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Physics Physics

physics Watch Physics

Friday 31 October

Fluid Dynamics

Influence of the Control Temperature of Park's Two-temperature Model on the Mars Pathfinder Reactive Hypersonic Flow

Gibson De Marchi Poltronieri, Farney C. Moreira and João Luiz F. Azevedo

Numerical simulations of reactive hypersonic flow under thermodynamic and chemical non-equilibrium conditions are presented for the Mars Pathfinder capsule. An 8-species chemical model is employed to simulate Mars' atmosphere. Park's two-temperature model is used to account for the thermal non-equilibrium phenomena. The present work analyzes the impact of different values of the weight factors used in Park's model, aiming to broaden the understanding of the weight factors influence. The code used to simulate the flows solves the Navier-Stokes equations modified to account for reacting gas mixtures. The findings are depicted in terms of the Mach number and temperature modes along the stagnation streamline in a region close to the shock wave. The present analysis also includes results regarding the stagnation point convective heat flux. The results indicate that varying the weight factors yields negligible differences in the shock wave position and stagnation point convective heat flux. The changes in the weight factors cause variations in the maximum temperature mode values in the non-equilibrium region. The results presented are in good agreement with experimental data present in the literature. The present work indicates that Park's two-temperature model weight factors can substantially affect the temperature mode distributions in the flow non-equilibrium region.
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Physics and Society

Constructing directed networks with a desired minimum balanced coloring

Jonathan Martinez, Teresa Radice and Francesco Sorrentino

This work introduces a systematic algorithm for generating directed networks with prescribed symmetries by constructing expansions from a given quotient network. The method enables researchers to synthesize realistic network models with controllable symmetry structure, facilitating studies of symmetry-driven dynamics such as cluster synchronization in biological, social, and technological systems.
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Optics

Inverse-Designed Grating Couplers with Tunable Wavelength via Scaling and Biasing

Lorenz J. J. Sauerzopf, Fabian Becker and Kai Müller

Photonic integrated circuits are heavily researched devices for telecommunication, biosensing, and quantum technologies. Wafer-scale fabrication and testing are crucial for reducing costs and enabling large-scale deployment. Grating couplers allow non-invasive measurements before packaging, but classical designs rely on long tapers and narrow bandwidths. In this work, we present compact, inverse-designed grating couplers with broadband transmission. We optimized and fabricated arrays of devices and characterized them with a 4f-scanning setup. The nominal design reached simulated efficiencies of 52 %, while measurements confirmed robust performance with up to 32 % efficiency at the target 1540 nm wavelength and 46 % at shifted wavelengths. Without scaling and contour biasing, the measured efficiency at the target wavelength drops to only 4.4 %. Thus, a key finding is that systematic scaling and edge biasing recover up to an eightfold improvement in efficiency. These inverse-designed grating couplers can be efficiently corrected post-design, enabling reliable performance despite fabrication deviations. This approach allows simple layout adjustments to compensate for process-induced variations, supporting wafer-scale testing, cryogenic photonic applications, and rapid design wavelength tuning.
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Atomic Physics

Long-lived giant circular Rydberg atoms at room temperature

Einius Pultinevicius, Aaron Götzelmann, Fabian Thielemann et al. (+2 more)

Stability achieved by large angular momentum is ubiquitous in nature, with examples ranging from classical mechanics, over optics and chemistry, to nuclear physics. In atoms, angular momentum can protect excited electronic orbitals from decay due to selection rules. This manifests spectacularly in highly excited Rydberg states. Low angular momentum Rydberg states are at the heart of recent breakthroughs in quantum computing, simulation and sensing with neutral atoms. For these applications the lifetime of the Rydberg levels sets fundamental limits for gate fidelities, coherence times, or spectroscopic precision. The quest for longer Rydberg state lifetimes has motivated the generation, coherent control and trapping of circular Rydberg atoms, which are characterized by the maximally allowed electron orbital momentum and were key to seminal experiments with single atoms and photons. Here, we report the observation of individually trapped circular Rydberg atoms with lifetimes of more than 10 milliseconds, two orders of magnitude longer-lived than the established low angular momentum orbitals. This is achieved via Purcell suppression of blackbody modes at room temperature. We coherently control individual circular Rydberg levels at so far elusive principal quantum numbers of up to $n=103$, and observe tweezer trapping of the Rydberg atoms on the hundred millisecond scale. Our results pave the way for quantum information processing and sensing utilizing the combination of extreme lifetimes and giant Rydberg blockade.
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All authors Einius Pultinevicius, Aaron Götzelmann, Fabian Thielemann, Christian Hölzl, Florian Meinert

Physics and Society

Polarization and echo chambers in Reddit's political discourse

Daniele Cirulli, Antonio Desiderio, Giulio Cimini et al. (+1 more)

Political debate nowadays takes place mainly on online social media, with election periods amplifying ideological engagement. Reddit is generally considered more resistant to polarization and echo chamber effects than platforms like Twitter or Facebook. Here, we challenge this assumption through a case study across the 2016 US presidential election. We use statistical validation techniques to extract ideologically distinct communities of subreddits, in terms of their contributing user base and news consumption, which we use to analyze the dynamics of political debate. We thus reveal clear polarization in both interaction-based and topic-based communities, with clusters of Democratic, Conservative, and Banned subreddits. Election periods intensify cross-group engagement, align Banned and Conservative content, and reduce linguistic diversity within groups. Overall we characterize Reddit as a polarized environment marked by the presence of echo chambers, highlighting network validation as a key method for identifying behavioral and interaction patterns on online social media.
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All authors Daniele Cirulli, Antonio Desiderio, Giulio Cimini, Fabio Saracco

