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Physics

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Tuesday 7 July

High Energy Physics (Phenomenology)

Non-Unitarity Effects and Fake CP Violation in Neutrino Oscillation Experiments

Pratima Singh, Alina Naqvi, Suhani Yadav et al. (+2 more)

Future long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments aim to establish leptonic CP violation and determine the neutrino mass ordering with unprecedented precision. However, these measurements can be significantly affected by possible deviations from the unitarity of the PMNS mixing matrix, which introduce additional CP-violating phases capable of generating fake CP-violating signals. We investigate the impact of non-unitary leptonic mixing on CP-violation and mass-ordering measurements at DUNE and Hyper-Kamiokande using GLoBES simulations with a custom non-unitary probability engine. We analyze the energy dependence of the neutrino–antineutrino CP asymmetry, quantify the fake-to-genuine CP asymmetry ratio, evaluate the CP violation discovery sensitivity, and study the hierarchy–CP–non-unitarity degeneracies in the $(\delta_{CP},\phi_{21})$ parameter space. We demonstrate that non-unitary mixing can generate sizeable CP asymmetries even for CP-conserving values of the standard Dirac phase, thereby mimicking genuine leptonic CP violation. While the fake contribution remains below $5\%$ of the genuine signal near each experiment's oscillation maximum, it exceeds the genuine signal in specific intermediate energy windows ($\sim130\%$ at $1.5$–$1.6$~GeV), demonstrating that fake CP violation can dominate over the genuine contribution in these regions. The combined DUNE and Hyper-Kamiokande analysis reduces the allowed $(\delta_{CP},\varphi_{21})$ parameter space by a factor of $7$ at $1\sigma$ and $\sim16$ at $2\sigma$–$3\sigma$, substantially suppressing the degeneracy that neither experiment resolves individually and providing a robust strategy for distinguishing genuine from fake CP violation while improving sensitivity to the neutrino mass ordering.
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All authors Pratima Singh, Alina Naqvi, Suhani Yadav, R.B.Singh, Jyotsna Singh

Strongly Correlated Electrons

Weak-coupling altermagnetism and chiral magnetic excitations in a checkerboard lattice

Abhigya Rangari, Manna Paul and Sayandip Ghosh

Altermagnets, characterized by spin-split electronic bands with compensated magnetic moments, have emerged as a new class of magnetic materials garnering attention in recent years. Here, using a minimal one-band Hubbard model, we show that the checkerboard lattice serves as a natural platform for altermagnetism for electrons. The instability towards altermagnetic order is denoted by diverging altermagnetic susceptibility at weak-coupling. Carrying out mean-field treatment of the Hubbard repulsion, we show phase transitions from the nonmagnetic to altermagnetic semimetal and then to altermagnetic insulating phase, allowing clear identification of spin-split states. We then examine magnetic excitations in the altermagnetic phases using a random-phase approximation treatment of the dynamical spin susceptibility. The altermagnetic order is found to be stable against spin-fluctuations with the excitation spectra showing well-defined magnon excitations, which decay into single-particle excitations with decreasing interaction strength. Remarkably, the magnetic excitations exhibit strong dependence on both chirality and direction, showing an alternating chirality splitting, similar to the alternating spin splitting of the electronic bands, which serves as a salient feature of altermagnetism.
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Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Refined reduction and standardisation of 53 years of UBV photometry at Hvar

Hrvoje Božić, Petr Harmanec, Miroslav Brož et al. (+17 more)

Emission-line stars classified as Be exhibit light and colour variability on various timescales, ranging from days to decades. Their evolution must be constrained by long-term observations that are accurately calibrated and stable. Here, we provide a new reduction of photoelectric UBV observations obtained at the Hvar observatory, spanning more than 50 years. This unique dataset is highly complementary to TESS. We used new, non-linear reduction equations, with temporally variable extinction over the course of the night, which allowed us to achieve long-term accuracy of 0.008 to 0.016 mag (1-sig uncertainty), as verified by the Johnson standards. We then classified 59 Be stars into five classes, based on their variability patterns; namely, long-term envelope (LTE), long-term cyclic (LTC), binarity (BIN), rapid low-amplitude (RLA), and long-term quiescence (LTQ). According to our observations, the percentages of stars in the individual classes are 44%, 24%, 25%, 66%, and 19%, respectively. The stars in the sample often exhibited more than one pattern. We confirm that the LTE-positive variability is more common than the inverse (20 vs 6); in addition, two stars exhibited both types (zeta Tau and V1294 Aql). According to our observations, the LTC variability and the LTE-positive variability are almost mutually exclusive. Among 26 binary systems, circular orbits are more common than eccentric ones (18 vs 8). As for the brightness variations between different quiescent phases, an increasing trend is less common than a decreasing one (4 vs 7), spanning from -6.5 to +6.0 mmag/yr. Our observations provide well-calibrated UBV light curves spanning several decades, offering a valuable dataset for investigations of Be-star variability and tests of various models, including the viscous decretion disc model. Continuous monitoring is important for beta Lyr, EW Lac, delta Sco, gamma Cas, and V1294 Aql.
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All authors Hrvoje Božić, Petr Harmanec, Miroslav Brož, Alžběta Oplištilová, Pavel Koubský, Petr Hadrava, Domagoj Ruždjak, Davor Sudar, Marek Wolf, Petr Zasche, Jaroslav Honsa, František Žďárský, Adam Harmanec, Juraj Jonák, Isabell Piantschitsch, Ivica Skokić, Jana Švrčková, Kristián Vitovský, Donik Vršnak, Michal Zummer

High Energy Physics (Phenomenology)

Radiative Breaking of Two-Zero Neutrino Mass Minors: Revisiting the $\mathrm{U}(1)_{L_\mu-L_\tau}$ Model

Masahiro Ibe, Jun Miyamoto and Satoshi Shirai

The two-zero minor structure predicted by flavor symmetries is usually discussed as a tree-level relation among low-energy neutrino parameters. We point out that this relation can be significantly modified by radiative corrections even when the two-zero minor structure is enforced by an underlying symmetry at tree level. As a concrete example, we analyze the minimal $\mathrm{U}(1)_{L_\mu-L_\tau}$ model and compute the universal one-loop threshold corrections associated with the type-I seesaw sector. These corrections generate flavor-dependent contributions to the Weinberg operator and violate the exact two-zero minor conditions once the $\mathrm{U}(1)_{L_\mu-L_\tau}$ symmetry is spontaneously broken. This effect relaxes the tree-level lower bound on the total neutrino mass and thereby weakens the tension between the model and cosmological neutrino-mass constraints.
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General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology

Noise-induced stabilization of Schwarzschild–AdS black holes under stochastic Ricci flow

