Solved: 90-year-old mystery in quantum physics
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 25-Dec-2025 02:11 ET (25-Dec-2025 07:11 GMT/UTC)
A University of Vermont physicist and his student wondered if there are systems in the atomic scale that behave like the vibrating motion of a guitar string in the Newtonian world. They found that the answer is yes—and solved Lamb's Model at the atomic scale—a 90-year-old problem in quantum physics.
We theoretically and experimentally demonstrate that a cylinder with arbitrary cross section, composed of a homogeneous electromagnetic medium featuring nontrivial second Chern numbers c2 in a synthetic five-dimensional space, host topologically protected intrinsic Higher-order topological insulators (HOTI) type hinge states. Our work introduces the concept of boundary gauge fields and establishes the link between synthetic-space c2 and real-space HOTI states.
For the first time, researchers at Umeå University have demonstrated the full capabilities of their large-scale laser facility. In a study published in Nature Photonics, the team reports generating a combination of ultrashort laser pulses, extreme peak power, and precisely controlled waveforms that make it possible to explore the fastest processes in nature.
QUT researchers have identified a new method for incorporating copper ions into a germanium telluride thermoelectric material that significantly improves its ability to convert waste heat into electricity.