Researchers at Kumamoto University, in collaboration with colleagues in South Korea and Taiwan, have discovered that a unique cobalt-based molecule with metal–metal bonds can function as a spin quantum bit (spin qubit)—a fundamental unit for future quantum computers. The findings provide a new design strategy for molecular materials used in quantum information technologies.

Researchers able to track for the first time how a particularly active region of the sun develops over three solar rotations using two space probes.

Such observations help to better predict space weather.

The super -active region triggered the strongest solar storm observed in the last twenty years in May 2024.

Solar storms have the potential to cause significant disruption to modern technologies, including navigation, communication, and power systems. 

Exciton polaritons are hybrid light-matter quantum states arising from strong coupling, offering a unique platform for exploring macroscopic quantum phenomena. However, how the coherence of external driving laser field is transferred to polaritons has remained an open question. Recently, the team of Prof. Jian Wu at East China Normal University achieved a critical breakthrough in this area. By combining femtosecond angle-resolved spectroscopic imaging with interferometry, they directly observed the transfer of laser coherence to resonantly excited exciton polaritons within hundreds of femtoseconds at room temperature. They further uncovered the physical mechanism by which non-resonant polaritons lose coherence under high pump power due to a decoherence process mediated by the exciton reservoir. These findings have been published under the title "Femtosecond coherence dynamics of exciton polaritons" in National Science Review. Haoyuan Jia, a PhD candidate at East China Normal University, is the first author, with co-corresponding authors including Prof. Jian Wu and Prof. Hui Li (East China Normal University), Dr. Junhui Cao (Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology), and Prof. Tim Byrnes (NYU Shanghai).

An international team of researchers have developed a novel hybrid detection system HALIMA at the Institute of Modern Physics to facilitate the measurement of the sub-nanosecond lifetimes of neutron-rich nuclei produced via fission. This system is composed of eight BGO-shielded HPGe detectors and 20 fast LaBr₃(Ce) detectors, each shielded with CsI(Tl), offering high-resolution γ-ray energy and timing capabilities. To enhance event selectivity, two specialized ancillary detector arrays were incorporated: a solar cell detector array for detecting fission fragments (FFs) and a fast plastic scintillator array for β-particle detection. These additions enable advanced coincidence techniques, such as FFs/β-GeLaBr₃(Ce)-LaBr₃(Ce), significantly improving the spectral quality and peak-to-background, thereby allowing precise lifetime measurements. A commissioning experiment using a ²⁵²Cf source was conducted to validate the performance of the HALIMA setup. By applying combined gating to FFs and fast plastic scintillators, the lifetimes of three excited nuclear states in ¹³⁴Te, ¹³⁸Ba, and ¹³²Te were measured, covering a range from a few picoseconds to several hundred nanoseconds.The results were in good agreement with the literature values, demonstrating the capability and precision of the HALIMA setup. Furthermore, several excited states with previously unmeasured lifetimes produced by ²⁵²Cf fission were identified for the first time, thereby opening new avenues for nuclear structure studies of neutron-rich nuclei.

Sustainable nitrogen transformation is central to clean energy development, environmental protection, and future chemical manufacturing. This study summarizes major advancements in designing metal–organic framework–nanoparticle (MOF–NP) composite catalysts that accelerate key nitrogen electrochemical reactions under mild conditions. By integrating the structural tunability and porosity of metal–organic frameworks MOFs with the conductivity and catalytic activity of nanoparticles, these hybrid materials significantly improve nitrogen reduction, nitrate reduction, and ammonia oxidation. The analysis highlights how MOF–NP interfaces enhance reaction selectivity, stabilize intermediates, increase Faradaic efficiency, and support strong long-term durability. Together, these performance gains position MOF–NP composites as promising candidates for green ammonia synthesis, nitrate remediation, and next-generation nitrogen-based energy systems.