Science Highlights

To run on a quantum computer, algorithms must be decomposed into a sequence of quantum gates, a difficult process. In this study, researchers developed a novel “hybrid” approach to quantum hardware design that replaces part of the quantum circuit with a physical evolution that relies on natural interactions within the system. This approach significantly reduces the complexity of executing quantum algorithms.

Researchers at the Advanced Photon Source joined an international effort to study tiny fragments of a nearby asteroid. The specks of asteroid dust were collected from asteroid 162173 Ryugu by a Japanese space mission. The team discovered that Ryugu began its life in the outer solar system as part of a larger asteroid more than 4 billion years ago. Since breaking off from its larger parent, Ryugu slowly made its way to its current orbit within 60,000 miles of Earth.

Relaxor ferroelectrics have greatly enhanced electrical and mechanical properties that originate in the materials’ domain structure. Knowing how quickly these materials’ properties can change is critical to understanding them. However, scientists have not been able to measure how fast these materials can respond. This study measured this reaction speed using ultrafast electron diffraction at the atomic level to obtain snapshots of the evolving domain structure.

Plasmas for fusion research can be heated using neutral beam injection (NBI). With NBI, fast neutral particles from a beam source are injected into the plasma then ionized so that the particles can transfer energy to existing plasma electrons and ions. This transfers the ions’ energy and heats the plasma. Researchers recently studied the variation in electron temperature during NBI and used the data to experimentally determine the neutral beam deposition profile.

Researchers have shown that a novel memristor device consisting of metal, dielectric, and metal layers remembers the history of electrical signals sent through it. The interface between metal and dielectric in the novel device is critical for stable switching and enhanced performance. Simulations indicate that circuits built on this device exhibit improved image recognition.

In oilseed crops like canola, yellow-seeded varieties generally produce more oil than brown-seeded varieties. Camelina, a bioenergy crop closely related to canola, usually has brown seeds. Scientists have now disrupted genes called TT8 that are responsible for making seeds brown, producing an engineered camelina with light yellow seeds that accumulates more than 20% more oil than ordinary varieties.

Pockets of instability called magnetic islands in the plasma in a fusion device can disrupt plasma confinement. Scientists predict that islands grow because of the temperatures of electrons and ions in a plasma flattening out within the island, but ion temperatures have not been previously measured. In this new research, researchers found that contrary to expectations, the ion temperature profile did not flatten but instead exhibited a steep change across islands.