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Physics Condensed Matter

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Monday 5 October

Soft Condensed Matter

Self-assembly Monte Carlo reveals localized entanglement in giant polymer melts

Topological entanglements are central to understanding and predicting the properties of polymer melts. Yet, they make equilibrium sampling computationally challenging, as decorrelation times grow rapidly with chain length. Here, we introduce a Monte Carlo scheme that bypasses typical computational bottlenecks by working in a self-assembly ensemble rather than at fixed composition. Strictly local moves efficiently propagate backbone reconnections across scales while conserving the number of linear chains, achieving near-linear scaling of decorrelation time with system size, $\tau_{\rm eq}\sim V^{1.0}$. With this method, formulated for a fully-packed lattice, we equilibrate periodic systems totalling up to $\simeq 1.1\times 10^9$ monomers, accessing a universal melt regime insensitive to lattice details. We analyze intra- and inter-chain entanglements for chains of up to $N\simeq 5 \times 10^5$ monomers, revealing that they manifest as localized knots and links rather than as global tangles. Finally, we show that the magnitude of the Gauss linking integral between neighbouring chains grows only as $N^{1/4}$.
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Disordered Systems and Neural Networks · Cross-listed from math.PR

TAP states at upper deviations of the free energy: existence, localization and marginal stability in Ising spin glasses

We study upper large deviations of the free energy of mixed $p$-spin Ising spin glasses through the generalized TAP free energy $F_{\mathrm{TAP}}$ of Chen, Panchenko and Subag. For every mixture with radius of convergence greater than one, $\max F_{\mathrm{TAP}}$ and $\log Z_N$ have the same large deviations at speed $N$; the proof combines their band theorem with Ramsey's theorem. For convex mixtures with $\sum_p 2^p\beta_p^2<\infty$, upper deviations at level $f$ are carried by generalized TAP critical points, which exist at the free-energy rate without Boursier's strict Plefka condition. Outside an event of smaller exponential order, near-maximizers at level $f$ lie near the contact set of a constrained Parisi obstacle, follow the Auffinger-Chen field law, and have Hessian bulk near a reflected Pastur law whose edge is nonpositive and vanishes exactly at contacts where the obstacle is flat to second order. Where every contact is of this kind, a fixed stability margin costs rate.
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Superconductivity

General boundary conditions for the quasiclassical kinetic equations in the presence of magnetism and unconventional superconductivity

We present boundary conditions for the quasiclassical Green's functions describing spin active interfaces between two materials, at least one of which is in the diffusive regime. These boundary conditions are developed with the help of the action formalism, and provide clean and easily tractable expressions. We connect our expressions to previous literature in limiting cases and describe normal transport, magneto-resistance transport and spin-precession through the bound ary. By using the Keldysh-Nambu-spin formalism, our equations are valid both in the normal and superconducting state. The construction through the action formalism also allows us to derive the corresponding full counting statistics for charge currents, thermal currents and spin currents. We use this boundary condition to consider the anomalous proximity effect, and to study the Josephson coupling between triplet and spin-split superconductors through a magnetic interface. We find an analytic expression for the zero bias conductance in junctions with a p-wave superconductor and a spin-filter, and show how it depends on the relative orientation of the exchange field and d-vector. For Josephson junctions, we show that, in agreement with time-reversal symmetry, the conditions on the relative orientations of the spins in the materials for the appearance of anomalous Josephson currents, are distinctly different for two spin-split superconductors and a spin-split superconductor with a triplet superconductor. Moreover, we show that the anomalous Josephson currents are only accompanied by a diode effect if both transparencies for spin up and down are nonzero and distinct.
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Disordered Systems and Neural Networks · Cross-listed from math.PR

Upper deviations of the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick free energy: the fifth-order law and the onset of constrained Parisi measures

