Applied physics articles from across Nature Portfolio

Quantum sensors based on diamond promise robustness but have limited sensitivity. Generating quantum correlations in the material might be a solution.

Bridges made from connected steel frameworks can sometimes survive unexpected damage by activating hidden structural responses.

Elastic bound states in the continuum (BICs) with multipolarization hybridization, distinct from optical and acoustic cases, remain an open area of investigation. This study demonstrates the coexistence of Friedrich–Wintgen and accidental BICs in a multi-polarization elastic system and achieves perfect mode conversion via these BICs.

Quantum sensors based on diamond promise robustness but have limited sensitivity. Generating quantum correlations in the material might be a solution.

Physicist who spearheaded the construction of the LIGO observatory to detect Einstein’s predicted ripples in space-time leaves a legacy of persistence and mentorship.

To celebrate this year’s Ig Nobel Prize, we review some patents that raise a chuckle but are closer to serious research than it may seem at first glance.

A quirk of physics lets light power flight in low pressure environments.

Bridges made from connected steel frameworks can sometimes survive unexpected damage by activating hidden structural responses.

Design could help to probe the ‘ignorosphere’, a layer of ultra-thin air that has largely escaped exploration by balloons, aircraft and satellites.