arXiv Daily Digest - 2026-04-15

Neutrino billiards serve as a model system for the study of aspects of relativistic quantum chaos. These are relativistic quantum billiards consisting of a spin-1/2 particle which is confined to a planar domain by imposing boundary conditions on the spinor components which were proposed in [Berry and Mondragon 1987, {\it Proc. R. Soc.} A {\bf 412} 53) . We review their general features and the properties of neutrino billiards with shapes of billiards with integrable dynamics. Furthermore, we review the features of two neutrino billiards with the shapes of billiards generating a chaotic dynamics, whose nonrelativistic counterpart exhibits particular properties. Finally we briefly discuss possible experimental realizations of relativistic quantium billiards based on graphene billiards, that is, finite size sheets of graphene.

Through semiclassical methods the subject of quantum chaos motivates and depends on Hamiltonian chaos research. Presented here is a selection of Hamiltonian chaos topics that in this way get directly related to any of a variety of quantum chaos research problems. The chapter begins with a description of various useful theoretical and computational tools of chaos research, e.g.~surfaces of section, paradigms of chaos, stability analysis, and symbolic dynamics... This is followed by discussions regarding the geometry of chaos, how chaotic systems respond to perturbations, and the complexification of Hamiltonian dynamics. The emphasis is on intuitive explanations and illustrations of various ideas with the references containing more mathematically rigorous expositions.

Organelle patterning and its heritability remain central mysteries in cell biology, highlighting the fundamental tension between genetic inheritance and self-assembly. Here, we explore the nonequilibrium assembly and size control of the Golgi complex and endosomes, amid a continuous flux of membrane traffic, within a stochastic framework of mechanochemical fusion-fission cycles that violate detailed balance. Using a dynamical systems approach, we identify distinct, robust regimes, ranging from fixed points to limit cycles with definite phase relations. We identify these dynamical regimes with diverse phenotypes, from stable cisternae to periodic, cell-cycle-dependent dissolution/reassembly to cisternal progression. We analyse its dynamic response to systematic perturbations or driving protocols and make definite predictions that may be tested experimentally. Our analysis reveals that the two competing models of Golgi organization-vesicular transport and cisternal progression - are, in fact, two phases of the same underlying nonequilibrium process. Finally, our framework offers a strategy for controlling cisternal chemical identity and number and by modulating the interplay between glycosylation enzymes and membrane fission-fusion dynamics.

In generic Hamiltonian systems that are neither completely integrable nor fully chaotic, phase space consists of a mixture of regular and chaotic components. In classical dynamics, transitions between different invariant sets in phase space are strictly forbidden, and these sets act as dynamical barriers to one another. In quantum mechanics, in contrast, wave effects allow transitions through such dynamical barriers. This process, known as dynamical tunneling, refers to penetration through dynamical barriers in phase space and was first recognized in the early 1980s. Since then, various aspects of dynamical tunneling have been elucidated, significantly advancing our understanding of such a novel quantum phenomenon. In this article, we provide an overview of several phenomenological perspectives of dynamical tunneling, including chaos-assisted and resonance-assisted tunneling, and also introduce approaches based on classical mechanics extended into the complex domain. In particular, we seek to clarify what is meant by the common claim that "chaos leads to an enhancement of the tunneling probability", which is often made when dynamical tunneling is dressed. We discuss what regime this refers to and, if such an enhancement occurs, what its likely origin is.

We present an integral formulation of classical Yang-Mills theory coupled to fermionic and scalar matter fields in (1+1)-dimensional Minkowski spacetime. By reformulating the local dynamics in terms of loop-space holonomies, we demonstrate that the path independence of the holonomy eigenvalues constitutes a conservation law, yielding an infinite hierarchy of gauge-invariant, dynamically conserved charges. While a zero-curvature equation is associated with a necessary condition for this path invariance, we note that it is not strictly sufficient on its own. Employing a first-order symplectic formalism, we show that these non-abelian charges generate global symmetry transformations on the fundamental phase-space variables. We rigorously prove that these transformations preserve the physical dynamics, leaving the total Hamiltonian invariant up to first-class constraints. Furthermore, an analysis of the Poisson algebra reveals that these conserved charges are in involution, provided the boundary integration constant lies within the center of the gauge group. This exact, lower-dimensional framework provides a highly tractable setting to investigate the algebraic structures of these hidden symmetries and the meaning of the conserved charges as physical observables, establishing a classical foundation for exploring their role in the quantum regime, such as in strongly coupled lattice gauge theories.