Let $Z_N$ be the partition function of the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model at inverse temperature $\beta>1$. Replica theory (Kondor near the critical temperature, Parisi and Rizzo at all temperatures) predicts that the probability that $N^{-1}\log Z_N$ exceeds its typical value by $\delta$ decays like $\exp(-Na\delta^{6/5})$ with an explicit $a$; Aronow and Lopatto recently proved bounds of this order. The exponent is the Legendre transform of the Parisi problem constrained to carry an atom $\theta$ at zero. We show that the constrained minimum exceeds the equilibrium free energy by $c_\beta\theta^5(1+o(1))$, where $c_\beta=\frac{9}{640}\beta^3\rho_\beta(0)^{-3}$ and $\rho_\beta(0)>0$ is the density at zero of the Parisi measure. With the fractional-moment formula this gives the exponent $\frac56(6c_\beta)^{-1/5}\delta^{6/5}(1+o(1))$ as $N\to\infty$ and then $\delta\to0$. The constrained minimizer has a marginal first positive contact, to leading order at $3\theta/(2\rho_\beta(0))$ with an atom $\theta/2$. This plateau calculus applies to every mixture with $\xi'''(0)=0$ whose Parisi measure accumulates at zero; a small field $h$ opens a gap of order $|h|^{2/3}$, and an atom of the Parisi measure at zero, present in every pure $p$-spin model with $p\ge3$, makes the rate leave zero linearly. Near criticality the constant tends to Kondor's value $9/5120$ and the marginal regime ends at a de Almeida-Thouless threshold. For the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model at every $\beta>1$, a finite-step curvature inequality from an unrefereed preprint shows that every constrained minimizer either has an interval of positive contacts, all marginal, or has exactly two atoms, and that the marginal regime ends at a unique de Almeida-Thouless threshold $\theta_c(\beta)$. The laws at every $\beta>1$ use that the Parisi measure accumulates at zero, a theorem of Lopatto also proved in earlier work of the author.
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Materials Science

Quantum spectral thermodynamics and active learning enable million-scale exploration of high-entropy ceramics

Understanding phase stability and navigating vast compositional spaces in multicomponent solids remain central challenges in solid-state chemistry. Here, we develop a quantum spectral thermodynamic framework connecting interaction-induced phonon spectral broadening to free energy, alongside an uncertainty-guided active-learning workflow that explores 7.7 million high-entropy ceramic configurations at density-functional-theory fidelity, achieving a $10^5$-fold acceleration. We show that phonon self-energy effects arising from chemical disorder provide an intrinsic vibrational contribution to thermodynamic stabilization beyond ideal configurational entropy, compensating unfavorable mixing enthalpies and suppressing phase separation. Across the chemical space, we uncover a robust ~12 at.% solute threshold separating strengthening and softening regimes, associated with the filling of metal-carbon antibonding states. Chemical disorder further enables an unusual combination of high-temperature mechanical stiffness and low thermal conductivity, together with anomalous temperature-dependent lattice heat transport. This work establishes a quantum spectral foundation for connecting many-body interactions to thermodynamics and phase stability, while providing a scalable framework for exploring previously inaccessible multicomponent chemical spaces.
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Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics

Exact vortex decomposition of the shift current

Does any integer survive in the shift current, and does the Chern number control its sign? We show that the shift vector is a singular field on the Brillouin torus. Its curl has two sources: the interband Berry curvature and quantised point charges at the zeros of the transition dipole. Inverting this relation gives an exact decomposition of the shift conductivity, valid at every frequency, into one sector linear in the integer charges and three continuous sectors. As a testing ground, we take a graphene-Haldane bilayer: a model that lets us sweep the interband Chern number through five values at fixed gap to isolate its role. We also test the formalism against the time-reversal-symmetric biased AB bilayer. Whenever a charge sits at the band edge, and trigonal warping is present, the integer sector alone accounts for the band-edge peak. The relevant integer is not the Chern number but the winding of that single charge. Its sign, combined with a valley-dependent profile, sets the sign of the photocurrent. In these bilayers, sign reversals across topological transitions follow this winding; the invariant changes with it only when the same gap closing does both. A band-edge charge needs no invariant. It only requires that the two band-edge sublattices not be connected by the nearest-neighbour hopping, and trigonal warping makes it visible.
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All authors Matias Castro Schnaidt, Felipe Perez Riffo, Juan M. Florez, Eric Suarez Morell

Strongly Correlated Electrons · Cross-listed from quant-ph

A Practical Introduction to VQE: Methods, Challenges, and Applications in Physics and Chemistry

The Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE) has become a central hybrid quantum-classical method for addressing electronic structure and materials science problems on near-term quantum hardware. As researchers across physics, chemistry, and quantum information engage with VQE, they encounter a wide range of algorithmic choices, including problem encoding, ansatz construction, classical optimization, and measurement strategies to choose from. This article provides a structured overview of these components and discusses practical factors that influence VQE performance in real settings, such as noise characteristics, available error-mitigation techniques, and hardware-dependent circuit considerations. Drawing partly on our early experiences, we highlight aspects that may be especially relevant for newcomers and outline common challenges observed in practical workflows. Our aim is to offer an accessible entry point for researchers approaching VQE-based quantum simulation and to support informed decision-making as the method and underlying hardware continue to evolve, which we support by discussion of examples from physics and quantum chemistry.
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All authors Jannis Ehrlich, Felix Rupprecht, Konstantin Lamp, Elias Walter, Alejandro D. Somoza, Manuel Enns, Christian Elsässer, Birger Horstmann, Daniel F. Urban

