Papers

We propose using Transonic Flow Focusing (TFF) to produce 2D and 0D nanomaterials. This technique focuses liquid suspensions into high-speed micrometer-scale jets, combining extremely high shear and elongational stresses in a confined, contact-free zone. For the Graphene Nanoplatelets suspensions and TFF operating conditions investigated here, the process promoted exfoliation without added surfactants or oxidative chemistry. Both graphene monolayer flakes ($\sim 300-400$ nm in lateral size) and monolayer graphene nanofragments with lateral sizes compatible with quantum dots ($\sim 10-15$ nm) were obtained in a single TFF step using isopropanol and pure water. Our theoretical analysis reveals that, during microsecond residence times at the meniscus-jet transition, shear and extensional stresses of the order of $10^6$ s$^{-1}$ act on the suspended particles, yielding viscous power densities of the order of $10^{10}$ $\mathrm{W/m^{3}}$. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy show that the monolayer fraction exceeded 99% for isopropanol and 92.9% for water. These results suggest that TFF can combine solvent versatility with a high monolayer fraction in a purely mechanical top-down process.

Foundation machine learning interatomic potentials (MLIPs) have enabled atomistic simulations across broad regions of chemical and materials space, but many remain computationally expensive and lack explicit electrostatics, limiting their use for systems governed by long-range interactions and electrical response. Previously, we introduced Latent Ewald Summation (LES), which learns latent atomic charges and long-range electrostatics from density functional theory (DFT) energy and force labels alone. Here, we use LES to extract electrostatics that are latent in foundation models: energies and forces predicted by a teacher model are used to train a lightweight LES-augmented student MLIP, with optional fine-tuning on additional DFT data. The resulting models reduce computational cost while providing access to Born effective charge tensors, and infrared spectra. We benchmark student models distilled from a broad set of foundation MLIPs, including UMA, MACE, Orb, eSEN, GemNet-OC, PET, and EquiformerV2-based models, against experimental infrared spectra for liquid water, concentrated hydrochloric acid, and the anatase TiO2(101)-water interface. Across these systems, electrostatic response can be extracted from most foundation MLIPs. The benchmark further shows that the underlying DFT level and dataset used to train the teacher model play a larger role than architecture in determining electrostatic and spectroscopic accuracy. For the TiO2-water interface, fine-tuning with a modest amount of higher-level DFT data improves structural and infrared predictions. LES-based distillation therefore provides a practical route for converting foundation MLIPs into efficient, electrically responsive models, while also testing the physical fidelity encoded in foundation models.

Microgravity environments provide unique opportunities for ultracold-atom experiments by enabling long interrogation times and reduced acceleration-induced dynamics. However, their realization has largely been restricted to specialized facilities such as drop towers, sounding rockets, and space-based laboratories. Here we realize synthetic microgravity for quantum degenerate gases using optically engineered force landscapes that compensate Earth's gravity to the milli-g level while maintaining continuous confinement of the atomic ensemble. These force landscapes are generated by dynamically painted optical dipole potentials and calibrated in situ through Bloch oscillations in a vertical optical lattice, enabling precise control of the residual acceleration. We use this capability to demonstrate matter-wave beam splitting with arm separations of several hundred microns. We further implement a Bloch-band atom interferometer in which interaction-induced dephasing is strongly suppressed through controlled three-dimensional expansion in the synthetic microgravity potential. This reduction of mean-field effects restores near-$\sqrt{N}$ scaling of interferometric sensitivity for large quantum degenerate ensembles. Our results establish a versatile platform for realizing synthetic microgravity with trapped quantum gases in terrestrial laboratories, bringing the advantages of microgravity experiments to continuously operating systems and opening new opportunities for quantum sensing, matter-wave interferometry, and precision measurements.

