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Wednesday 5 August

Chemical Physics

Time-resolved THz Stark spectroscopy of molecules in water

Elnaz Zyaee, Vladislav Slama, Seyyed Jabbar Mousavi et al. (+3 more)

Stark spectroscopy is a powerful method for probing molecular dipole moment changes, charge transfer dynamics, and polarizability under applied electric fields. Time-Resolved Terahertz Stark Spectroscopy (TRTSS), which employs intense single-cycle terahertz (THz) pulses to induce transient Stark shifts, overcomes key limitations of conventional approaches. Unlike static or low-frequency fields, THz pulses oscillate much faster than typical molecular rotation times, effectively preventing dipole reorientation and enabling measurements in solutions at ambient conditions. Here, we extend TRTSS to molecules dissolved in water, the most important polar solvent for chemical and biological systems and report the first demonstration of Stark spectroscopy in water at room temperature. Using Malachite Green and Methyl Orange as model systems, we observe clear THz-induced spectral modulations, demonstrating that TRTSS can successfully reveal THz Stark responses even in highly polar, hydrogen-bonded environments. Measured signals exhibit a combination of linear (dipole-driven) and quadratic (polarizability-driven) Stark effects in both systems, consistent with time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations. Comparison with TD-DFT further suggests that conformational effects can influence the extracted Stark parameters in solvated molecules.
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All authors Elnaz Zyaee, Vladislav Slama, Seyyed Jabbar Mousavi, David Rohrbach, Ursula Rothlisberger, Thomas Feurer

Atomic Physics

Photo-ionization Compensation of Stray Electric Fields for Cold Rydberg Atoms

Z.-Y. Chen, Z.-X. Fu, Z.-R He et al. (+6 more)

Neurtal atoms in optical tweezer arrays constitute a highly promising platform for quantum computing and quantum simulation. Their operation relies on precise control of the Rydberg excitation, which is highly sensitive to background electric fields. Here, we identify a previously overlooked source of stray electric fields arising from trapped charges within the antireflection coating layers of glass vacuum cells. In contrast to the conventional approach of removing surface charges through ultraviolet-light-induced desorption, we compensate these clamped charges by generating additional charges via photo-ionization of a cold atomic ensemble. We verify the resulting suppression of stray electric fields through Rydberg excitation spectroscopy in an atomic array and further confirm that the residual electric field inside the vacuum cell is effectively eradicated with the aid of external electrodes. Our work identifies and mitigates a previously unrecognized source of residual electric field, providing a practical solution for improving the performance of neutral atomic quantum processors and other Rydberg-based quantum technologies, as well as surface-sensitive atomic systems.
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All authors Z.-Y. Chen, Z.-X. Fu, Z.-R He, Z.-Y. Chen, S.-A. Cheng, J.-H. Liang, S.-C. Zhang, Y.-X. Du, C. Li

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

Evidence for the Moon and Sun shadows with cosmic rays at an average energy of $\text{7}{\times}\text{10}^\text{17}\,$eV

The Pierre Auger Collaboration, A. Abdul Halim, P. Abreu et al. (+347 more)