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

Lindblad equation for the quantum Rabi model in the deep strong coupling regime

We derive a quantum master equation in Lindblad form for the open quantum Rabi model in the perturbative deep strong coupling regime, where the spectrum is close to degenerate and harmonic. The Lindblad form is obtained by combining secular and singular-coupling approximations, working in a Schrieffer-Wolff transformed frame. We benchmark our equation against a Bloch-Redfield one, analyzing the time-evolution and steady state properties of several observables and find excellent agreement. Analytical results are obtained in limiting cases.
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Materials Science

The phonomagnet: Spontaneous order of phonon angular momentum

Magnetism is a fundamental property of matter, typically arising from collective ordering of electronic spin and orbital angular momentum. Other quasiparticles interact with magnetism. However, they have not been considered its primary source. Here we show that phonons can generate a distinct form of magnetism through spontaneous ordering of their angular momentum. This phonomagnetism emerges from spin-phonon angular-momentum coupling, producing an effective exchange interaction between local ionic angular momenta. We show that the interaction strength depends on spin susceptibility, with a phonomagnetic phase predicted near a ferromagnetic critical point. Our theory also reveals phononic analogues of established spin models, including phonon Heisenberg, phonon $\Gamma$-model, and phonon Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions. Combining first-principles phonon calculations with recent data from Raman spectroscopy, we identify VI$_3$ as a candidate phonomagnet, providing a microscopic framework for interpreting the weak magnetic anomaly reported above its bulk ferromagnetic transition. These findings open avenues for new platforms for information storage and manipulation on picosecond timescales.
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Disordered Systems and Neural Networks

Disorder-driven loss of crystalline coherence in two-dimensional electron solids: Quantum Hartree-Fock and classical molecular dynamics

We investigate the effects of quenched disorder on two-dimensional electron solids using Hartree-Fock theory and classical molecular dynamics. Increasing disorder weakens crystalline correlations, broadens the structure factor, and reduces the measured coherence length toward the pristine lattice spacing. This evolution is consistent with the Imry-Ma and Larkin picture: random pinning disrupts translational order on sufficiently long scales, and stronger disorder reduces the distance over which crystalline organization survives. Classical simulations further show that stronger pinning raises the temperature for particle rearrangement even after crystalline order has disappeared. Disorder thus suppresses structural coherence while stabilizing an amorphous solid against thermal rearrangement.
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Quantum Gases · Cross-listed from math-ph

Quantum Fluctuations in Bose–Einstein Condensates:Microscopic Correlations and Moment Bounds

We study higher moments of quantum fluctuations and microscopic correlation energy in the three-dimensional Gross–Pitaevskii regime. For a smooth, compactly supported, nonnegative radial interaction and an $N$-independent normalized initial condensate wave function in $H^6$, we propagate the third spectral moment of a positive correlated energy along the exact many-body evolution. A uniform initial bound controls the third moment of the depletion number and sixth moments of collective one-particle fluctuations on every compact time interval, independently of $N$. For a nonzero interaction and a smooth, compactly supported initial condensate, we also identify the excitation-energy measure at scale $N^2$, weighted by the first energy. This limit holds for norm-convergent pure-state families with a uniform bound on the initial third correlated-energy moment. Its positive-energy part is a spectral measure of the relative scattering operator $-2\Delta+v$, multiplied by a time-dependent dressed contact. We compute the radial density and prove strict positivity of the contact for nonzero references with finite kinetic energy and finite mean excitation number. The same evolving states have bounded physical fluctuation moments and excitation-energy moments of order $p>1$ bounded below by a positive multiple of $N^{2p-2}$, in the extended spectral sense. Inverse powers of the positive initial energy construct admissible pure and mixed families. For the norm-convergent pure-state class, we determine the scaled interaction-energy moments for $1\le p<2$ and bound the second moment by $O(N^2)$. A finite cubic approximation has norm error $O(N^{-3/16})$ on the energy form domain and $O(N^{-5/4})$ on a stronger initial domain of its generator.
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Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics

The future of 3D NAND flash technology

3D NAND flash has become the foundational non-volatile storage platform of the AI era, underpinning workloads from model training to large-scale inference and cold data archival. With roadmaps now targeting kilolayer stacks and tens of trillions of devices per die, scaling is no longer governed primarily by process integration or lithography. Instead, it is increasingly constrained by the physics of charge storage itself: lateral charge migration, electrostatic coupling, read disturb, and transport limitations are entering a margin-limited regime. In this regime, their collective interaction, not any single mechanism, compresses operating margins with each generation. In this Perspective, we examine these converging bottlenecks and argue that sustaining NAND scaling will require application-specific co-optimization rather than a monolithic device roadmap. In this framework, conventional charge-trap flash, ferroelectric storage, alternative channel materials, and system-level integration are best viewed as complementary solutions targeted to distinct tiers of data-centric computing.
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All authors Prasanna Venkatesan, Taeyoung Song, Gaurav Thareja, Luca Larcher, Andrea Padovani, Cristian Zambelli, Shimeng Yu, Suman Datta, Tajana Rosing, Priyankka Ravikumar, Biswajit Ray, Raisul Islam, Wanki Kim, Daewon Ha, Asif Khan

Materials Science · Cross-listed from cs.CL

Agentic schema-guided extraction of materials process knowledge from scientific literature

Materials literature contains detailed experimental knowledge, but procedures, chemical entities and measurements remain difficult to aggregate because they are reported in heterogeneous forms and depend on process-specific context. We present SciKGExtract, a schema-guided framework that combines large-language-model extraction with chemical normalization and agent-based evaluation and refinement before knowledge-graph integration. We evaluate the framework on 176 atomic-layer-deposition papers describing zinc oxide (ZnO) and indium–gallium–zinc oxide (IGZO), together with an expert-annotated full-schema subset. PubChem normalization improves exact-match extraction F1 for every tested model. For ZnO, the best F1 increases from 0.591 for direct normalized extraction to 0.805 with agentic refinement, whereas the best IGZO result is 0.344, revealing the greater difficulty of multicomponent supercycle processes. Evaluation against a deeply nested schema containing 65 experimental properties and 155 quantitative measurement nodes further exposes errors in process segmentation and numerical assignment. These results show that chemical canonicalization and targeted agentic verification provide complementary controls for converting complex materials literature into reusable, machine-actionable experimental knowledge.
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Strongly Correlated Electrons

Pairing order and condensate fraction across the BCS-BEC crossover in the two-dimensional attractive Hubbard model

We report a systematic study of the superconducting ground state in the two-dimensional attractive Hubbard model, employing the numerically exact auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo method. We focus primarily on the pairing order and condensate fraction across the BCS-BEC crossover. Our numerical calculations cover a broad and physically relevant parameter regime, with the interaction strength $U/t=2\sim 12$ (where $t$ is the nearest-neighbor hopping amplitude) and fermion density $n=0.25\sim 1.0$. We systematically characterize the dependence of the pairing order and condensate fraction on both the interaction strength and fermion density, and perform finite-size extrapolations to obtain their thermodynamic-limit values. As complementary quantities, we also provide high-precision numerical results for the double occupancy and total energy. Furthermore, we investigate the effects of next-nearest-neighbor hopping on the superconducting properties of the model. Our results offer a comprehensive set of unbiased numerical data for the attractive Hubbard model, establishing quantitative benchmarks for understanding superconductivity across the BCS-BEC crossover and for validating future theoretical and numerical approaches.
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All authors Hao Du, Qian Sun, Zhuotao Xie, Yuan-Yao He

Materials Science

First-Principles Investigation of Multimodal Toxic Gas Sensing in Carbon-Tuned hBN-Graphene Alloys: Chemiresistive, Work-Function, and Optical Responses

Compact, reliable, and cost-effective gas sensors have become a highly demanding subject for safety management in the medical sector, chemical manufacturing, food quality monitoring, agriculture, and industrial safety. Hazardous gas emissions need to be controlled and monitored with fast-responsive and highly sensitive sensing devices. A first-principles study employing density functional theory (DFT) was used to investigate the adsorption behavior of Cl2, CO, CO2, NO, NO2, and HCN gas molecules with our proposed alloys, which consisted of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) and graphene (Gr). The alloy consisting of 22% carbon (BNGr-2) was found to be most competent for sensing Cl2, CO, CO2, and HCN with sufficient adsorption energy, charge transfer, and bandgap alteration. However, NO and NO2 gas molecules showed more engagement with 33% carbon-proportioned alloy (BNGr-3) in terms of adequate gas sensing properties. NOx gases exhibited the most chemiresistive sensitivity towards the adsorbents. Other gases also showed significant chemiresistive sensitivity and distinct selectivity ratios, which would facilitate these alloys as chemiresistive sensors. Besides, noticeable work function variation (~20%) of these systems manifested potential as work function based sensors. Cl2 and NO2 showed strong physical adsorption, while the rest of the gases were weakly to moderately physisorbed, resulting in very short recovery times (10-1 ~ 10-6 seconds). Additionally, the distinctive absorption spectra observed for the gas analyte systems highlighted the potential of the proposed alloys as optical gas sensors. Temperature variation revealed that all gas molecules can be freed from the adsorbent BNGr-2 at 425 K. These findings imply hBN-Gr alloys as promising gas sensors for pollution auditing.
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Materials Science

