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Physics Condensed Matter

cond-mat Watch Condensed Matter

Thursday 5 March

Materials Science

Energy conservation and pressure relaxation in an extended two-temperature model for copper with an electron temperature-dependent interaction potential

Simon Kümmel and Johannes Roth

An implementation of an electron temperature-dependent interaction potential for copper in a two-temperature model-molecular dynamics framework is presented. An algorithm for enforcing energy conservation when using such an interaction is provided that is needed due to the changing interaction strength with the degree of excitation. Furthermore, focus is put on how to treat the pressure differences due to an electron temperature gradient following laser irradiation. The influence of various extensions is investigated in large-scale two-temperature model molecular dynamics simulations and compared to existing approaches.
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Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics

Absence of Orbital Hall Magnetoresistance in Nonmagnet/Ferromagnet Bilayers with Large Orbital Torque

Yumin Yang, Wenqi Xu, Na Lei et al. (+3 more)

We report the absence of orbital Hall magnetoresistance (OMR) in nonmagnet/ferromagnet bilayers, challenging the general assumption that orbital transport mimics spin transport. Despite the observation of giant orbital torques, confirming the generation of orbital currents, thickness-dependent magnetoresistance measurements reveal that the signal is dominated by the intrinsic magnetoresistance of the ferromagnet and current shunting, with no discernible OMR contribution. We attribute this contradiction to the distinct transport properties of orbital compared with spin. Orbital currents undergo isotropic bulk absorption in the ferromagnet rather than anisotropic interfacial reflection required for OMR. Furthermore, we find that texture-induced magnetoresistance and self-torques in Ni-based bilayers can generate misleading signals, suggesting that caution is required when employing Ni in orbitronic studies. These findings clarify the distinct physical rules governing orbital transport and provide a simple method to distinguish spin and orbital currents.
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All authors Yumin Yang, Wenqi Xu, Na Lei, Zhicheng Xie, Dahai Wei, Jianhua Zhao

Statistical Mechanics

Diffusion disorder in the contact process

Valentin Anfray, Manisha Dhayal, Hong-Yan Shih et al. (+1 more)

We study the effects of spatially inhomogeneous diffusion on the non-equilibrium phase transition in the contact process. The directed-percolation critical point in the contact process is known to be stable against the addition of a spatially uniform diffusion term. Correspondingly, we find quenched randomness in the diffusion rates to be irrelevant by power counting in the field-theory of the contact process. However, large-scale Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate that such diffusion disorder destabilizes the clean directed percolation critical point. Instead, the transition belongs to the same infinite-randomness universality class as the contact process with disorder in the infection or healing rates. To explain these results, we develop an effective model with an infinite diffusion rate; it shows that diffusion disorder generates an effective disorder in the healing rates. The same mechanism also appears in the field-theoretic description: Whereas diffusion disorder is irrelevant by power-counting, it generates standard random-mass disorder under renormalization. We discuss the validity of this mechanism for other absorbing state transitions and non-equilibrium phase transitions in general.
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All authors Valentin Anfray, Manisha Dhayal, Hong-Yan Shih, Thomas Vojta

Statistical Mechanics

A minimal electrostatic theory for the Seebeck coefficient in liquids

Wataru Kobayashi

The Seebeck coefficient in liquids often reaches the mV/K range, yet its microscopic origin remains unclear due to the complexity of electrolyte systems. Here we propose a minimal electrostatic theory focusing on solvation entropy. Using a core-shell extension of the Born equation with temperature-dependent dielectric response, we provide an alternative electrostatic interpretation of the mV/K-scale solvent-structuring contribution extracted for a cobalt redox electrolyte. The theory clarifies that large valence, small cationic radius, small dielectric constant, and large magnitude of $\frac{d\varepsilon}{dT}$ are key factors for enhanced liquid Seebeck response.
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Materials Science

Design rules for industrial-scale sintering of UB4-UBC composites with high uranium density

Riley Moeykens, Anthony Albert-Harrup, David Simonne et al. (+2 more)

Uranium borides are promising candidate fuel forms for use in advanced nuclear reactors due to their high thermal conductivity and potential for dual use as both fuel and burnable absorber materials. In this work, uranium tetraboride (UB$_4$) and uranium monoboroncarbide (UBC) composites were synthesized using an industrially scalable borocarbothermic reduction method. The high-temperature structural evolution of the as-synthesized borides was investigated using in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction (SXRD). The oxidation behavior was further characterized using a combination of SXRD and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), allowing direct comparison with other potential accident-tolerant fuels such as UB$_2$, U$_3$Si$_2$, UC, and UN. The UB$_4$-UBC composite shows higher uranium loading than monolithic UB$_4$ and demonstrates promising oxidation behavior at elevated temperature, pointing to its potential as an improved uranium boride-based fuel form.
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All authors Riley Moeykens, Anthony Albert-Harrup, David Simonne, Mehmet Topsakal, Ericmoore Jossou