We propose a theory based on dynamical systems to explain and predict the occurrence of extreme events, of which critical transitions form a subset. In fast-slow nonlinear systems, we identify a cascade of events preceding extreme events: (i) a slow regime, in which the fast covariant Lyapunov vectors (CLVs) are both tangent to the fast eigenvectors and remain transversal to the slow subspace; (ii) a transition regime, in which the fast eigenvalues become neutrally stable while the fast CLVs are no longer tangent to the fast eigenvectors; and (iii) a critical regime, in which a strong spectral gap in the eigenvalues causes both fast and slow CLVs to become tangent along the dominant fast direction, breaking the transversality between fast and slow subspaces. Building on this cascade, we propose two precursors to forewarn the occurrence of extreme events. We numerically test the theory and precursors on low- and higher-dimensional systems. The proposed precursors predict extreme events and critical transitions with 100% precision and recall. This work opens opportunities for time-forecasting extreme events using theoretically grounded precursors.

We study large-scale dynamics in the Ginzburg-Landau equation (GLE) using a reduced description derived from a WKB expansion. Rigorous mathematical results establishing that this reduced equation accurately approximates the full GLE are currently limited to the real GLE (RGLE) and exclude phase-slip dynamics. For the RGLE, we find that the reduced equation has conserved gradient form and show that, upon inclusion of a higher-order regularization, it admits exact stationary solutions. In the reduced dynamics, all nonuniform steady states are linearly unstable and among them, localized hole solutions identified through the reduced description differ from the classical hole solution of the RGLE due to Langer and Ambegaokar. In the Eckhaus-unstable regime, we derive a self-similar description of the approach to finite-time singularities in the reduced equation, with scaling exponents that agree with direct numerical simulations (DNS), and a similarity profile obtained from a nonlinear 4th-order boundary value problem. Extending the reduction to the complex GLE (CGLE) with nearly real coefficients introduces a Burgers nonlinearity that generates traveling shocks connecting two distinct plane-waves. We obtain exact expressions for the shock profile and perform extensive DNS to demonstrate convergence to the predicted profile in the appropriate large-scale, nearly real-coefficient limit of the CGLE. Away from this limit, the wave number profile loses monotonicity, which we explain in the framework of spatial dynamics. We further show that the exact shock solutions found here are qualitatively distinct from the Nozaki-Bekki solutions. Taken together, our results reveal how a single, scalar reduced equation elucidates unstable stationary states, self-similar collapse toward phase slips, and shock formation, providing an understanding large-scale phase dynamics in pattern-forming systems.

Spatiotemporal chaotic systems are difficult to characterize in a model-free manner because of their high dimensionality, strong nonlinearity, and sensitivity to initial conditions. Coupled map lattices, as a representative class of extended nonlinear systems, exhibit diverse regimes such as frozen random pattern, defect chaotic diffusion, and fully developed turbulence. In this work, we propose an ensemble version of multiplexing local reservoir computing for the data-driven characterization of spatiotemporal chaos. By constructing multiple base learners with randomized hyperparameters and combining their outputs, the method improves prediction robustness and quantifies predictive uncertainty through ensemble spread. More importantly, we show that this uncertainty contains direct dynamical information. It identifies frozen positions in frozen random pattern, supports the estimation of defect diffusion coefficients in defect chaotic diffusion, and provides an effective indicator of chaotic intensity in fully developed turbulence. Analyses of the spatial power spectrum and Lyapunov exponent spectrum further support the consistency between the uncertainty field and the intrinsic dynamical properties of the system. These results show that ensemble reservoir computing can serve not only as a prediction tool but also as a data-driven framework for the dynamical characterization of high-dimensional nonlinear systems.