Applied Physics

Development of organic passive devices for RF applications

A. Aliane, A. Daami, T. Card et al. (+6 more)

A huge interesting progress in the field of organic electronic materials and devices has been observed in the last decade. However, the understanding of these materials is still a challenge to overcome. Most studies in literature focus on active devices such as OTFTs, OLEDs and OPVs. Nevertheless, a complete technology has to have also passive devices in order to allow the design of interesting applications and complex circuits. This paper deals with the development of a complete set of passive devices allowing the fabrication of simple applications such as filters or sensors. The process flow is a fully screen printed technology that uses exclusively organic materials on gold laser ablated flexible substrate. Discrete passive (R, L, C) devices have been processed and characterized. This has permitted the fabrication of RLC low-band pass filters that are dedicated to RF applications, typically around 1GHz. Furthermore, based on these discrete passive components, we have developed a sensitive sensor on flexible substrate for RFID applications. We present the state of the art of our process development for RF applications using organic materials.
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All authors A. Aliane, A. Daami, T. Card, R. Gwoziecki, I. Chartier, R. Coppard, E. Bergeret, E. Bènevent, P. Pannier

Plasma Physics

Modeling partially-ionized dense plasma using wavepacket molecular dynamics

Daniel Plummer, Pontus Svensson, Wiktor Jasniak et al. (+3 more)

We develop a wave packet molecular dynamics framework for modeling the structural properties of partially-ionized dense plasmas, based on a chemical model that explicitly includes bound state wavefunctions. Using hydrogen as a representative system, we compute self-consistent charge state distributions through free energy minimization, following the approach of Plummer et al. [Phys. Rev. E 111, 015204 (2025)]. This enables a direct comparison of static equilibrium properties with path integral Monte Carlo data, facilitating an evaluation of the model's underlying approximations and its ability to capture the complex interplay between ionization and structure in dense plasma environments.
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All authors Daniel Plummer, Pontus Svensson, Wiktor Jasniak, Patrick Hollebon, Sam M. Vinko, Gianluca Gregori

Fluid Dynamics

Temporal decay of vortex line density in rotating thermal counterflow of He II

Filip Novotný, Marek Talíř, Emil Varga et al. (+1 more)

Horizontally ($\mathbf{\Omega} \perp \mathbf{v}_{\rm{ns}}$) and axially ($\mathbf{\Omega} \parallel \mathbf{v}_{\rm{ns}}$) rotating counterflow of superfluid $^4$He (He~II) generated thermally in a square channel is studied using the second sound attenuation technique, detecting statistically steady state and temporal decay of the density of quantized vortex lines $L(t,\Omega)$. The array of rectilinear quantized vortices created by rotation at angular velocity $\Omega$ strongly affects the transient regimes of quantum turbulence characterized by counterflow velocity $\mathbf{v}_{\rm{ns}}$, differently in both geometries. Two effects are observed, acting against each other and affecting the late temporal decay $L(t,\Omega)$. The first is gradual decrease of the decay exponent $\mu$ of the power law $L(t,\Omega) \propto t^{-\mu}$, associated with the fact that under rotation thermal counterflow acquires two-dimensional features, clearly observed and recently reported by us (Phys. Fluids 36, 105121 (2024)) in the $\mathbf{\Omega} \parallel \mathbf{v}_{\rm{ns}}$ geometry. It exists in the $\mathbf{\Omega} \perp \mathbf{v}_{\rm{ns}}$ geometry as well, however, it is screened here by the influence of the effective Ekman layer built within the effective Ekman time of order seconds. For faster rotation rates $L(t,\Omega)$ gradually ceases to display a clear power law. Instead, rounded and ever steeper decays occur, gradually shifted toward shorter and shorter times, significantly shortening the time range for a possible self-similar decay of vortex line density. This effect is not observed in $\mathbf{\Omega} \parallel \mathbf{v}_{\rm{ns}}$ geometry, as here the much longer effective Ekman time of order minutes cannot affect the observed $L(t,\Omega)$ decay appreciably.
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All authors Filip Novotný, Marek Talíř, Emil Varga, Ladislav Skrbek

Chemical Physics

Magnetically Assisted Separation of Weakly Magnetic Metal Ions in Porous Media. Part 2: Numerical Simulations

Muhammad Garba, Alwell Nwachukwu, Jamel Ali et al. (+3 more)

We present a numerical investigation of the magnetophoresis of metal ions in porous media under static, nonuniform magnetic fields. The multiphysics simulations couple momentum transport, mass diffusion, and magnetic field equations, with the porous medium modeled using two distinct approaches: a Stokes-based formulation incorporating effective diffusivity, and a Brinkman-based formulation that explicitly accounts for permeability and medium-induced drag. Comparison with recent experimental data [Nwachuwku et al. Submitted, 2025] reveals that the Stokes model partially fails to capture key trends, while the Brinkman model, with permeability accurately reproduces observed transport behavior on various porous media. Our simulations predict that both paramagnetic (MnCl2) and diamagnetic (ZnCl2) ions may form field-induced clusters under magnetic gradients over a range of concentrations of 1mM-100mM and magnetic field gradients of up to 100 T2/m. The dominant driving force is found to be the magnetic gradient (Kelvin) force, while the paramagnetic force from concentration gradients contributes minimally. In binary mixtures, hydrodynamic interactions between paramagnetic and diamagnetic clusters significantly alter transport dynamics. Specifically, paramagnetic clusters can pull diamagnetic clusters along the magnetic field gradient, enhancing diamagnetic migration and suppressing the motion of paramagnetic species. These findings highlight the importance of porous media modeling and interspecies interactions in predicting magnetophoretic transport of ionic mixtures.
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All authors Muhammad Garba, Alwell Nwachukwu, Jamel Ali, Theo Siegrist, Munir Humayun, Hadi Mohammadigoushki

Accelerator Physics

MuCol Milestone Report No. 7: Consolidated Parameters

Rebecca Taylor, Antoine Chancé, Dario Augusto Giove et al. (+459 more)

