Communications Physics

nature.comPairing without γ-pocket in the La3Ni2O7 thin film - Communications PhysicsCommunications Physics - Pairing without γ-pocket in the La3Ni2O7 thin film

Featured October 2026: Pairing without γ-pocket in the La3Ni2O7 thin film www.nature.com/articles/s42...

nature.comTesting the strong equivalence principle with multimessenger binary neutron star mergers - Communications PhysicsThe authors develop a multimessenger gravitational-wave data analysis framework to test whether Newton’s gravitational constant varies in strong and dynamical gravitational fields. Applying it to GW17...

Featured October 2026: Testing the strong equivalence principle with multimessenger binary neutron star mergers www.nature.com/articles/s42...

nature.comAn optimized construction of lie algebra generator pools for variational quantum eigensolvers in chemistry - Communications PhysicsIdentifying minimal complete pools of Lie algebra generators is a fundamental mathematical challenge with broad applications across quantum computing. Here, the authors map this problem to binary matr...

Featured October 2026: An optimized construction of lie algebra generator pools for variational quantum eigensolvers in chemistry www.nature.com/articles/s42...

If the Navier-Stokes Millennium Prize problem has been resolved, what changes for physics and what does not? Communications Physics published today an Editorial by our Editorial Board Member Amin Doostmohammadi discussing exactly that. doi.org/10.1038/s420... #NavierStokes #FluidDynamics

nature.comData-driven mean-field within whole-brain models - Communications PhysicsTraditional models of brain activity rely on simplified equations that can be incomplete or inaccurate when biological details are too complex to solve exactly. This work uses machine learning to lear...

Featured article, October 2026: Data-driven mean-field within whole-brain models www.nature.com/articles/s42...

Reviewer of the month, October 2026: Dr. Yu Tong-Pu has over 20 years of experience in exploring relativistic laser-plasma physics and applications, e.g., laser-driven particle acceleration, novel radiation source, high field QED, and laser-nuclear physics, via theory, simulations and experiments.

nature.comNobel Prize in Physics 2026The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to Francis Halzen “for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of ...

The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to Francis Halzen “for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin”. This Collection celebrates that achievement. www.nature.com/collections/...

Congratulations to Francis Halzen on the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics “for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin”! #NobelPrize #Physics

nature.comShape-dependent direction reversal in anisotropic catalytic microswimmers - Communications PhysicsThe propulsion direction of active particles determines their non-equilibrium behavior, yet the impact of anisotropic shape remains largely unexplored experimentally. Here, the authors demonstrate tha...

Featured article, September 2026: Shape-dependent direction reversal in anisotropic catalytic microswimmers www.nature.com/articles/s42...

nature.comExciton dynamics in monolayer WSe2 probed by ultrafast valley-selective second-harmonic microscopy - Communications PhysicsThe promising photonic and valleytronic applications of transition metal dichalcogenides are limited by rapid valley and spin depolarization on femtosecond time scales. Here, the authors present an al...

Featured article, September 2026: Exciton dynamics in monolayer WSe2 probed by ultrafast valley-selective second-harmonic microscopy www.nature.com/articles/s42...

nature.comA unified framework for non-Hermitian localization with boundary-insensitive modes and electric-magnetic analogy - Communications PhysicsWaves in systems with gain and loss usually pile up at a sample’s edges, and this skin effect normally changes drastically with boundary conditions. This study shows that a spatially varying imaginary...

18 Sept

Featured article, September 2026: A unified framework for non-Hermitian localization with boundary-insensitive modes and electric-magnetic analogy www.nature.com/articles/s42...

nature.comField-induced condensation of π to 2π soliton lattices in chiral magnets - Communications PhysicsChiral magnets can host periodic spin textures called soliton lattices, but their formation in materials with anisotropic chirality has remained unclear. Here, the authors show that Mn1.4PtSn supports...

18 Sept

Featured article, September 20206: Field-induced condensation of π to 2π soliton lattices in chiral magnets www.nature.com/articles/s42...

18 Sept

Reviewer of the month, September 2026: Adi Natan is a Principal Investigator at the Stanford PULSE Institute and Staff Scientist at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, where he leads the Non-Periodic Ultrafast X-ray Imaging group.

