Papers

We revisit Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) observations of GX~339$-$4 during the rising phase of its 2006/2007 outburst and apply a joint power-density-spectrum (PDS)–cross-spectrum (CS) decomposition to the type-C quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) region. Within this framework, the QPO region is described by a narrow QPO fundamental and a neighboring high-frequency shoulder, whose amplitudes and phase lags can be measured separately. The shoulder is first detected at MJD~54142.04, mainly through the imaginary part of the CS and a narrow local structure in the phase-lag spectrum, before becoming a resolved high-frequency shoulder in the PDS. It follows the QPO frequency evolution on the high-frequency side, with $R_{\nu}=\nu_{\rm sh}/\nu_{\rm QPO}\simeq1.04$–$1.18$. The QPO lag remains small, typically below $\sim0.17$~rad, whereas the shoulder carries a larger hard lag of $\sim0.5$–$0.8$~rad. Energy-resolved fits show the same separation: the QPO lag is close to zero or only weakly positive across most of the energy band, while the shoulder lag is systematically larger and generally increases with photon energy. The two components have broadly similar rms–energy shapes, although their relative strengths evolve during the observed sequence. Although the shoulder remains broad, with $Q\sim2$–$4$, its lag and rms–energy behavior resemble those of the type-B QPO detected shortly after our observations. This similarity raises the interesting possibility that the shoulder is related to an earlier, broader stage of the variability later seen as the type-B QPO.

We investigate how network geometry and excitation sector separately control pairwise entanglement decay in asymmetric multipartite $W$ states. To disentangle these effects, we introduce an analytically tractable $N$-qubit generalization of the asymmetric Lohmayer geometry and its complementary-excitation partner, yielding inequivalent vertex-base (VB) and base-base (BB) pair classes that can be compared directly with symmetric $W$-state references. We derive closed-form concurrence dynamics under representative one-sided noise models and find that, within either excitation sector, the VB concurrence has exactly the same noise dependence as the corresponding symmetric reference, preserving a noise-independent proportional advantage wherever both remain entangled. The amplitude-damping reordering previously identified for the three-qubit Lohmayer state is therefore a cross-sector effect rather than an intrinsic fragility of the VB geometry. In contrast, the BB pair exhibits a genuine same-sector structural fragility, with lower entanglement-sudden-death thresholds than the VB pair under depolarizing noise and, in the $(N-1)$-excitation sector, under amplitude damping. The results establish network geometry, excitation sector, and noise symmetry as distinct ingredients governing pairwise entanglement robustness in asymmetric quantum networks.

Reduced-frame structured illumination microscopy (SIM) is attractive for live-cell imaging because it can improve temporal throughput and reduce photobleaching, but incomplete phase sampling makes reconstruction unstable and computationally demanding. Here we present URA-SIM, a unified reduced-acquisition framework that turns fixed reduced-frame measurements into pipeline- compatible raw stacks through model-consistent phase-domain completion. Instead of solving a large object-level inverse problem or replacing established SIM reconstruction, URA-SIM estimates the missing phase content on the low-dimensional phase-harmonic manifold required by the target modality and then delegates order separation and image formation to classical reconstruction pipeline. This design combines three practical advantages: fidelity from the SIM forward structure, lightweight online computation, and direct compatibility with existing reconstruction workflows. For 2D-SIM, URA-SIM uses the first-harmonic phase structure of three-phase SIM to estimate a shared zero-order field and complete missing phase samples by direction-wise harmonic fitting. On calibration and biological 2D-SIM data, reduced-frame reconstructions preserve resolvable structures and remain competitive on COS7 mitochondria comparison data. In live-cell COS7 mitochondria imaging, URA-SIM reconstructs each time point from five acquired raw frames and resolves mitochondrial cristae across different temporal sampling regimes. Experiments on 3D-SIM and nonlinear SIM further show that the same design principle can be transferred when the phase model and reconstruction-pipeline interface are adapted to the target modality. These results support URA-SIM as a transparent, model-consistent and computationally lightweight route from fixed reduced-frame acquisition to classical SIM reconstruction workflows.