Jihui Wang, Matteo Lulli and Antonino Marciano

We investigate the stochastic Ricci flow of spherically symmetric perturbations of the Schwarzschild–Anti de Sitter black-hole metric. Elaborating on the Ricci-flow analysis of Headrick and Wiseman, we include a negative cosmological constant through a Ricci-target term and study how the flow is correlated with the thermodynamic heat capacity of the black hole. Numerical simulations show that, in the positive heat-capacity regime, perturbations of the angular sector of the metric relax toward the Schwarzschild–Anti de Sitter fixed point, while in the negative heat-capacity regime they grow under the deterministic Ricci flow. We then introduce a multiplicative stochastic noise and find that sufficiently strong stochasticity can suppress the growth of these perturbations, effectively stabilizing configurations that would otherwise be thermodynamically unstable. Finally, we reformulate the dynamics in terms of an entropy variable evolving on a thermodynamic free-energy landscape, and support the metric-flow results through Monte Carlo simulations and the associated Fokker–Planck equation. These results suggest that stochastic fluctuations can modify the relation between geometric stability under Ricci flow and thermodynamic stability in asymptotically Anti de Sitter black-hole spacetimes.
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High Energy Physics (Phenomenology)

ggxy: Fast and flexible NLO QCD corrections to gluon-initiated processes

Daniel Stremmer

We present the C++ library ggxy, which can be used for the fast and flexible calculation of partonic and hadronic cross sections to gluon-initiated top-mediated processes such as $gg\to HH$, as well as the newly derived processes $gg\to ZH$ and $gg\to ZZ$, at NLO QCD including full top-quark mass dependence. The two-loop virtual amplitudes are implemented using analytical approximations in different kinematic regions, while all other parts of the calculation are exact. This implementation allows to freely modify all input parameters, such as the top-quark mass and its renormalization scheme and the masses of the external $Z$/Higgs bosons. In addition, ggxy has been interfaced to Powheg, which allows the matching to parton showers.
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Computational Physics

Mass-Conserving Physics-Informed Neural Networks For The One-Dimensional Advection-Diffusion Equation

Eszra Forenita Sigalingging, Liu Kin Men, Setianto Setianto et al. (+1 more)

The advection-diffusion equation is a fundamental model of transport phenomena in which mass conservation is an essential physical constraint. While classical schemes such as Crank-Nicolson preserve this property by construction, Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) enforce only the local residual of the governing PDE and are therefore not guaranteed to conserve global quantities such as mass over long integration horizons. In this work, we examine the extent of this limitation for the periodic one-dimensional advection-diffusion equation and evaluate a Mass-Penalty PINN that augments the standard PINN loss with a soft mass-conservation constraint. We compare the performance of Vanilla PINN, Mass-Penalty PINN, and the Crank-Nicolson scheme across a range of Peclet numbers spanning diffusion-dominated to advection-dominated regimes, and over two simulation horizons representing short-term and long-term dynamics. The results show that, for short-term simulations, the Mass-Penalty PINN does not always provide a consistent improvement in accuracy. However, for long-term simulations, the Mass-Penalty PINN reduces the relative L2 error and mass conservation error by factors of approximately 9-67 and 15-215, respectively, compared with the Vanilla PINN, across the tested Peclet numbers. Further analysis reveals that the accuracy degradation observed in Vanilla PINN is predominantly caused by the accumulation of mass drift over time. These results demonstrate that incorporating a soft mass-conservation constraint substantially improves the long-term reliability of PINN for conservative transport problems, particularly in mitigating mass drift over extended simulation horizons.
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All authors Eszra Forenita Sigalingging, Liu Kin Men, Setianto Setianto, Ferry Faizal

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology

Quasinormal modes of scalar perturbations in Rastall thick brane

Shan Huang, Chun-Chun Zhu and Tao-Tao Sui

We investigate quasinormal modes of the graviscalar sector in a five-dimensional thick brane model in Rastall gravity. By considering a specific flat brane solution supported by a canonical scalar field, we derive a master equation and reduce it to a Schrödinger-like eigenvalue problem for the Kaluza-Klein modes. Using the Bernstein spectral method and direct integration in the frequency domain, complemented by numerical time-domain evolutions, we compute the complex quasinormal frequencies for the scalar perturbations. Our results reveal a strong dependence of the QNM spectrum on $\lambda$: the imaginary parts of the frequencies, governing the decay rate, decrease monotonically with increasing $\lambda$, indicating longer-lived modes. The real parts exhibit a more complex, non-monotonic behavior. Furthermore, we analyze the late-time behavior of the perturbations, showing that the asymptotic tail follows a power law whose exponent is determined by the Rastall parameter, in agreement with theoretical predictions for the asymptotic form of the potential. These findings provide a comprehensive dynamical characterization of the scalar sector of Rastall thick branes, offering potential observational signatures for probing modified gravity in extra-dimensional scenarios.
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Optics

Breathing k-Gap Events and Instability on Instability in Nonlinear Photonic Time Crystals

Liang Zhang, Chenhao Pan and Yiming Pan

Photonic time crystals (PTCs) host momentum bandgaps, or k gaps, that enable parametric amplification and lasing of seeded fields. In nonlinear PTCs, Kerr saturation dynamically suppresses the exponential growth, reshaping k-gap amplification into an active, spatially homogeneous k gap soliton train. Here, we show that a localized perturbation on this unstable background then nucleates a transient spatiotemporal excitation: the breathing k gap event. Unlike Peregrine breathers emerging from modulational instability on a planewave background, this event extracts energy from competing host k gap solitons and remains sustained by their interaction. We identify this process as an instability on instability mechanism intrinsic to nonlinear k gap dynamics. The event is robust against noise and disorder, and can be deterministically reshaped into collective breathing patterns by periodic and phase engineered seeding. These results establish k gap engineering as a route to generating and controlling extreme spatiotemporal waves in photonic time varying media.
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Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from cs.NI

Packet Routing for the Quantum Internet

Robert Malaney

We present a new design for quantum packet routing within the emerging Quantum Internet, highlighting how a little-used feature of Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6), namely Extension Headers, can lead to a significant amount of quantumness within the IP layer. Taking a minimalist approach to alterations of established standards, we outline the changes required in order for quantum teleportation, quantum routing, and superpositions of these processes to be enabled. Relative to other proposals for routing within the Quantum Internet, the architecture we propose enables a wider range of outcomes allowed by quantum mechanics. We do not claim any optimally in our design, but rather a pathway to invoke new quantum routing outcomes via small additions to the current IPv6.
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Quantum Physics

Quantization of the classical Mpemba effect

Jannis Melles, Hartmut Löwen, Benno Liebchen et al. (+4 more)