This document is comprised of a collection of consolidated parameters for the key parts of the muon collider. These consolidated parameters follow on from the October 2024 Preliminary Parameters Report. Attention has been given to a high-level consistent set of baseline parameters throughout all systems of the complex, following a 10 TeV center-of-mass design. Additional details of the designs contributing to this baseline design are featured in the appendix. Likewise, explorative variations from this baseline set can be found in the appendix. The data is collected from a collaborative spreadsheet and transferred to overleaf.
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All authors Rebecca Taylor, Antoine Chancé, Dario Augusto Giove, Natalia Milas, Roberto Losito, Donatella Lucchesi, Chris Rogers, Lucio Rossi, Daniel Schulte, Carlotta Accettura, Simon Adrian, Rohit Agarwal, Claudia Ahdida, Chiara Aime, Avni Aksoy, Gian Luigi Alberghi, Simon Albright, Siobhan Alden, Luca Alfonso, Muhammad Ali, Anna Rita Altamura, Nicola Amapane, Kathleen Amm, David Amorim, Paolo Andreetto, Fabio Anulli, Ludovica Aperio Bella, Rob Appleby, Artur Apresyan, Pouya Asadi, Mohammed Attia Mahmoud, Bernhard Auchmann, John Back, Anthony Badea, Kyu Jung Bae, E.J. Bahng, Lorenzo Balconi, Fabrice Balli, Laura Bandiera, Carmelo Barbagallo, Daniele Barducci, Roger Barlow, Camilla Bartoli, Nazar Bartosik, Emanuela Barzi, Fabian Batsch, Matteo Bauce, Michael Begel, J. Scott Berg, Andrea Bersani, Alessandro Bertarelli, Francesco Bertinelli, Alessandro Bertolin, Pushpalatha Bhat, Clarissa Bianchi, Michele Bianco, William Bishop, Kevin Black, Fulvio Boattini, Alex Bogacz, Maurizio Bonesini, Bernardo Bordini, Patricia Borges de Sousa, Salvatore Bottaro, Luca Bottura, Steven Boyd, Johannes Braathen, Marco Breschi, Francesco Broggi, Matteo Brunoldi, Xavier Buffat, Laura Buonincontri, Marco Buonsante, Philip Nicholas Burrows, Graeme Campbell Burt, Dario Buttazzo, Barbara Caiffi, Ilkay Turk Cakir, Orhan Cakir, Rama Calaga, Sergio Calatroni, Marco Calviani, Simone Calzaferri, Daniele Calzolari, Kyle Capobianco-Hogan, Vieri Candelise, Silvio Candido, Ali Can Canbay, Claudio Cantone, Rodolfo Capdevilla, Christian Carli, Carlo Carrelli, Fausto Casaburo, Massimo Casarsa, Luca Castelli, Maria Gabriella Catanesi, Lorenzo Cavallucci, Gianluca Cavoto, Francesco Giovanni Celiberto, Luigi Celona, Alessia Cemmi, Sergio Ceravolo, Alessandro Cerri, Francesco Cerutti, Gianmario Cesarini, Cari Cesarotti, Nikolaos Charitonidis, mauro chiesa, Paolo Chiggiato, Vittoria Ludovica Ciccarella, Pietro Cioli Puviani, Anna Colaleo, Francesco Colao, Francesco Collamati, Marco Costa, Nathaniel Craig, David Curtin, Laura D'Angelo, Giacomo Da Molin, Heiko Damerau, Sridhara Dasu, Jorge de Blas, Stefania De Curtis, Herbert De Gersem, Andre de Gouvea, Tommaso Del Moro, Jean-Pierre Delahaye, Dmitri Denisov, Haluk Denizli, Radovan Dermisek, Paula Desiré Valdor, Charlotte Desponds, Luca Di Luzio, Elisa Di Meco, Karri Folan Di Petrillo, Ilaria Di Sarcina, Eleonora Diociaiuti, Tommaso Dorigo, Karlis Dreimanis, Tristan du Pree, Hatice Duran Yildiz, Juhi Dutta, Thomas Edgecock, Mamad Eshraqi, Siara Fabbri, Marco Fabbrichesi, Stefania Farinon, Davide Fazioli, Javier Fernandez Roncal, Guillaume Ferrand, Samuel Ferraro, Jose Antonio Ferreira Somoza, Marco Ferrero, Max Fieg, Frank Filthaut, Patrick Fox, Roberto Franceschini, Rui Franqueira Ximenes, Frank Gaede, Simone Galletto, Michele Gallinaro, Maurice Garcia-Sciveres, Luis Garcia-Tabares, Rocky Bala Garg, Ruben Gargiulo, Cedric Garion, Maria Vittoria Garzelli, Marco Gast, Lisa Generoso, Cecilia E. Gerber, Luca Giambastiani, Alessio Gianelle, Eliana Gianfelice-Wendt, Stephen Gibson, Simone Gilardoni, Valentina Giovinco, Carlo Giraldin, Alfredo Glioti, Arkadiusz Gorzawski, Mario Greco, Christophe Grojean, Alexej Grudiev, Edda Gschwendtner, Emanuele Gueli, Nicolas Guilhaudin, Tao Han, Chengcheng Han, John Michael Hauptman, Matthew Herndon, Adrian D Hillier, Micah Hillman, Gabriela Hoff, Tova Ray Holmes, Samuel Homiller, Walter Hopkins, Lennart Huth, Sudip Jana, Laura Jeanty, Sergo Jindariani, Sofia Johannesson, Benjamin Johnson, Owain Rhodri Jones, Paul-Bogdan Jurj, Yonatan