Papers

Magic-state injection is a standard route to realize universal fault-tolerant quantum computation. Whereas the set of Clifford gates in combination with the non-Clifford T gate is a widely used universal gate set, extending the available set of non-Clifford primitives can reduce compilation overhead, provided that the additional primitives can be prepared fault-tolerantly with competitive resource costs and at sufficiently low logical noise rates. In this work, we introduce flag fault-tolerant protocols for preparing logical $|\sqrt{\mathrm{T}} \rangle $ magic states on the 3D tetrahedral color code and its smaller morphed variant. Our simulations under circuit-level noise verify fault tolerance, quantify acceptance and logical error rates, and we reconstruct the effective logical channels of the corresponding circuits for gate injection via logical process tomography. We find that access to $\sqrt{\mathrm{T}}$ reduces the average space-time cost of synthesizing Haar-random single-qubit unitaries by approximately $20$-$30$% relative to the Clifford+T gate set across practically relevant approximation regimes. These results demonstrate how expanding the set of fault-tolerant non-Clifford primitives can improve computational efficiency and broaden the design space for universal quantum computation in the early fault-tolerant era.

The Concordia micrometeorite collection contains UltraCarbonaceous Antarctic MicroMeteorites (UCAMMs) of probable cometary origin. Eight FIB sections of UCAMMs were studied by Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy - X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure and (Scanning)Transmission Electronic Microscopy. Three different phases of organic matter (OM) exist in UCAMMs and small mineral aggregates are distributed in the OM. Two OMs share spectral features with those of insoluble organic matter (IOM) of carbonaceous chondrites and of cometary grains returned by the Stardust mission. The third OM is N-rich (N/C at. ratios up to 0.22) and has only a few equivalents in extraterrestrial OM analyzed so far, such as in cometary particles collected during the Stardust mission, Interplanetary Dust Particles (IDPs) and UCAMMs collected near the Dome Fuji Station. This N-rich OM could have formed by irradiation of N-rich ices in the outer regions of the protoplanetary disk. UCAMMs contain variable amounts of minerals, consisting of crystalline Mg-rich silicates, Fe(Ni) sulfides and Fe oxides, which can be cemented in a Si-rich groundmass. Hypocrystalline mineral assemblages are also observed. Glassy phases showing morphological resemblance to GEMS are also found in some UCAMMs. This mineralogy is mainly consistent with that of previous UCAMM analyses, and is close to what is observed in Chondritic Porous IDPs, which are also considered as cometary dust particles. A mineral exhibiting a phyllosilicate texture has been observed in this work, and raises the question of the possibility of aqueous alteration on comets. Overall, UCAMMs' mineralogical and organic characterization implies a complex formation history of UCAMMs, and the presence of large-scale radial mixing in the early solar system, to transport their mineral components to the outer parts of the protoplanetary disk.

Due to its conceptual simplicity, Deeply Inelastic Scattering (DIS) often serves as a textbook example for Quantum Chromo Dynamics (QCD) and partonic structure of nucleons. However, it is this supposed simplicity, which makes DIS an ideal case for discussing many additional effects and corrections. In these lectures we discuss DIS within the domain of perturbative QCD covering a range of topics ranging from mathematical problems to kinematical corrections, and to practical challenges when attempting to interpret experimental measurements. Although here we focus on the exemplary case of DIS, the discussed topcis are relevant to a larger class of processes. We also give an overview of existing and future DIS measurements, and discuss their implementation into modern extractions of parton distribution functions (PDFs) which quantify the partonic structure of nucleons. The discussed features are all implemented in the open source code Yadism, which has been used for PDF extractions from a wide range of the available world data on fully inclusive DIS.

Boson sampling is one of the most prominent methods to verify quantum advantage, harnessing the computational complexity of the permanent of a network matrix. Similar quantum sampling problems utilize other expressions for the output probabilities, such as the fermion-based analog applying determinants. In this work, we study sampling setups of interacting light-matter systems, combining fermion and boson sampling. The mixed network input consists of fermionic and bosonic excitations. Sampling the output probability of the modes then yields contributions that are neither purely determinant nor permanent but general immanants. Specifically, we prove that these immanant contributions are linearly independent from determinants and permanents, rendering our mixed sampling network an ideal candidate for light-matter quantum application beyond pure fermion and boson sampling. Furthermore, quantum sampling with statistics that are neither bosonic nor fermionic results in expressions which even exceed immanants, further extending the functionality of quantum samplers.

