News / Highlights / Colloquium
EPJ Plus Highlight - A better model for effective neutron capture therapy
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- Published on 19 December 2025
Accounting for multiple neutron production mechanisms, the model makes safe neutron-based cancer treatments easier to control
Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is an innovative technique for treating tumours that are non-operable, or resistant to more conventional treatments. To exploit BNCT’s potential at its best, a neutron beam with suitable energy and angular distributions is needed. Nowadays, proton accelerators coupled to lithium or beryllium targets are widely used as neutron sources, but so far, the yields of neutrons produced by the beryllium target, which is the safest and most controllable of the two, have proven difficult to calculate.
Through new research published in EPJ Plus, Alessandro Colombi and colleagues at Italy’s National Institute for Nuclear Physics have developed a new model for proton-BNCT, which can more accurately calculate the neutron beams produced when protons are fired into a thick beryllium-9 target. Their model could ultimately lead to more reliable techniques for treating malignant tumours.
EPJ Plus Focus Point Issue: Scientific Research in Cultural Heritage 2022
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- Published on 12 December 2025
Guest Editors: Ludovic Bellot-Gurlet, Danilo Bersani, Anne-Solenn Le Hô, Delphine Neff, Laurianne Robinet, Aurélie Tournié
This EPJ Plus Focus Point on “Scientific Research in Cultural Heritage: articles from the 5th International Conference on Innovation in Art Research and Technology (inArt 2022)” brings together 33 papers from 47 oral presentations and 119 posters presented at the conference held in Paris from 28 June to 1 July 2022. These articles illustrate the wide range of topics covered at the conference, which fall within the scope of archaeometry or conservation science. The aspects presented in the various studies may concern issues of understanding ancient materials and techniques, as well as deterioration mechanisms and conservation strategies. Transversally, given the objects to be studied and the constraints posed by heritage objects, the use of mobile instruments and on-site measurements is involved in many of the works, whether in case studies or in the development of specific methodologies.
Since the 2022 edition in Paris, a new edition of the inArt conferences has been organised in Oslo (Norway) from 4 to 7 June 2024, which will again give rise to articles to be published in an EPJ Plus focus point on Advances and Innovation in Heritage Science.
All articles are available here and are freely accessible until 9 February 2026. For further information, read the Editorial.
EPJ Plus Focus Point: Best doctoral theses from the Spanish Royal Physics Society (RSEF) in 2023-24
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- Published on 24 November 2025
Guest Editors: Luis Viña, María Luisa Sarsa, Rosa María Benito Zafrilla, Diego Porras Torre, Gastón García
In this special issue of EPJ Plus three articles are included, corresponding to the authors of the PhD thesis awarded by a biannual prize established by the The Spanish Royal Physics Society (“Real Sociedad Española de Física”, RSEF). These awards, announced in the biennial meeting in San Sebastian (Spain) in July 2025, highlight the work of researchers at the beginning of their careers and aim at encouraging others to apply for a thesis award, join the RSEF, and help physics contribute to creating a more educated, tolerant, diverse and resilient society.
All articles are available here and are freely accessible until 31 December 2025. For further information, read the Editorial.
EPJ Plus Highlight - Investigating charge transport in hybrid nanowires
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- Published on 21 November 2025
Analysis reveals how electron-hole pairs are reflected and transmitted across the interfaces of a hybrid nanowire – featuring alternating sections of a normal conductor and a high-temperature superconductor.
High-temperature superconductors are quickly opening up new possibilities for nanoscale circuits, which are likely to become key building blocks of future quantum technologies. As this research advances, a deep understanding of how electrical currents flow through superconductors dominated by quantum effects is becoming increasingly important.
Through theoretical analysis detailed in EPJ Plus, Francisco Estrella and Linda Reichl at the University of Texas at Austin provide one of the most detailed descriptions to date of how electron-hole pairs behave within hybrid nanowires – made from alternating sections of normally conducting material and a high-temperature superconductor. Their results clarify how hybrid nanowires could become a reliable testbed for fundamental quantum phenomena and could help pave the way for their use in real-world quantum technologies.
EPJ Plus Focus Point Issue: Tensions in Cosmology from Early to Late Universe: Part II: New Directions in the Light of Observations from the Most Modern Astronomical Facilities
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- Published on 29 October 2025
Guest Editors: Salvatore Capozziello, E. Di Valentino, Vahe G. Gurzadyan
The papers included in this Focus Point collection are devoted to the studies on the cosmological tensions and challenges stimulated by the latest observational data. The first results of the LARES-2 laser ranging satellite on the high precision testing of the frame-dragging effect predicted by General Relativity are presented. The data on the S-stars monitoring in the Galactic center obtained by GRAVITY collaboration were analysed within the Physics-informed neural network (PINN) approach. The results enabled to probe the role of the cosmological constant, of the dark matter, the star cluster in the core of the Galaxy obtaining an upper limit for the star density. The topics include the conversion of high-frequency relic gravitational waves into photons in cosmological magnetic field, cosmological gravitational waves stochastic background generation through the spontaneous breaking of a global baryon number symmetry, observational predictions of the Starobinsky inflation model and other studies.
All articles are available here and are freely accessible until 31 December 2025. For further information, read the Editorial.
