High Energy Physics (Experiment)
First Measurement of the Superscaling Variable as a Function of Visible Kinematics in Charged-Current Quasi-Elastic Neutrino–Nucleus Scattering
The MINERvA Collaboration: L. Giannessi, S. Akhter, Z. Ahmad Dar et al. (+32 more)
We report the first measurement of the superscaling variable $\psi^{\prime}_{\rm vis}$ in
neutrino–
nucleus scattering, using charged-current quasielastic-like $\nu_\mu$-Carbon interactions collected by the MINERvA experiment in the medium-energy NuMI beam. Originally developed to characterize phenomena of scaling with respect to atomic number and momentum transfer in quasielastic electron-
nucleus scattering, $\psi^{\prime}$ is reconstructed here from visible final-state kinematics ($\psi^{\prime}_{\rm vis}$). $\psi^{\prime}_{\rm vis}$ is used here as an externally calibrated variable whose peak position is sensitive to the invisible
nuclear missing energy. We measure $\psi^{\prime}_{\rm vis}$ as functions of the hadronic
recoil $\Sigma T_p$ and
muon transverse momentum $p_{\text{T}\mu}$, comparing background-subtracted data to five
neutrino–
nucleus interaction models via a forward-folding technique. The predicted $\psi^{\prime}_{\rm vis}$ diverges most strongly among model predictions at low $\Sigma T_p$ and $p_{\text{T}\mu}$, where agreement with data is also poorest, exposing which models fail to capture the phase-space dependence of the missing energy and therefore the
neutrino energy as extrapolated from visible kinematics. Among tested models, we find that the Relativistic Mean Field approach predicts more accurately the $\psi^{\prime}_{\rm vis}$ peak position.
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All authors The MINERvA Collaboration: L. Giannessi, S. Akhter, Z. Ahmad Dar, N.S. Alex, M. Sajjad Athar, J. Felix, L. Fields, R. Gran, E.Granados, D.A. Harris, A. Klustová, M. Kordosky, D. Last, and A. Lozano, S. Manly, W.A. Mann, K.S. McFarland, M. Mehmood, O. Moreno, J.G. Morfín, J.K. Nelson, G.N. Perdue, C. Pernas, M.A. Ramírez, R.D. Ransome, N. Roy, D. Ruterbories, F. Sánchez, H. Schellman, C.J. Solano Salinas, D.S. Correia, V.S. Syrotenko, N.H. Vaughan, A.V. Waldron, L. Zazueta
Mathematical Physics
Tripartite System Dynamics of Cooperation Ecological Resources and Adaptive Regulation
Linjie Liu, Yike Li and Shijia Hua
To address commons dilemmas under costly social cooperation, this paper develops a tripartite coevolutionary system that integrates social behavior, ecological resource dynamics, and institutional regulation. Institutional intervention is modeled as an adaptive feedback mechanism whose intensity responds to deviations from prescribed cooperation and ecological targets. Through
equilibrium analysis, stability analysis, and phase space characterization, we identify the principal operating regimes and transition mechanisms of the coupled system. The results show that the system admits a sustainable operating
equilibrium in which cooperation, ecological resources, and institutional regulation coexist. We further establish the structural stability of a desirable operating state characterized by full cooperation, peak resource availability, and persistently minimal intervention. In addition to these stable regimes, the system exhibits bistability and limit cycles, indicating that alternative long term outcomes may arise from different initial conditions and parameter configurations. These nonlinear mechanisms generate a persistent crackdown rebound policy trap, in which intensified intervention temporarily improves cooperation and resource conditions but eventually produces recurrent oscillations and prevents system wide consensus. The proposed framework provides a system level explanation of governance failure and offers analytical insights for designing adaptive institutional regulation in coupled human environment systems.
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Lattice Field Theory
Boundary Condition dependent Universality Classes on a Hyperbolic Lattice
Pallabi Dey, Debasish Banerjee, Arnab Kundu et al. (+1 more)
We study the
ferromagnetic Ising model on finite
hyperbolic tessellations of Euclidean AdS$_2$ with open and wired boundary conditions. Because a finite fraction of
spins remains at the boundary as the
lattice grows, these conditions select distinct thermodynamic behaviours. In the $\{5,4\}$ tessellation, Monte-Carlo simulations using efficient worm
algorithms on open boundaries (OBC) yield a transition near $\beta_c J=0.632(3)$, with susceptibility data collapsing under scaling by the total number of
spins $N$. The fitted finite-size exponents, $1/\bar{\nu} \simeq 0.162$ and $\gamma/\bar{\nu} \simeq 0.743$, differ substantially from the mean-field volume scaling. Wired boundaries (WBC), which correlate boundary
spins, instead show a transition around $\beta_c J=0.348(4)$ to an ordered phase consistent with the mean-field exponents. While the mean-field criticality with WBC is consistent with previous studies and with the suppression of independent boundary fluctuations, the OBC exponents hint at the presence of a new universality class. Results from other tessellations support the robustness of the observed scaling with OBC. We discuss a possible route to interpolate between the different boundary conditions. Our findings show that boundary dynamics must be specified when characterizing critical behaviour on
hyperbolic lattices.