Motivated by the kinematic-space description of gravitational subregions \cite{Basu:2026hbg}, we allow partial entanglement entropy (PEE) threads to be sourced not only from the asymptotic boundary, but also from boundaries of subregions. Based on this setup, we develop a framework to construct configurations for PEE threads and bit threads sourced from surfaces in the AdS bulk. The situations we have analyzed include the Poincaré AdS$_3$ and the planar BTZ black brane with an end-of-the-world (EOW) brane, and the entanglement wedges of boundary multi-intervals. We construct novel configurations of PEE threads and bit threads in these situations, which shed new light in our understanding of the AdS$_3$/BCFT$_2$ correspondence and the holography defined in the entanglement wedge motivated by surface/state correspondence. A notable feature we found is that, although the elementary PEE threads are geodesics, the integral curves of the coarse-grained bit-thread current are generically not geodesics. Across the explicit constructions, the integrated source currents reduce to endpoint distance-difference potentials, which make divergencelessness, the norm bound and bottleneck saturation geometrically transparent. Our results clarify how boundary, brane, horizon and RT-surface degrees of freedom participate in holographic entanglement and provide a concrete link between PEE, bit threads, subregion kinematic space and the surface/state correspondence.

We develop PEE thread flows for the planar BTZ black brane and finite-cutoff holography. Exact geodesic-distance kernels define source-resolved PEE thread currents whose superposition gives divergenceless bit-thread fields. In BTZ, boundary-boundary and boundary-horizon sectors reproduce the entanglement contour and thermal horizon flux. At finite cutoff, the two-point PEE kernels are smooth and select macroscopic flows that are generically non-geodesic despite being built from geodesic elementary threads. We compare these PEE-selected flows with independent normal-geodesic bit-thread flows and show that they saturate the same RT bottleneck while differing in boundary calibration, endpoint pairing and off-bottleneck structure. The resulting constructions make explicit both the endpoint organization of finite-cutoff entanglement and the nonuniqueness of holographic max flows.

We present the antiferromagnetic ground state of the triclinic double perovskite Ca$_2$CuWO$_6$solved by neutron powder diffraction, and analyze it in direct comparison with tetragonal Sr$_2$CuWO$_6$. Below $T_\mathrm{N} \simeq 32$ K, the magnetic Bragg reflections of Ca$_2$CuWO$_6$ are indexed by the commensurate propagation vector $\mathbf{k}=(\tfrac{1}{2},\tfrac{1}{2},0)$ in its native $P\bar{1}$ cell. Rietveld refinement yields a collinear structure with equal-magnitude, antiparallel moments on the crystallographically inequivalent Cu1 and Cu2 sites and an ordered moment of $0.66(3)~\mu_{\mathrm B}$ per Cu at 1.5 K. A direct comparison with Sr$_2$CuWO$_6$ is obscured by different crystallographic settings and orientations of the cooperative Jahn-Teller elongation axes. Hence, we introduce a common crystallographic supercell through which effects of symmetry lowering from tetragonal to triclinic in the double perovskite are explored: Apparently different magnetic propagation vectors map onto the same supercell wave vector, revealing a common magnetic structure stabilized by tungsten-mediated, second-neighbor interactions. Mean field calculations further show that tetragonal symmetry preserves the degeneracy of four magnetic $\mathbf{k}$-domains in Sr$_2$CuWO$_6$, whereas the triclinic splitting of symmetry-related exchange pathways in Ca$_2$CuWO$_6$, most strongly within the Cu2 network, selects a single $\mathbf{k}$-domain. These results establish the magnetic ground state of Ca$_2$CuWO$_6$ and show how symmetry breaking selects a given ordered state without changing the underlying magnetic motif of the Sr analogue.

