A warm welcome to three faculty members who have just joined NUS Physics! Prof Lo Hoi Kwong (center in photo) also Provost's Chair specialises in quantum information science including quantum cryptography and quantum communication. Asst Prof Marc Hon (left, Presidential Young Professorship) focuses on time-domain astronomy, machine learning and asteroseismology. The research of Asst Prof Zhang Yang (Presidential Young Professorship) involves topological states, quantum transport, and light-matter interaction in topological/strongly correlated materials and their potential applications for future quantum technology.

Professor Pablo Jarillo-Herrero, currently Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics at MIT, visited NUS Physics recently as part of the Distinguished Visitor Lecture Series. Professor Jarillo-Herrero’s research interests lie in the area of experimental condensed matter physics, in particular quantum electronic transport and optoelectronics in novel two-dimensional materials. Besides reviewing the discovery and physics of graphene as well as the principles and beauty of moiré materials, Prof Pablo also spoke passionately about some of the recent developments in the field of moiré quantum matter, including magic-angle twisted multilayer graphene. The Q&A session gave further opportunity for students to learn about the world of moiré quantum matter. Watch this video interview for more on the magic of graphene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcHbLfBQpMI

The celebratory mood, the joy of achievement, the acknowledgement of hard work—it’s graduation time yo! 17 July marked commencement for our physics graduates! Adorned in their academic regalia and marching on to receive their scrolls, this day bore witness to the fruits of their labour, sweat and tears. Well done and congratulations, Class of 2025! Read here for more: https://www.physics.nus.edu.sg/class-of-2025

Some of the fondest memories in NUS Physics for graduate student Johanna Wolf are not necessarily associated with big achievements but with the quiet resilience of community—sitting in small study groups, struggling with course mates through a problem set or just celebrating the mutual "aha!" when a concept clicks. Preparing for further studies next, the thought of contributing to something that not only pushes the boundaries of science but also has the power to change lives truly excites her.

A profound lesson for graduate student Yeo Zhen Yuan came from developing resilience through intellectual humility. His "I don't know" when asked a fundamental question during his qualifying exam triggered a “Now you’re thinking like a scientist!" response that stuck with him. This mindset transformed setbacks into opportunities. Hypothesis failures and experimental dead-ends became data, each question sparked better ones, and every “I don’t know” opened new paths.

Read their academic journey by clicking on the links.

A welcome session for incoming freshmen was held by the NUS Physics Society this week. During the event, the freshmen were introduced to the organisation and functions of the NUS Physics Society as well as the various forms of support it provides for the physics student community. The students were also informed about EDIphy, an initiative dedicated to improving equity, diversity, and inclusion in physics within NUS and across the larger physics communities. The welcome session also marked the launch of the academic mentorship programme. Academic mentors were present to interact with the freshmen. NUS Physics hopes this event helps to communicate the support and resources available for freshmen as the new academic year begins.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has been widely celebrated for its role as a celestial spy, and its recent detection of black holes devouring stars within dusty galaxies is another remarkable feat. By spotting delayed infrared emissions from tidal disruption events, JWST has enabled astrophysicists to study feasting black holes shrouded in dust. Read here for more: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/webb-telescope-jwst-black-hole-star

Scientists have discovered that wrinkles can be, er, an asset 😲. We are talking about electronics here. Most devices today use the charge of electrons flowing through silicon to process and encode information. However, computing with spin could overcome the limitations of current silicon-based technology. Bending atomically thin layers of materials like molybdenum ditelluride gives rise to a unique spin texture called persistent spin helix which can preserve a spin state even in scattering collisions. This discovery opens a promising path for ultra-compact, energy-efficient spintronic devices. Read here for more: https://phys.org/news/2025-08-wrinkles-atomically-thin-materials-ultraefficient.html

Illustratum—a showcase of creativity, resilience and the art of communication—provides a platform for school students to turn abstract scientific concepts into lively demonstrations, models, and storytelling. The heart of the contest lies in its emphasis on science communication, retelling complex physics in a way that could be easily understood. What began as a modest event in 2022 with just 55 teams from 15 schools has now blossomed into a celebration of science storytelling, with participation from 82 teams representing 25 schools this year. Read here for more: https://www.physics.nus.edu.sg/illustratum-2025/

Assistant Professor Alexey Berdyugin tuning the cryostat to explore electron mobility in graphene.

Research carried out by scientists from NUS and international collaborators achieved new records for electron mobility in graphene, matching or even surpassing gallium arsenide in both transport and quantum mobility. One study led by Assistant Professor Alexey Berdyugin from NUS Physics uses two graphene layers stacked with a large relative twist angle. Another led by Sir Professor Andre Geim from the University of Manchester placed graphene less than one nanometre away from a metallic graphite gate, separated by an ultrathin dielectric. Both approaches enabled quantum behaviour to be observed at ultra-low magnetic fields. Read here for more: https://www.science.nus.edu.sg/blog/2025/08/graphene-reaches-ultimate-electronic-quality/

Photo taken by Mr Tan Jyh Harng from NUS Physics at 1.38 am, 8 Sept @ the Grand Lawn, West Coast Park using a Celestron C5 telescope

