American Physical Society

⭐ May the Fourth be with you. Check out our completely serious schematic of a lightsaber. Physicists: “This violates several fundamental laws.” Star Wars fans: “This violates canon.” Reviewer 2: “I was definitely not consulted on this.” Us: “What if we just… kept going anyway?” #MayThe4th #MayThe4thBeWithYou #StarWarsDay

Vinod Kumar and K. V. Adarsh at @iiserbhopal — with their colleagues at @JainDeemedtbUnv and @IndiaBarc — authored this study.

What if materials could respond to light almost instantly? A new APS Open Science paper demonstrates a hybrid system with ultrafast charge transfer and nonlinear optical performance over an order of magnitude stronger than conventional materials: go.aps.org/4ugWqD9

Paula Mellado at @UAI_CL and Francisco Muñoz and Javiera Cabezas-Escares at @uchile, authored this study.

A slight twist, but a big impact. A new study in APS Open Science shows misaligned layers in nanomaterials can create moiré patterns that change how electrons organize — opening doors for future device design: go.aps.org/4tKyUia

Rui Dong, Zhijun Che, and Changqing Xu atNanjing Normal University, Changui Shen and Yun Lai at @NJU1902, and Ce Shang at @CAS_Science authored this study.

Can near-zero properties unlock new control over #quantum systems? A study in the newly-launched APS Open Science shows how double-zero-index media can be used to tune topological states in photonic crystals — offering a strategy for quantum device design: go.aps.org/3Rcwhad

APS Open Science’s first papers are here. Our new community-driven, open access journal supports research at every stage. Read its inaugural papers on controlling the geometry of 3D soliton knots and hybrid materials for ultrafast photonic and optical devices: journals.aps.org/apsos/recent

Congratulations to our members who were elected to @theNASciences! 🎉

Advocacy. Outreach. Impact. We’re recognizing 36 members and one volunteer team as 2025 5 Sigma Physicist honorees. It’s our largest cohort yet, honored for advancing science beyond the lab. Learn more about them in #APSNews: go.aps.org/41TxYM5

Can #QuantumTunneling be simulated in chemistry? A new study in @PRXQuantum says yes. Researchers created a superconducting quantum circuit that simulates tunneling in chemical reactions, revealing unexpected quantum effects in state transitions: go.aps.org/4cxPESo

The deadline to register for the 2026 Physics and Astronomy Faculty Teaching Institute is fast approaching. The workshop offers physics educators the opportunity to network with their peers and learn effective teaching strategies. Register by May 18: go.aps.org/4mNeDFV

What is time, really? ⏱️ A new theoretical study in @PhysRevLett suggests next-generation trapped-ion optical clocks could experimentally reproduce things like the superposition of proper times and time-dilation-induced entanglement. 🔗 go.aps.org/4cm5DEf

A stellar explosion’s aftermath may hold the key to #CosmicRays. In a new study in @PhysRevLett, researchers observed remnants of a supernova and found it can accelerate protons to extreme energies: go.aps.org/4cFL6JL 📸 @AAS_Office/The LHAASO Collaboration

Can #CosmicRays help us detect #DarkMatter on Earth? 🌍 By tracking more than 1 million muon scattering events from secondary cosmic rays, researchers place new constraints on how dark matter might interact with ordinary matter. Read the paper in @PhysRevLett: go.aps.org/4dS8g1K

Physics doesn’t only belong in textbooks 📚 ⚛️ This #WorldBookDay, we’re celebrating physics in fiction — from the classic Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy to recent blockbusters like #ProjectHailMary. Which is your favorite?

Congratulations to former APS President David Gross on being awarded the 2026 Special @brkthroughprize in Fundamental Physics.

Artificial intelligence is already reshaping physics, from coding effectively to spotting patterns humans miss. But how well can it generate truly new ideas? At #APSSummit26, researchers shared where #AI excels — and where it still falls short. Read more in #APSNews: go.aps.org/48u6roj

Feeling #FOMO from #APSSummit26? Catch the most-watched sessions on demand: ⚛️ Superconducting qubits 🧠 AI career impact 🏆 Nobel laureates 11,000+ presentations starting at $39: go.aps.org/3LC8caL

🐝 A new study in @PhysRevE uses graph theory to show how group motion for winged animals like honey bees emerges without clear leaders. The authors found that individuals adjust how many neighbors they interact with based on the complexity of the goal. 🔗 go.aps.org/4v9UJso