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TABLE OF CONTENTS February 2015 Volume 11, Issue 2 Insight Editorials Commentaries Research Highlights News and Views Thesis Perspective Progress Articles Reviews Letters Articles Corrigendum Futures Subscribe   Facebook   RSS   Recommend to library   Twitter   Advertisement Tiny treasure: The future of nano-gold Watch this new Animation from Nature Nanotechnology and access Nature Outlook Gold free online for another six months.  Produced with support from:  World Gold Council    Insight Top Insight on Non-equilibrium physics Table of contents Efforts to probe the physics of systems removed from equilibrium date back to Maxwell himself. But recent progress has renewed interest in the endeavour – a trend highlighted by this Insight, collecting key advances from across the research spectrum. Editorials Top A bet on quantum   p89 doi:10.1038/nphys3261 The UK is investing ambitiously in quantum technologies. Lowering the blinds   p89 doi:10.1038/nphys3262 Nature Physics will soon offer the option of double-blind peer review, for which authors and referees are anonymous. Commentaries Top Inside the quantum Hall effect   pp90 - 91 Wolfgang Ketterle doi:10.1038/nphys3231 Recent ultracold atom experiments reveal the wavefunction dynamics in the quantum Hall regime. See also: Letter by Aidelsburger et al. Research Highlights Top Hungry giant | Tell-tale oxygen | Ripple effect | Spike the ball | Spin control News and Views Top Superconductivity: Higgs, Anderson and all that   p93 Philip W. Anderson doi:10.1038/nphys3247 The Higgs mechanism is normally associated with high energy physics, but its roots lie in superconductivity. And now there is evidence for a Higgs mode in disordered superconductors near the superconductor-insulator transition. See also: Article by Sherman et al. Valleytronics: Divide and polarize   pp94 - 95 Bernhard Urbaszek and Xavier Marie doi:10.1038/nphys3248 The valley index of an electron is a magnetic moment that can be initialized optically and probed electrically. Now, experiments reveal how magnetic fields can break the degeneracy for states with different valley indices. See also: Letter by Aivazian et al. | Letter by Srivastava et al. Topological protection: Of bagels and Burgers   pp95 - 96 Thomas Witten doi:10.1038/nphys3232 Even simple periodic mechanical lattices can exhibit exotic topologically protected modes. Incorporating defects into the mix makes things more interesting — revealing modes whose characteristics depend on properties of both the lattice and the defect. See also: Letter by Paulose et al. Rosetta mission: When the dust has settled   pp96 - 97 David Jewitt doi:10.1038/nphys3245 The Rosetta orbiter following Comet 67P has captured not only the public imagination but also actual dust grains from the comet's nucleus, revealing their composition, morphology and strength. Plasma physics: How to spark a field   pp98 - 99 Francisco Suzuki-Vidal doi:10.1038/nphys3239 The successful formation of self-generated magnetic fields in the lab using large-scale, high-power lasers opens the door to a better understanding of some of the most extreme astrophysical processes taking place in the Universe. See also: Letter by Huntington et al. Ten years of Nature Physics: The monopole movement   pp99 - 100 Claudio Castelnovo doi:10.1038/nphys3251 The monopole picture for spin ice offers a natural description of a confounding class of materials. A 2009 paper in Nature Physics applied it to study the dynamical properties of these systems — sparking intense experimental and theoretical efforts in the years that followed. Physics JOBS of the week Postdoctoral Fellows in Ultrafast AMO physics Stanford University PhD Position in "Polymer Physics" at the University of Freiburg Albert-Ludwigs-Universitaet Freiburg PhD in Chemical Physics Lund University Doctoral Student (Ph.D.) position in Quantum optics and atomic physics ICFO - The Institute of Photonic Sciences Associate Professorship in experimental materials / condensed matter physics (ID 702115) Aarhus University More Science jobs from Physics EVENT Unifying Physics and Technology in Light