While many plans for quantum computers transmit data using the particles of light known as photons, researchers from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME) are turning to sound. In a new paper out today in Nature Physics, a team uniting UChicago PME’s experimentalist Cleland Lab and theoretical Jiang Group demonstrated deterministic phase control of phonons, tiny mechanical vibrations that, on a much larger scale, would be considered sound. By removing the randomness inherent in photon-based systems, this phase control could give sound an edge over light in building tomorrow’s quantum computers.

A new study has revealed the 3D structure of a barley root protein that protects plants from toxic aluminum in acidic soils. Unlike most transporters, this protein exports citrate—an anion that binds to harmful aluminum ions—thereby shielding the roots. The findings offer fresh insights into how plants adapt to hostile soils and could help guide the breeding of crop varieties capable of thriving on acidic farmland worldwide.

This study presents a breakthrough in sustainable hydrogen production from seawater using chloride-resistant Ru nanocatalysts for direct electrolysis. The crystalline/amorphous Ru heterostructure exhibits 37× higher activity than commercial Pt catalysts in alkaline water electrolysis, enabling cost-effective hydrogen generation. By harnessing abundant oceanic resources, this approach enhances energy security, reduces fossil fuel dependence, accelerates decarbonization across various sectors, and paves the way for scalable, sustainable hydrogen infrastructure.

A research team from the University of Seville has created a highly accurate 3D model of La Pileta Cave in Malaga, a site of major archaeological and artistic significance that preserves thousands of motifs from the Upper Palaeolithic to the Bronze Age, along with unique finds such as a Gravettian lamp. Using a combined methodology of mobile LiDAR and terrestrial laser scanning, the researchers captured both fine textures and precise measurements, producing a validated model with minimal error. Published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, the study highlights how this digital reconstruction enhances archaeological research, conservation, rock art analysis, and immersive educational experiences, reinforcing the preservation and dissemination of cultural heritage.

A joint research team has developed a novel Bethe ansatz–based algorithm introducing the concept of relative excitations, enabling exact calculations of one-dimensional Bose gases at arbitrary interaction strengths. They achieved the first full spectral function solution at large system sizes (4000 particles) and quantitatively confirmed the nonlinear Luttinger liquid theory. This breakthrough provides a powerful new tool for studying strongly correlated quantum systems and guiding future experimental and theoretical research.

Chinese scientists have significantly improved the efficiency of converting carbon dioxide (CO₂) into fuel using sunlight. By introducing controlled "tension" (lattice strain) into specially designed perovskite nanowires, they achieved a fivefold increase in carbon monoxide (CO) production rate compared to unstrained materials. This breakthrough, published in Science Bulletin, leverages strain to manipulate "polaron" quasiparticles, slowing charge recombination and lowering reaction barriers, paving the way for more efficient solar fuel production.