Kahn, Rohan Kamath, Anna Kario, Ivan Karpov, David Kelliher, Wolfgang Kilian, Ryuichiro Kitano, Felix Kling, Antti Kolehmainen, K.C. Kong, Jaap Kosse, Jakub Kremer, Georgios Krintiras, Karol Krizka, Nilanjana Kumar, Erik Kvikne, Robert Kyle, Stephan Lachnit, Emanuele Laface, Elleanor Lamb, Kenneth Lane, Andrea Latina, Anton Lechner, Lawrence Lee, Junghyun Lee, Seh Wook Lee, Thibaut Lefevre, Emanuele Leonardi, Giuseppe Lerner, Gabriele Levati, Filippo Levi, Peiran Li, Qiang Li, Tong Li, Wei Li, Roberto Li Voti, Giulia Liberalato, Mats Lindroos, Ronald Lipton, Da Liu, Zhen Liu, Miaoyuan Liu, Alessandra Lombardi, Shivani Lomte, Kenneth Long, Luigi Longo, José Lorenzo, Ian Low, Xianguo Lu, Tianhuan Luo, Anna Lupato, Yang Ma, Shinji Machida, Edward MacTavish, Thomas Madlener, Lorenzo Magaletti, Marcello Maggi, Tommaso Maiello, Helene Mainaud Durand, Abhishikth Mallampalli, Fabio Maltoni, Jerzy Mikolaj Manczak, Marco Mandurrino, Claude Marchand, Francesco Mariani, Stefano Marin, Samuele Mariotto, Simon Marsh, Stewart Martin-Haugh, David Marzocca, Maria Rosaria Masullo, Giorgio Sebastiano Mauro, Anna Mazzacane, Andrea Mazzolari, Patrick Meade, Barbara Mele, Federico Meloni, Xiangwei Meng, Matthias Mentink, Rebecca Miceli, Abdollah Mohammadi, Dominik Moll, Francesco Montagno Bozzone, Alessandro Montella, Manuel Morales-Alvarado, Mauro Morandin, Marco Morrone, Tim Mulder, Riccardo Musenich, Toni Mäkelä, Elias Métral, Krzysztof Mękała, Emilio Nanni, Marco Nardecchia, Federico Nardi, Felice Nenna, David Neuffer, David Newbold, Daniel Novelli, Maja Olvegård, Yasar Onel, Domizia Orestano, Inaki Ortega Ruiz, John Osborne, Simon Otten, Yohan Mauricio Oviedo Torres, Daniele Paesani, Simone Pagan Griso, Davide Pagani, Kincso Pal, Mark Palmer, Leonardo Palombini, Alessandra Pampaloni, Paolo Panci, Priscilla Pani, Yannis Papaphilippou, Rocco Paparella, Paride Paradisi, Antonio Passeri, Jaroslaw Pasternak, Nadia Pastrone, Kevin Pedro, Antonello Pellecchia, Fulvio Piccinini, Henryk Piekarz, Tatiana Pieloni, Juliette Plouin, Alfredo Portone, Karolos Potamianos, Joséphine Potdevin, Soren Prestemon, Teresa Puig, Ji Qiang, Lionel Quettier, Tanjona Radonirina Rabemananjara, Emilio Radicioni, Raffaella Radogna, Ilaria Carmela Rago, Angira Rastogi, Andris Ratkus, Elodie Resseguie, Juergen Reuter, Pier Luigi Ribani, Cristina Riccardi, Stefania Ricciardi, Caroline Riggall, Tania Robens, Youri Robert, Juan Rojo, Marco Romagnoni, Kevin Ronald, Benjamin Rosser, Carlo Rossi, Leo Rozanov, Maximilian Ruhdorfer, Richard Ruiz, Farinaldo S. Queiroz, Saurabh Saini, Filippo Sala, Claudia Salierno, Tiina Salmi, Paola Salvini, Ennio Salvioni, Nicholas Sammut, Carlo Santini, Alessandro Saputi, Ivano Sarra, Giuseppe Scarantino, Hans Schneider-Muntau, Jessica Scifo, Sally Seidel, Claudia Seitz, Tanaji Sen, Carmine Senatore, Abdulkadir Senol, Daniele Sertore, Lorenzo Sestini, Vladimir Shiltsev, Ricardo César Silva Rêgo, Federica Maria Simone, Kyriacos Skoufaris, Elise Sledge, Valentina Sola, Gino Sorbello, Massimo Sorbi, Stefano Sorti, Lisa Soubirou, Simon Spannagel, David Spataro, Anna Stamerra, Marcel Stanitzki, Steinar Stapnes, Giordon Stark, Marco Statera, Bernd Stechauner, Shufang Su, Wei Su, Ben Suitters, Xiaohu Sun, Alexei Sytov, Yoxara Sánchez Villamizar, Jingyu Tang, Jian Tang, Herman Ten Kate, Pietro Testoni, Leonard Sebastian Thiele, Rogelio Tomas Garcia, Max Topp-Mugglestone, Toms Torims, Riccardo Torre, Luca Tortora, Ludovico Tortora, Luca Tricarico, Sokratis Trifinopoulos, Donato Troiano, Alexander Naip Tuna, Sosoho-Abasi Udongwo, Ilaria Vai, Riccardo Umberto Valente, Giorgio Vallone, Ursula van Rienen, Rob Van Weelderen, Marion Vanwelde, Gueorgui Velev, Rosamaria Venditti, Adam Vendrasco, Adriano Verna, Gianluca Vernassa, Arjan Verweij, Piet Verwilligen, Ludovico Vittorio, Paolo Vitulo, Isabella Vojskovic, Biao Wang, Dayong Wang, Lian-Tao Wang, Xing Wang, Manfred Wendt, Robert Stephen White, Markus Widorski, Mariusz Wozniak, Juliet Wright, Yongcheng Wu, Andrea Wulzer, Keping Xie, Yifeng Yang, Yee Chinn Yap, Katsuya Yonehara, Hwi Dong Yoo, Zhengyun You, Zaib Un Nisa, Marco Zanetti, Angela Zaza, Jinlong Zhang, Liang Zhang, Ruihu Zhu, Alexander Zlobin, Davide Zuliani, José Francisco Zurita

