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Thursday 24 September

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology

Physics-Informed Neural Networks for Static Black-Hole Exterior Metrics: Charge and Cosmological-Constant Sweeps

We apply physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) to recover the time-time component of static, spherically symmetric black-hole exterior metrics from a reduced ordinary differential equation (ODE). Inspired by recent work on solving Einstein field equations with deep learning~\cite{Li2023}, we encode the vacuum/charged exterior through a residual loss and an asymptotic boundary constraint—not by embedding analytic metric terms such as $2M/r$ directly into the network output. Unlike the distributed PINN (DPINN) strategy of Ref.~\cite{Li2023}, which partitions the radial domain into subdomains with separate networks, we employ a unified fully connected network over the entire interval $[r_{\min},r_{\max}]$, avoiding spurious jumps at subdomain interfaces. Moreover, whereas Ref.~\cite{Li2023} restricts training to $r\in(10,300)$—well outside the steep $1/r$ and $1/r^2$ curvature of the inner exterior—we begin at $r_{\min}=10^{-2}M$, spanning three decades in radius and covering the strongly varying region that DPINNs sidestep by domain truncation. Holding the mass fixed at $M=1$, we sweep electric charge $Q\in\{0,0.5,1.0,1.1\}$ at $\Lambda=0$ and sweep $\Lambda\in\{0,0.1,-0.1\}$ at $Q=0.5$. All configurations achieve relative $\mathcal{L}_2$ errors below $6\%$ against the analytic reference. For the representative case $Q=0.5$, $\Lambda=0.1$, three independent trainings with fixed seeds yield relative errors of $3.89\%$, $1.08\%$, and $2.76\%$ (mean $2.58\%$, standard deviation $1.41\%$), demonstrating robustness of the mesh-free approach without labeled field data.
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Statistical Mechanics · Cross-listed from math.PR

Macroscopic freezing of a vector Gaussian free field conditioned to avoid a ball

We consider a fixed finite number of independent two-dimensional discrete Gaussian free fields on a box of side $n$, with zero boundary values, conditioned so that the vector-valued field stays outside a fixed ball on a macroscopic interior domain. We prove that the field, divided by $\log n$, converges in distribution in $L^2$ to twice the equilibrium potential of the domain multiplied by a uniform random unit vector. We also identify the exact capacity cost of the conditioning event and obtain alignment on a deterministic density-one set of sites, with no restriction on their mutual distance. The proof combines the norm repulsion theorem of Korzhenkova and Sepúlveda with Gaussian large deviations and the equality case in the capacity variational problem.
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Quantum Physics

Quantum Channel Stein Theorem beyond Definite Causal Order

Distinguishability is a central concept in information theory and extends naturally to quantum systems. This work shows that, for any two finite-dimensional memoryless quantum channels, parallel, adaptive and general testing strategies achieve the same Stein exponent at every fixed type-I error tolerance $\epsilon\in(0,1)$, namely the regularized channel relative entropy. When this rate is finite, any larger type-II exponent forces the probability of correctly accepting the null hypothesis to decay exponentially. Thus, adaptivity provides no asymptotic advantage. The key step is proving the continuity of the regularized sandwiched Rényi channel divergence at order one. We also derive the exact strong-converse exponent for general testers.
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Astrophysics of Galaxies

Igniting Galaxy Formation in the Postreionization Universe, II: Nature versus Nurture

Although the ultraviolet background from reionization is thought to conspire against the smallest halos, some gas-rich halos in the post-reionization Universe still form stars. We ask which properties, environmental or intrinsic, determine ignition. Using the FIREbox cosmological volume, we compare recently-ignited halos to a mass- and gas-matched sample of gas-resolved starless halos at $z=2$–6. We test three families of "third axis" properties beyond $M_{\rm vir}$, $M_{\rm gas}$, and $z$: geometric environment (the Perturbation Index and local galaxy density $\rho_5$), hydrodynamic environment (the $1$–$2,R_{\rm vir}$ gas-supply shell), and intrinsic halo properties (concentration and the neutral-gas reservoir). A nested random-forest classification finds that geometric environment adds little, while the hydrodynamic shell is modestly informative. Three complementary properties each discriminate ignited from starless halos beyond the mass–gas–redshift baseline (AUC $=0.635$, where $0.5$ is chance): total HI mass ($M_{\rm HI}$, AUC $=0.739$), the extent of the neutral gas ($r_{\rm HI,50}/R_{\rm vir}$, AUC $=0.738$), and the central HI density ($\rho_{\rm HI,0}$, AUC $=0.700$); jointly they reach AUC $=0.823$, the highest of any combination we test. At fixed halo mass, gas mass and redshift, recently-ignited halos harbor more HI over a larger radius than their matched controls, and these two enhancements are uncorrelated. The same reservoir sets when ignition can happen: from $z=6$ to $z=0$ the median starless halo keeps its gas ($+0.05$ dex) while its neutral fraction falls by $3.9$ dex, so the reservoir is ionized rather than exhausted and the ignition window closes below $z\simeq2$. In sum, a halo's own neutral-gas reservoir discriminates ignited from starless halos more sharply than its location in the cosmic web – nature over nurture.
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All authors Jorge Moreno, Defne Aluç, Eisha López, Vivienne Wood, Emmanuel Santiago, Francisco J. Mercado, Caleb R. Choban, Coral Wheeler, M. Katy Rodriguez Wimberly, Robert Feldmann