In quantum systems with a classical limit, advanced semiclassical methods provide the crucial link between phase-space structures, reflecting the distinction between chaotic, mixed or integrable classical dynamics, and the corresponding quantum properties. Well established techniques dealing with ergodic wave interference in the usual semiclassical limit $\hbar \to 0$, where the classical limit is given by Hamiltonian mechanics of particles, constitute a now standard part of the toolkit of theoretical physics. During the last years, these ideas have been extended into the field theoretical domain of systems composed of $N$ indistinguishable particles, aka quantum fields, displaying a different type of semiclassical limit $\hbar_{\rm eff}=1/N \to 0$ and accounting for genuine many-body quantum interference. The foundational concept behind this idea of many-body interference, the many-body version of the van Vleck-Gutzwillers semiclassical propagator, is explained in detail. Based on this the corresponding semiclassical many-body theory is reviewed. It provides a unified framework for understanding a variety of quantum chaotic phenomena addressed, including random-matrix spectral correlations in many-body systems, the universal morphology of many-body eigenstates, interference effects kin to mesoscopic weak localization, and the key to the scrambling of many-body correlations characterized by out-of-time-order correlators.

Mesoscopic devices, with system sizes in the range of several to several dozens wavelengths, represent paradigmatic model systems for the observation of quantum chaotic behaviour based on semiclassical concepts. Those electronic and photonic billiard cavities are small enough for interference effects not to be ignored. Nonetheless, the classical ray or particle tracing picture can often provide a substantial understanding of the dynamics of the system along the lines of classical-quantum, or ray-wave correspondence. This well-established principle turns out to be particularly useful when applied not only in real space, but by extending it to phase space such that both location and momentum information can contribute to a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of the dynamical behaviour.

One of the fundamental manifestations of classical chaos is exponential sensitivity to initial conditions that is, two trajectories starting from nearly identical initial states diverge exponentially over time. This behavior is quantified by the Lyapunov exponents. Due to the unitary nature of quantum mechanics, such exponential divergence is elusive in quantum systems. As a result, several alternative quantities have been proposed and studied in recent years to capture analogous behavior. In this article, we present a pedagogical overview of three such quantities that have been the focus of intense research in recent years: the Loschmidt echo, out-of-time-order correlators (OTOCs), and Krylov complexity.

We propose a framework to infer the coupling strength and the natural frequency distribution in a coupled Stuart-Landau oscillator system with a large population. The inference method uses observation of linear response of a macroscopic quantity and of an oscillator. We first solve the direct problem on the response with transforming the system into the phase-amplitude equations. Solving the inverse problem, we show that the coupling strength is inferred from observation of an oscillator and the natural frequency distribution from macroscopic responses. The proposed method requires only one-dimensional observation in the two-dimensional Stuart-Landau system. Validity of the inference theory is examined by numerical simulations.

This chapter gives an overview of transport problems where chaotic dynamics of the system plays a crucial role. We begin with single-particle transport problems and then come to conservative and then dissipative systems of identical particles, which follows the historical way of developing the theory of Quantum Chaos over the past 40 years. We also include brief descriptions of key laboratory experiments on the discussed transport problems.

Out-of-Time-Order Correlators (OTOCs) quantify quantum information scrambling, but their connection to localized phase-space structures, such as chemical transition states, requires formal development. We derive a leading-order semiclassical expansion for the local microcanonical OTOC in systems with an index-1 saddle point, expressing the scrambling rate as a coherent sum over unstable periodic orbits on the Normally Hyperbolic Invariant Manifold (NHIM). Valid in the semiclassical limit and the intermediate-time regime before the Ehrenfest time, our derivation utilizes the Normal Form theory of the transition state, which transforms the Hamiltonian near the saddle into an integrable (though generally non-separable) form dependent on conserved actions. We outline the derivation of the microcanonical trace, the semiclassical propagator for integrable systems, the factorization of the stability matrix, and the Schur complement reduction of the stationary phase approximation. Our result extends periodic-orbit trace methods to scrambling observables, yielding a local instability exponent Λ(J) governing the leading semiclassical growth window. As a special case, when the observation time coincides with the intrinsic periods of the contributing orbits, the trace sum reduces to an effective 1.5Λ scaling, resulting from the competition between local hyperbolic growth and wavepacket dilution. This simplified form is conditional; the full expansion retains a coherent sum over orbit periods. Finally, we discuss how the dependence of the instability on transverse actions establishes a theoretical mechanism for mode-selective control of scrambling, and outline a numerical evaluation strategy to test these predictions.