Interactions of cosmic rays with the Moon and the Sun produce deficits in their arrival-direction distributions relative to an isotropic flux. Such shadows have been observed previously at energies between $10^{12}\,$eV and $10^{16}\,$eV. We report the first evidence for the Moon and Sun shadows at cosmic-ray energies larger than about $10^{16}\,$eV (average energy of $7\times10^{17}\,$eV), using data collected by the Pierre Auger Observatory. We employ data from three detector arrays covering $3000\,\text{km}^2$, $27\,\text{km}^2$, and $2\,\text{km}^2$, with spacings of $1500\,\text{m}$, $750\,\text{m}$, and $433\,\text{m}$, respectively. The data amount to over 10.6 million events. The Moon and Sun shadows are detected with a combined significance of approximately $3\sigma$. These observations confirm the pointing accuracy of the Surface Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory using celestial bodies. From the combined Sun and Moon shadows, we infer an overall angular resolution of $(0.59^{+0.15}_{-0.11})^\circ$.
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All authors The Pierre Auger Collaboration, A. Abdul Halim, P. Abreu, M. Aglietta, M. Ahmed, I. Allekotte, K. Almeida Cheminant, R. Aloisio, J. Alvarez-Muñiz, A. Ambrosone, J. Ammerman Yebra, L. Anchordoqui, B. Andrada, L. Andrade Dourado, L. Apollonio, C. Aramo, J.C. Arteaga Velázquez, P. Assis, G. Avila, E. Avocone, A. Bakalova, Y. Balibrea, A. Baluta, F. Barbato, A. Bartz Mocellin, O. Batalla Cruz, J.P. Behler, C. Berat, M.E. Bertaina, M. Bianciotto, P.L. Biermann, V. Binet, K. Bismark, T. Bister, J. Biteau, J. Blazek, J. Blümer, M. Boháčová, D. Boncioli, C. Bonifazi, N. Borodai, J. Brack, P.G. Brichetto Orquera, S. Buitink, A. Bwembya, T.R. Caba Pineda, K.S. Caballero-Mora, S. Cabana-Freire, L. Caccianiga, J. Caraça-Valente, R. Caruso, A. Castellina, F. Catalani, G. Cataldi, L. Cazon, M. Cerda, B. Čermáková, A. Cermenati, K. Cerny, J.A. Chinellato, J. Chudoba, L. Chytka, R.W. Clay, A.C. Cobos Cerutti, R. Colalillo, R. Conceição, G. Consolati, M. Conte, F. Convenga, D. Correia dos Santos, P.J. Costa, C.E. Covault, M. Cristinziani, C.S. Cruz Sanchez, S. Dasso, K. Daumiller, B.R. Dawson, R.M. de Almeida, E.-T. de Boone, B. de Errico, J. de Jesús, S.J. de Jong, J.R.T. de Mello Neto, I. De Mitri, D. de Oliveira Franco, F. de Palma, V. de Souza, E. De Vito, A. Del Popolo, O. Deligny, N. Denner, K. Denner Syrokvas, L. Deval, A. di Matteo, C. Dobrigkeit, J.C. D'Olivo, L.M. Domingues Mendes, T. Dominguez, Y. Dominguez Ballesteros, Q. Dorosti, R.C. dos Anjos, J. Ebr, F. Ellwanger, R. Engel, M. Erdmann, A. Etchegoyen, C. Evoli, H. Falcke, G. Farrar, A.C. Fauth, T. Fehler, F. Feldbusch, A. Fernandes, M. Fernández Alonso, B. Fick, J.M. Figueira, P. Filip, A. Filipčič, B. Flaggs, A. Franco, M. Freitas, T. Fujii, A. Fuster, C. Galea, B. García, C. Gaudu, P.L. Ghia, U. Giaccari, M. Giammarco, C. Glaser, F. Gobbi, F. Gollan, G. Golup, P.F. Gómez Vitale, J.P. Gongora, N. González, D. Góra, A. Gorgi, M. Gottowik, F. Guarino, G.P. Guedes, Y.C. Guerra, L. Gülzow, S. Hahn, P. Hamal, M.R. Hampel, P. Hansen, A. Haungs, M. Havelka, T. Hebbeker, C. Hojvat, J.R. Hörandel, M. Horvat, P. Horvath, M. Hrabovský, T. Huege, A. Insolia, P.G. Isar, M. Ismaiel, P. Janecek, V. Jilek, K.-H. Kampert, B. Keilhauer, V.V. Kizakke Covilakam, H.O. Klages, M. Kleifges, A. Klingel, J. Köhler, F. Krieger, M. Kubatova, N. Kunka, B.L. Lago, N. Langner, N. Leal, M.A. Leigui de Oliveira, Y. Lema-Capeans, A. Letessier-Selvon, I. Lhenry-Yvon, L. Lopes, M. Mallamaci, S. Mancuso, D. Mandat, P. Mantsch, A.G. Mariazzi, C. Marinelli, I.C. Mariş, G. Marsella, D. Martello, S. Martinelli, O. Martínez Bravo, A. Martínez-Mendez, M.A. Martins, H.-J. Mathes, J. Matthews, G. Matthiae, E. Mayotte, S. Mayotte, P.O. Mazur, G. Medina-Tanco, D. Melo, A. Menshikov, C. Merx, S. Michal, M.I. Micheletti, L. Miramonti, M. Mogarkar, S. Mollerach, F. Montanet, L. Morejon, K. Mulrey, R. Mussa, W.M. Namasaka, S. Negi, L. Nellen, K. Nguyen, G. Nicora, M. Niechciol, D. Nitz, D. Nosek, A. Novikov, V. Novotny, L. Nožka, A. Nucita, L.A. Núñez, S.E. Nuza, J. Ochoa, M. Olegario, C. Oliveira, L. Östman, M. Palatka, J. Pallotta, G. Parente, T. Paulsen, M. Pech, J. Pękala, R. Pelayo, C. Pérez Bertolli, L. Perrone, S. Petrera, T. Pierog, M. Pimenta, M. Platino, P. Privitera, C. Priyadarshi, M. Prouza, K. Pytel, S. Querchfeld, J. Rautenberg, D. Ravignani, J.V. Reginatto Akim, M.Z. Rennó, A. Reuzki, J. Ridky, F. Riehn, M. Risse, V. Rizi, B. Rocha Moldes, E. Rodriguez, G. Rodriguez Fernandez, J. Rodriguez Rojo, S. Rossoni, M. Roth, E. Roulet, A.C. Rovero, A. Saftoiu, M. Saharan, F. Salamida, H. Salazar, G. Salina, P. Sampathkumar, N. San Martin, J.D. Sanabria Gomez, F. Sánchez, F.M. Sánchez Rodriguez, E. Santos, F. Sarazin, R. Sarmento, R. Sato, P. Savina, V. Scherini, H. Schieler, M. Schimp, D. Schmidt, O. Scholten, H. Schoorlemmer, P. Schovánek, F.G. Schröder, J. Schulte, T. Schulz, S.J. Sciutto, M. Scornavacche, A. Sedoski, S. Sehgal, S.U. Shivashankara, G. Sigl, K. Simkova, F. Simon, R. Šmída, S. Soares Sippert, P. Sommers, S. Stanič, J. Stasielak, P. Stassi, S. Strähnz, M. Straub, T. Suomijärvi, A.D. Supanitsky, Z. Svozilikova, Z. Szadkowski, F. Tairli, A. Tapia, C. Taricco, C. Timmermans, O. Tkachenko, P. Tobiska, C.J. Todero Peixoto, B. Tomé, A. Travaini, P. Travnicek, C. Trimarelli, M. Tueros, M. Unger, R. Uzeiroska-Geyik, L. Vaclavek, M. Vacula, I. Vaiman, J.F. Valdés Galicia, L. Valore, P. van Dillen, E. Varela, V. Vašíčková, A. Vásquez-Ramírez, D. Veberič, I.D. Vergara Quispe, S. Verpoest, V. Verzi, J. Vicha, S. Vorobiov, J.B. Vuta, A.A. Watson, A. Weindl, M. Weitz, L. Wiencke, H. Wilczyński, B. Wundheiler, B. Yue, A. Yushkov, E. Zas, D. Zavrtanik, M. Zavrtanik

Astrophysics of Galaxies

MIGHTEE-HI: Environmental effects of cosmic filaments on extragalactic HI detections in the COSMOS and XMM-LSS fields

Seoyoung Lyla Jung, Madalina N. Tudorache, Matt J. Jarvis et al. (+8 more)