Disordered Systems and Neural Networks

Upper critical dimension for dirty Weyl semimetal-to-metal quantum phase transitions

Weyl or Dirac fermions with the iconic linear energy-momentum relation and average density of states (ADOS) $\rho(E) \sim |E|^{d-1}$ at energy $E$ in $d$ spatial dimensions, constitute a unique setup to study the disorder-driven semimetal-to-metal quantum phase transition (QPT) between ballistic (realized for weak disorder) and diffusive (stabilized at stronger disorder) quasiparticles. Such a QPT takes place only for $d>2$ and falls beyond the realm of the Anderson metal-to-insulator transition. From numerically computed ADOS (using the kernel polynomial method) in dirty Weyl systems in $d=2$ to $6$, here we show that $d=2$ and $d=4$ are the lower ($d_\ell$) and upper ($d_u$) critical dimensions for such an unconventional QPT, respectively, as suggested from the solution of quasiparticle lifetime within the self-consistent Born approximation. Consequently, for $d \geq 4$ the associated correlation length exponent is found to be $\nu \approx 0.5$ (within numerical accuracy). However, the dynamic scaling exponent at the quantum critical point is pinned close to $z \approx d/2$ (numerically) for any $d \geq 3$, which is shown to be an exact result from a field-theoretic renormalization group calculation. Therefore, Weyl semimetal-to-metal QPTs can be studied field theoretically around both $d_\ell$ and $d_u$.
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Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics

Projected amorphous topological insulators

We introduce projected amorphous topological insulators (PATIs) that despite containing only a fraction ($x$) of otherwise randomly selected disconnected sites of a parent crystal, feature a quantized global topological invariant (strong PATIs) when its effective Hamiltonian is constructed by integrating out the residual sites of the original lattice. Within the topological regime of the parent model, additionally, there exists a critical $x$ below which such systems foster a fragile PATI that only supports quantized local topological marker on a small fraction of sites therein. Both strong and fragile PATIs accommodate in-gap modes near the boundary. The system also hosts a normal insulator in the entire trivial parameter regime of the lattice-based model for any $x$, devoid of gapless boundary modes, for which both global topological invariant and local topological marker vanish. We demonstrate these possibly generic outcomes by starting with a parent square lattice-based model for time-reversal symmetry breaking insulators. Then the strong-to-fragile PATI quantum phase transition, tunable via $x$, is characterized by the mean correlation length exponent $\nu \in (1.00,1.46)$.
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Astrophysics of Galaxies

The geometric origin of the thermal eccentricity law

The distribution $f(e)=2e$ is commonly referred to as the `thermal eccentricity distribution' of Keplerian binaries. However, the result does not require thermal equilibrium, and its usual derivations obscure why the distribution is linear in eccentricity. We seek a simple geometrical interpretation of this result and its relation to more general eccentricity distributions. We consider bound Kepler orbits in a Euclidean space of dimension $D\geq2$, with a phase-space distribution depending only on energy, and derive the eccentricity distribution from the Liouville measure. We obtain $f_D(e)=(D-1) e (1-e^2)^{(D-3)/2}$, so that, within this family, $D=3$ is the only case for which the distribution function is linear in $e$. This follows from the $D-1$ transverse momentum dimensions and the Kepler period degeneracy. We further show that two known generalisations – namely a power-law weighting of the normalised angular momentum and a constant velocity anisotropy – are, in fact, two representations of the same one-parameter family of eccentricity distributions.
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Quantum Physics