Statistical Mechanics

The Statistical Mechanics of Indistinguishable Energy States and the Glass Transition

Shimul Akhanjee

The statistical mechanics of particles that populate indistinguishable energy substates is explored. In particular, the mathematical treatment of microstates differs from conventional statistical mechanics, where, for a given degeneracy, the energy sublevels or substates are universally treated as distinguishable and differentiated by unique quantum numbers or addressed by distinct spatial locations. Results from combinatorial counting problems are adapted to derive exact distribution functions for both classical and quantum particles at a high degeneracy limit. Quantum particles obey a nonextensive entropy $\mathcal{S} \propto \sqrt{N}$ that satisfies the area law $\mathcal{S} \propto A$ in $d=2$ bulk spatial dimensions. Classical particles exhibit a definitive glass transition similar to supercooled liquids, for which the configurational entropy vanishes below a finite temperature $T_K$.
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Materials Science

Damage Prediction of Sintered {\alpha}-SiC Using Thermo-mechanical Coupled Fracture Model

Jason Sun, Yu Chen, Joseph J. Marziale et al. (+3 more)

A three-way coupled thermo-mechanical fracture model is presented to predict the damage of brittle ceramics, in particular {\alpha}-SiC, over a wide range of temperatures (20-1400 C). Predicting damage over such a range of temperatures is crucial for thermal protection systems for many systems such as spacecraft. The model, which has been implemented in MOOSE, is divided into three modules: elasticity, damage phase field, and heat conduction. Analytical approaches for determining crack length scales are presented for both simple tension and simple shear. Validation tests are conducted for both flexural strength and fracture toughness over the specified range of temperatures. Flexural strength simulation results fall within the uncertainty region of the experimental data, and mode I fracture toughness simulation results are also in agreement with the experimental data. Mode II and mixed mode fracture toughness simulations results are presented with the modified G-criterion. Finally, the parallel computing capabilities of the model is considered in various scalability tests.
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All authors Jason Sun, Yu Chen, Joseph J. Marziale, Eric A. Walker, David Salac, James Chen

Strongly Correlated Electrons

Orbital-Selective Spin-Orbit Mott Insulator in Fractional Valence Iridate La$_3$Ir$_3$O$_{11}$

Kai Wang, Jun Yang, Chaoyang Kang et al. (+5 more)

The combination of strong spin-orbit coupling and Coulomb interactions makes the $5d$ iridates a unique platform for realizing novel correlated electronic states. Here, utilizing infrared spectroscopy, we demonstrate that a robust Mott insulating state persists in the $1/3$-hole self-doped system La$_3$Ir$_3$O$_{11}$, evidenced by the collapse of the Drude response and the emergence of sharp excitations across the Mott gap. Our theoretical calculations reveal that the insulating behavior arises from the cooperative interplay of structural distortions, spin-orbit coupling, and Coulomb interactions. Specifically, octahedral distortion and Ir-Ir dimerization split the $t_{2g}$ orbitals, driving the $J_{\mathrm{eff}} = 1/2$ bands toward half-filling while keeping the $J_{\mathrm{eff}} = 3/2$ bands away from it. Consequently, electron correlations induce an orbital-selective Mott transition in the $J_{\mathrm{eff}} = 1/2$ bands, whereas a band-insulating gap develops in the $J_{\mathrm{eff}} = 3/2$ bands, thereby stabilizing the unconventional insulating state in La$_3$Ir$_3$O$_{11}$. These findings provide new insights into the design and understanding of the insulating ground state of spin-orbit-coupled iridates.
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All authors Kai Wang, Jun Yang, Chaoyang Kang, Weikang Wu, Wenka Zhu, Jianzhou Zhao, Yaomin Dai, Bing Xu