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All authors Pallabi Dey, Debasish Banerjee, Arnab Kundu, Ritam Sinha
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
On the origin of carbon- and oxygen-rich hot subdwarfs: an sdB merger scenario
Bo Tang, Xinyu Ji, Songyu Hu et al. (+2 more)
Carbon- and oxygen-rich hot subdwarfs (CO-sdO
stars) represent an extremely rare subclass of helium-rich hot subdwarfs. Recent observations of PG 1654+322, PG 1528+025, and UCAC4 108 reveal unusually large surface mass fractions of carbon and oxygen, which are difficult to explain within existing formation scenarios. We explore whether mergers involving sdB
stars can provide a viable formation channel for these objects. Using the
stellar evolution code MESA, we model the post-merger
evolution of two merger channels: mergers between two sdB
stars and mergers between a helium white
dwarf and an sdB
star. Carbon and oxygen synthesized during core helium burning in sdB
stars may provide a natural chemical reservoir if efficient mixing occurs during the merger. The resulting evolutionary tracks are broadly consistent with the effective temperatures, surface gravities, and luminosities observed for the three
stars, suggesting remnant masses of about 0.8-1.0 M_sun. Our calculations suggest that mergers involving sdB
stars may represent a viable formation pathway for CO-rich hot subdwarfs.
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All authors Bo Tang, Xinyu Ji, Songyu Hu, Zhongyang Liu, Xianfei Zhang
Quantum Physics
Jonathan Paul Home, Jeremy Flannery, Matteo Mazzanti et al. (+2 more)
We outline a complete set of operations for manipulating
nuclear spin qubits of trapped-ions stored in high
magnetic fields such as required for Penning trapping, where the
nuclear and electron
spins are largely decoupled due to the dominance of the external field
Hamiltonian. The reduced
nuclear magnetic moment results in insensitivity to external
magnetic fields compared to the use of an electron
spin, but also makes the
nuclear spin hard to manipulate on fast timescales. To maintain speed, we propose a two-
qubit phase gate technique which utilizes the electron
spin, but for which the
qubit remains protected from
magnetic fields through retaining the
nuclear encoding. This method works for
magnetic-field insensitive
qubits at lower fields as well as for both microwave and
laser field gradients.
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All authors Jonathan Paul Home, Jeremy Flannery, Matteo Mazzanti, Jan Apolin, Shreyans Jain
Materials Science
Vapor phase growth and characterization of van der Waals BiSbTeSe platelets on semiconducting MoS2
M. Zhezhu, V. Torosyan, V. Mehrabyan et al. (+1 more)
Three dimensional topological
insulators of the tetradymite family, such as BiSbTeSe (BSTS), are attractive for spintronic and
quantum device applications because of their compensated, bulk-insulating character. Nanostructured BSTS platelets are promising for practical TI based devices. However, their growth often requires complex equipment, organometallic precursors, or electrically insulating substrates. Simple growth on technologically relevant semiconducting substrates remains largely unexplored. Here, we report the vapor phase growth of van der Waals BSTS platelets directly on semiconducting MoS2 using a presynthesized BiSbTe1.5Se1.5
crystal as the source material. The grown BSTS platelets exhibit thicknesses ranging from 4 nm to 246 nm, with an average lateral size of 1.4 mkm for individual platelets. Raman spectra of platelets, acquired in correlation with AFM thickness measurements, reveal contributions from both BSTS and the underlying MoS2 substrate. Among the characteristic BSTS modes, A21g mode shows the highest sensitivity to platelet thickness and local composition. EDS analysis reveals a systematic thickness dependence of the platelet composition, with an apparent crossover around 49 nm that coincides with a change in the thickness dependence of the low-wavenumber component of the E2g Raman band. This correlation suggests a composition-related origin of the Raman behavior, with the compositional variations tentatively attributed to the differential
volatility of the constituent elements during growth. These results demonstrate that MoS2 is a promising van der Waals platform for BSTS deposition and provide a structural and compositional baseline for future studies of BSTS-MoS2
heterostructures.
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All authors M. Zhezhu, V. Torosyan, V. Mehrabyan, A. Vasilev
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Atomic-scale control of spin transport in exchange-coupled molecules
A. Fétida, R. Robles, F. Scheurer et al. (+4 more)
Spin transport between coupled
spins is governed by tunneling and exchange interactions, yet their microscopic relation in real space has remained experimentally elusive. To address this, we functionalize the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope with a single molecule and use it as a movable
spin sensor positioned above a second molecule on a
ferromagnetic surface, forming an exchange-coupled molecular junction. From the same spectroscopic
dataset, we independently extract the junction conductance, exchange coupling, and
spin polarization with atomic-scale resolution. Conductance and exchange display nearly identical spatial dependences, consistent with a minimal Hubbard description in which both are governed by the same hopping
matrix between the molecular frontier orbitals. In contrast, the
spin polarization depends on the orbital composition and the relative weight of the resulting transport channels. These results establish a real-space connection between tunneling, exchange, and
spin transport in magnetically coupled molecules.