of Maxwell's Equations 16th Nov - 17th Nov 2015 London, UK More science events from Editorial Top Insight on Non-equilibrium physics Topics in non-equilibrium physics   p103 Abigail Klopper doi:10.1038/nphys3260 Thesis Top Insight on Non-equilibrium physics Dissipate to replicate   p104 Mark Buchanan doi:10.1038/nphys3246 Commentary Top Insight on Non-equilibrium physics Diverse phenomena, common themes   pp105 - 107 Christopher Jarzynski doi:10.1038/nphys3229 Our framework for understanding non-equilibrium behaviour is yet to match the simplicity and power of equilibrium statistical physics. But recent theoretical and experimental advances reveal key principles that unify seemingly unrelated topics. Perspective Top Insight on Non-equilibrium physics The other QFT   pp108 - 110 Peter Hänggi and Peter Talkner doi:10.1038/nphys3167 Fluctuation theorems go beyond the linear response regime to describe systems far from equilibrium. But what happens to these theorems when we enter the quantum realm? The answers, it seems, are now coming thick and fast. Progress Articles Top Insight on Non-equilibrium physics Active gel physics   pp111 - 117 J. Prost, F. Jülicher and J-F. Joanny doi:10.1038/nphys3224 Equilibrium physics is ill-equipped to explain all of life's subtleties, largely because living systems are out of equilibrium. Attempts to overcome this problem have given rise to a lively field of research—and some surprising biological findings. Insight on Non-equilibrium physics Towards quantum thermodynamics in electronic circuits   pp118 - 123 Jukka P. Pekola doi:10.1038/nphys3169 Experiments probing non-equilibrium processes have so far been tailored largely to classical systems. The endeavour to extend our understanding into the quantum realm is finding traction in studies of electronic circuits at sub-kelvin temperatures. Reviews Top Insight on Non-equilibrium physics Quantum many-body systems out of equilibrium   pp124 - 130 J. Eisert, M. Friesdorf and C. Gogolin doi:10.1038/nphys3215 Statistical mechanics is adept at describing the equilibria of quantum many-body systems. But drive these systems out of equilibrium, and the physics is far from clear. Recent advances have broken new ground in probing these equilibration processes. Insight on Non-equilibrium physics Thermodynamics of information   pp131 - 139 Juan M. R. Parrondo, Jordan M. Horowitz and Takahiro Sagawa doi:10.1038/nphys3230 The task of integrating information into the framework of thermodynamics dates back to Maxwell and his infamous demon. Recent advances have made these ideas rigorous—and brought them into the laboratory. Letters Top Valley Zeeman effect in elementary optical excitations of monolayer WSe2   pp141 - 147 Ajit Srivastava, Meinrad Sidler, Adrien V. Allain, Dominik S. Lembke, Andras Kis et al. doi:10.1038/nphys3203 Charge carriers in transition metal dichalcogenides have an extra degree of freedom known as valley pseudospin, which is associated with the shape of the energy bands. Experiments show that this pseudospin can be manipulated using magnetic fields. See also: Letter by Aivazian et al. | News and Views by Urbaszek & Marie Magnetic control of valley pseudospin in monolayer WSe2   pp148 - 152 G. Aivazian, Zhirui Gong, Aaron M. Jones, Rui-Lin Chu, J. Yan et al. doi:10.1038/nphys3201 Charge carriers in transition metal dichalcogenides have an extra degree of freedom known as valley pseudospin, which is associated with the shape of the energy bands. Experiments show that this pseudospin can be manipulated using magnetic fields. See also: Letter by Srivastava et al. | News and Views by Urbaszek & Marie Topological modes bound to dislocations in mechanical metamaterials   pp153 - 156 Jayson Paulose, Bryan Gin-ge Chen and Vincenzo Vitelli doi:10.1038/nphys3185 Mechanical metamaterials are artificial structures whose properties originate from their geometry. In such structures, it is now shown that topological modes can exist that are robust against a range of structural deformations. See also: News and Views by Witten Mesoscopic Rydberg-blockaded ensembles in the superatom regime and beyond   pp157 - 161 