Statistical Mechanics

Disorder effects in Ising metamagnetic phase transition

A. B. Acharyya and M. Acharyya

The thermodynamics of randomly quenched disordered Ising metamagnet has been studied by Monte Carlo simulations. The disorder has been implemented either by inserting nonmagnetic impurity or by uniformly distributed quenched random magnetic field. The staggered magnetisation ($M_s$) (calculated from the sublattice magnetisation) and the corresponding staggered susceptibility ($\chi$) are studied as functions of the temperature ($T$). The antiferromagnetic phase transition has been found while cooling the system from the high temperature paramagnetic phase. The transition temperature(or pseudocritical temperature ($T_c$)) has been found to decrease as the concentration ($p$) of nonmagnetic impurity increased. The nonmagnetic impurity dependent staggered magnetisation has been found to show the scaling behaviour $M_sp^b \sim (T-T_c)p^a$ (with $a \cong -0.95$, $b \cong 0.09$ and $T_c \cong 4.45$) obtained through the data collapse. The zero temperature staggered magnetisation ($M_s(0)$) has been found to decrease linearly. The critical temperature($T_c$) is showing a linear ($T_c=mp+c$) dependence with the concentration ($p$) of nonmagnetic impurity. The antiferromagnetic phase transition has been found to take place at lower temperature for the higher value of the width ($s$) of the uniformly distributed quenched random field. The critical temperature ($T_c$) has been found to show the nonlinear dependence ($T_c=a+bs+cs^2$) on the width ($s$) of the uniformly distributed random magnetic field. The extrapolation (both for $p \to 0$ and $s \to 0$) restores the Neel temperature of three dimensional pure Ising antiferromagnet.
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Superconductivity

Spectroscopic evidence of disorder-induced quantum phase transitions in monolayer Fe(Te,Se) superconductor

Guanyang He, Ziqiao Wang, Longxin Pan et al. (+5 more)

The superconductor-insulator transition as a paradigm of quantum phase transitions has attracted tremendous interest over the past three decades. While the magnetic field and carrier density can be tuned to drive the transition, the role of disorder in the transition is not well understood due to the complicated interplay between superconductivity and electron localization. In this work, we controllably introduce disorder in a two-dimensional high-temperature superconductor by depositing iron clusters onto the superconducting monolayer Fe(Te,Se) crystalline film. The spectral evolution from superconducting gaps to insulating gaps with increasing disorder is detected by scanning tunneling spectroscopy measurements. When the disorder is strong, large U-shaped gaps are observed and attributed to the localization-enhanced Cooper pair correlation. Our observations provide the insight into the emergent phases of low-dimensional and high-temperature superconductors with disorder.
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All authors Guanyang He, Ziqiao Wang, Longxin Pan, Yuxuan Lei, Fa Wang, Yi Liu, Nandini Trivedi, Jian Wang

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

Long-Lived Mechanically-Detected Molecular Spins for Quantum Sensing

Sahand Tabatabaei, Pritam Priyadarsi, Daniel Tay et al. (+4 more)

Quantum sensors based on individual spins provide unprecedented access to local magnetic fields in condensed matter, chemistry, and biology, with solid-state defect spins emerging as the leading platform. However, their molecular-sensing capabilities are limited by confinement to a host lattice, which prevents placement in close proximity to a target molecule. Molecular spins offer an alternative, enabling chemical tunability and flexible positioning relative to the target system. Here we present a nanoscale sensing platform that combines molecular electron spins, ultrasensitive mechanical readout, and Hamiltonian engineering. Using a modified XYXY dipolar decoupling sequence, we suppress electron-electron dipolar interactions across a broad distribution of control fields, extending coherence times to $\sim 400~\mu$s in an attoliter-scale droplet containing $\sim$100 trityl-OX063 radicals. Leveraging this sequence, we demonstrate frequency-selective detection of nanotesla-scale AC fields and perform sensing and spectroscopy of small, local nuclear-spin ensembles. Collectively, these results establish SQUINT (Spin-based QUantum Integrated Nanomechanical Transduction) as a framework for quantum sensing that affords molecular-level control over sensor properties and enables direct integration into complex molecular targets.
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All authors Sahand Tabatabaei, Pritam Priyadarsi, Daniel Tay, Namanish Singh, Pardis Sahafi, Andrew Jordan, Raffi Budakian

Strongly Correlated Electrons

Successive single- and double-q $\Gamma_3$ quadrupole orders on the diamond structure

Kaito Sasa and Kazumasa Hattori

We investigate field-dependent quadrupolar ordering at the L points of the diamond-structure Brillouin zone using classical Monte Carlo simulations of an effective $\Gamma_3$ quadrupole model. We demonstrate that competition between the magnetic field and quadrupole anisotropy leads to a rich phase diagram for magnetic fields applied parallel to [001], which includes switching between a single-q state and a double-q state. We also examine the effects of a symmetry-allowed biquadratic intersite interaction, corresponding to a hexadecapole interaction, on the stability of the double-q state under a magnetic field.
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Soft Condensed Matter

Rotational 3D printing of active-passive filaments and lattices with programmable shape morphing

Mustafa K. Abdelrahman, Jackson K. Wilt, Yeonsu Jung et al. (+6 more)