The kicked rotor provides a simple yet powerful model for introducing many of the central concepts of classical and quantum chaos. Despite its apparent simplicity, it exhibits rich dynamical behavior and has found applications across a wide range of fields, including atomic and optical physics, condensed matter physics, and emerging quantum technologies. This chapter begins by exploring foundational ideas using the kicked rotor as a unifying framework. We first discuss the transition from regular to chaotic motion in the classical system, and then introduce key quantum phenomena such as dynamical localization and quantum resonances. Special attention is devoted to the emergence of characteristic time scales and their role in the quantum-classical correspondence. To make these ideas more concrete, we also provide a brief overview of experimental realizations of the kicked rotor and its variants, illustrating how theoretical concepts are implemented in practice. In the second part of the chapter, we guide the reader toward more recent and advanced developments. Topics include near-resonant dynamics, topological features of kicked systems, the emergence of quantum dynamical phases inferred from classical transport properties, and extensions to non-Hermitian physics. We conclude with a discussion of open problems and future perspectives, outlining directions in which the kicked rotor continues to offer valuable insights.

The notion of Shannon entropy is crucial for the theory of classical information. In quantum information theory, an analogous key role is played by the von Neumann entropy: quantum information processing is closely related to entropy dynamics. This reveals a direct link with the theory of quantum chaotic systems, which can be characterized by a positive entropy production. Furthermore, noise, which inevitably affects any quantum system, can be modeled by a random quantum operation or by coupling to an environment in a generic chaotic state. In this contribution, we emphasize the universality of quantum chaotic dynamics and discuss its implications for quantum information processing.

The Euler ensemble was recently supported by large-scale ($4096^3$) direct numerical simulations as the universal statistical attractor of decaying fluid turbulence. Previous mathematical derivations of this ensemble relied on measure-theoretic limits of discrete polygonal loop equations. In this Letter, we present a continuous algebraic derivation. By reformulating the Navier-Stokes equation as a covariant derivative operator flow in the Lagrangian frame, we analytically eliminate advection. Applying Feynman's operational calculus, the 3D non-commutative operator algebra maps to ordering discontinuities (finite-difference jumps) on a 1D momentum loop. This continuous formalism reduces to the discrete, number-theoretic geometric quantization of the Euler ensemble via roots of unity without requiring spatial lattice approximations, demonstrating that macroscopic fluid chaos is a deterministic projection of the Farey sequence.

Factor models characterize the joint behavior of large sets of financial assets through a smaller number of underlying drivers. We develop a network-based framework in which factors emerge naturally from the structure of interactions among assets rather than being imposed statistically. The market is modeled as a system of coupled iterated maps, where assets' return depends on its own past returns and those of related assets. Effectively modeling the influence of irrational traders whose decisions are based on the past movements of a collection of stocks. The interaction structure between stock returns is defined by a coupling matrix derived from an orthogonal transformation of a Laplacian matrix that gradually links initially isolated clusters into a fully connected network. Within this structure, stable patterns of co-movement arise and can be interpreted as financial factors. The relationship between the initial clustering and the number of observed factors is consistent with a center manifold reduction. We identify an optimal regime in which assets' variance is effectively explained by the set of factors produced by the network. Our framework offers a structural perspective based on interaction-based factor formation and dimension reduction in financial markets.