Grain boundary stabilization by light interstitials is central to the performance of Ni-based superalloys, yet the thermodynamic mechanisms governing their interactions with substitutional chemistry remain poorly resolved. Here, we use hybrid Monte Carlo molecular dynamics simulations to quantify how boron and carbon modify the thermodynamic, structural, and chemical ordering of grain boundaries in Ni–Cr alloys. By analyzing interfacial state variables, site-resolved segregation spectra, local chemical ordering, and structural evolution, we show that boron and carbon stabilize grain boundaries through complementary pathways. Carbon drives saturation-controlled stabilization by recruiting Cr and conditioning boundary chemistry, while suppressing temperature-driven structural transformations of the boundary. In contrast, boron stabilizes grain boundaries through a selective mechanism that lowers the interfacial grand potential via localized ordering while permitting gradual structural evolution. These effects arise from coupled interactions between interstitial segregation and Cr redistribution, which together regulate site accessibility, chemical competition, and the range of accessible interfacial states. This work provides a thermodynamic framework for grain boundary engineering and suggests design principles for leveraging interstitial-substitutional interactions in alloys.

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) on perovskite oxides is controlled by the interplay of dopant chemistry, defect charge states, and surface segregation, yet these factors are rarely treated on equal footing. Using first-principles density functional theory, we investigate how Fe dopants (\FeTi{}) and oxygen vacancies (\VO{}) in different charge states affect the OER on TiO$_2$-terminated \ce{SrTiO3}(001). We combine charge-dependent defect formation energies, segregation energies, and charge transition levels with OER free-energy profiles obtained in the computational hydrogen electrode framework. Neutral \FeTix{} preserves near-pristine activity, with overpotentials of $0.43$–$0.48$~V compared to $0.45$~V for the pristine surface, whereas the reduced states \FeTip{} and \FeTipp{} raise the overpotential to as much as $1.35$~V when intermediates bind to Ti sites adjacent to surface Fe. Oxygen vacancies segregate to the surface across the entire band gap ($\Delta E_\mathrm{seg} = -0.50$ to $-0.80$~eV) but do not improve the activity: \VOx{} and \VOp{} overstabilize oxygenated intermediates ($\eta$ up to $2.13$~V), and only \VOpp{} retains a balanced pathway ($\eta = 0.45$~V in the bulk-like region). Because the stable charge state and the segregation tendency of each defect are set by the Fermi level, the OER overpotential itself becomes a Fermi-level-dependent quantity. These results establish Fermi-level engineering as a framework for assessing and tuning defect-mediated OER activity in perovskite oxides.

Supraparticles (SPs) are assemblies of colloidal particles whose properties can be tuned by modifying the chemistry, shape, and size of the colloidal particles as well as their arrangement in the SP. SPs with internal porosity are of particular interest for catalysis, photonics, and adsorption applications because of their high surface area and tunable pore size distribution. SPs are often fabricated by droplet drying, and the nonequilibrium nature of drying processes may provide an additional handle to control particle arrangement within the SP. Here, we use mesoscale particle-based simulations to explore the drying-induced assembly of SPs made from rod-shaped and spherical colloidal particles. We selectively remove one type of particle after drying and characterize the structure of the resulting porous SP. We find that the remaining particles form connected networks for most compositions, with rods percolating at lower volume fractions than spheres. Most of the resulting void volume forms a single contiguous space whose surface area closely follows the total surface area of the remaining component. The pore-size distribution, however, depends strongly on sphere size and on the removed component, reflecting differences in sphere-clustering and rod-bundling before removal. This work provides new insight into how particle size and shape, as well as processing conditions, might be used to manipulate porosity in SPs.

Particles governed by many-body interactions exhibit remarkably complex structures and dynamics. We experimentally investigate a monolayer of pentagon particles subjected to an up-lifting air flow which induces many-body aerodynamic interactions and stochastic motion akin to a thermal bath. To minimize air flow resistance, particles move collectively with interactions dictated by their geometry: hollow particles exhibit effective attraction, whereas solid particles repel each other. Under sufficiently large air flow, sparsely packed hollow pentagons overcome substrate friction and undergo long-time diffusive motion. Under lower air flow, we see a coexistence of isolated, static pentagons and densely packed, "active" clusters, whose particles display super-diffusivity. This "emergent activity" arises collectively when locally disordered structures interact with the air flow, resulting in correlated motion across broad temporal and spatial scales. Using Langevin dynamics simulations of two-dimensional attractive active pentagons, whose activity is an effective result of the local packing density, we further unravel the basic features of this emergent activity.

