Nature Physics

Nature Physics, Published online: 26 July 2021; doi:10.1038/s41567-021-01319-8

Using pressure to tune the balance of interactions in a new class of kagome superconductor results in a surprising competition between states — and hints at an unusual, electronically intertwined order.

Nature Physics, Published online: 22 July 2021; doi:10.1038/s41567-021-01311-2

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals outline a roadmap towards a more equitable future for humanity. Along with other scientists, physicists have long made valuable contributions to this endeavour.

Nature Physics, Published online: 21 July 2021; doi:10.1038/s41567-021-01322-z

Author Correction: Strong-interaction matter: Fireball spectroscopy

Nature Physics, Published online: 15 July 2021; doi:10.1038/s41567-021-01301-4

The flagella of microorganisms have provided inspiration for many synthetic devices, but they’re typically not easy to produce. A new class of swimmer makes it look simple by spontaneously growing a tail that it can whip to self-propel.

Nature Physics, Published online: 15 July 2021; doi:10.1038/s41567-021-01289-x

Excitons have been predicted to form spontaneously—without external excitation—in some materials. Low-temperature ARPES measurements on Ta2NiSe5 now provide evidence for such an excitonic insulator and for so-called preformed excitons.

Nature Physics, Published online: 15 July 2021; doi:10.1038/s41567-021-01291-3

A class of synthetic microswimmers self-assembled from alkane oil drops in a surfactant solution offers a rechargeable platform for studying how microorganisms exploit flagellar elasticity to move around.

Nature Physics, Published online: 12 July 2021; doi:10.1038/s41567-021-01305-0

Mistress of turbulence

Nature Physics, Published online: 12 July 2021; doi:10.1038/s41567-021-01306-z

Hot emission by design

Nature Physics, Published online: 12 July 2021; doi:10.1038/s41567-021-01295-z

Nature fights back

Nature Physics, Published online: 12 July 2021; doi:10.1038/s41567-021-01255-7

Initially used to measure the brightness of radio sources, the jansky has spread to other areas of astronomy, as Natasha Hurley-Walker recounts.

Nature Physics, Published online: 12 July 2021; doi:10.1038/s41567-021-01279-z

A guide to the wonders of nature

Nature Physics, Published online: 12 July 2021; doi:10.1038/s41567-021-01308-x

Ensuring that a manuscript is vetted by experts is an important part of the editorial process, so we strive to choose the best reviewers to help us do this. How we manage the selection is a nuanced process.

Nature Physics, Published online: 12 July 2021; doi:10.1038/s41567-021-01287-z

Many quantum machine learning algorithms have been proposed, but it is typically unknown whether they would outperform classical methods on practical devices. A specially constructed algorithm shows that a formal quantum advantage is possible.

Nature Physics, Published online: 09 July 2021; doi:10.1038/s41567-021-01265-5

Author Correction: Design and characterization of electrons in a fractal geometry

Nature Physics, Published online: 08 July 2021; doi:10.1038/s41567-021-01286-0

Single-molecule experiments can now quantify the surface forces that compete to package tethered DNA into a protein-rich condensate — providing much-needed mechanistic insight into the phase behaviour of the entangled genome in the nucleus.

Nature Physics, Published online: 08 July 2021; doi:10.1038/s41567-021-01288-y

Macroscale patterns seen in biological systems such as animal coats or skin can be described by Turing’s reaction–diffusion theory. Now Turing patterns are shown to also exist in bismuth monolayers, an exemplary nanoscale atomic system.

Nature Physics, Published online: 08 July 2021; doi:10.1038/s41567-021-01296-y

Measurement-based quantum computing performs quantum gates on entangled states without difficult multi-qubit coherent dynamics. A set of gates sufficient for universal quantum computing has now been implemented on a programmable optical platform.

Nature Physics, Published online: 08 July 2021; doi:10.1038/s41567-021-01285-1

In vitro experiments and theory reveal that a protein associated with DNA transcription mediates condensation of a protein–DNA phase via a first-order transition. The forces uncovered in the study may contribute to chromatin remodelling in the cell.

Nature Physics, Published online: 05 July 2021; doi:10.1038/s41567-021-01298-w

Cells moving on microprinted tracks reveal a preference for regions that they have already visited, suggesting an update to a century of dynamical models for cell trajectories.

Nature Physics, Published online: 05 July 2021; doi:10.1038/s41567-021-01249-5

The ATLAS Collaboration has confirmed with top quark events that the coupling of charged leptons to the weak interaction is universal — showcasing the feasibility of performing high-precision electroweak measurements at proton–proton colliders.