and declination δd = View attachment 211637 degrees. That direction indicates an extragalactic origin for these ultrahigh-energy particles.

You should try to follow the format outlined in the first post to be consistent, in case the link doesn’t work in the future.

Zz.

 

[Amrator]

You should try to follow the format outlined in the first post to be consistent, in case the link doesn’t work in the future.

Zz.

Oops, I apologize. I will fix it.

 

[ZapperZ]

W.B. Cairncross et al., "Precision Measurement of the Electron’s Electric Dipole Moment Using Trapped Molecular Ions", Phys. Rev. Lett. v.119, p.153001 (2017).

Abstract: We describe the first precision measurement of the electron’s electric dipole moment (d_e) using trapped molecular ions, demonstrating the application of spin interrogation times over 700 ms to achieve high sensitivity and stringent rejection of systematic errors. Through electron spin resonance spectroscopy on ¹⁸⁰Hf¹⁹F⁺ in its metastable ³Δ₁ electronic state, we obtain d_e=(0.9±7.7stat±1.7syst)×10⁻²⁹  e cm, resulting in an upper bound of |d_e|<1.3×10⁻²⁸  e cm (90% confidence). Our result provides independent confirmation of the current upper bound of |d_e|<9.4×10⁻²⁹  e cm [J. Baron et al., New J. Phys. 19, 073029 (2017)], and offers the potential to improve on this limit in the near future.

Read the Physics Viewpoint article here.

We get frequent posts about people questioning the validity of "point particle" within QED. These types of experiments that try to look for the existence of the electric dipole moment are strongly consistent with this point particle picture. So any question on its validity must address the fact that all of these increasingly-precise measurements are not finding any internal structure within an electron.

Zz.

 

[mfb]

We get frequent posts about people questioning the validity of "point particle" within QED. These types of experiments that try to look for the existence of the electric dipole moment are strongly consistent with this point particle picture. So any question on its validity must address the fact that all of these increasingly-precise measurements are not finding any internal structure within an electron.

The g-2 experiments are very convincing in that aspect as well.

Muon g-2 started taking data a few months ago.

 

[Qamerash]

A nice topic, i'll continue to focus on that

 

[ISamson]

https://www.sciencenews.org/article...7&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Editors_Picks

Arrow of time reversed in quantum experiment.

Moderators' note:

Reversing the thermodynamic arrow of time using quantum correlations

The second law permits the prediction of the direction of natural processes, thus defining a thermodynamic arrow of time. However, standard thermodynamics presupposes the absence of initial correlations between interacting systems. We here experimentally demonstrate the reversal of the arrow of time for two initially quantum correlated spins-1/2, prepared in local thermal states at different temperatures, employing a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance setup. We observe a spontaneous heat flow from the cold to the hot system. This process is enabled by a trade off between correlations and entropy that we quantify with information-theoretical quantities.

https://arxiv.org/abs/1711.03323

 

[DrClaude]

Arrow of time reversed in quantum experiment.

Not quite, see https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/behavior-that-seems-to-violate-the-arrow-of-time-but.933156/

 

[ZapperZ]

Please note that, per Post #1, papers being highlighted in this thread should follow the format outlined. This will make it consistent and concise.

Also note that this thread only highlights a paper, and encourages discussion of it in another thread.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Z. Papic et. al. "Imaging Anyons with Scanning Tunneling Microscopy" PRX v.8, 0110371 (2018).

Abstract: Anyons are exotic quasiparticles with fractional charge that can emerge as fundamental excitations of strongly interacting topological quantum phases of matter. Unlike ordinary fermions and bosons, they may obey non-Abelian statistics—a property that would help realize fault-tolerant quantum computation. Non-Abelian anyons have long been predicted to occur in the fractional quantum Hall (FQH) phases that form in two-dimensional electron gases in the presence of a large magnetic field, such as the ν=5/2 FQH state. However, direct experimental evidence of anyons and tests that can distinguish between Abelian and non-Abelian quantum ground states with such excitations have remained elusive. Here, we propose a new experimental approach to directly visualize the structure of interacting electronic states of FQH states with the STM. Our theoretical calculations show how spectroscopy mapping with the STM near individual impurity defects can be used to image fractional statistics in FQH states, identifying unique signatures in such measurements that can distinguish different proposed ground states. The presence of locally trapped anyons should leave distinct signatures in STM spectroscopic maps, and enables a new approach to directly detect—and perhaps ultimately manipulate—these exotic quasiparticles.

A review of this paper can be found here, and the actual paper itself can be accessed for free here.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

A. Curtis et al., "Micro-scale fusion in dense relativistic nanowire array plasmas", Nature Communications, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03445.

Abstract: Nuclear fusion is regularly created in spherical plasma compressions driven by multi-kilojoule pulses from the world’s largest lasers. Here we demonstrate a dense fusion environment created by irradiating arrays of deuterated nanostructures with joule-level pulses from a compact ultrafast laser. The irradiation of ordered deuterated polyethylene nanowires arrays with femtosecond pulses of relativistic intensity creates ultra-high energy density plasmas in which deuterons (D) are accelerated up to MeV energies, efficiently driving D–D fusion reactions and ultrafast neutron bursts. We measure up to 2 × 10⁶ fusion neutrons per joule, an increase of about 500 times with respect to flat solid targets, a record yield for joule-level lasers. Moreover, in accordance with simulation predictions, we observe a rapid increase in neutron yield with laser pulse energy. The results will impact nuclear science and high energy density research and can lead to bright ultrafast quasi-monoenergetic neutron point sources for imaging and materials studies.