Natural filaments, such as proteins, plant tendrils, octopus tentacles, and elephant trunks, can transform into arbitrary three-dimensional shapes that carry out vital functions. Their shape-morphing behavior arises from intricate patterning of active and passive regions, which are difficult to replicate in synthetic matter. Here, we introduce a filament-centric strategy for programmable shape morphing in which intrinsic curvature and twist are directly encoded within multimaterial elastomeric filaments during fabrication. By harnessing rotational multimaterial 3D printing (RM-3DP), we directly prescribe the filament's natural curvature–twist field $\mathbf{k}(s)$ through controlled material distribution and helical liquid crystal mesogen alignment. When heated above their nematic-to-isotropic transition temperature ($T_\mathrm{NI}$), the helically aligned LCE regions contract along their local director field, while passive regions remain essentially unchanged. This approach enables independent control of bending and torsion at every cross-section along the filament centerline: the principal natural curvatures of the filament along two orthogonal axes as well as the local twist. Next, we printed architected lattices composed of unit cells formed by sinusoidal filaments that either reversibly contract, expand, or exhibit out-of-plane deformations. Discrete elastic rod simulations of Janus filaments with different natural curvatures and twist, which are interconnected within the printed lattices, allow accurate prediction of their observed shape-morphing behavior. By integrating active-passive elastomers, additive manufacturing, and computational modeling, we have created shape-morphing matter with complex programmable responses for applications that rely on adaptive, robotic, or deployable architectures.
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All authors Mustafa K. Abdelrahman, Jackson K. Wilt, Yeonsu Jung, Rodrigo Telles, Gurminder K. Paink, Natalie M. Larson, Joanna Aizenberg, L. Mahadevan, Jennifer A. Lewis

Wednesday 4 March

Soft Condensed Matter

Quantifying the Features of an Amorphous Solid's Local Yield Surface

Spencer Fajardo, Paul Desmarchelier, Sylvain Patinet et al. (+1 more)

In two-dimensional Lennard-Jones glasses, mechanical probing reveals that local yield surfaces are dominated by regions with a positive second derivative of the yield stress with respect to the loading angle. Each feature corresponds to a shear transformation zone and a characteristic non-affine displacement field at yield. Most features are well described by a combined Schmid-Mohr-Coulomb criterion parameterized by a weak-plane orientation, a critical stress, and a pressure sensitivity. The resulting parameter statistics clarify how the onset of plastic flow is governed by the population of discrete yielding features encoded in the amorphous structure.
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All authors Spencer Fajardo, Paul Desmarchelier, Sylvain Patinet, Michael L. Falk

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics

Excitonic Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect in Collinear Magnets Without Spin-Orbit Coupling

Xingxing Liu, ChaoYang Tan, Peng-Jie Guo et al. (+2 more)

Spin-orbit coupling (SOC) is thought to be necessary in realizing quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) insulators in magnetic materials. In this Letter, we propose an exciton-condensation mechanism to realize QAH effect in collinear magnets with negligible spin-orbit coupling. This mechanism is realized by two steps: first prepare a spin-splitting nodal-ring band structure, and then gap out the nodal-ring via triplet exciton condensation. A nonzero Chern number can be obtained if the in-plane spin texture resulting from the triplet exciton condensation is noncollinear in momentum space. We show that the electron-phonon coupling can switch the spin texture from a colinear pattern to a noncolinear one and plays an essential role in realizing QAH effect. The above mechanism is not only suitable for ferrogmagnets but also applicable for altermagnets. Finally, through first-principles calculations we propose the bilayer material V2SeTeO to be a promising candidate of excitonic QAH insulator.
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All authors Xingxing Liu, ChaoYang Tan, Peng-Jie Guo, Zhong-Yi Lu, Zheng-Xin Liu

Disordered Systems and Neural Networks · Cross-listed from quant-ph

Optimal recovery for quantum error correction

Sun Woo P. Kim

The calculation of the error threshold of quantum error correcting codes typically proceeds as follows. First, syndromes are measured. Then, a decoder infers the error chain and the corresponding correction is applied. The threshold is then defined as the largest correctable error rate, with the maximum-likelihood decoder corresponding to the “optimal” threshold. However, a broader set of operations could be used to recover quantum information. The true optimal threshold should be optimised over all possible recovery schemes, which can be described by quantum channels. Here, we study such optimal recovery channels and their thresholds $p_\mathrm{th}^\mathrm{opt}$. We introduce an information-theoretic quantity, mutual trace distance, which provides a necessary and sufficient diagnostic for sharply determining $p_\mathrm{th}^\mathrm{opt}$ without explicit optimisation. In contrast, previous works give a lower bound on $p_\mathrm{th}^\mathrm{opt}$ by specifying particular recovery schemes, e.g. Schumacher-Westmoreland (SW) which provides coherent information as a diagnostic to lower bound $p^\mathrm{opt}_\mathrm{th}$. We prove that the Petz and SW recovery schemes are optimal, i.e. their threshold is $p_\mathrm{th}^\mathrm{opt}$. With their optimality established, we explore the structure of optimal and non-optimal recovery schemes and their phase diagrams.
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Materials Science