Precipitation strengthening is a cornerstone of physical metallurgy, delivering otherwise unattainable combinations of strength and ductility. The approach relies on nanoscale precipitates that impede the motion of dislocations, the primary carriers of metal plasticity. Historically, precipitation strengthening has been rationalized via two idealized, limiting mechanisms: dislocations either cut through or bow around precipitates. However, under many technologically relevant conditions, multiple dislocations can interact with a precipitate at the same time, potentially giving rise to distinct precipitate-dislocation dynamics that in situ experiments are yet to fully resolve. Here, using large-scale atomistic simulations (100 million atoms) that capture these dynamics, we demonstrate that in this regime, the cutting-versus-bowing dichotomy is incomplete: strengthening arises as an emergent phenomenon driven by concurrent multi-dislocation interactions. These interactions simultaneously induce dislocation accumulation at interfaces, storage within precipitates, and precipitate-mediated multiplication inside the matrix. Our findings establish a distinct mechanistic regime of precipitation strengthening beyond traditional models and provide a quantitative foundation for predicting its behavior.

Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) are distinguished by amorphous atomic structures that confer superior mechanical performance; however, the evolution of these properties in ternary bulk configurations remains insufficiently explored. In this study, we employed large-scale molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the structural, thermal, and mechanical properties of $Zr_{47.5}Cu_{47.5}Ag_{5}$ BMGs. Our thermodynamic and topological analyses, utilizing potential energy regression and the Modified Wendt-Abraham parameter, identified a glass transition temperature ($T_g$) of approximately $692\text{ K}$. Structural characterization via Voronoi tessellation and partial radial distribution functions reveals that the amorphous matrix is stabilized by icosahedral clusters, with Ag atoms inducing significant chemical heterogeneity through localized nano-clustering. Thermal transport properties, computed via the Green-Kubo formalism, demonstrate a monotonic decrease in conductivity with temperature, consistent with structural scattering saturation in disordered lattices. Mechanical tensile testing reveals that the material exhibits robust rate- and temperature-dependent behavior, with yield strengths reaching $\approx 2.3\text{ GPa}$ at room temperature. We show that macroscopic strain-softening is intrinsically linked to the thermally induced collapse of rigid icosahedral motifs, which facilitates shear band percolation. These findings provide a structural rationale for the beneficial role of Ag dopants in enhancing the resilience of multicomponent metallic glasses.

Rhombohedral multilayer graphene polarized by a moderate perpendicular displacement field hosts a time-reversal-symmetry-breaking valley-and-spin-polarized metallic phase that may condense into a chiral superconductor. Recent magnetic imaging and transport measurements in this unconventional system suggest the presence of domain walls both in the metallic and superconducting phases. In this work, we show that valley domain walls are impenetrable barriers to transport in the metallic regime. Transmission through such a domain wall must therefore be mediated by intervalley interactions. We derive the symmetry-allowed terms and show via microscopic numerical simulations that they enable the transmission of electrons across the domain wall. In the superconducting phase, we find that intervalley mixing is crucial for supporting an appreciable supercurrent through a SNS' Josephson junction that connects opposite-chirality superconducting regions. Taken together, our work elucidates the nature of domain walls in these experimentally relevant multilayer systems and emphasizes the critical role of intervalley hybridization in governing their transport properties.

We present a matrix product state framework for simulating one-dimensional quantum many-body systems in the continuum using non-orthogonal single-particle basis sets. By mapping the physical problem to an auxiliary computational space, we show that the resulting many-body overlap operator can be efficiently encoded as a matrix product operator for sufficiently localized orbitals, thereby generalizing a construction that first appeared in [arXiv:2405.10285]. This construction recasts the variational ground-state search into a generalized eigenvalue problem, which can be solved using a generalized density matrix renormalization group algorithm. As a primary application, we employ a first-order finite-element expansion to study the ground state properties of the Lieb-Liniger gas in the presence of inhomogeneities. This approach also provides a natural setting for exactly refining the lattice, thereby enabling multigrid optimization strategies for matrix product states.

