Since the big bang, the early universe had hydrogen, helium, and a scant amount of lithium. Later, some heavier elements, including iron, were forged in stars. But one of the biggest mysteries in astrophysics is: How did the first elements heavier than iron, such as gold, get created and distributed throughout the universe? A new answer has come from an unexpected place - magnetars.

For decades, quantum imaging has promised sharper images and greater light sensitivity than classical methods by exploiting the unique properties of quantum light, such as photon entanglement. But the approaches to do so rely on delicate, specially engineered light sources that are easily overwhelmed by real-world noise, and it is difficult to generate quantum light bright enough for practical use.

LSU Department of Mathematics professors Stephen Shipman and Daniel Massatt, along with LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy professors Justin Wilson and Ilya Vekhter, teamed up to discover a new way to trap electrons in materials, advancing quantum matter research.

In a collaborative research effort, LSU physicist Ahana Chakraborty is involved in the discovery of a novel pathway to manipulate the properties of materials using lasers, proposing an exotic non-equilibrium phase transition to an incommensurate spatio-temporal order in insulators of any symmetry. This breakthrough potentially opens new frontiers in ultrafast non-linear phononics.

On June 7th, 2024, the United Nations declared 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ). In recognition of this historic proclamation, the LSU American Physical Society (APS) Chapter was proud to host the 2025 Q-Net Symposium, a one-day conference of talks and networking events focused on cutting-edge quantum science and technology.

The Physical Society of Japan, JPS, has awarded Dr. Hikaru Ueki, senior post-doctoral researcher in the Hearne Institute of Theoretical Physics at Louisiana State University, the Young Scientist Award for his research in the field of superconductivity and low temperature physics.