The team’s on-chip levitation platform. a, The top optical layer consists of two orthogonal pairs of split single-mode optical fibers. One of the pairs (along y) creates a standing wave at λy = 1,550 nm, while the second pair (along x) creates a standing wave at λx = 1,064 nm. The distances between the fibers … Read more
Researchers at JILA, a US research institute, have developed a new light-based atomic clock that is so precise that it can measure the smallest effects predicted by Einstein’s general theory of relativity. The clock will lead to a more precise definition of a second and could even lead to the discovery of new underground mineral … Read more
A group of sheep. Credit: INRAE - Sophie Normant Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a technique often used to study the brains of sheep. Until now, it was only performed under general anesthesia, to ensure the immobility of the animal. However, anesthesia leads to stress and other negative side effects, in addition to jeopardizing the … Read more
VLITE 340 MHz image of GLIMPSE-C01 from February 27, 2021. The clean beam is shown as a white ellipse in the lower left corner and has dimensions of 5 0 × 4 7 with a position angle of 52°. The cross indicates the central position of GLIMPSE-C01. The dashed white circle shows the core radius … Read more
Photo: Anna Kukekova, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Domesticated animals play a prominent role in our society, with two-thirds of American families enjoying the companionship of pets and many others relying on animal products for their dietary needs. But the process of domestication remains somewhat of a mystery. Convincing wild animals that they are safe enough … Read more
Theoretical computer scientists John Kallaugher, left, and Ojas Parekh find tasks where quantum computers outperform regular computers, a concept called quantum advantage, at Sandia National Laboratories. Credit: Craig Fritz As the hare learned from the tortoise, speed isn’t everything. Theoretical computer scientists from Sandia National Laboratories and Boston University have discovered that quantum computers are … Read more
Bat. Credit: Yuval Barkai Researchers from Tel Aviv University have been tracking free-ranging Egyptian bats from a colony based in TAU’s I. Meier Segals Garden for Zoological Research to answer a long-standing scientific question: Do animals have high and complex cognitive abilities previously attributed only to humans? In particular, the study focused on the characteristics … Read more
Major recent developments, driven by support from CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, are providing deeper insights into the fundamental nature of our universe. The ongoing experiments at CERN are aimed at exploring the smallest building blocks of matter and the forces that govern them. By revealing the dynamics of these forces, scientists can … Read more
View of the ruins of the Barbegal mill complex in 2018. Photo: Robert Fabre Archaeologists face a major challenge when they seek to gather information about buildings or facilities that are left in ruins. This was a particular challenge for the remains of the Roman watermills at Barbegal in southern France, which date back to … Read more
An extremely cold gas of strontium atoms is trapped in a web of light known as an optical lattice. The atoms are held in an ultrahigh vacuum environment, meaning there is almost no air or other gases present. This vacuum helps preserve the atoms’ delicate quantum states, which are fragile. The red dot you see … Read more