The Mpemba effect refers to the counterintuitive phenomenon that an initially hot system can freeze faster than an initially warm one. Recent years have brought major advances in both classical and quantum realizations, with the asymmetric bistable potential emerging as the paradigmatic classical benchmark because its mechanism is especially transparent and controllable. Yet for precisely this benchmark problem, the impact of quantization remains unexplored. Here we show that quantization shifts Mpemba behavior to qualitatively new regimes, moving it to ultra-cold temperatures that are orders of magnitude lower than those relevant for classical thermal barrier crossing. In addition, quantization produces inverse and double inverse Mpemba effects that are absent in the corresponding classical dynamics. Our results establish quantization as a robust route to quantum-enabled Mpemba effects inaccessible in classical regimes.
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All authors Jannis Melles, Hartmut Löwen, Benno Liebchen, Michael te Vrugt, Giovanna Morigi, Artur Widera, Alexander P. Antonov

High Energy Physics (Experiment)

Observation and branching fraction measurements of $J/\psi \to p \bar p K^0_S K^0_S$ and $\psi(3686) \to p \bar p K^0_S K^0_S$

BESIII Collaboration: M. Ablikim, M. N. Achasov, P. Adlarson et al. (+766 more)

Using $(10.087\pm0.044)\times10^9$ $J/\psi$ events and $(2.712\pm0.014)\times10^9$ $\psi(3686)$ events collected by the BESIII detector operating at the BEPCII collider, we report the first observation of the hadronic decays of $J/\psi \to p \bar p K^0_S K^0_S$ and $\psi(3686) \to p \bar p K^0_S K^0_S$, both with statistical significance greater than $10\sigma$. Their branching fractions are determined to be $\mathcal{B}(J/\psi \to p \bar p K^0_S K^0_S)=(1.60 \pm 0.02 \pm 0.09)\times10^{-5}$ and $\mathcal{B}(\psi(3686) \to p \bar p K^0_S K^0_S)=(3.93 \pm 0.24 \pm 0.34)\times10^{-6}$. The ratio of their branching fractions is $\mathcal{B}(\psi(3686) \to p \bar p K^0_S K^0_S)/\mathcal{B}(J/\psi \to p \bar p K^0_S K^0_S)=(24.6 \pm 1.5 \pm 2.1)\%$, which deviates from theoretical expectation by 4.6$\sigma$. Here the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. We have also examined the $p\bar p$ invariant mass distributions in these decays, and no significant enhancement around the $p \bar p$ near threshold is found.
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All authors BESIII Collaboration: M. Ablikim, M. N. Achasov, P. Adlarson, X. C. Ai, C. S. Akondi, R. Aliberti, A. Amoroso, Q. An, Y. H. An, M. S. Anderson, Y. Bai, O. Bakina, H. R. Bao, X. L. Bao, M. Barbagiovanni, V. Batozskaya, K. Begzsuren, N. Berger, M. Berlowski, M. B. Bertani, D. Bettoni, F. Bianchi, E. Bianco, A. Bortone, I. Boyko, R. A. Briere, A. Brueggemann, D. Cabiati, H. Cai, M. H. Cai, X. Cai, A. Calcaterra, G. F. Cao, N. Cao, S. A. Cetin, X. Y. Chai, J. F. Chang, T. T. Chang, G. R. Che, Y. Z. Che, C. H. Chen, Chao Chen, G. Chen, H. S. Chen, H. Y. Chen, M. L. Chen, S. J. Chen, S. M. Chen, T. Chen, W. Chen, X. R. Chen, X. T. Chen, X. Y. Chen, Y. B. Chen, Y. Q. Chen, Z. K. Chen, J. Cheng, L. N. Cheng, S. K. Choi, X. Chu, G. Cibinetto, F. Cossio, J. Cottee-Meldrum, H. L. Dai, J. P. Dai, X. C. Dai, A. Dbeyssi, R. E. de Boer, D. Dedovich, C. Q. Deng, Z. Y. Deng, A. Denig, I. Denisenko, M. Destefanis, F. De Mori, E. Di Fiore, X. X. Ding, Y. Ding, Y. X. Ding, J. Dong, L. Y. Dong, M. Y. Dong, X. Dong, Z. J. Dong, M. C. Du, S. X. Du, Shaoxu Du, X. L. Du, Y. Q. Du, Y. Y. Duan, Z. H. Duan, P. Egorov, G. F. Fan, J. J. Fan, Y. H. Fan, J. Fang, Jin Fang, S. S. Fang, W. X. Fang, Y. Q. Fang, L. Fava, F. Feldbauer, G. Felici, C. Q. Feng, J. H. Feng, Q. X. Feng, Y. T. Feng, M. Fritsch, C. D. Fu, J. L. Fu, Y. W. Fu, H. Gao, Xu Gao, Y. Gao, Y. N. Gao, Y. Y. Gao, Yunong Gao, Z. Gao, S. Garbolino, I. Garzia, L. Ge, P. T. Ge, Z. W. Ge, C. Geng, A. Gilman, K. Goetzen, J. Gollub, J. B. Gong, J. D. Gong, L. Gong, W. X. Gong, W. Gradl, M. Greco, M. D. Gu, M. H. Gu, C. Y. Guan, A. Q. Guo, H. Guo, J. N. Guo, L. B. Guo, M. J. Guo, R. P. Guo, X. Guo, Y. P. Guo, Z. Guo, A. Guskov, J. Gutierrez, J. Y. Han, T. T. Han, X. Han, F. Hanisch, K. D. Hao, X. Q. Hao, F. A. Harris, C. Z. He, K. K. He, K. L. He, F. H. Heinsius, C. H. Heinz, Y. K. Heng, C. Herold, P. C. Hong, G. Y. Hou, X. T. Hou, Y. R. Hou, Z. L. Hou, H. M. Hu, J. F. Hu, Q. P. Hu, S. L. Hu, T. Hu, Y. Hu, Y. X. Hu, Z. M. Hu, G. S. Huang, K. X. Huang, L. Q. Huang, P. Huang, X. T. Huang, Y. P. Huang, Y. S. Huang, T. Hussain, N. Hüsken, N. in der Wiesche, J. Jackson, Q. Ji, Q. P. Ji, W. Ji, X. B. Ji, X. L. Ji, Y. Y. Ji, L. K. Jia, X. Q. Jia, D. Jiang, S. J. Jiang, X. S. Jiang, Y. Jiang, J. B. Jiao, J. K. Jiao, Z. Jiao, L. C. L. Jin, S. Jin, Y. Jin, M. Q. Jing, X. M. Jing, T. Johansson, S. Kabana, X. L. Kang, X. S. Kang, B. C. Ke, V. Khachatryan, A. Khoukaz, O. B. Kolcu, B. Kopf, L. Kröger, L. Krümmel, Y. Y. Kuang, X. Kui, N. Kumar, A. Kupsc, W. Kühn, Q. Lan, W. N. Lan, T. T. Lei, M. Lellmann, T. Lenz, C. Li, C. H. Li, C. K. Li, Chunkai Li, Cong Li, D. M. Li, F. Li, G. Li, H. B. Li, H. J. Li, H. L. Li, H. N. Li, H. P. Li, Hui Li, J. N. Li, J. S. Li, J. W. Li, K. Li, K. L. Li, L. J. Li, L. K. Li, Lei Li, M. H. Li, M. R. Li, M. T. Li, P. L. Li, P. R. Li, Q. M. Li, Q. X. Li, R. Li, S. Li, S. X. Li, S. Y. Li, Shanshan