The Department of Physics and Astronomy hosted the second annual Acevedo Poster Contest March 4, giving participating students a chance to show how they used computing resources, tools, or techniques in their research.

In a recent article in Nature Communications, University of Iowa Prof. Yannick Meurice and colleagues reported the observation of a new quantum physics phase called the "floating phase," where the crystalline order is not “locked” to an underlying grid. The physical setup is a ladder-shaped array of Rubidium atoms proposed by Meurice as a quantum simulator to study the evolution of charged particles interacting with photons in the context of particle physics. The atoms are prepared in two states and can be interpreted as qubits.

Researchers at the University of Iowa have learned more about how Earth’s uppermost atmospheric layer may contribute to aurora, the colorful dance of lights in the skies in the Northern and Southern hemispheres.

On Iowa Public Radio's River to River program, Associate Professor Allison Jaynes talked about "planet parade" in our night sky, where seven other planets in our solar system will be visible from North America.

In this article from the Iowa City Press Citizen and Des Moines Register, Associate Professor Allison Jaynes comments on a rare planet parade in the night sky at the end of February.

In a recent study, Henry Hammer and Ravitej Uppu from the University of Iowa discovered that an alternative fiber geometry — rectangular rather than the conventional circular cross-section — can significantly enhance information transfer rates. Their findings could improve not only telecommunications but also the emerging field of photonic quantum computing.

This Daily Iowan story tells how a team of researchers led by Thomas Folland, a professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Iowa created a new infrared cryo microscope. The homemade microscope was created to enable the recent study aimed at deepening the understanding of material behavior, particularly semiconductors at very low temperatures.

Eight undergraduate students in the Department of Physics and Astronomy were recently awarded scholarships. They include: Emerson Peters, Avi Kaufman, Eric Biedke, Mary Haag, Phillipe Jay, Aditya Venkatesh, and Zachary Piker.

Physics and Astronomy graduate students Rui Huang, Hossein Zandipour, Hassan Bukhari, Yuanzheng Wen, Jodie McLennan, Eudes Gomes da Silva were recently awarded scholarships.

The infrared cryo-microscope, designed by a team led by Thomas Folland, assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, uses off-the shelf components to make precise measurements of different materials’ properties.