High pressure melt dynamics in shock-compressed titanium

Saransh Singh, Reetam Paul, Nikhil Rampal et al. (+22 more)

We study the high-pressure melting behavior of titanium using laser-driven shock compression with in situ femtosecond x-ray diffraction and molecular-dynamics simulations based on a machine-learned interatomic potential. The MD simulations predict the solid-liquid coexistence on the Hugoniot in the $\sim$$111-124$ GPa range. Experimentally, we observe the first evidence of liquid at 86 GPa. We also observe pronounced microstructural changes with pressure with strong grain refinement associated with the emergence of liquid, within the solid-liquid coexistence ($\sim$$110-126$ GPa). Above 126 GPa, we observe the persistence of residual levels of highly textured crystalline Ti to $\sim$$180$ GPa, well above the expected melt completion pressure. We discuss the accuracy that current laser-shock experimental platforms have at determining the melt onset and completion pressures.
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All authors Saransh Singh, Reetam Paul, Nikhil Rampal, Rhys J. Bunting, Sebastien Hamel, Nathan Palmer, Christopher P. McGuire, Samantha M. Clarke, Amy Coleman, Cara Vennari, Trevor M. Hutchinson, \\Kimberly A. Pereira, Bob Nagler, Dimitri Khaghani, Hae Ja Lee, Nicholas A. Czapla, Travis Volz, Ian K. OCampo, James McNaney, Thomas E. Lockard, Jon H. Eggert, Amy Lazicki, Christopher E. Wehrenberg, Andrew Krygier, Raymond F. Smith

Disordered Systems and Neural Networks · Cross-listed from physics.soc-ph

Strongly clustered random graphs via triadic closure: Degree correlations and clustering spectrum

Lorenzo Cirigliano, Gareth J. Baxter and Gábor Timár

Real-world networks often exhibit strong transitivity with nontrivial local clustering spectra and degree correlations. Such features are not easily modeled in tractable network models, creating an obstacle to the theoretical understanding of such complex network structures. Here, we address this problem using a model for strongly clustered random graphs in which each triad of a random network backbone is closed with a certain probability. Despite the intricate loopy local structure of the graphs obtained, we provide exact expressions for the local clustering spectrum and the degree correlations, filling the gap in the theoretical description of this model for random graphs. In particular, we find positive degree assortativity accompanying high transitivity, and nontrivial structure in the clustering spectrum. Exact asymptotic analytical results, obtained for uncorrelated locally tree-like backbones, are complemented with extensive numerical characterization of finite-size effects.
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Statistical Mechanics

Dissipation-Reliability Tradeoff for Stochastic CMOS Bits in Series

Cathryn P. Murphy, Schuyler B. Nicholson, Nahuel Freitas et al. (+2 more)

Physical instantiations of a bit of information are subject to thermal noise that can trigger unintended bit-flip errors. Bits implemented with CMOS technology typically operate in regimes that reliably suppress these errors with a large supply voltage, but miniaturization and circuit design for implantable biomedical devices motivate error suppression via alternative low-voltage strategies. We present and analyze an error-suppression technique that involves coupling multiple CMOS units into chains, introducing a natural error correction arising from inter-unit correlations. Using tensor networks to numerically solve a stochastic master equation for the CMOS chain, we quantify the dissipation-reliability tradeoff across system sizes that would be intractable with conventional sparse-matrix methods. The calculations show that the typical time for bit-flip errors grows exponentially in the square of the supply voltage but subexponentially with the chain length, a scaling we attribute to a spatially localized, domain-wall-mediated flip rather than a coherent one. While a CMOS chain adds stability compared to a single CMOS unit for a fixed low supply voltage, increasing the supply voltage is a lower-dissipation route to equivalent stability.
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All authors Cathryn P. Murphy, Schuyler B. Nicholson, Nahuel Freitas, Emanuele Penocchio, Todd R. Gingrich

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics

Unified Integer and Fractional Quantum Hall Effects from Boundary-Induced Edge-State Quantization

Pedro Pereyra

Despite the success of Landau-level theory and edge-state transport formalisms, a direct microscopic link between bulk quantization and the observed hierarchy of quantum Hall plateaus has not been established. In particular, no unified microscopic mechanism accounting simultaneously for integer and fractional sequences has been derived within standard quantum mechanics. Here we show that boundary-induced quantization of edge states provides this missing bridge. Starting from the Landau problem in laterally confined two-dimensional electron systems, we demonstrate that the imposition of Dirichlet, Neumann, and mixed (Robin) boundary conditions discretizes both the guiding-center coordinate and the longitudinal momentum of chiral edge states. The resulting boundary-dependent spectra generate families of edge channels with well-defined multiplicities that couple to electronic transport. When incorporated into an edge-state transport description, this boundary quantization reproduces the integer Hall sequence and simultaneously yields a structured hierarchy of fractional filling factors without invoking separate microscopic mechanisms. We further show that a weak Hall-induced parity-breaking contribution reorganizes the low-energy edge spectrum while leaving the bulk Landau levels intact. This controlled symmetry breaking enhances edge-state multiplicities at small Landau indices and stabilizes the fractional plateaus observed at strong magnetic fields. The quantized Hall response thus emerges from the interplay between Landau quantization and boundary-induced guiding-center discretization, which together determine the spectrum and occupation of chiral edge channels. These results establish boundary-induced quantization as the microscopic origin of quantum Hall transport and provide a unified description of both integer and fractional regimes within conventional quantum mechanics.
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Soft Condensed Matter