Influence of Electrode Thickness and Electrolyte Composition on SEI Formation and Cycle Stability in Binder-Free Hard Carbon Anodes for Na-Ion Batteries

Hard carbon self-supported electrodes (HC SSEs) have gained significant interest as an alternative to classical binder-based anode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), eliminating the need for binders, solvents, conductive carbon, and current collectors. In this work, we investigate the impact of HC thickness and macroporosity, as well as the presence/absence of an electrolyte additive, on the formation of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and electrochemical performance. Three cellulose-based filter paper (FP) precursors with different thicknesses were used to prepare HC SSEs through a pyrolysis process at 1500 {\textdegree}C, and then these were compared with an HC SSE obtained from commercial carbon fabric. The results highlight the importance of appropriate structural, morphological, porosity, and surface chemical properties of the materials to achieve high initial Coulombic efficiency (up to 93%) and high reversible capacity (up to 328 mAh g -1 at 37.2 mA g -1 ). However, the cycle stability was greatly impacted by the electrode thickness/macroporosity and the electrolyte additive. In NaPF6 without fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) additive, the maximum number of cycles (50) was obtained for the thinnest electrode (79 $\mu$m), while rapid fading (after $\approx$1-5 cycles) was observed for electrode thicknesses >185 $\mu$m. By using the FEC additive, the fading is mitigated and cycling stability (100 cycles) is reached for all the electrodes, except the commercial one (5 cycles), due to its highest thickness (1042 $\mu$m). The improvement in stability could be explained by the buildup of a thin homogeneous inorganic-rich SEI containing more NaF in the presence of FEC, which is more stable, protective, and electronically conductive.
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All authors Tien-Nguyen-Khoi Trinh, Adrian Beda, Samar Hajjar-Garreau, Cyril Vaulot, Camélia Matei Ghimbeu

Soft Condensed Matter

Hydrodynamics of perceptual matter: from neural representations to collective motion

How do neural representations of neighbors become collective material behavior? Harmonic Theory (HT) reduces bearing representations to signed perceptual channels traceable to sensory acuity, decision dynamics, and interaction distance. Here we derive a nonlocal kinetic and hydrodynamic theory from the HT particle law without introducing heading alignment. The resulting fields retain HT's order-resolved perceptual spectrum and keep the neural and sensory origin of each coefficient visible. The theory predicts a torque-driven density instability: HT's direct-approach channel turns agents toward density excesses, while self-propulsion carries them inward. For isotropic spatial interactions and positive rotational diffusion, perceptual channel $n$ generically first affects conserved density at spatial order $k^{2n}$, and the full radial transforms select finite pattern wavelengths. Two populations can share the same long-wave instability threshold yet select different initial pattern spacings because their higher perceptual channels differ. Beyond onset, the one-particle continuum sustains a bidirectional nematic column; a prescribed, symmetry-allowed two-stream response amplifies a directional imbalance into sustained polar flow. In a distinct pure-repulsion regime, one-particle calculations show polar transport and translating transverse bands, with late pattern selection sensitive to numerical transport. The framework connects neural and sensory mechanisms to continuum coefficients, instabilities, and alignment-free collective motion.
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Materials Science · Cross-listed from quant-ph

Probing Quantum Anomalous Hall Transport Under Microwave Irradiation Using a Topological Circulator

Edge magnetoplasmons (EMPs) provide a platform for probing chiral charge dynamics and nonreciprocal microwave transport in topological quantum materials. However, detecting small perturbations to EMP propagation remains challenging because their signatures in conventional microwave scattering measurements can be weak. Here, we investigate microwave-photon-induced perturbations of EMP transport using a quantum anomalous Hall topological circulator. Pump–probe measurements reveal a strongly frequency-selective response: while microwave irradiation substantially modifies the EMP transmission at several pump frequencies, the transmission remains nearly unchanged at selected frequencies, including 4 and 7 GHz. We further exploit the non-Hermitian mode hybridization of the coupled EMP-resonator system to probe the response near an exceptional point (EP). The pump-induced change in transmission magnitude near the EP is approximately twice that observed away from the EP, demonstrating an enhanced microwave response to perturbations. These results reveal the interplay among chiral EMP transport, microwave-photon-induced perturbations, and non-Hermitian dynamics, and demonstrate the potential of topological circulators as a promising platform for enhanced microwave spectroscopy and sensing.
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All authors Athul Ashok, Frank Jin, Nick Du, Luis A. Martinez, Jenny Zhou, Sean O'Kelley, Zachary J.-R. Espley, Gang Qiu, Kang L. Wang, Dong-Xia Qu