Nuclear batteries powered by alpha decay have been deployed successfully for over 60 years, on a worldwide $^{238}$Pu supply of kilograms per year. We show that the 14 MeV neutrons of a single deuterium-tritium fusion plant can produce alpha emitter battery fuels up to tons per year, in three classes: fuels with completely new production pathways ($^{236}$Pu, $^{227}$Ac, $^{210}$Pb), fuels previously proposed whose scarce feedstock the same pathways now breed at scale ($^{232}$U, $^{228}$Th), and the established $^{238}$Pu. OpenMC simulations of actinide channels in a tokamak blanket give, per GW yr of fusion: 11 to 57 kg of $^{236}$Pu, whose chain releases 18 GJ per gram over a century, ending at stable $^{208}$Pb, plus up to 5.2 t of co-product $^{238}$Pu; up to 1.4 t of $^{231}$Pa from thorium, and, from channel with $^{231}$Pa feedstock, up to $\sim$15 t of $^{232}$U or $\sim$122 kg of $^{210}$Pb, with $^{227}$Ac produced at 21 g/yr per tonne of $^{231}$Pa. Neutron capture also upgrades $^{241}$Am to a $^{242}$Cm/$^{242m}$Am/$^{241}$Am/$^{238}$Pu blend with up to 10 times higher power density. The same $^{236}$Pu and $^{232}$U also serve as proliferation safeguards: the $^{237}$Np, $^{232}$Th, and $^{231}$Pa channel products are self-protecting, the plutonium by $^{236}$Pu and $^{238}$Pu decay heat and the 2.6 MeV gammas from $^{208}$Tl content, and similarly the uranium from its $^{232}$U. Many of these fuels ($^{236}$Pu, $^{232}$U, $^{228}$Th, $^{227}$Ac) have an order of magnitude higher power and energy density than current alpha emitters, and at human spaceflight-relevant doses the $^{227}$Ac and $^{210}$Pb chains need less shield mass than $^{238}$Pu or $^{241}$Am above a few hundred watts. Fusion neutrons could therefore enable nuclear batteries at the kilowatt to megawatt scale and unlock new possibilities for power sources requiring exceptionally high energy density.

Binarized Fourier single-pixel imaging (FSI) takes full advantage of the high modulation speed of digital micromirror devices by applying Floyd-Steinberg spatial dithering to binarize grayscale Fourier patterns. However, the use of the spatial dithering introduces substantial quantization errors, leading to decreasing imaging quality. Here, we propose a binarization method for grayscale Fourier patterns based on exponential multi-graylevel computational-weighted dithering, aimed at reducing quantization errors and then enhancing the imaging quality of binarized FSI. The proposed method quantizes Fourier patterns into $2^{R}$ values $\{0, 1/(R-1), 2/(R-1)... 1\}$ and then decomposes them into binarized patterns. Both simulation and experimental results demonstrate that the method significantly reduces quantization errors in Fourier coefficients acquisition and improves imaging quality. The mean absolute percentage error of Fourier coefficients decreases from $194\%$ to $28\%$ and the structural similarity of reconstructed images ($256\times256$ pixels) improves from 0.430 to 0.971, a $126\%$ enhancement compared to the conventional method. Lateral resolution of this proposed method almost approaches the theoretical lateral resolution limit calculated by Rayleigh Criterion.

Fast and wide-range wavelength switching is desirable for optical communications and photonic systems that are frequency-agile. However, thermo-optic (TO)-tuned integrated lasers often have limited switching times and tuning rates. This study demonstrates a hybrid-integrated III-V/Si3N4 external-cavity laser (ECL), combining a dual-microring Vernier filter with thermal pumping to give wide-range and fast wavelength control. The ECL provides single-mode static lasing wavelength tuning in the 1486-1614 nm range. Impulsive thermal pumping that is applied through microheaters with shorter duration and higher amplitude accelerates the switching time. A simple first-order thermal fit reproduces the measurements well, indicating that the TO-tuning dynamics are highly predictable. Consequently, two-step pulse thermal pumping is applied to the on-chip microheaters to exploit the initial quasi-linear heating transient and sustain the target wavelength at a subsequent equilibrium. The results show that 101 and 104 nm red- and blue-shift switches are achieved with quasi-linear tuning rates of 8.91 and 9.68 nm/us, respectively. This approach provides a practical route toward fast wavelength switching in TO-tuned ECLs, potentially extending their applicability within frequency-agile systems, such as wavelength-division multiplexed transceivers.