Anomalous Ion Confinement Penalties and Giant Ion-Screening Effects in One-Dimensional Nanopores

Kevin Leung

Nanoconfinement reduces the favorable hydration free energies of single ions, which is correlated with ion rejection and modified chemical reactivity in water-filled nanopores. Many factors contribute to the magnitude of the observed confinement effect. Here we use simple classical force fields and non-polarizable carbon nanotubes filled with water as minimal, "hydrogen atom"-like models to evaluate the single-ion intrinsic confinement hydration free energy penalty (Delta Delta G(hyd)). In tubes of radius R=7.5 Angstrom, we predict Delta Delta G(hyd)'s that are up to 7.8 kcal/mol, are much larger for Cl$^-$ than the smaller Na+ ion, and contradict the canonical Born Equation for ion solvation. Adding a 1.0~M background electrolyte reduces Delta Delta G(hyd) for the Na$^+$/Cl$^-$ pair by an amount exceeding the Debye-Huckel estimate in unconfined media by almost an order of magnitude. We identify concentration-dependent ion-screening of confinement effects as a major, unheralded consequence of electrolytes in cylindrical nanopores.
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Quantum Gases

Layering and superfluidity of soft-core bosons in shallow spherical traps

Fabio Cinti, Matteo Ciardi, Santi Prestipino et al. (+1 more)

Fundamental theories and models of many-body physics can be probed in experiments on ultracold atoms held in place by electromagnetic fields. In particular, of considerable interest are systems under curved confinement, since they can yield exotic states of matter which would be impossible to obtain in flat space. In this study we focus on relatively small samples, where curvature effects are stronger, and analyze by Monte Carlo simulations the peculiar structure arising in an assembly of soft-core bosons subject to a weak trapping potential with spherical symmetry. Upon suitable tuning of the parameters, a hundred particles or so group together in clusters arranged in a shell with icosahedral symmetry. As the number of particles increases, a second shell gradually develops, concentric to (and partly overlapping with) the original one, where clusters are in perfect registry with the first shell, thus forming a dodecahedral pattern. Cluster arrangements with the symmetry of other polyhedra are seen for different sets of parameters. At low temperature the superfluid density is non-uniform in the radial direction; heating the system progressively, superfluidity eventually vanishes while still clusters are present, a behavior resembling the transition from supersolid to normal solid on a plane. Two shells of clusters are also observed in systems of classical or distinguishable quantum particles, but in those cases the shells are more fragile to thermal fluctuations. All these behaviors can in principle be tested in systems of Rydberg-dressed atoms loaded into a bubble trap.
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All authors Fabio Cinti, Matteo Ciardi, Santi Prestipino, Giuseppe Pellicane

Soft Condensed Matter

Electrochromic chiral ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals

Md Sakhawat Hossain Himel, James T. Gleeson, Robert J. Twieg et al. (+2 more)

Chiral nematic liquid crystals are one-dimensional photonic band-gap materials whose reflection wavelength can be well tuned by temperature, but only limited and irreversible tuning can be achieved by electric fields. In contrast, oblique heliconical chiral nematic materials blueshift with <1kV/mm fields applied along the helix axis, whereas chiral ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals can be redshifted by <0.1kV/mm fields applied perpendicular to the helix axis. Here we demonstrate that in ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals, the reflection color can be reversibly tuned also by electric fields applied along the helix axis. In sandwich cells assembled with bare conducting indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates, the reflectivity peak wavelength increases by up to 200 nm under fields up to 0.4 kV/mm. When the ITO substrates are treated with an electrically insulating polymer layer, the reflectivity shift is suppressed. We propose a theoretical model assuming helical deformation of the helix axis under electric field. This model accounts for all observations and also yields an estimate of the splay elastic constant which is challenging to determine by other methods. Our findings expand understanding of ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals and suggest potential applications in both tunable reflectors and energy-efficient smart windows.
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All authors Md Sakhawat Hossain Himel, James T. Gleeson, Robert J. Twieg, Samuel Sprunt, Antal Jakli

