A memory effect that is crucial in electronics has been seen for the first time in a cloud of ultracold atoms. The phenomenon represents a milestone in the emerging field of ‘atomtronics’, which seeks ...

A study showing how electrons flow around sharp bends, such as those found in integrated circuits, has the potential to improve how these circuits, commonly used in electronic and optoelectronic ...

A river erodes its course. In an electric circuit, does the wiring get eroded by the current, atoms, electrons etc? — Bill "It's a reasonable analogy to think of an electric current acting like a flow ...

Flowing water from a tap feels like a homogeneous medium - it is impossible to distinguish between the individual water molecules. Exactly the same thing is true about electric current. So many ...

Time to retire the old soldering iron? In the “atomtronic” circuits pictured on the right, it is atoms, not electrons, that flow. Such circuits could form the basis for ultra-sensitive gyroscopes.

If you want an electrical current to flow around a normal metal ring you have to supply enough energy to overcome the metal’s resistance – right? Not always, according to physicists in the US and ...

On a quest to discover new states of matter, a team of scientists has found that electrons on the surface of specific materials act like miniature superheroes, relentlessly dodging the cliff-like ...

Key learning points Electrical charges What are free electrons? Cell polarity Conventional current direction Electrons orbit the nucleus. An atom has a neutral charge, because it contains the same ...