The 100,000-year problem concerns the dominant period of glacial-interglacial cycles over the past 800,000 years and their correlation with Earth's orbital eccentricity, despite eccentricity's weak influence on solar radiation. Two theories compete: the astronomical theory, in which orbital forcing drives the cycles with amplification from Earth system feedbacks, and the geochemical theory, in which internal dynamics dominate with orbital forcing synchronising oscillations. We investigate these theories using conceptual models. Augmentations to the Budyko energy balance model fail to reproduce the 100,000-year period, revealing formulation limitations. Linearised versions of existing non-linear ice volume models perform comparably to their full counterparts, indicating the data does not necessitate non-linear dynamics. We develop two simple linear models: a feedforward model aligned with the astronomical theory and a feedback model aligned with the geochemical theory. The feedforward model reproduces the ice volume record well and offers a novel explanation for the absence of eccentricity's 400,000-year period, arising from oceanic heat storage and tropospheric energy responding with differing phase lags. Conservative estimates show bulk ocean temperature variation can be explained by eccentricity alone, challenging the geochemical theory's core assumption. We also show that widespread use of Q65 may bias models towards geochemical explanations by underrepresenting eccentricity. The feedback model's improvement is concentrated around Marine Isotope Stage 11, suggesting this anomalous interglacial reflects Earth-based events rather than a general requirement for feedback mechanisms. We conclude that 800,000 years of glacial cycles can be largely reproduced by a linear astronomical model, emphasising the importance of parsimony when interpreting palaeoclimate data.

Self-gravitating systems of $N$ particles are chaotic. We wonder how chaotic the Galaxy is, and what the consequences are. We therefore simulate the dynamical evolution of a galaxy-scale distribution of point masses in order to measure the degree of chaos in such a system. These calculations were performed using the softened gravitational $N$-body tree-code Bonsai, with up to 40 million equal-mass particles. Smaller simulations were performed to establish the scaling of the Lyapunov time $t_L$ with $N$. We establish the relations between the degree of chaos, the number of particles, and the softening length in the gravitational force calculation of large-scale $N$-body simulations. The moment the bar forms appears insensitive to infinitesimal perturbations to the initial realisation. In contrast, the bar strength and its further evolution sensitively depend on such perturbations. Interestingly enough, the run-to-run variation in the bar strength has its maximum around the maximum bar strength, and drops to the moment the bar buckles. The galaxies we simulated are highly chaotic, but the softening in the simulations suppresses chaos. Still, our models show considerable variations in the macroscopic behaviour due to infinitesimal perturbations to the initial conditions. Real galaxies, however, should be orders of magnitude more chaotic than our simulations, and we are unable to quantify their consequences. Smooth galactic potentials to study individual stellar orbits should be handled with caution on timescales longer than the Lyapunov time. Extrapolating to the number of stars in the Galaxy, ignoring planets and other minor bodies, we conclude that the Milky Way-size galaxies are chaotic on a timescale $\lesssim 0.1$ Myr.

This chapter offers a principled approach to the prediction of chaotic systems from data. First, we introduce some concepts from dynamical systems' theory and chaos theory. Second, we introduce machine learning approaches for time-forecasting chaotic dynamics, such as echo state networks and long-short-term memory networks, whilst keeping a dynamical systems' perspective. Third, the lecture contains informal interpretations and pedagogical examples with prototypical chaotic systems (e.g., the Lorenz system), which elucidate the theory. The chapter is complemented by coding tutorials (online) at https://github.com/MagriLab/Tutorials.

Understanding what and how causal dynamical mechanisms generate collective phenomena is a central challenge in complexity science. Recent studies have focused on identifying the mechanisms underlying the synergistic interdependencies that characterise these phenomena in systems with fixed interaction structures. Yet, real-world systems displaying collective phenomena, such as brains, societies, and ecosystems, are adaptive: interactions change in time. Here, we show that heterophily is a minimal local adaptive mechanism for the emergence of self-organized synergistic interdependencies. We study a paradigmatic spin-glass-like model with co-evolving couplings to show how heterophily generates the conditions for synergy to emerge. By solving the minimal $N=3$ case analytically, we reveal the precise mechanism: heterophily weakens pairwise dependencies while inducing high-order dependencies via geometric constraints on the configurations it selects. Together, these two effects underpin synergy. Numerical simulations confirm that this mechanism persists in large systems and that it is robust under parameter heterogeneities and dynamics. We demonstrate the applicability of our results by showing how heterophily can disrupt polarization while promoting synergistic information dynamics of opinions, where individuals' opinions are better explained by group-level influences than by pairwise ones. These results offer a parsimonious route to self-organized synergistic interdependencies in information-processing systems, with potential applications in computational social science, neuroscience, and biology.