Li, T. Li, T. Y. Li, W. D. Li, W. G. Li, X. Li, X. H. Li, X. K. Li, X. L. Li, X. Y. Li, X. Z. Li, Y. Li, Y. H. Li, Y. B. Li, Y. C. Li, Y. G. Li, Y. P. Li, Z. H. Li, Z. J. Li, Z. L. Li, Z. X. Li, Z. Y. Li, C. Liang, H. Liang, Y. F. Liang, Y. T. Liang, Z. Z. Liang, G. R. Liao, L. B. Liao, M. H. Liao, Y. P. Liao, J. Libby, A. Limphirat, C. C. Lin, C. X. Lin, D. X. Lin, T. Lin, B. J. Liu, B. X. Liu, C. Liu, C. X. Liu, F. Liu, F. H. Liu, Feng Liu, G. M. Liu, H. Liu, H. B. Liu, H. M. Liu, Huihui Liu, J. B. Liu, J. J. Liu, K. Liu, K. Y. Liu, Ke Liu, Kun Liu, L. Liu, L. C. Liu, Lu Liu, M. H. Liu, P. L. Liu, Q. Liu, S. B. Liu, T. Liu, W. M. Liu, W. T. Liu, X. Liu, X. K. Liu, X. L. Liu, X. P. Liu, X. T. Liu, X. Y. Liu, Y. Liu, Y. B. Liu, Yi Liu, Z. A. Liu, Z. D. Liu, Z. L. Liu, Z. Q. Liu, Z. X. Liu, Z. Y. Liu, X. C. Lou, H. J. Lu, J. G. Lu, X. L. Lu, Y. Lu, Y. H. Lu, Y. P. Lu, Z. H. Lu, C. L. Luo, J. R. Luo, J. S. Luo, M. X. Luo, T. Luo, X. L. Luo, Z. Y. Lv, X. R. Lyu, Y. F. Lyu, Y. H. Lyu, F. C. Ma, H. L. Ma, Heng Ma, J. L. Ma, L. L. Ma, L. R. Ma, Q. M. Ma, R. Q. Ma, R. Y. Ma, T. Ma, X. T. Ma, X. Y. Ma, F. E. Maas, I. MacKay, M. Maggiora, S. Maity, S. Malde, Y. J. Mao, Z. P. Mao, S. Marcello, A. Marshall, F. M. Melendi, Y. H. Meng, Z. X. Meng, G. Mezzadri, H. Miao, T. J. Min, R. E. Mitchell, X. H. Mo, B. Moses, N. Yu. Muchnoi, J. Muskalla, Y. Nefedov, F. Nerling, H. Neuwirth, Z. Ning, S. Nisar, Q. L. Niu, W. D. Niu, Y. Niu, C. Normand, S. L. Olsen, Q. Ouyang, I. V. Ovtin, S. Pacetti, Y. Pan, A. Pathak, Y. P. Pei, M. Pelizaeus, G. L. Peng, H. P. Peng, X. J. Peng, Y. Y. Peng, K. Peters, K. Petridis, J. L. Ping, R. G. Ping, S. Plura, V. Prasad, L. Pöpping, F. Z. Qi, H. R. Qi, S. Qian, W. B. Qian, C. F. Qiao, J. H. Qiao, J. J. Qin, J. L. Qin, L. Q. Qin, L. Y. Qin, P. B. Qin, X. P. Qin, X. S. Qin, Z. H. Qin, J. F. Qiu, Z. H. Qu, J. Rademacker, K. Ravindran, C. F. Redmer, A. Rivetti, M. Rolo, G. Rong, S. S. Rong, F. Rosini, Ch. Rosner, M. Q. Ruan, W. R. Ruangyoo, N. Salone, A. Sarantsev, Y. Schelhaas, M. Schernau, K. Schoenning, M. Scodeggio, W. Shan, X. Y. Shan, Z. J. Shang, J. F. Shangguan, L. G. Shao, M. Shao, C. P. Shen, H. F. Shen, W. H. Shen, X. Y. Shen, B. A. Shi, Ch. Y. Shi, H. Shi, J. L. Shi, J. Y. Shi, M. H. Shi, S. Y. Shi, X. Shi, H. L. Song, J. J. Song, M. H. Song, T. Z. Song, W. M. Song, Y. X. Song, Zirong Song, S. Sosio, S. Spataro, S. Stansilaus, F. Stieler, M. Stolte, S. S Su, G. B. Sun, G. X. Sun, H. Sun, H. K. Sun, J. F. Sun, K. Sun, L. Sun, R. Sun, S. S. Sun, T. Sun, W. Y. Sun, Y. C. Sun, Y. H. Sun, Y. J. Sun, Y. Z. Sun, Z. Q. Sun, Z. T. Sun, H. Tabaharizato, N. T. Tagsinsit, C. J. Tang, G. Y. Tang, J. Tang, J. J. Tang, L. F. Tang, Y. A. Tang, Z. H. Tang, L. Y. Tao, M. Tat, J. X. Teng, J. Y. Tian, W. H. Tian, Y. Tian, Z. F. Tian, K. Yu. Todyshev, I. Uman, E. van der Smagt, B. Wang, Bin Wang, Bo Wang, C. Wang, Chao Wang, Cong Wang, D. Y. Wang, F. K. Wang, H. J. Wang, H. R. Wang, J. Wang, J. J. Wang, J. P. Wang, K. Wang, L. L. Wang, L. W. Wang, M. Wang, Mi Wang, N. Y. Wang, P. Wang, S. Wang, Shun Wang, T. Wang, W. Wang, W. P. Wang, X. F. Wang, X. L. Wang, X. N. Wang, Xin Wang, Y. Wang, Y. D. Wang, Y. F. Wang, Y. H. Wang, Y. J. Wang, Y. L. Wang, Y. N. Wang, Yanning Wang, Yaqian Wang, Yi Wang, Yuan Wang, Z. Wang, Z. L. Wang, Z. Q. Wang, Z. Y. Wang, Zhi Wang, Ziyi Wang, D. Wei, D. H. Wei, D. J. Wei, H. R. Wei, F. Weidner, H. R. Wen, S. P. Wen, U. Wiedner, G. Wilkinson, M. Wolke, J. F. Wu, L. H. Wu, L. J. Wu, Lianjie Wu, S. G. Wu, S. M. Wu, X. W. Wu, Z. Wu, H. L. Xia, L. Xia, B. H. Xiang, D. Xiao, G. Y. Xiao, H. Xiao, Y. L. Xiao, Z. J. Xiao, C. Xie, K. J. Xie, Y. Xie, Y. G. Xie, Y. H. Xie, Z. P. Xie, T. Y. Xing, D. B. Xiong, G. F. Xu, H. Y. Xu, Q. J. Xu, Q. N. Xu, T. D. Xu, X. P. Xu, Y. Xu, Y. C. Xu, Z. S. Xu, F. Yan, L. Yan, W. B. Yan, W. C. Yan, W. H. Yan, W. P. Yan, X. Q. Yan, Y. Y. Yan, H. J. Yang, H. L. Yang, H. X. Yang, J. H. Yang, R. J. Yang, X. Y. Yang, Y. Yang, Y. G. Yang, Y. H. Yang, Y. M. Yang, Y. Q. Yang, Y. Z. Yang, Youhua Yang, Z. Y. Yang, W. J. Yao, Z. P. Yao, M. Ye, M. H. Ye, M. H. Ye, Z. J. Ye, K. Yi, Junhao Yin, Z. Y. You, B. X. Yu, C. X. Yu, G. Yu, J. S. Yu, L. W. Yu, T. Yu, X. D. Yu, Y. C. Yu, Yongchao Yu, C. Z. Yuan, H. Yuan, J. Yuan, Jie Yuan, L. Yuan, M. K. Yuan, S. H. Yuan, Y. Yuan, C. X. Yue, Ying Yue, A. A. Zafar, F. R. Zeng, S. H. Zeng, X. Zeng, Y. J. Zeng, Yujie Zeng, Y. C. Zhai, Y. H. Zhan, B. L. Zhang, B. X. Zhang, D. H. Zhang, G. Y. Zhang, Gengyuan Zhang, H. Zhang, H. C. Zhang, H. H. Zhang, H. Q. Zhang, H. R. Zhang, H. Y. Zhang, Han Zhang, J. Zhang, J. J. Zhang, J. L. Zhang, J. Q. Zhang, J. S. Zhang, J. W. Zhang, J. X. Zhang, J. Y. Zhang, J. Z. Zhang, Jianyu Zhang, Jin Zhang, Jiyuan Zhang, L. M. Zhang, Lei Zhang, N. Zhang, P. Zhang, Q. Zhang, Q. Y. Zhang, Q. Z. Zhang, R. Y. Zhang, S. H. Zhang, S. N. Zhang, Shulei Zhang, X. M. Zhang, X. Y. Zhang, Y. T. Zhang, Y. H. Zhang, Y. P. Zhang, Yao Zhang, Yu Zhang, Yu Zhang, Z. Zhang, Z. D. Zhang, Z. H. Zhang, Z. L. Zhang, Z. X. Zhang, Z. Y. Zhang, Zh. Zh. Zhang, Zhilong Zhang, Ziyang Zhang, Ziyu Zhang, G. Zhao, J.-P. Zhao, J. Y. Zhao, J. Z. Zhao, L. Zhao, Lei Zhao, M. G. Zhao, R. P. Zhao, S. J. Zhao, Y. B. Zhao, Y. L. Zhao, Y. P. Zhao, Y. X. Zhao, Z. G. Zhao, A. Zhemchugov, B. Zheng, B. M. Zheng, J. P. Zheng, W. J. Zheng, W. Q. Zheng, X. R. Zheng, Y. H. Zheng, B. Zhong, C. Zhong, X. Zhong, H. Zhou, J. Q. Zhou, S. Zhou, X. Zhou, X. K. Zhou, X. R. Zhou, X. Y. Zhou, Y. X. Zhou, Y. Z. Zhou, A. N. Zhu, J. Zhu, K. Zhu, K. J. Zhu, K. S. Zhu, L. X. Zhu, Lin Zhu, S. H. Zhu, T. J. Zhu, W. D. Zhu, W. J. Zhu, W. Z. Zhu, Y. C. Zhu, Z. A. Zhu, X. Y. Zhuang, M. Zhuge, J. H. Zou, J. Zu

