Papers

This work investigates the electronic properties of twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) through computational calculations, with the aim of understanding the emergence of flat bands and conditions favorable for superconductivity close to the magic angle. This study utilizes a k\cdot p continuum model, and the low-energy Hamiltonians are derived from angle-dependent datasets provided by Carr et al. Using this model, the band structure, density of states (DoS), and Fermi velocity are systematically calculated across a range of twist angles. The calculations are performed by discretizing high-symmetry paths in the moire Brillouin zone for band structure calculations, uniformly sampling a square grid for DoS analysis, and employing finite-difference methods to evaluate the Fermi velocity near the Dirac points. The results identify a narrow magic-angle window around $\theta \approx 0.98^\circ-1.00^\circ$, where the bands become nearly dispersionless, the DoS exhibits a sharp peak, and the Fermi velocity is strongly suppressed. This computational framework does not directly predict superconductivity, but rather establishes the electronic foundation for exploring flat-band physics and correlation-driven phenomena such as unconventional superconductivity in twisted bilayer graphene.

Small-scale intermittency is a defining feature of fully developed fluid turbulence, marked by rare and extreme fluctuations of velocity increments and gradients that defy mean-field descriptions. Existing multifractal descriptions of intermittency focus primarily on longitudinal increments and gradients, despite mounting evidence that transverse components exhibit distinct and stronger intermittency. Here, we develop a unified multifractal framework that jointly prescribes longitudinal and transverse velocity increments, and extends to gradients. We derive explicit relations linking inertial-range scaling exponents of structure functions to moments of velocity gradients in dissipation range. Our results reveal that longitudinal gradient scaling is solely prescribed by longitudinal structure functions, as traditionally expected; however, transverse gradient scaling is prescribed by mixed longitudinal-transverse structure functions. Validation with high-resolution direct numerical simulations of isotropic turbulence, at Taylor-scale Reynolds number up to $1300$ demonstrates excellent agreement, paving way for a more complete and predictive description of intermittency faithful to the underlying turbulence dynamics.

We explore the zero-phonon line of single photon emitters in helium-ion treated monolayer MoS$_2$, which are currently understood in terms of single sulfur-site vacancies. By comparing the linewidths of the zero-phonon line as extracted directly from optical spectra with values inferred from the first-order autocorrelation function of the photoluminescence, we quantify bounds of the homogeneous broadening and of phonon-assisted contributions. The results are discussed in terms of both the independent boson model and ab-initio results as computed from GW and Bethe-Salpeter equation approximations.

Spin-wave spectrum of monolayer CrSBr waveguides was studied by numerically diagonalizing the Bogoliubov-de Gennes Hamiltonian derived from linearising the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation. In contrast to its short-range counterparts, the long-range dipolar field acts statically as a confining potential for spin wave, while the dynamic part couples the spin and orbit degrees of freedom, thus giving rise to spin-orbit coupling for spin wave. Due to the inversion symmetry of the Hamiltonian and the spinor structure of the wave function, spin-wave eigenstates form doublets with definite parity. Micromagnetic simulation tallies well with numerical calculation. Our study on spin-wave eigenstates in CrSBr waveguides sheds light on the nature of exchange-dipole spin wave in ferromagnetic slabs. We confirm particularly that the robustness of the Damon-Eshbach mode is not derived from topology, but rather from the static dipolar field. Moreover, a thorough knowledge on spin wave in monolayer CrSBr itself represents a step forward to understanding the more complicated antiferromagnetic resonance in bulk CrSBr.

We introduce an efficient first-principles framework for simulating angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) based on the direct computation of photoelectron states as solutions of the Kohn-Sham equation with scattering boundary conditions. While the one-step theory of photoemission has a long and successful history, existing implementations are often tied to specialized electronic-structure formalisms. Our approach is formally equivalent to the Lippmann-Schwinger formulation, and it is directly compatible with standard plane-wave and real-space density functional theory codes, enabling seamless integration with advanced exchange-correlation functionals and modern electronic-structure workflows. By providing explicit photoelectron wave functions, the method allows for a transparent analysis of matrix-element effects, multiple scattering, and experimental geometry. We demonstrate the accuracy and predictive power of the framework through circular-dichroism ARPES simulations for monolayer graphene and bulk $2H$-WSe$_2$, achieving excellent agreement with experimental data over a wide photon-energy range. Our results establish a robust and accessible route toward quantitative ARPES modeling, opening the door to systematic studies of orbital textures, many-body effects, and nonequilibrium phenomena within widely used ab initio platforms.