Epidemic models often pool air travel, commuting, and other mobility layers into a single weighted network. Pooling keeps the total imported infections into a region but discards the transport mode and route that delivered them, the information a mode-specific intervention needs. We make this precise for directed multilayer flows with heavy-tailed variation. Pooling acts as an asymmetric filter. The magnitude of an extreme importation, its radial tail index, is an exact invariant of sampling and nonnegative aggregation, whereas its composition across layers and routes, the angular part, is reweighted by layer-specific sampling and can be irrecoverably merged. We give a necessary and sufficient condition for recovering route composition, attach a surveillance decision cost to the loss, and show that the first established route need not be the busiest. A controlled metapopulation study calibrates the cost, and two contrasting reconstructions show where it bites. In US pandemic influenza, air adds fitted information beyond commuting, and a layer-resolved ranking targets more air-import burden than a pooled one. In the early Italian COVID-19 wave, commuting improves onset reconstruction while air attribution stays unresolved. Pooling can therefore support total-importation surveillance but cannot in general identify the mode or route behind an importation.

Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement (STEVE) is a narrow optical phenomenon that occurs equatorward of the auroral oval and is associated with intense subauroral plasma flows and thermospheric heating. Although these conditions can produce plasma irregularities, direct evidence of STEVE effects on radio wave propagation during geomagnetically quiet conditions has so far not been observed. Here we report for the first time a STEVE event observed over Antarctica during quiet geomagnetic conditions and show that it produced measurable fluctuations in the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals. Using coordinated optical observations and high-resolution (50 Hz) GNSS scintillation measurements from two Antarctic stations, we identify enhanced phase and amplitude scintillation coincident with intersections between GNSS signal paths and the STEVE arc. The observations indicate the presence of plasma irregularities and suggest substantial temporal variations in the apparent altitude of the optical structure (vertical motion within the 130-270 km range). We find that even a relatively weak STEVE event can affect the GNSS signal propagation in the absence of major geomagnetic disturbances, extending previous studies that associated such effects primarily with storms and intense auroral activity. This finding expands the understanding of STEVE's geophysical impact and highlights potential vulnerabilities in satellite-based navigation systems during seemingly benign space weather conditions. The fact that this STEVE event occurred just off the Antarctic coastline, where scientific expeditions and seagoing vessels rely heavily on precise positioning indicates that STEVE-related plasma structuring should be considered in assessments of the GNSS performance under otherwise quiet geomagnetic conditions in subauroral regions.

Relativistic jets are a common outcome of accretion onto black holes, yet their presence and variability depend strongly on the magnetic and dynamical state of the accretion flow. While some systems, such as Blazars and Quasars, launch powerful persistent jets, others, including the Galactic Centre black hole Sgr~A$^\star$, show only weak or transient outflows. The physical conditions leading to the onset or suppression of jet activity remain poorly understood. We investigate the accretion flow conditions that produce transient jets or inhibit jet formation, aiming to improve our understanding of black holes that accrete without strong, steady outflows. We further predict observational signatures in total and polarized emission for comparison with recent observations of Sgr~A$^\star$ in the quiescent state from the radio to the $\gamma$-ray regime. We perform three-dimensional GRMHD simulations of an accreting black hole surrounded by a torus threaded by a poloidal multi-loop magnetic field of alternating polarities. We follow the evolution of the accretion rate, magnetic flux, and jet power, and analyze angular momentum transport. In addition, radiative transfer calculations including Compton scattering are used to derive synthetic total and polarized emission. The simulations show strong variability in jet power while the initial magnetic polarity loops accrete, followed by weaker activity at later times as the system approaches a semi-MAD state. The emission from the disk is relatively stable, weakly polarized and consistent with the quiet state values reported for SgrA$^\star$. The resulting jet emission is strongly suppressed, depolarized by Faraday rotation and conversion in the surrounding cold plasma. Upscattering calculations yield near-infrared (NIR) high energy light curves that respect observational constraints of the quiescent NIR and X-ray fluxes in SgrA$^\star$