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

Interferometric braiding of non-Abelian anyons

The manipulation of non-Abelian anyons is a foundational ingredient for topological quantum computing and underlies topologically protected quantum memories. Here we analyze a quantum-impurity-based protocol for braiding non-Abelian anyons. Exploiting mobile impurities with addressable internal spin states, we provide a concrete protocol to experimentally measure the matrix elements of the $R$ and $F$ matrices that characterize the non-Abelian statistics of anyons. In particular, focusing on the case of Ising and Fibonacci anyons, we illustrate how the anyonic nature of the excitations emerges directly in the Ramsey interferometer we propose. Building on this framework, we further introduce a conventional-to-topological qubit encoder to transfer quantum information from conventional flying qubits into a topologically protected quantum memory.
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Statistical Mechanics · Cross-listed from quant-ph

Casimir force screening by a quantum Boltzmann plasma

We develop a finite-temperature field-theoretical description of the Casimir interaction between two perfectly conducting boundaries with the intervening gap filled by a two-component quantum Boltzmann plasma embedded in a homogeneous dielectric background. The quantum motion of the charged particles is represented by imaginary-time worldlines, while the electromagnetic field is treated in the Gaussian approximation. The resulting partition function contains distinct longitudinal and transverse response contributions and an additional quantum-induced source term with no classical counterpart. In the classical limit the theory reduces to the usual Casimir-screening picture: the static longitudinal mode is Debye screened, whereas the transverse electromagnetic sector is unaffected by classical mobile charges. Finite thermal de Broglie wavelengths modify the nonzero Matsubara response and produce the leading quantum correction to the force. In the static long-wavelength limit, the longitudinal dielectric function has, through the leading quantum correction, the same expansion structure as the Lindhard response of a degenerate electron gas under the correspondence $k_{TF}\leftrightarrow\kappa_D$ and $k_F\leftrightarrow\lambda_{dB}^{-1}$, while the static transverse response reproduces the leading high-temperature Landau orbital diamagnetic susceptibility.
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Materials Science

State aligned graph wavelet fingerprints of electron trapping in amorphous Si$_3$N$_4$

Classifying charge traps in amorphous materials requires the electronic state and the network response to be resolved together. We develop state-aligned graph-wavelet fingerprints and apply them to electron trapping in a-Si$_3$N$_4$, where intrinsic-polaronic trapping, coordination-driven trapping, and charge-driven conversion coexist within one ensemble. Across 415 pairs of relaxed neutral and negatively charged cells, alignment of the trap state before and after localisation connects electronic identity to multiscale structural fingerprints. Charge-driven conversion produces substantial reorganisation across graph scales and increases the fingerprint amplitude. The fingerprint change identifies the transformation each site undergoes, while the occupation-induced level shift tracks localisation gain and graph deformation tracks stabilisation. Charge-induced defect formation dominates the deepest spectral-trap decile: 69% form at sites whose Si–N bond breaks on capture, although this route accounts for 44.2% of the classified traps. The fingerprints unify electronic identity, multiscale network reorganisation and energetic stabilisation in a quantitative framework for resolving charge trapping in amorphous materials.
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Soft Condensed Matter

Translational and rotational irreversibility in cyclically sheared colloidal suspensions

We investigate the translational and rotational dynamics of cyclically sheared suspensions over a broad range of particle concentrations. The transition to an irreversible state is studied using a custom confocal-rheometer and colloidal particles synthesized with chemically identical smooth and lobed surfaces. The particle trajectories and rotations are tracked in three dimensions to reveal enhanced effective diffusivities that exhibit flow induced anisotropy that depends on particle concentration and particle morphology. We show that within the irreversible state, the shear induced anisotropy is determined by interparticle friction and interlocking mechanisms that promote mixing and enforce rotational isotropy.
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Materials Science

Compressed magnetic Moment Tensor Potentials via low-rank matrix and tensor factorizations

We propose a parameter-reduced version of magnetic Moment Tensor Potential (mMTP) based on various matrix and tensor decompositions. The resulting compressed magnetic machine-learning potential reduces the number of parameters by a factor of approximately 1.5-3 without compromising predictive performance on the validation set. We evaluate the performance of the compressed potentials for magnetic, structural, and vibrational properties, as well as in molecular dynamics simulations of Fe-Al and CrN systems. We demonstrate that the simulation results obtained with the compressed mMTP are numerically consistent with those of the original uncompressed model and are in agreement with density functional theory calculations and experimental data.
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All authors Alexey S. Kotykhov, Alexander V. Shapeev, Maxim Rakhuba, Ivan S. Novikov