The combination of disorder and interactions is known in many systems to produce a feature in the single-particle density of states, the shape and parameter dependence of which act as signatures of the underlying electronic state. Strong Coulomb repulsion gives rise to a host of novel phenomena, among these is a unique zero-bias anomaly. While understanding of the anomaly in bulk materials remains incomplete, a version of this anomaly can be found in an ensemble of two-site systems and hence has been predicted to be observable in parallel-coupled double quantum dots. However, prior work did not include the influence of the leads. Here we show that the presence of the leads results in changes to the projected stability diagrams but that the signature of the strongly-correlated zero-bias anomaly nonetheless remains clearly visible.

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) maximize atom efficiency and exhibit unique electronic structures, yet realizing precise and scalable atomic dispersion remains a key challenge. Here, we report a non-equilibrium strategy for the scalable synthesis of SACs via ion implantation, enabling precise stabilization of metal atoms on diverse supports. Using an industrial-grade ion source, wafer-scale ion implantation with milliampere-level beam currents enables high-throughput fabrication of SACs, while the synergistic energy-mass effects stabilize isolated metal atoms in situ. A library of 36 SACs was constructed, and the resulting Pt/MoS2 exhibits outstanding hydrogen evolution performance with an overpotential of only 26 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and exceptional long-term stability, surpassing commercial Pt/C. This work demonstrates ion implantation as a versatile platform bridging fundamental SACs design and scalable manufacturing, providing new opportunities for high-performance catalysts in energy conversion applications.

In quantum metrology, precision is typically characterized by an ensemble-averaged quantity, the quantum Fisher information (QFI), which averages over the fluctuations of individual measurement records. Here we introduce the conditional quantum Fisher information (CQFI), a trajectory-level version of the QFI that generalizes the classical stochastic Fisher information to the quantum domain. Defined through the symmetric logarithmic derivative and conditioned on a measurement outcome, the CQFI is a random variable whose average recovers the QFI. Using it, we derive a trajectory-level quantum speed limit, illustrated by the quantum-jump unraveling of a driven thermal qubit. Moreover, the CQFI decomposes into incoherent (population) and coherent (basis-rotation) contributions, together with an interference cross-term. This cross-term vanishes on average but can take negative values along single trajectories, providing a local witness of destructive interference between classical and quantum information channels.

Niobium oxide diiodide (NbOI2) is an emerging material for photonics and electronics, distinguished by its exceptional second-order nonlinearity and pronounced in-plane ferroelectricity, both originating from its highly anisotropic ABC-stacked crystal structure. Its broken inversion symmetry enables its optical nonlinear efficiency to scale with thickness, making multilayer NbOI2 highly promising for nonlinear frequency conversion like second harmonic generation or and spontaneous parametric down-conversion in bulk or waveguides. However, under ambient conditions NbOI2 degrades into an amorphous oxide within weeks, severely diminishing its nonlinear response. To overcome this, we investigate SiO2 encapsulation via physical vapor deposition to protect NbOI2 multilayers from environmental degradation. Our systematic study reveals that encapsulation preserves structural integrity and nonlinear optical performance, establishing NbOI2 as a stable candidate for heterogeneous integration in foundry-compatible photonic platforms and quantum technologies.

We investigate operator delocalization in disordered one-dimensional spin chains by introducing – besides the already known operator mass – a complementary measure of operator complexity: the operator length. Like the operator nonstabilizerness, both these quantities are defined from the expansion of time-evolved operators in the Pauli basis. They characterize, respectively, the number of sites on which an operator acts nontrivially and the spatial extent of its support. We show that both the operator mass and length can be computed efficiently and exactly within a matrix-product-state (MPS) framework, providing direct access to their full probability distributions, without resorting to stochastic sampling. Applying this approach to the disordered XXZ spin-1/2 chain, we find sharply distinct behaviors in non-interacting and interacting regimes. In the Anderson-localized case, operator mass, length, and operator entanglement entropy rapidly saturate, signaling the absence of scrambling. By contrast, in the many-body localized (MBL) regime, for arbitrarily weak interactions, all quantities exhibit a robust logarithmic growth in time, consistent with the known logarithmic light cone of quantum-correlation propagation in MBL. We demonstrate that this behavior is quantitatively captured by an effective $\ell$-bit model and persists across system sizes accessible via tensor-network simulations.