{\alpha}-phased W was theoretically predicted to have a negative spin Hall conductivity and a positive orbital Hall conductivity at the same time, leaving the physical origin of the current-induced torque a critical open question. Here, we develop two angular momentum detectors of Cu/Ni/Cu and Cu/Fe60Co20B20/Cu that are free of artifacts torques (e.g., self-induced torque and spin-vorticity torque) and clarify that the spin-orbit torque contributed by {\alpha}-W remains negative and predominantly from the spin Hall effect in the entire thickness regime. The damping-like torque exhibits a monotonic decay as the W thickness increases above 5 nm likely due to the thickness-dependent structural evolution and resistivity reduction of the W layer. The negative torque in the entire thickness regime suggests negligible orbital Hall torque from {\alpha}-W. This result is consistent with the theory that the orbital Hall effect from simplified band structure calculations is not a non-local angular momentum source.

Naturally oxidized copper (CuOx) was cited as an exceptionally strong orbital-current source despite the keen debate over the concept of orbital current. Here, we report unambiguous experimental evidence for the absence of a detectable orbital-current torque in the Fe/Pt/CuOx trilayers. Using a magnetic metal detector of Fe thin film with a negligible self-induced torque, the damping-like torque due to Pt/CuOx bilayers is clarified to entirely arise from the spin Hall spin current of the Pt. As the Pt thickness increases, the torque for Fe/Pt/CuOx and Fe/Pt/MgO increases coherently and monotonically, as exactly expected from the spin Hall effect of Pt and the drift-diffusion model of spin angular momentum. These findings suggest poor generality or even universal absence of orbital current torque.

Breaking reciprocity in thermal radiation opens opportunities for energy harvesting, sensing, and thermal management. Traditional nonreciprocal radiative semiconductor devices need external magnetic field. In this work, we predict a series of magnetic topological materials for magnetic-field-free nonreciprocal thermal radiation in the infrared regime, by combining first-principles calculations with Maxwell electrodynamics. We find strong and broadband nonreciprocity in magnetic Weyl semimetals (e.g., Co$_3$Sn$_2$S$_2$), outperforming the conventional semiconductor such as InAs. Furthermore, we propose universal material design recipes: strong nonreciprocity requires a large anomalous Hall response relative to the optical loss, whereas the broadband response favors large optical loss and small dielectric dispersion. Our work establishes a predictive materials-discovery framework and quantitative design rules for next-generation magnet-free nonreciprocal thermal devices.

Quantum communication protocols based on spin chains have been extensively studied, yet their ability to transmit nonstabilizer resources has not been systematically addressed. We investigate the transport of quantum magic in spin chains through the natural dynamics of systems initialized in nonstabilizer states, and quantify the transported resource via the stabilizer norm. We analyze three experimentally feasible state-transfer protocols, ranging from noisy to (quasi-)perfect transfer, including one realizable in trapped-ion platforms. We find that the geometry of the injected state strongly influences transport: states in the lower Bloch hemisphere achieve higher transfer quality, whereas states in the upper hemisphere give rise to an efficient magic transport only beyond a threshold value of the parameter controlling the tendency towards perfect transfer. These features are robust across all protocols and identify the Hamiltonian and state properties that favor high-quality transfer. Moreover, we identify a parameter region, relevant to the initial state preparation, in which the transported magic exceeds the initial encoding, indicating that such spin systems can act as magic-amplification channels. Our results establish the conditions for efficient transport of nonstabilizer resources and demonstrate quantum magic as a sensitive probe of quantum transport beyond population dynamics.