How much work can an agent extract from a temporal sequence of quantum states when it can only operate online under causal constraints—deciding which energy extraction method to use with knowledge of what it has observed before? Here, we study this problem in the context of quantum state sequences that are potentially non-Markovian—generated by some underlying hidden Markov machine that the agent cannot observe. Using techniques from dynamic programming and computational mechanics, we present a method to identify the provably optimal agent strategy, with time complexity that scales linearly with sequence length. This motivates us to introduce the maximum work such agents can extract—time-ordered free energy(TOFE)—as a fundamental measure of free energy available in a temporally correlated quantum system subject to causal considerations.

Particle resuspension models are commonly evaluated using the macroscopic resuspended fraction, although this integrated observable may conceal the temporal dynamics leading to detachment. Here, a second-order Markovian Lagrangian stochastic model is developed by augmenting the angular-velocity state with a finite-correlated tangential acceleration. The model is examined over turbulent channel flows with ($Re_\tau \in [60, 430]$) and compared with an established first-order formulation. The two models produce nearly overlapping resuspended fractions, revealing a macroscopic degeneracy between distinct stochastic descriptions. Multiscale trajectory statistics break this degeneracy. The acceleration-augmented formulation changes the short-time regularity from $S_2(\tau) \propto \tau$ to $S_2(\tau) \propto \tau^2$, sustains angular-velocity correlation, and produces stronger directional asymmetry and heavier increment tails. The survivor-conditioned mean square displacement exposes a Reynolds-number-dependent anomalous-transport window, in which the attached-particle ensemble grows more rapidly than the diffusive reference and locally approaches ballistic and super-ballistic scaling before crossing toward diffusion-like transport. This finite-time pathway records how particles approach detachment and is compressed out of the macroscopic resuspended fraction. At $Re_\tau \approx 60$, the trajectories enter a distinct low-Reynolds-number statistical state characterized by converging velocity and acceleration decorrelation and near-Gaussian increments. These results establish multiscale trajectory statistics as essential discriminants between stochastic resuspension models and identify finite acceleration correlation as a source of dynamical information beyond macroscopic detachment kinetics.

Newtrinos.jl is an open-source Julia package for performing global analyses of neutrino data. It provides a modular, three-layer architecture that separates physics models, experiment descriptions, and statistical inference into independent modules. This allows researchers to freely combine experiments and test them against a variety of theoretical models. New experiments and physics models can be added without modifying core code. Full statistical forward models including all relevant systematic uncertainties are implemented for each experimental dataset, defining both the likelihood and the data-generating process and enabling modern statistical inference workflows. The framework is composable, making it straightforward to construct joint likelihoods over multiple datasets. Physics and nuisance parameters can be merged, correlated, or decorrelated across experiments to ensure consistency in the joint fit. The package supports Frequentist and Bayesian inference and is parallelizable across CPU threads or distributed workers. Written entirely in Julia, all models are automatically differentiable, enabling exact gradient computation.

Rydberg atom arrays natively encode the maximum-weight independent set (MWIS) problem through the blockade mechanism, so the Boolean circuit satisfiability problem (Circuit-SAT) can be brought onto the platform once it is reduced to MWIS. The conventional encoding of Circuit-SAT in the Rydberg atom array proceeds through conjunctive normal form (CNF) and incurs a substantial atom overhead. We introduce CAMERA (Circuit-SAT Atom-efficient MWIS Encoding for Rydberg Arrays), a method that provides MWIS encodings of Circuit-SAT instances on the king subgraph geometry of the array. CAMERA represents each logic gate as a compact weighted gadget and assembles the gadgets with a placement and routing compiler inspired by very large scale integration (VLSI) design. On random multi-gate benchmarks, the direct encoding route lowers the atom cost relative to the CNF route by an average factor of $22.4 \pm 1.8$. To demonstrate that the encoding extends from individual weighted gadgets to multi-gate arithmetic blocks, we compile a full adder and a multiplier, verifying each against its complete truth table by exact classical ground state calculations. We further showcase solving a representative Circuit-SAT instance end-to-end, from gate level compilation through a closed-system tensor-network simulation of a hardware-compatible annealing protocol on the encoded 30-atom instance to readout of a satisfying assignment. These results establish a complete encoding and simulation workflow as a proof of principle, and a concrete route toward solving a broader family of combinatorial problems on Rydberg atom arrays.