We develop a trajectory-resolved extension of the thermo-field entanglement description for a minimal dissipative two-spin system. For the isolated exchange-coupled model, the intrinsic thermo-field entanglement coefficient is $b_0(t)=\frac14\sin^2(\omega t)$. We promote the corresponding open-system coefficient to a stochastic trajectory observable, $b_{qe}^{(\xi)}(t)=b_0(t)X_t$, where the binary variable $X_t$ specifies whether the trajectory occupies the one-excitation entangling sector or the decayed sector. For a bidirectional time-local jump process $1\xrightarrow{a(t)}0$ and $0\xrightarrow{b(t)}1$, we derive an exact two-time connected correlation function, \[ C_{qe}(t,s)=b_0(t)b_0(s)S(s)[1-S(s)] \exp\!\left[-\int_s^t(a(u)+b(u))\,du\right], \qquad t\ge s, \] where $S(t)=\langle X_t\rangle$. The one-time mean determines the net probability current, $\dot S=J_R-J_F$, whereas the normalized two-time correlation determines the rate sum, $a+b$. Combining the two quantities yields an exact reconstruction of the forward and reverse currents, \[ J_F=S(1-S)q-S\dot S,\qquad J_R=S(1-S)q+(1-S)\dot S, \] with $q=-\partial_t\ln[C_{qe}(t,s)/b_0(t)]$. This leads to a three-current decomposition of the mean thermo-field entanglement dynamics into coherent generation, dissipative loss, and memory-induced return. For Markovian amplitude damping the reconstruction gives $J_R=0$, while in a pure non-Markovian revival interval it gives $J_F=0$ and $J_R=\dot S>0$. The result shows that the mean alone measures only net backflow, whereas mean plus two-time fluctuations resolves hidden bidirectional traffic between system and environment.

The cross-unitcell long displacements in some recent emergent ferroelectrics have actually challenged the classical definition of ferroelectricity, while the relative explorations are still in the early stage and even controversial. In this paper we provide a general model that gives the picture for the evolution and transition from typical ferroelectricity to long displacement ferroelectricity, which is classified into type-I and type-II. In particular, type-I with two switching modes of different barriers may switch between conventional ferroelectricity and ion-conduction-like ferroelectricity depending on various factors including electric field, boundaries, vacancies, temperature, etc.., which is demonstrated by first-principles calculations on {\gamma}-AlOOH and CuInP2S6 as two paradigmatic cases. Intriguingly, their polarizations are nonlocal since the boundaries also determine the switching mode and polarization direction, which can be different for the same given crystal structure. Such type-I can be evolved from conventional ferroelectricity as the migration barrier across unitcell is reduced, and will behave like type-II at elevated temperature as the conventional part becomes paraelectric. These unconventional behaviors can be applicable to various systems, and many previously unclarified phenomena can be well explained.

We study the formation of solitons in a uniform quasi-one-dimensional (quasi-1D) spin-orbit (SO) coupled self-repulsive pseudo spin-half and spin-one dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC), using the mean-field Gross-Pitaevskii equation. The dipolar atoms are taken to be polarized along the quasi-1D $x$ direction. In the pseudo spin-half case, for small SO-coupling, one can have dark-bright and bright-bright solitons. For large SO coupling, the dark-bright and bright-bright solitons may acquire a spatially-periodic modulation in density; for certain values of contact interaction paramerers there is only the normal bright-bright soliton without spatially-periodic modulation in density. In the spin-one anti-ferromagnetic case, for small SO coupling, one can have bright-bright-bright, dark-bright-dark, and bright-dark-bright solitons; and for large SO coupling, the dark-bright-dark and bright-dark-bright solitons are found to have spatially-periodic modulation in density. In the spin-one ferromagnetic case, for both small and large SO coupling, we find only bright-bright-bright solitons. All these solitons, specially those with a dark-soliton component, are dynamically stable as demonstrated by real-time propagation using the converged stationary solution obtained by imaginary-time propagation as the initial state.