EPJ Plus Highlight - An interferometric approach to multi-parameter measurement
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- Published on 21 October 2025
Novel interferometer setup enables multiple parameters of an optical network to be measured simultaneously, with a precision limited only by the laws of quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics has vastly improved our ability to make precise measurements. By harnessing effects such as entanglement, squeezing and interference, researchers have surpassed the noise limits imposed on classical techniques – allowing for higher-resolution measurements of quantities including energy, time, and polarization. Over the past decade, it has become especially important for researchers to measure multiple physical parameters of a quantum system simultaneously. However, previous approaches have faced numerous challenges – including the constraints they impose on the values of unknown parameters.
Through new research published in EPJ Plus, an international team from the University of Bari, Italy, and the University of Portsmouth, UK, presents an interferometry-based quantum sensing scheme capable of simultaneously estimating multiple parameters of an optical network, with a sensitivity limited only by the fundamental laws of quantum mechanics. Their approach could help to improve the precision and scope of quantum measurements across applications ranging from biological imaging to gravitational wave detection.
EPJ Plus Highlight - Probing quantum weirdness using particle colliders
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- Published on 21 October 2025
An international collaboration of researchers presents a roadmap of future experiments at colliders like the LHC, investigating the nature of quantum correlations, such as entanglement and Bell nonlocality at ultra-high energies
So far, many of the most mind-bending properties of quantum mechanics have only been studied extensively in low-energy laboratory setups. Recently, however, researchers have begun to consider how these experiments could be carried out at higher energies – achievable through particle accelerators like the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Offering energies some 12 orders of magnitude higher than lab setups, these instruments provide a novel environment where quantum phenomena can be probed experimentally.
Through a new paper published in EPJ Plus, an international collaboration of researchers presents a roadmap for these studies: identifying the challenges that need to be overcome, and setting out realistic goals for future research, which may be carried out in different scenarios at future generations of colliders. The team’s analysis could help guide efforts to deepen our understanding of the enigmatic nature of quantum mechanics.
EPJ Plus Highlight - A roadmap for radiobiology and cancer research at the Extreme Light Infrastructure
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- Published on 09 September 2025
Roadmap suggests how promising advances could be made through tightly focused and coordinated experiments at the Extreme Light Infrastructure’s facilities, combined with ongoing improvements to its instruments and infrastructure
The Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) is an international research organisation hosting the world’s largest collection of high-power lasers. With state-of-the-art facilities in the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Romania, it specialises in producing radiation by accelerating tightly packed bunches of subatomic particles close to the speed of light, using ultrahigh-intensity laser pulses. Among ELI’s central goals is to provide leading researchers with open access to ultra-short pulses of radiation, which are playing an increasingly important role in radiobiology and cancer therapy.
In a new paper in EPJ Plus, a collaboration led by Daniele Margarone at the ELI Beamlines Facility present a detailed roadmap for future research at ELI. Their efforts could be crucial in validating the potential of its cutting-edge radiation sources and could pave the way for transformational advances in radiobiology and cancer therapy.
EPJ Plus Focus Point Issue: Advances in Analytical Techniques for Archaeological Potteries
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- Published on 02 September 2025
Guest Editors: Simona Raneri, Remy Chapoulie, Florence Liard and Mohammadamin Emami
The Focus Point "Advances in Analytical Techniques for Archaeological Potteries" collects a selection of peer-reviewed papers originally presented at the 16th European Conference on Ancient Ceramics (EMAC, Pisa, June 2023), an occasion to dicuss the latest advances in the scientific analysis of archaeological potteries.
This biennial event fosters dialogue between scholars in the humanities and in the natural sciences. It explores a wide range of topics in a global perspective, with studies on ancient ceramics from China to South America that approach questions of production, use, and post-depositional alteration. This thematic collection aims to present original research that highlights recent advances in analytical techniques for the study of archaeological ceramics, with particular emphasis on methodological innovations, novel approaches, and scientific advances in the development of analytical techniques and protocols.
All articles are available here and are freely accessible until 31 October 2025. For further information, read the Editorial.
EPJ Plus Focus Point Issue: Machine Learning for Materials Physics: From Pitfalls to Best Practices
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- Published on 02 September 2025
Guest Editors: Domenico Di Sante and Anirvan M. Sengupta
The fusion of machine learning (ML) and materials science is opening unprecedented opportunities in research and innovation. As traditional methods struggle to face the complexity of modern materials and their vast datasets, ML is intervening to accelerate discovery, optimize properties, and shed light on intricate phenomena.
In the Focus Point "Machine Learning for Materials Physics: From Pitfalls to Best Practices" six studies showcase how ML is permeating this field. From modeling quantum many-body systems to predicting new superconducting materials, these papers highlight how ML algorithms are driving efficiency, enhancing precision, and offering new possibilities. This Focus Point also addresses key challenges, such as interpretability and scalability, highlighting the need for interdisciplinary collaboration between ML experts and materials scientists.
Dive into this special issue to explore the cutting-edge innovations reshaping materials science—and see how ML is revolutionizing our understanding of the physical world.
All articles are available here and are freely accessible until 31 October 2025. For further information, read the Editorial.