We study transparent boundary conditions (TBCs) for the time-dependent heat equation in a branching, quasi-one-dimensional domain modeled as a metric star graph. By combining the classical concept of TBCs with the theory of partial differential equations (PDEs) on networks, we derive an exact vertex condition that ensures unobstructed thermal flow across junctions. Specifically,we derive a sum rule for the diffusion coefficients that eliminates thermal backflow at the vertex.We demonstrate the validity of this analytical model numerically using a Crank-Nicolson finite-difference method, which confirms smooth, unobstructed heat propagation through the network.These results provide a practical mathematical framework for tunable control and optimization of thermal diffusion in low-dimensional structures. In particular, combining the well-known concept of the TBCs and theory for PDE on metric graphs, we propose a mathematical model providing a control tool for thermal diffusion in networks.

As quantum computing progresses from proof-of-principle demonstrations toward practical utility, a significant impediment is the need to augment algorithmic feasibility with system-level optimization across heterogeneous hardware and software stacks. Quantum resource estimation (QRE) plays a central role in this transition, yet existing approaches remain largely compilation-heavy or domain-knowledge-guided symbolic annotations, and tightly coupled to long-term fault-tolerant assumptions, limiting their topical applicability. In this work, we introduce AutoQuREO, an Automated framework for full-stack Quantum Resource Estimation and Optimization. AutoQuREO is built around four core novelties: (i) a flexible, user-defined abstraction of the quantum computing stack; (ii) a modular library of reusable stack components enabling rapid full-stack prototyping; (iii) surrogate modeling of layer-wise resources via algorithmic profiling and neuro-symbolic learning; and (iv) integrated multi-objective optimization that embeds QRE directly into deployment pipelines. Together, these design choices enable AutoQuREO to serve as a digital twin for quantum computing stacks, supporting the tractable exploration of complex design spaces. We demonstrate the capabilities of AutoQuREO through representative co-design case studies, including early-fault-tolerant quantum algorithms, small error correction codes, gate decomposition and variational training of parametric quantum circuits. These examples illustrate how AutoQuREO enables systematic discovery of unexploited resource trade-offs that are computationally intractable or abstruse using existing QRE tools. AutoQuREO is positioned as a general-purpose platform for advancing quantum technology readiness.

Galaxy morphology and structure are key tracers of galaxy formation and evolution, making accurate measurements of intrinsic three-dimensional (3D) shape essential for linking morphology to galaxy assembly and for comparing numerical simulations. We present Gal3D, a framework that reconstructs smoothed density fields from particle data and quantifies the radial 3D structure of simulated galaxies by fitting superellipsoids to iso-density surfaces. The method recovers axis ratios, orientations, center offsets, and superellipsoid indices ($S_a$, $S_b$, $S_c$), enabling a flexible characterization of diverse galactic structures such as disks, classical bulges, box/peanut bulges, and triaxial components. Applying Gal3D to galaxies in the IllustrisTNG and EAGLE simulations, we find that the radial extent of flattened disk regions increases with stellar mass up to $M_{*,30}\sim10^{11}\,M_\odot$ and then declines sharply, with EAGLE galaxies showing a saturation at $M_{*,30}\sim10^{10.5}\,M_\odot$. The bar-related $ \varepsilon_{ab}\equiv 1-b/a$ strengthens above $M_{*,30}\sim10^{10.5}\,M_\odot$ in both simulations, but remains systematically weaker in EAGLE. In TNG, outer bar regions are commonly associated with elevated $S_a$ and $S_c$, indicating enhanced boxiness and more prominent box/peanut-shaped bulges, whereas such higher-order signatures are weak or absent in EAGLE. At the highest stellar masses, flattened disks become less prominent, while inner prolate or triaxial structures remain common and massive EAGLE galaxies have more prolate or triaxial outer stellar bodies than their TNG counterparts. These results demonstrate that Gal3D provides a practical framework for quantifying intrinsic radial 3D structure and comparing morphology across cosmological simulations.