The domain structure of a MnSb$_2$Te$_4$ single crystal with a Curie temperature $T_C \approx 45~K$ was studied using the high-resolution Bitter decoration technique. Magnetotransport measurements confirm a soft ferromagnetic ordering with a coercive field of $ \sim 100$ Oe. We revealed the formation of a hierarchical domain structure characterized by two distinct spatial scales. These results indicate the existence of two magnetically weakly coupled subsystems – surface and bulk. The observed sub-domain structure can be attributed to the formation of a ferromagnetic well due to an inhomogeneous distribution of $\mathrm{Mn_{Sb}}$ antisite defects, with an additional contribution from symmetry breaking in the near-surface layer.

Chiral superconductivity is a time-reversal-symmetry-breaking superconducting phase that has attracted broad interest as a potential platform for topological quantum computation. A fundamental consequence of this symmetry breaking is orbital magnetization, yet a clear microscopic formulation of this quantity has remained elusive. This difficulty arises because Bogoliubov quasiparticles do not carry a definite electric charge, precluding a simple interpretation of orbital magnetization in terms of circulating quasiparticle currents. Moreover, superconductivity and ferromagnetism rarely coexist, and in the few materials where they do (e.g. uranium-based compounds), strong spin-orbit coupling obscures the orbital contribution to the magnetization. The recent report of chiral superconductivity in rhombohedral multilayer graphene, which has negligible spin-orbit coupling, therefore provides a unique opportunity to develop and test a microscopic theory of orbital magnetization in chiral superconductors. Here we develop such a theory, unifying the interband coherence effects underlying normal-state orbital magnetization with the intrinsic orbital moments of the Cooper-pair condensate. Applying our theory to rhombohedral tetralayer graphene, we find that the onset of superconductivity can either enhance or suppress the normal-state orbital magnetization, depending on the bandstructure. We further identify a generalized clapping mode with a gap set by the sublattice winding form factor. This collective mode is unique to chiral superconductors and contributes to the orbital magnetization through its role in dressing the photon vertex. Our theory resolves a long-standing conceptual difficulty in defining orbital magnetization in superconducting systems, and measurements of the orbital magnetization relative to the quarter-metal phase would provide a direct experimental test.

Entanglement entropy (EE) is a fundamental probe of quantum phases and critical phenomena, which was thought to reflect only bulk universality for a long time. Very recently, people realized that the microscopic geometry of the entanglement cut can induce distinct entanglement-edge modes, whose coupling to bulk critical fluctuations may alter the scaling of the EE. However, this perception is very qualitative and lacks quantitative consideration. Here, we investigate this problem through high-precision quantum Monte Carlo simulations combined with the analysis of scaling theory to build a quantitative understanding. By considering three distinct bipartitions corresponding to three surface criticality types, we reveal a striking dependence of the constant term {\gamma} on the microscopic cut at the quantum critical point. Notably, cuts that generate extra gapless edge modes yield a sign reversal in {\gamma} compared to those producing gapped edges. We explain this behavior via a modified scaling form that incorporates contributions from both bulk and surface critical modes. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the derivative of EE robustly extracts the bulk critical point and exponent {\nu} regardless of the cut geometry, providing a reliable diagnostic of bulk universality in the presence of strong surface effects. Our work for the first time establishes a direct quantitative connection between surface criticality and entanglement scaling, challenging the conventional view that EE solely reflects bulk properties and offering a refined framework for interpreting entanglement in systems with boundary-sensitive criticality.

We consider a correlated site percolation problem on a cubic lattice of size $L^3$, with $16\le L\le 512$. The sites of an initially full lattice are removed by a random walk of ${\cal N}=uL^3$ steps. When the parameter $u$ crosses a threshold $u_c=3.15$, a large system transitions between percolating and non-percolating states. We study the $L$-dependence of the mean mass (number of sites) $M_r$ of the $r$th largest cluster, as well as $r$-dependence of $M_r$ for various system sizes $L$ at $u_c$. We demonstrate that $M_r\sim L^{5/2}/r^{5/6}$ for moderate or large $L$ and $r\gg 1$, and also conclude that for any $r$ the fractal dimensions of the clusters are $5/2$.

