Pub Date : 2025-07-15DOI: 10.1038/s42254-025-00854-0
Francesco Bova, Roger G. Melko
In software development, open-source projects are common and directly compete with proprietary for-profit products. Francesco Bova and Roger Melko argue that in quantum computing, an open-source initiative is needed and would play a more complementary role.
{"title":"An open-source initiative would benefit quantum computing","authors":"Francesco Bova, Roger G. Melko","doi":"10.1038/s42254-025-00854-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s42254-025-00854-0","url":null,"abstract":"In software development, open-source projects are common and directly compete with proprietary for-profit products. Francesco Bova and Roger Melko argue that in quantum computing, an open-source initiative is needed and would play a more complementary role.","PeriodicalId":19024,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Physics","volume":"7 8","pages":"406-407"},"PeriodicalIF":39.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123667","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-07-08DOI: 10.1038/s42254-025-00843-3
Ivonne Bente, Shabnam Taheriniya, Francesco Lenzini, Frank Brückerhoff-Plückelmann, Michael Kues, Harish Bhaskaran, C. David Wright, Wolfram Pernice
The rapidly increasing demands on computational throughput, bandwidth and memory capacity fuelled by breakthroughs in machine learning pose substantial challenges for conventional electronic computing platforms. Historically, advancing compute performance relied on miniaturization to increase the transistor count on a given chip area and, more recently, on the development of parallel and multicore architectures. Computing platforms that process data using multiple, orthogonal dimensions can achieve exponential scaling on trajectories much steeper than what is possible with conventional strategies. One promising analog platform is photonics, which makes use of the physics of light, such as sensitivity to material properties and ability to encode information across multiple degrees of freedom. With recent breakthroughs in integrated photonic hardware and control, large-scale photonic systems have become a practical and timely solution for data-intensive, real-time computational tasks. Here, we explain developments in the realization of multidimensional computing platforms based on photonic systems. Moving to such architectures holds promise for low-latency, high-bandwidth information processing at reduced energy consumption. Multidimensional photonic computing is a framework that combines classical and quantum approaches, leveraging the properties of light. This Perspective explores its potential to enable scalable, neuromorphic photonic quantum systems suited to data-intensive and complex computational tasks.
{"title":"The potential of multidimensional photonic computing","authors":"Ivonne Bente, Shabnam Taheriniya, Francesco Lenzini, Frank Brückerhoff-Plückelmann, Michael Kues, Harish Bhaskaran, C. David Wright, Wolfram Pernice","doi":"10.1038/s42254-025-00843-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s42254-025-00843-3","url":null,"abstract":"The rapidly increasing demands on computational throughput, bandwidth and memory capacity fuelled by breakthroughs in machine learning pose substantial challenges for conventional electronic computing platforms. Historically, advancing compute performance relied on miniaturization to increase the transistor count on a given chip area and, more recently, on the development of parallel and multicore architectures. Computing platforms that process data using multiple, orthogonal dimensions can achieve exponential scaling on trajectories much steeper than what is possible with conventional strategies. One promising analog platform is photonics, which makes use of the physics of light, such as sensitivity to material properties and ability to encode information across multiple degrees of freedom. With recent breakthroughs in integrated photonic hardware and control, large-scale photonic systems have become a practical and timely solution for data-intensive, real-time computational tasks. Here, we explain developments in the realization of multidimensional computing platforms based on photonic systems. Moving to such architectures holds promise for low-latency, high-bandwidth information processing at reduced energy consumption. Multidimensional photonic computing is a framework that combines classical and quantum approaches, leveraging the properties of light. This Perspective explores its potential to enable scalable, neuromorphic photonic quantum systems suited to data-intensive and complex computational tasks.","PeriodicalId":19024,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Physics","volume":"7 8","pages":"439-450"},"PeriodicalIF":39.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123664","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-07-08DOI: 10.1038/s42254-025-00850-4
Andrea Reichenberger
A substantial number of female physicists in the first half of the 20th century contributed to quantum physics. For the history of physics to properly recognize their work, new approaches are needed.