Cosmic filaments have been recognised as influencing galaxy evolution, but their connection to galactic cold gas reservoirs is elusive, particularly at low redshifts. We investigate the influence of filaments on neutral hydrogen (HI) detections in galaxies at $0.02<z<0.09$, using the MeerKAT International GHz Tiered Extragalactic Exploration (MIGHTEE) survey in the COSMOS and XMM-LSS fields. We measure the fraction of optical galaxies from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Survey detected in HI emission as a function of stellar mass, morphology, local density, and the distance to the nearest filament. We find that galaxies closer to filaments have higher stellar masses, higher local densities, and a larger early-type fraction, all of which affect the HI detection. After controlling for these dependencies, filaments have measurable effects on HI detection. Late-type galaxies in low-local density environments show reduced HI detection fractions close to filaments across all stellar mass ranges, suggesting potential gas depletion through ram pressure stripping and cosmic web detachment. Massive early-type galaxies show an enhanced HI detection fraction in filaments compared to the voids, suggesting possible gas replenishment through filamentary accretion or gas-rich mergers. Our results suggest that cosmic filaments influence galactic HI gas reservoirs through various competing processes, whose relative importance varies with stellar mass and local density.
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All authors Seoyoung Lyla Jung, Madalina N. Tudorache, Matt J. Jarvis, Michalina Maksymowicz-Maciata, Maarten Baes, Marcin Glowacki, Natasha Maddox, Anastasia A. Ponomareva, Kristine Spekkens, Tariq Yasin, Bohan Yue

Materials Science · Cross-listed from cs.LG

Active Learning Guided Design Space Refinement for Scalable Multi-Objective Bayesian Optimization in Materials Discovery

Alexandros Ntagiantas, Panagiotis Tsilimidos, George Giannakopoulos et al. (+2 more)

Advanced materials discovery increasingly relies on machine learning and Bayesian optimization to explore large discrete design spaces under limited evaluation budgets. However, conventional Bayesian optimization (BO) can become inefficient as candidate spaces grow, often evaluating low-value regions before reaching informative areas. We propose an active-learning (AL)-guided adaptive search-space refinement framework combined with multi-objective BO to accelerate materials optimization while preserving Pareto-relevant regions. We evaluate the approach on CH4/N2 separation in covalent-organic frameworks and pressure-vessel design with material-direction stress components and thickness objectives. Results show that the AL-guided refinement reduces the candidate space by approximately half while preserving more than 99 percent of the original hypervolume. The reduced-space strategy improves early convergence and cumulative Pareto-front discovery from the BO, demonstrating efficient large-scale materials optimization across constrained autonomous materials discovery settings.
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All authors Alexandros Ntagiantas, Panagiotis Tsilimidos, George Giannakopoulos, Christoforos Rekatsinas, Panagiotis Krokidas

Materials Science

Nanosecond timescale plasticity in shock-compressed polycrystalline MgO: evidence for transition in mechanism above 100 GPa

A. Chakraborti, H. Ginestet, F. Bertrand et al. (+80 more)

The mechanical properties of ceramics under extreme conditions directly impact applications ranging from shielding spacecrafts, designing plasma facing materials in nuclear fusion to understanding the rheology of deep planetary interiors. Here, we use polycrystalline MgO as a model ceramic to understand the high-pressure-temperature mechanical behaviour of such materials under extreme strain rates. We use laser-driven shock compression up to 175(15) GPa on the principal Hugoniot along with ultrafast diagnostics at the European X-ray Free Electron Laser to probe the dominant deformation mechanisms with changing P -T conditions. These near-instantaneous time-resolved snapshots, coupled with elasto-viscoplastic self-consistent (EVPSC) simulations, strongly suggest that MgO attains plastic regime in the nanoseconds scale accompanied by a pressure-mediated change in dominant slip system between 95 and 175 GPa. This work provides a new direct window into the deformation dynamics of polycrystalline ceramics under high-velocity impacts.
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All authors A. Chakraborti, H. Ginestet, F. Bertrand, J. Chantel, S. Merkel, M. Harmand, S. Pandolfi, A. Amouretti, M. Andrzejewski, K. Appel, E. Barraud, A.B. Belonoshko, E. Brambrink, K. Buakor, C. Camarda, O. Castelnau, D.M. Cheshire, G. Collins, T.E. Cowan, C. Crépisson, J. Deng, X. Fang, M. Fitzgerald, A. Gleason, F. Hanby, N.J. Hartley, P.G. Heighway, H. Höppner, N. Jaisle, J. Kim, Z. Konopkova, D. Kraus, A. Krygier, L. Libon, C.M. Lonsdale, S-N. Luo, W. Lynn, M. Masruri, E.E. McBride, D. McGonegle, J.D. McHardy, M.I. McMahon, R.S. McWilliams, T. Michelat, B. Nagler, M. Nakatsutsumi, A-M. Norton, I. Ocampo, I.I. Oleynik, C. Otzen, S.E. Parsons, D.J. Peake, A. Pelka, A. Phelipeau, C. Prescher, T.R. Preston, N. Pulver, L. Rogal, J-P. Schwinkendorf, G. Shoulga, R.F. Smith, S. Singh, C.N. Somarathna, T. Stevens, C.V. Storm, C. Strohm, T-A. Suer, M. Tang, A. Tipeev, M. Toncian, T. Toncian, U. Trdan, T. Tschentscher, J.D. Umpleby-Thorp, L. Wang, J.S. Wark, A. Descamps, A. Higginbotham, T.M. Hutchinson, C. McGuire, A. Sollier, G. Morard, J.H. Eggert

Fluid Dynamics

Erodible bed turbulence modulation driven by transition between longitudinal and transverse bedforms at varying Shields numbers

Yinghaonan Lei, Ping Wang and Xiaojing Zheng

The mechanism of turbulence modulation in particle-laden flow over erodible beds remains an open question. Using particle-resolved direct numerical simulations, this study realises a longitudinal-to-transverse bedform transition by varying the Shields number, revealing non-monotonic modulation of near-wall turbulence. At low Shields numbers, streamwise sediment ridges generate form-induced streaks that produce a distinct secondary peak in the premultiplied energy spectra, exceeding the conventional near-wall turbulent peak and enhancing the turbulent kinetic energy. As the Shields number increases, saltation intensifies and disrupts these structures, causing the secondary peak to vanish in the streamwise direction and weaken in the spanwise direction, thereby suppressing turbulence. Proper orthogonal decomposition of the bed surface reveals a redistribution of modal contribution from a single dominant mode to higher-order modes, with longitudinal features persisting as remnants, directly linking bedform evolution to turbulence modulation.
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Accelerator Physics