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All authors A. Fétida, R. Robles, F. Scheurer, M. Romeo, J. Kröger, N. Lorente, L. Limot
Quantum Physics
Parametric DRAG for leakage-suppressed exchange gates in superconducting qubits
Yiwen Li, Xinsheng Tan and Yang Yu
Programmable exchange interactions support
quantum gates and many-body simulation in superconducting
circuits. Fast excitation transfer, however, opens two leakage pathways in weakly anharmonic transmons, degrading gates and driving simulated dynamics outside the encoded state space. We introduce parametric derivative removal by adiabatic gate (PDRAG) to suppress both pathways while preserving the target exchange. Their conjugate structure determines first- and second-derivative corrections implemented through one real frequency command. At $g/2\pi=100$ MHz, calibrated PDRAG achieves a
geometric-mean leakage reduction of $5.27\times10^5$ relative to the base pulse across 12.5–35 ns in Duffing simulations. At 13 ns, endpoint leakage reaches $1.98\times10^{-7}$ for the calibrated full-exchange pulse. Transferring the derivative coefficients to a charge
Hamiltonian gives a mean 893-fold reduction over 12.5–22 ns after amplitude and carrier recalibration. Floquet return interference and charge-induced gap shifts explain the calibration and transfer gains, connecting compact pulse design to leakage-suppressed programmable interactions.
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General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
The alternative scalar field dark sector of the Universe: Cosmological inflation, quintessence and ekpyrotic model in the framework of scalar-tensor cosmology
Marcin Postolak
This dissertation investigates scalar field descriptions of the dark sector (of the Universe), with emphasis on scalar-tensor cosmology, inflationary effective field theory, quintessence, and ekpyrotic/cyclic alternatives to inflation. The thesis first reviews scalar-tensor theories of
gravity, starting from Brans-Dicke theory and extending to general non-minimally coupled scalar fields. Particular
attention is paid to the interpretation of the scalar field, the relation between the Jordan and Einstein conformal frames, and the role of conformal transformations in cosmology. This provides the theoretical basis for treating scalar fields either as modified matter or as additional gravitational degrees of freedom. The second part discusses cosmological inflation from the viewpoint of effective field theory. The spontaneous breaking of time translations, the Goldstone description of adiabatic perturbations, higher-dimensional operators, radiative corrections and Planck-suppressed terms are analyzed in the context of ultraviolet sensitivity and the eta problem. The third part is devoted to quintessence as the simplest dynamical dark energy model. 'Tracking', 'scaling', 'thawing' and 'freezing' behaviors are discussed, together with observational diagnostics such as the statefinder parameters, the $(\omega_{\phi},\omega'_{\phi})$ plane and the $Om(z)$ diagnostic. The DESI DR2 results are used as motivation for considering time-dependent effective dark energy beyond a strict cosmological constant. The final part studies ekpyrotic and cyclic cosmologies. The ekpyrotic phase is analyzed as a smoothing mechanism based on an ultra-stiff scalar field equation of state. Perturbations, non-Gaussianity, tensor modes, bounce conditions,
entropy production, geodesic incompleteness and phase-resolved field-space distance bounds are discussed.
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Statistical Mechanics
Anomalous transport in periodic systems driven by active fluctuations
Karol Białas
This dissertation investigates the transport of Brownian particles driven by active fluctuations in periodic potential landscapes. Unlike thermal noise, active fluctuations break detailed balance and violate the fluctuation-dissipation
theorem. They model self-propulsion mechanisms and active-bath interactions in biological and synthetic micro-systems. By focusing on white Poisson shot noise with non-Gaussian amplitude statistics, this work systematically uncovers the mechanisms governing three major transport anomalies:
giant transport enhancement, absolute negative mobility, and the ratchet effect. Combining Monte Carlo simulations with analytical modeling, this work demonstrates that active fluctuations adhering to a bidirectional skew-normal amplitude distribution enhance directed velocity compared to the free-particle by several orders of magnitude. This
giant transport enhancement is fully quantified via a phenomenological jump-relaxation model that decouples particle displacement into instantaneous
stochastic jumps and deterministic relaxation towards potential minimum. Extending this model to inertial dynamics reveals that finite particle mass m acts as a dynamic control parameter capable of strengthening, weakening, constructively inducing, or completely suppressing transport enhancement depending on noise variance. Furthermore, an ultra-minimal model for absolute negative mobility is established in a one-dimensional, purely overdamped system, showing that discontinuous shot noise drives transport opposite to an applied bias without requiring particle inertia, nonlinearity of spatially periodic potential, or explicit time-dependent periodic driving. Conversely, under an alternative scaling of the average
stochastic force, an asymmetric distribution of fluctuation amplitudes generates net directed transport through a tilting ratchet effect in the zero-bias limit.
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Mathematical Physics · Cross-listed from math.AP
Boundary Value Problems for the $SU(\infty)$-Toda Equation via the Onofri Inequality
Sun-Yung Alice Chang and Hongyi Liu
We formulate and solve a degenerate
elliptic boundary value problem for the $SU(\infty)$-Toda equation on $[0,\frac12)\times\mathbb{S}^2$. This constructs anti-self-dual Poincaré–Einstein metrics with circle
symmetry on the $4$-ball and on complex line bundles over $\mathbb{S}^2$.
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Optics
Scanless quantum Fourier-transform mid-infrared spectroscopy for solids and surface analysis
Paul Gattinger, Michela Conti, Franziska Dietz et al. (+4 more)
Quantum infrared (IR) spectroscopy is a novel technique based on nonlinear interferometry and
quantum sensing with undetected
photons. In this approach, spectrally far-separated correlated
photon pairs are used for detection and probing, respectively. Hence, the probing wavelength domain (mid-IR) is substantially different from the detection spectral range (near-IR), which enables shot-noise-limited and cost-effective sensing schemes attractive for applied metrology. In this paper, we implement and employ a custom-built scanless
quantum Fourier-transform mid-IR (sQFTIR) microspectrometer for chemical characterization and analysis of solids and interfaces. The sQFTIR system employs spectral-domain acquisition, without the need to scan the optical delay. This results in enhanced sensitivity and short measurement times and therefore enables rapid spectral acquisitions in 100~ms spanning a spectral band from 3000 cm$^{-1}$ - 2400 cm$^{-1}$. The capabilities of our approach are demonstrated for hyperspectral mid-IR imaging of dried pharmaceuticals (insulin on a gold surface) and investigation of a security feature on a banknote. Furthermore, we demonstrate hyperspectral imaging and spectroscopy through a turbid ceramic medium.
