Nature Physics

Evidence for topological defects in a photoinduced phase transition

Evidence for topological defects in a photoinduced phase transition, Published online: 15 October 2018; doi:10.1038/s41567-018-0311-9

Three different ultrafast probes investigate a non-adiabatic phase transition and find substantial evidence of topological defects inhibiting the reformation of the equilibrium phase.

Giant topological Hall effect in correlated oxide thin films

Giant topological Hall effect in correlated oxide thin films, Published online: 15 October 2018; doi:10.1038/s41567-018-0307-5

A strong Hall effect is observed in a material with spin textures and strong electron correlations. This hints that correlation effects can amplify real-space topological spin transport.

Wavelength-scale errors in optical localization due to spin–orbit coupling of light

Wavelength-scale errors in optical localization due to spin–orbit coupling of light, Published online: 15 October 2018; doi:10.1038/s41567-018-0301-y

The spin–orbit coupling of light leads to systematic wavelength-scale errors in the measurement of the position of emitters of elliptically polarized light.

Excess resistivity in graphene superlattices caused by umklapp electron–electron scattering

Excess resistivity in graphene superlattices caused by umklapp electron–electron scattering, Published online: 15 October 2018; doi:10.1038/s41567-018-0278-6

An increase in electrical resistance caused by the fundamental process of electrons scattering off of each other (umklapp scattering) is observed in graphene superlattice devices. This will limit the electrical properties of such devices.

Publisher Correction: Quantum mechanics: An inconsistent friend

Publisher Correction: Quantum mechanics: An inconsistent friend, Published online: 12 October 2018; doi:10.1038/s41567-018-0338-y

Publisher Correction: Quantum mechanics: An inconsistent friend

Author Correction: Polygonal motion and adaptable phototaxis via flagellar beat switching in the microswimmer Euglena gracilis

Author Correction: Polygonal motion and adaptable phototaxis via flagellar beat switching in the microswimmer <i>Euglena gracilis</i>, Published online: 09 October 2018; doi:10.1038/s41567-018-0336-0

Author Correction: Polygonal motion and adaptable phototaxis via flagellar beat switching in the microswimmer Euglena gracilis

Low-temperature anomaly in disordered superconductors near Bc2 as a vortex-glass property

Low-temperature anomaly in disordered superconductors near <i>B</i>_c2 as a vortex-glass property, Published online: 08 October 2018; doi:10.1038/s41567-018-0294-6

An anomalous upturn of the critical field at low temperature observed in disordered superconductors has long puzzled researchers. A joint experimental and theoretical study suggests that the origin of the anomaly lies in the physics of vortex glasses.

Selective breakdown of phonon quasiparticles across superionic transition in CuCrSe2

Selective breakdown of phonon quasiparticles across superionic transition in CuCrSe₂, Published online: 08 October 2018; doi:10.1038/s41567-018-0298-2

Neutron and X-ray scattering studies combined with first-principles calculations suggest that the large, liquid-like ionic mobility in the canonical superionic crystal CuCrSe2 is due to anharmonic phonon dynamics.

Charge trapping and super-Poissonian noise centres in a cuprate superconductor

Charge trapping and super-Poissonian noise centres in a cuprate superconductor, Published online: 08 October 2018; doi:10.1038/s41567-018-0300-z

A new noise spectroscopy technique shows that charges localized as polarons trapped at impurity sites mediate perpendicular ‘c-axis’ electronic transport in cuprate superconductors.

Publisher Correction: Active matter: Wetting by living tissues

Publisher Correction: Active matter: Wetting by living tissues, Published online: 08 October 2018; doi:10.1038/s41567-018-0337-z

Publisher Correction: Active matter: Wetting by living tissues

New horizons towards thermalization

New horizons towards thermalization, Published online: 03 October 2018; doi:10.1038/s41567-018-0326-2

Ideas from theorists in fields as disparate as quantum gravity, quantum information and many-body localization are finding common ground, as we explore in this month’s Focus issue on quantum thermalization.

Live transmission

Live transmission, Published online: 03 October 2018; doi:10.1038/s41567-018-0321-7

Live transmission

Does gravity come from quantum information?

Does gravity come from quantum information?, Published online: 03 October 2018; doi:10.1038/s41567-018-0297-3

Recent developments have seen concepts originally developed in quantum information theory, such as entanglement and quantum error correction, come to play a fundamental role in understanding quantum gravity.

Many-body localization and quantum thermalization

Many-body localization and quantum thermalization, Published online: 03 October 2018; doi:10.1038/s41567-018-0305-7

It is the common wisdom that time evolution of a many-body system leads to thermalization and washes away quantum correlations. But one class of system — referred to as many-body localized — defy this expectation.

Let’s get practical

Let’s get practical, Published online: 03 October 2018; doi:10.1038/s41567-018-0324-4

Let’s get practical

Unscrambling the physics of out-of-time-order correlators

Unscrambling the physics of out-of-time-order correlators, Published online: 03 October 2018; doi:10.1038/s41567-018-0295-5

Quantitative tools for measuring the propagation of information through quantum many-body systems, originally developed to study quantum chaos, have recently found many new applications from black holes to disordered spin systems.

Fighting quackery

Fighting quackery, Published online: 03 October 2018; doi:10.1038/s41567-018-0303-9

Fighting quackery

Light on skyrmions

Light on skyrmions, Published online: 03 October 2018; doi:10.1038/s41567-018-0322-6

Light on skyrmions

Characterization of the shape-staggering effect in mercury nuclei

Characterization of the shape-staggering effect in mercury nuclei, Published online: 01 October 2018; doi:10.1038/s41567-018-0292-8

Spectroscopy and shell model calculations reveal the 181Hg isotope as the endpoint of the shape-staggering of Hg nuclei, a consequence of neutron removal which arises from the interplay of single-particle and collective degrees of freedom.

Biexciton fine structure in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides

Biexciton fine structure in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides, Published online: 01 October 2018; doi:10.1038/s41567-018-0282-x

Biexcitons play an important role in determining the optical properties of transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers, but their precise structure is poorly understood. Using a combination of ultrafast spectroscopy and theory, the origin of their fine structure is revealed.