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Developments in cooling, trapping, and coherent manipulation of molecules allow for precise control of their quantum states. Quantum state manipulation of molecules can enable high-precision measurements, including tests of fundamental symmetries and searches for new physics beyond the Standard Model. This Perspective reviews recent developments in this field and discusses current and future research directions.

Microwave photons can readily interact with superconducting qubits, but must be converted into shorter-wavelength optical photons before they can be used to transmit information, for example between systems in a quantum network. Here, the authors outline a microwave-to-optical transducer using dark states in rare-earth ions. As their scheme requires no external magnetic field, it avoids disturbing field-sensitive superconducting qubits.

In superfluid ${}^4$He the first sound refers to the propagation of a density wave while the second sound is related to the propagation of a temperature or entropy wave. The authors show that in superfluid Fermi gases this simplified picture is not always valid. Moreover, they calculate the first and second sound velocities, and the superfluid fraction near the critical point in unitary Fermi gases, and find good agreement with recent experimental results.

In this article, the authors present a theoretical model for vibrational excitation of CO${}_2$, where the virtual state and shape resonance doublet interact directly with each other and also indirectly through the electronic continuum as the molecule bends. Based on $ab$ $initio$ fixed-nuclei $R$-matrix calculations, parameters of the model are determined using a fitting procedure that utilizes the high symmetry of the system.”

The authors achieve a twofold increase in the loading rate of the rare ${}^{39}$Ar in a magneto-optical trap by optically enhancing the metastable production in a plasma source. The result constitutes a significant advance for the use of ${}^{39}$Ar in earth science applications, such as dating alpine ice cores and mapping ocean currents.

Quantum scissors refer to interferometric schemes that allow combined teleportation and amplification of quantum states. Here, the author demonstrates that quantum scissors without feedforward can be optimized to have higher success probability than previously shown, and that quantum scissors can themselves be outperformed by generalized interferometric couplings.

Researchers have cooled indium atoms to a temperature close to 1 mK, making indium the first group-III atom to be made ultracold.

Synopsis on:
Xianquan Yu et al.
Phys. Rev. A 105, L061101 (2022)

The authors demonstrate the first magneto-optical trap of indium atoms, which belong to group III of the periodic table. These atoms offer a unique combination of features, such as the simultaneous presence of Feshbach resonances and optical clock transitions. The techniques introduced in this work can be applied to other elements in group III.

The authors numerically study the scattering of antihydrogen and positronium atoms, at collision energies just above the threshold for the rearrangement reaction resulting in antihydrogen positive ions. The formation of such ions is of interest for ongoing or planned experiments involving antimatter with antihydrogen at CERN.

In this theoretical proposal, the authors show how acousto-optic modulation can be used to generate two-dimensional topologically nontrivial band structures using one-dimensional optical waveguide arrays by using the frequency of the light as a synthetic dimension. The scheme paves the way for the use of the standard photonic technology of laser-written waveguides for the spectral manipulation of broadband signals, both for classical waves and for single- or few-photon quantum wave packets.

Three journals are excited to announce a new article type, “Perspectives,” to provide forward-looking views of cutting-edge science that has recently emerged or is enjoying renewed activity.

We are very pleased to offer the readers of Physical Review a new, carefully curated collection of articles from the vibrant field of laser-plasma particle acceleration. Some of the articles have already been published, and others will be forthcoming. This Collection is the latest in the journal’s series of Special Collections on current or emerging fields and topics.

Physicists working in optics, atomic and molecular physics, and quantum information reflect on landmark papers and how they influence research today.

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