Accessing the symmetric component of quadrupole misalignment through counter-rotating closed orbits in EDM storage rings

Ibrahim Abedrabbo and Selcuk Hac{\i}ömeroğlu

In the storage ring proposed to measure the proton electric dipole moment (EDM), quadrupole misalignments of a few microns mimic a genuine EDM through a geometric (Berry) phase; at a 10 micron rms misalignment the false signal is up to a thousand times the target sensitivity of 1e-29 e-cm. The misalignment splits into an antisymmetric component, which distorts the closed orbit and is visible to the beam-position monitors, and a symmetric component, whose orbit signature is strongly suppressed. Standard single-beam orbit correction therefore removes only the antisymmetric part. The proposed design reaches the symmetric one by beam-based alignment (BBA), which is effective but relatively slow and invasive. Using symplectic beam and spin tracking, we show that correcting the two counter-rotating beams jointly recovers the symmetric component from the orbit itself; it is carried by the sum of the two orbits, whereas their difference is blind and a single beam is far too weak to recover it. The static BPM offset is degenerate with the symmetric misalignment in this sum, so the scheme does not replace the initial absolute alignment. However, the drift is differential and the offset cancels, so continuous two-beam correction maintains the alignment after a single initial BBA calibration, reducing the repeated realignment required by the original proton EDM proposal.
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Materials Science

The Frequency-Dependent Spin Contribution to the Magnetoelectric Tensor of Cr$_2$O$_3$: A First-Principles Study

Torsten Geirsson, Davide Sangalli, Alberto García-Cristóbal et al. (+1 more)

The magnetoelectric (ME) effect provides a promising pathway for controlling magnetic functionalities using electric fields. While first-principles methods for the static linear ME response are well established, comparable approaches for the frequency-dependent response remain less developed, despite experiments showing pronounced finite-frequency resonances. Here, we investigate the dynamical spin-induced linear ME response from first principles and systematically compare the independent-particle approximation (IPA), random-phase approximation (RPA), time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT), and the Bethe-Salpeter equation (BSE). We apply these methods to the prototypical ME material Cr$_2$O$_3$ and compare the results with available experimental and theoretical studies. We find that the IPA and RPA fail to reproduce the previously reported finite static limit of the spin-induced response. Within the BSE framework, pronounced excitonic resonances emerge in the ME spectrum, in qualitative agreement with experiment. We also identify a magnon-like peak that coincides with a pole of the transverse spin susceptibility while remaining essentially dark in optical absorption, highlighting the sensitivity of the ME response to spin excitations. TDDFT places this mode closer to the expected low-energy magnonic regime and yields a sizable static spin-induced response. Our results show that these frameworks capture complementary aspects of the dynamical ME response. Low-energy collective spin excitations are required to recover the static limit, whereas electron-hole interactions are essential for reproducing the excitonic resonances.
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All authors Torsten Geirsson, Davide Sangalli, Alberto García-Cristóbal, Alejandro Molina-Sánchez

Soft Condensed Matter

Structural and dynamical behavior of methane-water systems under nanoconfinement

José Torres-Arenas, Ángel M. Fernández-Fernández, Martín Pérez-Rodríguez et al. (+1 more)

We investigate the structural and dynamical behavior of methane water systems under nanoconfinement using molecular dynamics simulations across pore widths from 1 to 5 nm. Structural analysis reveals a strong and nonmonotonic dependence on confinement: while tetrahedral ordering partially recovers as confinement is reduced, cubic like order associated with clathrate precursors is maximized at intermediate pore sizes. Radial distribution functions show that three dimensional correlations are suppressed under strong confinement, whereas lateral ordering persists, indicating a reduction in the effective dimensionality of structural organization. Transport properties reflect the same structural competition. Parallel diffusion is nonmonotonic with pore size, while perpendicular motion is subdiffusive due to confinement induced trapping and heterogeneity. Methane exhibits stronger subdiffusion and remains dynamically coupled to the water matrix. A characteristic confinement length scale emerges at which structural ordering, dynamical heterogeneity, and solvent solute decoupling are simultaneously maximized. At strong confinement, three dimensional correlations are suppressed, leading to dimensional reduction, frustrated ordering, and inhibited nucleation.
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All authors José Torres-Arenas, Ángel M. Fernández-Fernández, Martín Pérez-Rodríguez, Manuel M. Piñeiro

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics

Methods for traceable scanning magnetometry using single nitrogen vacancy centers in diamond: determining orientation, distance and localization

Nikhita Khera, Ephraim Spindler, Yanis Abdedou et al. (+7 more)

Individual, scannable nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in single crystal diamond nanostructures enable nanoscale, quantitative imaging of magnetic stray fields. Nevertheless, important parameters like distance between the NV center and the sample and the orientation of the NV high symmetry axis are often not known precisely and enter data evaluation as free fitting parameters. We here use scanning NV imaging on micro-patterned, perpendicularly magnetized stripes and discs. From these measurements, we directly infer NV - sample distance d_NV and the NV's azimuthal orientation without the need for an external vector magnet control. We determine d_NV = 31.5 nm, while we infer the azimuthal orientation with a precision of 3{\deg}. We additionally employ commercially available silicon needles to image the apex topography of our diamond nanostructures to detect surface contamination. Simultaneously, monitoring NV fluorescence as a function of the needle's position allows us to estimate the lateral placement of the NV inside the diamond nanostructure.
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All authors Nikhita Khera, Ephraim Spindler, Yanis Abdedou, Marcel Gasser, Sandra Wolff, Bert Lägel, Robert Frömter, Mathias Weiler, Mathias Kläui, Elke Neu

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

Population synthesis and detection prospects for Galactic long-period transients with LISA