T. M. Weber, M. Höning, T. Niederprüm, T. Manthey, O. Thomas et al. doi:10.1038/nphys3214 To gain insight into the properties of quantum matter, a superatom—an ensemble of strongly interacting atoms in the Rydberg blockade regime—is created and characterized by precisely controlling the density and Rydberg excitations. Measuring the Chern number of Hofstadter bands with ultracold bosonic atoms   pp162 - 166 M. Aidelsburger, M. Lohse, C. Schweizer, M. Atala, J. T. Barreiro et al. doi:10.1038/nphys3171 Chern numbers characterize the quantum Hall effect conductance—non-zero values are associated with topological phases. Previously only spotted in electronic systems, they have now been measured in ultracold atoms subject to artificial gauge fields. See also: Commentary by Ketterle Multipartite Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering and genuine tripartite entanglement with optical networks   pp167 - 172 Seiji Armstrong, Meng Wang, Run Yan Teh, Qihuang Gong, Qiongyi He et al. doi:10.1038/nphys3202 The quantum mechanical concept of 'steering' refers to the feasibility of one system to nonlocally affect, or steer, another system's states through local measurements. Multipartite steering is now demonstrated in a programmable optical network. Observation of magnetic field generation via the Weibel instability in interpenetrating plasma flows   pp173 - 176 C. M. Huntington, F. Fiuza, J. S. Ross, A. B. Zylstra, R. P. Drake et al. doi:10.1038/nphys3178 Astrophysical processes are often driven by collisionless plasma shock waves. The Weibel instability, a possible mechanism for developing such shocks, has now been generated in a laboratory set-up with laser-generated plasmas. See also: News and Views by Suzuki-Vidal Identifying the 'fingerprint' of antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations in iron pnictide superconductors   pp177 - 182 M. P. Allan, Kyungmin Lee, A. W. Rost, M. H. Fischer, F. Massee et al. doi:10.1038/nphys3187 The mechanism holding Cooper pairs together in iron-based superconductors is highly debated. Finding the fingerprint of the pairing mechanism would be a leap forward. Light-controlled topological charge in a nematic liquid crystal   pp183 - 187 Maryam Nikkhou, Miha Škarabot, Simon Čopar, Miha Ravnik, Slobodan Žumer et al. doi:10.1038/nphys3194 Topological charges form readily at defects in liquid crystals, but controlling them is a formidable task. An innovative approach pins defects to a microfibre, enabling controlled creation and manipulation of topological charges. Articles Top The Higgs mode in disordered superconductors close to a quantum phase transition   pp188 - 192 Daniel Sherman, Uwe S. Pracht, Boris Gorshunov, Shachaf Poran, John Jesudasan et al. doi:10.1038/nphys3227 The Higgs mechanism is best known for generating mass for subatomic particles. Less well-known is that the idea originated in the study of superconductivity, and can be tested in the laboratory. See also: News and Views by Anderson Experimental test of the quantum Jarzynski equality with a trapped-ion system   pp193 - 199 Shuoming An, Jing-Ning Zhang, Mark Um, Dingshun Lv, Yao Lu et al. doi:10.1038/nphys3197 The Jarzynski equality, relating non-equilibrium processes to free-energy differences between equilibrium states, has been verified in a number of classical systems. An ion-trap experiment now succeeds in demonstrating its quantum counterpart. Corrigendum Top Stiffening solids with liquid inclusions   p199 Robert W. Style, Rostislav Boltyanskiy, Benjamin Allen, Katharine E. Jensen, Henry P. Foote et al. doi:10.1038/nphys3243 Futures Top Low-city life   p200 David G. Blake doi:10.1038/nphys3258 It's no game. Top Natureevents is a fully searchable, multi-disciplinary database designed to maximise exposure for events organisers. The contents of the Natureevents Directory are now live. The digital version is available here. Find the latest scientific conferences, courses, meetings and symposia on natureevents.com. For event advertising opportunities across the Nature Publishing Group portfolio please contact natureevents@nature.com More Nature Events

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