Quantum Feature Selection for Biomedical Data Analysis

Feature selection is an essential step for reducing complexity of high dimensional data, usually in preparation for developing machine learning models such as computational biomarkers. However, there are limitations associated with feature selection such as for metabolomic data where there are hundreds or even thousands of features per study participant, while the available number of participants in a clinical trials is limited. Classical methods such as exhaustive search require evaluation of all possible feature combinations, making them costly in terms of computation and runtime, or even infeasible, as feature dimensionality increases. In this study, we propose a novel Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization (QUBO) coefficient formulation and pose metabolomic feature selection as a QUBO problem that selects a specified number of features by balancing their relevance against redundancy among the selected variables. To evaluate our proposed QUBO objective function, we conducted a series of experiments using Bias-Field Digitized Counterdiabatic Quantum Optimization (BF-DCQO) and Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm (QAOA) on a quantum gate based computer. We also compared the method to several classical methods on three metabolomic datasets associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) on a classical computer. Our method reduces runtime compared with exhaustive search and Iterative Tabu Search (ITS) and achieves competitive performance across classifiers compared to classical filter, wrapper, and embedded methods. These results do not claim quantum advantage; rather, they establish hardware feasibility and demonstrate the current capabilities of Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) devices.
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All authors Hongbin Liu, Robert Lahmann, Benjamin Campbell, Zhemin Zhang, Zhiding Liang, Siona Bapat, Juergen Hahn

High Energy Physics (Phenomenology)

A Narrow Neutrino Window for the LZ Event

The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment has reported an event consistent with a $248$ keV nuclear recoil. Explaining the absence of lower-energy recoil events typically calls for some form of upscattering that kinematically forbids such events. In this work, we present a framework in which the LZ observation has a neutrino origin, with atmospheric neutrinos providing the dominant flux in the required energy range. A scenario in which atmospheric neutrinos upscatter to a heavier neutral state would also produce a large number of neutral-current events in neutrino experiments. In particular, scattering on lighter nuclear targets results in much larger nuclear recoil energies compared to xenon, yet no such excess has been observed. We show that this constraint from neutrino experiments can be evaded if atmospheric neutrinos within a narrow energy window first produce a nearly monoenergetic state $N_1$, followed by the upscattering of $N_1$ to its heavier partner $N_2$ in LZ. In such a scenario, scattering on xenon becomes kinematically allowed for $N_2$ masses around $250$ MeV, while scattering on oxygen, carbon, and other targets used in large-scale neutrino experiments remains kinematically forbidden. We show that this two-step process, $\nu \to N_1 \to N_2$, can be realized through a parametric resonance induced by a dark matter background that efficiently produces $N_1$, followed by $N_1 \to N_2$ upscattering mediated by a vector boson in a model with gauged $U(1)_B$. The latter interaction can be sufficiently stronger than the weak interaction, which is necessary to lift the neutrino floor and yield $\mathscr{O}(1)$ event at LZ.
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Quantum Physics

How Not to Build Microcrypt

A key challenge in quantum cryptography is to build quantum one-wayness and pseudorandomness without the use of (quantum computable) one-way functions. So far, this has turned out to be a difficult task, with only a few proposed candidates that are not directly built from one-way functions. Even within these few proposed candidates, we have lacked the techniques to analyze when proposed constructions may inadvertently yield one-way functions. In this work, we introduce efficient NP-aided shadow tomography of quantum states. We prove that collections of computable pure states can be learned via efficient NP-aided shadow tomography, where we say that a state is computable if the amplitude and phase on any computational basis term can be classically efficiently computed given the description of an efficient preparation circuit for the state. We also give new algorithms for NP-aided learning of unitaries given polynomially many queries to the unitary. By building on this, we show that many existing architectures for PRS and PRU, including some that were explicitly introduced for the purposes of avoiding one-way functions (e.g., Hamiltonian Phase States, Bostanci et. al., TQC 2025), actually do imply the existence of one-way functions or imply \(\NP\) hardness. We hope that these no-go results will inform future investigations into building PRS and PRUs from assumptions that are plausibly outside the complexity class NP.
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Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

Simulating the thermodynamics of gas, radiation, and multispecies dust: Method and applications to protoplanetary disks

The thermodynamics of protoplanetary disks, governed by a complex interplay between gas, dust, and radiation, exerts a strong influence on their morphology and dynamics at both large and small scales. Historically, hydrodynamical simulations have treated thermodynamics with approximate prescriptions, such as local isothermality, parametrized $\beta$-cooling, and radiation hydrodynamics with gas-dust thermal equilibrium. However, a more comprehensive and self-consistent approach would more accurately reproduce the wealth of features found in observations, which in modern times have reached unprecedented spectral, angular, and vertical resolution. With this motivation, we have devised a radiation-hydrodynamics scheme for the PLUTO code with energy exchange (via absorption, emission, and collisions) for gas, radiation, and multiple species of dust. Dust-gas dynamics are handled by treating each dust species as a pressureless, diffusive fluid, ensuring that our scheme can represent changes in disk illumination caused by grain settling and trapping. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our scheme in several test problems, and conclude by discussing its relevance to open questions in protoplanetary disk studies.
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All authors Dhruv Muley, David Melon Fuksman, Prakruti Sudarshan, Alexandros Ziampras, Mario Flock

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

Statistics of large-scale structure from the transition probability of Lagrangian trajectories