Post-RGB and post-AGB binaries, collectively shell-burning stripped giant (SBSG) binaries, contain a primary star recently stripped of its envelope, alongside a main-sequence companion. These systems are characterised by a stable circumbinary disc (CBD), thought to have formed from envelope material stripped via mass transfer. Their eccentricities range between $0-0.63$, contradicting canonical binary evolution that predicts such post-mass-transfer systems should have circularised. We investigate whether CBD-binary interaction can explain the observed eccentricities of SBSG binaries using a new formalism based on hydrodynamic simulations. To compare with observations, we generated model populations for which post-mass-transfer eccentricity and amount of mass accreted from the CBD were free parameters. We found that CBD-binary interaction can reproduce the observed eccentricity distribution of SBSG binaries, provided that: (1) their post-mass-transfer eccentricities range up to at least 0.05, (2) their CBDs have initial masses of at least $0.1$ $M_\odot$, and (3) accretion onto the SBSG star is highly inefficient to prevent refilling of its Roche lobe. Our model requires higher post-mass-transfer eccentricities than canonically predicted and more massive CBDs than currently observed. We speculate that there is a population of post-mass-transfer progenitor systems with CBDs massive enough to facilitate significant eccentricity pumping. Mass loss via the $L_2$ point during mass transfer needs investigation, as this could form the CBD and shorten the orbital period, necessary for many SBSG binaries assuming they formed stably. We hypothesise that the observed eccentricities are related to the amount of mass lost via $L_2$. Since many other post-interaction systems exhibit similar orbital properties, we speculate that they may all have interacted with CBDs shortly after mass transfer.

Liquid crystal-based biosensors exploit the sensitivity of interfacial anchoring to molecular adsorption. Cholesteric liquid crystals are especially useful because their helical structure supports multiple optically distinct textures that evolve with anchoring strength. Here, we compare saturated 1,2-dilauroyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DLPC) and unsaturated 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) monolayers to determine how lipid acyl chain structure governs interfacial organization and director alignment. Mapping stripe spacing across lipid concentration, mixing ratio, cholesteric pitch, and confinement shows that the transition from fingerprint textures toward homeotropic alignment depends on both lipid structure and collective interfacial organization. DLPC produces comparatively regular textures and more readily promotes helix unwinding at high coverage, consistent with more spatially uniform collective anchoring. DOPC-containing interfaces show greater morphological heterogeneity, consistent with strong local anchoring from longer tails together with less uniform organization arising from cis-unsaturation. FRAP measurements provide complementary information on fluorescent-probe mobility, which becomes strongly restricted at high lipid concentration for both systems. Variations in pitch and film thickness further modulate the response, producing coexisting regular, distorted, and lipid-enriched textures. Together, these results show that lipid acyl chain structure regulates cholesteric anchoring through its effects on local interactions, collective interfacial organization, and mobility, providing design principles for responsive liquid-crystal interfaces.

Kinetic proofreading buys accuracy with energy. Where the energy is spent, we show, caps how much accuracy it can buy. Drive layer $j$ of a $K$-checkpoint cascade and the error never falls below $\eeq^{K-j+1}$, where $\eeq$ is the error the same network reaches at equilibrium. The exponent is one plus the first Betti number of the downstream subgraph, which counts its independent cycles. Driving the first layer can recruit all $K$ checkpoints, whereas driving the final layer restricts the best possible scaling to $\eeq^2$, independently of network depth. We also derive the exact dependence on driving strength and show that the error either decreases monotonically or has a unique global minimum, beyond which stronger driving worsens accuracy. Drive placement therefore imposes a topological limit on nonequilibrium error correction.

Driven-dissipative quantum oscillators lock their phase, deform their limit cycles, and undergo dissipative phase transitions, yet these behaviors are read from unrelated quantities defined on the same steady-state density matrix. We show that a single geometric quantity organizes them. Winding the phase of the drive generates a closed loop of nonequilibrium steady states, and because the Liouvillian is covariant under number rotations, the kinematic mixed-state geometric phase of this loop reduces exactly to an eigensystem functional of a single steady state. Under weak driving, it is governed by the same nearest-neighbor coherences that produce phase locking and inherits the Arnold tongue of synchronization. Near the Hopf threshold, it registers the nonperturbative reorganization of the steady-state eigenvectors. And in the squeezing-driven Kerr resonator, it develops distinct signatures at the first and second order dissipative phase transitions. The geometric phase thus provides a unified and experimentally accessible characterization of steady-state reorganization.

Geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) during extreme space weather events represent a critical hazard to modern infrastructure, including electrical power grids, telecommunication systems, pipelines, and railways. This study presents empirical models designed to provide rapid, site-specific estimates of the maximum GIC, $|\text{GIC}|_{\text{max}}$, expected during a storm. Utilizing data from 67 sites across nine major geomagnetic storms ($K_p \ge 8$) occurring between 2020 and 2025, we performed multivariate linear and quantile regressions incorporating solar wind parameters and local scaling factors. The solar wind parameters address storm intensity and are the minimum interplanetary magnetic field $z$-component, $(B_{z}^{\tiny{\text{IMF}}})_{\text{min}}$, and the maximum magnitude of the solar wind velocity $x$-component, $(V_{x})_{\text{max}}$. The scaling factors account for local differences due to geomagnetic latitude ($\alpha$) and ground conductivity ($\beta$). A 6-parameter model was identified via best subset selection and the corrected Akaike Information Criterion (AICc) as the optimal predictor for mean $|\text{GIC}|_{\text{max}}$, yielding a Pearson correlation of $r = 0.73$ and a coefficient of determination of $R^2 = 0.54$. To examine peak GICs during storms, a 7-parameter quantile regression model was developed to estimate the upper 80% bound of $|\text{GIC}|_{\text{max}}$. Statistical analysis of 39 severe storms since 1995 shows that the $|\text{GIC}|_{\text{max}}$ upper bounds are consistent with a lognormal distribution. These relationships offer a computationally efficient alternative to complex physics-based simulations, enabling space weather practitioners to estimate site-specific GICs in high-level analyses.

Integration of magnetic material with scalable microfluidic platforms can significantly improve the throughput and precision in biotechnology processes. In this work we have developed a new magnetic platform based on printed circuit board (PCB) technology. Cobalt-Platinum (CoPt) micromagnets are electroplated on copper pads with an arbitrary footprint on a Kapton substrate to enable generation of different magnetic field gradients. The magnets are characterized by XRD and VSM, before and after thermal annealing. The ordered L10 phase appear in XRD results after annealing at 600 {\deg}C, and VSM results show around six times increase for in-plane magnetic remanence from 0.24T to 1.4T. The near equiatomic ratios of Co:Pt is confirmed by EDX observations. The performance of these magnets is experimentally validated by trapping magnetic nanoparticles in microfluidic channels. These results are in excellent agreement with FEA models presented in COMSOL Multiphysics.

Numerous insulators, including non-magnetic ones, have been unexpectedly found to display a finite thermal Hall signal, which has stimulated debate about its origin. Here, we report on a study of the thermal Hall effect in two diamond single crystals. The transverse thermal conductivity (kappa_xy) was found to peak at a temperature close to that at which the longitudinal thermal conductivity (kappa_xx) reaches its maximum. The measured kappa_xy, with an amplitude of 340 W/(m K) at B = 10 T, is the largest ever observed, while the kappa_xy/kappa_xx ratio follows the phenomenological trend identified in other insulators. Our observation implies the existence of an intrinsic thermal Hall effect in a generic phonon gas. We argue that the rough amplitude of both the thermal Hall angle and the thermal Hall resistivity can be accounted for by simple arguments invoking fundamental constants and quantum-mechanical constraints on solid state cohesion.

Based on the combined Deep-Inelastic Scattering (DIS) data from HERA and the exclusive $J/\psi$ and $\Upsilon$ cross sections measured at the LHC, we investigate the role of absorptive corrections on the low-$x$ behaviour of parton distribution functions (PDFs) at low and moderate scales. Using $\texttt{xFitter}$, we study the impact of these data and of non-linear evolution on PDFs at next-to-leading order (NLO) and through the NNLO$^*$ method introduced in a previous work. Finally, we determine the effective size of proton hot spots within this framework and discuss the implications of our results for future global PDF determinations.

Generalized horizon entropies are widely used as theoretical modifications of the Bekenstein-Hawking area law, but through the Wald construction they may also encode modifications of the underlying gravitational dynamics. We reconstruct metric $f(R)$ gravity from prescribed entropy-area relations and show that the procedure is intrinsically branch dependent through the required area-curvature map. On the maximally symmetric branch, where $A=48\pi/R$ exactly, the reconstruction reduces to a single quadrature and can be performed non-perturbatively. We obtain closed-form Lagrangians for several generalized entropies and show that an entropy term $a~S_{BH}^{q}$ generates a curvature term proportional to $R^{2-q}$. In particular, Kaniadakis entropy produces a $1/R$ correction, while logarithmic entropy generates an $R^2\ln R$ term. We further derive a branch-independent criterion, $\partial_{R}^{2} f=(ds/dR)d(S/s)/ds$, relating Dolgov-Kawasaki stability directly to the entropy functional, together with $m_{\rm sc}^2=S'(s)/(3f_{RR})$ on the maximally symmetric branch. Comparison with the fixed-mass Schwarzschild-de Sitter branch reveals different reconstructed Lagrangians and reversed stability properties. Finally, the weak-isolated-horizon boost charge reproduces the original generalized entropy. These results establish a direct non-perturbative link between generalized horizon thermodynamics and modified gravitational dynamics.