1 Sept

Reviewer of the month, August 2026: Phuong Mai Dinh is a professor at the Laboratory for Theoretical Physics in Toulouse. After completing a PhD in high-energy nuclear theoretical physics, she joined LPT in 2003. Her research focuses on developments beyond mean-field in cluster physics.

nature.comCoherent control of thermal transport with pillar-based phononic crystals - Communications PhysicsKorkiamäki et al. measure the thermal conductance of nano- and microscale pillared phononic crystals at sub-Kelvin temperatures. They demonstrate up to an order of magnitude reduction, attributed to t...

31 Aug

Our featured article, August 2026: Coherent control of thermal transport with pillar-based phononic crystals www.nature.com/articles/s42...

nature.comObservation of unidirectional s-p orbital topological edge states in driven photonic lattices - Communications PhysicsThe authors realize higher-orbital Floquet topological insulators by implementing periodically driven s-p orbital couplings in a photonic square lattice with synthetic π magnetic flux. They observe un...

31 Aug

Our featured article, August 2026: Observation of unidirectional s-p orbital topological edge states in driven photonic lattices www.nature.com/articles/s42...

nature.comRobust direct laser acceleration of electrons with flying-focus laser pulses - Communications PhysicsPropagation instabilities limit the direct laser acceleration of electrons in plasma and reduce its potential as a radiation source. Here, the authors numerically demonstrate that superluminal flying-...

29 Aug

Our featured article, August 2026: Robust direct laser acceleration of electrons with flying-focus laser pulses www.nature.com/articles/s42...

nature.comMany-body superconductivity in topological flat bands - Communications PhysicsSuperconductivity in flat bands is a central feature of quantum geometric effects, supported by mean-field theory and numerics. Here, the authors exhibit a large family of flat band Hubbard models who...

29 Aug

Our featured article, August 2026: Many-body superconductivity in topological flat bands www.nature.com/articles/s42...

nature.comPhysics-informed diffusion enables high-fidelity multimode fiber imaging under dynamic perturbations - Communications PhysicsMultimode fibers enable compact high-capacity imaging, but their extreme sensitivity to external perturbations limits practical applications. Here, the authors develop a physics-informed diffusion fra...

31 July

Our featured article, July 2026: Physics-informed diffusion enables high-fidelity multimode fiber imaging under dynamic perturbations www.nature.com/articles/s42...

nature.comQuantum superposition of black hole states as a communication resource - Communications PhysicsWhen treated classically, black holes degrade the quantum entanglement shared between nearby observers. The authors find that placing the black hole’s mass - and hence its spacetime - in a quantum sup...

31 July

Our featured article, 2026: Quantum superposition of black hole states as a communication resource www.nature.com/articles/s42...

nature.comInfluence of neutron-capture reactions on the nucleosynthesis of strontium - Communications PhysicsAstrophysical models underproduce the element Sr in intermediate neutron density environments (the so called i-process). The authors investigate the nuclear reactions that produce Sr and find that the...

29 July

Our featured article, July 2026: Influence of neutron-capture reactions on the nucleosynthesis of strontium www.nature.com/articles/s42...

nature.comCoherent phonon transport and Anderson localization in WS2/MoS2 superlattices - Communications PhysicsEfficient heat management in nanoscale electronics depends on the precise control of vibrational waves known as phonons. This research reveals that while periodic layered materials allow these waves t...

28 July

Our featured article, July 2026: Coherent phonon transport and Anderson localization in WS2/MoS2 superlattices www.nature.com/articles/s42...

28 July

Reviewer of the month, July 2026: Andrea Civilini is a postdoctoral researcher at the NERV Lab, Institut du Cerveau in Paris. His research focuses on complex systems, network science, and applied mathematics, with applications to social and economic dynamics, as well as brain activity and cognition.

nature.comFive-stage ordering to a topological-defect-mediated ground state in a buckyball artificial spin ice - Communications PhysicsArtificial spin ices offer a way to explore emergent magnetic phenomena but are typically confined to flat geometries. Using Monte Carlo simulations, the authors determine the temperature-dependent be...

30 June

Our featured article, June 2026: Five-stage ordering to a topological-defect-mediated ground state in a buckyball artificial spin ice www.nature.com/articles/s42...

nature.comAdapting vision-language models for neutrino event classification in high-energy physics - Communications PhysicsRecent advances in large language models have expanded their capabilities beyond natural language processing, prompting exploration into their applications in high-energy physics. Here, the authors de...