We describe a probabilistic approach to gravitational clustering. Working purely in configuration space, we show that the two-point function can be formulated in terms of a transition probability describing the likely final position of a particle given its initial position. The transition probability is initially sharply peaked and then over time broadens out in a diffusion-like manner. The effect is more pronounced for widely-separated particles (e.g.\ at the baryon acoustic scale), leading to an effective suppression of the two-point function in what is normally referred to as infrared resummation.
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Quantum Physics

Deep thermalization and Hilbert space ergodicity

Recent advances in quantum simulation have enabled the discovery of novel forms of universality in quantum many-body dynamics. In this Review, we discuss deep thermalization and Hilbert space ergodicity–two recently discovered phenomena characterized by the emergence of distributions of quantum states that are "maximally random" in a precise sense. They offer a new perspective on how irreversible statistical mechanics arises from reversible unitary quantum dynamics, going beyond conventional theories of quantum thermalization and equilibration. We review a unifying framework, rooted in quantum information theory and principles of maximum entropy, that explains the different forms of ergodicity which arise under various physical constraints. We discuss open questions and active research directions, including generalizations beyond ensembles of pure quantum states, phase transitions in deep thermalization tied to deeper forms of ergodicity-breaking, connections to broader topics in quantum thermalization and ergodicity, and applications in quantum information science, such as for benchmarking or tomography.
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All authors Daniel K. Mark, Manuel Endres, Matteo Ippoliti, Wen Wei Ho, Soonwon Choi

Quantum Physics

The Moreau-Yosida approximation of the Entanglement of Formation: basic properties and accuracy estimates

We describe a family of convex uniformly continuous functions $E^\lambda_F$, $\lambda>0$, on the set of states of a bipartite quantum system (consisting of finite-dimensional or infinite-dimensional subsystems), which monotonically increase and converge pointwise to the Entanglement of Formation (EoF) as $\lambda\to0$. These functions are "nonselective" entanglement monotones defined in a way close to the construction of the Moreau-Yosida regularization (the Moreau envelope) of a convex function on a convex set used in the modern convex analysis. So, we call the functions $E^\lambda_F$ the Moreau-Yosida approximations of the EoF and describe their equivalent definitions and basic properties. The semicontinuity bounds for the EoF (presented in [Lob.J.Math., 46(6), 2632-2658]) allow us to obtain easily computable upper bounds on the difference $E_F(\rho)-E^\lambda_F(\rho)$ for a given state $\rho$. These bounds give easily computable bounds on the rate of uniform convergence of the function $E^\lambda_F$ to the EoF as $\lambda\to0^+$ on the sets of states with bounded rank/energy of one of the marginal states. We also discuss sufficient conditions for the coincidence of $E_F(\rho)$ and $E^\lambda_F(\rho)$ at a given state $\rho$ for all $\lambda$ small enough and consider several classes of states for which such coincidence takes place. The conjectured selective LOCC-monotonicity of the functions $E^\lambda_F$ and a possible way to prove it are briefly discussed. Secondary parts of the article are written with the help of ChatGPT-5.6.
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High Energy Physics (Theory)

The Flavor of Non-Abelian Orbifolds

In string model building, flavor symmetries can arise from the geometric features of the compactification space. In the case of heterotic orbifold models, modular and traditional flavor symmetries can be related to both geometric and algebraic properties of the orbifold space group. Our goal is to study the origin of moduli-independent discrete flavor symmetries in symmetric heterotic orbifolds with non-Abelian point groups. We develop various methods based on the Abelianization and the geometric automorphisms of the orbifold space group to determine these symmetries and their associated charges for matter fields. Notably, our methods were applied to all 331 non-Abelian affine geometries, including roto-translations, suitable for delivering N=1 supersymmetric heterotic compactifications in four dimensions. This provides additional motivation to pursue the derivation of new types of phenomenologically viable models from string theory.
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All authors Miguel Hernandez-Segura, Xiang-Gan Liu, Ricardo Perez-Martinez, Saul Ramos-Sanchez

High Energy Physics (Theory)

Emergent Scaling Symmetry and Universal Interior Criticality of Scalarized Black Holes

Spontaneous scalarization of charged black holes in asymptotically flat spacetime has attracted much recent interest. It is recently reported that inside these spontaneously scalarized black holes, the Kasner parameter $\beta$ at the terminal singularity diverges as $\beta\propto(q/q_c-1)^{-\gamma}$ near the critical charge-to-mass ratio $q_c$, with an exponent $\gamma=1/2$ that appeared model independent within a wide class of couplings. In this paper we report a family of new universality classes in which $\gamma$ differs from 1/2. We show that all these critical behaviors are governed by the same emergent scaling symmetry at the would-be Cauchy horizon of the background Reissner-Nordström solution. This symmetry leads to a “seesaw amplification” to amplify exterior small scalar and produces a limiting autonomous system that is independent of the details of the theory. Our mechanism provides a unified picture of exterior scalarization and interior criticality and makes sharp numerical predictions that we test.
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All authors Ze Sun, Fu-Guo Yang, Rong-Gen Cai, Li Li, Run-Qiu Yang

