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Physics Condensed Matter

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Monday 15 December

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics

Predicting the Thermal Conductivity Collapse in SWCNT Bundles: The Interplay of Symmetry Breaking and Scattering Revealed by Machine-Learning-Driven Quantum Transport

We combine machine learning (ML)-based neuroevolution potentials (NEP) with anharmonic lattice dynamics and the Boltzmann transport equation (ALD-BTE) to achieve a quantitative and mode-resolved description of thermal transport in individual (10, 0) zigzag single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and their bundles. Our analysis reveals a dual mechanism behind the drastic suppression of thermal conductivity in bundles: first, the breaking of rotational symmetry in isolated SWCNTs dramatically enhances the scattering rates of symmetry-sensitive phonon modes, such as the twist (TW) mode. Second, the emergence of new inter-tube phonon modes introduces abundant additional scattering channels across the entire frequency spectrum. Crucially, the incorporation of quantum Bose-Einstein (BE) statistics is essential to accurately capture these phenomena, enabling our approach to quantitatively reproduce experimental observations. This work establishes the combination of ML-driven interatomic potentials and ALD-BTE as a predictive framework for nanoscale thermal transport, effectively bridging the gap between theoretical models and experimental measurements.
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All authors Feng Tao, Xiaoliang Zhang, Dawei Tang, Shigeo Maruyama, Ya Feng

Superconductivity

Hyperuniform patterns nucleated at low temperatures: Insight from vortex matter imaged in unprecedentedly large fields-of-view

Hyperuniform patterns present enhanced physical properties that make them the new generation of cutting-edge technological devices. Synthesizing devices with tens of thousands of components arranged in a hyperuniform fashion has thus become a breakthrough to achieve in order to implement these technologies. Here we provide evidence that extended two-dimensional hyperuniform patterns spanning tens of thousands of components can be nucleated using as a template the low-temperature vortex structure obtained in pristine Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 samples after following a field-cooling protocol.
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All authors Alexey Cruz-García, Joaquín Puig, Sergii Pylypenko, Gladys Nieva, Alain Pautrat, Alejandro Benedykt Kolton, Yanina Fasano

Materials Science

Experimental Demonstration and Transformation Mechanism of Quenchable Two-dimensional Diamond

Two-dimensional (2D) diamond has aroused tremendous interest in nanoelectronics and optoelectronics, owing to its superior properties and flexible characteristics compared to bulk diamond. Despite significant efforts, great challenges lie in the experimental synthesis and transformation conditions of 2D diamond. Herein, we have demonstrated the experimental preparation of high quality 2D diamond with controlled thickness and distinguished properties, realized by laser-heating few-layer graphene in diamond anvil cell. The quenched 2D diamond exhibited narrow T2g Raman peak (linewidth ~3.6 cm-1) and intense photoluminescence of SiV- (linewidth ~6.1 nm) and NV0 centers. In terms of transformation mechanism, atomic structures of hybrid phase interfaces suggested that the intermediate rhombohedral phase subtly mediate hexagonal graphite to cubic diamond transition. Furthermore, the tunable optical bandgap and thermal stability of 2D diamond sensitively depend on its sp3 concentration. We believe our results can shed light on the structural design and preparation of many carbon allotropes and further uncover the underlying transition mechanism.
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All authors Jiayin Li, Guoshuai Du, Lili Zhao, Wuxiao Han, Jiaxin Ming, Shang Chen, Pengcheng Zhao, Lu Bai, Jiaohui Yan, Yubing Du, Jiajia Feng, Hongliang Dong, Ke Jin, Weigao Xu, Bin Chen, Jianguo Zhang, Yabin Chen

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics

Observation of a Stripe/nematic Phase of Composite Fermions

Electronic stripe/nematic phases are fascinating strongly-correlated states characterized by spontaneous rotational symmetry breaking. In the quantum Hall regime, such phases typically emerge at half-filled, high-orbital-index ($N\geq2$) Landau levels (LLs) where the short-range Coulomb interaction is softened by the nodes of electron wave functions. In the lowest ($N=0$) LLs, these phases are not expected. Instead, composite fermion (CF) liquids and fractional quantum Hall states, which are well explained in the picture of weakly interacting CF quasiparticles, are favored. Here we report the observation of an unexpected stripe/nematic phase in the lowest LL at filling factor $\nu=5/8$ in ultrahigh-quality GaAs two-dimensional hole systems, evinced by a pronounced in-plane transport anisotropy. Remarkably, $\nu=5/8$ can be mapped to a half-filled, high-index CF LL ($N_{\text{CF}}=2$), analogous to the $N=2$ hole LL. Our finding signals a novel stripe/nematic phase of CFs, driven by the residual long-range interaction among these emergent quasiparticles. This phase is surprisingly robust, surviving up to $\sim$100 mK. Its absence in electron-type systems suggests that severe LL mixing stemming from the large hole effective mass and non-linear LL fan diagram plays a crucial role in modifying the CF-CF interaction.
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All authors Chengyu Wang, Siddharth K. Singh, Chia-Tse Tai, Adbhut Gupta, Loren N. Pfeiffer, Kirk W. Baldwin, Mansour Shayegan