Chondrules and their associated fine-grained rims record key processes in the early protoplanetary disk, yet the links between chondrule chemistry, morphology, and matrix complementarity remain poorly constrained. We investigate the major, minor, and trace element compositions of 66 chondrules and FGRs from the relatively unaltered CM carbonaceous chondrites Asuka 12236, Paris, and Maribo, together with their 3D morphology, using LA-ICP-MS and X-ray tomography. CM chondrules record systematic metal loss and evaporation of Si-rich mesostasis, driving initially CI-like precursor compositions toward more Mg- and Si-rich bulk compositions along the CI ratio line and toward increasingly Si-poor forsteritic assemblages. GEMS-like materials in pristine CM matrices closely mirror chondrule compositions and likely represent complementary condensates derived from evaporated mesostasis. Dust accreted onto chondrules is predominantly CI-like but contains about 14 wt.% complementary condensate material represented by chondritic amorphous silicates, reconciling Mg/Si complementarity between chondrules and matrix with the preservation of primordial organics and presolar grains. Morphological observations show no significant sectioning bias, consistent with CM chondrules being dominated by agglomerates of ~100 um microspherules. Many display grape-bunch textures produced by welding of smaller chondrules with metal-rich or CI-like rims. This structure may explain the chondrule moderately volatile-element plateau at about 0.3xCI. We propose a "micro-chondrule-first" scenario in which localized heating events produced small molten droplets that subsequently accreted CI-like dust and ice, aggregated, and experienced limited aqueous alteration. These observations place new constraints on chondrule formation in the outer disk and highlight the importance of localized melting and aggregation processes.

We generalize the classical vector-valued tangential and normal trace theory on Lipschitz domains to the setting of non-Lipschitz $H^1$-extension domains, which includes domains with fractal boundaries such as the Koch snowflake. We define and study these operators based on the surjectivity of the trace operator for elements of $H^1(\Omega)$ and the Hilbert structure of the associated trace space. The normal trace operator is defined on $\boldsymbol{H}({\rm div},\Omega)$ in $\mathbb{R}^n$. A generalized Stokes formula allows us to introduce the tangential trace operator on $\boldsymbol{H}({\bf curl},\Omega)$ and $\boldsymbol{H}^1(\Omega)$ in two and three dimensions. Following the approach of Buffa, Costabel and Sheen (2002) for Lipschitz domains, we define two abstract tangential boundary spaces as images of these trace operators, establish their Hilbert structure, and construct an abstract rotation operator linking them, in place of the geometric rotation based on the normal vector. We also extend Costabel's (1991) coercive bilinear form approach for Maxwell's equations to non-Lipschitz domains, yielding a theory that supports the treatment of the Hodge-Dirac operator and Green's formulas and enables the solution of boundary-value problems for the $\operatorname{\textbf{curl}}\operatorname{\textbf{curl}}+\textbf{I}$ operator within the $H^1$-extension domains framework.

Introduction of probabilities from multiple inclusive cross-sections is studied in the unitary pomeron exchange models with no interaction between the pomerons themselves. Discrepancy is observed between the emerging inelasic cross-section and the one following from unitarity. It diminishes with energy and disappears in the high-energy limit. Probabilities and entropy are calculated numerically. As a function of energy squared $s$ the entropy grows as \ln\ln s rather than as \ln s, contrary to naive predictions. For the BFKL pomeron the entropy abruptly changes its slope in the rapidity region where consistency of the modelis is approximately restored

Time-resolved infrared spectroscopy probes protein dynamics over timescales spanning more than ten orders of magnitude, yet the molecular motions underlying the observed kinetic signatures have remained elusive. Here we combine transient infrared spectroscopy with nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations to establish a direct connection between experimental relaxation times and local structural motions. Studying single-domain allosteric proteins, we find that inter-residue contact distances provide the structural representation that most faithfully reproduces the experimental dynamics. Correlation analysis identifies localized networks of coordinated contacts that mediate communication between secondary-structure elements. The characteristic timescales of these contact networks quantitatively match the experimentally observed relaxation processes, enabling each kinetic step to be assigned to a specific molecular motion. Applied to allosteric signal propagation in PDZ3 and photoinduced ligand unbinding in PDZ2, this framework provides an atomistic picture of hierarchical protein relaxation and establishes a general framework for connecting transient infrared spectroscopy with the molecular mechanisms of protein dynamics.