We uncover a universal scaling law governing the dispersion of collective attention and identify its underlying stochastic criticality. By analysing large-scale ensembles of Wikipedia page views, we find that the variance of logarithmic attention grows ultraslowly, $\operatorname{Var}[\ln{X(t)}]\propto\ln{t}$, in sharp contrast to the power-law scaling typically expected for diffusive processes. We show that this behaviour is captured by a minimal stochastic differential equation driven by fractional Brownian motion, in which long-range memory ($H$) and temporal decay of volatility ($\eta$) enter through the single exponent $\xi\equiv H-\eta$. At marginality, $\xi=0$, the variance grows logarithmically, marking the critical boundary between power-law growth ($\xi>0$) and saturation ($\xi<0$). By incorporating article-level heterogeneity through a Gaussian mixture model, we further reconstruct the empirical distribution of cumulative attention within the same framework. Our results place collective attention in a distinct class of non-Markovian stochastic processes, with close affinity to ageing-like and ultraslow dynamics in glassy systems.

We present a unified theoretical description of spinful superconductivity that combines singlet and triplet pairing within a complexified quaternion order parameter. The formulation provides a compact route from the superconducting gap to the Bogoliubov-de Gennes spectrum and its symmetry constraints. For a spin-independent normal state, mixed singlet-triplet pairing generally produces two gap branches, while the conventional degenerate spectrum is recovered for unitary pairing. We extend the framework to a scalar composite charge-$4e$ field and derive its fluctuation-induced mass correction with an explicit field normalization. The resulting Ginzburg-Landau theory yields the conditions for a local vestigial instability, phase locking, and $h/4e$ flux quantization. A Rashba-lattice example illustrates the distinction between class-DIII symmetry and nontrivial topology. Finite-size density matrix renormalization group data show slower quartet than pair decay over the accessible distance range, with residual bond-dimension dependence. Illustrative vortex and Josephson responses connect the field theory to experimentally accessible signatures while distinguishing coherent two-pair transport from evidence for a bulk charge-$4e$ condensate.

The degree of electronic coupling between individual layers in few-layer van der Waals heterostructures offers a route to engineer their magnetic, electronic, and optical functionalities. Using state-of-the-art first-principles calculations, we demonstrate that the electronic coupling between two monolayers of CrSBr, an anisotropic two-dimensional magnetic semiconductor, is highly nonlinear and nonmonotonic with respect to their relative twist angle, exhibiting a pronounced maximum at the twin-stacking configuration. The coupling strength scales with both the degree of overlap of Br orbitals adjacent to the van der Waals gap and the cosine of half of the interlayer spin angle. This enhanced interlayer electronic coupling gives rise to excitons delocalized across the two layers with a strong polarization dependence that reflects the details of the interlayer spin alignment. Our results reveal a sensitive interplay between twist angle, magnetism, and excitonic properties in twin-stacked CrSBr bilayers, and they establish twin stacking as an effective route to engineering interlayer coupling and optical response in anisotropic two-dimensional magnets with rectangular lattices.

Berry curvature does not show itself in the relative phase correlation of wave-functions at different spatial points in a metal unless the fermions have closed trajectories in momentum space, for example those around isolated impurities. But these, just as the Bloch phase correlations, disappear at lengths larger than the diffusion length. If a quasi-two dimensional metal with Berry curvature has a set of domains, their boundaries necessarily carry chiral currents precluding back-ward scattering. The Berry induced phase coherence then persists over length scales of order the scale at which the chiral one-dimensional states scatter into the bulk states, which can be macroscopic. The conditions for their occurrence and the lengths and the orientation of such states are derived. These calculations are used to understand the remarkable aspects of a recent experiment in an anisotropic metal, reported to have loop-current order, with mean-free path of about 0.01 $\mu$m which exhibits flux quantization in some transport properties over lengths of several $\mu$m. %It is also shown that generating the appropriately oriented channels in the plane by the field applied is plausible.

Nanocrystals (NCs) serve as versatile building blocks for the creation of functional materials, with NC self-assembly offering opportunities to enable novel material properties. Here, we demonstrate that PbS NCs functionalized with strongly negatively charged metal chalcogenide complex (MCC) ligands, such as $Sn_2S_6^{4-}$ and $AsS_4^{3-}$, can self-assemble into all-inorganic superlattices with both long-range superlattice translational and atomic-lattice orientational order. Structural characterizations reveal that the NCs adopt unexpected edge-to-edge alignment, and numerical simulation clarifies that orientational order is thermodynamically stabilized by many-body ion correlations originating from the dense electrolyte. Furthermore, we show that the superlattices of $Sn_2S_6^{4-}$-functionalized PbS NCs can be fully disassembled back into the colloidal state, which is highly unusual for orientationally attached superlattices with atomic-lattice alignment. The reversible oriented attachment of NCs, enabling their dynamic assembly and disassembly into effectively single-crystalline superstructures, offers a pathway toward designing reconfigurable materials with adaptive and controllable electronic and optoelectronic properties.