The manipulation of light in periodic structures is fundamental to the development of discrete photonics and provides a versatile platform for controlling light propagation in integrated and quantum photonic systems. This work reports the experimental observation of discrete one-dimensional (1D) solitons in a photonic lattice, optically induced in warm rubidium vapor. The lattice is generated by the interference of two coupling laser fields intersecting at a small angle, which creates a spatially modulated 1D refractive index. When a probe beam is focused into a single lattice site, discrete diffraction is observed. By increasing the probe intensity, discrete solitons emerge as a result of the balance between discrete diffraction and self-focusing within the nonlinear atomic medium. Experimental results are supported by numerical simulations, in which the refractive index is modeled via optical Bloch equations for a multilevel atomic system driven by the coupling and probe fields in a $Λ$ configuration. These results, combined with the inherent controlability of gain and loss in atomic vapors, suggest that this platform provides a versatile foundation for exploring non-Hermitian nonlinear dynamics and parity-time-symmetric photonic lattices.

Anomalous relaxation with memory spectra arises in disordered solids, soft matter, biological tissues and electrochemical interfaces. Fractional-order models capture broad power-law behaviour efficiently, but they can obscure spectral structure and are not always convenient for passive realisation or finite-dimensional simulation. We introduce a non-fractional passive framework based on the Tricomi confluent hypergeometric function, combined with a bounded Moebius normalisation that enforces prescribed low-frequency and high-frequency plateaux while preserving a broad dispersive transition. The resulting family contains the Debye and Cole-Cole responses as exact subcases, while extending them to asymmetric two-plateau dispersive laws with independently tunable low- and high-frequency exponents. For an admissible parameter range, we prove that the bounded block admits a Stieltjes representation with nonnegative spectral density, implying complete monotonicity, passivity, causality and compatibility with standard circuit and state-space descriptions. Building on this structure, we derive a passive Gauss-Stieltjes discretisation leading to Foster-type rational approximations and first-order state-space realisations with positive poles and residues. Numerical experiments show convergence of these finite-dimensional approximations across moderate-memory and long-tail regimes, enabling passive reduced-order representations of broad-memory responses. The framework is then validated on broadband dielectric data and battery electrochemical impedance spectra. In tissues, multi-block Tricomi mixtures improve complex-domain fitting accuracy relative to classical Cole-Cole baselines while preserving interpretable modal structure.

The macroscopic dynamics of topological defects in magnetic materials are traditionally modeled using pairwise interactions, universally yielding continuous thermodynamic phase transitions. In this work, we extend the helimagnetic continuum model to include multi-spin biquadratic exchange. Using the Karpman-Solov'ev adiabatic perturbation theory, we rigorously map the non-linear Landau-Lifshitz partial differential equations onto a generalized Kuramoto network operating on a simplicial complex. This "Simplicial Bridge" reveals that higher-order, triadic phase couplings induce explosive, first-order synchronization transitions characterized by a massive bistable hysteresis loop. Furthermore, spectral analysis of these networks on bipartite honeycomb lattices demonstrates the evasion of geometric frustration and the emergence of macroscopic magnetic chimera states-spontaneous spatial domains of coexisting frozen and fluctuating spin textures. We discuss the physical manifestation of these states in strongly correlated van der Waals heterostructures and their potential application in reconfigurable magnonic reservoir computing.