Astrophysics of Galaxies

Breaking the Blend: A multi-tracer kinematic decomposition method for IFS data applied to disentangling the AGN outflow and circumnuclear ring in NGC 5728 with JWST

Integral field spectroscopy (IFS) of the central kiloparsecs of active galactic nuclei (AGN) reveals a mixture of spatially coincident emission from star-formation and AGN feedback exciting the interstellar medium. Disentangling these components remains a challenge, as most spectral tracers are affected by both processes, limiting robust interpretation of kinematics and energetics. We present a new framework for decomposing IFS data into distinct components on a spaxel-by-spaxel basis using a multi-tracer, stacked kinematics approach. This method combines kinematic modelling with imposed flux decomposition per spaxel, quantifying the contribution of each component across the field of view. We apply this method to JWST IFS observations of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 5728 from the Galaxy Activity, Torus, and Outflow Survey (GATOS), analysing twelve mid-infrared fine-structure lines (4.49 < $\lambda$ < 25.89 $\mu$m, 7.9 < IP < 126.2 eV). We find that the circumnuclear emission can be decomposed into two dominant components: a star-forming ring and an AGN-driven biconical outflow. Our method separates these structures and recovers their detailed spatial morphology. This framework provides a general and scalable method for physically motivated component separation in IFS data, applicable across many wavelength ranges and targets, enabling reliable interpretation of complex emission line structures (or morphologies) in active galaxies and beyond.
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All authors Oscar Veenema, Niranjan Thatte, Dimitra Rigopoulou, Richard I. Davies, Miguel Pereira-Santaella, Ismael García-Bernete, Almudena Alonso-Herrero, Anelise Audibert, Enrica Bellocchi, Andrew J. Bunker, Françoise Combes, Tanio Díaz Santos, Fergus R. Donnan, Donaji Esparza-Arredondo, Federico Esposito, Santiago García-Burillo, Begoña García-Lorenzo, Omaira Gonzalez Martin, Laura Hermosa Muñoz, Erin K. S. Hicks, Sebastian F. Hönig, Masatoshi Imanishi, Alvaro Labiano, Nancy A. Levenson, Enrique Lopez-Rodriguez, Cristina Ramos Almeida, Claudio Ricci, Rogemar A. Riffel, Marko Stalevski

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Disc-mediated angular momentum transport resolves the mass-gain problem in rotating binaries

A large fraction of stars interact with a close companion during their lifetime, in which the transfer of mass and angular momentum shapes their evolution and final fate. Standard rotationally limited accretion models predict that accretors reach critical rotation after gaining only a small fraction of their mass, severely suppressing further accretion. This is in tension with observations of post-interaction systems that require substantial mass gain. We introduce a disc-mediated angular momentum transport prescription for mass-transfer onto stellar companions. This is based on a novel perturbative, analytic star-disc boundary model that allows for continued mass inflow as the accretor approaches critical rotation. Furthermore, the model reproduces previous numerical results in which perturbations to super-critical rotation result in negative torques exerted by the disc, extracting excess angular momentum while allowing continued mass inflow. We implement this mechanism in detailed binary evolution calculations with differential rotation using MESA, and compute grids spanning primary mass, orbital period, and mass ratio. Whereas rotationally limited models predict $\beta_{\rm eff}\lesssim 0.1$, the disc model yields sustained mass inflow near critical rotation, with effective mass-transfer efficiencies of $\beta_{\rm eff}\sim 0.4$-$1$ across much of the parameter space. The resulting accretor properties are broadly consistent with observed post-interaction sdOB+Be binaries. Disc-mediated angular momentum transport may therefore represent a key missing ingredient in standard binary evolution models, with important implications for rapidly rotating stars and compact-object progenitors.
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Materials Science

Molecular Beam Epitaxy of AgTaO3

We report the first synthesis of single-crystal AgTaO3 thin films using molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE). High-quality epitaxial AgTaO3 films were grown on both (001)- and (111)-oriented SrTiO3 substrates using sequential deposition of atomic silver and TaO2 layers under an ozone/oxygen atmosphere (80 % O3 + 20 % O2). X-ray diffrac- tion and reciprocal space mapping demonstrate that the films are coherently strained to the SrTiO3 substrates with sharp rocking curves comparable to the substrates, indicating high structural perfection. High-angle annular dark-field scanning trans- mission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) confirms coherent, low defect growth for (001)pc-oriented films. For (111)pc-oriented films, initial coherent growth proceeds up to 10 nm before transitioning into a Ta-rich surface region. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) reveals a narrow cation intermixing region at the sub- strate interface for both orientations. This work demonstrates an effective synthesis route for single-crystal AgTaO3 thin films, providing a platform to investigate strain engineering and emergent interfacial properties in silver-based tantalates.
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All authors Tobias Schwaigert, Joshua Maile, Olivia Peek, Eric Biedke, Paul T. Malinowski, Kyle M. Shen, Salva Salmani-Rezaie, Darrell G. Schlom, Kaveh Ahadi