Superconductivity

Two superconducting pairing models with a Kitaev spin-liquid glue: microscopic kernel and parity alternation on odd-fold bond stars

We construct two superconducting pairing models on doped Kitaev honeycomb, whose microscopic kernels are derived rather than assumed. Both are driven by a bond-local glue neutral between the even- and odd-parity pairing channels; the chirality–parity linkage is set by bond-star geometry, not by the microscopic glue. (i) Model~1(odd-parity sector): the kernel follows from the flux-sector selection rule of the pure model, fixing its component-diagonal, nearest-neighbor separable, rank-one-per-bond form, with $w_\alpha=J_K^2\chi_\alpha\propto r_\alpha m_\alpha$, where $m_\alpha$ follows from the Hellmann–Feynman theorem and $r_\alpha\simeq0.24$ is computed numerically. The spin-vertex state is a unitary triplet with a bond-locked anisotropic $\mathbf d$ vector; its gap is a Gram sum of bond sines, so nodal directions are fixed by geometry. (ii) Model~2(even): the kernel is fixed by the $C_3$ little-group selection rule of a zone-corner chiral phonon, up to a Cooper-channel extension whose momentum constraint we state explicitly. The charge-vertex pairing is a $d+id$ singlet: the parity decomposition $f_\pm=g_\pm+p_\pm$ projects onto $g_\pm$, so chirality is slaved to the phonon polarization, with $C=\pm4$ and $\kappa_{xy}/T=2\kappa_0$. Reversing the pump helicity reverses the Chern number, Kerr rotation, and thermal Hall sign. (iii) General theorem: on odd-fold bond stars, the angular-momentum ladder of a single-star chiral form factor alternates in parity. Every chiral state selected by such a bond-local form factor is a geometrically enforced singlet–triplet composite with universal amplitude ratios ($n=3$: $d\oplus p$; $n=5$: $g\oplus p$ or $d\oplus f$); coherent doubled-star combinations can restore parity purity. The Chern number of the mixed state follows the dominant on-shell component across a topological boundary. The spin glue drives $C=\pm2$; the charge kernel $C=\pm4$.
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Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics

Phenomenology of reactive and dissipative nutation in antiferromagnets

We formulate equations of motion for uniform magnetization dynamics in multisublattice magnets, with emphasis on a recently proposed inertial damping torque. We include intra- and intersublattice contributions to Gilbert damping, reactive inertia, and inertial damping. For a two-sublattice uniaxial antiferromagnet in an easy-axis static magnetic field, we derive the dynamical magnetic susceptibilities and approximate eigenfrequencies across all field-dependent equilibrium phases. In particular, we show how inertial damping affects the relaxation of the nutational modes and propose an experimental protocol to determine the dynamical coefficients.
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Strongly Correlated Electrons

Lifshitz transition and magnetic superconductivity in flat band systems

A Lifshitz transition is a class of non-symmetry-breaking transitions typically associated with metallic systems wherein the Fermi surface changes its connectivity as the chemical potential sweeps through a band extremum or a saddle point. The phenomenology naturally adapts itself to the superconducting state, where the object that reconstructs is the manifold of minimum quasiparticle energy rather than the Fermi surface. This paper concerns Lifshitz-type transitions in multi-band superconductors. Thus, we focus on the attractive Hubbard–Kondo model on the two-dimensional Lieb lattice, with classical core spins coupled to the itinerant electrons, by laying recourse to a real-space Bogoliubov–de Gennes mean-field theory and an analytic Green's function calculation. The competition between the Kondo and pairing channels yields a magnetic superconductor throughout, with $(\pi,\pi)$ order near half filling giving way to $(0,\pi)$ and then, at stronger Kondo coupling, to an incommensurate spiral $(0,q)$. In such a multiband superconductor hosting a flat band, we identify two inequivalent Lifshitz-type transitions. With the core spins decoupled (the Kondo coupling set to zero), the minimum energy contour deforms with chemical potential, a hole pocket about $M$ opening into a perfectly nested square at $\mu=-2t$ and reconnecting into pockets about $\Gamma$; this nesting fixes where $(\pi,\pi)$ order sets in. At finite Kondo coupling, for certain chemical potential, the dimension of the manifold itself drops. We obtain it analytically for each magnetic order and show that only the spiral carries the minimum energy through zero, nucleating nodes and leaving a gapless magnetic superconductor, with clear signatures in the density of states and the spectral function.
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All authors Sudeshna Pal, K.B. Yogendra, Madhuparna Karmakar, Rajesh Narayanan

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics

An ab initio based compact analytical formula for inelastic x-ray scattering from spatially localized excitons