29 June

Our featured article, June 2026: Adapting vision-language models for neutrino event classification in high-energy physics www.nature.com/articles/s42...

nature.comRoughening and dynamics of an electric flux string in a (2+1)D lattice gauge theory - Communications PhysicsThe roughening transition in Z2 lattice gauge theory remains a complex phenomenon, particularly in understanding the behavior of electric flux strings. Here, the authors use numerical simulations with...

28 June

Our featured article, June 2026: Roughening and dynamics of an electric flux string in a (2+1)D lattice gauge theory www.nature.com/articles/s42...

nature.comRevealing wave-wave resonant interactions in ocean wind waves - Communications PhysicsNonlinear resonant interactions have long been theorized as the mechanism that moves energy across scales in ocean wind waves, but direct evidence of these processes in the open ocean has remained elu...

26 June

Our featured article, June 2026: Revealing wave-wave resonant interactions in ocean wind waves www.nature.com/articles/s42...

26 June

Reviewer of the Month, June 2026: Dr. Carlo Vittorio Cannistraci is a theoretical engineer and computational innovator. He is a Chair Professor at the Tsinghua Laboratory of Brain and Intelligence and an adjunct professor at Tsinghua University.

doi.orgA flexible Bayesian framework for atomic masses by locally inferring configuration mixing - Communications PhysicsPredicting nuclear masses with reliable uncertainty remains a key challenge in nuclear physics. The authors introduce a probabilistic mass model that uses local Bayesian averaging to emulate configura...

Our featured article, May 2026: A flexible Bayesian framework for atomic masses by locally inferring configuration mixing. doi.org/10.1038/s420...

doi.orgTopology made visible through standing waves in a spinning fluid - Communications PhysicsWave-topology interactions lie at the heart of numerous physical phenomena, from condensed matter systems to cosmological models, exemplified by the Aharonov-Bohm effect. Drawing on its classical anal...

Our featured article, May 2026: Topology made visible through standing waves in a spinning fluid (@oistedu.bsky.social) doi.org/10.1038/s420...

doi.orgOrbital Hall effect in spin-3/2 hole-doped semiconductors and its implications for orbitronics - Communications PhysicsThe recent discovery of orbital torques, which employ the orbital angular momentum of Bloch electrons to switch the magnetisation of an adjacent ferromagnet, has motivated the search for orbitronic ma...

Our featured article, May 2026: Orbital Hall effect in spin-3/2 hole-doped semiconductors and its implications for orbitronics. doi.org/10.1038/s420...

rdcu.beThe evolution and impact of group collaboration in crisis responseCommunications Physics - Effective cross-group collaboration is crucial during crises, yet its evolving dynamics and impact on network effectiveness remain poorly understood. Here, the authors...

Our featured article, May 2026: The evolution and impact of group collaboration in crisis response. rdcu.be/flKxy

Reviewer of the Month, May 2026: Christopher Arran, a Lecturer in Ultrafast Beams and Phenomena in the Physics Department at Lancaster University, uses simulations to design and interpret experiments at high-power laser facilities, focusing on laser–plasma interactions, heat flow, strong-field QED.

nature.comActive, Entangled or Confined: Polymer Physics Across Synthetic and Living MatterThis Collection aims to unite research from diverse disciplines, encompassing theoretical, computational, and experimental studies that elucidate links ...

2 May

Communications Physics and Nature Communications are inviting Original Research, Perspective, and Review Articles for our cross-journal Collection. The Collection is guest edited by @mithunc-softint.bsky.social, @suvendu-mandal.bsky.social and Simone Napolitano. www.nature.com/collections/...

doi.orgSequential buckling in fluid-filled cylindrical shells - Communications PhysicsUnder compression, fluid-filled cylindrical shells, such as soda cans, exhibit localized axisymmetric corrugations which appear sequentially but are evenly spaced once the surface is fully decorated. ...

Our featured article, April 2026: Sequential buckling in fluid-filled cylindrical shells doi.org/10.1038/s420...

doi.orgRelativistic 56Ni decay lines in GRB 221009A - Communications PhysicsLong Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) are linked to the core collapse of massive stars, and in many cases Type Ic supernovae. Here, the authors identify that the time-evolving emission line in GRB 221009A is c...

Our featured article, April 2026: Relativistic ⁵⁶Ni decay lines in GRB 221009A doi.org/10.1038/s420...

doi.orgProgress and prospects in the underground laboratories' search for dark matter - Communications PhysicsThe authors review advancements in underground dark matter experiments, highlighting the need for enhanced detector sensitivity to unravel dark matter’s fundamental properties, with implications for a...