Magnesium is the lightest structural alloy, yet its practical use is limited by its low ductility. Recent studies suggest ductility enhancement in dilute Mg alloys may stem from favorable solute modification of <c+a> pyramidal I/II screw dislocation core energy difference, activating <c+a> slip via a double cross-slip mechanism. This work conducts large-scale DFT calculations, reaching ~6,000 atoms, of <c+a> dislocation energetics in Mg and Mg-Y/Zn alloys. We find that relative solute strengthening effects on pyramidal I and II screw dislocation glide are crucial for cross-slip enhancement in Mg-Y, in contrast to prior investigations, that find solute-mediated dislocation-core energy modification as the main driver. Our predictions align with single- and poly-crystal experimental results and also capture the transition from pyramidal II to I preferred slip in Mg-Y.

Second-generation Car–Parrinello ab initio molecular dynamics (CP2G AIMD) combines a Born–Oppenheimer-like nuclear equation of motion with a predictor-corrector propagation of the one-particle density matrix and a modified Langevin equation to ensure an accurate sampling of the Boltzmann distribution. In the CP2K implementation, this approach can substantially reduce the number of self-consistent-field iterations required per molecular-dynamics step, but only if the density-matrix propagation, the orbital-transformation corrector, and the modified Langevin friction parameters are tuned consistently. This tutorial gives a practical workflow for setting up CP2G AIMD calculations in CP2K, starting from Born–Oppenheimer pre-equilibration and proceeding through corrector-step-size selection, always-stable predictor-corrector order optimization, final relaxation, and the calibration of the dissipative and stochastic terms used for canonical sampling. The protocol is demonstrated for a 32-molecule liquid-water benchmark and is written for users who already know the basics of CP2K input files but want a reliable route from a conventional AIMD setup to a production-ready CP2G simulation.

Rutile Sn$_{1-x}$Ge$_x$O$_{2}$ alloys are promising materials for high-power electronic applications due to their dopability and tunable ultra-wide band gaps. We use first-principles density functional theory and statistical mechanics to investigate the crystallographic, electronic, and thermodynamic properties of rutile $\text{Sn}_{1-x}\text{Ge}_x\text{O}_2$ alloys. We predict that the lattice parameters follow Vegard's law, while band gaps calculated with the hybrid HSE06 functional exhibit strong bowing, consistent with experiment. We also predict that the disordered phase has a large positive mixing enthalpy and a slight tendency for Ge-Sn clustering, indicated by weakly negative short-range order parameters. This large positive mixing enthalpy produces a miscibility gap with a critical temperature above 2300 K, implying that the high Ge and Sn solubilities observed in thin-film synthesis cannot be explained by the incoherent phase diagram alone. We demonstrate that coherency strain during epitaxial growth substantially alters phase stability. Calculations of the coherent spinodal show significant suppression of the miscibility gap, reducing the critical temperature to $\approx 900$ K. These coherent phase boundaries account for the experimentally observed high solubilities at typical growth temperatures. Our results indicate that coherency strain stabilizes these metastable alloys and enables bandgap engineering in this ultrawide-bandgap material system.

We investigate spin-valley instabilities and their connection to the magnetically ordered states recently observed in the twisted bilayer dichalcogenide WSe$_2$ at a $5^o$ twist angle. Starting from an effective three-orbital faithful Wannier model for the spin-locked moiré bands, combined with orbital-dependent Hubbard interactions, we analyze the evolution of magnetic instabilities as a function of carrier density using the matrix random phase approximation (mRPA) approach. By computing the Stoner boundary lines from the spin-valley susceptibilities over the electric-field by hole filling phase diagram, we show that the spin-valley instabilities result in ordered states in the region close to the Lifshitz transition at the topmost moiré valence band, marked by crossing of the Van Hove singularity in the density of states. These spin-valley ordered states are dominated by interorbital spin-valley-flips involving the $MM$ and $MX$ moiré orbitals and occur at different momenta in each side of the Van Hove line, indicating a distinct spatial dependence of the spin-valley order parameter depending on the hole filling. Moreover, the corresponding Stoner boundaries exhibit strong fluctuations on its flanks, which can favor superconducting states in the regions close to the spin-valley-ordered ones. This mechanism provides a natural description for a reentrant superconducting dome consistent with the experimental results. As such, our results suggest spin-valley fluctuations near the Van Hove line as the microscopic origin of the reentrant superconductivity in twisted WSe$_2$.