Arthur G. Suvorov, Nikolaos Karnesis and Valeriya Korol

The recently-discovered long-period radio transients represent a puzzling new class of astrophysical sources, some of which are thought to be compact binary systems emitting a pulse once per orbit. If this interpretation is correct, the orbital period–and therefore the gravitational-wave frequency–is directly encoded in the radio signal, which typically lies in the millihertz band. In this work, we explore whether these systems can be detected by the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). Assuming that this phase-locking between radio pulses and orbital motion applies broadly across the population, we construct synthetic source catalogues informed by both observations and theoretical models of related systems, such as cataclysmic variables. We estimate that between $\sim 0.05\%$ and $\sim 6\%$ of long-period transients will be detectable within four years of observation with LISA, depending on astrophysical assumptions. For detectable systems, we find injected frequencies are recoverable to one part in $\sim 10^{5}$, amplitudes to within a factor $\sim 2$, and the sky positions to within $\sim$30 square degrees. Our results demonstrate that gravitational-wave observations can provide direct evidence for the binary nature of these sources and, importantly, can guide future radio surveys by predicting pulse periods, sky positions, and orbital properties. The mismatch between extracted frequency derivatives and that imposed by gravitational-wave decay is also computed to show that the likelihood of electromotive losses driving orbital evolution can be assessed for each detectable candidate.
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Quantum Physics

Efficient Depth–Ancilla Tradeoffs for Hamming Weight Computation and Symmetric Boolean Functions

Wei Zi, Pei Yuan, Junhong Nie et al. (+1 more)

Hamming weight computation maps an $n$-bit input to the number of ones it contains. It is a basic subroutine in quantum computing, and the core building block for symmetric Boolean functions, whose value depends only on the Hamming weight of the input. Moreover, symmetric Boolean functions are among the most common primitives in quantum computing. Efficient circuits for both problems are therefore important for the efficiency of many quantum algorithms. We study the depth-ancilla tradeoffs of Hamming weight computation under two qubit connectivity models, all-to-all and two-dimensional nearest-neighbor square grid (2D), in both the standard and dynamic circuit models. In the standard all-to-all model, we obtain depth $O(\log n)$ with a sublinear number of ancillas. In the standard 2D model, we give a circuit of depth $O(\sqrt n)$ with $O(\log^2 n)$ ancillas, and a matching lower bound showing that $\Theta(\sqrt n)$ is optimal. In both dynamic models, we obtain constant-depth circuits with $O(n^{1+\varepsilon}\operatorname{polylog}\,n)$ ancillary qubits for every fixed $\varepsilon>0$. All constructions give a smooth depth-ancilla tradeoff, and they also extend to arbitrary symmetric Boolean functions.
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All authors Wei Zi, Pei Yuan, Junhong Nie, Shengyu Zhang

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

Type I X-Ray Burst Models With Rotation

David Martin and Jordi Jose

Type I X-ray bursts are powered by unstable thermonuclear burning on the surface of accreting neutron stars in close binary systems. These brief X-ray flashes, with light curves featuring rise times of $1-10$ s, durations of $10-100$ s, and recurrence periods of hours to days, represent the most frequent stellar explosions in our Galaxy. With typical energies of $\sim 10^{39}-10^{40}$ erg, they rank among the most powerful astrophysical transients after supernovae and classical novae. To date, roughly 120 bursting X-ray binaries have been identified in the Milky Way. Several studies have been conducted to characterize the dynamics of these events, with emphasis on reproducing the observed recurrence periods and light curve shapes. In this paper we show, for the first time, that rotation is a key factor shaping the properties of Type I X-ray bursts in rapidly spinning systems. The inclusion of centrifugal forces, together with a suite of rotationally-induced mixing mechanisms, such as meridional circulation and shear-induced turbulent diffusion, reduce surface gravity, shortening the recurrence times and lowering burst energies. Rotation also modifies the extent of the nuclear activity during these events and affects the morphology of their light curves, which are distinctly broader for rapidly rotating neutron stars.
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Quantum Physics

Solving Differential Equations Using Continuous-Variable Quantum Annealing

Kazuki Miyanishi, Soshun Naito, Asuka Koura et al. (+3 more)

Most existing quantum annealing approaches are formulated for qubit-based architectures. Consequently, applying them to continuous-variable optimization problems requires discretizing the variables, which can incur substantial qubit overhead. Continuous-variable quantum annealing based on bosonic systems has recently been proposed as an alternative framework, in which each optimization variable is directly encoded in a bosonic mode, such as a cavity mode. In this work, we develop a continuous-variable quantum annealing formulation for solving linear differential equations. By recasting the determination of the solution as a continuous-variable optimization problem, the differential equation can be mapped onto an objective function compatible with bosonic quantum annealing. Numerical simulations of second-order linear differential equations demonstrate that, under the conditions considered, the proposed formulation reproduces the corresponding analytical solutions. These results establish a potential route toward solving differential equations without the discretization overhead inherent in qubit-based implementations.
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All authors Kazuki Miyanishi, Soshun Naito, Asuka Koura, Kazue Kudo, Toshiki Yamaji, Yuichiro Matsuzaki

High Energy Physics (Theory)

Probe Dependence of the Imaginary Part of HTEE

Mohammad Ali-Akbari

We investigate the holographic timelike entanglement entropy (HTEE) in a five-dimensional anisotropic background, dual to a strongly coupled anisotropic plasma. Using the complex extremal surface method, we compute the HTEE analytically in the high-temperature, small-anisotropy limit $aT \ll 1$. We consider two different orientations of the boundary timelike interval: one perpendicular to the anisotropy direction and one parallel to it. We find that the imaginary part of the HTEE is not a universal property of the geometry but depends sensitively on the orientation of the extremal surface relative to the anisotropy. This demonstrates that the imaginary part arising from the UV logarithmic divergence is a probe-dependent quantity. Our results suggest that the imaginary part of HTEE can serve as a diagnostic of the coupling between the extremal surface and the anisotropic degrees of freedom of the dual field theory.
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High Energy Physics (Phenomenology)

Separating Equation-of-State Dynamics from Hadronic Rescattering in Low-Mass Dileptons

Apiwit Kittiratpattana, Ayut Limphirat, Yupeng Yan et al. (+1 more)