Soft Condensed Matter

Transmembrane transport of polymer brush-grafted nanoparticles into giant vesicles

Polymer brush-grafted nanoparticles have significant application value in fields such as gene therapy and targeted drug delivery. A profound understanding of the interaction mechanisms between these particles and cell membranes represents a critical scientific challenge in biophysics. Using the Self-Consistent Field Theory, this work systematically explores the transmembrane transport of polymer brush-grafted nanoparticles into giant vesicles. The impacts of critical parameters-polymer brush grafting density, nanoparticle size, and giant vesicle membrane thickness-on transport behavior are comprehensively elucidated. The findings reveal two distinct transmembrane transport mechanisms for polymer brush-grafted nanoparticles, which are governed by membrane thickness and grafting density. At high grafting density, the nanoparticles undergo direct transmembrane translocation; at low grafting density, transport occurs via endocytosis. Thermodynamic analysis identifies entropy as the dominant driving force for this process.
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Materials Science

Magnetic field-tuned size and dual annihilation pathways of chiral magnetic bobbers

Magnetic chiral bobbers (CBs) are three-dimensional (3D) topological spin textures that consist of a tapered skyrmion tube terminating in a Bloch point, promising applications in high-density spintronics. However, the mechanisms controlling their size and the dynamics of their annihilation are still not fully understood. In this study, we present an analytical model that predicts the radius $R$ of the CB as a function of the external magnetic field, the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI), the magnetic anisotropy, and the exchange interaction. The micromagnetic simulations validate this model across a broad range of parameters. We also identify two mechanisms of annihilation of CBs: (i) a droplet-like instability that occurs under rapid changes in the magnetic field, which we describe using a proposed magnetic Weber number $We$ and its critical field step scaling; and (ii) Bloch point depinning mechanism at interfaces, for which we determine the threshold magnetic field $B_{\text{th}}$ for annihilation. Importantly, we uncover a novel fragmentation pathway in which CBs transform into skyrmion tubes, then into half-CBs, and finally into ferromagnetic states. These findings lay the groundwork for understanding and manipulating 3D CBs as next-generation devices.
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All authors S. Y. Lu, Y. F. Duan, D. X. Yu, H. M. Dong

Sunday 14 December

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics · Cross-listed from physics.chem-ph

Singlet Fission among two Single Molecules

Singlet fission (SF) is a photophysical process where a singlet excitation generates two triplet excited states, enhancing exciton multiplication potentially useful for solar energy conversion. Since SF typically outcompetes radiative decay, single molecule studies of SF have remained elusive. Here, we present single molecule spectroscopy of a terrylenediimide (TDI) dimer at room and cryogenic temperatures. By analysing the stream of photons emitted by single dimers, the rates of formation and decay of SF-born triplet states were determined. We report considerable static and dynamic heterogeneities of the SF process which are reflected in broad rate distributions as well as the occasional occurrence of delayed fluorescence and rate fluctuations during spin evolution. Cryogenic experiments point to the formation of a coherent multiexciton superposition state which decays into the singlet exciton from which a correlated triplet pair evolves. Our results establish single molecule spectroscopy as a new avenue into mechanistic details of the SF process which often are drowned by ensemble av-eraging.
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All authors Sumanta Paul, Oleksandr Yampolskyy, Zehua Wu, Klaus Müllen, Thomas Basché

Soft Condensed Matter

On the problem of simple shear of an incompressible viscoelastic solid under finite deformations

In the framework of a viscoelastic material model, whose constitutive relation is given by a one-parameter family of Gordon-Schowalter derivatives, the problem of simple shear under acceleration and random velocity motion is considered. For motion with acceleration, the presence of non-zero normal stresses is discovered, which corresponds to the Poynting effect previously discovered for this material. A problem in which the shear rate was determined as a linear function of a random variable given from a normal distribution was studied. Within the framework of the methodology proposed by V.A. Lomakin, an analytical solution of the problem is constructed. A significant dependence of the dispersion of the stress tensor components on the choice of the objective derivative was found.
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Quantum Gases · Cross-listed from nucl-th