In this contribution we provide a compact model for the description of inelastic x-ray scattering of spatially localized excitons. We combine our analytical theory with first principles calculations and apply it to the material lithium fluoride (LiF). A comparison of two different approaches for the underlying single-particle wave functions to calculate the spectrum yield a qualitatively good agreement with experimental data but also shows that a detailed description of the wave functions is essential to obtain qualitative results.
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All authors Joris Sturm, Duc Anh Truong, Andrei Benediktovitch, Nina Rohringer, Andreas Knorr$^{1}$

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics

Beyond the Flat-Band Paradigm: Open Orbits as a Route to Correlated States in Dispersive Moiré Minibands

The realization of fractional Chern insulators has largely relied on isolated flat bands in complex bilayer or multilayer moiré systems with ideal quantum geometry. Whether such phases can emerge in genuinely dispersive bands, and by what mechanism, remains an open question. Here, we propose a mechanism for magnetic-field-induced strong correlations in the highly dispersive bands of monolayer graphene on hexagonal boron nitride. In the low-field classical-to-quantum crossover regime of the second moiré miniband, we show that the interplay of the moiré potential and weak magnetic fields (B < 1.5 T) profoundly alters electron dynamics. Saddle-point van Hove singularities produce extended open orbits that strongly suppress carrier propagation, potentially favoring a regime in which Coulomb interactions become comparatively more important, while weak magnetic fields lift valley degeneracy and trigonal warping redistributes Berry curvature. High-resolution magnetotransport and temperature-dependent measurements reveal fractional-slope transport features and signatures of interaction-driven incompressibility. Because the Hall conductivity is not fully quantized and the longitudinal resistance remains finite, we describe these observations as incipient FCI behavior: transport signatures consistent with a developing fractional Chern insulating state, without claiming a fully developed FCI phase established by complete Hall quantization and vanishing longitudinal resistance. Our results suggest a possible fermiology-driven route toward correlated topological states in dispersive bands in the classical-to-quantum crossover, distinct from the conventional flat-band scenario.
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All authors Zihao Wang, Pablo M. Perez-Piskunow, Calvin Pei Yu Wong, Matthew Holwill, Hao Sun, Wei Fu, Junxiong Hu, Zheng Yuntian, Zhang Xuanrui, T. Taniguchi, K. Watanabe, A. Ariando, Geliang Yu, Li Lin, Kuan Eng Johnson Goh, Stephan Roche, Jeil Jung, Kostya S. Novoselov, Nicolas Leconte

Strongly Correlated Electrons

Nonthermal nonlinear many-body excitonic dynamics in high-purity silicon

We report time-resolved optical pump-terahertz third-harmonic generation spectroscopy of picosecond nonthermal many-body charge dynamics in high-purity silicon at room temperature. Although in thermal equilibrium excitons in silicon are unstable due to a lower binding energy than the thermal energy at room temperature, following pulsed non-resonant optical pumping we can identify the formation of transient excitonic states on the picosecond time scale in our high-resolution nonlinear spectroscopic measurements. In contrast to unbound electron-hole pairs, the nonthermal many-body excitonic dynamics feature a characteristic time-dependent evolution, a distinct dependence on charge density, and a nonperturbative nonlinear terahertz response.
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All authors Patrick Pilch, Siyu Duan, Yang Liu, Manfred Bayer, Marc Assmann, Zhe Wang

Materials Science

Geometrical Confinement of Magnetic Domains and Domain Walls on Two-Dimensional Cylindrical-Shaped Ferromagnetic Surfaces

The rolling of two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) magnetic monolayers into cylindrical architectures provides an ideal platform for confining magnetic domain walls (DWs) without edge-pinning effects. Here, we present a combined analytical and numerical investigation of DW confinement and interaction in ferromagnetic (FM) nanotubes. Using an analytical Heisenberg model on a 2D rectangular lattice, we show that transversal curvature introduces an azimuthal exchange energy penalty that intrinsically compresses the DW width. This model demonstrates excellent quantitative agreement with atomistic Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert (LLG) spin dynamics simulations. By extending our study to realistic CrSBr (CSB) nanotubes, we model a bound state of two interacting DWs arising from a balance between long-range dipolar attraction and short-range exchange repulsion. Micromagnetic simulations reveal a non-monotonic evolution of the inter-wall distance with the tube perimeter. These findings highlight vdW magnetic nanotubes as robust platforms for stable domain confinement in quasi-one-dimensional spintronic architectures.
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All authors Gabriel Martínez-Carracedo, Aurelio Hierro-Rodríguez, Amador García-Fuente, Jaime Ferrer