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All authors Paul Gattinger, Michela Conti, Franziska Dietz, Andrei N. Halangescu Moldovan, Andreas W. Schell, Markus Brandstetter, Ivan Zorin
Quantum Physics
Quantum Leakage Resilience of Shamir Secret Sharing
Rishabh Batra, Fuyuki Kitagawa, Ryo Nishimaki et al. (+1 more)
We initiate the study of
quantum leakage resilience of unmodified Shamir secret sharing over
prime fields. A well-studied leakage model for Shamir's secret sharing classically is single-bit local leakage from each share. We consider its
quantum analogue where, for each party, a local leakage channel takes as input the party's share and outputs a leaked
qubit. Without preshared
entanglement, we show that the distinguishing advantage is $2^{-\Omega(n)}$ when the threshold rate $t/n=\tau$ exceeds $\tau_\star\approx0.73339$ by a fixed positive margin. More generally, we allow disjoint entangled blocks of any fixed maximum size where there is no
entanglement between different blocks or with the adversary, and each block emits at most a fixed number of
qubits. Security holds when the threshold rate is high enough (sufficiently close to one). We then allow a specified set of devices to share
entanglement with the adversary. We show that security holds even when a linear number of devices ($\alpha n$ for small $\alpha>0$) share
entanglement with each other and with the adversary for a large enough threshold rate. As a complementary negative result, we also show that even classical single-bit leakage makes Shamir scheme insecure if we allow arbitrarily large
entanglement between the leakage devices. A GHZ state shared by exactly $t$ leakage devices makes even classical one-bit leakage insecure, without any
entanglement with the adversary. In this attack, each participating device emits only one classical bit, and their joint parity distinguishes any chosen pair of secrets with a constant advantage. Thus, for fixed threshold rates above $\tau_\star$, the maximum number of devices that may share arbitrary
entanglement with one another and with the adversary while preserving security is linear in $n$ up to constant factors, although the optimal support fraction remains open.
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All authors Rishabh Batra, Fuyuki Kitagawa, Ryo Nishimaki, Takashi Yamakawa
Statistical Mechanics
Scale invariance, fractal dynamics, and critical exponents at the phase transition
Henrique Alves de Lima
We propose that, at criticality,
equilibrium dynamics effectively evolves on a fractal subspace rather than throughout the full Euclidean space. Starting from Fisher's formulation of the order-parameter correlation function, we interpret the anomalous critical exponent $\eta$ geometrically through a correlation fractal dimension associated with this effective subspace. Using fractional-calculus tools, we derive a form of the correlation function that recovers critical behavior below the upper critical dimension and obtain an explicit relation between $\eta$ and a fractal dimension $d_R$ linked to the Riesz fractional derivative. We also examine the Rushbrooke scaling relation and investigate critical behavior in non-integer-dimensional and disordered systems. In the disordered case, controlled by a parameter $\sigma$, we test the range over which the proposed
geometric interpretation remains valid. The results connect scaling laws, critical exponents, correlations, and fractal geometry, suggesting that the anomalous behavior observed at criticality can be understood as a consequence of dynamics constrained to an effective fractal subspace.
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Quantum Physics
Directional transfer from coherence to longitudinal polarization and algebraic storage in a transmon with Markovian dephasing and a glassy environment: A non-Markovian fractional renewal model
Ruha Uğraş Erdoğan and Ferit Acar Savac{\i}
We develop a completely positive and trace-preserving non-Markovian transmon model with longitudinal Markovian dephasing and transverse renewal events motivated by a glassy two-level-system environment. A microscopic
Hamiltonian identifies coupling subspaces; a normalized Prabhakar waiting-time law phenomenologically coarse grains slow defect reconfigurations. Forward chronological renewal histories yield an exact map-level Volterra equation, a noncommuting kernel–resolvent master equation, and an equivalent drift-conjugated Caputo-type representation with its required initial-value term. Without energy relaxation, Pauli-space dynamics splits into two one-dimensional subspaces and a coupled $(\sigma_y,\sigma_z)$ subspace supporting directional transfer between coherence and longitudinal polarization; $\sigma_x$ polarization is renewal-insensitive. For heavy-tailed waiting times with $0<\alpha<1$, branch-cut analysis gives a generic $t^{-\alpha}$ storage tail in longitudinal polarization generated from initial coherence and $O(t^{-1-\alpha})$ reverse transfer; constant-rate Poisson renewal yields pole-generated exponential decay. Independent zero-temperature relaxation at finite $T_1$ exponentially cuts off these tails when its rate is below twice the pure-dephasing rate. We compare independent inverse-Laplace reconstructions of the waiting-time density,
memory kernel, and selected
qubit-response components to assess numerical accuracy. For the studied parameters, Prabhakar renewal gives larger forward-transfer magnitudes at the prescribed readout than both a scale-matched constant-rate Poisson reference and an inhomogeneous Poisson reference matching the full expected-count profile, including finite-$T_1$ tests. Both Poisson references yield larger evaluated finite-window peaks. Disorder-motivated renewal
memory reshapes transmon decoherence selectively by state and direction.
