The 50 most-cited articles in Physics Today, 2023

Recent studies of a model system—a fluid in a box heated from below and cooled from above—provide insights into the physics of turbulent thermal convection. But upscaling the system to extremely strong turbulence remains difficult.

Novel geometries can be created using microwaves to couple the internal states of atoms or molecules and mimic movement in real space.

Molecular systems can host multiple electron spin qubits that have promising properties for quantum applications.

Whether it’s pipes, highways, or arteries that are clogged, stopping the flow is always inconvenient and sometimes dangerous.

Recent research has uncovered new insights into how some errors in superconducting qubits are generated and the best ways to mitigate them.

The shortfall may end if a new supply from Russia reaches the market. Growing numbers of universities and labs are recycling their supplies.

Solid-state spin qubits unlock applications in nanoscale quantum sensing and are at the forefront of creating distributed, long-distance entanglement that could enable a quantum internet.

Fifteen years after the surprising discovery of superconductivity in iron-based materials, researchers are beginning to impart some of their newfound wisdom on a slew of emerging superconductors that display similar traits.

Advances in attribution science are improving understanding of human influence on our planet.

Taking inspiration from nature and from the success of photovoltaic solar conversion, scientists are developing foundations for sunlight-driven synthesis of fuels, chemicals, and materials.

By substantially increasing the mass and volume of its reusable transportation system without raising costs, SpaceX may enable NASA to implement future missions years ahead of schedule.

The Investigative Science Learning Environment approach replaces traditional teaching with active-learning methods that emulate scientific processes.

As retirements surge, shortages threaten to slow advances in cancer therapy, diagnostics, and improved understanding of the physiological impacts of radiation.

A new American Physical Society survey shows that although ethics education is more prevalent than it was nearly two decades ago, unethical research practices and harassment are still significant problems in the physics community.

Miniature flares recently discovered by probes that have approached the Sun’s surface are helping physicists understand how the Sun’s corona reaches temperatures of millions of kelvin.

NASA’s worldwide antenna array is bursting at the seams as new missions head into space.

Through advances in atomic and optical physics, the laureates broke new ground in the measurement of time.

Startup companies are betting on different approaches and laser technologies for fusion to become a commercially viable energy source.

In her November 2021 article (page 44), Katie Robertson presents an elegant synthesis of Maxwell's, Loschmidt's, and Laplace's demons. Implicit in the text—and explicit in the conclusion—is the thesis that the second law of thermodynamics remains above reproach. Although that might have appeared to be the case at the close of the 19th and 20th centuries, it is not in the 21st. Since the mid 1990s, at least three dozen potent second-law challenges have advanced into the literature, some with strong experimental support, more than the total proposed during the previous century and a half.11. V. Čápek, D. P. Sheehan, Challenges to the Second Law of Thermodynamics: Theory and Experiment, Springer (2005). One example involves two opposing filaments, each formed from a different material, in a diatomic gas atmosphere at uniform temperature.22. D. P. Sheehan, D. J. Mallin, J. T. Garamella, W. F. Sheehan, Found. Phys. 44, 235 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10701-014-9781-5 Due to the different dissociation rates for the diatomic gas at the two surfaces, permanent gradients in pressure and…

The prospect of losing out on tenure can be frightening. But many who have been denied tenure have gone on to build successful careers in education or elsewhere.

As the field matures, its researchers are finding practical applications in solar-energy harvesting, chemical manufacturing, optical refrigeration, and energy-efficient computing.

Repairs could take up to two years, but project officials believe they can perform them in parallel with the machine’s assembly. Regulatory concerns are unresolved.

The US has practically boundless capacity to store carbon dioxide. It just needs to find a way to do it.

Through a combination of idealized simulations and real-world data, researchers are uncovering how internal feedbacks and large-scale motions influence cloud dynamics.

Topological data analysis, which allows systematic investigations of the “shape” of data, has yielded fascinating insights into many physical systems.

Proponents of Project Plowshare argued that using nuclear explosives for peaceful means offered technical and economic advantages. But getting the biggest bang for the buck didn’t outweigh the varied environmental and sociopolitical costs of their use.

The renewable energy technology can benefit remote coastal communities that want to reduce carbon emissions.

To accelerate electrons to multi-GeV energies with lasers, keep the bright light tight.

Preliminary results from the revamping of Michigan State University’s physics graduate admissions process suggest that the changes have made the procedure fairer for all.

A new demonstration of a famous thought experiment has coaxed a classical 16 µg cluster of atoms to behave like a quantum object.

MXenes, a promising group of atomically thin materials, can now be fabricated without harsh acids and with little waste.

Amorphous materials are often an unwanted result of low-temperature thin-film deposition. Yet those disordered materials can be used with great effect for applications with stringent manufacturing requirements.

By confining electrons to nanoscale spaces, the laureates created crystals that emit light at specific wavelengths. That behavior has been harnessed for displays and other technologies.

Though quantum computers are still a decade or more away, NIST is finalizing new encryption standards now to replace current vulnerable protections.

The flow and transport of solute molecules in the intricate structure of the placenta make the organ a fetal life-support system.

The Issues and Events item “Electrification of cars and trucks likely won’t disrupt the grid” (Physics Today, April 2022, page 22) by David Kramer is timely and accurate as far as it goes. But by omitting mention of nonhighway transportation, and the rest of the economy for that matter, it unintentionally makes the growth in electricity usage on the path to decarbonization of our economy seem to be nearly business as usual. Several recent studies, however, show that a carbon-neutral US economy in 2050 will require around four times as much electricity as we use today.1–31. E. Larson et al., Net-Zero America: Potential Pathways, Infrastructure, and Impacts, Princeton U. (29 October 2021).2. M. Ram et al., Global Energy System Based on 100% Renewable Energy: Power, Heat, Transport and Desalination Sectors, Lappeenranta U. Technology and Energy Watch Group (March 2019).3. J. H. Williams et al., AGU Adv. 2, e2020AV000284 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1029/2020AV000284Synthesis of chemical fuel for aviation, military, and nonhighway vehicles will require more electricity than the…

Far removed from traditional research centers, Malaysian physicists forged a scientific culture that prioritized innovation and reuse.

Despite a lack of public enthusiasm, NASA’s Artemis program will endure because human spaceflight has strong congressional support and signals great-power status.

Race and ethnicity can affect how quickly a faculty member receives tenure.

One aim is to recognize a wider range of research contributions.

Scientists may have to wait more than a decade for the launch of a new vessel capable of collecting samples below the ocean floor.

The seasonal rainy phase observed in many places across Earth is shaping the climate and is being changed by global climate trends.

The renormalization group, a powerful method that uses the tools of quantum field theory, has found a place in biophysics.