We investigate low-mass dilepton emission as a probe of the QCD equation of state and phase structure within non-equilibrium chiral fluid dynamics, comparing first-order phase-transition and crossover scenarios at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=2.20-6.20$~GeV. To disentangle effects of the macroscopic equation-of-state dynamics from conventional hadronic in-medium modifications, the $\rho$ and $\omega$ meson self-energies are calculated from the same resonance-driven forward-scattering amplitudes in both scenarios. We find two temporally distinct signatures of the first-order phase transition: an early enhancement in the vector-meson pole region associated with the non-equilibrium evolution through the phase transition, and a later enhancement of the low-mass continuum driven by reheating and the prolonged fireball evolution. Both effects survive integration over the complete space-time evolution, with the pole-mass region retaining the strongest sensitivity to the phase structure. Across the investigated beam energies, the pole-mass excitation function retains a pronounced sensitivity to first-order transition dynamics at low collision energies, identifying this mass region as a promising target for future dilepton beam-energy scans.
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All authors Apiwit Kittiratpattana, Ayut Limphirat, Yupeng Yan, Christoph Herold

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

Diffractive Sail H-Reversal Trajectory: Theoretical Feasibility, Design Strategies, and Applications

Jinkai Zhang, Shuyue Fu, Di Wu et al. (+2 more)

With the growing threat of near-Earth asteroid, planetary defense serves as a vital shield against catastrophic disasters. Kinetic impact utilizing an angular momentum reversal (H-reversal) trajectory of a solar sail is a highly advantageous defense approach. However, traditional reflective sails (RS) are constrained during these maneuvers by attitude-thrust coupling and a degradation of solar radiation pressure utilization at the high cone angles required for transverse acceleration. To enhance impact performance and simplify control, this paper proposes an H-reversal impact scheme utilizing a Sun-facing diffractive sail (SFDS) under a one-stage diffraction angle {\theta}d strategy and a two-stage {\theta}d strategy. The feasible parameter spaces for both strategies were mapped using the hodograph method. Tailored trajectory design methods were established for both strategies based on the feasibility analysis. Apophis impact scenario was considered, and the corresponding trajectories were constructed. Simulations demonstrate that the one-stage {\theta}d SFDS outperforms RS through a 21% increase in the impact velocity and a 35% decrease in the mission duration. Furthermore, the proposed two-stage {\theta}d strategy yields an additional 9km/s gain in impact velocity. By utilizing SFDS H-reversal trajectories, this research establishes an emergency planetary defense framework characterized by rapid response and high kinetic energy.
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All authors Jinkai Zhang, Shuyue Fu, Di Wu, Lin Cheng, Shengping Gong

High Energy Physics (Theory)

On the Fermion Level Crossing in the Electroweak Instanton Background

P. E. Mogaddam and S. S. Gousheh

We investigate fermion level crossing in the electroweak instanton background, taking into account the Euclidean-time dependence of the fermion energy throughout our analysis, from the field equations to the spectral flow of fermion energy levels. Modifying the standard fermion ansatzes, we show that, irrespective of the model parameters, the duration over which the fermion energy spectrum flows from one continuum to another corresponds to exactly one unit change in the Chern–Simons number of the instanton. We further demonstrate that incorporating this time dependence is essential for establishing a one-to-one correspondence between the number of fermion zero modes and the instanton winding number, providing a numerical confirmation of the index theorem in the context of instanton backgrounds.
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Nuclear Experiment

Directed Flow of Protons and Deuterons in Xe+Cs(I) Collisions: Preliminary BM@N Data and THESEUS Modeling

M. E. Kozhevnikova, M. V. Mamaev, I. A. Zhavoronkova et al. (+2 more)

Preliminary BM@N results on the directed flow ($v_1$) of protons and deuterons in Xe+Cs(I) collisions at 3.8$A$ GeV are presented for the 10-40% centrality interval. The measured rapidity dependence of $v_1$ is compared with calculations from the THESEUS event generator, where deuterons are produced thermodynamically on an equal basis with hadrons using a late freeze-out scenario. While THESEUS well describes the proton $v_1$ data, it shows a slight but systematic overestimation of the deuteron flow at low and intermediate rapidities. This comparison tests both the collective dynamics of baryon-rich matter and the thermodynamic mechanism of light-nucleus formation at Nuclotron energies.
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All authors M. E. Kozhevnikova, M. V. Mamaev, I. A. Zhavoronkova, A. V. Taranenko, Yu. B. Ivanov

Optics

Universal Function Approximation via Diffractive Optical Processors: Physical Limits, Error Bounds, and Learnability

Md Sadman Sakib Rahman, Che-Yung Shen and Aydogan Ozcan

We present a unified theoretical framework connecting classical universal approximation theory, Fourier-feature approximation, and diffractive optical processors. We show that phase-encoded diffractive processors implement finite Fourier-feature expansions whose mathematical completeness follows from Fourier/Stone-Weierstrass arguments, while their physical realizability is governed by finite coefficient synthesis through optimized spatially varying coherent point-spread functions (PSFs). Our analyses derive approximation-error bounds that separate Fourier truncation, PSF-synthesis, input phase error, optical hardware, readout, and noise contributions; establish scaling relationships linking approximation complexity to optical degrees of freedom and input/output space-bandwidth products; derive photon-budget and throughput limits imposed by photon statistics; formulate finite-class statistical learnability bounds for phase-quantized diffractive function approximators; and analyze the impact of spatially incoherent illumination. We further analyze coherent optical cascadability and show that quadratic feature expansion through coherent mixing and optical readout provides a mechanism for enhanced representation while remaining fundamentally distinct from the depth-separation results established for digital neural networks. Our analyses provide a rigorous theoretical foundation for diffractive nonlinear function approximation and establish quantitative relationships among mathematical expressivity, optical hardware resources, statistical learning, and physical performance limits, thereby offering general design principles for large-scale analog optical computing systems.
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Optics

Design of a thermal loading resilient optical enhancement cavity for operation at 515 nm for X-ray production through inverse Compton scattering in an energy recovery linac

Alice Renaux, Aurelien Martens, Yann Peinaud et al. (+5 more)

