Preserving quantum information is key to developing useful quantum computing systems. But interacting quantum systems are chaotic and follow laws of thermodynamics, eventually leading to information loss. Physicists have long known of a strange exception, called dynamical freezing, when quantum systems shaken at precisely tuned frequencies evade these laws. But how long can this phenomenon postpone thermodynamics? Not forever, but for an astonishingly long time, Cornell physicists have determined, giving the first quantitative answer.

For his contributions to developing the highest resolution electron microscope in the world, David Muller, the Samuel B. Eckert Professor in the School of Applied and Engineering Physics at the Cornell Duffield College of Engineering, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering.

For decades, ferromagnetic materials have driven technologies like magnetic hard drives, magnetic random access memories and oscillators. But antiferromagnetic materials, if only they could be harnessed, hold out even greater promise: ultra-fast information transfer and communications at much higher frequencies – a “holy grail” for physicists.

From soft robots crawling through crops to bio-based fertilizers that protect waterways, the future of farming lies at the intersection of scientific disciplines, according to a new study describing how agriculture’s toughest challenges require coordinated breakthroughs in biology, chemistry, engineering and data science.