A team of Italian researchers has uncovered compelling evidence of anomalous radioactive decay in cobalt-57 (Co-57) under ultrasonic stimulation, offering strong experimental support for the Deformed Space-Time (DST) theory. The findings, published by Stefano Bellucci (INFN-Frascati) and Fabio Cardone (ISMN-CNR), suggest that brief ultrasonic exposure can trigger a departure from conventional exponential decay laws, mediated by energy-dependent space-time distortions that violate local Lorentz invariance (LLI).

Researchers from the Faculty of Physics at the University of Warsaw and the University of British Columbia have described how a so-called lone spinon - an exotic quantum excitation that is a single unpaired spin - can arise in magnetic models. The discovery deepens our understanding of the nature of magnetism and could have implications for the development of future technologies such as quantum computers and new magnetic materials. The findings were published in the renowned journal “Physical Review Letters”.

In a recent breakthrough published in Optics & Laser Technology and Infrared Physics & Technology, a research team led by Prof. CHENG Tingqing at the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have introduced a novel low-thermal-effect gradient-doped crystal to tame thermal effects and improve brightness of high-power end-pumped Nd:YAG lasers.

For over a century, the well-known 18-electron rule has guided the field of organometallic chemistry. Now, researchers at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) have successfully synthesized a novel organometallic compound that challenges this longstanding principle. They have created a stable 20-electron derivative of ferrocene, an iron-based metal-organic complex, which could lead to exciting possibilities in chemical science.  

A research team at the Institute of Solid State Physics, the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has recently developed advanced aerogel composites that combine high-temperature insulation with mechanical load-bearing capabilities, while also achieving controllable fabrication of large-size samples.

In the production of dimethyl carbonate (DMC), a versatile chemical critical for manufacturing lithium-ion battery electrolytes, pharmaceuticals and high-performance polymers, an ultra-high purity (≥99.95%) is needed to meet stringent industrial standards. Melt crystallization, as a green manufacturing method is highly important for this purpose; however, the widespread adoption of this technology has been hindered by complex heat and mass transfer phenomena, which can lead to uneven crystal growth and suboptimal yields.

A recent theoretical study by an international team, which also involves the National Institute of Optics of the National Research Council (Cnr-Ino), proposes an innovative method to generate entangled photon pairs in the microwave domain. Published in PRX QUANTUM and reported by the Physics Magazine of the American Physical Society, the work opens up new scenarios for quantum technologies.