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Recent advances in quantum materials have shifted the focus from charge transport to a broader range of electronic degrees of freedom. In this Focus issue, we highlight different facets of electronic degrees of freedom and their potential applications.
High-temperature superconductivity continues to be a crucial research topic in condensed matter physics. We consider the advances that it has inspired.
The International System of Units is defined in terms of seven physical constants. Ensuring that computers can understand their values exactly as we do is not as trivial as it might seem, say Cristhian Paredes and Juris Meija.
As physics departments continue to grapple with how growing interdisciplinarity fits the disciplinary departmental model, we argue for the mutual benefits that incorporating physics education researchers within physics departments can bring.
Most researchers would agree that science communication is important. Still, academia would benefit from a more proactive approach — one that embeds communication in research culture.
Max Planck introduced units of length, time and mass defined solely in terms of fundamental constants. As Saurya Das explains, these units define a system in which quantum mechanics, relativity, gravity and thermodynamics meet on equal footing.
The advent of the laser transformed spectroscopy into a tool for precision measurements across scales, from nuclei to stars. In this Editorial we reflect on its far-reaching influence.
Fifty years ago, the theoretical concept behind free-electron lasers was proposed. Since then, these light sources, operating from millimetre to X-ray wavelengths, have been indispensable for many areas of science.
Early radiography methods, such as conventional X-ray scans, gave physicians only limited information about what happens inside the body. Rachel Toth tells us how this case was cracked with computed tomography.
Quantum technologies could be transformative for healthcare. Alex Jones, Ian Gilmore and Peter Knight discuss the role of metrology in the adoption of these technologies.
