Can quantum systems become more disordered, as thermodynamics would predict? Yes, they can - if a proper definition of "entropy" is used. It is one of the most important laws of nature that we know: ...

The light interacts with the cavity and makes an arbitrary number of bounces before leaking out. This emergent light is traditionally treated as heat in quantum simulations. However, it can still be ...

In the strange, often unintuitive world of quantum physics, one mystery has stood out for decades: Can quantum entanglement be manipulated in a reversible way, like energy in a perfect heat engine?

Researchers have devised a new way to define thermodynamic concepts in microscopic quantum systems, where conventional distinctions between heat and work begin to blur. Researchers at the University o ...

Schematic of a single photon with zero angular momentum (green) splitting into two photons (red) with either zero or opposite angular momenta (sketched through the spatially varying color), which adds ...

Physicists have long sensed that the usual picture of events unfolding as a sequence of causes and effects doesn’t capture the fundamental nature of things. They say this causal perspective probably ...

Quantum communication has quietly crossed a new threshold, with researchers now showing that fragile quantum states can be ...

A tiny device that entangles light and electrons without super-cooling could revolutionize quantum tech in cryptography, ...

We’re celebrating 180 years of Scientific American. Explore our legacy of discovery and look ahead to the future. This year is the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, according to ...

A quiet shift is taking place in physics labs that could one day reshape how you send a message, store data, or protect ...

Quantum technologies could transform society—but their national and economic security implications also bring complex legal hurdles. To help innovators navigate those challenges, the Chicago Quantum ...