Quantum Physics

Variational Multi-Gaussian Quantum Trajectories

We propose a variational framework for the efficient simulation of stochastic quantum dynamics in interacting bosonic systems. Our method generalizes the time-dependent variational principle to accommodate quantum state diffusion processes and is tailored for describing quantum trajectories unraveled from a master equation. We adopt a wavefunction ansatz composed of a coherent superposition of Gaussian wavepackets, which allows the fully analytical assembly of the variational equations of motion while capturing both the quantum trajectory dynamics and the Lindblad evolution beyond semiclassical approximations. The method is carefully benchmarked on a Bose-Hubbard dimer, and applied to extended Bose-Hubbard lattices in both 1D and 2D. In particular, we show the emergence of a symmetry-breaking phase transition in 2D lattices, which is absent in 1D chains.
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Optics

Efficient simulation of millimeter-scale complex-modulated integrated Bragg gratings via hierarchical locally periodic eigenmode expansion

We propose a structure-aware, hierarchical locally periodic eigenmode expansion (HLP-EME) framework for efficiently simulating millimeter-scale integrated Bragg gratings (IBGs) with complex modulation on silicon-on-insulator platforms. HLP-EME discretizes continuously varying grating parameter profiles into piecewise-constant blocks and exploits the resulting local periodicity of the physical grating structure by reusing the S-matrix of a representative period within each block. This strategy reduces full-device simulation times for millimeter-scale IBGs to a few minutes, providing a speedup exceeding three orders of magnitude over conventional 3D-FDTD simulations. The method accommodates diverse IBG configurations, including intra-mode gratings, mode-converting multimode gratings and grating-assisted contra-directional couplers. Experimental results validate the predicted reflection spectra of several complex-modulated IBGs and the reflection phase response of one representative design. The framework is further extended to curved waveguides and successfully captures curvature-induced spectral distortions in millimeter-long, Gaussian-apodized spiral IBGs. Combining full-vectorial modeling with high computational efficiency, HLP-EME provides a powerful tool for designing and optimizing long, complex IBG-based photonic devices.
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All authors Rui Cheng, Jia Meng, Ping Yu, Jihao Wang, Zikun Xie

Mathematical Physics

Localization near the edge for the lattice Anderson-Bernoulli model on general dimension

The Anderson tight-binding model is a fundamental model of quantum transport and localization in disordered media. Solving a problem left open by Bourgain and Kenig, this paper proves Anderson localization near the bottom of the spectrum for the lattice Anderson model with Bernoulli potential, in any dimension $d\ge 2$. The proof uses the multiscale framework of Fröhlich-Spencer and Bourgain-Kenig, and the main new ingredient is a probabilistic discrete unique continuation principle (PDUC) for the discrete Schrödinger equation. This PDUC is established via a bootstrap argument and a key probabilistic lemma proved by adaptively revealing the random potential.
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General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology

Topological black holes of Einsteinian cubic gravity and Born-Infeld-type electrodynamics

In this paper, we examine the new black holes of Einsteinian cubic gravity within the framework of Born-Infeld-type electrodynamics. Initially, we establish the differential equations of motion that characterize an innovative collection of charged black hole solutions in Einsteinian cubic theory. Next, we compute the thermodynamic quantities of these black holes for the case of vanishing bare cosmological constant. We consider this situation because the model is unitary only for the asymptotically flat solutions that allow horizons with spherical topology. We also present that the first law of thermodynamics is fulfilled for these objects. Finally, we examine how the nonlinearity of electric field, electric charge and cubic coupling parameter can impact the local thermal stability of our simulated black holes in both canonical and grand canonical ensembles.
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Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics

Incipient superconductivity and tunable Chern insulators in twisted bilayer-trilayer graphene