{"title":"Shaping the history of quantum physics to make women visible","authors":"Andrea Reichenberger","doi":"10.1038/s42254-025-00850-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s42254-025-00850-4","url":null,"abstract":"A substantial number of female physicists in the first half of the 20th century contributed to quantum physics. For the history of physics to properly recognize their work, new approaches are needed.","PeriodicalId":19024,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Physics","volume":"7 8","pages":"404-405"},"PeriodicalIF":39.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123665","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-07-07DOI: 10.1038/s42254-025-00852-2
Calls to recognize research software engineers are not new — but such professionals are needed now more than ever.
承认研究软件工程师的呼声并不新鲜，但现在比以往任何时候都更需要这样的专业人士。
{"title":"Physics needs research software engineers","authors":"","doi":"10.1038/s42254-025-00852-2","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s42254-025-00852-2","url":null,"abstract":"Calls to recognize research software engineers are not new — but such professionals are needed now more than ever.","PeriodicalId":19024,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Physics","volume":"7 7","pages":"349-349"},"PeriodicalIF":39.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s42254-025-00852-2.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123708","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-07-07DOI: 10.1038/s42254-025-00858-w
Yaowen Hu, Di Zhu, Shengyuan Lu, Xinrui Zhu, Yunxiang Song, Dylan Renaud, Daniel Assumpcao, Rebecca Cheng, C. J. Xin, Matthew Yeh, Hana Warner, Xiangwen Guo, Amirhassan Shams-Ansari, David Barton, Neil Sinclair, Marko Loncar
Pub Date : 2025-07-07DOI: 10.1038/s42254-025-00845-1
Omar Amer, Shouvanik Chakrabarti, Kaushik Chakraborty, Shaltiel Eloul, Niraj Kumar, Charles Lim, Minzhao Liu, Pradeep Niroula, Yash Satsangi, Ruslan Shaydulin, Marco Pistoia
The use of randomness is ubiquitous in our society, including jury pool selection, encryption of digital communications, and many other activities. However, in many applications, there is an incentive for malicious actors to influence or predict the randomness. Therefore, it is beneficial if the trustworthiness, unpredictability and security of the randomness can be certified by any participant that does not trust the randomness provider. Certified randomness can be generated with untrusted remote quantum computers using multiple known protocols, one of which has recently been realized experimentally. Unlike the randomness sources accessible on today’s classical computers, the output of these protocols can be certified to be random under certain computational hardness assumptions, with no trust required in the hardware generating the randomness. In this Perspective, we explore real-world applications for which the use of certified randomness protocols may lead to improved security and fairness. We identify promising applications in areas including cryptography, differential privacy, financial markets and blockchain. Randomness is used in many applications where unpredictability is often paramount to ensure fairness and security. This Perspective discusses how quantum computation can generate certified randomness that can be verified by any participant and introduces several applications that can benefit from it.
{"title":"Applications of certified randomness","authors":"Omar Amer, Shouvanik Chakrabarti, Kaushik Chakraborty, Shaltiel Eloul, Niraj Kumar, Charles Lim, Minzhao Liu, Pradeep Niroula, Yash Satsangi, Ruslan Shaydulin, Marco Pistoia","doi":"10.1038/s42254-025-00845-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s42254-025-00845-1","url":null,"abstract":"The use of randomness is ubiquitous in our society, including jury pool selection, encryption of digital communications, and many other activities. However, in many applications, there is an incentive for malicious actors to influence or predict the randomness. Therefore, it is beneficial if the trustworthiness, unpredictability and security of the randomness can be certified by any participant that does not trust the randomness provider. Certified randomness can be generated with untrusted remote quantum computers using multiple known protocols, one of which has recently been realized experimentally. Unlike the randomness sources accessible on today’s classical computers, the output of these protocols can be certified to be random under certain computational hardness assumptions, with no trust required in the hardware generating the randomness. In this Perspective, we explore real-world applications for which the use of certified randomness protocols may lead to improved security and fairness. We identify promising applications in areas including cryptography, differential privacy, financial markets and blockchain. Randomness is used in many applications where unpredictability is often paramount to ensure fairness and security. This Perspective discusses how quantum computation can generate certified randomness that can be verified by any participant and introduces several applications that can benefit from it.","PeriodicalId":19024,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Physics","volume":"7 9","pages":"514-524"},"PeriodicalIF":39.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123746","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-07-03DOI: 10.1038/s42254-025-00838-0
Filiberto Ares, Pasquale Calabrese, Sara Murciano
The Mpemba effect, in which a hotter system can equilibrate faster than a cooler one, has long been a subject of fascination in classical physics. In the past few years, notable theoretical and experimental progress has been made in understanding its occurrence in both classical and quantum systems. In this Perspective, we provide a concise overview of recent work and open questions on the Mpemba effect in quantum systems, with a focus on both open and isolated dynamics, which give rise to distinct manifestations of this anomalous non-equilibrium phenomenon. We discuss key theoretical frameworks, highlight experimental observations and explore the fundamental mechanisms that give rise to anomalous relaxation behaviours. Particular attention is given to the role of quantum fluctuations, integrability and symmetry in shaping equilibration pathways. In recent years, notable theoretical and experimental progress has been made in understanding both the classical and quantum versions of the Mpemba effect, in which a hotter system freezes faster than a cooler one. This Perspective discusses this phenomenon in open and isolated quantum systems.
