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The world is never really at rest. Even in a vacuum near ultracold temperatures where all classical motion should come to a halt, you will find quantum fluctuations. In thin, two-dimensional materials, these include random vibrations that can alter electromagnetic fields – a feature that theorists have long posited could be useful for modifying materials. Angel Rubio, Director of the Theory Department at the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter (MPSD) in Hamburg, has been one of the principal architects of this idea. Together with colleagues Rubio developed the theoretical framework predicting that quantum fluctuations inside cavities could reshape the properties of solids – without any external force. Now, that prediction has been confirmed experimentally for the first time. In a new paper published in Nature, an international team of 33 researchers from 17 institutions – including a large MPSD contingent – demonstrates that quantum fluctuations from the vacuum alone inside atom-thin layers of a 2D material can alter the properties of a nearby crystal. more

Quantum materials are a fascinating platform for future technologies, as they host a variety of exotic phenomena beyond the reach of classical physics. Among them, van der Waals heterostructures stand out: They are created by stacking different two-dimensional layers that can be only one atom thick. These structures are remarkably easy to manipulate, offering unprecedented tunability and a vast realm for exploration. A team from the Max-Planck-Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter (MPSD) and Columbia University has found that van der Waals heterostructures can naturally serve as cavities for long-wavelength terahertz (THz) light. This work has been published in Nature Physics. more

How long does it take electrons to ‘dress’ in light and form Floquet bands? Just one single optical cycle is enough, according to a research team involving the Universities of Marburg, Regensburg and MPSD group leader Michael Sentef. Its study has been published in Nature. more

Researchers in Germany and the U.S.A. propose a new optical method to verify topological magnon phases. Writing in PRL, the team shows that the intensity of polarized laser light scattered back from a magnetic material is an indicator of topological phases. more

Research team involving experimentalists and theorists explores how light can fundamentally alter the properties of solids - and how to harness these phenomena in laser-driven materials for future applications. Their colloquium has been published in Reviews of Modern Physics. more