Category Archives: Quantum physics
Atomic-scale spin sensing with a single molecule
Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) is a technique in which a fine conducting probe is held close to the surface of a sample. Electrons tunnel between the sample and the probe, producing an electrical signal. The probe is slowly moved across […]
Quantum physics: our study suggests objective reality doesn’t exist
Authors: Alessandro Fedrizzi is professor of quantum physics and Massimiliano Proietti is a PhD candidate in quantum physics at Heriot-Watt University Gearoid Hayes/Flickr, CC BY-SA
Alternative facts are spreading like a virus across society. Now it seems they […]
A theory of spin hall magnetoresistance to study magnetism at interfaces
The interactions between moving charges and magnetic fields can be quite complicated; more if we consider the quantum effects. One example is the collection of Hall effects.
Imagine that we have a conductor or a semiconductor through which a current […]
Spin chains on surfaces, a thriving field of research
A collection of local magnetic moments arranged in a linear fashion that interact via some spin-spin coupling is generally known as a spin chain. This seemingly simple object is one of the most complex and rich physical systems that […]
Inverse-square law interaction at the nanoscale
Any physical law in which the magnitude of a physical quantity is proportional to the reciprocal of the square of the distance (1/r2) from the source of that property is known as an inverse-square law. Newton’s law […]
How to identify a point defect in 2D transition metal dichalcogenides
A crystal lattice is formed by a repeated arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules. Due to the enormous amount of atoms involved it is extremely unlikely that all these will be arranged in perfect order. Some atoms will not be […]
Tensor networks everywhere
Originally developed in the context of condensed-matter physics and based on renormalization group ideas, tensor networks have been revived thanks to quantum information theory and the progress in understanding the role of entanglement in quantum many-body systems. Ikerbasque Research Professor […]
Using an optical antenna to launch phonon polaritons in a low-dimensional van der Waals crystal
The so-called van der Waals materials consist of two-dimensional layers bound by weak van der Waals forces. After the isolation of graphene, the field of two-dimensional van der Waals materials has experienced an explosive growth and new families of […]
The extreme nanophotonics of the plasmonic nanopatch
For centuries, metals were employed in optical applications only as mirrors and gratings. New vistas opened up in the late 1970s and early 1980s with the discovery of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and the use of surface plasmon (collective electronic […]
A local theory of insulators
We all know what an insulator is, don’t we? An insulator is any substance that is a poor conductor of heat and electricity. Both properties ussually occur as a consequence of a lack of mobile electrons.If we want to dive […]