Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics papers

Pofolia’s corpus holds 65 papers from Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics (2012–2026), each with a short summary. Below, the 20 most-cited, then the most recently added.

At a glance

• Most cited: Squeeze-and-Excitation Networks (2019, 12,562 citations).
• The 20 papers listed have 99,807 citations between them.
• 16 of the 18 with a known journal quartile appeared in a Q1 journal.
• 7 have a free full text (open access).
• Most frequent journals: Reviews of Modern Physics, Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation, Science.
• Published between 2012 and 2020.

Most cited

Ranked by citation count. Because citations accumulate over time, this list naturally leans towards work published a few years ago; for where the field is now, see “recently added”. How to read the signals

• Squeeze-and-Excitation Networks

  IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence · 2019 · Q1 · SJR 4.00 · FWCI 981.84 · 12,562 citations

  This paper introduces the "Squeeze-and-Excitation" (SE) block, a novel architectural unit for Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) that adaptively recalibrates channel-wise feature responses by modeling interdependencies between channels.

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• Double-slit photoelectron interference in strong-field ionization of the neon dimer

  GSI Repository (GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung) · 2019 · FWCI 834.60 · 8,267 citations · Open access

  Researchers observed two-center interference in photoelectron momentum distributions from neon dimers ionized by a strong laser field, demonstrating wave-particle duality in a molecular system.

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• Double-slit photoelectron interference in strong-field ionization of the neon dimer

  Nature Communications · 2018 · Q1 · SJR 4.00 · FWCI 497.73 · 8,260 citations · Open access

  Researchers observed two-center interference in photoelectron momentum distributions from ionized neon dimers, demonstrating wave-particle duality in a molecular system.

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• Software update: the ORCA program system, version 4.0

  Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews Computational Molecular Science · 2017 · Q1 · SJR 4.00 · FWCI 181.72 · 5,800 citations

  The ORCA electronic structure package has been updated to version 4.0, introducing new capabilities since its initial publication in 2012.

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• Cavity optomechanics

  Reviews of Modern Physics · 2014 · Q1 · SJR 13.00 · FWCI 217.57 · 5,706 citations · Open access

  This review surveys the field of cavity optomechanics, which studies the interplay between light and mechanical motion at the nanoscale.

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• Weyl and Dirac semimetals in three-dimensional solids

  Reviews of Modern Physics · 2018 · Q1 · SJR 13.00 · FWCI 266.51 · 4,574 citations

  Recent discoveries have identified 3D crystals exhibiting low-energy electronic properties described by Dirac or Weyl equations, leading to unusual physical phenomena and potential new applications.

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• MMPBSA.py: An Efficient Program for End-State Free Energy Calculations

  Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation · 2012 · Q1 · SJR 1.00 · FWCI 40.59 · 4,537 citations

  MMPBSA.py is a new Python program that streamlines end-state free energy calculations for molecules in solution, offering multiple solvation models and parallel processing for speed.

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• GFN2-xTB—An Accurate and Broadly Parametrized Self-Consistent Tight-Binding Quantum Chemical Method with Multipole Electrostatics and Density-Dependent Dispersion Contributions

  Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation · 2019 · Q1 · SJR 1.00 · FWCI 143.75 · 4,319 citations · Open access

  A new quantum chemical method, GFN2-xTB, is introduced for fast calculations of molecular systems up to ~1000 atoms, incorporating novel anisotropic density fluctuation effects and a self-consistent dispersion model.

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• CP2K: An electronic structure and molecular dynamics software package - Quickstep: Efficient and accurate electronic structure calculations

  The Journal of Chemical Physics · 2020 · Q1 · FWCI 163.03 · 4,204 citations · Open access

  CP2K is an open-source software package designed for atomistic simulations across various systems, excelling in massively parallel and linear-scaling electronic structure methods.

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• Signatures of Majorana Fermions in Hybrid Superconductor-Semiconductor Nanowire Devices

  Science · 2012 · Q1 · SJR 10.00 · FWCI 176.33 · 4,201 citations

  Researchers observed bound, midgap states at zero bias voltage in hybrid superconductor-semiconductor nanowires, providing evidence for Majorana fermions.

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• Spin-Torque Switching with the Giant Spin Hall Effect of Tantalum

  Science · 2012 · Q1 · SJR 10.00 · FWCI 90.31 · 4,083 citations

  Researchers report a giant spin Hall effect in beta-tantalum, enabling efficient spin-torque switching of ferromagnets at room temperature, a breakthrough for spintronic devices.

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• Quantum cryptography: Public key distribution and coin tossing

  Theoretical Computer Science · 2014 · Q2 · FWCI 50.54 · 3,956 citations

  Quantum channels, leveraging the uncertainty principle, enable secure public key distribution by detecting eavesdropping attempts that disturb transmissions. This allows two users to share random key information without prior secrets, even over insecure classical channels.

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• Quantum sensing

  Reviews of Modern Physics · 2017 · Q1 · SJR 13.00 · FWCI 106.70 · 3,933 citations

  Quantum sensors, utilizing single or few qubits and entanglement, offer unprecedented precision in metrology beyond classical devices.

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• Experimental Observation of the Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect in a Magnetic Topological Insulator

  Science · 2013 · Q1 · SJR 10.00 · FWCI 116.40 · 3,905 citations

  Researchers have experimentally observed the quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect in chromium-doped (Bi,Sb)2Te3 thin films, a magnetic topological insulator.