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High Energy Physics (Theory)
Active normal-fluid feedback in quantum turbulence from holography
Yu-Ping An, Li Li, Makoto Tsubota et al. (+2 more)
The two-fluid model provides a powerful phenomenological framework for superfluids, where components interact through
vortex-induced mutual friction.
Quantum turbulence in such coupled two-fluid systems has become a central theme in low-temperature physics. However, the fundamental incompatibility between discrete
vortex-line and continuum descriptions has historically forced reliance on phenomenological parameters. Here, we present an ab initio
holographic simulation of this active two-fluid dynamics. Using a fully backreacted gravitational model, we intrinsically incorporate reciprocal momentum exchange and finite-temperature dissipation without empirical inputs. Contrasting continuously driven and freely decaying
turbulence, we uncover pronounced non-Gaussian tails and spatial anisotropy in the normal-fluid velocity statistics, arising directly from the dynamical quantized
vortex backreaction. Raising the temperature suppresses normal-fluid velocity fluctuations despite increasing the
vortex density. This suppression is unambiguously traced to the thermal depletion of the superfluid condensate. Our results establish
holographic duality as a rigorous first-principles framework for
quantum turbulence, revealing the active role of the normal fluid far from
equilibrium and yielding predictions for ongoing cold-atom and superfluid experiments.
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All authors Yu-Ping An, Li Li, Makoto Tsubota, Sebastian Waeber, Hua-Bi Zeng
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
Homogeneous Nucleation of Water Vapor Evidenced by Elongated Clouds on Mars
J. Hernandez-Bernal, A. Maattanen, A. Spiga et al. (+1 more)
It is widely accepted that water vapor forms clouds by heterogeneous nucleation (condensation on pre-existing dry
nuclei). Homogeneous nucleation (directly from water vapor, without a pre-existing
nuclei) is theoretically possible, but it requires high levels of supersaturation and so it is not considered a viable cloud formation process under real atmospheric conditions. Here, we show that introducing homogeneous nucleation in a meteorological model of Mars allows to successfully reproduce the unique characteristics of the Arsia Mons Elongated Cloud, a remarkable water ice cloud that occurs recurrently on Mars and which had remained impossible to model under conventional cloud microphysics. This finding demonstrates that homogeneous nucleation happens on Mars, provides the first evidence of homogeneous nucleation of water vapor in a planetary atmosphere, and challenges current assumptions about cloud formation processes, which is also relevant for certain clouds on Earth and potentially on other
planets.
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All authors J. Hernandez-Bernal, A. Maattanen, A. Spiga, F. Forget
Plasma Physics
Rectification of plasma-powered active matter into macroscopic work
Ting-yu Yao, Shuo Wang, Shao-peng Li et al. (+3 more)
Plasmas sustain strong energy and momentum flux, yet this activity is typically treated as a dissipative loss channel rather than a usable resource, and its conversion into macroscopic work remains challenging. Here we demonstrate a
plasma-powered active engine by coupling self-propelled micromotors to ratchet rectification. Dielectric microspheres in the
plasma sheath spontaneously develop asymmetric surface charging and undergo a Quincke rotational instability, forming fast micromotors that extract energy directly from the
plasma. Their
stochastic impacts are rectified by a sawtooth rotor into a directed angular-momentum flux that drives steady rotation, while an outer asymmetric gear organizes the active bath into coherent circulation to amplify torque transfer. Operating in an inertia-relevant regime, the engine achieves orders-of-magnitude enhancements in both power output and end-to-end efficiency compared with
liquid-phase active engines, and remains functional down to the single-micromotor limit. More broadly, our results establish a general route to rectify nonequilibrium
plasma activity for macroscopic work.
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All authors Ting-yu Yao, Shuo Wang, Shao-peng Li, Ming-hang Zhao, Bao-quan Ai, Ya-feng He
Fluid Dynamics
Vortex rings as hydrodynamic dispersants for mitigating underwater oil spills
Siddhant Jain, Saini Jatin Rao and Saptarshi Basu
The usage of chemical dispersant to promote the breakup of oil droplets remains one of the crucial response strategy towards controlling the rapidly rising droplets during an
underwater oil spillage disaster like the Deepwater horizon. However, the detrimental effects of dispersant on the marine life are now well recognized. Here, we demonstrate that
vortex ring presents an environmental friendly alternative to the debatable usage of chemical dispersant that primarily aids droplet break-up. We propose two mitigating strategies through the application of
vortex rings: (i) atomization of large oil droplets into smaller droplets, which enhances natural dispersion and biodegradation (ii) targeted relocation of spilled oil droplets from ecologically sensitive regions to safer remote locations during minor spill events. This proof-of-concept study demonstrates that
vortex rings can efficiently atomize
underwater oil droplets while simultaneously transporting them over long distances. The efficiency strongly depends on the droplet size distribution and the strength of the
vortex ring. Using time scale analysis and force balances arguments, we propose droplet response and atomization criteria by a traversing
vortex ring. Beyond atomization and droplet transport which are center to many engineering processes, the work finds high relevance in the area of bubble
turbulence, agricultural industry, multiphase reactors, combustion process, atmospheric fluid dynamics and oil extraction from rocks, to name a few.