The interplay of strong atomic spin-orbit coupling with Jahn-Teller (JT) lattice distortions is an important theme in quantum materials hosting heavy atoms. A prototypical example of such a system is a degenerate $j = 3/2$ multiplet coupled to local phonon modes. Here, we study the multipolar ground states of this system as realized in Mott insulators, explore its thermal phase diagram via an $SU(4)$ spin Monte Carlo approach coupled to JT phonons, and study the temperature dependent splittings of the $j = 3/2$ multiplet as relevant to spectroscopic probes. Our work sheds light on coexisting distinct multipolar orders engendered by phonon coupling, role of thermal JT fluctuations, and the entropy of the coupled multipole-phonon system. We discuss broad implications for double perovskites $\rm Ba_2MgReO_6$, $\rm Ba_2NaOsO_6$ and lacunar spinels such as $\rm GaTa_4Se_8$ and $\rm GaNb_4Se_8$.

Dirac fermions have attracted significant interest due to their relativistic dispersions and close connections to topological physics, yet they are generally expected to be gapped in two-dimensional systems with strong Ising spin orbit coupling, making their realization in such materials an outstanding challenge. Here we report the emergence of six fold degenerate Dirac fermions in an Ising moire system across a quantum spin Hall transition in twisted WSe2. In a 3.65 degree device, we observe a quantum spin Hall phase at high electric fields with nearly quantized resistance h/(2e2), and a Dirac semimetal phase over a broad range of electric fields near zero field. Magnetotransport measurements of the Dirac phase exhibit a half-integer Landau fan sequence, characteristic of Dirac fermions, with six-fold degeneracy on the hole-doped side and two fold degeneracy on the electron-doped side. Temperature dependence shows weakly metallic behavior consistent with a semimetallic state. Our twist-angle-dependent transport measurements map out a complete phase diagram and identify a critical twist angle of 3.3 degree, establishing the phase boundary between the quantum spin Hall and Dirac semimetal regimes. Our work establishes a new route to realizing Dirac fermions in strongly spin orbit coupled moire systems through a topological phase transition, providing a promising platform for high mobility spintronics.

Anderson localization has evolved far beyond the conventional dichotomy between extended and localized states. Modern localization theory predicts a complete transport hierarchy comprising extended, critical, and localized phases together with all coexistence phases among them, forming a seven-phase Anderson-localization landscape. Despite its fundamental importance, this hierarchy has never been experimentally realized within a single system. Here we realize the complete seven-phase Anderson-localization landscape in a one-dimensional Floquet photonic lattice. By engineering quasiperiodic hopping profiles containing inhomogeneously distributed hopping zeros, we generate critical states and enable their coexistence with extended and localized sectors. The resulting transport regimes are directly resolved through their distinct spatiotemporal dynamics, including ballistic expansion, confined critical oscillations, and persistent localization. We observe all seven phases, including the elusive triply coexisting extended-critical-localized phase, and experimentally track the phase transitions connecting them. Our results establish the first complete experimental map of the Anderson-localization landscape and provide a unified platform for investigating mobility edges, multifractality, and programmable coherent transport.

Statistical Physics has traditionally dealt with entities that interact merely based on the present, and possibly past, configurations. This reactive framework is inefficient in many situations involving living beings, such as predators chasing a prey, pedestrians, or even robots. This paper introduces a statistical physical framework for the dynamics of anticipatory agents, whose present-time dynamics depend on the prospective system state that they anticipate. We clarify how these dynamics can be expressed in terms of a cost function constructed based on observations and we show that the dynamics of an anticipatory agent in d dimensions can be mapped onto the dynamics of a (non-anticipatory) chain in d + 1 dimensions, with fluctuations acting transversely on the chain to account for the uncertainty about the future state. Insights from polymer Physics help us characterize the dynamics of these chains and delineate an anticipation horizon beyond which the blurry future can be handled in a mean-field way. The foregoing framework is successfully applied to pedestrian dynamics, leading to a seamless integration of operational and tactical levels in an agent-based model. Even with a minimal expression of the cost, the model succeeds in reproducing various experimental scenarios which are challenging for state-of-the-art models, such as crossing cluttered environments or alighting from a crowded train. The transparent and flexible basis of the model allows the straightforward incorporation of additional mechanisms.