Lower bounds on the pointwise spatial decay of the ground state of the Pauli-Fierz model in non-relativistic quantum electrodynamics are studied. Two models are considered: the full Pauli-Fierz model and the Pauli-Fierz model under the dipole approximation. For the full model, a lower bound is derived by means of a probabilistic approach based on the Feynman-Kac formula. The application of the Agmon distance method to the full model encounters a serious difficulty arising from the path dependence of a double stochastic integral. In contrast, under the dipole approximation, the corresponding integrand becomes deterministic, which allows a lower bound to be obtained in terms of the Agmon distance.

Several pulsar timing arrays have reported evidence for a nanohertz gravitational-wave background. This background is thought to arise from the superposition of signals from a population of inspiraling supermassive black hole binaries. A key test of this interpretation is the search for individually resolvable binaries whose signals emerge above this background. Here we investigate this possibility by addressing two related questions: (1) what are the most probable properties of the first resolvable binary; and (2) how can pulsar timing observations be optimized to maximize its prospects for electromagnetic identification? By simulating populations of supermassive black hole binaries constrained by evidence for the gravitational-wave background and studying the loudest binary in each simulation, we infer the expected properties of the first individually resolvable systems. If MeerKAT continues its current observing strategy for a total of 9 years, the probability of detecting an individual binary is $\approx10-27\%$. Improving the timing precision by a factor of two changes this probability to $\approx11-28\%$, whereas increasing the cadence by a factor of four gives $\approx12-30\%$. Combining both improvements yields a detection probability of $\approx12-33\%$. Furthermore, implementing a high-cadence observing campaign preferentially resolves higher-frequency systems ($\gtrsim\unit[10]{nHz}$), whose shorter orbital periods make them considerably easier to identify through electromagnetic observations than lower-frequency binaries that repeat infrequently. We discuss prospects of electromagnetic follow-up of gravitational-wave resolved binaries with current high-cadence all-sky optical surveys.

We examine possible $C$-odd effects in elastic proton-proton and proton-antiproton scattering in the diffractive dip region. Collider data with $\sqrt{s}>500$ GeV are fitted for $0.2<|t|<1~\GeV^2$, using a simple Regge-inspired parametrization of effective $C$-even and $C$-odd amplitudes. The relative phases are not left free, but are fixed by the signature factors of the corresponding even and odd contributions. In this way, the real and imaginary parts of each term are linked by crossing. The $C$-even amplitude is first described by three effective Pomeron-like terms. The $C$-odd sector is then tested with several one-term Odderon-like forms. We find that the fits do not require a stable nonzero $C$-odd term: the odd contribution is either compatible with zero or becomes weakly constrained when we allow extra freedom. We then test whether the conclusion is changed by adding either a fourth Pomeron-like term or a second Odderon-like term. The improvement obtained with the fourth Pomeron-like term is mainly $C$-even, while the second Odderon-like term is not resolved as an independent contribution. These results provide a complementary test of recent determinations of the Odderon amplitude based on scaling and analyticity.

Robust unidirectional edge propagation is conventionally attributed to topological protection. Whether edge states in the continuum (EICs) can exhibit such robustness in non-topological systems remains an open question. Here we demonstrate robust unidirectional EICs in Floquet photonic crystals (PhCs) composed of a honeycomb lattice of helical waveguides, where both time-reversal and spatial inversion symmetries are broken. Within a topologically trivial parameter regime of this system, where the Chern, valley Chern, and winding numbers all vanish, the EIC robustness is decoupled from topology. Instead, the robustness originates from a z-periodic Floquet artificial gauge field geometrically locked to the helical lattice. Numerical simulations show that the EIC survives 120 bent edges, 6% on-site potential noise, and 27% hopping phase noise. This work establishes a paradigm for robust light propagation in non topological systems and broadens the physical basis for unidirectional EICs.

