A little bit more than magic: The secret to quantum computing may lie in negativity
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 26-Oct-2026 07:16 ET (26-Oct-2026 11:16 GMT/UTC)
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have used an early 20th century mathematical tool to help identify which quantum states are truly useful for quantum computing and which are not, reshaping our understanding of where the power of classical computers ends and the one of quantum computers begins.
Researchers have developed a method for determining the accuracy of quantum simulations. The new method not only reconstructs the dynamics of a quantum system from experimental data, but can also quantify the uncertainty of the predictions derived from it. The verification method was demonstrated in Innsbruck, Austria, on an ion-trap quantum computer with up to 51 qubits.
At the end of the last ice age, about 18,000 years ago, the Atlantic overturning circulation weakened significantly for several thousand years. Researchers from Bremen and Brazil have now analyzed a high-temporal-resolution sediment core that allows for a more precise reconstruction of this so-called Heinrich event at a temporal resolution of centuries. The study, published in Nature Communications, shows that during this prolonged period of weakness, short-term intensifications of the circulation lasting several centuries occurred.
LMU researchers have developed a molecular building block that can be used to combine proteins and artificial molecules in a targeted way to form complex nanostructures.
Drawing inspiration from the dynamic architecture of living systems, researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo and Kyoto University have harnessed two chemically fueled biomolecular nanomachines, DNA polymerase and kinesin, to synthesize and actively assemble complex, hierarchical DNA networks. The work opens a route toward programmable, lifelike synthetic materials built from the nanoscale up.
Windows contribute significantly to energy inefficiency across global infrastructure. Overcoming complex trade-offs in multispectral optical responses, scientists in China have developed a physics-guided neural network to design energy-efficient thermochromic smart windows for directional privacy protection. These inverse-designed windows achieve ultrahigh simultaneous modulation of near-infrared transmittance and longwave infrared emissivity. Applied to electric vehicles and building envelopes, these customized smart windows demonstrate superior, climate-adaptive all-weather thermal management.
Researchers developed asymmetric [3+2+1] coordinated iridium(III) complexes featuring strong electron-withdrawing groups for deep-blue phosphorescent OLEDs. The optimized device achieved a record external quantum efficiency of 29.0% with CIE coordinates of (0.147, 0.089), meeting NTSC standards. A hyper-OLED demonstrated an operational lifetime exceeding 2000 hours, and the emitters were successfully integrated into microdisplay technology.