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

A Possible Triple Formation Scenario of Binary Black Hole Merge With One In Pair-instability Supernova Mass Gap

Tian Huang, Xizhen Lu, Guoliang Lü et al. (+8 more)

Observations of binary black hole (BBH) mergers detected by LIGO – such as GW170729, GW190620, GW190706, GW230107, GW230820, and GW230928 – feature high effective spins and primary black holes that fall squarely into the pair-instability supernova (PISN) mass gap ($\sim 45-130 \, M_{\odot}$). These events pose a significant challenge to standard stellar and binary evolution theories. To address this, we propose an isolated hierarchical triple stellar evolution channel. In this framework, tidal synchronization in tight inner binaries drives chemically homogeneous evolution (CHE), entirely bypassing giant expansion. A subsequent triple common envelope (TCE) evolution, triggered by the tertiary companion, rapidly drives the inner BBH to coalescence. Our model can provide a detailed evolutionary pathway that elegantly reproduces the properties of these GWs, such as GW190706. Assuming a low-metallicity environment ($Z = 0.001$), our framework predicts a volumetric merger rate of approximately $0.011 \, \mathrm{Gpc}^{-3}\mathrm{yr}^{-1}$ at $z \approx 0.68$, accounting for $22\%$ of the empirical rate for this mass regime in the GWTC-4 catalog. This study demonstrates that primordial triple interactions are a highly efficient avenue for populating the PISN mass gap.
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All authors Tian Huang, Xizhen Lu, Guoliang Lü, Chunhua Zhu, Sufen Guo, Helei Liu, Zhuowen Li, Zhijun Wang, Lei Li, Wei-Min Gu, Nurzada Beissen

Quantum Gases

Universal self-similar evolution of two-dimensional acoustic turbulence in Bose-Einstein condensates

Guillaume Costa, Sergey Nazarenko and Giorgio Krstulovic

When driven out of equilibrium, a Bose-Einstein condensate develops nonlinearly interacting density waves that trigger a turbulent cascade, transferring energy toward small scales. In this Letter, we investigate the nonstationary evolution of solutions to the two-dimensional Gross-Pitaevskii equation (GPE). Through numerical simulations of both the GPE and the corresponding Wave Kinetic Equation (WKE), we identify self-similar solutions relevant to turbulence in atomic and polariton Bose-Einstein Condensates. These solutions correspond to a new type of non-thermal fixed point and exhibit characteristics of both first and second kind self-similarity. In particular, we show that the dynamics of the propagating front is universal, governed by a dimensionless universal constant $\beta$, which we determine numerically.
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High Energy Physics (Phenomenology)

A Quantitative Framework of Nonperturbative QCD from Topological Vacuum with Application to Parton Structures