This is an open access paper. You may get the full paper here.

This is astounding because they claim to have achieved fusion using just "joule-level" laser pulses. But before you start dreaming of fusion-powered energy, the intensity level here is envisioned to be suitable as a neutron point source.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

H. Kim et al., "Beyond triplet: Unconventional superconductivity in a spin-3/2 topological semimetal" Science Advances 06 Apr 2018:Vol. 4, no. 4, eaao4513 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aao4513 (no full reference as of now).

Abstract: In all known fermionic superfluids, Cooper pairs are composed of spin-1/2 quasi-particles that pair to form either spin-singlet or spin-triplet bound states. The “spin” of a Bloch electron, however, is fixed by the symmetries of the crystal and the atomic orbitals from which it is derived and, in some cases, can behave as if it were a spin-3/2 particle. The superconducting state of such a system allows pairing beyond spin-triplet, with higher spin quasi-particles combining to form quintet or septet pairs. We report evidence of unconventional superconductivity emerging from a spin-3/2 quasi-particle electronic structure in the half-Heusler semimetal YPtBi, a low-carrier density noncentrosymmetric cubic material with a high symmetry that preserves the p-like j = 3/2 manifold in the Bi-based Γ8 band in the presence of strong spin-orbit coupling. With a striking linear temperature dependence of the London penetration depth, the existence of line nodes in the superconducting order parameter Δ is directly explained by a mixed-parity Cooper pairing model with high total angular momentum, consistent with a high-spin fermionic superfluid state. We propose a k ⋅ p model of the j = 3/2 fermions to explain how a dominant J = 3 septet pairing state is the simplest solution that naturally produces nodes in the mixed even-odd parity gap. Together with the underlying topologically nontrivial band structure, the unconventional pairing in this system represents a truly novel form of superfluidity that has strong potential for leading the development of a new series of topological superconductors.

The full access to this paper can be obtained here. Not sure if this is an open access paper, or available only for a short time.

A general review of this paper can be found here.

So just when you think the phenomenon of superconductivity is done surprising us...

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Another fascinating result from the world of superconductivity, which isn't done in producing more surprises:

K. Kamiya et al., "Discovery of superconductivity in quasicrystal", Nature Communications v9., Article number: 154 (2018).

Abstract: Superconductivity is ubiquitous as evidenced by the observation in many crystals including carrier-doped oxides and diamond. Amorphous solids are no exception. However, it remains to be discovered in quasicrystals, in which atoms are ordered over long distances but not in a periodically repeating arrangement. Here we report electrical resistivity, magnetization, and specific-heat measurements of Al–Zn–Mg quasicrystal, presenting convincing evidence for the emergence of bulk superconductivity at a very low transition temperature of Tc≅0.05 K. We also find superconductivity in its approximant crystals, structures that are periodic, but that are very similar to quasicrystals. These observations demonstrate that the effective interaction between electrons remains attractive under variation of the atomic arrangement from periodic to quasiperiodic one. The discovery of the superconducting quasicrystal, in which the fractal geometry interplays with superconductivity, opens the door to a new type of superconductivity, fractal superconductivity.

You may read the full paper here. A review of this work can be found at PhysicsWorld.

Zz.

 

[mfb]

Stabilized entanglement of massive mechanical oscillators
From the abstract:

For macroscopic-scale objects, however, it is very vulnerable to environmental disturbances, and the creation and verification of entanglement of the centre-of-mass motion of macroscopic-scale objects remains an outstanding goal. Here we report such an experimental demonstration, with the moving bodies being two massive micromechanical oscillators, each composed of about 10[¹² atoms, coupled to a microwave-frequency electromagnetic cavity that is used to create and stabilize the entanglement of their centre-of-mass motion

The entanglement was stable for many minutes, a significant improvement over a related experiment from 2011 with a few picoseconds coherence time (Entangled diamonds vibrate together).

 

[ZapperZ]

S.W. Hawking and T. Hertog "A smooth exit from eternal inflation?" J. High Energ. Phys. (2018) 2018: 147. https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP04(2018)147.

Abstract: The usual theory of inflation breaks down in eternal inflation. We derive a dual description of eternal inflation in terms of a deformed Euclidean CFT located at the threshold of eternal inflation. The partition function gives the amplitude of different geometries of the threshold surface in the no-boundary state. Its local and global behavior in dual toy models shows that the amplitude is low for surfaces which are not nearly conformal to the round three-sphere and essentially zero for surfaces with negative curvature. Based on this we conjecture that the exit from eternal inflation does not produce an infinite fractal-like multiverse, but is finite and reasonably smooth.

This, of course, is the last paper written by Hawking while he was alive. The full version of the published paper can be found here. The arXiv version has been online since his death, but it has finally been published.

Astrophysicist Ethan Siegel has written an earlier explanation of this paper, in case you missed it.

Zz.

 

[Andy Resnick]

"Characterization of the 1S–2S transition in antihydrogen"
M. Ahmadi, B. X. R. Alves, J. S. Wurtele Nature volume 557, pages71–75 (2018) doi:10.1038/s41586-018-0017-2

From the abstract: "We find that the shape of the spectral line agrees very well with that expected for hydrogen and that the resonance frequency agrees with that in hydrogen to about 5 kilohertz out of 2.5 × 10¹⁵ hertz. This is consistent with charge–parity–time invariance at a relative precision of 2 × 10⁻¹²—two orders of magnitude more precise than the previous determination8—corresponding to an absolute energy sensitivity of 2 × 10⁻²⁰ GeV."