Some believe the future of fusion in the U.S. lies in compact, spherical fusion vessels. A smaller tokamak, it is thought, could offer a more economical fusion option. The trick is squeezing ...

A key objective of ongoing research rooted in molecular physics is to understand and precisely control chemical reactions at very low temperatures. At low temperatures, the chemical reactions between ...

Scientists have created plasmas with fusion-suitable densities, using microwave power with low frequency. The research team has identified three important steps in the plasma production: ...

Two-level systems: two of NIST’s superconducting thermometers for measuring cryogenic temperatures are glued to the lower left and upper right of this amplifier. (Courtesy: J Wheeler/NIST) A simple ...

George Smoot, who shared the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2006 for his studies of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), died on 18 September at the age of 80. Smoot’s work on the blackbody form and ...

Squeezing of the electromagnetic vacuum is an essential metrological technique used to reduce quantum noise in applications spanning gravitational wave detection, biological microscopy and quantum ...