The Materials Science and Engineering ontology landscape is fragmented along multiple axes simultaneously. Horizontally: a recent survey identified 94 ontologies of which over 40 are structurally incompatible; each new application domain – ceramics, polymers, batteries, smart materials – typically restarts ontology design from scratch. Vertically: EU regulation (CSRD, CSDDD, PPWR, CBAM, R2R, AI Act, ESPR) forces material, manufacturing, supply-chain, and lifecycle data into integrated digital product passports, leaving ontologies that only address horizontal fragmentation incomplete for any contemporary consumer. And mechanistically: a vocabulary that records that BNT-BT has $d_{33} \approx 580$ pC/N stores a fact but cannot surface why – Bi-6s$^2$ lone-pair stereo-activity, anomalous Born effective charges, soft modes, defect chemistry – without a systematic explanation skeleton. We propose a multi-level modular architecture with two independent classification axes – level of abstraction (L0 bridges, L1 material-agnostic laboratory-notebook, L2 material-class-specific, L3 categorical reasoning) and consumer audience (material vs. compliance) – in which the material-specific level is internally organised by a seven-tier mechanistic-explanation skeleton (Symmetry, Energy/DFT, Thermo/CALPHAD, Kinetics, Microstructure, Defect chemistry, Bonding) applicable to any crystalline ionic oxide. The level-and-audience modularity dissolves the horizontal fragmentation, the compliance audience absorbs the vertical regulation pressure, and the seven-tier organisation of Level 2 delivers the mechanistic explanation depth. We instantiate the architecture as the OntoCrafter Ceramics Ontology (OCO v0.94): 5,196 classes across 44 modules; 167,348 OWL axioms (40,454 logical); 1,674 properties; 829 cross-ontology bridge mappings; 1,172 SHACL shapes; 163 published competency questions.

We revisit the problem of scalar dissipation anomaly and scaling of scalar gradients in passive scalar turbulence using theory and data from well-resolved direct numerical simulations (DNS) on grid sizes of up to $8192^3$, spanning Taylor-scale Reynolds numbers $Re_\lambda=140-1000$ and Schmidt numbers $Sc = 1-512$. The theory is based on a joint multifractal description of longitudinal velocity increments and scalar increments, constrained by Yaglom's law and extended to gradients via a fluctuating Batchelor cutoff scale. The DNS data show that the normalized mean scalar dissipation approaches a single asymptotic value as both $Re_\lambda$ and $Sc$ increase, although larger $Sc$ requires larger $Re_\lambda$ to reach this state. In the multifractal framework, this corresponds to an effective scalar Hölder exponent tending to zero, associated with sharp cliff-like scalar fronts, and saturation of inertial-range scaling scalar structure-function exponents. The joint velocity-scalar fractal dimension of the dissipative structures is inferred to approach $7/3$, indicating a non-space-filling support. The framework further predicts that for fixed $Re_\lambda$, higher-order central moments of scalar gradients are independent of $Sc$. This prediction is confirmed by DNS data and by the collapse of standardized probability distributions of scalar-gradient across Schmidt numbers. These results suggest that the $Sc$-scaling of scalar gradients is dictated solely by scalar dissipation anomaly. In contrast, their $Re_\lambda$-dependence reflects strong intermittency, which can be directly related to mixed velocity-scalar structure function exponents.

The mechanism behind superconductivity in magic-angle graphene systems remains an open question. Recent tunnelling and superfluid stiffness measurements have suggested a nodal superconducting gap, but these probes are typically applied to large-area devices, where twist-angle inhomogeneity and disorder can hinder resolving the intrinsic superconducting spectrum. Here we introduce quantum dots in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene and access a regime where gate-tunable superconductivity competes with strong Coulomb repulsion upon adding an additional carrier to the island. The islands exhibit $2e$-periodic Coulomb blockade, revealing a well-defined quasiparticle gap in the island spectrum, inconsistent with the presence of nodes in the order parameter. Within the same device, we also realize coupled superconducting islands and proximitized quantum dots, establishing a monolithic platform for hybrid dot devices. Our results point to a nodeless quasiparticle gap in moiré graphene and demonstrate the potential of mesoscopic hybrid structures to probe their correlated phases.

