We are pleased to announce the 10 newly selected outstanding papers, which were published in Frontiers of Physics between 2024 and 2025. These papers span a wide range of disciplines — from machine learning in materials science, quantum physics, atomic, molecular and optical (AMO) physics, and condensed matter physics, to acoustics and photonics — and together they capture some of the most exciting frontiers in contemporary physics.
The selected papers showcase notable progress across these fields:
• In the era of AI for science, machine learning is transforming spectroscopy and materials research. The papers on machine learning in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, machine learning in materials science, and deep learning in two-dimensional materials demonstrate how data-driven methods are accelerating materials characterization, property prediction, and rational design.
• In quantum physics, quantum secure direct communication with hybrid entanglement advances the realization of secure quantum networks, while the emulation of Thouless pumping in the interacting Rice–Mele model using superconducting qutrits highlights the power of programmable quantum simulators for exploring topological transport phenomena.
• In atomic, molecular and optical physics, the study of two-dimensional anisotropic vortex quantum droplets in dipolar Bose–Einstein condensates deepens our understanding of exotic quantum liquid states.
• In condensed matter physics, the observation of impurity-induced scale-free localization in disordered non-Hermitian electrical circuits reveals localization and transport behaviors unique to non-Hermitian systems, representing a frontier of topological and non-Hermitian physics.
• In acoustics and metamaterials, the efficient conversion of acoustic vortex beams with an extremely anisotropic metasurface and the nanophononic-metamaterial-induced proximity effect in heat-flux regulation demonstrate the remarkable ability of metamaterials to control wave and thermal transport.
• In photonics, the study of curved anisotropic polaritons provides a versatile platform for engineering light–matter interactions.
We extend our sincere congratulations to all the authors on the well-deserved recognition their work has received from the community, as reflected in its high citation and wide readership. We hope these papers will continue to inspire new research, and we warmly encourage all scientists to consider Frontiers of Physics as a welcoming and high-quality venue for publishing their work.
We also express our sincere gratitude to all the authors, reviewers, and editors whose valuable contributions made these achievements possible.