Wei-Yang Liu

This dissertation develops a quantitative framework that provides a physical picture for non-perturbative QCD based on the topological structure of the QCD vacuum. By integrating out the ultraviolet degrees of freedom, the infrared gluon configurations are modeled as a liquid ensemble of instantons and anti-instantons, which induce effective interactions among quarks. This framework captures the origin of trace and axial anomalies through the infrared distributions of QCD and dynamically breaks chiral symmetry. More specifically, this framework can be formulated in two ways: in one, we construct a statistical ensemble with weights defined by the instanton action and Dirac determinant, while in the other we formulate an effective field theory (EFT) by rewriting the determinant as effective quark interactions. By reformulating the EFT on the light front, we explicitly construct the light-front wave functions and calculate various parton observables in linear factorization. We further embed the framework into transverse momentum dependent factorization and establish a vacuum origin for rapidity evolution by computing the soft functions. We also extend this approach to various form factors in light hadrons, including scalar, pseudoscalar, and energy-momentum tensor (EMT), as well as higher-twist color force and multigluon correlations, with applications to hadron mass and spin decomposition, near-threshold quarkonium production, and strong CP problem, highlighting the importance of the vacuum origin in hadron structures. Overall, this work demonstrates that the QCD vacuum provides a quantitatively crucial description of hadronic structure from low to moderate resolution, bridging nonperturbative vacuum physics with partonic phenomenology.
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High Energy Physics (Phenomenology)

A resonance-aware MC@NLO QCD+EW-matched calculation of lepton-pair production

Lois Flower, Joanne Roper and Marek Schönherr

As we approach HL-LHC, there is a growing need for increased precision in theoretical predictions so that meaningful comparisons with experimental data can be made. It is no longer sufficient to include only QCD higher-order corrections, with EW effects becoming increasingly important. Even at hadron colliders, QED radiation provides large corrections to some observables. In this paper, we present the first automated matching of NLO QCD+EW to an interleaved QCD+QED parton shower using the MC@NLO matching method in the Catani-Seymour dipole formalism. When considering such a matched parton shower, the presence of resonances can lead to spurious higher order terms, originating in the recoil assignment, within the standard dipole construction. We therefore develop a resonance-aware modification to the MC@NLO algorithm that can be applied to QCD- and QED-singlet resonances. We validate our interleaved matching and its resonance-aware modification against fixed-order NLO QCD+EW and pure MC@NLO QCD combined with YFS resummation. Finally, we present resonance-aware MC@NLO QCD+EW predictions for Drell-Yan lepton pair production, a vital precision process at hadron colliders.
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Quantum Physics

SQGen: Structured Quantum Image Generation with Latent-Modulated Quantized Tensor Trains

Guang Lin and Qibin Zhao

Generating images directly from quantum systems is an attractive but unresolved goal on NISQ hardware. Existing quantum generators face several coupled obstacles: barren plateaus that block trainability, expensive quantum circuit preparation, and hardware noise that erodes quantum information with depth. A further difficulty is producing image-scale output without a classical decoder, whose use would otherwise break the end-to-end quantum advantage. We propose SQGen, a full quantum generator built on a quantized tensor train (QTT) with a latent modulation architecture. Specifically, SQGen promotes the QTT bond index of the target pixel distribution to ancilla bond qubits, so that each circuit site operates locally on a bond register plus the two physical qubits that carry the row- and column-bit of one image scale. We further introduce latent modulation: each re-uploading rotation is factorized at the angle level into a trainable main path plus an additive latent term, reducing to the trainable main path when the latent term is disabled. During training, we create a differentiable model in the classical system under gate-compatibility constraints, with a torus prior as the latent distribution. After training, every operator maps one-to-one to a native quantum gate, yielding a compact, deployable quantum circuit with no classical decoder in the inference path. Together, these design choices address the obstacles raised above. Extensive experiments on image datasets and synthetic data demonstrate that SQGen trains stably, generates images end-to-end from a shallow circuit with no classical decoder, and shows promising feasibility on real quantum hardware.
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Materials Science

Stabilization of Stone-Wales Defects in Metal-supported Graphene

Rob H. Mason, Manuka M. S. Sinharage, Hansika I. Sirikumara et al. (+2 more)

The characteristics of graphene-metal interfaces play a decisive role in their electronic, optoelectronic, and mechanical applications. Properties such as charge transfer across the interface become particularly significant in the presence of topological defects. The stability of Stone Wales (SW) defects in graphene is governed by the balance between three energy descriptors, the activation energy, formation energy, and restoration energy. By comparing the energy parameters obtained from first-principles density functional theory calculations, we show that SW defect formation is energetically more favorable on metal-supported graphene. Our calculations for SW defects in graphene/Cu(111) and graphene/Al(111) systems indicate only a little dependence of energy profile on the type of metal. The presence of the metal substrate leads to a $\sim$ 12% increase in the formation energy and a $\sim$ 20% reduction in the activation energy, which together favor the formation of Stone Wales defects. Although the restoration energy decreases by about $\sim$ 35% in metal-supported graphene, it remains significantly higher to prevent self-healing. As a result, once formed, the Stone Wales defects are likely to remain stable, suggesting the possibility of terminal SW defect formation in metal-supported graphene.
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All authors Rob H. Mason, Manuka M. S. Sinharage, Hansika I. Sirikumara, Sabrina Nilufar, Thushari Jayasekera

Physics and Society

Long-range social pressure and the evolution of cooperation in multiplex networks

María Pereda and Gabrielle Muller

Social pressure—the awareness of being observed by others—is a fundamental driver of prosocial behavior in human societies. Yet it is typically assumed that only direct neighbors exert vigilance pressure on an individual, despite empirical evidence that social influence persists to at least three degrees of separation. Here we show that extending the reach of social vigilance beyond direct neighbors substantially promotes cooperation. We couple a Prisoner's Dilemma on one layer of a multiplex network to a vigilance cascade on the other, with influence decaying geometrically with network distance. Extending vigilance to just the second circle of influence ($L=2$) shifts the critical temptation for defection by roughly 36% in sparse Erdős–Rényi networks. Extending to four circles ($L=4$) raises this threshold by over 50% in the same networks. Both shifts are topology dependent: the $L=1\to2$ step alone already accounts for most of the gain in these sparse networks, whereas the pattern is more gradual in denser, hub-dominated Barabási–Albert networks, consistent with the decay coefficients of social influence reported in controlled experiments. The effect is strongest in sparse networks, requires that the vigilance and game layers be aligned, and reproduces directly on a real social network of physicians; in dense, hub-dominated networks the gain instead depends sharply on how fast influence decays with distance, switching between weak and strong cooperation as the decay rate crosses a threshold. Our results strongly suggest that even modest expansions of social awareness—such as those enabled by online social platforms—can substantially reshape the landscape of cooperative behavior in human populations.
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Materials Science

Deep-learning Hamiltonian reveals twist-tunable flat bands and nonlinear photocurrents in SrTiO3 moire bilayers

Meiyang Yu, Chen Shen, Ruiwen Xie et al. (+3 more)