Moon lovers in Singapore were resolute about capturing the first total lunar eclipse in three years on 7 Sept even as cloudy conditions posed a challenge to them. Elsewhere across parts of Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, the Moon also made its appearance taking on a reddish hue, a phenomenon known as a blood moon. During a total lunar eclipse, the Earth lines up between the Moon and the Sun, and the only light that reaches the Moon’s surface is from the edges of the Earth’s atmosphere. The atmosphere scatters the shorter wavelengths of light like blue, leaving longer wavelengths like red to reach the Moon's surface. The Moon thus inherits a reddish glow. The next total lunar eclipse is expected to fall on 3 March 2026. For more pictures of the blood moon, click here: https://www.straitstimes.com/multimedia/photos/in-pictures-blood-moon-lights-up-night-sky

What is the formula for taming chaos?
Amidst the whirlwind of lectures, labs, tutorials, and impending deadlines, students and faculty from NUS Physics are kicking back first of all with some footwork ⚽. And who says physicists can't bend it like Beckham? Prof Valerio led the charge with a spirited game of futsal with students during a brief respite from the relentless downpour in the days leading to the game. In another event, students and faculty gathered for a relaxing, aromatic Mookata evening lovingly organised by the NUS Physics Society. Nothing brings people together like grilling gourmet food and exchanging stories over hot stove and bubbling soup🍜.
Back to the question, the best formula seems to be just some wholesome fun—friends, food, and futsal!

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics will be announced on 7 October. Prior to that, the Ig Nobel Prize was announced recently. It honours research that first makes people laugh, then makes them think. This year, the physics award is making people's mouths water as well. It was given for "discoveries about the physics of pasta sauce, especially the phase transition that can lead to clumping, which can be a cause of unpleasantness." Read here for more: https://phys.org/news/2025-09-ig-physics-nobel-prize-pasta.html

The Nobel Prize in Physics 2025 was awarded jointly to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis "for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit". To find out about the works of the Nobel laureates, read here for more:
https://phys.org/news/2025-10-nobel-prize-physics-scientists-discoveries.html

NUS Physics alumnus Dr Goh Koon Tong co-founded Squareroot8 Technologies and is now its chief technology officer. Assembling a team with diverse academic backgrounds ranging from quantum physics, software engineering to business development, the start-up is now ready to launch its encryption services using quantum cryptography technology. Read here for more: https://www.straitstimes.com/tech/spore-quantum-start-up-aims-to-make-critical-systems-unhackable

What does quantum cryptography entail? What kinds of problems can quantum technologies solve that current technologies cannot? Prof Lo Hoi Kwong from NUS Physics, also Provost’s Chair Professor, addresses these questions and more in an interview where he shares about his motivation, research interests and works in the field of quantum information science: https://www.physics.nus.edu.sg/an-interview-with-prof-lo-hoi-kwong/

Scientists have developed a "fingerprint matrix" technique that uses an object’s unique wave-scattering signature to locate it even when buried in opaque materials like sand. Tested on metal spheres and in medical imaging, this method could reveal hidden objects and monitor medical markers for the diagnosis of medical conditions. Read here for more: https://phys.org/news/2025-10-treasures-physics-fingerprint-matrix-method.html

Figure a shows a schematic diagram of the scanning tunneling measurement (STM) on 2D chromium (III) selenide. Figure b shows a high resolution STM image revealing the granular charge density wave pattern. 

A research team led by Professor Chen Wei from NUS Physics synthesised single-layer semiconducting chromium (III) selenide and demonstrated the charge density wave electronic patterns widely observed in metallic 2D transition metal chalcogenides. The wave pattern in the semiconducting layer can be tuned via surface charge transfer doping without introducing foreign impurities. Being antiferromagnetic opens a platform to understand the interplay between magnetism, charge order, and electron correlation. Read here for more: https://www.science.nus.edu.sg/blog/2025/09/doping-induces-charge-density-wave-in-two-dimensional-semiconductor/

Singapore is stepping up its quantum race with the National Quantum Office’s announcement of a strategic partnership with tech firm Quantinuum to accelerate quantum technology development. Under the deal, Singapore will host Helios, its first state-of-the-art general-purpose quantum computer—the first of its kind outside the US. Watch video here for more: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/watch/singapore-be-first-country-outside-us-host-quantinuums-helios-quantum-computer-5451196

Astronomers have captured the earliest moments of a supernova in a nearby galaxy, revealing that the blast was elongated rather than spherical. The intrinsic shape of the shock breakout tells a lot of how it was triggered at the heart of the star in the first place. The observations support the theory that the shock wave is initiated by subatomic particles called neutrinos being energised deep in the stellar interior. Read here for more: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/supernova-first-moments-lopsided-blast

Team members from The Incomputents & Co. (Yugam is second from the left)

A multidisciplinary team of five led by physics and engineering science undergraduate Vora Yugam Jinesh edged out competitors to emerge the winner of the Credit Risk Counterparty challenge at the Quantum Finance Hackathon 2025.

"When the competition presented a direct challenge in computational finance that explicitly called for the kind of first-principles, analytical approach I’ve developed through my coursework, it was an opportunity I could not pass up. The chance to apply advanced concepts from both classical and quantum computation to a high-stakes financial problem was irresistible," Yugam said in an interview.

Read here for more: https://www.science.nus.edu.sg/blog/2025/11/when-science-meets-finance-a-winning-solution-that-reimagines-how-banks-measure-risk/