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Quantum number
A quantum number describes the energies of electrons in atoms. Each quantum number specifies the value of a conserved quantity in the dynamics of the quantum system. Since any quantum system can have one or more quantum numbers, it is a futile job to list all possible quantum numbers. The question of how many quantum numbers are needed to describe any given system has no universal answer, although for each system one must find the answer for a full analysis of the system. The most widely studied set of quantum numbers is that for a single electron in an atom: not only because it is useful in chemistry, being the basic notion behind the periodic table, valence (chemistry) and a host of other properties, but also because it is a solvable and realistic problem, and, as such, finds widespread use in textbooks.
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Matter & Energy News
November 4, 2025
Nov. 2, 2025 — Researchers at Maynooth University have achieved a forensic milestone by revealing fingerprints on fired bullet casings using a safe electrochemical process. The method uses mild voltage and ...
Nov. 2, 2025 — Scientists have achieved a breakthrough in light manipulation by using topological insulators to generate both even and odd terahertz frequencies through high-order harmonic generation (HHG). By embedding these exotic materials into nanostructured ...
Nov. 2, 2025 — Cambridge researchers have engineered a solar-powered “artificial leaf” that mimics photosynthesis to make valuable chemicals sustainably. Their biohybrid device combines organic semiconductors and enzymes to convert CO₂ and sunlight into ...
Oct. 30, 2025 — From mini-brains to spider-inspired gloves and wolf apple coatings, scientists are turning eerie-sounding experiments into real innovations that could revolutionize health and sustainability. Lab-grown brain organoids may replace animal testing, ...
Oct. 30, 2025 — Researchers have made germanium superconducting for the first time, a feat that could transform computing and quantum technologies. Using molecular beam epitaxy to embed gallium atoms precisely, the team stabilized the crystal structure to carry ...
Oct. 29, 2025 — Tohoku University researchers have found a way to make quantum sensors more sensitive by connecting superconducting qubits in optimized network patterns. These networks amplify faint signals possibly left by dark matter. The approach outperformed ...
Oct. 25, 2025 — A UCLA-led team has achieved the sharpest-ever view of a distant star’s disk using a groundbreaking photonic lantern device on a single telescope—no multi-telescope array required. This technology splits incoming starlight into multiple ...
Oct. 25, 2025 — Researchers propose that hydrogen gas from the early Universe emitted detectable radio waves influenced by dark matter. Studying these signals, especially from the Moon’s radio-quiet environment, could reveal how dark matter clumped together ...
Oct. 24, 2025 — A team of researchers has designed a theoretical model for a topological quantum battery capable of long-distance energy transfer and immunity to dissipation. By exploiting topological properties in photonic waveguides, they showed that energy loss ...
Oct. 23, 2025 — Scientists have developed a chromium-molybdenum-silicon alloy that withstands extreme heat while remaining ductile and oxidation-resistant. It could replace nickel-based superalloys, which are limited to about 1,100°C. The new material might make ...
Oct. 21, 2025 — Researchers have found that 2D materials can self-form microscopic cavities that trap light and electrons, altering their quantum behavior. With a miniaturized terahertz spectroscope, the team observed standing light-matter waves without needing ...
Oct. 20, 2025 — A new light-driven cancer therapy uses LEDs and tin nanoflakes to kill tumors safely and affordably. Developed by teams in Texas and Portugal, it eliminates up to 92% of skin cancer cells without ...
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Nov. 4, 2025 — Scientists at TU Wien found that electrons need specific “doorway states” to escape solids, not just energy. The insight explains long-standing anomalies in experiments and unlocks new ways to ...
Nov. 4, 2025 — Astronomers are rethinking one of cosmology’s biggest mysteries: dark energy. New findings show that evolving dark energy models, tied to ultra-light axion particles, may better fit the ...
Nov. 3, 2025 — Physicists have uncovered how direct atom-atom interactions can amplify superradiance, the collective burst of light from atoms working in sync. By incorporating quantum entanglement into their ...
Oct. 31, 2025 — Penn State scientists have devised a new method to predict superconducting materials that could work at higher temperatures. Their model bridges classical superconductivity theory with quantum ...
Oct. 30, 2025 — Two recently observed black hole mergers, occurring just weeks apart in late 2024, have opened an extraordinary new window into the universe’s most ...
Oct. 30, 2025 — In a rare global collaboration, scientists from Japan and the United States joined forces to explore one of the universe’s deepest mysteries — why anything exists at all. By combining years of ...
Oct. 29, 2025 — A University of Tokyo team has turned organic molecules into nanodiamonds using electron beams, overturning decades of assumptions about beam damage. Their discovery could transform materials science ...
Oct. 29, 2025 — Rice University researchers have captured the temperature profile of quark-gluon plasma, the ultra-hot state of matter from the dawn of the universe. ...
Oct. 26, 2025 — MIT researchers have devised a new molecular technique that lets electrons probe inside atomic nuclei, replacing massive particle accelerators with a tabletop setup. By studying radium monofluoride, ...
Oct. 24, 2025 — Researchers in Konstanz discovered a way to manipulate materials with light by exciting magnon pairs, reshaping their magnetic “fingerprint.” This allows non-thermal control of magnetic states ...