Fluid Dynamics

Sound generated by the interaction between shock and instability waves in supersonic round jets

Binhong Li and Benshuai Lyu

In this paper, we develop an analytical model to investigate the sound generated by the shock-instability interactions (SII) in supersonic round jets, extending our previous two-dimensional planar study to circular configurations. The jet is represented by a vortex sheet, with its motion modeled by the Euler equations. Shock and instability waves are modeled using Pack's approach and the linear stability theory, respectively, while their interaction is calculated by solving an inhomogeneous wave equation. Using the Fourier transform and steepest descent method, we obtain a closed-form solution for the resulting acoustic field. Results due to the interaction between the instability waves and one interaction cell capture the key directivity features of screech reported in experiments and numerical simulations, indicating that the classic monopole assumption may be inadequate. In particular, the screech-tone intensity due to multiple shock cells decays rapidly as the observer angle approaches 180 degrees, which is in better agreement with the experimental data measured by Norum. We further analyze how the instability wave growth rate influences these directivity patterns and examine the sound generation efficiency of the broadband shock-associated noise. Finally, an examination of near-field pressure fluctuations due to the SII reveals that noise is produced primarily via the Mach wave radiation mechanism.
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Atomic Physics

Model-independent determination of nuclear charge radii from Li-like ions

V. A. Yerokhin and B. Ohayon

We demonstrate that recent advances in QED theory of Li-like ions [V. A. Yerokhin et al., Phys. Rev. A 112, 042801 (2025)] enable determinations of absolute nuclear charge radii for heavy elements. By incorporating constraints derived from electron-scattering data, we obtain radii that are independent of the assumed model of the nuclear charge distribution. Our approach is validated for $^{208}$Pb, a well-studied spherical nucleus, and is then applied to $^{209}$Bi, where low-lying nuclear excitations complicate the interpretation of muonic-atom data.
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Physics and Society

Information theory for hypergraph similarity

Helcio Felippe, Alec Kirkley and Federico Battiston

Comparing networks is essential for a number of downstream tasks, from clustering to anomaly detection. Despite higher-order interactions being critical for understanding the dynamics of complex systems, traditional approaches for network comparison are limited to pairwise interactions only. Here we construct a general information theoretic framework for hypergraph similarity, capturing meaningful correspondence among higher-order interactions while correcting for spurious correlations. Our method operationalizes any notion of structural overlap among hypergraphs as a principled normalized mutual information measure, allowing us to derive a hierarchy of increasingly granular formulations of similarity among hypergraphs within and across orders of interactions, and at multiple scales. We validate these measures through extensive experiments on synthetic hypergraphs and apply the framework to reveal meaningful patterns in a variety of empirical higher-order networks. Our work provides foundational tools for the principled comparison of higher-order networks, shedding light on the structural organization of networked systems with non-dyadic interactions.
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Instrumentation and Detectors

Muon veto system for the CROSS double-beta decay search experiment

A.S. Barabash, L. Bergé, M. Buchynska et al. (+36 more)

In preparation to the CROSS experiment at the Canfranc underground laboratory (Spain) $-$ aiming to search for neutrinoless double-beta ($0\nu\beta\beta$) decay of $^{100}$Mo using low-temperature detectors with heat-scintillation readout $-$ we report on development of a dedicated muon veto system. The need for the muon veto in CROSS is caused by a comparatively high residual cosmic muon flux at the experimental site ($\sim$20 $\mu$/m$^2$/h), being a dominant background in the region of interest (ROI) at $\sim$3 MeV. Thus, we installed the muon veto system around the CROSS low-background setup, forming four lateral, one top, and four bottom sectors. In this paper we describe the design, construction and operation of the CROSS muon veto system, as well as its optimization and validation by comparing dedicated Monte Carlo (MC) simulations of muons with low-temperature measurements in the setup. We demonstrate a stable operation of the veto system with the average trigger rates compatible with MC simulations. Also, we investigated two muon trigger logics based on coincidences with either 2 sectors or a single sector of the veto. The MC study shows that, in combination with the multiplicity cut of thermal detectors, these trigger logics allow to reject 99.2% and 99.7% of muon-induced events in the ROI, respectively. Despite a comparatively high dead time ($\sim$18%) introduced by coincidences with any of nine sectors of the veto $-$ the adopted strategy $-$ the muon-induced background in the ROI of the CROSS experiment can be reduced down to $\sim$2 $\times 10^{-3}$ cnts/keV/kg/yr, i.e., an acceptable level compatible with a high-sensitivity $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay search foreseen in CROSS.
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All authors A.S. Barabash, L. Bergé, M. Buchynska, J.M. Calvo-Mozota, A. Candela, P. Carniti, M. Chapellier, D. Cintas, A. Corsi, I. Dafinei, F.A. Danevich, M. De Deo, L. Dumoulin, F. Ferri, A. Giuliani, C. Gotti, P. Gras, A. Ianni, V.V. Kobychev, S.I. Konovalov, P. Loaiza, P. de Marcillac, S. Marnieros, C.A. Marrache-Kikuchi, M. Martinez, C. Nones, E. Olivieri, A. Ortiz de Solórzano, V. Perez, G. Pessina, D.V. Poda, B. Romualdi, Ph. Rosier, R. Serino, V.I. Tretyak, V.I. Umatov, G. Ursini, M.M. Zarytskyy, A. Zolotarova

Atomic Physics

Precise ab initio calculations of $^4$He($1snp \, ^3P_J$) fine structure of high Rydberg states

Hao Fang, Jing Chi, Xiao-Qiu Qi et al. (+3 more)

High-precision measurements of the fine-structure splittings in helium high Rydberg states have been reported, yet corresponding ab initio benchmarks for direct comparison remain unavailable. In this work, we extend the correlated B-spline basis function (C-BSBF) method to calculate the fine-structure splittings of high Rydberg states in $^4$He. The calculations include the $m\alpha^4$- and $m\alpha^5$-order contributions, the singlet-triplet mixing effect, and estimated spin-dependent $m\alpha^6$-order corrections obtained using a $1/n^3$ scaling approximation. High-precision ab initio results are obtained for principal quantum numbers $n=24$-37 with kilohertz-level accuracy and further extended to $n=45$-51 by extrapolation and fitting. The theoretical results show excellent agreement with quantum-defect theory (QDT) predictions and allow direct comparison with experimental measurements. Additionally, the discrepancy observed at $n=34$ is expected to be clarified with improved experimental precision.
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All authors Hao Fang, Jing Chi, Xiao-Qiu Qi, Yong-Hui Zhang, Li-Yan Tang, Ting-Yun Shi

Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics

Using data assimilation tools to dissect GraphDOP

Patrick Laloyaux, Mihai Alexe, Eulalie Boucher et al. (+5 more)

The Data Assimilation (DA) community has been developing various diagnostics to understand the importance of the observing system in accurately forecasting the weather. They usually rely on the ability to compute the derivatives of the physical model output with respect to its initial condition. For example, the Forecast Sensitivity-based Observation Impact (FSOI) estimates the impact on the forecast error of each observation processed in the DA system. This paper presents how these DA diagnostic tools are transferred to Machine Learning (ML) models, as their derivatives are readily available through automatic differentiation. We specifically explore the interpretability and explainability of the observation-driven GraphDOP model developed at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). The interpretability study demonstrates the effectiveness of GraphDOP's sliding attention window to learn the meteorological features present in the observation datasets and to learn the spatial relationships between different regions. Making these relationships more transparent confirms that GraphDOP captures real, physically meaningful processes, such as the movement of storm systems. The explainability of GraphDOP is explored by applying the FSOI tool to study the impact of the different observations on the forecast error. This inspection reveals that GraphDOP creates an internal representation of the Earth system by combining the information from conventional and satellite observations.
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All authors Patrick Laloyaux, Mihai Alexe, Eulalie Boucher, Peter Lean, Ewan Pinnington, Simon Lang, Tobias Necker, Anthony McNally

