Atomic and molecular physics articles from across Nature Portfolio

When driven by nonclassical light, photoemission from a needle tip reveals signatures of strong-field physics, opening up opportunities to control matter and to engineer the building blocks of quantum technologies.

A study shows that the nucleation of vortices in dipolar supersolids can be revealed by the onset of rotational synchronization.

The common description of strong-field light–matter interaction neglects the quantum-optical nature of the driving field. Now signatures of strong-field photoemission appear in electron energy spectra when driving with non-classical light.

Measuring the electron affinity, a fundamental chemical property, has been challenging for rare elements due to sensitivity limitations. Here, the authors present a novel ion-trap technique capable of performing high-precision affinity measurements with orders of magnitude fewer samples.

The carrier envelope offset phase (CEP) of a short laser pulse is tuned to control electrons on attosecond timescales, while rotational states are associated with much longer nanosecond timescales. Here, the authors introduce CEP control in rotational air lasing, unveiling nontrivial contribution from rotational states.

The authors report on the observation of continuous time crystals of nuclear spins of 129Xe atoms within a Rb-Xe gaseous mixture in a magnetic feedback scheme. This unveils nontrivial role of magnetic fields and a new continuous time quasi-crystal phase.

Large language models (LLMs) are a new and powerful tool for solving specific physics problems. Here, the authors explore their capabilities in solving three problems of increasing complexity in quantum optics, finding that with appropriate prompts and careful feedback, a well-trained LLM can be used as an effective scientific collaborator.

When driven by nonclassical light, photoemission from a needle tip reveals signatures of strong-field physics, opening up opportunities to control matter and to engineer the building blocks of quantum technologies.

Data show that the presence of women in quantum science is affected by several detriments, especially for higher positions. This Manifesto outlines the values and goals of Women for Quantum—a group of female physics professors working in AMO physics, quantum many-body physics and quantum information - to foster an inclusive scientific community.

A study shows that the nucleation of vortices in dipolar supersolids can be revealed by the onset of rotational synchronization.

The light frequency associated with changes in the energy state of atoms can be used to define the ticking of high-precision optical clocks. Experiments with ytterbium atoms have further enhanced the clocks’ precision by using a quantum amplification technique.

99 years ago, the 1925 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded — one year late — to James Franck and Gustav Ludwig Hertz.