We point out the relevance of a new class of model-independent higher-order contributions to the trilinear and quartic self-couplings of the detected Higgs boson giving rise to potentially large effects of physics beyond the Standard Model (SM). It consists of SM-like diagrams with insertions of loop-corrected values for the trilinear and quartic Higgs self-couplings. While up to now predictions in specific models of physics beyond the SM were only evaluated up to the one-loop or, in some cases, up to the two-loop level, we demonstrate how potentially large higher-order contributions can consistently be incorporated into existing one-loop or two-loop predictions. These model-independent higher-order contributions therefore improve the existing predictions that were obtained in specific models. Confronting our predictions with the relevant experimental results and theoretical constraints, we perform a simultaneous determination of the trilinear and quartic Higgs-boson self-couplings. We show that the new set of model-independent higher-order contributions can induce sizeable shifts in the inferred bounds on the trilinear and quartic Higgs self-couplings. For example, including the new higher-order corrections can shift the upper bound on the trilinear self-coupling modifier entering the theoretical predictions to $\sim4.9$ from the experimental limit of $ 6.1$. Our results demonstrate that incorporating these higher-order contributions is essential for a reliable interpretation of present and future measurements. We further provide a public tool that implements these effects and enables direct comparison with experimental limits.

This study establishes a baseline for muonium (Mu) charge-exchange dynamics in n-type 4H-SiC through a detailed low-energy muon spin rotation (LE-uSR) investigation. Epitaxially grown and ion-implanted samples with nitrogen and phosphorus donors were characterized to assess the effect of carrier concentration and doping method on defect formation. LE-uSR enabled nanometer scale depth profiling of near-surface and implanted regions, revealing variations in charge carrier concentration due to fixed surface charges. The temperature dependence of the diamagnetic fraction and phase provided direct evidence of the Mu0 to Mu- transition, with extracted activation energies consistent with known donor ionization energies. Additionally, high-field uSR was used to analyze the Mu dynamics, and Monte-Carlo simulations to model the Mu0 electron capture process. The simulation results offer a quantitative method to extract free electron concentrations from LE-uSR data, enhancing its capability to characterize the activation of dopants and carrier depth profiles. We demonstrate that LE-uSR is a powerful depth-resolved tool that can provide insights for optimizing the fabrication of reliable SiC devices for power electronics.

The Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) Flexible Combined Imager (FCI) offers new opportunities for tropospheric temperature and humidity profiling, at higher spatio-temporal resolutions and expanded spectral coverage relative to its predecessor. Vertically resolved retrievals from broadband imagers are inherently challenging, and operational retrieval algorithms typically rely on numerical weather prediction (NWP) background fields to compensate for limited infrared spectral resolution, reducing the retrievals' independence. We develop a spatially aware deep learning framework to retrieve all-sky tropospheric temperature and humidity profiles from FCI, without forecast profiles as input. A Residual U-Net that exploits spatial context across all 16 FCI channels was trained on 14 months of collocated FCI observations and CERRA reanalysis targets over Europe. Validated against independent radiosondes, retrieved temperatures show biases below 0.4 K and standard deviations of 1.5-1.9 K. Retrieved relative humidity standard deviations range from 12-20 %, compared to 9-19 % for CERRA. Performance degrades modestly under clouds, with standard deviation increases below 0.4 K and 3 % RH beneath cloud tops despite limited direct radiative information. Ablation experiments show that spatial context improves retrievals, with the largest gains below cloud tops. Feature sensitivity analysis indicates broad consistency with FCI bands' established radiative transfer characteristics. Visible and near-infrared channels contribute despite not being commonly used in physics-based profile inversions. These results demonstrate that spatially aware deep learning models can extract statistically reliable tropospheric profiles from geostationary imager observations, independent of NWP forecast fields, enabling more rapid autonomous monitoring of the atmosphere.