A fast and simple method to optimize a high-power optical enhancement cavity is proposed. It is applied to a four-mirror bow-tie cavity operating at 515 nm, which is to be implemented within the PERLE ERL for the production of X-rays through inverse Compton scattering. The optimized figure of merit is the expected X-ray photon rate. Thermal loading is carefully evaluated, giving also a path towards very high average power operation in infrared. One shows that photon rates exceeding 10^11 per second at average energies above 280 keV in apertures of a few miliradians are within reach. For easier comparison with existing Compact X-ray sources providing high rates of photons, the performance of the proposed design is also evaluated for a system delivering infrared laser pulses. It is shown that a source delivering more than 10^13 photons per second is achievable with this design, an unprecedented performance for existing Compton X-ray sources. The design procedure employed here can be easily applied to other applications of high-power high-finesse optical cavities.
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All authors Alice Renaux, Aurelien Martens, Yann Peinaud, Ronic Chiche, Kevin Dupraz, Marie Jacquet, Daniele Nutarelli, Fabian Zomer

Quantum Physics

Measurement-induced generation of Schrödinger cat states in cavity QED

Tong Wang, Peng-Fei Wei, Hai-Jun Xing et al. (+1 more)

Schrödinger cat states, representing coherent superpositions of macroscopically distinguishable states, are indispensable nonclassical resources for continuous-variable quantum information processing. Existing generation protocols typically rely on strong nonlinear interactions, complicated control techniques, or engineered dissipation, posing challenges for experimental implementation. Here, we propose a simple measurement-based protocol for generating Schrödinger cat states in a cavity-QED system by combining coherent driving, dispersive atom–cavity interactions, and atomic postselection. The atom–cavity interaction establishes coherent correlations between the atomic and photonic degrees of freedom, while the subsequent atomic postselection projects the cavity field onto a non-Gaussian superposition state with pronounced Wigner negativity. Numerical simulations based on the Lindblad master equation show that the generated Schrödinger cat states remain robust against moderate cavity dissipation. Our results demonstrate that conditional atomic measurements provide an effective and experimentally accessible approach for preparing nonclassical cavity states without relying on strong optical nonlinearities or engineered dissipation.
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All authors Tong Wang, Peng-Fei Wei, Hai-Jun Xing, Zhihai Wang

Quantum Physics

Resource Estimation for Fault-Tolerant Quantum Programs

Bonan Su, Yuan Feng, Li Zhou et al. (+1 more)

Fault-tolerant quantum computation enables the deployment of practical quantum algorithms but incurs substantial overhead from error correction, making resource estimation a central concern. Beyond case-by-case analyses, existing quantum programming languages either require programmers to manipulate low-level hardware details, rendering fault-tolerant implementations cumbersome, or abstract away the underlying error-correction schemes, reducing the effectiveness of resource utilization and estimation. To address these limitations while preserving programmability, we present a quantum programming language that enables efficient resource utilization, together with a resource-estimation framework for comprehensive resource analysis. Our framework features programmer-visible abstractions of error-correction schemes and cross-layer program-hardware analysis, allowing systematic exploration of resource trade-offs. We evaluate our approach on detailed fault-tolerant implementations of practical large-scale quantum algorithms, including components typically treated as black boxes in existing frameworks. The results demonstrate that our framework enables substantial resource savings while delivering detailed, fine-grained, and accurate resource estimates for fault-tolerant quantum programs.
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All authors Bonan Su, Yuan Feng, Li Zhou, Mingsheng Ying

Quantum Physics

Quantum annealers as programmable thermal machines

Jakub Pawłowski, Tomasz Śmierzchalski, Fengping Jin et al. (+3 more)

Programmable quantum annealers are used for optimization, probabilistic sampling, and simulation, but their performance is commonly reported without the energy exchanged during computation. Here we characterize the D-Wave quantum annealer as a closed thermodynamic cycle. From initial and final Ising energies and an effective temperature fitted to the output distribution, we obtain lower bounds on entropy production, environment energy exchange, work, and power. By varying the prepared distribution and the reverse annealing turning point, we map heater-, accelerator-, refrigerator-, and engine-compatible regimes in one dimensional chains and higher connectivity instances, and apply the same analysis to Advantage and Advantage2 hardware. For an encoded optimization problem, the measured processor energy change states whether final candidates improve or worsen the programmed objective on average. For sampling, the fitted temperature provides an operational measure of how strongly probability is concentrated among low energy configurations. The thermodynamic mode therefore adds information absent from solution quality or runtime alone: it distinguishes driven refinement, net heating, and heat pumping while quantifying their energetic consequences. This framework connects quantum optimization, probabilistic computing, statistical physics simulation, hardware diagnostics, and energy-aware assessment without assuming that a thermodynamic label alone determines computational performance.
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All authors Jakub Pawłowski, Tomasz Śmierzchalski, Fengping Jin, Bartłomiej Gardas, Sebastian Deffner, Zakaria Mzaouali

High Energy Physics (Phenomenology)

A large size of the pion-like excitations in the stringy fluid above $T_{ch}$ is model independent and required by current algebra

L. Ya. Glozman

Multiple lattice evidences support the existence of a confining but chirally symmetric stringy fluid regime of QCD above the chiral symmetry restoration temperature at T_{ch} ~ 155 MeV. This regime is characterized by an approximate chiral spin symmetry and its extensions which means that the propagating excitations represent the chirally symmetric quarks connected into color singlets by the chromoelectric string. Clear \pi,\pi' peaks above T_{ch} were extracted on the lattice from the spatial and temporal correlators, which become broader with temperature and disappear roughly at $3T_{ch}$. The meson-like excitations above T_{ch} were studied within the manifestly confining and chirally symmetric model. It has been demonstrated that the chiral symmetry restoration in the confining regime happens because of Pauli blocking of the levels, required for the existence of the quark condensate, by the thermal quark excitation. The same Pauli blocking leads to a huge swelling of the low-spin mesons above T_{ch} which become infinitely large in the chiral limit. This property should be crucial for the explanation of the high collectivity and a very small mean-free path of the constituents above $T_{ch}$ seen experimentally. Here we demonstrate that the swelling of pions above T_{ch} is a model-independent effect required by current algebra.
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Statistical Mechanics