We construct a discrete Smorodinsky–Winternitz II superintegrable system on a triangular region of the two-dimensional square lattice. The model is built from a pair of commuting finite-difference number operators with finite spectrum together with an associated ladder-operator structure. We show that it is maximally superintegrable and that its symmetry algebra admits a Hahn-algebra presentation. The spectral problem is solved exactly in terms of bivariate orthogonal polynomials of mixed Krawtchouk and dual Hahn type associated with the factorized $A_2$-Leonard pair. Finally, we show that the continuum limit recovers the continuous Smorodinsky–Winternitz II system together with its Hermite–Laguerre eigenfunctions. We further explain how the Hahn presentation of the discrete symmetry algebra becomes singular in this limit, while the limiting algebraic structure is naturally described by the Laguerre–Heun algebra associated with Cartesian and parabolic separation of variables.

We introduce a bioinspired microactuator fabricated via a one-step meniscus guided 3D nanoprinting technique. This technique directly produces a freestanding three dimensional composite architecture by integrating a rigid nanoparticle framework with a hygroscopic polymer matrix in a single, assembly free process. Inspired by the functional integration of rigid and compliant components in insect exoskeletal joint, our design synergistically combines load-bearing strength and humidity-driven swelling in a single microscale pillar. Comprehensive experiments, including comparative control structures and microscopic analysis, elucidated the actuation mechanism: the nanoparticle scaffold provides mechanical support while the polymeric phase provides volumetric expansion, yielding large reversible elongation under humidity with preserved structural integrity. The resulting AuNP PVP microactuator shows humidity responsive actuation at the microscale, with representative demonstrations of repeated humidity cycling and load lifting up to approximately 800 times its estimated own weight under the tested conditions. Variant geometries such as hinged pillars demonstrate how axial swelling can be converted into bending motion, and an optical configuration shows how actuation can modulate reflected light signals. This nanoprinting approach provides a simple strategy for constructing bioinspired soft microactuators with humidity-responsive deformation and potential applicability in microscale sensing, optical modulation, and adaptive microdevices.

Inverse design of thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) photonic devices is computationally demanding because optical birefringence and fabrication-induced slanted sidewalls generally require three-dimensional electromagnetic models. We introduce a birefringent effective-index (BEI) method to reduce this problem to two dimensions while retaining polarization-dependent slab confinement and a representative cross section of the etched geometry. The method is integrated with adjoint topology optimization and fabrication constraints to design a 30 x 10 um demultiplexer that routes 1550 and 775 nm light to separate output ports. Quantitative comparisons with three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain simulations establish the accuracy and etch-depth dependence of the reduced model. The fabricated device provides mean signal-to-crosstalk ratios of 13.9 dB across 1540-1560 nm and 13.3 dB across 770-780 nm. A two-stage cascaded configuration increases the output extinction ratio to 26.8 dB in the telecom band and 20.3 dB in the near-visible band. This fabrication-aware reduced-dimensional approach enables optimizations of the multifunctional photonic devices for nonlinear optical and quantum applications on the TFLN platform.

We formulate electrostatics in \rthree as the simplest instance of the theory of stresses: the virtual velocity field of continuum mechanics is simply replaced by a scalar potential field. A charge distribution is then a linear functional on potential fields whose value is the potential energy, and it is represented by a volume charge density and by surface charge densities on the boundaries of subbodies. Cauchy's theorem gives a vector field $\boldsymbol P$, the analog of the traction stress, and a scalar field $r$, so that the energy is $\int(r\varphi+\boldsymbol P\cdot\nabla\varphi)dV$. The pair $(r,\boldsymbol P)$, the analog of a variational stress, splits every charge distribution uniquely into free charge, with density $r$, and a dipole distribution, with density $\boldsymbol P$, which carries the bound charges $-\nabla\cdot\boldsymbol P$ and $\boldsymbol P\cdot\boldsymbol{\nu}$; the fields $r$ and $\boldsymbol P$ are the densities of charge and of dipole moment. We do not impose gauge invariance of the energy. Instead, we show that it is the analog of the balance of forces on every subbody, and that it singles out the neutral charge distributions. For charges embedded in matter, the forces exerted by the electric field are derived. They are shown to be gauge invariant for every charge distribution, and they include an asymmetric active stress $\boldsymbol E\boldsymbol\otimes\boldsymbol P$ whose skew-symmetric part is the couple density $\boldsymbol P\times\boldsymbol E$.