Moiré superlattices assembled by twisting Bernal and rhombohedral multilayer graphene host a rich set of interaction-driven magnetic and topological states, yet superconductivity has not been observed in these systems except in proximity to a transition-metal dichalcogenide. Here we report incipient superconductivity and tunable Chern insulators in twisted bilayer-trilayer graphene encapsulated by hexagonal boron nitride. Across twist angles from $\theta = 1.05^\circ$ to $1.50^\circ$, Chern insulators form at integer and fractional moiré fillings for electron doping, with Chern numbers up to |C| = 3 set by twist angle and tuned by doping. At $\theta = 1.18^\circ$, a symmetry-broken metallic region forms for hole doping and hosts a trivial insulator at band filling $\nu = -2$. Displacement field alone drives this insulator into a pocket of incipient superconductivity with a sharp transition, a well-defined critical current, and a critical temperature that peaks near the insulating boundary, although the resistance does not fall to zero. In-plane magnetic field expands the pocket, which persists to more than four times the weak-coupling Pauli limit, and stabilizes a second pocket in which Fraunhofer-like modulation of the critical current signals phase-coherent pairing. Twisted bilayer-trilayer graphene thus offers a single gate-tunable system in which pairing can be interfaced with Chern insulators whose topology is itself an adjustable parameter.
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All authors Derek Waleffe, Aryana Bhattacharyya, Manish Kumar, Eric Maginnis, Anna Okounkova, Tobias Faehndrich, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Joshua Folk, Matthew Yankowitz

Materials Science · Cross-listed from cs.LG

Beyond Compression: Training Latent Representations for Stable Long-Horizon Rollout in Neural Surrogate Solvers

Latent neural surrogate solvers, or latent dynamics models, accelerate simulations of time-dependent physical systems by evolving a compressed latent space rather than resolving full-resolution fields directly. In principle this reduces computational cost and simplifies learning, but in practice errors often accumulate rapidly during long autoregressive rollouts, limiting predictive utility. We show that this instability does not stem from the latent representation itself, but arises when it is trained solely for reconstruction, producing representations poorly suited to long-horizon forecasting. We systematically evaluate training-level interventions that align latent representations with long-horizon rollout: Koopman operator learning and Hamming noise injection during autoencoder training to improve compression, together with noise injection and multi-step rollout fine-tuning to improve dynamics. Interventions that improve long-horizon rollout stability often degrade conventional training metrics, including reconstruction and one-step prediction accuracy. Collectively, these interventions reduce long-rollout error by approximately 40% and match or exceed the accuracy of full-resolution models on two physics benchmarks, while requiring 2 orders of magnitude fewer floating point operations and half the GPU memory. Applied to mesoscale crystal-plasticity simulations of high-cycle fatigue, the resulting surrogate achieves stable extrapolation over horizons orders of magnitude beyond those observed during training. More broadly, these results show that neural compression should be designed not merely to reduce dimensionality, but to restructure the solution space for stable dynamical evolution, a key requirement for reliable, efficient neural surrogates in scientific applications.
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All authors Andreas E. Robertson, Ashley T. Lenau, John D. Shimanek, Benjamin A. Jasperson, Vivek Oommen, David L. Damm, Krishna Garikipati, Remi Dingreville

Data Analysis and Statistics

Simulation-Based Inference and Unbinned Asimov Construction with Hybrid Neural Density Estimation

High-dimensional, unbinned neural simulation-based inference often relies on neural ratio estimation, which uses expressive supervised models to estimate density ratios, but a learned ratio by itself provides neither an explicit normalized density nor a generative model. Flow-based surrogate models instead enable tractable density evaluation and efficient sampling, but residual density-estimation errors can limit precision for complex implicit distributions. We propose hybrid neural density estimation, which uses a flow to define a parameter-independent reference distribution, and classifiers to estimate target-to-reference density ratios. Multiplying a learned ratio by the reference density gives an evaluable target density surrogate. The ratio also provides importance weights for integration and resampling. We show how this representation defines an exact Asimov dataset, whose maximum likelihood fit returns the generating parameters. We also show how the tractable reference supplies renewable samples for pseudo-experiments and how it enables methods to reduce the Monte Carlo variance of expected test statistic calculations. We demonstrate the construction in a toy statistical model motivated by high-energy physics measurements, but for which the exact densities are known analytically.
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Quantum Physics

Loan Portfolio Optimization with Variational Quantum Algorithms

Loan portfolio optimization (LPO) seeks portfolios that minimize credit risk while satisfying practical selection constraints. Accounting for portfolio-level risk requires modeling not only expected losses but also loss variability and borrower-default correlations, leading to a large-scale combinatorial optimization problem whose complexity grows rapidly with portfolio size. In this work, we formulate LPO as a Quadratic Constrained Binary Optimization (QCBO) problem that jointly captures expected and unexpected losses and transform the resulting formulation into a Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization (QUBO) model suitable for variational quantum optimization. To address the limited qubit resources of current quantum hardware, we employ Pauli Correlation Encoding (PCE), which enables a large number of portfolio-selection variables to be represented using comparatively few qubits. The proposed framework is evaluated on a real-world microfinance dataset comprising 2012 borrowers. For problem instances with up to 1000 portfolio-selection variables, we benchmark classical simulations of a variational quantum algorithm (VQA) against Google OR-Tools under matched time budgets, obtaining feasible portfolios with an objective-value gap of about 40% across all sizes. We further implement the framework on superconducting quantum hardware for instances containing up to 1500 variables. Across these instances, the experimentally obtained objective values are within 10% of the corresponding simulation results. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of applying PCE-based variational quantum optimization to large-scale loan portfolio optimization under current quantum hardware limitations.
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All authors Balaganchi A. Bhargava, Kamlesh Kumar, Gouranga Dinda, Aniruddha Biswas, Vijay S. Rao, Debarag Banerjee, Arun Sehrawat

Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

Differential Double Blind Fourier Holography (diff-DBFH)

High-performance optical systems, including space telescopes, require wavefront-sensing and correction capabilities to achieve resolution near the diffraction limit. Existing wavefront-sensing approaches span a broad range of architectures, but many require dedicated interferometric hardware, rely on computationally intensive nonlinear or iterative reconstruction algorithms or provide only limited wavefront information. Focal-plane wavefront-sensing methods are particularly attractive because they can operate without dedicated metrology hardware, and among these, Double Blind Fourier Holography (DBFH) stands out as a robust and computationally light alternative to nonlinear and iterative solvers. Here we introduce differential Double Blind Fourier Holography (diff-DBFH), a two-image variant of DBFH based on a small pupil-plane amplitude perturbation. Inspired by differential Optical Transfer Function (dOTF), diff-DBFH leverages the linear framework of DBFH to produce a more precise wavefront estimate. We derive the diff-DBFH formalism, compare its performance against dOTF using numerical simulations on a segmented aperture geometry inspired by the Habitable Worlds Observatory, analyze its sensitivity under noisy conditions, and demonstrate the method experimentally using an optical bench model of the same aperture.
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High Energy Physics (Experiment)

Climate, Science, and the FCC: Think Clearly, Choose Wisely, Act Swiftly

Could a collider become the symbol of everything that must be abandoned to save the climate? In the summer of 2026, this question ran through discussions within the Particles and Fields Division of the French Physical Society. An unacceptable carbon footprint, two EPR nuclear reactors, five hundred deaths, billions to be reallocated and, to top it all, unclear scientific objectives: the objections to CERN's Future Circular Collider (FCC) appeared to form an overwhelming indictment. This essay examines each charge in turn. Grounded in a clear and compelling scientific vision, it confronts emotionally charged imagery with orders of magnitude, distinguishes a project's footprint from its full balance sheet, considers the costs of postponing or abandoning it, and explores ways of reducing its impacts-including the still uncertain prospect of natural hydrogen. The climate alone does not decide the future of the FCC; it requires us to judge the available choices by their real consequences. Developed for the public debate organised by France's National Commission for Public Debate (CNDP) and for the Swiss consultation, this essay is intended for the broadest possible readership, well beyond particle physics and the scientific community. It frames the FCC debate as a choice about the kind of society we want to build: should we organise society around renunciation and ever-shrinking horizons, or transform how we produce and choose a future worth wanting?
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Optics

Tunable hyperbolic metamaterials for brightening single-photon emission

Hyperbolic metamaterials (HMMs) are widely used to enhance spontaneous emission through their exceptionally large photonic density of states, yet large Purcell factors (>100) rarely translate into brighter emission, exposing both a practical limitation of HMMs as brightening platforms and a flaw in the Purcell factor itself as a figure of merit. Here we systematically evaluate spontaneous emission enhancement and photon outcoupling in metal-dielectric HMMs (TiO$_2$/Ag and phase-change Sb$_2$S$_3$/Ag) using effective medium theory, transfer matrix calculations, and full-wave FDTD simulations. We show that planar HMMs with Purcell factors exceeding 100 have external quantum efficiencies below 0.01, yielding an actual radiative Purcell factor (PF$_{rad}$) of only 1-2. Nanopatterning the HMM into a photonic crystal efficiently couples trapped high-k modes into free space, raising PF$_{rad}$ by an order of magnitude. Incorporating the phase-change material Sb$_2$S$_3$ further enables dynamic tuning of the hyperbolic spectral window and active control over emission brightness: an optimized nanostructured design reaches PF$_{rad}$ ~ 10-15 in the near-infrared, with switching contrast exceeding a factor of 15 upon phase transition. These results establish the radiative Purcell factor as a more reliable figure of merit than the conventional Purcell factor for engineering quantum emitters, and provide a practical route toward actively tunable, bright single-photon sources based on hyperbolic metamaterials.
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All authors Manobina Karmakar, Pavel Klok, Filip Ligmajer, Leonardo de S. Menezes