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Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
A halo-based intrinsic-alignment model for simulation-based inference
M. Gatti
Simulation-based inference and other field-level weak-
lensing analyses require intrinsic-
alignment (IA) models generating realistic intrinsic-ellipticity fields across two-point and non-Gaussian observables. We develop a
halo-based IA prescription with separate central and satellite components and test it against intrinsic
galaxy shapes in FLAMINGO. We jointly fit two-point and higher-order statistics involving the IA,
lensing, and density fields, including correlations between the intrinsic shapes of distinct
galaxies, and compare against field-level nonlinear-
alignment and density-weighted NLA prescriptions. We first evaluate the models at the positions of the original FLAMINGO
galaxies, fixing the
galaxy–matter connection and isolating the IA response. NLA and $\delta$NLA leave substantial discrepancies on nonlinear scales and across higher-order observables, whereas the
halo model provides a simultaneous description of all statistics. We then remove the FLAMINGO
galaxy catalogue and regenerate the source population from the
halo field using a low-dimensional
halo occupation model; the agreement is preserved even when the detailed occupation is only approximately reproduced. Much of this performance can be retained with a compact four-parameter portable model, and the same architecture transfers successfully to an independent
gravity-only N-body realization with different
halo definitions and shape measurements. These results show that nonlinear field-level IA modelling can be substantially improved over simple NLA-like prescriptions without introducing a large nuisance-parameter space. The
halo model therefore provides a promising route for incorporating intrinsic
alignments into simulation-based weak-
lensing inference, although further validation across
halo masses, hydrodynamical simulations, and realistic survey selections will be needed before application to data.
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General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
Gravitational-Wave Inference For Noise PSD Jumps Across Data Gaps
Jian-Ming Yan and Zong-Kuan Guo
Long-duration gravitational-wave (GW) inference inevitably encounters data gaps, which are often accompanied by abrupt, non-stationary changes in the detector noise power spectral density (PSD). Conventional practice typically analyzes the pre-gap and post-gap data separately, causing avoidable information loss and potentially degrading parameter inference. We build on
Bayesian gap augmentation in the Wilson–Daubechies–Meyer (WDM) time–frequency domain and focus on a practically important failure mode: short gaps with large PSD amplitude jumps. In this regime, the local diagonal (Whittle-like) approximation that underpins the WDM likelihood can no longer be relied upon in the time direction near the gap edges, which may lead to biased and/or less robust inference unless the local diagonal validity is restored without resorting to full
segmentation. We propose a two-stage, validity-driven remedy. First, frequency-domain prior-predictive prewhitening (PW) incorporates endpoint-informed noise information to mitigate the dominant mismatch responsible for poor diagonal behavior, enabling a more favorable WDM representation while retaining computational tractability. Second, when a time-direction smoothness criterion still fails, we apply adaptive gap expanding (AGE), selectively enlarging only the minimal neighborhood around the gap boundaries needed to restore local diagonal validity. Toy-model simulations with chimeric PSD transitions show that WDM+PW+AGE yields substantially tighter and more accurate posteriors than single-sided pre-gap/post-gap analyses, while maintaining computational efficiency suitable for next-generation missions.
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Optics
Silicon nitride nanophotonics for low-redundancy 3D convolution
Shuai Hu, Jingcheng Li, Qichao Ding et al. (+5 more)
Three-dimensional (3D) convolution extracts correlations in high-dimensional data, but overlapping receptive fields introduce substantial redundant data movement. Here, we demonstrate a silicon nitride 3D optical convolution accelerator (3D-OCA) that reconstructs receptive fields through coordinate-aware wavelength-to-group-delay mapping. A deterministically serialized input tensor is broadcast onto multiple wavelength channels, and a chirped waveguide Bragg grating (CWBG) compensates the temporal offsets associated with 3D kernel coordinates. This arrangement continuously forms neighboring receptive fields without repeatedly rearranging and loading their shared input samples. The integrated CWBG provides a differential group delay of 2691 ps and a dispersion of 124.8 ps/nm. At 20 Gbaud, spatial-spectral processing of Indian Pines data yields convolution agreement with a coefficient of determination up to 0.997 and 97.9% classification accuracy, compared with 98.9% digitally. At 10 Gbaud, the optical convolution layer preserves spatiotemporal features and achieves 92.5% accuracy on a four-class KTH
video-recognition task. These results establish low-redundancy streaming 3D convolution across spectral and temporal data dimensions using the same optical delay architecture.
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All authors Shuai Hu, Jingcheng Li, Qichao Ding, Hongli Wang, Hailong Zhou, Chi Zhang, Jianji Dong, Xinliang Zhang
Quantum Physics
L-band single-photon generation from a cavity-coupled silicon C-center
Carolina Crosta, Kyu-Young Kim, Purbita Purkayastha et al. (+7 more)
Monolithic integration of single-
photon sources into silicon photonics offers a compelling solution for realizing scalable
quantum telecommunication architectures. Among the candidate silicon color centers, the C-center features a zero-
phonon emission in the telecom L-band, corresponding to the spectral window of minimum transmission loss in optical fibers. Despite this advantage, isolating single C-centers has remained an unrealized challenge in solid-state
quantum optics. In this work, we report the isolation of a single silicon C-center. We enhance the spontaneous emission rate of the zero-
phonon line by coupling the single emitter to a nanophotonic
crystal cavity, observing a fivefold reduction in the excited-state lifetime compared to bulk conditions, which corresponds to a Purcell factor lower bound of 33. Second-order autocorrelation measurements confirm single-
photon emission from the investigated defect, obtaining an optical purity of $g^{(2)}(0) = 0.23$ without background correction. Our results establish a native telecom L-band
quantum light source in silicon, laying the foundation for ultra-low-loss and long-distance
quantum applications.