Atomic Physics

Pre-emptive parametric kill switch for evaporative atomic sources in vacuum

Shuang Li, Zhiyuan Lin, Sen Li et al. (+7 more)

A robust pre-emptive kill switch for cold atom experiments is introduced to significantly reduce costly system reassembly or replacement. The design incorporates upper (alarm) and lower (evaporation) event detection mechanisms based on predefined thresholds. Meanwhile, a duty cycle timing methodology is used to avert unintentional activation of the dispenser in circumstances where pulse signals occur. The circuit employs generic components, a modular design, and formalized logic, ensuring cost-effectiveness, making the design suitable for school laboratories and other research environments. This design is highly versatile and can be applied to other sensitive devices beyond dispensers, such as heating filaments, titanium sublimation pumps, tungsten lamps, and comparable systems.
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All authors Shuang Li, Zhiyuan Lin, Sen Li, Mohan Zhang, Fengquan Zhang, Jin Hu, Xiaotong Liu, Lin Meng, Tim Byrnes, Valentin Ivannikov

Space Physics

Ionospheric responses over the Antarctic region to Intense Space Weather events: Plasma Convection vs. Auroral Precipitation

Sumanjit Chakraborty and Gopi K. Seemala

The present investigation is directed at exploring southern polar ionospheric responses to intense space weather events and their correlations with plasma convection and auroral precipitation. The main phases of six geomagnetic storms occurring in the year 2023 (ascending phase of the present solar cycle) are considered for this study. The ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC) measurements derived from GPS receivers covering the Antarctic region are used for probing the electron density perturbations during these events. Auroral precipitation maps are shown to illustrate the locations of the GPS stations relative to particle precipitation. SuperDARN maps are shown to understand the effects of plasma convection over these locations. Correlation between the enhanced TEC observations with the auroral precipitation (R $\sim$ 0.31) and the plasma convection (R $\sim$ 0.88) reveals that the latter is more responsible for causing significant enhancements in the diurnal maximum values of TEC over the Antarctic region in comparison to the former. Therefore, this work shows correlation studies between two physical processes and ionospheric density enhancements over the under-explored south polar region under strong levels of geomagnetic activity during 2023.
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Applied Physics · Cross-listed from cond-mat.mtrl-sci

High-performance thermochromic multilayer coatings with W-doped VO2 nanoparticles dispersed in SiO2 matrix prepared on glass at a low temperature

Jaroslav Vlcek, Michal Kaufman, Elnaz M. Nia et al. (+5 more)

We report a high-performance thermochromic VO2-based coating prepared by using a three-step process, consisting of magnetron sputter depositions of SiO2 films and V-W films and their postannealing, on standard glass at a low substrate temperature of 350 {\deg}C without opening the vacuum chamber to atmosphere. It is formed by four layers of W-doped VO2 nanoparticles dispersed in SiO2 matrix. The coating exhibits a transition temperature of 33 {\deg}C with an integral luminous transmittance of 65.4% (low-temperature state) and 60.1% (high-temperature state), and a modulation of the solar energy transmittance of 15.3%. Such a combination of properties, together with the low temperature during preparation, fulfill the requirements for large-scale implementation on building glass and have not been reported yet.
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All authors Jaroslav Vlcek, Michal Kaufman, Elnaz M. Nia, Jiri Houska, Jiechao Jiang, Radomir Cerstvy, Stanislav Haviar, Efstathios I. Meletis

Medical Physics

Enhancing Mechanical Stimuli in Functionally Graded Bone Scaffolds Through Porosity Gradients: A Finite Element Analysis Study

Anson Wen Han Cheong, Vahid Badali, Sean Kiely et al. (+4 more)

Achieving an optimal biomechanical environment within bone scaffolds is critical for promoting tissue regeneration, particularly in load-bearing anatomical sites where rigid fixation can induce stress shielding and compromise healing. Functionally graded (FG) scaffolds, which incorporate controlled variations in porosity or material properties, have attracted significant attention as a strategy to mitigate stress shielding by promoting more favourable load transfer. In this study, the effects of porosity gradient magnitude (i.e., max-to-min ratio of porosity), gradient resolution, scaffold material properties, and fixation plate rigidity on the distribution of mechanical stimuli within FG scaffolds were systematically investigated. Finite element analyses (FEA) were conducted on a femoral segmental defect model stabilised with a bone plate, and multiple porosity gradient strategies were compared against a corresponding uniform scaffold composed of body-centred cubic (BCC) unit cells. Scaffolds composed of titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V), bioactive glass (45S5 Bio-glass), and polylactic acid (PLA) were evaluated to capture a range of material stiffnesses. Introducing porosity gradients consistently enhanced the mean octahedral shear strain within the scaffold, particularly in regions adjacent to the fixation plate affected by stress shielding. The magnitude of mechanical stimulus improvement increased with both greater porosity gradient magnitudes and higher gradient resolution. These improvements were more pronounced in stiffer materials, such as Ti-6Al-4V, emphasising the critical interplay between scaffold material properties and architectural design. These findings highlight the importance of tailoring both porosity profiles and material selection to optimise scaffold mechanics for bone regeneration.
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All authors Anson Wen Han Cheong, Vahid Badali, Sean Kiely, Iman Roohani, Yang Jiang, Jianguang Fang, Ali Entezari

Chemical Physics · Cross-listed from cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Lattice dynamics in chiral tellurium by linear and circularly polarized Raman spectroscopy: crystal orientation and handedness