Local Quantum Cooling for Large Fermi Systems with Pairing

We present a framework for local quantum cooling that can be efficiently applied to large-scale Fermi systems. The method introduces local Hermitian operators as a cooling potential while strictly preserving the unitarity of time evolution. Our formulation scales favorably with system size and can be seamlessly integrated into time-dependent density-functional theory frameworks. We demonstrate that energy cooling arises from the damping of particle currents and pairing-field fluctuations. Furthermore, we develop a variant of the scheme that allows the particle number to vary in time, enabling controlled density scans. The method is generic and versatile, as illustrated by applications to spin-imbalanced unitary Fermi gases and to nuclear matter in the neutron-star crust. The framework can be naturally extended to include stochastic noise, providing a foundation for studying thermalization in strongly interacting Fermi superfluids.
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All authors J. E. Alba-Arroyo, Daniel Pęcak, Michael McNeil Forbes, Gabriel Wlazłowski

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics

Magnetic topological textures in nonorientable surfaces

Topological magnetic textures confined to two-dimensional (2D) non-orientable manifolds exhibit behaviors absent in planar systems. We investigate bimerons on Möbius surfaces and show that the lack of global orientation alters conservation laws, yielding geometry-dependent topology and dynamics. Micromagnetic simulations reveal that the helical twist and non-orientable geometry reshape the effective topological charge and stabilize chiral configurations imposed by the surface. Under spin-polarized currents, bimerons display unconventional transport: the transverse response is locally reversed or globally suppressed due to charge inversion along the manifold. Moreover, we establish an Aharonov-Bohm effect associated with the magnonic modes of the texture; in particular, the translational Goldstone mode implies that a bimeron on a Möbius strip should exhibit path-dependent quantum interference. These results identify a geometry-driven regime of magnetization dynamics and provide a route to curvature-engineered spintronic functionalities.
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All authors Carlos Saji, Mario A. Castro, Vagson L. Carvalho-Santos, Eduardo Saavedra, Alvaro S. Nunez, Roberto E. Troncoso

Materials Science

Crossover Dynamics of Non-Fickian Ionic Diffusion in Solids

Ionic diffusion in solids is central to energy storage, electronics, and catalysis, yet its chemical origins are difficult to resolve because conventional diffusion models struggle with effects of confinement, crystallographic disorder, lattice distortions, and coupling to electronic or phononic carriers. These challenges are especially pronounced in battery materials, where ionic and electronic motion occur together, complicating interpretation of electrochemical measurements. Here we use tracer exchange as a direct, non-electrochemical probe to reveal distinct ion-transport regimes in the one-dimensional conductor olivine Li_xFePO4 (0 <= x <= 1). Lithium isotope exchange validates single-file diffusion governed by strong ion-ion correlations, where 1D confinement suppresses bypassing and preserves spatial order. Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations and chronoamperometry quantify both Faradaic and non-Faradaic surface exchange, identifying electron transport, rather than Li+ mobility, as the rate-limiting step for electrochemical reaction. In addition, Li-Na exchange exhibits apparent superdiffusion, with rates that increase with Na content. Simulations attribute this behavior to surface-exchange limitations and Na-induced lattice strain that enhances cross-channel Li+ hopping and drives a crossover from 1D to quasi-2D transport. Four-dimensional STEM, in situ synchrotron XRD, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and Mossbauer spectroscopy confirm that lattice softening and concerted polaron motion contribute to the observed dynamics. These results establish tracer exchange as a powerful tool for probing coupled ion-electron transport and provide chemical insight into how lattice mechanics and multicomponent exchange shape ionic diffusion in solids.
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All authors Gangbin Yan, Pierfrancesco Ombrini, Zhichu Tang, Shakul Pathak, Maoyu Wang, Barbara Lavina, Alexandros Vasileiadis, Suin Choi, Mingzhan Wang, Dongchen Ying, Qizhang Li, Esen E. Alp, Hua Zhou, Martin Z. Bazant, Qian Chen, Marnix Wagemaker, Chong Liu

Materials Science

To crack, or not to crack: How hydrogen favors crack propagation in iron at the atomic scale

Steel is a key structural material because of its considerable strength and ductility. However, when exposed to hydrogen, it is prone to embrittlement. Mechanistic understanding of the origin of hydrogen embrittlement is hampered by the lack of reliable interatomic potentials. Here, we perform large-scale molecular dynamics simulations of crack propagation after having developed and validated an efficient yet density-functional-theory-accurate machine-learning potential for hydrogen in iron. Simulations based on our potential reveal that in the absence of H, iron is intrinsically ductile at finite temperatures with crack-tip blunting assisted by dislocation emission. By contrast, minute (part-per-million) hydrogen concentrations can switch the crack-tip behavior from ductile blunting to brittle propagation. Detailed analysis of our molecular dynamics results reveals that the combination of fast hydrogen diffusion and diminished surface energy is at the origin of embrittlement. Our results set the stage for a modified Griffith's criterion for hydrogen-induced brittle fracture, which closely captures the simulations and that can be used to assess embrittlement in iron-based alloys.
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All authors Aleksei Egorov, Lei Zhang, Erik van der Giessen, Francesco Maresca

Materials Science · Cross-listed from eess.SY

Sensitivity increase of 3D printed, self-sensing, carbon fibers structures with conductive filament matrix due to flexural loading

The excellent structural and piezoresistive properties of continuous carbon fiber make it suitable for both structural and sensing applications. This work studies the use of 3D printed, continuous carbon fiber reinforced beams as self-sensing structures. It is demonstrated how the sensitivity of these carbon fiber strain gauges can be increased irreversibly by means of a pretreatment by pre-stressing the sensors with a large compressive bending load. The increase in the gauge factor is attributed to local progressive fiber failure, due to the combination of the thermal residual stress from the printing process and external loading. The coextrusion of conductive filament around the carbon fibers is demonstrated as a means of improving the reliability, noise and electrical connection of the sensors. A micrograph of the sensor cross section shows that the conductive filament contacts the various carbon fiber bundles. All-in-all, the use of pre-stressing carbon fiber strain gauges in combination with coextrusion of conductive filament hold promises for 3D printed structural sensors with a high sensitivity.
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All authors Matei Drilea, Alexander Dijkshoorn, Gusthavo Ribeiro Salomão, Stefano Stramigioli, Gijs Krijnen

Materials Science

Observation of magnetically coupled electro-optic effect in LiNbO3/LiTaO3 at room temperature

The magnetoelectric coupling effect serves as a crucial bridge between electrical and magnetic order parameters in condensed matter physics, forming the physical basis for the development of next-generation low-power information storage and sensing technologies. However, material systems exhibiting this effect at room temperature are extremely rare, and the coupling strength is typically very weak, which has long hindered the practical application of such phenomena despite their rich tunability. Here, we break this by reporting a pronounced magnetoelectric phenomenon,the magnetically coupled EO effect in the classic ferroelectric optical materials LiNbO3 and LiTaO3. We trace its origin to an unexpected source,the problematic direct current drift,a major reliability issue in photonic integrated circuits. We unambiguously demonstrate that this drift stems not from mobile ions but from defect-bound unpaired electrons, whose slow polarization relaxation is quenched upon the magnetic-field-induced formation of a room-temperature skyrmion states, as directly visualized by Lorentz transmission electron microscopy. This collective spin ordering not only solves the decades-old drift problem but also transforms the defect states into a magnetically responsive platform, exhibiting an efficiency up to 34 pm/V in LiNbO3 and 15 pm/V in LiTaO3-an orders-of-magnitude enhancement over conventional room-temperature magnetoelectric responses and even surpassing the materials' intrinsic Pockels coefficients. We also measured the magnetic response of this additional electro-optical effect and found that under the condition of applying a magnetic field of 0.1 T, an electro-optical coefficient adjustment of about 8 pm/V can be achieved (0.008 pm/V/Oe), which is equivalent to 30% of the electro-optical coefficient of LiNbO3 itself.
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All authors Yalong Yu, Hengwei Zhang, Xiaoyan Liu, Tao Chu

Strongly Correlated Electrons

Hund's coupling driven nature of magnetism in negative charge transfer material, $\mathrm{SrCoO_3}$

In this work, we investigate the microscopic origin of magnetism in $\mathrm{SrCoO_3}$ by incorporating electronic correlations within the dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT) framework. We note a remarkable agreement of the calculated magnetic observables ( saturation magnetization $\sim$2.4 $\mu_B$; magnetic transition temperature, $T_c$$\sim$350 K) with the experimental results. The system exhibits Hund's coupling-induced strong quasiparticle mass enhancements of upto $m^*/m$ $\sim$7 for Co 3$d$ states, with the largest renormalization occurring in the majority spin $t_{2g}$ orbitals, marking the onset of orbital-selectivity. Our results reveal a Stoner-$like$ collapse of exchange splitting that drives the loss of long-range ferromagnetic order at $T_c$. The breakdown of Fermi-liquid behavior down to $T$$\sim$100 K suggests a suppressed coherence scale. Local magnetic moment originates from a mixed-spin configuration formed through dynamical fluctuation between intermediate-spin and high-spin states. Large charge fluctuations ($\langle$$\Delta$N$^2$$\rangle$$\sim$0.6) together with heavy quasiparticles establish the correlation effects regime, governed predominantly by Hund's physics in $\mathrm{SrCoO_3}$.
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Disordered Systems and Neural Networks · Cross-listed from q-bio.NC

Random matrix theory of sparse neuronal networks with heterogeneous timescales

Training recurrent neuronal networks consisting of excitatory (E) and inhibitory (I) units with additive noise for working memory computation slows and diversifies inhibitory timescales, leading to improved task performance that is attributed to emergent marginally stable equilibria [PNAS 122 (2025) e2316745122]. Yet the link between trained network characteristics and their roles in shaping desirable dynamical landscapes remains unexplored. Here, we investigate the Jacobian matrices describing the dynamics near these equilibria and show that they are sparse, non-Hermitian rectangular-block matrices modified by heterogeneous synaptic decay timescales and activation-function gains. We specify a random matrix ensemble that faithfully captures the spectra of trained Jacobian matrices, arising from the inhibitory core - excitatory periphery network motif (pruned E weights, broadly distributed I weights) observed post-training. An analytic theory of this ensemble is developed using statistical field theory methods: a Hermitized resolvent representation of the spectral density is processed with a supersymmetry-based treatment in the style of Fyodorov and Mirlin. In this manner, an analytic description of the spectral edge is obtained, relating statistical parameters of the Jacobians (sparsity, weight variances, E/I ratio, and the distributions of timescales and gains) to near-critical features of the equilibria essential for robust working memory computation.
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Statistical Mechanics

Universal splitting of phase transitions and performance optimization in driven collective systems

Spontaneous symmetry breaking is a hallmark of equilibrium systems, typically characterized by a single critical point separating ordered and disordered phases. Recently, a novel class of non-equilibrium phase transitions was uncovered [Phys. Rev. Res. 7, L032049 (2025)], showing that the combined effects of simultaneous contact with thermal baths at different temperatures and external driving forces can split the conventional order-disorder transition into two distinct critical points, determined by which ordered state initially dominates. We show the robustness of this phenomenon by extending a minimal interacting-spin model from the idealized case of simultaneous bath coupling to a finite-time coupling protocol. In particular, we introduce two protocols in which the system interacts with a single bath at a time: a stochastic protocol, where the system randomly switches between the baths at different temperatures, and a deterministic protocol where the coupling alternates periodically. Our analysis reveals two key results: (i) the splitting of phase transitions persists across all coupling schemes – simultaneous, stochastic, and deterministic – and (ii) different optimizations of power and efficiency in a collectively operating heat engine reveal that both the stochastic and deterministic protocols exhibit superior global performance at intermediate switching rates and periods when compared to simultaneous coupling. The global trade-off between power and efficiency is described by an expression solely depending on the temperatures of thermal reservoirs as the efficiency approaches to the ideal limit.
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All authors Gustavo A. L. Forão, Jonas Berx, Tan Van Vu, Carlos E. Fiore

Statistical Mechanics

From Frequency Dependent Specific Heat to Fictive Temperature of a Glassy Liquid

Upon rapid quenching of temperature of a glass forming liquid, the system falls out of equilibrium due its finite relaxation time. Additionally, the relaxation becomes progressively slower with time. The created nonequilibrium state of the glassy system is conveniently described by introducing a fictive temperature which provides the instantaneous state of the nonequilibrium system. The fictive temperature $T_{f} (t)$ is time dependent. During cooling, the fictive temperature is higher than the actual temperature. After the cooling or quenching has ceased, the fictive temperature approaches the final temperature at a rate that depends on the relaxation properties of the liquid. In this work we use linear response theory to connect the time dependence of the fictive temperature to memory function which is shown to be related to the frequency dependent specific heat which itself depends on the fictive temperature $T_{f} (t)$. Thus, one requires { \it a self-consistent calculation} to capture the interdependence of relaxation rate and structural response function. We present a numerical calculation where we apply our relations to silica where the relaxation function that describes the frequency dependent specific heat and is modeled as a stretched exponential William-Watts (WW) function, while the relaxation time is modeled as a Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann (VFT). We calculate the fictive temperature self-consistently. $T_{f}(t)$ exhibits the fall out from actual temperature as time (t) progresses.
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Strongly Correlated Electrons

Basis Adaptive Algorithm for Quantum Many-Body Systems on Quantum Computers

We introduce a Basis Adaptive (BA) algorithm for hybrid quantum-classical simulation of correlated quantum many-body systems. Starting from a small set of physically motivated bitstrings, the algorithm iteratively applies a single-step first-order Trotterized circuit on a quantum processor, filters the sampled configurations by enforcing $U(1)$ spin conservation and lattice reflection symmetry, and classically diagonalizes the Hamiltonian in the resulting reduced Hilbert space. This design avoids the variational optimization overhead of VQE, the deep coherent circuits required by QPE, and the symmetry-violating subspaces that arise in SKQD. The ground-state energy error is bounded analytically by $\sqrt{8}\,\|H\|\left(1-\sqrt{\alpha_{D_T}}\right)^{1/2}$, where $\alpha_{D_T}$ is the probability weight captured by the $D_T$ sampled basis states. This bound connects algorithm performance directly to ground-state sparsity and explains the observed accuracy hierarchy across different phases. Benchmarked on the spin-$1/2$ Heisenberg XXZ chain (up to $N=62$ qubits on the IBM Heron processor), the algorithm achieves a $3.5\%$ energy error in the gapped Neel phase ($\Delta=2.0$) and below $0.5\%$ at the ferromagnetic boundary ($\Delta=-1.0$). The accuracy degrades to $28.7\%$ in the strongly quasi-long-range-ordered regime ($\Delta=0.5$). Spin-spin correlation functions are reproduced across all regimes, confirming that symmetry-filtered real-time sampling provides a practical and noise-resilient pathway to ground-state properties on near-term quantum hardware.
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All authors Anutosh Biswas, Sayan Ghosh, Ritajit Majumdar, Mostafizur Rahaman Laskar, Nicholas Bronn, Manoranjan Kumar

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics

Anomalous topological phases in a Chern insulator connected to leads in a cylindrical geometry

The observed robustly quantized Hall conductance in quantum Hall systems and Chern insulators (CI) is normally understood in terms of the bulk topology of isolated systems, not coupled to leads. It is assumed that the leads act as inert reservoirs. Within a model of a CI coupled to leads with a cylindrical geometry, we show that this is not always true. We identify the Hall conductance with a boundary invariant, the winding number of the phase of the reflection coefficient. We find anomalous topological phases where the boundary invariant is not the same as the bulk Chern number, even in the limit of weak lead coupling.
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All authors Satyam Sinha, Rekha Kumari, Junaid Majeed Bhat, Abhishek Dhar, Diptiman Sen, R. Shankar

Superconductivity

Discriminating Gap Symmetries of Superconducting La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_7$

The discovery of high-T$_c$ superconductor in Ruddlesden-Popper nickelate materials represented by La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_7$ has opened new directions in the quest for unconventional superconductivity. A central unresolved issue concerns the pairing symmetry of the superconducting order. In this paper, we model the superconducting order of La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_7$ using the established Fermi surface structure together with phenomenological pairing functions belonging to $s_\pm$ and $d$-wave symmetry classes, which are the leading possibilities in the current debate. We compute several experimentally accessible observables-including tunneling density of states, point contact spectroscopy, superfluid density, and Raman spectroscopy-each of which exhibits distinct characteristics for different gap symmetries. These quantities provide a concrete and experimentally testable route for identifying the pairing symmetry of La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_7$ and for clarifying the microscopic nature of nickelate superconductivity.
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All authors Zhan Wang, Yuxin Wang, Kun Jiang, Jiangping Hu, Fu-Chun Zhang

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics

Fast wave transport in two-dimensional $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric lattices

We present a theoretical investigation of wave dynamics in two-dimensional non-Hermitian $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric lattices, where onsite, as well as inter-site control couplings are employed. Our analysis shows that these couplings can be tuned to achieve a direction-sensitive group velocity enhancement beyond what is possible in the uncontrolled (Hermitian) counterpart, while ensuring that the wave packet evolution remains bounded and dynamically stable. We derive a dedicated relation between the control parameters, providing a systematic condition under which stability is guaranteed. We then study the topological properties of the non-Hermitian system at hand, and use an experimental-ready topoelecric metamaterial platform to demonstrate the non-Hermitian couplings realization, and the resulting wave dynamics. This framework paves the way to designing stable and fast wave transport in planar non-Hermitian media.
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Statistical Mechanics · Cross-listed from hep-th

Universal Supercritical Behavior in Global Monopole-Charged AdS Black Holes

We analytically investigate the Widom line and universal supercritical crossover for charged AdS black holes threaded by a global monopole. We compute thermodynamic variables in both the extended and canonical ensembles. We derive the scaled variance $\Omega$ using the Gibbs free energy and locate the Widom line as the extrema of this. Using mean-field expansion of the equation of state near criticality, we obtain closed-form expressions for the Widom line and the two branching crossover lines $L^\pm$. We show that the monopole parameter shifts the critical parameters but does not change the mean-field universal scaling: the leading linear term and the nonanalytic correction remain universal in both ensembles. We also numerically verify this using the supercritical crossover lines $L^\pm$ and show the universal scaling laws and the complete supercritical phase diagrams.
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Other Condensed Matter

Electrical Readout Strategies of GFET Biosensors for Real-World Requirements

Graphene Field-Effect Transistors (GFETs) are increasingly employed as biochemical sensors due to their exceptional electronic properties, surface sensitivity, and potential for miniaturization. A critical challenge in deploying GFETs is determining the optimal electrical readout strategy. GFETs are typically operated with either of two modalities: one measuring current in real time (amperometric) and the other monitoring the change in voltage for charge neutrality (potential potentiometric). Here, we undertake a systematic study of the two modalities to determine their relative advantages/disadvantages towards guiding the future use of GFETs in sensing. We focus on viral proteins in wastewater, given the matrix's complexity and the growing interest in the field of wastewater surveillance. Our results show that transconductance offers far superior limits of detection (LOD) but suffers from limited reproducibility, a narrower dynamic range, and is ineffective for some viral proteins. In comparison, we find that Dirac point tracking offers higher reproducibility and superior robustness, but at a higher LOD. Interestingly, both techniques exhibit similar sensitivity, highlighting the importance of the aptamers employed. Systematic experiments also help explain differences in dynamic range and limited functionality in detecting some proteins, resulting from hidden electrophoresis, and shifting the high transconductance point away from the active region. Thus, our findings provide crucial considerations for designing and operating resilient graphene biosensors suitable for real-time pathogen monitoring in environmental scenarios.
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All authors Michael Geiwitz, Owen Rivers Page, Marina E. Nichols, Tio Marello, Catherine Hoar, Deji Akinwande, Michelle M. Meyer, Kenneth S. Burch

Materials Science

Plasma engineered Hydroxyl Defects in NiO a DFTSupported-Spectroscopic Analysis of Oxygen Hole States and Implications for Water Oxidation

Controlling lattice oxygen reactivity in earth abundant OER catalysts requires precise tuning of defect chemistry in the oxide lattice. Here, we combine DFT+U calculations with plasma assisted synthesis to show how O2 and H2O in the discharge govern vacancy formation, electronic structure, and catalytic predisposition in NiO thin films. Oxygen rich plasmas generate isolated and clustered Ni vacancies that stabilize oxygen ligand hole states and produce shallow O 2p Ni 3d hybrid levels, enhancing Ni O covalency. In contrast, introducing H2O during growth drives local hydroxylation that compensates vacancy induced Ni3+ centers, restoring Ni2+ like coordination, suppressing deep divacancy derived in gap states, and introducing shallow Ni O H derived valence-band tails. EXAFS confirms that hydroxylation perturbs only the local environment while preserving the medium-range NiO lattice, and Ni L-edge spectroscopy shows a persistent but redistributed ligand-hole population. These complementary vacancy and hydroxylation driven pathways provide a plasma controlled route to pre define electronic defect landscapes in NiO and to tune its activation toward OER relevant NiOOH formation.
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All authors Harol Moreno Fernandez, Mohammad Amirabbasi, Crizaldo Jr. Mempin, Andrea Trapletti, Garlef Wartner, Marc F. Tesh, Esmaeil Adabifiroozjaei, Thokozile A. Kathyola, Carlo Castellano, Leopoldo Molina Luna, Jan P. Hofmann

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics

Electrically Tuneable Variability in Germanium Hole Spin Qubits

Hole spin qubits in planar germanium heterostructures are frontrunners for scalable semiconductor quantum computing. However, their current performance is mostly limited by large dot-to-dot variability that leads to uncontrolled qubit energies and random tilts in the spin quantization axis. Here, we propose a systematic and local method to engineer the spin qubit response by imprinting a controlled anisotropy in the quantum dot confinement, enabling on-demand electric g-tensor control. In particular, we find that both the quantum-dot size and asymmetry allow electrical tuning of the g-tensor and significantly suppress magnitude and angular variability of the spin response for selected magnetic field directions. We confirm this behavior by analyzing single-disorder realizations and statistical ensembles in state-of-the-art strained and unstrained germanium channels, showing that the latter provides an optimal path for $g$-tensor engineering. Our results provide practical design principles for on-demand control of the spin response and mitigating variability, paving the way towards large-scale germanium-based quantum computers.
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All authors Edmondo Valvo, Michele Jakob, Patrick Del Vecchio, Maximilian Rimbach-Russ, Stefano Bosco

Quantum Gases

Probing the Crossover between Dynamical Phases with Local Correlations in a Rydberg Atom Array

The experimental detection of non-equilibrium quantum criticality remains a challenge, as traditional signatures like dynamical quantum phase transitions rely on hard-to-measure global properties. Here, we demonstrate that local connected correlation functions provide a superior, practical means to directly probe the dynamics of magnetic order in a quenched Rydberg atom array. Using a Magnus expansion formalism, we derive analytic expressions for these correlations that capture a smooth crossover from antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic dominance. Our analytic results, which reveal the critical parameter relationship $U_{c}(\delta)$, are validated against exact numerical simulations and exhibit robustness to finite-size effects. By shifting the focus from global singularities to local correlations, our protocol establishes a direct and feasible path to observe the rich critical dynamics in scalable quantum simulators.
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All authors Xiaofeng Wu, Xin Wang, Sixun Jia, Bo Xiong

Soft Condensed Matter

A geometric approach to predicting plasticity in disordered solids

It was recently shown that vortex-like topological defects with negative winding number in the vibrational modes of a two-dimensional glass under quasistatic shear correlate strongly with plastic events, offering a promising route to predict them. However, many of these vortices, a number that actually grows quadratically with mode frequency, are entirely unrelated to plasticity and arise simply from the underlying plane-wave structure of the modes. This raises doubts about the fundamental relevance of such defects to plastic rearrangements and limits their predictive power. Here, we introduce a geometrical filter based on the Nye dislocation density that, when applied to the vibrational modes, removes these spurious defects and reveals the true plastic precursors. Using simulations of a two-dimensional model glass, we show that this filtered approach consistently outperforms the conventional vortex-based method, particularly at small strains and when focusing on genuine plastic stress drops, offering a more robust tool to predicting plasticity in glasses from their undeformed initial state.
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All authors Long-Zhou Huang, Xu Yang, Min-Qiang Jiang, Yun-Jiang Wang, Matteo Baggioli

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics · Cross-listed from quant-ph

Mid-circuit logic executed in the qubit layer of a quantum processor

Practical quantum computers need to continuously exchange data between classical and quantum subsystems during a computation. Mid-circuit measurements of a qubits state are transferred to the classical electronics layer, and their outcome can inform feedforward operations that close the loop back to the quantum layer. These operations are crucial for fault-tolerant quantum computers, but the quantum-classical loop must be completed before the qubits decohere, presenting a substantial engineering challenge for full-scale systems comprising millions of qubits. Here we perform the first mid-circuit measurements in a system of silicon spin qubits, and show that feedforward operations can be performed without needing to route information to the classical layer. This in-layer approach leverages a backaction-driven control technique that has previously been considered a source of error. We benchmark our in-layer strategy, together with the standard FPGA-enabled approach, and analyse the performance of both methods using gate set tomography. Our results provide the first step towards moving resource-intensive classical processing into the quantum layer, an advance that could solve key engineering challenges, and drastically reduce the power budget of future quantum computers.
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All authors Cameron Jones, Piper Wysocki, MengKe Feng, Gerardo A. Paz-Silva, Corey I. Ostrove, Tuomo Tanttu, Kenneth M. Rudinger, Samuel K. Bartee, Kevin Young, Fay E. Hudson, Wee Han Lim, Nikolay V. Abrosimov, Hans-Joachim Pohl, Michael L. W. Thewalt, Robin Blume-Kohout, Andrew S. Dzurak, Andre Saraiva, Arne Laucht, Chih Hwan Yang

Disordered Systems and Neural Networks

The generalized density of states in a one-dimensional Ising model with ferrromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions

Expressions for the density of states $D(E)$, where $D(E)$ is the number of states of energy $E$, are well known. The present paper offers the expressions for generalized density of states $D_N(E,m)$, where $D_N(E,m)$ is the number of states with energy $E$ and magnetization $m$ in a one-dimensional $N$-spin chain. The expressions obtained here can be considered as reference ones, since all the main characteristics were obtained without them: using the transfer matrix technique or using well-known expressions for the density of states $D(E)=\sum_m{D_N(E,m)}$. Nevertheless, the knowledge of quantity $D_N(E,m)$ helps to understand the model properties and allows the analysis of the temporal behavior of magnetization $m=m(\tau)$. In particular, we demonstrate that in a one-dimensional model spontaneous magnetization can be observed at a non-zero temperature. However, the spontaneous magnetization can randomly change its sign, which results in the magnetization averaged over a very long observation period becoming zero $\langle m(\tau)\rangle$.
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