Glueball spectroscopy and real-time production with quantum computing require three distinct ingredients: a correlated gauge vacuum, a controlled construction of pure-gauge excitations, and a dynamical detector. We develop a physics-informed quantum-algorithm toolbox for these tasks in a $(2+1)$-dimensional $\mathbb{Z}_2$ lattice gauge theory. We use the term glueball-like for localized closed-flux excitations on the confining side of this Abelian model, without identifying them with the non-Abelian glueballs of QCD. A loop-gas circuit and Hamiltonian variational ansatz prepare the gauge vacuum, Wilson-loop quantum subspace expansion constructs and characterizes low-lying excitations, and eigenvector continuation imports parameter-dependent dressing without a rapidly enlarged explicit loop basis. A Bethe–Salpeter-type transition amplitude quantifies the spatial broadening of the lightest state. For dynamics, a vacuum-dressed contractible-loop counter measures excess production of localized glueball-like structures. Although demonstrated in an Abelian model, the toolbox separates preparation, construction, compression, characterization, and dynamical detection in a form that is naturally extensible to non-Abelian lattice gauge theories.

A Thick Gaseous Electron Multiplier (THGEM) detector coupled to a resistive plate anode was investigated for the first time, using an Ar:CO$_2$ (93:7) gas mixture. The resistive anode concept enabled stable operation with induction gaps significantly smaller than those typically employed in THGEM detectors, opening the possibility of improving signal formation and timing performance. The effect of the induction gap on the detector current- and charge-signal characteristics was systematically investigated. An optimal induction gap of 0.2 mm was identified based on several key signal parameters. Subsequently, detailed studies were carried out for this optimal configuration under different electric-field settings. The detector achieved a highest peak amplitude of $\sim$56 $\mu$A with a rise time of $\sim$5 ns at $\Delta\text{V}_{\text{THGEM}}$=1900 V, $\Delta\text{V}_{\text{induction}}$=100 V, and a drift field of 1 kV/cm when irradiated with 5.9 keV X-rays. Under the same operating conditions, a time resolution of $\sim$6.0 ns was measured detecting cosmic muons. This study establishes a new THGEM detector configuration and provides guidance for its potential application in particle-detection systems, such as muon spectrometers and sampling elements of digital hadronic calorimeters.

Exotic spin-spin-velocity-dependent interactions, predicted in extensions of the Standard Model involving new bosonic fields, could resolve fundamental puzzles from dark matter to cosmic asymmetry. However, exploring these weak potential interactions at centimeter scales presents formidable challenges, primarily due to the overwhelming dominance of electromagnetic backgrounds that can easily obscure the weak exotic signals. Here, we utilize a levitated magnet force sensor with ultrahigh electron spin density to probe these interactions. We constrain two interactions individually through a designed spin source and a multi-layer magnetic shielding system that suppresses electromagnetic backgrounds. In this study, we constrain two types of interactions: the V_6 potential at force ranges from $10^{-3}$ m to $6 \times 10^{-2}$ m and the V_{14} potential at ranges greater than $10^{-3}$ m. Our measurements establish 95% confidence-level bounds of $|f_6| \leq 2.12 \times 10^{-13}$ and $|f_{14}| \leq 2.34 \times 10^{-23}$ at $\lambda = 1.6 \times 10^{-2}$ m, improving prior limits by up to 12 and 13 orders of magnitude, respectively. Our result demonstrates the levitated magnet as a highly sensitive probe for detecting new bosonic fields in extensions of the Standard Model.

The discovery of chiral phonons has expanded the conventional view of lattice vibrations as passive heat carriers, opening new opportunities for phononic spintronic devices. However, their realization has been largely limited to chiral crystals or to specific regions of momentum space in certain achiral materials. Here, we propose a generic mechanism for generating propagating chiral phonons in an ordinary dielectric through the precession of the electric polarization in an adjacent ferroelectric. The polarization dynamics transfers its intrinsic angular momentum to the lattice via electrostrictive coupling, thereby pumping chirality-selective phonons whose handedness is dictated by that of the polarization precession. For a typical LiNbO$_{3}$$|$Y$_{3}$Al$_{5}$O$_{12}$ bilayer, we find that the pumping efficiency quantified by an interfacial convertance substantially exceeds those of thermally induced chiral-phonon generation in chiral crystals, owing to the strong electrostrictive coupling in ferroelectrics. Our work establishes ferroelectric dynamics as a versatile electrical source of chiral phonons and provides a general route toward electrically programmable chiral-phononic and spintronic functionalities.