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• Modern Quantum Mechanics

  Cambridge University Press eBooks · 2020 · FWCI 226.66 · 3,729 citations

  This third edition of the graduate-level textbook "Modern Quantum Mechanics" has been revised to incorporate twenty-first-century topics and modern mathematical techniques for advanced calculations.

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• The design and verification of MuMax3

  AIP Advances · 2014 · Q3 · FWCI 68.65 · 3,701 citations · Open access

  MuMax3 is a new open-source, GPU-accelerated software for simulating magnetization evolution in magnetic materials, designed for speed and low resource usage.

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• Strongly Constrained and Appropriately Normed Semilocal Density Functional

  Physical Review Letters · 2015 · Q1 · SJR 2.00 · FWCI 59.78 · 3,650 citations

  Researchers introduce the first meta-generalized-gradient approximation (meta-GGA) for density functional theory that fully satisfies all 17 known exact constraints and is also accurate for specific challenging systems.

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• Routine Microsecond Molecular Dynamics Simulations with AMBER on GPUs. 2. Explicit Solvent Particle Mesh Ewald

  Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation · 2013 · Q1 · SJR 1.00 · FWCI 69.43 · 3,578 citations

  A new implementation allows explicit solvent molecular dynamics simulations to run entirely on GPUs using the AMBER package, achieving statistically indistinguishable results from CPU versions but with significantly higher performance.

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• LOBSTER: A tool to extract chemical bonding from plane‐wave based DFT

  Journal of Computational Chemistry · 2016 · Q1 · SJR 1.00 · FWCI 56.65 · 3,550 citations · Open access

  LOBSTER is a new software tool that analyzes chemical bonding from plane-wave based density-functional theory (DFT) calculations, offering enhanced functionality over previous methods.

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• Maximally localized Wannier functions: Theory and applications

  Reviews of Modern Physics · 2012 · Q1 · SJR 13.00 · FWCI 49.18 · 3,292 citations

  This review details methods for transforming extended Bloch orbitals into unique, maximally localized Wannier functions, analogous to chemical Boys orbitals, enabling a more intuitive understanding of electronic structure.

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Recently added

• Suspended thin-film lithium niobate modulator for broadband mid-infrared light modulation and frequency comb generation

  Nature Communications · 2026 · Q1 · SJR 4.00 · FWCI 4.12 · 1 citations

  A suspended thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) electro-optic platform with traveling-wave electrodes achieves a record-low Vπ,DC of 2.3-4.3 V across 2.4-3.6 μm and a 40 GHz EO bandwidth, enabling broadband mid-infrared modulation and frequency comb generation.

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• Gigavoxel-scale multiple-scattering-aware lensless holotomography

  Light Science & Applications · 2026 · Q1 · SJR 4.00 · FWCI 4.12 · 1 citations · Open access

  A gigavoxel-scale lensless holotomography method reconstructs 3D images of highly scattering samples over large volumes (25 mm² FOV, 1.7 mm depth) with ~2.4 µm resolution, overcoming limitations of lens-based systems.

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• Dipolar Excitonic Quantum Wires at Atomically Sharp Lateral Interfaces

  Nano Letters · 2026 · Q1 · SJR 2.00 · FWCI 4.19 · 1 citations

  Researchers created 1D quantum matter at the atomically sharp interface of lateral MoSe2–WSe2 heterostructures, observing interfacial excitons confined to <3 nm with large in-plane dipole moments (>2 nm).

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• Generation of a high-intensity, superthermal muonium beam for gravity and laser spectroscopy experiments

  Nature Physics · 2026 · Q1 · SJR 6.00 · FWCI 4.22 · 1 citations

  Researchers generated a high-brightness, superthermal muonium beam from superfluid helium, enabling precision gravity measurements and sub-kilohertz laser spectroscopy.

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• Imaging topological polar structures in marginally twisted 2D semiconductors

  Science Advances · 2026 · Q1 · SJR 4.00 · 3 citations

  Researchers visualized topological polar nanostructures, specifically meron/antimeron patterns, in twisted bilayer WSe2 using angle-resolved vector piezoresponse force microscopy.

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• Discovery of an intrinsic non-Hermitian phase transition in a bulk condensed-matter system

  Science · 2026 · Q1 · SJR 10.00 · FWCI 8.23 · 2 citations

  Researchers experimentally observed an intrinsic non-Hermitian phase transition in bulk ferromagnetic europium monoxide, marked by a shift in relaxation dynamics from biexponential real to single-exponential complex decay.

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• Symmetry-enriched topological order in tensor networks: Defects, gauging and anyon condensation

  Quantum · 2026 · Q1 · SJR 2.00 · 12 citations · Open access

  Tensor network algebras are used to represent symmetry-induced domain walls, revealing a connection to graded unitary fusion categories and enabling the construction of topological defect superselection sectors.

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• Introductory Quantum Mechanics

  2025 · FWCI 27.03 · 619 citations

  This synopsis presents fundamental concepts of quantum mechanics relevant to magnetic resonance spectroscopy, including the Schrodinger equation and the Heisenberg uncertainty principle.

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Journals in this field

The journals that publish most of this field’s papers. Quartile (Q1–Q4), SJR and h-index are from SCImago Journal Rank; “in this field” is how many of the journal’s pooled papers belong here. What is a Q1 journal? · What is the h-index?

Every journal in Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics (Q1–Q4) →

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