Hole spin qubits provide one of the leading platforms for spin-based quantum computing due to their large intrinsic spin-orbit interaction (SOI), which enables fast electrical manipulation. The SOI of planar quantum dots has mostly been investigated in theoretical studies by examining the SOI already present in the two-dimensional hole gas (2DHG). Here, we study the SOI created by the in-plane confinement by deriving non-perturbative effective Hamiltonians numerically for hole spin qubits. We find that the quantum geometry of the 2DHG naturally emerges, leading to a meaningful non-perturbative definition of pseudospin valid far away from the $\Gamma$-point. The SOI of the 2DHG and of the in-plane confinement have different forms; therefore, they cannot be turned off simultaneously, ruining the perfect spin-orbit switch functionality of spin qubits. We construct effective Hamiltonians using the symmetry approach for various low-dimensional hole systems: (i) a heavy-hole confined in a SiGe/Ge/SiGe heterostructure, (ii) a light-hole confined in SnGe/Ge, (iii) a gate-defined nanowire in SiGe/Ge/SiGe, and (iv) a hole confined in a Ge/Si core/shell nanowire. The non-perturbative effective Hamiltonians provide results with excellent agreement with the full Hamiltonians.

Complex chemistry in nano- and microscale compartments is often governed by how quickly reagents transit a fluid-fluid interface. Mass transport across interfaces is commonly modeled by assuming local equilibrium, enforcing continuity of chemical potential across the interface. While adequate at large scales, this approximation may break down at the microscale, where interfacial processes can become rate-limiting. Here, we extend linear irreversible thermodynamics to describe nonequilibrium interfacial mass transport. We identify an interface-limited regime, in which transport is governed by interfacial resistance and exhibits exponential relaxation. Combining microfluidic and spectroscopic techniques, we introduce an experimental technique that explores this regime and provides a direct measurement of the interfacial mass transfer coefficient. For a model system consisting of acetonitrile transport across a surfactant-stabilized water-oil interface, we obtain an interfacial transport coefficient ${M \sim 7\,{\rm nm/s}}$. These results establish interfacial mass transfer resistance as a governing mechanism in microscale transport and provide a framework to predict, control and measure mass transport in multiphase systems at microscale.

We numerically investigate percolation of independent frictionless glued-sphere rod-like particles under gravity through a disordered static bed of larger spheres. We identify two distinct regimes: a trapping regime, where rods stop after percolating a limited distance in the bed and a passing regime, where rods percolate continuously with constant mean velocity. The transition between these regimes is governed by the length of the rod and the geometrical trapping threshold for spherical particles based on the rod diameter and the minimum pore throat diameter defined by three touching large spheres. The percolation velocity for all rod geometries, including the single sphere limit, collapses onto a single curve when scaled with the gravitational acceleration and the bed sphere diameter. The results also demonstrate that short rods percolate nearly twice as fast as long rods due to the geometric constraints associated with the disordered pore structure of the static bed. Consequently, long rods are more susceptible to trapping via specific contact configurations with the bed spheres, which differ from those for short rods. These results reveal how shape anisotropy introduces dynamical constraints and thresholds in granular percolation, with implications for predicting segregation in mixtures of non-spherical particles.

We study correlation functions in conserved nonequilibrium mixtures, including multi-temperature systems and non-reciprocal field theories. The corresponding linear theory is short-ranged, and nonlinearities are irrelevant in the renormalization-group sense. Nonetheless, we find that these nonlinearities generate long-ranged three-point correlations in the isotropic disordered phase. Our analytical predictions, which are based on a phenomenological theory, are confirmed by numerical simulations of Brownian colloids in contact with thermal baths at different temperatures. Dangerously irrelevant nonlinearities in nonequilibrium mixtures thus offer a new route to long-range correlations, supporting the hypothesis that such correlations are not the exception but the rule out of equilibrium.