Davide Spirito, Sergio Marras and Beatriz Martín-García

Trigonal tellurium (Te) has attracted researchers' attention due to its transport and optical properties, which include electrical magneto-chiral anisotropy, spin polarization and bulk photovoltaic effect. It is the anisotropic and chiral crystal structure of Te that drive these properties, so the determination of its crystallographic orientation and handedness is key to their study. Here we explore the structural dynamics of Te bulk crystals by angle-dependent linearly polarized Raman spectroscopy and symmetry rules in three different crystallographic orientations. The angle-dependent intensity of the modes allows us to determine the arrangement of the helical chains and distinguish between crystallographic planes parallel and perpendicular to the chain axis. Furthermore, under different configurations of circularly polarized Raman measurements and crystal orientations, we observe the shift of two phonon modes only in the (0 0 1) plane. The shift is positive or negative depending on the handedness of the crystals, which we determine univocally by chemical etching. Our analysis of three different crystal faces of Te highlights the importance of selecting the proper orientation and crystallographic plane when investigating the transport and optical properties of this material. These results offer insight into the crystal structure and symmetry in other anisotropic and chiral materials, and open new paths to select a suitable crystal orientation when fabricating devices.
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Classical Physics

Quantification of the Influence of Morphologies on Laser Cutting Quality

Maria Ramard, Romain Laniel, Mathieu Miroir et al. (+1 more)

Laser cutting is an old and multi-physical process that was quickly adopted by the metallurgical industry. However, this fast industrialisation has had a significant impact on quality control. Several studies have been carried out to characterise and minimise different types of cutting defects. Reviews published between 2008 and 2022 highlight that research often focuses on single-criterion ___quality' approaches, aiming to minimise specific defects such as the Heat-Affected Zone, surface roughness, or kerf geometry. Consequently, efforts have been directed at optimising specific aspects of quality rather than adopting a complete approach. Furthermore, these reviews reveal that cutting quality can be enhanced through the careful selection of laser manufacturing parameters and part parameters. However, while parameters such as material and thickness have been investigated, the influence of part morphology on cutting quality remains underexplored.___ Although some studies have examined the effects of material and thickness, part morphology is often limited to simple segments with varying cutting lengths or angles. While other research has investigated the impact of angle size on cutting quality, no established method exists to systematically determine the influence of each part morphology on cutting quality.______ In response to this gap, the present study proposes to evaluate the criticality of cutting defects, as defined by existing standards, across various part morphologies using a method adapted from Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA). The objective is to develop a global approach that examines the influence of all morphologies on all types of cutting defects. An industrial application shows that cutting defects, particularly thermal ones, are strongly influenced by morphologies, while thickness affects them irregularly. Improvement priorities target critical defects shaped by both factors. Burrs and adherent slag are critical in angles and arcs, while segments, often used in studies, are less sensitive._________ These observations lead to the definition of design limits. This method offers a detailed analysis of the influence of design data on quality, providing practical tools for improving industrial processes._________
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All authors Maria Ramard, Romain Laniel, Mathieu Miroir, Olivier Kerbrat

Optics

Advanced micropillar cavities: room-temperature operation of microlasers

Andrey Babichev, Alexey Blokhin, Yuriy Zadiranov et al. (+11 more)

High-quality micropillar cavities were grown using molecular-beam epitaxy. Stable continuous-wave lasing at room-temperature was demonstrated for microlasers with semiconductor and hybrid output mirrors. At 300 K, single-mode lasing was demonstrated for micropillars with a diameter of 5 $\mu$m at a wavelength of 960 nm, with a minimum lasing threshold of 1.2 mW and a bare quality-factor exceeding 8000.
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All authors Andrey Babichev, Alexey Blokhin, Yuriy Zadiranov, Yulia Salii, Marina Kulagina, Mikhail Bobrov, Alexey Vasiliev, Sergey Blokhin, Nikolay Maleev, Ivan Makhov, Natalia Kryzhanovskaya, Leonid Karachinsky, Innokenty Novikov, Anton Egorov

Applied Physics · Cross-listed from cond-mat.mes-hall

Single femtosecond laser pulse-driven ferromagnetic switching

Chen Xiao, Boyu Zhang, Xiangyu Zheng et al. (+18 more)

Light pulses offer a faster, more energy-efficient, and direct route to magnetic bit writing, pointing toward a hybrid memory and computing paradigm based on photon transmission and spin retention. Yet progress remains hindered, as deterministic, single-pulse optical toggle switching has so far been achieved only with ferrimagnetic materials, which require too specific a rare-earth composition and temperature conditions for technological use. In mainstream ferromagnet–central to spintronic memory and storage–such bistable switching is considered fundamentally difficult, as laser-induced heating does not inherently break time-reversal symmetry. Here, we report coherent magnetization switching in ferromagnets, driven by thermal anisotropy torque with single laser pulses. The toggle switching behavior is robust over a broad range of pulse durations, from femtoseconds to picoseconds, a prerequisite for practical applications. Furthermore, the phenomenon exhibits reproducibility in CoFeB/MgO-based magnetic tunnel junctions with a high magnetoresistance exceeding 110%, as well as the scalability down to nanoscales with remarkable energy efficiency (17 fJ per 100-nm-sized bit). These results mark a notable step toward integrating opto-spintronics into next-generation memory and storage technologies.
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All authors Chen Xiao, Boyu Zhang, Xiangyu Zheng, Yuxuan Yao, Jiaqi Wei, Dinghao Ma, Yuting Gong, Rui Xu, Xueying Zhang, Yu He, Wenlong Cai, Yan Huang, Daoqian Zhu, Shiyang Lu, Kaihua Cao, Hongxi Liu, Pierre Vallobra, Xianyang Lu, Youguang Zhang, Bert Koopmans, Weisheng Zhao

Optics

Near-perfect efficiency in X-ray phase microtomography

Dominik John, Gregor Breitenhuber, Sami Wirtensohn et al. (+8 more)