The extension of moire physics to complex oxides offers new ways to manipulate electronic states, but the large oxide moire supercells make systematic first-principles calculations demanding. Here, we combine density functional theory with the E(3)-equivariant deep-learning Hamiltonian framework DeepH-E3 to investigate the twist-angle-dependent electronic structure and optical responses of twisted bilayer SrTiO3. The model is trained on untwisted bilayers with different interlayer-sliding configurations and then applied to commensurate twisted bilayers with twist angles from 8.80 degrees to 53.13 degrees. Compared with the untwisted bilayer, decreasing twist angle systematically flattens the valence bands and leads to nearly dispersionless bands at the smallest angles studied. Based on the predicted Hamiltonians, we evaluate the dielectric response, second-harmonic generation (SHG), shift current, and spin Hall conductivity. The dielectric response and spin Hall conductivity remain close to those of the untwisted bilayer, whereas the nonlinear optical responses are more strongly affected by twisting. SHG is strongly enhanced relative to the weak untwisted response, and the shift current shows a clear twist-angle dependence within the response-calculation range (53.13 degrees-22.62 degrees). These results show that twist engineering can control electronic and optoelectronic responses in oxide moire systems.
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All authors Meiyang Yu, Chen Shen, Ruiwen Xie, Jingwei Tao, Lijun Zhang, Hongbin Zhang

Soft Condensed Matter

From Active to Odd to Smart Matter

Olivier Dauchot

The study of active matter has reshaped our understanding of collective states of matter far from equilibrium by proving that energy pumped into the microscopic scale leads to order on the macroscopic scale, collective motion, and anomalous mechanical responses. More recently, the discovery of odd elasticity and nonreciprocal mechanical couplings has extended these ideas to solid-like active systems, revealing materials with nonconservative elastic response. Simultaneously, innovative developments in swarm robotics , programmable metamaterials , and learning algorithms have led to the emergence of a new frontier in which collective behavior and mechanical response are no longer fixed by design, but adapted, optimized, and learned toward functional goals. This Perspective proposes a unifying trajectory, from active to odd to smart matter, organized along two intertwined axes: the traditional gas–liquid–solid progression of condensed matter, and the more recentparadigm shift from spontaneous collective dynamics to task-driven functionality. We try to highlight emerging principles, conceptual shifts, and open challenges that come along this trajectory, and argue that learning may play the role of a specific form of emergence, which could advantageously replace the more traditional view of control, at least in the realm of physics.
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High Energy Physics (Theory)

Genuine Multi-Entropy in the Toric Code

Sriram Akella, Norihiro Iizuka and Akihiro Miyata

We study genuine multi-entropy as a diagnostic of multipartite entanglement in the toric code, which provides a controlled setting for probing multipartite structures in topologically ordered states. Our main question is whether genuine multi-entropy captures information that is not reducible to conventional lower-party entropic data, such as topological entanglement entropy. We first analyze toric-code ground states that admit a stabilizer-state description, where the relevant quantities can be evaluated exactly. We conjecture that, for stabilizer states and $\mathtt{q}\ge4$, the $\mathtt{q}$-partite genuine multi-entropy at replica index $n<\mathtt{q}$ collapses to a linear combination of multi-entropies involving at most $\mathtt{q}-2$ parties. We establish this pattern explicitly for $\mathtt{q}=4$ in the toric code stabilizer sector: for $n=2,3$, the genuine multi-entropy is proportional to the tripartite information $I_3$ and, for the Kitaev-Preskill partition, contains no independent genuine four-partite information beyond that captured by the topological entanglement entropy. At $n=4$, however, this reduction breaks down: the genuine multi-entropy is no longer proportional to $I_3$, but remains a topological invariant of the toric-code stabilizer ground states under Kitaev-Preskill-preserving deformations that do not change whether the numbers of vertex- and plaquette-type junctions coincide. For generic non-stabilizer superpositions within the ground-state manifold and for coherent superpositions of local excitations, the low-$n$ reduction also fails. These results show that genuine multi-entropy probes multipartite entanglement structure beyond the tripartite information, and hence beyond the topological entanglement entropy in the Kitaev-Preskill partition, whereas for stabilizer states at low replica index it reduces to lower-partite entropic data.
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Optics

Single-photon polarization tomography with an integrated metal-superconductor nanowire array

Pierre Brosseau, Jiawei Wang, Giorgio Adamo et al. (+2 more)

Light polarization is a primary degree of freedom for encoding quantum information. The scaling up of photonic quantum networks and computer architecture depends crucially on its precise characterization. This is typically achieved by placing external waveplates, polarizers, moving mounts, and recently metasurfaces, on top of the detectors. All these solutions complicate integration and scaling. Here we break convention with traditional architecture and present a monolithic, self-aligned metal-superconductor nanowire single photon detector (M-SNSPD) possessing intrinsic full polarization selectivity. Gold nanowires, co-fabricated atop NbTiN superconducting nanowires within the same lithographic footprint, act as polarization-selective plasmonic metamaterials inducing resonant absorption in the NbTiN. U-shaped wires provide linear polarization selectivity, while S-shaped meanders distinguish circular polarization, while retaining the high-count rates and low dark count rates of conventional SNSPDs. By arranging them into a four-pixel array we realize simultaneous projection onto four polarizations and demonstrate continuous polarization state tomography with an ensemble average fidelity exceeding 98%. Our approach opens new avenues towards scalable detector arrays with integrated plasmonic functionalities, for single photon polarimetry, imaging and spectroscopy.
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All authors Pierre Brosseau, Jiawei Wang, Giorgio Adamo, Anton N. Vetlugin, Cesare Soci

High Energy Physics (Phenomenology)

Radiative decays of $X(3872)$ within $D{\bar D}^*$ molecular framework

Hao-Dong Cai, Run-Hao Chen, Yuan-Jun Gao et al. (+3 more)

Within the framework of nonrelativistic effective field theory, we calculate the radiative decay widths of the process $X(3872) \to D\bar{D} \gamma$ while taking into account the $D\bar{D}$ final-state interactions via resonance saturation. The $X(3872)$ is treated as a $D^*\bar{D} +\rm c.c.$ bound state with $J^{PC}=1^{++}$. For a representative mixing angle $\theta=\pi/4$, our numerical calculations predict that the tree-level partial decay width for $X(3872) \to D^0 \bar{D}^0\gamma$ can reach approximately $7.3$ keV, while that for $X(3872) \to D^+ D^- \gamma$ is less than $1$ keV. It is found that the contribution of the triangle loop diagrams to the total decay width of $X(3872) \to D^0 \bar{D}^0\gamma$ is very small, amounting to less than $1\%$ of the tree-level result. For the $X(3872)\to D^+ D^-\gamma $ decay, the contribution from the triangle loop diagrams is relatively more significant, enhancing the total decay width by roughly $1.3\%$ relative to the tree-level result. We expect that the present predictions based on the molecular picture of the $X(3872)$ can be tested by future experiments.
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All authors Hao-Dong Cai, Run-Hao Chen, Yuan-Jun Gao, Zhao-Sai Jia, Gang Li, Shi-Dong Liu