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics

Large-Area Deterministic Stamping of 2D Materials on Arbitrarily Patterned Surfaces

Bernardo S. Dias, Reynolds Dziobek-Garrett, Gabriella Mentasti et al. (+6 more)

2D materials and their monolayers have attracted widespread interest by virtue of their unique electronic and optical properties. In addition to their remarkable physical characteristics, their atomically thin nature enables their integration in ultra-compact photonic and electronic devices, with potential for dynamic tunability via strain, charge carrier modulation or heterostructure engineering. While early research relied on micrometer-scale mechanically exfoliated flakes, recent advances, particularly gold-assisted exfoliation of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), have enabled the preparation of high-quality, large-area monolayers, opening new opportunities for scalable device integration. For the field of nanophotonics in particular, the ability to transfer large-area 2D materials onto both flat and patterned substrates is essential for the development of functional devices. However, existing transfer techniques are often limited in scalability, and compatibility with structured surfaces. Here, we present a versatile and reliable transfer method of large-area monolayers and hBN/monolayer heterostructures onto both flat and nanostructured substrates. Our approach, based on the physical properties of low-density polyethylene, preserves the intrinsic optical quality of the materials and is compatible with a variety of device architectures. We demonstrate its applicability by fabricating devices that modulate the photoluminescence of TMDC monolayers through the manipulation of the photonic environment, strain or electrical gating. We further demonstrate the fabrication of van der Waals heterostructures using the same method. By enabling clean transfer of a wide range of monolayers and heterostructures, this technique offers a practical pathway for the development of next-generation optoelectronic platforms with improved functionality, scalability, and tunability.
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All authors Bernardo S. Dias, Reynolds Dziobek-Garrett, Gabriella Mentasti, Abhishek Gupta, Alexander Lambertz, Esther Alarcon-Llado, Peter Schall, Roland Bliem, Jorik van de Groep

Materials Science

Moire Topological Magnetism Twist-Engineered from 2D Spin Spirals

Zhonglin He, Kaiying Dou, Wenhui Du et al. (+3 more)

Topological magnetism, characterized by topologically protected spin textures, offers rich physics and transformative prospects for spintronics. However, its stabilization typically demands external magnetic fields, preventing straightforward implementation. Here, we report a universal field-free approach for engineering 2D topologically-trivial spin spirals into topological magnetisms. This approach leverages twisted antiferromagnetic bilayers, where locked spin spirals in the two sublayers form spatially alternating ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic domains upon twisting. These domains frustrate the uniform antiferromagnetic interlayer exchange, spontaneously stabilizing moire topological magnetisms without external fields. Using first-principles and atomistic spin-model simulations, we validate this approach using bilayers NiCl2 and NiBr2, as representative examples. For twisted NiCl2, we predict topological spin states tunable by the twist angle, including isolated and high-order antiferromagnetic bimerons. For twisted NiBr2, strong frustration yields trivial triple-q spin spirals, which transform into moire topological magnetism with the application of vertical compressive strain. Our findings demonstrate that topologically non-trivial spin textures can be engineered from their trivial counterparts, thus providing a new paradigm for topological spintronics
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All authors Zhonglin He, Kaiying Dou, Wenhui Du, Ying Dai, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal, Yandong Ma

Statistical Mechanics

Resolving Spurious Multifractality in Discrete Systems: A Finite-Size Scaling Protocol for MFDFA in the 2D Ising Model

Sebastian Jaroszewicz, Nahuel Mendez, Maria P. Beccar-Varela et al. (+1 more)

Multifractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (MFDFA) has emerged as a standard tool for characterizing scale invariance in complex systems, yet its application to discrete spin models is frequently marred by reports of “spurious multifractality” that contradict established theory. In this work, we resolve this controversy by establishing a rigorous protocol for the analysis of discrete lattice snapshots. Using the 2D Ising model as a benchmark, we demonstrate that the previously reported broad singularity spectra \cite{Ludescher2011} are finite-size artifacts dominated by lattice discreteness effects in the negative moment regime ($q<0$). By restricting the analysis to positive moments and performing a systematic Finite-Size Scaling (FSS) analysis, we show that the spectral width collapses to zero ($\Delta \alpha \to 0$) in the thermodynamic limit. The method accurately recovers the monofractal exponent of the Ising universality class ($\alpha \approx H \approx 0.875$), consistent with Conformal Field Theory. To validate the discriminatory power of this protocol, we contrast these findings with the Random Bond Ising Model (RBIM), showing that quenched disorder induces a genuine, broad multifractal spectrum ($\Delta \alpha \approx 0.23$) that survives scaling. Furthermore, we propose a theoretical interpretation where the MFDFA polynomial detrending functions as a phenomenological Renormalization Group filter, suppressing analytic background fields (irrelevant operators) to isolate the singular critical behavior. These results define a robust methodology for distinguishing between clean and disorder-dominated criticality in finite systems.
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All authors Sebastian Jaroszewicz, Nahuel Mendez, Maria P. Beccar-Varela, Maria Cristina Mariani