Our featured article, April 2026: Progress and prospects in the underground laboratories' search for dark matter doi.org/10.1038/s420...

doi.orgSpatially-resolved atmospheric turbulence sensing with two-dimensional orbital angular momentum spectroscopy - Communications PhysicsAccurately sensing atmospheric turbulence is vital for optical communications, yet standard methods often obscure the spatial nature of these distortions. Via numerical simulations, the authors show t...

Our featured article, April 2026: Spatially-resolved atmospheric turbulence sensing with two-dimensional orbital angular momentum spectroscopy doi.org/10.1038/s420...

Reviewer of the Month, April 2026: Bianka Kovács is a postdoctoral researcher at the HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research in Budapest. Her research focuses on the geometry of complex networks, and her current work also applies mathematical modeling to questions in prebiotic evolution.

rdcu.beThe superconducting diode effect in Josephson junctions fabricated from a structurally chiral superconductorCommunications Physics - The superconducting diode effect describes the non-reciprocal transport behavior of the superconducting current and certain symmetry requirements must be met to realize...

Our featured article, March 2026: The superconducting diode effect in Josephson junctions fabricated from a structurally chiral superconductor. rdcu.be/e9eHT

rdcu.beThe detection of marine microseismic activity with the CUORE tonne-scale cryogenic experimentCommunications Physics - Low-temperature calorimeters used in rare-event searches are often limited in sensitivity by noise, especially at low energies. Here, the authors show that CUORE can detect...

Our featured article, March 2026: The detection of marine microseismic activity with the CUORE tonne-scale cryogenic experiment. rdcu.be/e9eHC

doi.orgHighly efficient three-dimensional optical condensation of nano- and micro-particles using a gold-coated optical fibre module - Communications PhysicsDetecting trace amounts of harmful bacteria and nanoscale biomarkers is crucial for early diagnosis and disease prevention, yet conventional methods are often slow and lack sensitivity. The authors in...

Our featured article, March 2026: Highly efficient three-dimensional optical condensation of nano- and micro-particles using a gold-coated optical fibre module. doi.org/10.1038/s420...

doi.orgLong-range transport versus local generation in orbitronics - Communications PhysicsIn orbitronics, a fundamental debate exists on whether orbital angular momentum can travel long distances. This perspective reviews the experimental evidence and theoretical models on whether orbital ...

Our featured article, March 2026: Long-range transport versus local generation in orbitronics. doi.org/10.1038/s420...

Reviewer of the Month, March 2026: Shiladitya Sengupta is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee. His research focuses on mechanical response of amorphous solids, physics of glass transition and dynamics of supercooled liquids.

rdcu.beCharge transfer empties the flat band in 4Hb-TaS2, except at the surfaceCommunications Physics - TaS2 can be synthesised in the 4Hb stacking, a natural heterostructure of “H" and “T"-type layers, which exhibits several unusual phenomena in its low...

Our featured article, February 2026: Charge transfer empties the flat band in 4Hb-TaS₂, except at the surface rdcu.be/e52gU

rdcu.beQuantifying biases in reconstructed brain networksCommunications Physics - Network density significantly influences coefficient estimates in functional connectomes, posing challenges for consistent analysis. Here, the authors analyze multimodal...

Our featured article, February 2026: Quantifying biases in reconstructed brain networks by @comunelab.bsky.social, @manlius.bsky.social and @valedand.bsky.social rdcu.be/e52eU

rdcu.beCavity-driven arbitrary in-plane focusing of phonon polaritons in hBN with deep-subwavelength confinementCommunications Physics - In-plane confinement of phonon-polaritons (PhPs) in the mid-infrared is key for compact sensors and photonic devices, but such in-plane beam control in isotropic materials...

Our featured article, February 2026: Cavity-driven arbitrary in-plane focusing of phonon polaritons in hBN with deep-subwavelength confinement rdcu.be/e519V

rdcu.beAnti-interference circularly polarized LiDAR for ocean detectionCommunications Physics - Solar background and multiple scattering degrade the profiling depth and ocean-color parameter retrieval of ocean LiDAR. Our anti-interference circularly polarized LiDAR...

Our featured article, February 2026: Anti-interference circularly polarized LiDAR for ocean detection

Reviewer of the Month, February 2026: Shinsuke Takasao is an Associate Professor at Musashino Art University, Japan. His research focuses on plasma astrophysics, particularly solar and stellar physics and star and planet formation, using numerical simulations on supercomputers.