We present a novel matrix product representation of the Laughlin and related fractional quantum Hall wavefunctions based on a rigorous version of the correlators of a chiral quantum field theory. This representation enables the quantitative control of the coefficients of the Laughlin wavefunction times an arbitrary monomial symmetric polynomial when expanded in a Slater determinant or permanent basis. It renders the properties, such as factorization and the renewal structure, inherent in such fractional quantum Hall wavefunctions transparent. We prove bounds on the correlators of the chiral quantum field theory and utilize this representation to demonstrate the exponential decay of connected correlations and a gap in the entanglement spectrum on a thin cylinder.

The discovery of nickelate superconductors has opened a new arena for studying the behavior of correlated electron liquids that give rise to unconventional superconductivity. While critical information about a material's charge dynamics is encoded in its plasmons, collective modes of the electron gas, these excitations have not yet been observed in nickelate materials. Here, we use resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) to detect plasmons in the metallic, low-valence nickelate Pr4Ni3O8. Although qualitatively similar to those in cuprates, the nickelate plasmons are more heavily damped and have a lower velocity than those in a cuprate at comparable doping, which we attribute to reduced electronic hopping and enhanced screening of the long-range Coulomb interactions. Furthermore, the plasmons in Pr4Ni3O8 soften with increasing temperature, in contrast to the cuprate, where plasmons remain at nearly fixed energy but become more strongly damped. Taken together, these results reveal a distinct charge-screening landscape in nickelates and place quantitative constraints on analogies to cuprates.

AlN-GaN heterostructures are central to high-power and high-frequency electronics, including RF devices, power converters, and AI accelerators. An intermediate Al1-xGaxN (AlGaN) layer is often present, either unintentionally during growth or intentionally to induce a 2D electron gas, yet its impact on the interfacial thermal boundary conductance (TBC) remains unknown due to the lack of reliable measurement or modeling methods. Here, we report a first principles-based evaluation of the TBCs of AlN-AlGaN, AlGaN-GaN, and AlN-AlGaN-GaN interfaces over the full alloy range. This is realized by the development of accurate deep learning interatomic potentials based on first-principles simulations. Contrary to other material systems where mixed interlayers enhance thermal coupling, we find that an AlGaN interlayer markedly degrades TBC between GaN and AlN, explaining the observation in experiments. Finally, we show that if the Al composition is sigmoidally transitioned from 0 to 1 across the AlN-GaN interface, it can remarkably increase the TBC, compared to an abrupt or a linear transition. This work is expected to shed light on an accurate thermal analysis and electro-thermal co-design of future AlGaN-based devices.

We develop an information-theoretic formulation of stochastic dynamics in which the fundamental stochastic variable is the total action connecting spacetime points, rather than individual paths. By maximizing Shannon entropy over a joint distribution of actions and endpoints, subject to normalization and a constraint on the mean action, we obtain a Boltzmann-like distribution in action space. This framework reproduces the standard Brownian propagator in the nonrelativistic limit and naturally extends to relativistic regimes, where the Wiener construction fails to preserve Lorentz covariance. The approach bypasses functional integration over paths, makes the role of entropic degeneracy explicit through an action-space density of states, and provides a transparent connection between the principle of least action and statistical inference. We derive the density of states explicitly using large deviation theory, showing that it takes a Gaussian form centered at the minimal action, and rigorously justify the saddle-point approximation in the diffusive regime. The Markovian property of the resulting propagator is verified to hold via the Chapman–Kolmogorov equation, following from the additivity of the minimal action for free-particle dynamics. In the diffusive regime, the resulting dynamics are governed by a competition between extremization of the action and entropic effects, which can be interpreted in terms of an effective action free energy. Our results establish an unified, covariant, and information-based foundation for classical and relativistic stochastic processes.