X-ray microtomography at synchrotron sources is fundamentally limited by the high radiation dose applied to the samples, which restricts investigations to non-native tissue states and thereby compromises the biological relevance of the resulting data. The limitation stems from inefficient indirect detection schemes that require prolonged exposures. Efforts to extract additional contrast through multimodal techniques, like modulation-based imaging, worsen the problem by requiring multiple tomographic scans. In addition, the techniques suffer from low modulator pattern visibility, which reduces measurement efficiency and sensitivity. We address both the detection efficiency and modulation visibility challenges using a novel setup that combines an X-ray waveguide, a structured phase modulator, and a photon-counting detector. Our approach simultaneously achieves near-theoretical limits in both visibility (95%) and quantum efficiency (98%), thereby enabling dose-efficient multimodal microtomography at single-micrometer resolution. This advance will enable new classes of experiments on native-state biological specimens with the potential to advance biomedical research, disease diagnostics, and our understanding of tissue structure in physiological environments.
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All authors Dominik John, Gregor Breitenhuber, Sami Wirtensohn, Franziska Hinterdobler, Luka Gaetani, Sara Savatović, Jens Lucht, Markus Osterhoff, Marina Eckermann, Tim Salditt, Julia Herzen

Fluid Dynamics · Cross-listed from math.AP

Linear inviscid damping for stably stratified Boussinesq flows

Alberto Enciso and Marc Nualart

We study the linear asymptotic stability of stably stratified monotone shear flows for the Boussinesq equations in the periodic channel. By means of the limiting absorption principle, we obtain a precise description of the inviscid damping experienced by the perturbed velocity field and density, with time-decay rates that depend on the local Richardson number $\mathcal{J}(y)$ and split into four stratification regimes (non-stratified, weak, mild, and strong) reflecting qualitative changes in the structure of the Green's function at the critical thresholds $\mathcal{J}(y)=0$ and $\mathcal{J}(y) = \frac14$. The velocity and density decay estimates are later used to prove quantitative sub-linear growth of the vorticity and gradient of density. As a byproduct of our analysis, we show that, under mild hypotheses on the underlying shear-type equilibrium, the spectrum of the linearised Boussinesq operator is purely continuous.
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Computational Physics

Attenuation Compensation in Lossy Media via the Wave Operator Model

Tianchen Shao, Zekui Jia, Maokun Li et al. (+2 more)

The wave operator model provides a framework for modeling wave propagation by encoding material parameter distributions into matrix-form operators. This paper extends this framework from lossless to lossy media. We present a derivation of the wave operator solution for the electric field in dissipative environments, which can be decomposed into a closed-form propagation term and a non-closed-form dissipation term. Based on an analysis of the dominant exponential decay within the propagation term, an attenuation compensation strategy is proposed to restore the attenuated data to an approximate lossless state. The performance of this compensation strategy is analyzed and validated through numerical experiments, establishing the theoretical foundation for reduced order model (ROM)-based techniques in lossy media.
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All authors Tianchen Shao, Zekui Jia, Maokun Li, Shenheng Xu, Fan Yang

Chemical Physics · Cross-listed from cond-mat.stat-mech

Information geometry of perturbed gradient flow systems on hypergraphs: A perspective towards nonequilibrium physics

Dimitri Loutchko, Keisuke Sugie and Tetsuya J Kobayashi

This article serves to concisely review the link between gradient flow systems on hypergraphs and information geometry which has been established within the last five years. Gradient flow systems describe a wealth of physical phenomena and provide powerful analytical technquies which are based on the variational energy-dissipation principle. Modern nonequilbrium physics has complemented this classical principle with thermodynamic uncertaintly relations, speed limits, entropy production rate decompositions, and many more. In this article, we formulate these modern principles within the framework of perturbed gradient flow systems on hypergraphs. In particular, we discuss the geometry induced by the Bregman divergence, the physical implications of dual foliations, as well as the corresponding infinitesimal Riemannian geometry for gradient flow systems. Through the geometrical perspective, we are naturally led to new concepts such as moduli spaces for perturbed gradient flow systems and thermodynamical area which is crucial for understanding speed limits. We hope to encourage the readers working in either of the two fields to further expand on and foster the interaction between the two fields.
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Biological Physics

Spatial organization of biomass controls intrinsic permeability of porous systems

Wenqiao Jiao, David Scheidweiler, Nolwenn Delouche et al. (+2 more)

Biofilms in porous media critically influence hydraulic properties in environmental and engineered systems. However, a mechanistic understanding of how microbial life controls permeability remains elusive. By combining microfluidics, controlled pressure gradient and time-lapse microscopy, we quantify how motile and non-motile bacteria colonize a porous landscape and alter its resistance to flow. We find that while both strains achieve nearly identical total biomass, they cause drastically different permeability reductions - 78% for motile cells versus 94% for non-motile cells. This divergence stems from motility, which limits biomass spatial accumulation, whereas non-motile cells clog the entire system. We develop a mechanistic model that accurately predicts permeability dynamics from the pore-scale biomass distribution. We conclude that the spatial organization of biomass, not its total amount, is the primary factor controlling permeability.
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All authors Wenqiao Jiao, David Scheidweiler, Nolwenn Delouche, Alberto Guadagnini, Pietro de Anna

Plasma Physics

Synchronized Catastrophic Collapse and Extreme Intensity Amplification of Ultra-Intense Pulses in Near-Resonance Magnetized Plasma

Sintu Kumar, Pratibha Jaiswal, Km. Shivani Bhardwaj et al. (+1 more)

Ultra-high field intensities are essential for developing high-energy-density physics and compact plasma accelerators, but they are essentially constrained by the limitations of focusing distance and nonlinear efficiency. We present a theoretical model for extreme laser energy concentration in under-dense plasma that shows a highly effective, magnetically supported pathway. We demonstrate a fundamental, nonlinear enhancement of the relativistic self-focusing (RSF) mechanism by adjusting an external magnetic field close to the cyclotron resonance (Ce=0.7). Over a remarkably short distance of 1.25 Rayleigh lengths, the pulse is driven into a catastrophic, coupled collapse by this magnetic enhancement. Significant temporal self-compression (0.60) and simultaneous spatial confinement (0.05) are the outcomes of the dynamics. Importantly, this combined confinement results in a localized peak intensity amplification factor greater than 103 compared to the initial state. This work offers a clear, practical blueprint for upcoming laser-plasma experiments and validates a reliable and compact technique for producing petawatt-scale power densities.
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All authors Sintu Kumar, Pratibha Jaiswal, Km. Shivani Bhardwaj, Rajesh Kumar Rai