Soft Condensed Matter

Perspective on "Active Brownian Particles Moving in a Random Lorentz Gas"

C. Reichhardt and C.J.O. Reichhardt

Self-propelled active matter can exhibit vastly different behavior than systems with purely Brownian motion. In Eur. Phys. J. E 40, 23 (2017), Zeitz, Wolf, and Stark compared an active matter particle with a Brownian particle moving in a random obstacle array. They showed that near the obstacle percolation density, both Brownian and active particles exhibit the same subdiffusive behavior, but the active particle reaches a steady state more rapidly. They also found that for high activity, the active particle has a lower effective diffusion than the Brownian particle due to the increased self-trapping effect generated by the activity. This result opens new directions for the study of active matter in disordered media, including bacteria in porous media, active colloids on quenched disorder,and active particles in crowded environments.
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Strongly Correlated Electrons

Thermodynamics of the ultrafast phase transition of vanadium dioxide

Shreya Bagchi, Ernest Pastor, José Santiso et al. (+2 more)

Ultrafast photoexcitation is an emerging route to selective control of phase transitions. However, it is difficult to determine which modes govern the transformation and how effectively they are targeted by photoexcitation. This is exemplified in vanadium dioxide, which transitions from a monoclinic insulator to a rutile metal upon heating or photoexcitation. There is a long-standing debate about whether this transition is electronically or structurally driven and whether the structural component is coherent, driven by a single structural mode or thermal in nature. In this work, we develop a simple thermodynamic framework based on temperature-dependent ultrafast pump-probe measurements and contrast it to microscopic-detail-free modelling to identify the driving mechanism of the transition, revealing that population of the full thermal phonon spectrum, especially high-frequency oxygen modes, is necessary to stabilize the metallic phase. Our approach can straightforwardly be applied to determine the nature of other photoinduced phase transitions without the need for complex multi-messenger experiments and can guide new control strategies, even for incoherent transitions.
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All authors Shreya Bagchi, Ernest Pastor, José Santiso, Allan S. Johnson, Simon E. Wall

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

Long-range waveguide-quantum electrodynamics with left-handed transmission lines

P. Goswami, J. Liu, C. A. González-Gutiérrez et al. (+1 more)

While engineering long-range light-matter interactions is the principal aim in waveguide-QED, ironically most of the building blocks rest on local short-range couplings, such as nearest-neighbor-coupled cavity arrays employed in canonical models. Here, we propose a waveguide-QED system with native long-range interactions, comprising a single emitter coupled to a left-handed transmission line (LHTL). Interestingly, the LHTL emulates a synthetic photonic lattice with a slow logarithmic decay of hopping amplitudes over a distance set entirely by the ratio of UV and IR cutoffs of line dispersion. Its intrinsic long-range nature manifests both in the properties of atom-photon bound and scattering states, which exhibit algebraic localization and accelerated photon propagation respectively. Using a method of 'running exponents', we develop a unified picture connecting waveguide dispersion to bound state and light front profiles obtained in the strong long-range hopping regime. These results motivate how transmission lines can enable multi-qubit information processing with tunable-range interactions.
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All authors P. Goswami, J. Liu, C. A. González-Gutiérrez, A. Kamal

Materials Science

Rapid modeling of segregation-driven metal-oxide adhesion in high-entropy alloys using macroscopic atom model

Dennis Boakye and Chuang Deng

Accurate prediction of metal-oxide adhesion in high-entropy alloys (HEAs) is challenging because interfacial segregation, atomic environments, and macroscopic thermodynamic quantities are strongly correlated. Relying solely on first-principles approaches is too expensive for exploring composition, solute concentration, and co-segregation effects. To address this, we extend the macroscopic atom model (MAM) for multicomponent alloys using composition-consistent surface fractions and an interfacial pair-probability formalism that captures deviations from random contact statistics. Applied to CoCrFeNi (AlCoCrFeNi) HEA in contact with Cr2O3 (Al2O3), the model predicts segregation energies and work of separation as continuous functions of composition, reproducing the correct segregation hierarchy of Hf, Y, Zr, and S. The stronger segregation tendency at Al2O3 interfaces, and the non-linear dependence of surface energy and adhesion on solute content and co-segregation is also captured. The results are benchmarked with DFT calculations, which shows consistent trends, particularly the strengthening of adhesion by Hf and Zr through strong metal-oxygen bonding and the weakening effect of S. These results demonstrate that the extended MAM provides a physically interpretable, computationally efficient, and quantitatively predictive framework for screening segregation-controlled adhesion beyond the limits of DFT.
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