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All authors Carolina Crosta, Kyu-Young Kim, Purbita Purkayastha, Abhijit Biswas, Jasvith Raj Basani, Amirehsan Alizadehherfati, Amirehsan Boreiri, Chang-Min Lee, Fabio Pezzoli, Edo Waks
Quantum Physics
Approximate majorization and high-order capacity of quantum depolarizing channels
Zhiwei Song, Xin Wang, Marco Tomamichel et al. (+1 more)
A central challenge in
quantum information theory is to determine whether
entanglement provides an advantage for information processing when coherent operations across multiple channel uses are allowed. For depolarizing channels, King's proof of the additivity of the minimum output
entropy rules out such an advantage for classical communication at leading asymptotic order, while leaving open the possibility of an advantage for higher orders. In this work, we
conjecture a majorization relation for the outputs of depolarizing channels and prove an approximate version of this
conjecture. Our proof combines an exact ordering of shifted log-determinants with an anti-concentration bound for the spectrum of the product-state output, refining King's analysis based on Schatten norms. As a direct application, we obtain a tight third-order expansion for the classical capacity of
quantum depolarizing channels. Consequently, entangled codewords and collective decoding can improve the message size over the product-coding strategy by at most $O(\log \log n)$ bits, sharpening our understanding of the role of
entanglement in the finite-blocklength regime.
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All authors Zhiwei Song, Xin Wang, Marco Tomamichel, Kun Fang
High Energy Physics (Phenomenology)
Analytic next-to-leading-order helicity cross sections for vector-boson production at finite transverse momentum
Stefano Camarda, Leandro Cieri, Giancarlo Ferrera et al. (+1 more)
We present a complete analytic calculation of the next-to-leading-order (NLO) QCD cross sections for the production of an electroweak vector
boson ($W^\pm$, $Z/\gamma^*$) at finite transverse momentum, decomposed into the full set of helicity cross sections that determine the angular coefficients $A_0$-$A_7$ of the
lepton-pair angular distribution in the Collins-Soper frame. The calculation includes the unpolarised cross section and all eight helicity projections for both neutral- and charged-current Drell-Yan production, the axial
quark-triangle contributions in the $m_t\to\infty$ limit and with full top-
quark-mass dependence, and closed-form expressions for all coefficient functions. The results are implemented in the DYTurbo program and validated at the level of a few times $10^{-4}$ against its numerical implementation derived from MCFM, as well as through the analytic $q_T\to0$ limit. The analytic implementation achieves a speed-up of more than five orders of magnitude with respect to the numerical code, enabling fast and numerically stable predictions for precision electroweak measurements at the LHC. The calculation was carried out with extensive use of large
language models (Anthropic Claude) as autonomous
agents; we document the methodology and the associated computational and
token budgets.
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All authors Stefano Camarda, Leandro Cieri, Giancarlo Ferrera, Lorenzo Rossi
Optics
Photonic sequential logic circuits for stateful intelligence
Jingcheng Li, Wenkai Zhang, Jialong Zhang et al. (+6 more)
By virtue of its high energy efficiency and ultra-low latency, optical computing is regarded as a highly promising computing paradigm in the post-Moore era. However, constructing a Turing-complete optical computing for next-generation AI paradigms, from large
language models (LLMs) to real-time autonomous systems, requires not only stateless function mapping units, but also sequential logic
circuits capable of storing historical states and processing dynamic data streams. Current photonic processors lack this temporal
memory, and the state-of-the-art optical sequential schemes remain impractical due to signal attenuation and the absence of programmable clock control. Here, we propose a photonic sequential logic
circuits (PSLC) to resolve this fundamental challenge. Leveraging a uniquely designed active optoelectronic feedback network, we construct a complete family of photonic sequential logic devices, comprehensively encompassing set-reset latches, D latches, and edge-triggered master-slave D flip-flops. We further construct photonic sequence detectors and asynchronous counters, verifying the capability of the architecture to execute both synchronous and asynchronous sequential tasks, alongside its system-level scalability. Ultimately, by combining the constructed PSLC with stateless function mapping units, we establish a universal hardware paradigm for stateful intelligence. We validate this paradigm by executing highly reliable real-time drone obstacle avoidance in the physical domain, alongside Shakespearean-style text generation in the symbolic domain. This work provides the crucial missing piece of the puzzle for optical computing to achieve stateful computing, establishing a definitive hardware foundation for advancing toward Turing-complete optical computing.