{"title":"The quantum Mpemba effects","authors":"Filiberto Ares, Pasquale Calabrese, Sara Murciano","doi":"10.1038/s42254-025-00838-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s42254-025-00838-0","url":null,"abstract":"The Mpemba effect, in which a hotter system can equilibrate faster than a cooler one, has long been a subject of fascination in classical physics. In the past few years, notable theoretical and experimental progress has been made in understanding its occurrence in both classical and quantum systems. In this Perspective, we provide a concise overview of recent work and open questions on the Mpemba effect in quantum systems, with a focus on both open and isolated dynamics, which give rise to distinct manifestations of this anomalous non-equilibrium phenomenon. We discuss key theoretical frameworks, highlight experimental observations and explore the fundamental mechanisms that give rise to anomalous relaxation behaviours. Particular attention is given to the role of quantum fluctuations, integrability and symmetry in shaping equilibration pathways. In recent years, notable theoretical and experimental progress has been made in understanding both the classical and quantum versions of the Mpemba effect, in which a hotter system freezes faster than a cooler one. This Perspective discusses this phenomenon in open and isolated quantum systems.","PeriodicalId":19024,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Physics","volume":"7 8","pages":"451-460"},"PeriodicalIF":39.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123749","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-07-02DOI: 10.1038/s42254-025-00836-2
Sayed El. Soliman, Maria Barlou, Zi Jing Wong, Kosmas L. Tsakmakidis
Topological rainbow trapping (TRT) arises from the interplay between topological states and frequency-dependent slow-wave effects. Waves first slow down, then become spatially separated by frequency and are ultimately trapped at distinct locations. TRT designs have been primarily explored in the context of photonic crystals and subsequently extended to acoustic and elastic systems. This emerging TRT concept enables robust, frequency-selective localization beyond conventional rainbow trapping, supporting compact, multi-wavelength, topologically protected platforms for extreme wave manipulation. In this Review, we elucidate the fundamental principles of TRT, emphasizing the physical mechanisms that create near-zero group velocity points with robust frequency-dependent localization. We highlight three key TRT mechanisms: graded index profiles, which gradually vary material parameters to reshape dispersion and induce slow-wave effects; higher-order topological corner modes, which exploit localized corner states for robust frequency-specific wave confinement; and synthetic dimensions, which expand the parameter space of the system to engineer stable interface states at distinct frequencies. Furthermore, we address key challenges in TRT, such as energy dissipation and tunability, while highlighting its broad range of potential applications. Finally, we discuss emerging research directions for TRT. Topological rainbow trapping combines slow-wave effects with topological robustness to spatially separate wave frequencies. This Review highlights its physical principles, implementation in different waves-based systems and potential technological impacts.