We construct a finite discrete realization of the Smorodinsky–Winternitz I superintegrable system on a triangular region of the two-dimensional square lattice. The construction is based on a pair of commuting number operators with finite spectrum together with an associated ladder-operator structure. We show that the resulting model is maximally superintegrable and that its symmetry algebra admits a Hahn-algebra presentation. Its spectral problem is solved exactly in terms of the bivariate dual Hahn polynomials of Tratnik type. Finally, we show that the continuum limit recovers the continuous Smorodinsky–Winternitz I system together with its ladder operators, eigenfunctions and symmetry algebra, thereby establishing the present construction as a genuine finite discrete realization of the continuous model.

Unlike elementary particles, which obey either bosonic or fermionic exchange statistics, certain quasiparticles, known as anyons, are predicted to exhibit Abelian or non-Abelian braiding statistics. While braiding Abelian anyons modifies the wavefunction by a 'statistical phase', braiding non-Abelian anyons implements a unitary transformation of the state within a degenerate subspace of states. Experimental evidence of non-Abelian braiding has thus far remained elusive. Here, we report a 'time-domain braiding' signature of non-Abelian anyons in the $\nu = 5/2$ fractional quantum Hall state, by extending our previously demonstrated approach with Abelian anyons at $\nu = 1/3$. Our approach is based on measurements of the current fluctuations arising from weak partitioning of a highly dilute one-dimensional edge mode. We independently probe the partition noise of the downstream charged mode and also that of the upstream neutral mode. These independent measurements agree with our theoretical predictions for 'time-domain braiding' of the downstream Abelian and the upstream non-Abelian anyons, respectively, in the 'particle-hole Pfaffian' topological order. Together, these results provide evidence for the presence of non-Abelian anyons.

Scientific simulations demand methods combining scalability with predictive accuracy. Density Functional Theory (DFT) on High-Performance Computing (HPC) enables large-scale electronic-structure simulations but is limited by approximations affecting strongly correlated systems and band-gap predictions. Quantum computing offers a pathway to address this, though current Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) hardware remains constrained by qubit resources, noise, and execution cost. This work presents a hybrid DFT-Quantum Embedding (QDFT) framework integrating classical HPC-based DFT with a quantum electronic-structure solver. Large systems are partitioned to isolate a chemically relevant active space, treated via the Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE), while the remaining degrees of freedom are described by DFT. The framework incorporates active-space selection, embedded Hamiltonian construction, symmetry preservation, operator mapping, self-consistent density updating, and modular classical-quantum coupling. We focus on noiseless quantum simulation to systematically evaluate accuracy, convergence, active-space dependence, computational cost, and HPC scalability without hardware noise. Detailed profiling identifies computational bottlenecks and highlights limitations of CPU-based quantum simulation. A QPU runtime-estimation methodology is additionally developed to assess execution requirements on actual quantum hardware. Results demonstrate quantum embedding's potential to improve selected electronic-structure properties while retaining classical HPC's scalability. Noisy quantum simulation and QPU execution remain key future directions, providing a pathway toward practical, scalable HPC-quantum hybrid simulations as hardware matures.

We investigate the topological properties of QCD across the finite temperature Roberge-Weiss transition, which is found for particular values of the imaginary baryon chemical potential. Our study is conducted for $N_f = 2+1+1$ QCD with physical quark masses, discretized via stout improved staggered fermions and considering mostly two different values of the compactifed dimension, $N_t = 8$ and $N_t = 10$. Results for $T_{RW}$ and for the associated universality class are consistent with those found in the $N_f = 2 + 1$ case with a slightly different discretization. The topological susceptibility appears to be practically constant for $T \lesssim T_{RW}$, then rapidly decaying for higher temperatures. The analysis of the fourth order cumulant of the topological charge distribution, $b_2$, reveals that it is compatible with the prediction of the Dilute Instanton Gas Approximation right after $T_{RW}$, showing thus a sharp transition, which is more similar to what observed in pure gauge theories rather than to full QCD along the standard thermal line, where instead a slower transition was observed in previous studies.