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All authors Jingcheng Li, Wenkai Zhang, Jialong Zhang, Bo Wu, Qichao Ding, Hongli Wang, Hailong Zhou, Jianji Dong, Xinliang Zhang
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
The Irreversible Depletion of Dark Matter Spikes by Extreme-Mass-Ratio Inspirals
Charlie Sharpe, Yonadav Barry Ginat, Thomas F. M. Spieksma et al. (+2 more)
Dense dark matter spikes around massive black holes (MBHs) have been widely predicted to produce gravitational-wave dephasing in extreme-mass-ratio inspirals (EMRIs) that are potentially observable by LISA. We show that EMRIs, the very objects used to probe these spikes, also destroy them. Combining Fokker-Planck models of
nuclear star clusters with post-Newtonian three-body simulations of EMRI-dark matter encounters, we demonstrate that repeated gravitational slingshots irreversibly eject dark matter particles from the cluster's loss cone over gigayear time-scales. For MBHs at $z = 3$ with masses $\lesssim 10^5 \,M_\odot$, even conservative EMRI rates of $\mathcal{O}(1-10) \, \mathrm{Gyr}^{-1}$ suffice to deplete the spike density by orders of magnitude; for more realistic rates of $\mathcal{O}(100-300) \, \mathrm{Gyr}^{-1}$, the mass range extends to $\lesssim 10^6 \,M_\odot$. As a result, the gravitational-wave dephasing expected from such systems is greatly reduced, narrowing the prospects of detecting DM through this channel. Only heavy, high-
redshift systems with sufficiently low EMRI rates – for example, a $\sim 10^6 \,M_\odot$ MBH at $z \gtrsim 5$ with $\lesssim 100$ EMRIs per Gyr – can induce dephasing that exceeds one radian.
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All authors Charlie Sharpe, Yonadav Barry Ginat, Thomas F. M. Spieksma, Alexander Heger, Bence Kocsis
Quantum Physics
Ultra-high-distance quantum memories from amplified qLDPC codes
Zijian Liang, Boren Gu, Yu-An Chen et al. (+2 more)
A large code distance does not by itself guarantee a well-protected
quantum memory, as faults during syndrome extraction can propagate into correlated data errors. Certifying
circuit distance becomes demanding as
circuits grow. In this work, we introduce distance amplifiers, a modular approach to increasing both code distance and certified
circuit-level protection in
quantum low-density parity-check codes. The construction tensors a base code with an amplifier, adapting their syndrome-extraction
circuits to the amplified code. To certify the resulting
memory, we develop a fault-response certificate that yields rigorous lower bounds on
circuit distance. Suitable gate ordering and flag
qubits control correlated errors, allowing us to establish explicit conditions under which the amplified
circuit distance equals the product of the constituent
circuit distances. We prove this multiplicative relation for three types of amplifiers: the flagged $[[4,2,2]]$, hypergraph-product, and rotated surface codes. The certificate extends recursively, so the
circuit distance multiplies exactly at every amplification step. For example, four successive applications of the flagged $[[4,2,2]]$ amplifier to a $[[18,4,4]]$ seed yield a $[[13320,64,64]]$ code with the
circuit distance $d_{\mathrm{circ}} \geq 48$ and check weights $w \leq 14$. We further show how individual logical
qubits can be tracked explicitly through amplification. By enabling high-distance
quantum memories to be built and certified from smaller building blocks, our framework offers a systematic route toward scalable fault-tolerant
quantum computing.
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All authors Zijian Liang, Boren Gu, Yu-An Chen, Jens Eisert, Zongyuan Wang
Plasma Physics
Laser-Polarization Dependence of Betatron X-Ray Production and Angular Collection in Laser-Wakefield Acceleration
Andrei Ciprian Berceanu, Vojtěch Horný, Dan Stutman et al. (+1 more)
Laser polarization affects both the production of betatron x rays and their angular distribution, which together determine the
photon yield collected within a fixed angular acceptance. We investigate these effects using particle-in-
cell simulations of
laser-wakefield acceleration with linearly polarized (LP) and circularly polarized (CP) pulses of equal energy in helium–nitrogen targets of two different lengths. In the longer target, CP produces more
photons early in propagation, whereas LP produces more later. For 20–60-keV
photons transmitted through 2 mm of aluminum, the LP/CP yield ratio before angular selection changes from 0.88 early on to 1.91 in a late stage. Late-emitting LP electrons develop pronounced transverse oscillations along the
laser polarization direction, accompanied by angular broadening of the radiation. This broadening largely removes the late LP production advantage within a central $\pm5$-mrad acceptance, where the two yields are nearly equal. Integrated over the full interaction, however, LP supplies more central
photons, while CP provides more uniform illumination. In the shorter target, the extracted charges above 100 MeV are nearly equal, yet transport through a quadrupole triplet delivers 750 pC for LP and 500 pC for CP in the 350–500-MeV energy band within a radius of 5 mm. Collected
photon and electron yields are thus shaped by propagation length and collection acceptance.
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All authors Andrei Ciprian Berceanu, Vojtěch Horný, Dan Stutman, Paolo Tomassini
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Multi-wavelength polarization degree dependence of Mrk 421 for different particle energy distributions
Hritwik Bora, Ranjeev Misra and Rupjyoti Gogoi
We report on the constraints obtained from the multi-wavelength polarization degree and energy spectra measurements for the High Synchrotron Peaked Blazar (HBL) source Mrk 421 using different forms of the electron energy distribution. We find that the optical and X-ray data are consistent with the electron energy distribution being a broken power-law (BPL) or other distributions, with all electrons experiencing the same
magnetic field configuration. This is in contrast to other HBL sources like the Mrk 501, where, for the BPL distribution, the X-ray producing higher energy electrons need to exist in a more ordered
magnetic field environment than the optical producing lower energy ones. This is because the break energy of the spectrum produced by the BPL distribution for Mrk 421 lies below the IXPE energy band. We discuss the implications of the findings.
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