Nuclear Theory

Full Uncertainty Quantification of Sign-Problem-Free Quantum Monte Carlo Methods and Nuclear Lattice Effective Field Theory Benchmarks

Zhong-Wang Niu, Bing-Nan Lu, Shuang Zhang et al. (+4 more)

Sign-problem-free quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) methods provide one of the few polynomial-scaling routes to controlled, nonperturbative benchmarks of medium-mass and heavy nuclei. We present a detailed uncertainty analysis of the recently developed sign-problem-free spin-orbit lattice action LAT-OPT1 and use it to benchmark nuclear lattice effective field theory (NLEFT). We quantify various systematic uncertainties, finding that the cumulative many-body computational uncertainty in ground-state energies of doubly magic nuclei up to $^{100}$Sn is well below the percent level. In response to recent criticism of NLEFT benchmarks, we also revisit the relation between lattice transfer matrices, lattice Hamiltonians, Hartree–Fock variational bounds, finite-box and thermodynamic-limit calculations, and the continuum-limit behavior of regulated lattice interactions. We identify several conceptual and technical errors in the analysis of Ref.~\cite{Rothman2026_NuLattice}. These include (i) the comparison of inequivalent lattice transfer-matrix and lattice-Hamiltonian calculations, (ii) an inconsistent determination of correlation energies from comparisons of Hartree–Fock and full ground-state calculations with different boundary conditions, (iii) the attribution of nuclear saturation to lattice artifacts rather than to nonlocal smearing of interactions, a mechanism that can be demonstrated in continuous space, and (iv) an incorrect renormalization of short-range two-body interactions in the continuum limit. When the same regulated lattice theory, renormalization prescription, and finite-volume boundary conditions are used consistently and analyzed properly, the reported discrepancies and concerns about the corresponding published NLEFT results are resolved.
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All authors Zhong-Wang Niu, Bing-Nan Lu, Shuang Zhang, Yuan-Zhuo Ma, Serdar Elhatisari, Dean Lee, Ulf-G. Meißner

Physics Education

Associations Between Event-Based (Mis)Recognition by STEM Authorities with STEM Identity and STEM Career Aspirations

Amdad Ahmed Awsaf, Remy Dou, Gerhard Sonnert et al. (+1 more)

Several programs for marginalized young people have been intentionally designed to increase the diversity in STEM careers; however, the participation of racially and ethnically minoritized individuals continued to be underrepresented in STEM disciplines. Using discipline-based STEM identity theories and drawing data from an NSF-funded survey of 1,134 participants, these regression analyses examine the impact of prior educational experiences on STEM identity (i.e., seeing oneself as a STEM person) and career aspirations among individuals attending Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). The study's findings indicate that although positive reinforcement positively correlates with the STEM identity construct, the efforts are not always supportive enough to predict STEM career aspirations for minoritized individuals. It underscores the importance of explicitly designing appropriate interventions to support STEM identity formation and STEM career pursuit.
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All authors Amdad Ahmed Awsaf, Remy Dou, Gerhard Sonnert, Philip Sadler

High Energy Physics (Theory)

Background-independent one-loop renormalization of tensor and scalar primordial spectra

Guillermo Ballesteros, Jesús Gambín Egea and Flavio Riccardi

We present a background-independent renormalization framework for one-loop primordial spectra. We apply it to two observables: the scalar-induced tensor spectrum sourced by a minimally coupled spectator field, and the scalar spectrum generated by potential self-interactions. In both cases, the UV part of the loops is isolated and, using the universal WKB behavior of the internal modes, the UV poles are extracted analytically and absorbed into local counterterms without having to specify either the background evolution or the full dynamics of the field running in the loop. This yields finite model-independent expressions for the renormalized spectra amenable to numerical analysis.
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Quantum Physics

Hybrid quantum floating-point method for sharp arithmetic

Gabriele Agliardi and Enrico Prati

There are several possible ways to encode random variables in a quantum state. The basis encoding of bit strings has paramount importance because it allows to load the values of a random variable through the superposition of corresponding basis states, and to then exploit quantum parallelism in processing algorithms. The basis encoding offers a natural way to represent an unsigned integer random variable, and extends to signed integers, as well as to fixed-point and floating-point variables. Each quantum representation of fractional numbers, however, involves a trade-off between accuracy and depth of manipulation circuits. Here, an efficient hybrid quantum-classical representation of quantum floating points is introduced. It combines a quantum register containing the values, with a classical register storing global information about the variable, namely the range and approximation tolerances. The sum and product operations are defined, in such a way as to ensure they are performed without overflow. By taking advantage of the stored classical information, the precision degradation that occurs due to rounding after repeated data manipulations, can be significantly reduced compared to known strategies. Ad hoc examples show up to around $90\%$ reduction in approximation, compared to previous techniques, after repeated additions. The method finds application in many algorithms of practical relevance and constitutes a significant advance in the design of arithmetic circuits with low depth and high accuracy.
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Quantum Physics

Simplified quantum key distribution implementation secure in the presence of state preparation flaws

Ainhoa Agulleiro, Fadri Grünenfelder, Raphaël Houlmann et al. (+3 more)

We present an implementation of a three-state BB84 protocol with time-bin encoding, one decoy state and a simplified measurement scheme that uses passive basis choice. Our system simplifies the state characterization with respect to previous iterations. We also adapt the loss-tolerant method to our protocol, thus dealing with the measured state preparation flaws. We compare the obtained phase error rate and secret key rate when including the state imperfections and when assuming perfect states. Our results highlight the importance of characterization and implementation security.
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All authors Ainhoa Agulleiro, Fadri Grünenfelder, Raphaël Houlmann, Ana Blázquez, Hugo Zbinden, Davide Rusca

Physics Education

Concurrent Phenomenological Analysis of STEM Career Aspirations in Underrepresented Youth: Role of Experiences and Identity

Amdad Ahmed Awsaf, Nicole Giansanti, Susan Sunbury et al. (+1 more)

Despite numerous initiatives aimed at enhancing diversity and achieving equity in the STEM workforce, racially and ethnically minoritized individuals remain underrepresented in STEM disciplines and the STEM workforce. While many factors influence STEM identity (i.e., seeing oneself as a STEM person), it strongly correlates with individuals' future STEM career choices. This phenomenological qualitative study explores the impact of formal or informal STEM-related recognition that influences minority youths' aspirations to pursue a STEM career. Results indicate that though misrecognition negatively impacts one's motivation to study STEM areas, lack of recognition in formal schooling contexts was sometimes mitigated by recognition and support from family. The study suggests providing targeted interventions to facilitate underrepresented youths' achievements in STEM to foster a strong STEM identity and STEM career aspirations.
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All authors Amdad Ahmed Awsaf, Nicole Giansanti, Susan Sunbury, Remy Dou