A research team led by Professor Samuel Stranks at the University of Cambridge has observed ultrafast quantum phenomena in a simple, low-cost semiconductor material – a breakthrough that could make future quantum devices faster and more affordable. The necessary X-ray measurements were carried out by scientists from the Forschungszentrum Jülich at the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum and at the Technical University of Munich.

The United Nations has declared 2025 the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, marking 100 years since the birth of quantum mechanics. Fittingly, this October saw Garching become a hub of international exchange on the frontiers of quantum materials, as over 70 researchers from around the world gathered for the first-ever Munich Quantum Matter Days.

The universe consists of significantly more matter than current theories can explain. The use of ultracold neutrons allows fundamental physical questions such as these to be investigated.