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Very nice experiment on the verge of Condensed matter Physics! The presence of Landau levels is a necessary condition to obtain a Quantum Hall state. Quantum Hall states have first appeared in 2D electronic gases when applied a perpendicular magnetic field that induces a new topological state of the "electronic gas". This new topological state is believed to "protect" some parameters of the system, such as conductance making it possible to measure fundamental constants with very high precision even in imperfect experimental conditions. In this fundamental experiment, a synthetic magnetic field was created that acts in continuum photons, producing "an integer quantum Hall system in curved space, a long-standing challenge in condensed matter physics".

Researchers in the US have made a "carpet cloak" that makes objects invisible to sound waves. The device is the first such cloak to work in air and could be used to improve the acoustics in concert halls or even to control unwanted noise.