JPS Hot Topics

In recent years, a novel electronic state called the “electronic nematic phase” has attracted much attention. The electronic nematic phase is characterized by rotational symmetry breaking driven by electronic degrees of freedom, such as spins and orbitals, and behaves like a liquid crystal. Iron-based superconductors (IBSs), which are unconventional high-temperature superconductors, are prominent candidates in […]

Dielectric materials are used in various electronic devices, such as capacitors and actuators. At the atomic scale, the positively and negatively charged ions in these devices are displaced from their original positions. Therefore, observing these displacements is essential for improving the performance of electronic devices and developing new dielectric materials. BaTiO3 has a high capacity […]

 Weyl semimetals are a class of materials characterized by the presence of Weyl points where the valence and conduction bands touch linearly. Electrons near these points behave as relativistic fermions called Weyl fermions, contributing to topological magnetoelectric responses, such as the anomalous Hall effect. The concept of chiral gauge field was introduced to understand these […]

When attempting to reach the exact ground states of interacting quantum systems, the computational cost increases exponentially with the system size in most cases and is thus intractable, which is known as an NP-hard problem. Unless accurate quantum computers become available, approximate but sufficiently accurate algorithms that are applicable to conventional computers need to be […]

Increasing temperatures to higher than the surrounding temperature is easier compared with decreasing temperatures to lower than the surrounding temperature. Many refrigerators and air conditioners use latent heat when liquid evaporates. Additionally, the Joule-Thomson effect and thermoelectric effect, termed the Peltier effect, have been used for cooling. Aligning magnetic moments using an external magnetic field […]

Linear or nonlinear dynamical models can explain various real-life phenomena. While linear approximations work well for some systems, others can only be explained by nonlinear models, which greatly complicates calculations. One such phenomenon is the elastic two-body quantum scattering of nucleons. This scattering problem is described by the Variable Phase Approximation (VPA), a nonautonomous nonlinear […]

Machine learning has revolutionized research in fields hindered by experimental limitations. One notable application is identifying phases of matter that are classified by order parameters, which measure the degree of order within a system and signal phase transitions. These transitions can range from simple solid-liquid transformations to complex changes in magnetization or superconductivity. Identifying order […]

The high-pressure application is an experimental means to significantly alter the microscopic physical parameters of a material. At ambient pressure, these physical parameters generally do not change significantly, regardless of the temperature. Recently, the effects of high pressure have been studied across a broad area of condensed matter physics, including pressure-driven high-temperature superconductivity and topological […]

Light can break symmetries in time and space. For example, circularly polarized light can break the time-reversal symmetry. This time-reversal symmetry breaking can be used to generate the light-induced magnetization. Despite several studies on the light-induced symmetry breaking, whether light can break mirror symmetries remains unclear. Recently, we have demonstrated that circularly or linearly polarized […]