{"title":"Topological rainbow trapping","authors":"Sayed El. Soliman, Maria Barlou, Zi Jing Wong, Kosmas L. Tsakmakidis","doi":"10.1038/s42254-025-00836-2","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s42254-025-00836-2","url":null,"abstract":"Topological rainbow trapping (TRT) arises from the interplay between topological states and frequency-dependent slow-wave effects. Waves first slow down, then become spatially separated by frequency and are ultimately trapped at distinct locations. TRT designs have been primarily explored in the context of photonic crystals and subsequently extended to acoustic and elastic systems. This emerging TRT concept enables robust, frequency-selective localization beyond conventional rainbow trapping, supporting compact, multi-wavelength, topologically protected platforms for extreme wave manipulation. In this Review, we elucidate the fundamental principles of TRT, emphasizing the physical mechanisms that create near-zero group velocity points with robust frequency-dependent localization. We highlight three key TRT mechanisms: graded index profiles, which gradually vary material parameters to reshape dispersion and induce slow-wave effects; higher-order topological corner modes, which exploit localized corner states for robust frequency-specific wave confinement; and synthetic dimensions, which expand the parameter space of the system to engineer stable interface states at distinct frequencies. Furthermore, we address key challenges in TRT, such as energy dissipation and tunability, while highlighting its broad range of potential applications. Finally, we discuss emerging research directions for TRT. Topological rainbow trapping combines slow-wave effects with topological robustness to spatially separate wave frequencies. This Review highlights its physical principles, implementation in different waves-based systems and potential technological impacts.","PeriodicalId":19024,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Physics","volume":"7 8","pages":"409-424"},"PeriodicalIF":39.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123666","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-06-12DOI: 10.1038/s42254-025-00846-0
Coral Calero, Macario Polo, Elena Desdentado, Mª Ángeles Moraga
Quantum solutions are typically evaluated in terms of performance, efficiency, speedup or the number of qubits — but not energy consumption. Yet quantum computing comes at a high energy cost. To make sure quantum computing is developed energy-efficiently, it is essential to optimize the design of the circuit, and pay attention to aspects such as the circuit layout and how the execution is done on the quantum computer.
{"title":"Consider the energy consumption of your quantum circuits","authors":"Coral Calero, Macario Polo, Elena Desdentado, Mª Ángeles Moraga","doi":"10.1038/s42254-025-00846-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s42254-025-00846-0","url":null,"abstract":"Quantum solutions are typically evaluated in terms of performance, efficiency, speedup or the number of qubits — but not energy consumption. Yet quantum computing comes at a high energy cost. To make sure quantum computing is developed energy-efficiently, it is essential to optimize the design of the circuit, and pay attention to aspects such as the circuit layout and how the execution is done on the quantum computer.","PeriodicalId":19024,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Physics","volume":"7 7","pages":"352-353"},"PeriodicalIF":39.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123709","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-06-11DOI: 10.1038/s42254-025-00837-1
Frank Jenko
The pursuit of fusion energy is gaining momentum, driven by factors including advances in high-performance computing. As the need for sustainable energy solutions grows ever more urgent, supercomputing emerges as a key enabler, accelerating fusion power toward practical realization. Supercomputers empower researchers to simulate complex plasma dynamics with remarkable precision, aiding in the prediction and optimization of plasma confinement and stability — both essential for sustaining burning plasmas. They also have a critical role in assessing the resilience of materials exposed to the extreme conditions of future fusion power plants. As the fusion community transitions from laboratory experiments to pilot plants, supercomputing bridges the gap between scientific discovery and engineering implementation, and it promises to reduce costs and shorten development timelines. Against a backdrop of global energy demands, it would be helpful to accelerate the transition of fusion energy from laboratory experiments to working power plants. This Perspective discusses areas of fusion energy research that are benefitting from supercomputing, such as simulations of complex plasma behaviour and materials under extreme conditions.
{"title":"Accelerating fusion research via supercomputing","authors":"Frank Jenko","doi":"10.1038/s42254-025-00837-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s42254-025-00837-1","url":null,"abstract":"The pursuit of fusion energy is gaining momentum, driven by factors including advances in high-performance computing. As the need for sustainable energy solutions grows ever more urgent, supercomputing emerges as a key enabler, accelerating fusion power toward practical realization. Supercomputers empower researchers to simulate complex plasma dynamics with remarkable precision, aiding in the prediction and optimization of plasma confinement and stability — both essential for sustaining burning plasmas. They also have a critical role in assessing the resilience of materials exposed to the extreme conditions of future fusion power plants. As the fusion community transitions from laboratory experiments to pilot plants, supercomputing bridges the gap between scientific discovery and engineering implementation, and it promises to reduce costs and shorten development timelines. Against a backdrop of global energy demands, it would be helpful to accelerate the transition of fusion energy from laboratory experiments to working power plants. This Perspective discusses areas of fusion energy research that are benefitting from supercomputing, such as simulations of complex plasma behaviour and materials under extreme conditions.","PeriodicalId":19024,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Physics","volume":"7 7","pages":"365-377"},"PeriodicalIF":39.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123685","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：