Analytical Floquet Quantum Statistics from Nonequilibrium Green's Functions

Yuhua Ren, Gaomin Tang, Hui Pan et al. (+1 more)

We derive an analytical expression for the steady-state quantum statistics of periodically driven quantum systems coupled to a bath using the nonequilibrium Green's function (NEGF) formalism. By embedding Floquet theory into NEGF, we obtain closed expressions for the retarded, advanced, and lesser Green's functions in the Floquet representation, yielding the Floquet Fermi distribution in which the steady-state occupation is expressed as a weighted sum of Fermi functions shifted by integer multiples of the driving frequency. The weights are determined solely by the Fourier components of the micromotion operator, providing a transparent interpretation of Floquet sideband occupations. Our analysis extends beyond the diagonal commuting Hamiltonians treated in earlier work, and further shows that the robust Floquet distribution remains valid for a broad class of weakly coupled bath spectral functions beyond the ideal featureless-bath approximation. Finally, we establish a Floquet version of the Landauer formula for the DC part of the current, in which the equilibrium Fermi functions are replaced by their Floquet-modified counterparts. Together, these results provide a coherent description of Floquet quantum statistics and transport in periodically driven open quantum systems.
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All authors Yuhua Ren, Gaomin Tang, Hui Pan, Jian-Sheng Wang

Optics

Photogalvanic second harmonic generation in Si3N4 for 1 Hz level on-chip metrology and spectroscopy

Andrei Diakonov, Roy Zektzer, Xiyuan Lu et al. (+2 more)

The coherent photogalvanic (PG) effect induces an effective $\chi^{(2)}$ nonlinearity in natively $\chi^{(3)}$ silicon nitride integrated photonics, unlocking pathways toward chip-scale precision spectroscopy and optical clockworks via second harmonic generation (SHG). While quasi-phase-matched PG-SHG using spatially varying internal electric fields offers tuning flexibility, it is often accompanied by pump-power- and detuning-dependent frequency offsets. Here, we investigate whether direct phase-matching—utilizing an intermodal scheme that generates a spatially uniform electric field—can support metrologically compatible SHG. By comparing the fundamental and doubled optical frequencies in a silicon nitride microresonator, we test the preservation of the (2:1) frequency ratio in directly phase-matched PG-SHG. We observe a frequency offset of $< 1\mathrm{~Hz}$, contrasting with previous limitations in quasi-phase-matched configurations. Furthermore, we measure a residual fractional frequency instability of $2\times 10^{-15}$ at $1\mathrm{~s}$, averaging down to the $10^{-16}$ level at $1000\mathrm{~s}$, with multi-hour deviations remaining below $1\mathrm{~Hz}$. These results establish directly phase-matched PG-SHG as a robust, metrologically compatible route to effective $\chi^{(2)}$ functionality, combining sub-Hz frequency-ratio fidelity and high coherence on a mature integrated platform for optical clockworks, self-referencing, and precision spectroscopy.
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All authors Andrei Diakonov, Roy Zektzer, Xiyuan Lu, Kartik Srinivasan, Liron Stern

High Energy Physics (Phenomenology)

Holographic light quark jet quenching in flavor resolved QCD plasmas

Huwei Zhu, Ke Ma and Zi-qiang Zhang

We study light quark energy loss in a quark-gluon plasma using the holographic falling-string framework on a machine-learning-calibrated Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton background for three flavor configurations: pure glue, two-flavor QCD, and full QCD with strangeness. Stopping distances are computed from null geodesics as functions of reduced temperature $T/T_c$ and baryon chemical potential $\mu$. For $T/T_c>1.03$, the flavor ordering of the integrated stopping distance stabilizes to $N_f=2+1>N_f=2>N_f=0$, corresponding to the quenching hierarchy $N_f=0>N_f=2>N_f=2+1$. This agrees with the flavor ordering obtained from the shooting-string $dE/dx$ when both are expressed in the reduced-temperature framework, providing a cross-check between local and integrated observables within the same holographic background. Near $T/T_c\simeq1$, the behavior is more complex due to the interplay between the $a$ and $b$ terms in $A(z)$ and the different $T_c$ values of the three systems. Finite baryon chemical potential monotonically shortens stopping distances and enhances quenching, with enhanced sensitivity near the QCD critical endpoint, consistent with expectations from RHIC beam energy scan measurements. We discuss the geometric origin of the high-$T/T_c$ flavor ordering and possible extensions to heavy-ion transport simulations.
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Quantum Physics

Coupling Does Not Reduce the Auxiliary-Mode Count for $1/|\omega|$ Spectra in Passive Lindblad Networks

Qing-Ao Xiang, Yan Liu, Xin-Yuan Yang et al. (+1 more)

Representing continuous environments by finitely many Markovian auxiliary modes is fundamental in non-Markovian open quantum systems, yet a critical question remains: at a fixed mode budget, can coherent intermode coupling reduce the spectral approximation error? We prove that intermode coupling offers no advantage when passive, number-conserving Gaussian Lindblad auxiliary networks approximate a $1/|\omega|$ spectrum over a finite two-sided frequency band. For any mode budget $N$, the general coupled class and its uncoupled diagonal subclass share the same optimal error, which is exactly the degree-$2N$ Zolotarev error for sign approximation. This optimum is attainable by $N$ independent damped auxiliary modes at zero detuning. The result holds when the auxiliary network is in a stationary vacuum state, the system couples to it via a single Hermitian bath operator, and no white-noise feedthrough term is present. Consequently, although a general coupled network has $O(N^{2})$ real parameters, coherent intermode coupling, collective dissipation, and nonnormal structure cannot reduce the number of auxiliary modes required to reach a prescribed tolerance. This exact relation yields both the minimum mode count for a prescribed positive-frequency dynamic range and tolerance, and the maximum dynamic range attainable for a prescribed mode budget and tolerance.
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All authors Qing-Ao Xiang, Yan Liu, Xin-Yuan Yang, Ya-Ju Song