Nature Physics, Published online: 26 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41567-025-03010-8
Haptotaxis — a mechanism of sensing adhesive gradients by motile cells — was thought to rely on complex mechanochemistry. It turns out that this mechanism is simply based on the difference of adhesive friction at cell front and rear.
RSS Nature Physics
Nature Physics offers news and reviews alongside top-quality research papers in a monthly publication, covering the entire spectrum of physics. Physics addresses the properties and interactions of matter and energy, and plays a key role in the development of a broad range of technologies. To reflect this, Nature Physics covers all areas of pure and applied physics research. The journal focuses on core physics disciplines, but is also open to a broad range of topics whose central theme falls within the bounds of physics.
Feed URL: https://www.nature.com/nphys.rss
Updated: daily
Feed URL: https://www.nature.com/nphys.rss
Updated: daily
- Simple cell motility on adhesive gradients
- Single-cell migration along and against confined haptotactic gradientsNature Physics, Published online: 26 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41567-025-03015-3 Haptotaxis was traditionally seen as migration up protein gradients. It is now shown that cells can also oscillate or migrate down the gradient.
- Sub-picosecond topological phase transition in nonlinear exciton–polariton superlatticesNature Physics, Published online: 26 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41567-025-03031-3 Achieving versatile, tunable, real-time topological photonic system is challenging. Now this is accomplished by designing superlattices of WS2 and a polymer embedded in a microcavity.
- Universal anyon tunnelling in a chiral Luttinger liquidNature Physics, Published online: 23 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41567-025-03039-9 Measurements of anyons moving through a quantum point contact allow the extraction of their tunnelling exponent. This fully characterizes their topological order and confirms that they are well described by the Luttinger liquid theory.
- Chiral phononsNature Physics, Published online: 22 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41567-025-03001-9 Phonons are quanta of the vibrations of the lattice in solids. They can carry angular momentum and allow an emergent chirality. This Perspective defines various types of chiral phonon and classifies the previously observed manifestations of them.
- Topological superconductivity finds its missing pieceNature Physics, Published online: 18 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41567-025-03024-2 Topologically protected surface states are expected to exist in topological superconductors. These states have now been detected using momentum-resolved tunnelling spectroscopy in a spin-triplet superconductor.
- Acoustic phonon phase gates with number-resolving phonon detectionNature Physics, Published online: 18 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41567-025-03027-z It has been proposed that phonons propagating through a material can be used for quantum computing, in a similar manner to photons. Now, several of the quantum gates and measurements needed for this approach have been demonstrated.
- Odd-parity quasiparticle interference in the superconductive surface state of UTe<sub>2</sub>Nature Physics, Published online: 18 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41567-025-03000-w UTe2 is a proposed intrinsic topological superconductor, but its quasiparticle surface band has not yet been visualized. Now this is achieved using quasiparticle interference imaging, revealing the symmetry of the superconducting order parameter.