Continuous Attractor Neural Networks (CANNs) traditionally rely on pre-wired recurrent connectivity to model spatial representations, path integration, and anticipatory dynamics. However, the biological mechanisms through which this structured connectivity emerges via learning remain relatively unexplored. This work presents a theoretical framework revealing how continuous attractor connectivity and its computational properties self-organize through Hebbian plasticity, firing-rate adaptation, and global inhibition. We show that translationally invariant inputs naturally drive the emergence of stable, Gaussian-profiled feedforward weights. Crucially, anticipatory dynamics arise spontaneously within these feedforward architectures, shifting the activity bump forward without requiring recurrent excitatory collaterals. This predictive shift can be linearly amplified across multilayer networks, consistent with anticipatory activity observed in the superficial layers of the entorhinal cortex. Furthermore, introducing recurrent interactions allows the network to learn connections capable of self-sustaining a moving bump of activity. Finally, by modulating the network with an external, time-varying baseline current that encodes speed, the system adjusts its intrinsic velocity to function as a precise unidirectional path integrator. Ultimately, this study suggests that prospective coding and path integration are not manually engineered features, but rather naturally co-emergent properties of a single self-organizing competitive network.

The numerical renormalization group (NRG) approach was developed to identify and quantify different equilibrium regimes of quantum impurity systems (QISs) with unprecedented accuracy by a tailored finite size representation. Out of equilibrium, the steady-state density operator is not of the Boltzmannian form but one that is determined by the imposed boundary conditions. We extend the NRG to the nonequilibrium setting by augmenting each Wilson site with a reservoir, whose coupling functions are calculated via a continuous fraction expansion in order to recover the continuum limit exactly. The nonequilibrium parameters such as a finite bias as well as a finite temperature gradient enters through the Bloch-Redfield tensor (BRT), whose zero eigenvector gives the steady-state density operator. We used the resulting open chain full density matrix (OC-FDM) approach with an effective single lead description to investigate the charge and spin transport through a quantum dot (QD) under finite bias and temperature gradient. The influence of lead asymmetry and an external magnetic field on the transport properties are also studied. For completeness, we have also investigated local properties of the QD, such as charge fluctuations and find excellent agreement with real-time quantum Monte Carlo (RT-QMC) data. The OC-FDM approach was able to explore Kondo energy scales as low as $T_K/D \approx 10^{-8}$ in the non-equilibrium regime, as well as show convergence with the established equilibrium benchmarks, such as a quantitative agreement with full density matrix numerical renormalization group (FDM-NRG) and Fermi-liquid scaling at small bias and temperature. Owing to the effective single lead description, a single OC-FDM data point takes orders of magnitude less time on a standard laptop, compared to other state-of-the-art numerical methods.

Numerous transition-metal oxides have low-temperature, long-range-ordered antiferromagnetic (AFM) states that are generally insulating, and high-temperature, disordered paramagnetic (PM) phases. The latter can be either insulating (predicted here for NaFeO3), or metallic (predicted here and previously observed in NaOsO3). Similar distinctions have been traditionally affected in strongly correlated models by the value used for Coulomb repulsion U. Here we show an alternative, strong-correlation-free (U=0) view suggesting that the distinction between insulating and metallic PM phases is governed by the competition between local magnetic moment disorder and the polymorphous distribution of off-center atomic displacements. Such parameter-free, energy-lowering symmetry breaking density functional calculations provide a framework for understanding metal-insulator behaviors across different quantum materials in terms of measurable local structural and magnetic parameters.

Raman and infrared anomalies associated with H-bond symmetrization in $\delta$-AlOOH, including mode softening and linewidth broadening at 5-10 GPa, occur at significantly lower pressures than predicted by static harmonic theory. To resolve this discrepancy, we combine harmonic phonon calculations with strongly constrained and appropriately normed (SCAN)-based deep-potential molecular dynamics and phonon quasiparticle analysis at 300 K. This framework extracts temperature- and pressure-dependent frequencies and lifetimes from long-time trajectories, capturing the branch reorganization and rapid linewidth growth characteristic of the disordering regime. Incorporating quasiparticle renormalization and directional longitudinal-optical-transverse-optical (LO-TO) splitting further yields near-quantitative agreement with the ambient-pressure OH-stretching Raman multiplet. These results identify finite-temperature dynamical effects and the progressive loss of spectral coherence as the origin of the spectroscopic signatures of H-bond symmetrization.