Solar plasma composition differs between the photosphere and corona over a range of timescales, with preferential enhancement of elements with low first ionization potential (FIP). However, the physical origin of the FIP fractionation remains incompletely understood. Furthermore, during flares, the FIP bias also exhibits rapid changes, associated with fast transport of material with different FIP biases. We present novel observations from Solar Orbiter SPICE and EUI, Hinode/EIS, and Chandrayaan-2 XSM instruments, finding rapid abundance changes in the emitting plasma, on timescales of minutes, during the eruptive M7.6-class solar flare observed on 2024 Sept 30. These instruments have wide temperature coverage and find contrasting abundance-evolution patterns between the hotter and cooler plasma components. 3D reconstruction of the active region and additional observations from the Solar Orbiter STIX X-ray telescope show how the hot and cool plasma components, emitting in different spectral regions and observed with the various instruments, sample the plasma composition evolution in distinct locations within the observed flaring plasma. The bright post-flare loop tops observed by SPICE show coronal FIP bias, while the hot plasma observed with XSM exhibits FIP-bias decreasing from coronal to photospheric during the impulsive phase. We interpret these observations as evidence of the X-ray diagnostics seeing hot coronal reconnection outflows mixing with chromospheric plasma as flare loops sequentially energize and relax, explaining why the FIP bias decreases from coronal to a hybrid; and the cool loop tops seen with SPICE show coronal abundances due to coronal material deposited near the looptops.

We show from first principles that the altermagnet {\alpha}-MnTe reconstructs its magnetic order at the Te-terminated (0001) surface. The ground state has a ferromagnetic outermost Mn bilayer in place of the bulk-continued stacking. The driver is the holes that the surface leaves on the Te mediating the exchange within that bilayer. The computed constant-energy contours agree with photoemission maps of the surface metal. Filling the holes restores the bulk order: the carrier density can control the strength of the surface coupling and, by reversing its sign, the surface magnetic order itself.

We investigate the detectability of high-frequency gravitational waves from the superradiance of light primordial black hole dark matter through photons converted in the Galactic magnetic field. We find that the signal is significantly enhanced in the X-ray frequency range around $10^{18}$Hz. For clustered initial conditions, future X-ray observations may detect the converted photons from primordial black holes in the mass range $10^{-15}M_{\odot} \sim 10^{-13}M_{\odot}$. Our results indicate that future X-ray observations could provide a new probe of light primordial black hole dark matter through high-frequency gravitational waves.

As a non-contact control approach, electric field (EF) can be utilised to drive droplet dynamics on a lubricant-infused surface (LIS), with numerous potential applications ranging from drug manufacturing to 3D printing. However, the resulting droplet dynamics remain poorly understood, especially as there are several possible droplet lubrication states on LIS. Here, we develop a lattice Boltzmann scheme that fully captures the interplay between the interfacial flows and electrohydrodynamics and harness it to investigate EF driven droplets on micropillar LIS. Combining simulations and analytical calculations, we establish quantitative expressions for the drag force and the electric force acting on a moving droplet. We demonstrate that the models can accurately capture droplet dynamics during programmable manipulation, including periodic motion and long-distance transport. Such reliable theoretical models can potentially transform precision control of droplet dynamics by removing the reliance on trial and error tests.

A supersolid combines density order with phase coherence, and doped lattice solids ask whether added defects can become coherent without melting the ordered background. We study a soft-core Bose-Hubbard model with isotropic hopping and an engineered non-axisymmetric dipolar interaction, \(V_{ij}=V_2(x_{ij}^2-y_{ij}^2)/r_{ij}^5+W_6/r_{ij}^6\), where the sign-changing \(d_{x^2-y^2}\) component selects a fixed \((q,0)\) stripe channel and the \(W_6/r^6\) core stabilizes the short-distance attractive branch. Using sign-problem-free quantum Monte Carlo method with worm algorithm, we find that the half-filled stripe parent responds asymmetrically to doping: the hole side forms locked commensurate stripe solids with vanishing superfluid stiffness, whereas the particle side forms a stripe supersolid with finite compressibility \(\kappa>0\), finite superfluid stiffness \(\rho_s>0\), and enhanced double occupancy \(D\). Keeping the same off-site kernel while increasing \(U/t\) toward the hard-core limit shows that the particle-side supersolid disappears once doublon-like defects are projected out. Thus the engineered dipolar kernel selects the fixed \((q,0)\) stripe channel, while onsite softness selects the phase-coherent defect sector.