vortices

The findings demonstrate that even a surface feature only one atom high can have a powerful influence on the movement of quantum vortices.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

Scientists in Japan have discovered that tiny steps just one atom high can act like microscopic railroad tracks, guiding the movement of quantum vortices inside an ultrathin superconductor.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

Using scanning tunneling microscopy, a technique capable of imaging surfaces at the atomic level, the researchers confirmed that the steps ran parallel to one another and directly observed vortices positioned along them.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

By applying current for an extremely short period, researchers can drive the current density to very high levels before the vortices have enough time to move significantly or heat the material.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026

Hooke also did away with the vortices, introducing the idea of what we would now call ‘action at a distance’—gravity reaching out across empty space to tug on the Moon or the planets.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin