Quantum Gases
Scalable cold-atom quantum simulator of a $3+1$D U$(1)$ lattice gauge theory with dynamical matter
Simone Orlando, Guo-Xian Su, Bing Yang et al. (+1 more)
The stated overarching goal of the highly active field of
quantum simulation of high-energy physics (HEP) is to achieve the capability to study ab-initio real-time microscopic dynamics of $3+1$D
quantum chromodynamics (QCD). However, existing experimental realizations and theoretical proposals for future ones have remained restricted to one or two spatial dimensions. Here, we take a big step towards this goal by proposing a concrete experimentally feasible scalable cold-atom
quantum simulator of a U$(1)$
quantum link model of
quantum electrodynamics (QED) in three spatial dimensions, employing linear gauge protection to stabilize gauge invariance. Using tree tensor network simulations, we
benchmark the performance of this
quantum simulator through near- and far-from-
equilibrium observables, showing excellent agreement with the ideal gauge theory. Additionally, we introduce a method for analog
quantum error mitigation that accounts for unwanted first-order tunneling processes, vastly improving agreement between
quantum-simulator and ideal-gauge-theory results. Our findings pave the way towards realistic
quantum simulators of $3+1$D
lattice gauge theories that can probe regimes well beyond classical simulability.
Read the full abstract ▾
All authors Simone Orlando, Guo-Xian Su, Bing Yang, Jad C. Halimeh
Statistical Mechanics
Unifying Kibble-Zurek Mechanism in Weakly Driven Processes
Pierre Nazé
A description of the Kibble-Zurek mechanism with linear response theory has been done previously, but ad hoc hypotheses were used, like the use of the rate-dependent impulse window via the Zurek equation in the context of no driving in the relaxation time. In this work, I present a new framework where such hypotheses are unnecessary, preserving all the characteristics of the phenomenon. The Kibble-Zurek scaling obtained for the excess work is close to 2/5, a result that holds for open and thermally isolated systems whose relaxation time diverges at the critical point and the first zero of the relaxation function is finite. I exemplify the results using four different but significant types of scaling functions.
Read the full abstract ▾
Strongly Correlated Electrons · Cross-listed from hep-th
Four-point function of the complex Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model at finite chemical potential
Can Onur Akyuz, Erick Arguello Cruz, Ludo Fraser-Taliente et al. (+1 more)
It is known that, for a range of chemical potentials, the infrared behavior of the complex Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (cSYK) model is governed by a 1D Nearly Conformal Field Theory (NCFT$_{1}$), thereby realizing a continuous line of NCFTs. A finite chemical potential $\mu$ introduces an asymmetry parameter $\mathscr{E}$ into the cSYK
fermion two-point function in the conformal limit. In this work, we compute the cSYK four-point function in the conformal limit for an arbitrary value of $\mathscr{E}$ at leading order in $1/N$. We show that the result is fully consistent with the NCFT$_{1}$ structure of the cSYK model and use it to extract the structure constants for correlation functions of two complex
fermions with bilinear operators.
Read the full abstract ▾
All authors Can Onur Akyuz, Erick Arguello Cruz, Ludo Fraser-Taliente, Grigory Tarnopolsky
Statistical Mechanics · Cross-listed from q-bio.PE
When evolution realizes large deviations of fitness: from speciation to dynamical phase transitions
Sara Dal Cengio, Quentin Laurenceau, Vivien Lecomte et al. (+2 more)
We explore the connection between
evolution and large-deviation theory. To do so, we study evolutionary dynamics in which individuals experience mutations, reproduction, and selection using variants of the Moran model. We show that, in the large population size limit, the impact of reproduction and selection amounts to realizing a large-deviation dynamics for the non-interacting random walk in which individuals simply explore the genome landscape due to mutations. This mapping, which holds at all times, allows us to recast transitions in the population genome distribution as dynamical phase transitions, which can then be studied using the toolbox of large-deviation theory. Finally, we show that the mapping extends beyond the class of Moran models.
Read the full abstract ▾
All authors Sara Dal Cengio, Quentin Laurenceau, Vivien Lecomte, Charline Smadi, Julien Tailleur
Strongly Correlated Electrons · Cross-listed from hep-th
Framing Anomaly in Lattice Chern-Simons-Maxwell Theory
Ze-An Xu and Jing-Yuan Chen
Framing anomaly is a key property of $(2+1)d$
chiral topological orders, for it reveals that the chirality is an intrinsic bulk property of the system, rather than a property of the boundary between two systems. Understanding framing anomaly in
lattice models is particularly interesting, as concrete, solvable
lattice models of
chiral topological orders are rare. In a previous work, we defined and solved the $U(1)$ Chern-Simons-Maxwell theory on spacetime
lattice, showing its
chiral edge mode and the associated gravitational anomaly on boundary. In this work, we show its framing anomaly in the absence of boundary, by computing the expectation of a
lattice version of the modular $T$ operator in the ground subspace on a spatial
torus, from which we extract that $\langle T \rangle$ has a universal phase of $-2\pi/12$ as expected: $-2\pi/8$ from the Gauss-Milgram sum of the topological
spins of the ground states, and $2\pi/24$ from the framing anomaly; we can also extract the $2\pi/24$ framing anomaly phase alone from the full spectrum of $T$ in the ground subspace by computing $\langle T^m \rangle$. This pins down the last and most crucial property required for a valid
lattice definition of $U(1)$ Chern-Simons theory.
Read the full abstract ▾
Superconductivity
Fluctuation conductivity in ultraclean multicomponent superconductors
Sondre Duna Lundemo and Asle Sudbø
We consider the intrinsic fluctuation conductivity in metals with multiply sheeted
Fermi surfaces approaching a superconducting critical point. Restricting our
attention to extreme type-II multicomponent
superconductors motivates focusing on the ultraclean limit. Using functional-integral techniques, we derive the Gaussian fluctuation action from which we obtain the gauge-invariant electromagnetic linear response kernel. This allows us to compute the optical conductivity tensor. We identify essential conditions required for a nonzero dissipative part of the longitudinal conductivity in a disorder-free and translationally invariant system. Specifically, this derives indirectly from the multicomponent character of the incipient superconducting order and the parent metallic state. Under these conditions, the enhancement of the DC conductivity due to fluctuations close to the critical point follows the same critical behavior as in the diffusive limit.
Read the full abstract ▾
Quantum Gases · Cross-listed from quant-ph
Microscopic Dynamics of False Vacuum Decay in the $2+1$D Quantum Ising Model
Umberto Borla, Achilleas Lazarides, Christian Groß et al. (+1 more)
False
vacuum decay, which is understood to happen through bubble nucleation, is a prominent phenomenon relevant to elementary particle physics and early-universe cosmology. Understanding its microscopic dynamics in higher spatial dimensions is currently a major challenge and research thrust. Recent advances in numerical techniques allow for the extraction of related signatures in tractable systems in two spatial dimensions over intermediate timescales. Here, we focus on the $2+1$D
quantum Ising model, where a longitudinal field is used to energetically separate the two $\mathbb{Z}_2$
symmetry-broken
ferromagnetic ground states, turning them into a “true” and “false”
vacuum. Using tree tensor networks, we simulate the microscopic dynamics of a
spin-down domain in a
spin-up background after a homogeneous quench, with parameters chosen so that the domain corresponds to a bubble of the true
vacuum in a false-
vacuum background. Our study identifies how the ultimate fate of the bubble – indefinite expansion or collapse – depends on its geometrical features and on the microscopic parameters of the Ising
Hamiltonian. We further provide a realistic
quantum-simulation scheme, aimed at probing bubble dynamics on atomic Rydberg arrays.
Read the full abstract ▾
All authors Umberto Borla, Achilleas Lazarides, Christian Groß, Jad C. Halimeh
Strongly Correlated Electrons · Cross-listed from hep-th
Ryan Thorngren, John Preskill and Lukasz Fidkowski
We propose a
Hamiltonian framework for constructing
chiral gauge theories on the
lattice based on
symmetry disentanglers: constant-depth
circuits of local
unitaries that transform not-on-site
symmetries into on-site ones. When
chiral symmetry can be realized not-on-site and such a disentangler exists, the
symmetry can be implemented in a strictly local
Hamiltonian and gauged by standard
lattice methods. Using
lattice rotor models, we realize this idea in 1+1 and 3+1 spacetime dimensions for $U(1)$
symmetries with mixed 't Hooft anomalies, and show that
symmetry disentanglers can be constructed when anomalies cancel. As an example, we present an exactly solvable
Hamiltonian lattice model of the (1+1)-dimensional "3450"
chiral gauge theory, and we argue that a related construction applies to the $U(1)$ hypercharge
symmetry of the Standard Model
fermions in 3+1 dimensions. Our results open a new route toward fully local, nonperturbative formulations of
chiral gauge theories.
Read the full abstract ▾
Strongly Correlated Electrons
Altermagnetic and dipolar splitting of magnons in FeF$_2$
J. Sears, V. O. Garlea, D. Lederman et al. (+2 more)
FeF$_2$ is a prototypical rutile antiferromagnet recently proposed as an altermagnet, with a
magnetic symmetry that permits
spin-split electronic bands and
chiral magnons. Using very-high-resolution inelastic
neutron scattering on a single
crystal of FeF$_2$, we show that the dominant source of
magnon splitting is in fact the long-range dipolar interaction rather than altermagnetic exchange terms. At momenta where the dipolar splitting vanishes, we observe additional broadening due to altermagnetic
chiral splitting and estimate this splitting to be $\sim$35 $\mu$eV. Polarized measurements further reveal that, where dipolar splitting is present, the
chiral magnon modes become mixed and the resulting modes are predominantly linearly polarized, with at most a small
chiral component. These findings highlight the significant effect of dipolar interactions on
magnon chirality, particularly when altermagnetic interactions are weak.
Read the full abstract ▾
All authors J. Sears, V. O. Garlea, D. Lederman, J. M. Tranquada, I. A. Zaliznyak
Statistical Mechanics
The thermodynamics of liquid-vapor coexistence for a van der Waals fluid. Analytical solution of the Clausius-Clapeyron equation
J. L. Cardoso, V. G. Ibarra-Sierra, J. C. Sandoval-Santana et al. (+1 more)
This work presents a pedagogical derivation of the thermodynamics of a van der Waals fluid by explicitly incorporating pairwise molecular interactions and the finite size of particles into the statistical-mechanical description. Starting from the Lennard-Jones potential, we evaluate the second virial coefficient to infer the virial expansion of the equation of state and recover the van der Waals equation using only its leading correction. The corresponding partition function allows us to obtain all thermodynamic potentials for both monoatomic and diatomic fluids in a transparent and instructive manner. Building on this framework, we formulate and solve analytically the Clausius-Clapeyron equation in the vicinity of the critical point, obtaining the
liquid-vapor coexistence curve in closed form. This approach not only clarifies the microscopic origin of van der Waals thermodynamics but also complements-and in several aspects improves upon-traditional treatments that rely heavily on numerical methods or heuristic arguments. In addition, because the van der Waals equation naturally predicts the
liquid-vapor
equilibrium, the existence of critical points, and the functional form of the saturation curve of the pressure as a function of temperature, it provides an analytically tractable framework for studying a 150-year-old problem that has historically been addressed using graphical constructions or numerical solutions. As such, the formulation developed here offers a coherent, accessible, and conceptually unified route for students and instructors to understand phase coexistence in simple fluids from first principles.
Read the full abstract ▾
All authors J. L. Cardoso, V. G. Ibarra-Sierra, J. C. Sandoval-Santana, A. Kunold
Materials Science
A Comprehensive Computational Framework for Materials Design, Ab Initio Modeling, and Molecular Docking
Md Rakibul Karim Akanda and Michael P. Richard
To facilitate rational molecular and materials design, this research proposes an integrated computational framework that combines
stochastic simulation, ab initio
quantum chemistry, and molecular docking. The suggested workflow allows systematic investigation of structural stability, binding affinity, and electronic properties across biological and materials science domains by utilizing complementary tools like Avogadro for molecular construction and visualization, AutoDock for docking and interaction analysis, and ORCA for high-level electronic structure computations. Uncertainty, configurational sampling, and optimization in high-dimensional chemical spaces are addressed by combining Monte Carlo-based and annealing-inspired techniques. The work shows how materials science ideas such as
polymer design, thin films, crystalline
lattices, and bioelectronic systems can be applied to drug development. On-device, open-source computational methods are viable, scalable, and economical, as demonstrated by comparative platform analysis. All things considered, the findings highlight the need of an integrated, repeatable computational pipeline for speeding up de novo molecule assembly and materials architecture while lowering experimental risk and expense.
Read the full abstract ▾
Statistical Mechanics
Stochastic Path Compression for Spectral Tensor Networks on Cyclic Graphs
Ryan T. Grimm and Joel D. Eaves
We develop a new approach to compress cyclic tensor networks called
stochastic path compression (SPC) that uses an iterative importance sampling procedure to target edges with large bond-dimensions. Closed random walks in SPC form compression pathways that spatially localize large bond-dimensions in the tensor network. Analogous to the phase separation of two immiscible
liquids, SPC separates the graph of bond-dimensions into spatially distinct high and low density regions. When combined with our integral decimation
algorithm, SPC facilitates the accurate compression of cyclic tensor networks with continuous degrees of freedom. To
benchmark and illustrate the methods, we compute the absolute thermodynamics of $q$-state clock models on two-dimensional square
lattices and an XY model on a Watts-Strogatz graph, which is a small-world network with random connectivity between
spins.
Read the full abstract ▾
Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
Anderson Localization on Husimi Trees and its implications for Many-Body localization
Dafne Prado Bandeira and Marco Tarzia
Motivated by the analogy between many-body localization (MBL) and single-particle Anderson localization on hierarchical graphs, we study localization on the Husimi tree, a generalization of the Bethe
lattice with a finite density of local loops of arbitrary but finite length. The exact solution of the model provides a transparent and quantitative framework to systematically inspect the effect of loops on localization. Our analysis indicates that local loops enhance resonant processes, thereby reducing the critical disorder with increasing their number and size. At the same time, loops promote local hybridization, leading to an increase in the spatial extent of localized eigenstates. These effects reconcile key discrepancies between MBL phenomenology and its single-particle Anderson analog. These results show that local loops are a crucial structural ingredient for realistic single-particle analogies to many-body
Hilbert spaces.
Read the full abstract ▾
Soft Condensed Matter
Modulus and confinement effects on self-repeating, power-amplified snapping of soft, swollen beams
Nolan A. Miller, Laura C. Bradley and Alfred J. Crosby
Latch-mediated Spring Actuation (LaMSA) is a mechanism found in nature, employed by organisms that generate the highest levels of power density through repeatable, rapid energy release. While LaMSA has been used in engineered systems like archery bows, catapults, and jumping
robots, most such technologies require external power for self-repeating motion. Recent advances in soft actuators have demonstrated that engineered gels swollen with a volatile solvent are capable of self-repeating, high specific-power generation by taking advantage of balances between environmental interaction (evaporation) and elasticity. These systems rely upon snap-through instabilities. Due to the complex coupling between material properties and geometry, both of which evolve as self-repeating motion continues, an understanding of how
polymer properties and boundary conditions control the lifetime, count, and magnitude of power generating events for a given amount of solvent remains unrealized. We overcome the challenges in characterizing the performance of evaporation-driven, power-generating gels by measuring accumulating force response from evaporation in parallel with the profile deformation of the structure. By optimizing the balance between swelling properties and elasticity, the lifetime of snapping is increased by 445% from previous literature, snapping at a maximum power density of about 87 W/kg. This power is achieved with swollen beams 50 mm in length after 53 mg of solvent had evaporated and is comparable to the power output of adult jumping mantises at 68 W/kg at a similar size scale.1 We develop scaling relationships that balance Flory-Rehner swelling theory with buckling mechanics to generate insight into optimizing lifetime and power of autonomous power-generating systems.
Read the full abstract ▾
Statistical Mechanics
Universality in driven systems with a multiply-degenerate umbilic point
Johannes Schmidt, Žiga Krajnik and Vladislav Popkov
We investigate a driven particle system, a multilane asymmetric exclusion process, where the particle number in every lane is conserved, and stationary state is fully uncorrelated. The phase space has, starting from three lanes and more, an umbilic
manifold where characteristic velocities of all the modes but one coincide, thus allowing us to study a weakly
hyperbolic system with arbitrarily large degeneracy. We then study space-time fluctuations in the steady state, at the umbilic
manifold, which are expected to exhibit universal scaling features. We formulate an effective mode-coupling theory (MCT) for the multilane model within the umbilic subspace and test its predictions. Unlike in the bidirectional two-lane model with an umbilic point studied earlier, here we find a robust $z=3/2$ dynamical exponent for the umbilic mode. The umbilic scaling function, obtained from Monte-Carlo simulations appears to have a universal shape for a range of interaction parameters and depends only on umbilic mode degeneracy. Remarkably, the shape and dynamic exponent of the non-degenerate mode can be analytically predicted on the base of effective MCT, up to non-universal scaling factor. Our findings suggest the existence of novel universality classes with dynamical exponent $3/2$, appearing in long-lived hydrodynamic modes with equal characteristic velocities.
Read the full abstract ▾
Strongly Correlated Electrons
Point-Group Equivariant Neural Networks for Local Dynamics in Lattice Systems
Yunhao Fan and Gia-Wei Chern
We develop point-group equivariant neural networks for learning local mappings used in dynamical simulations of
lattice systems. The same network acts on a finite neighborhood around each site, respecting
lattice translations through shared parameters. The local configuration is decomposed into features that transform according to irreducible representations of the point group, and hidden features retain this organization throughout the network. Equivariant linear maps and
symmetry-allowed tensor products then learn nonlinear spatial correlations while preserving the required transformation laws. This approach avoids constructing a fixed set of hand-crafted invariant descriptors, whose selection requires choices about which local correlations to retain. It also allows the complexity of the learned mapping to grow without enlarging its spatial cutoff. We demonstrate the construction by learning the forces governing adiabatic dynamics in the square-
lattice Holstein model. Comparisons with exact diagonalization test the accuracy of the predicted forces and the
evolution of spatial correlations. Force evaluation scales linearly with system size, allowing the trained model to simulate charge-density-wave ordering on large
lattices. These simulations reproduce anomalously slow coarsening of the charge-density-wave domains, illustrating the use of the learned local mapping for collective dynamics.
Read the full abstract ▾
Statistical Mechanics
Random knotting in very long off-lattice self-avoiding polygons
Jason Cantarella, Tetsuo Deguchi, Henrik Schumacher et al. (+2 more)
We present experimental results on knotting in off-
lattice self-avoiding polygons in the bead-chain model. Using Clisby's tree data structure and the scale-free pivot
algorithm, for each $k$ between $10$ and $27$ we generated $2^{43-k}$ polygons of size $n=2^k$. Using a new
knot diagram simplification and invariant-free
knot classification code, we were able to determine the precise
knot type of each polygon. The results show that the number of
prime summands of
knot type $K$ in a random $n$-gon is very well described by a Poisson distribution. We estimate the characteristic length of knotting as $656500 \pm 2500$. We use the count of summands for large $n$ to measure knotting rates and amplitude ratios of
knot probabilities more accurately than previous experiments. Our calculations agree quite well with previous on-
lattice computations, and support both
knot localization and the
knot entropy conjecture.
Read the full abstract ▾
All authors Jason Cantarella, Tetsuo Deguchi, Henrik Schumacher, Clayton Shonkwiler, Erica Uehara
Strongly Correlated Electrons
Superconductivity, Kondo physics and magnetic order: Tuning the groundstate in the La$_{1-x}$Ce$_x$FeSiH solid solution through the interplay between $3d$ and $4f$ correlated electrons
J. Sourd, B. Vignolle, E. Gaudin et al. (+2 more)
We report a study of the La$_{1-x}$Ce$_x$FeSiH solid solution ($0 \leq x \leq 1$), a family of intermetallic hydrides of ZrCuSiAs-type structure, with space group $P4/nmm$. For low cerium concentrations $x \leq 0.20$, we observe the presence of superconductivity, which originates from the correlated $3d$ electrons of iron. The superconducting regime is progressively suppressed by the cerium substitution. For moderate cerium concentration $0.07 \leq x \leq 0.50$, we observe evidence of the single-ion Kondo effect and no
magnetic phase transition down to 2 K. For $0.07 \leq x \leq 0.20$, the single-ion Kondo effect coexists with a superconducting ground state at low temperatures. From $x > 0.50$, we observe signatures of Kondo coherence and a heavy
Fermi liquid regime at low temperature. Finally, at high cerium concentration $x \geq 0.85$, we observe signatures of
magnetic ordering at low temperatures. We discuss our results by introducing temperature scales related to superconductivity, the Kondo effect, and
magnetic order, which permits building a rich phase diagram temperature versus cerium content $x$. This shows that using the cerium concentration $x$ as a unique control parameter, we can explore the Kondo
entanglement between correlated $3d$ and $4f$ electrons, which suggests an unusual change between the superconducting state related to the $3d$ electrons and the Kondo coherent state involving both $3d$ and $4f$ electrons.
Read the full abstract ▾
All authors J. Sourd, B. Vignolle, E. Gaudin, S. Burdin, S. Tencé
Materials Science · Cross-listed from quant-ph
Surface Optimization of Superconducting Aluminum Resonators for Robust Quantum Device Fabrication
Simon J. K. Lang, Ignaz Eisele, Alwin Maiwald et al. (+8 more)
Aluminum (Al) remains the central material for superconducting
qubits, and considerable effort has been devoted to optimizing its deposition and patterning for
quantum devices. However, post-processing strategies focused on
oxide removal of niobium (Nb) and tantalum (Ta) -based resonators using buffered
oxide etch (BOE), which can not be used for Al. This challenge becomes particularly relevant for industry-scale fabrication with multi-chip bonding, where delays between sample preparation and cooldown require surface treatments that preserve low dielectric loss during extended exposure to ambient conditions. In this work, we investigate surface modification approaches for Al resonators subjected to a 24-hour delay prior to cryogenic measurement. Passivation using self-limiting oxygen and fluorine chemistries was evaluated utilizing different
plasma processes. Remote oxygen
plasma treatment reduced dielectric losses, in contrast to direct oxygen
plasma. A fluorine-based
plasma process was developed that passivated the Al surface for subsequent BOE treatment. However, the fluorine content in the surface resulted in higher loss, identifying fluorine as an unsuitable passivation material for Al resonators. Above all, selective
oxide removal using HF (hydrogen fluoride) vapor and phosphoric acid yielded median dielectric losses as low as $\tilde{\delta}_\mathrm{LP} = 5.7 \times 10^{-7}$ ($Q_\mathrm{LP} \approx 1.7\,\mathrm{M}$) with $\tilde{\delta}_\mathrm{TLS} = 3.6 \times 10^{-7}$ ($Q_\mathrm{TLS} \approx 2.8\,\mathrm{M}$) in the single
photon regime. Selective
oxide removal provides a promising pathway for robust Al-based
qubit fabrication, as it preserves low dielectric losses for a 24-hour delay before cooldown.
Read the full abstract ▾
All authors Simon J. K. Lang, Ignaz Eisele, Alwin Maiwald, Emir Music, Luis Schwarzenbach, Carla Moran-Guizan, Johannes Weber, Daniela Zahn, Thomas Mayer, Rui N. Pereira, Christoph Kutter
Materials Science
Magnetoluminescence of ZnMnSe/BeMnTe heterostructures with type-II band alignment at millikelvin temperatures
Dennis Kudlacik, Linda Kersting, Nataliia E. Kopteva et al. (+3 more)
The magneto-optical properties of a Zn$_{0.99}$Mn$_{0.01}$Se/Be$_{0.93}$Mn$_{0.07} $Te diluted
magnetic semiconductor heterostructure with type-II band
alignment are investigated at cryogenic temperatures down to 16 mK. The temperature of the Mn
spin system, which at the lowest possible
laser power reaches 270 mK, is evaluated from the
giant Zeeman splitting of the direct
exciton in the Zn$_{0.99}$Mn$_{0.01}$Se layers subject to an external
magnetic field. The degree of circular polarization of the direct and indirect optical transitions, induced by the
magnetic field, is a sensitive indicator for the
laser heating of the Mn
spin system. Evidence of
spin glass formation in the Mn
spin system of the Be$_{0.93}$Mn$_{0.07}$Te layers with the critical temperature of $T_{SG}=400$ mK is found.
Read the full abstract ▾
All authors Dennis Kudlacik, Linda Kersting, Nataliia E. Kopteva, Mladen Kotur, Dmitri R. Yakovlev, Manfred Bayer
Materials Science
Robust chirality memory in carbon nanotubes growing under modulated and evolving environments
K. Otsuka, R. Fujiwara and S. Maruyama
Controlling the chirality and yield of carbon nanotubes is essential for their diverse applications from macroscopic composites to nanoelectronics. Floating-catalyst chemical vapor deposition is widely employed as a scalable synthesis route, where catalysts inevitably traverse spatially varying environments. However, prevailing interpretations of nanotube growth largely rely on ensemble monitoring or static, post-growth snapshots. Here, we combine digital isotope labeling with programmed temperature modulation to reconstruct the dynamic growth histories of supported individual nanotubes. Growth rates exhibit hysteresis and extraordinary sensitivity to temperature changes, indicating irreversible catalyst coarsening; nevertheless, the nanotube chirality remains robustly preserved across lengths exceeding 300 um. This sharp contrast between kinetic adaptability and structural
memory in nanotube growth indicates that chirality control can be established at the nucleation stage, while allowing independent optimization of subsequent elongation. Our findings further call for a re-examination of static interpretations of diameter-determination mechanisms derived from post-growth snapshots.
Read the full abstract ▾
Statistical Mechanics
Counterexamples to the conjectured ordering between the waiting-time bound and the thermodynamic uncertainty bound on entropy production
Jie Gu
Two widely used model-free lower bounds on the steady-state
entropy production rate of a continuous-time Markov jump process are the thermodynamic uncertainty relation (TUR) bound $\sigma_\text{TUR}$, derived from the mean and variance of a current, and the waiting-time distribution (WTD) bound $\sigma_\mathcal{L}$, derived from the irreversibility of partially observed transition sequences together with their waiting times. It has been conjectured that $\sigma_{\mathcal L}$ is always at least as tight as $\sigma_{\mathrm{TUR}}$ when both are constructed from the same partially observed link. Here we provide four-state counterexamples in a nonequilibrium steady state where $\sigma_{\mathcal L}<\sigma_{\mathrm{TUR}}$. This result shows that no universal ordering exists between these two inference bounds under partial observation.
Read the full abstract ▾
Soft Condensed Matter
Transport properties in a model of confined granular mixtures at moderate densities
David González Méndez and Vicente Garzó
This work derives the Navier–Stokes hydrodynamic equations for a model of a confined, quasi-two-dimensional, $s$-component mixture of inelastic, smooth, hard spheres. Using the inelastic version of the revised Enskog theory, macroscopic balance equations for mass, momentum, and energy are obtained, and constitutive equations for the fluxes are determined through a first-order Chapman–Enskog expansion. As for elastic collisions, the transport coefficients are given in terms of the solutions of a set of coupled linear integral equations. Approximate solutions to these equations for
diffusion transport coefficients and shear viscosity are achieved by assuming steady-state conditions and considering leading terms in a Sonine
polynomial expansion. These transport coefficients are expressed in terms of the coefficients of restitution, concentration, the masses and diameters of the mixture's components, and the system's density. The results apply to moderate densities and are not limited to particular values of the coefficients of restitution, concentration, mass, and/or diameter ratios. As an application, the thermal
diffusion factor is evaluated to analyze segregation driven by temperature gradients and
gravity, providing criteria that distinguish whether larger particles accumulate near the hotter or colder boundaries.
Read the full abstract ▾
Quantum Gases
Anomalous minimization for critical velocity of superflow along a step potential
Akihiro Kanjo and Hiromitsu Takeuchi
To reveal a microscopic mechanism for the anomalous minimization and dependence of the superfluid critical velocity on a moving obstacle potential in a atomic Bose-Einstein condensate [\href{https://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevA.91.053615}{Phys.~Rev.~A 91, 053615 (2015)}], we introduce a considerably simplified model of superflow along a step potential. The energy spectrum and wave functions of the lowest-energy excitations in this system are well described by the semi-classical analysis based on the Bogoliubov theory. We found that the critical velocity is minimized and becomes zero when the potential height equals the hydrostatic chemical potential, which corresponds to the critical point of the local condensation phase transition inside the step potential. In a finite-size system, the critical velocity $v_\mathrm{c}$ obeys a power-law scaling with the system size $L_x$ as $v_\mathrm{c}\propto L_x^{-0.963}$. This criticality provides an explanation of the power-law scaling of the minimum critical velocity observed in the experiment.
Read the full abstract ▾
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics · Cross-listed from physics.optics
Terahertz volume plasmon-polariton modulation in all-dielectric hyperbolic metamaterials
Stefano Campanaro, Luca Bussi, Stefano Curtarolo et al. (+1 more)
The development of plasmonics and related applications in the terahertz range faces limitations due to the intrinsic high electron density of standard metals. All-dielectric systems are profitable alternatives, which allows for customized modulation of the optical response upon doping. Here we focus on plasmon-based
hyperbolic metamaterials realized stacking doped III-V
semiconductors that have been shown to be optically active in the terahertz spectral region. By using a multi-physics multi-scale theoretical approach, we unravel the role of doping and geometrical characteristics (e.g., thickness, composition, grating) in the modulation of high-k plasmon-polariton modes across the metamaterial.
Read the full abstract ▾
All authors Stefano Campanaro, Luca Bussi, Stefano Curtarolo, Arrigo Calzolari
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Magneto-mechanical reservoir computing combining a two-dimensional network of nonlinear mass-spring resonators with magnetic tunnel junctions
Andrea Grimaldi, Davi R. Rodrigues, Andrea Meo et al. (+2 more)
Coupled networks of mass-spring resonators have attracted growing
attention across multiple fundamental and applied research directions, including reservoir computing for artificial intelligence. This has led to the exploration of platforms capable of tasks such as acoustic-wave classification, smart sensing, predictive maintenance, and adaptive vibration control. This work introduces a multiphysics reservoir based on a two-dimensional network of coupled nonlinear mass-spring resonators. Each mass has a
magnetic tunnel junction on top of it, working as
spin diode, used as a spintronic read-out. As a proof-of-concept, we have benchmarked this reservoir with the task of vowel-recognition reaching accuracy above 95$\%$. Because the device accepts elastic excitations directly, signal injections are simplified, making it well-suited for realtime sensing and edge computation. We also studied the effect of nonlinearity, demonstrating how it influences the reservoir dynamics, and assessed its robustness under node-to-node variation of the elastic constants.
Read the full abstract ▾
All authors Andrea Grimaldi, Davi R. Rodrigues, Andrea Meo, Francesca Garescì, Giovanni Finocchio
Superconductivity
Anisotropic second-harmonic generation in superconducting nanostructures
Sara Memarzadeh, Maciej Krawczyk, Armen Gulian et al. (+1 more)
Circuits based on superconducting nanostructures are among the most promising platforms for
quantum computing. Understanding how device geometry governs nonlinear electrodynamics is crucial for implementing superconducting
quantum technologies. However, to date, research has largely been limited to superconducting nanostructures with collinearly aligned static and dynamic applied
magnetic fields. Here, we analyze the dynamics of Meissner currents and Abrikosov
vortices in a superconducting nanocube exposed to combined static and microwave
magnetic fields, extending the analysis to a more general excitation geometry. We demonstrate that, in a noncollinear configuration,the magnetization component parallel to the static field develops a dominant second-harmonic response under the microwave driving. This effect is strongly enhanced when Meissner currents saturate at static fields just below the thresholds for successive
vortex nucleation. By numerically solving the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equations, we show that the response originates from Meissner-current saturation combined with the nonlinear oscillations of normal-phase indentations, yielding an anisotropic second-harmonic signal that is directionally separated from, and not overshadowed by, the first-harmonic component of the dynamic magnetization. These findings are relevant for superconducting devices that require controllable high-frequency nonlinearity.
Read the full abstract ▾
All authors Sara Memarzadeh, Maciej Krawczyk, Armen Gulian, Jaroslaw W. Klos
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Conveyor-mode electron shuttling through a T-junction in Si/SiGe
Max Beer, Ran Xue, Lennart Deda et al. (+6 more)
Conveyor-mode shuttling in gated Si/SiGe devices enables adiabatic transfer of single electrons, electron patterns and
spin qubits confined in
quantum dots across several microns with a scalable number of signal lines. To realize their full potential, linear shuttle lanes must connect into a two-dimensional grid with controllable routing. We introduce a T-junction device linking two independently driven shuttle lanes. Electron routing across the junction requires no extra control lines beyond the four channels per conveyor belt. We measure an inter-lane charge transfer fidelity of $F = 100.0000000^{+0}_{-9\times 10^{-7}}\,\%$ at an instantaneous electron velocity of $270\,\mathrm{mm}\,\mathrm{s}^{-1}$. The filling of 54
quantum dots is controlled by simple atomic pulses, allowing us to swap electron patterns, laying the groundwork for a native
spin-
qubit SWAP gate. This T-junction establishes a path towards scalable, two-dimensional
quantum computing architectures with flexible
spin qubit routing for
quantum error correction.
Read the full abstract ▾
All authors Max Beer, Ran Xue, Lennart Deda, Stefan Trellenkamp, Jhih-Sian Tu, Paul Surrey, Inga Seidler, Hendrik Bluhm, Lars R. Schreiber
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Layer Hall effect induced by altermagnetism
Fang Qin and Rui Chen
In this work, we propose a scheme to realize the layer
Hall effect in the
ferromagnetic topological
insulator Bi$_2$Se$_3$ via proximity to $d$-wave altermagnets. We show that an altermagnet and an in-plane
magnetic field applied near one surface gap the corresponding Dirac cone, yielding an altermagnet-induced half-quantized
Hall effect. When altermagnets with antiparallel Néel vectors are placed near the top and bottom surfaces, giving rise to the layer
Hall effect with vanishing net
Hall conductance, i.e., the altermagnet-induced layer
Hall effect. In contrast, altermagnets with parallel Néel vectors lead to a quantized Chern insulating state, i.e., the altermagnet-induced anomalous
Hall effect. We further analyze the dependence of the
Hall conductance on the orientation of the in-plane
magnetic field and demonstrate that the layer
Hall effect becomes observable under a perpendicular electric field. Our results establish a route to engineer altermagnet-induced topological phases in
ferromagnetic topological
insulators.
Read the full abstract ▾
Materials Science
Material exploration through active learning – METAL
Joakim Brorsson, Henrik Klein Moberg, Joel Hildingsson et al. (+3 more)
The discovery and design of new materials are paramount in the development of green technologies. High
entropy oxides represent one such group that has only been tentatively explored, mainly due to the inherent problem of navigating vast compositional spaces. Thanks to the emergence of machine learning, however, suitable tools are now readily available. Here, the task of finding oxygen carriers for chemical looping processes has been tackled by leveraging active learning-based strategies combined with first-principles calculations. High efficiency and efficacy have, moreover, been achieved by exploiting the power of recently developed machine learning interatomic potentials. Firstly, the proposed approaches were validated based on an established computational framework for identifying high
entropy perovskites that can be used in chemical looping air separation and dry reforming. Chief among the insights thus gained was the identification of the best performing strategies, in the form of greedy or Thompson-based sampling based on uncertainty estimates obtained from Gaussian processes. Building on this newfound knowledge, the concept was applied to a more complex problem, namely the discovery of high
entropy oxygen carriers for chemical looping oxygen uncoupling. This resulted in both qualitative as well as quantitative outcomes, including lists of specific materials with high oxygen transfer capacities and configurational
entropies. Specifically, the best candidates were based on the known oxygen carrier CaMnO3 but also contained a variety of additional species, of which some, e.g., Ti; Co; Cu; and Ti, were expected while others were not, e.g., Y and Sm. The results suggest that adopting active learning approaches is critical in materials discovery, given that these methods are already shifting research practice and soon will be the norm.
Read the full abstract ▾
All authors Joakim Brorsson, Henrik Klein Moberg, Joel Hildingsson, Jonatan Gastaldi, Tobias Mattisson, Anders Hellman