Category: U. S. Department of Energy

Atoms as viewed by scanning tunneling microscopy
The red-tinged peaks indicate cobalt atoms, which were added to an iron-based superconductor to study its properties.

Princeton scientists discover surprising quantum effect in an exotic superconductor

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Superconductors are already in use in various capacities, but newer iron-based superconductors are an active area of investigation. Researchers led by a Princeton team have studied what happens to the superconducting nature of these materials when impurities are added. The results shed light on how superconductivity behaves in these materials Continue Reading →

Researchers at Princeton explored electrons in a magnetic material at room temperature and discovered that they engage in collective quantum behaviors called Weyl loops. Left: Distribution of electrons on the surface of the topological quantum magnet. The sharp light-colored features are the quantum Weyl loops. Middle: A theoretical calculation related to the system's response to applied electromagnetic fields. The correspondence between the top and middle images reflects that the quantum Weyl loops are at the heart of the exotic electromagnetic properties of the topological quantum magnet. Right: Photoemission spectroscopy snapshot of the quantum Weyl loops. Image by M. Zahid Hasan's research team.

Princeton physicists discover topological behavior of electrons in three-dimensional magnetic material

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In a room-temperature magnet, researchers find behaviors of electrons that mimic massless particles and anti-particles. Continue Reading →

quasiparticles moving on a surface

Mysterious Majorana quasiparticle is now closer to being controlled for quantum computing

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As mysterious as the Italian scientist for which it is named, the Majorana particle is one of the most compelling quests in physics. Its fame stems from its strange properties – it is the only Continue Reading →

cell
Artist's rendering, Shutterstock

For infection-fighting cells, a guideline for expanding the troops

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T cells are like the special ops forces of the immune system, detecting and killing infected cells. When a new threat is detected, the cells ramp up from just a few sentry cells to a Continue Reading →

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A quantum magnet with a topological twist

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Taking their name from an intricate Japanese basket pattern, kagome magnets are thought to have electronic properties that could be valuable for future quantum devices and applications. Theories predict that some electrons in these materials Continue Reading →

Cover photo of electron

Controllable electron flow in quantum wires

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Princeton University researchers have demonstrated a new way of making controllable “quantum wires” in the presence of a magnetic field, according to a new study published online today in the journal Nature. The researchers detected channels Continue Reading →

Discovery provides a path to safe, clean, plentiful energy

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By John Greenwald Fusion — the energy-producing reaction that powers our sun and most stars — can be a safe, clean and virtually limitless source for generating electricity on Earth, ending reliance on fossil fuels and Continue Reading →

NSTX-U

The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory: The quest for clean energy continues

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FUSION — the energy-making process that powers the sun — could provide us with a near limitless source of energy, ending our dependence on fossil fuels for making electricity. This summer, after a nearly three-year Continue Reading →

Elusive particles found

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IN THE PAST YEAR, PRINCETON PHYSICISTS have detected two particles that were predicted decades ago to exist but had not been found until now. Both particles were detected using a scanning-tunneling microscope to image the Continue Reading →

A Farewell to Arms?

A farewell to arms? New technique could aid nuclear disarmament

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SCIENTISTS at Princeton University and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) are developing a system to verify the presence of nuclear warheads without collecting classified information, as a step toward the Continue Reading →