# Atomic and molecular physics

Atomic and molecular physics it the study of the properties, dynamics and interactions of the basic (but not fundamental) building blocks of matter. A crucial component of this is understanding the behaviour of the electrons that surround the atomic nucleus; these dynamics dominate the way atoms and molecules interact with their environment.

## Latest Research and Reviews

• Research |

### Realizing discontinuous quantum phase transitions in a strongly correlated driven optical lattice

Studies of first-order phase transitions in quantum simulators have so far been restricted to the weakly interacting regime. A tunable discontinuous phase transition has now been realized with strongly correlated atoms in a driven optical lattice.

• Bo Song
• , Shovan Dutta
•  & Ulrich Schneider
• Research
| Open Access

### Laser-induced thermal source for cold atoms

• Chung Chuan Hsu
• , Rémy Larue
•  & David Wilkowski
• Research
| Open Access

### Path integral Monte Carlo approach to the structural properties and collective excitations of liquid $$^3{\text {He}}$$ without fixed nodes

• Tobias Dornheim
• , Zhandos A. Moldabekov
•  & Burkhard Militzer
• Research
| Open Access

### Longitudinal and transversal resonant tunneling of interacting bosons in a two-dimensional Josephson junction

• Anal Bhowmik
•  & Ofir E. Alon
• Research
| Open Access

### Following excited-state chemical shifts in molecular ultrafast x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Imaging the charge flow in photoexcited molecules would provide key information on photophysical and photochemical processes. Here the authors demonstrate tracking in real time after photoexcitation the change in charge density at a specific site of 2-thiouracil using time-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

• D. Mayer
• , F. Lever
•  & M. Gühr
• Research
| Open Access

### Theoretical studies on the two-photon absorption of II–VI semiconductor nano clusters

• Deyang Yu
• , YangYang Hu
•  & Yongyuan Jiang

## News and Comment

• News & Views |

### Probing attosecond phenomena in solids

A sub-cycle modulation in reflectivity is observed in bulk crystals subjected to intense laser fields. The effect provides a new way to probe attosecond dynamics in materials.

• Shambhu Ghimire
• Editorial |

### Ultracold quantum technologies

• Richard Brierley
• , Yun Li
•  & Leonardo Benini
Nature Physics 17, 1293

### Cold atoms stay cool

Methods for studying Bose–Einstein condensation in ultracold gases have been under development for over 40 years. A highly sophisticated suite of techniques has emerged from rapid technological advances that show no sign of slowing down.

• Jook Walraven
Nature Physics 17, 1294-1295
• News & Views |

### Bogoliubov’s correlations confirmed

Interacting quantum systems are difficult to formulate theoretically, but Nikolai Bogoliubov offered a workaround more than 70 years ago that has stood the test of time. Now, correlations that are a crucial feature of his theory have been observed.

• S. S. Hodgman
•  & A. G. Truscott
Nature Physics 17, 1289-1290
• News & Views |

### Single proton cooled by distant ions

Laser-cooled ions have been used to substantially lower the temperature of a proton located several centimetres away. This technique could be useful in ultraprecise measurements of the properties of antimatter particles.

• Manas Mukherjee
Nature 596, 490-491
• News & Views |

### Supersolids go two-dimensional

Supersolids are exotic materials whose constituent particles can simultaneously form a crystal and flow without friction. The first 2D supersolid has been produced using ultracold gases of highly magnetic atoms.

• Bruno Laburthe-Tolra
Nature 596, 348-349