5. Advances in Superconductivity Two more elements joined the ranks of the superconductors this year. Physicists in Japan and the US found that lithium bec superconducting when subjected to extremely high pressures rved in a plutonium-based material for the first time. Researchers in the Us and germany discovered that an alloy of plutonium, cobalt and gallium exhibited superconductivtiy at temperatures below 18.5 Kelvin. The material also has a large critical current, which would be of technological importance if it were not for the hazardous radioactive properties of plutonium The properties of magnesium diboride- which made its debut as a superconductor in January 2001-- were also investigated further this year. Theorists in the US proposed that its relatively high transition temperature could be explained by the presence of two superconducting energy gaps rather than Magnesium diboride: mind the gaps Lithium joins the superconductors Plutonium is also a superconductor 6. Ultra-cold atoms research continues to make advances Research on ultra-cold atoms has been strong this year, with advances being made in the study of both Bose-Einstein and degenerate Fermi gases A Bose- Einstein condensate is a novel state of matter in which all the atoms collapse into the same quantum state. A degenerate Fermi gas is the equivalent condensation for atoms that obey Fermi-Dirac statistics The year began with the first ever observation of a quantum phase transition in a condensate. This occurs when the atoms go from all having the same quantum phase and being able to move about without friction to one where the atoms are no longer able to move freely. Physicists also showed that the presence of a Bose-Einstein condensate could trigger the collapse also reported on the unusual expansion characteristics in an ultra-cold Fermi gas this month Chers of a Fermi gas-- raising hopes that superfluidity could be observed in Fermi gases. Resea Caesium joined the condensates in October when researchers made a Bose-Einstein condensate with this element for the first time New look for bose condensates Condensate cracks Fermi gas Ultra-cold Fermi gases enter new regime Caesium joins the condensates Caesium condensate makes its debut hysicists in the UK built a nano-metre scale logic gate made entirely from metal that works at room temperature. In existing electronic circuits, logic operations are carried out by semiconductor devices. However, the density of electrons flowing through a semiconductor is limited and this restricts how small these devices can be made. Metals have higher electron If such devices could be built, they would be ideal for mobile applications such as phones and5. Advances in Superconductivity Two more elements joined the ranks of the superconductors this year. Physicists in Japan and the US found that lithium becomes superconducting when subjected to extremely high pressures. Superconductivity was also observed in a plutonium-based material for the first time. Researchers in the US and Germany discovered that an alloy of plutonium, cobalt and gallium exhibited superconductivtiy at temperatures below 18.5 Kelvin. The material also has a large critical current, which would be of technological importance if it were not for the hazardous radioactive properties of plutonium. The properties of magnesium diboride -- which made its debut as a superconductor in January 2001 -- were also investigated further this year. Theorists in the US proposed that its relatively high transition temperature could be explained by the presence of two superconducting energy gaps rather than one. Magnesium diboride: mind the gaps Lithium joins the superconductors Plutonium is also a superconductor 6. Ultra-cold atoms research continues to make advances Research on ultra-cold atoms has been strong this year, with advances being made in the study of both Bose-Einstein and degenerate Fermi gases. A Bose-Einstein condensate is a novel state of matter in which all the atoms collapse into the same quantum state. A degenerate Fermi gas is the equivalent condensation for atoms that obey Fermi-Dirac statistics. The year began with the first ever observation of a quantum phase transition in a condensate. This occurs when the atoms go from all having the same quantum phase and being able to move about without friction to one where the atoms are no longer able to move freely. Physicists also showed that the presence of a Bose-Einstein condensate could trigger the collapse of a Fermi gas -- raising hopes that superfluidity could be observed in Fermi gases. Researchers also reported on the unusual expansion characteristics in an ultra-cold Fermi gas this month. Caesium joined the condensates in October when researchers made a Bose-Einstein condensate with this element for the first time. New look for Bose condensates Condensate cracks Fermi gas Ultra-cold Fermi gases enter new regime Caesium joins the condensates Caesium condensate makes its debut 7. Magnets in nanoscale logic devices Physicists in the UK built a nano-metre scale logic gate made entirely from metal that works at room temperature. In existing electronic circuits, logic operations are carried out by semiconductor devices. However, the density of electrons flowing through a semiconductor is limited and this restricts how small these devices can be made. Metals have higher electron densities than semiconductors so a metallic logic gate could be made smaller than a semiconductor one. If such devices could be built, they would be ideal for mobile applications such as phones and