Epidemic modelling on complex networks has been studied intensively all the time. The majority of relative research assumes that the time scale of the underlying network evolution is much larger compared to the propagation dynamics on it, while the co-evolution of epidemics and networks needs exploring further. In this paper, we investigate how our recently proposed birth-death evolving network impacts the Susceptible-Infected-Recovered-Susceptible (SIRS) epidemic process. Our evolving network considers the increase and the heritable deletion of nodes, which enables to depicting individual behaviors during an epidemic, e.g., population migration and indirect contacts. To model the above processes, we construct a Markovian queueing network and perform analyses for the variation of population size of different epidemic states. In simulations, we reveal how the population migration and indirect contacts caused by our network dynamic properties influence the population sizes of each epidemic state, and find that newly-created indirect contacts facilitate epidemic transmission.

The transition to synchrony in the Kuramoto model of globally coupled phase oscillators with a uniform distribution of natural frequencies is discontinuous. We extend the theory of this transition to the Kuramoto-Sakaguchi model, taking into account a phase shift in coupling. In the thermodynamic limit, we derive dependencies of the order parameters on the coupling strength and the phase shift, and describe two transitions from disorder to partial synchrony and from partial synchrony to complete synchrony. In all cases, the first transition is discontinuous, although for phase shifts close to $π/2$, the jump is exponentially small.

This paper examines the polarization-dependent output of various types of 3-mode photonic lanterns fabricated using double-clad fibers. We explore the sensitivity of the modal response across several types of photonic lanterns, from the fully symmetric and strongly coupled structure of regular photonic lanterns to the fully asymmetric structure of mode-selective photonic lanterns. We demonstrate the high sensitivity of the output of photonic lanterns with strong coupling between their ports to the polarization of the input state. In contrast, ports with high isolation or low coupling, such as in mode-selective photonic lanterns, exhibit responses that are almost polarization independent.

Stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS), an optical nonlinearity arising from photon-phonon interactions, has formed the basis for a large class of optical signal processing devices, including Brillouin amplifiers. A limiting factor of such amplifiers is the noise due to thermal-mechanical fluctuations that the phonons imprint on the optical signal. Prior work has either inferred or experimentally observed a noise factor ($F$) that depends only on the thermal occupation of the phonons ($F\approx 1+n_{th}$). We show that this noise factor results naturally from a Hamiltonian-based spatio-temporal coupled mode treatment in the limit of large Brillouin amplification and when phonon propagation is neglected. Moreover, this theoretical framework allows us to extend our treatment to a much larger and more representative parameter space for emerging SBS systems; specifically, this analysis accounts for the forward or backward nature of the scattering process and the effects of phonon propagation, optical loss, and small Brillouin gains. Our results demonstrate that the noise factor can deviate radically from $F\approx 1+n_{th}$ for a host of modern SBS devices, especially those in which phonon propagation significantly changes the coupled mode dynamics.

Neuromorphic photonics is emerging as a powerful platform for fast and efficient optical information processing and sensing. However, future brain-inspired photonic systems require compact and scalable light sources, capable of generating the neuro-mimetic optical signals needed for their operation. This work demonstrates a single-stack laser that delivers optical and electrical neural-like spiking emission under solitary operation. Termed the Neuron Surface-Emitting Laser (NeuronSEL), this compact, multi-junction Vertical-Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) exhibits non-linear Negative Differential Resistance (NDR), similar to that observed in memristive devices. Leveraging this NDR behaviour enables the novel demonstration of multiple neuronal features in the NeuronSEL including refractoriness and threshold-/integrate-and-fire dynamics. We demonstrate the NeuronSEL's behaviour as an optical spiking neuron and its ability to perform processing functions, such as coincidence detection and exclusive OR operations. Its scalability is illustrated by proposing a network based on an array of NeuronSELs, able to perform classification tasks. The NeuronSEL emerges as a strong candidate for practical and scalable neuromorphic photonic hardware, with potential impact across a range of applications in optical sensing, communications and computing technologies, whilst benefitting from the inherent advantages of VCSEL technology -low manufacturing cost, compactness, efficiency, vertical emission, and straightforward integration into large arrayed-structures and networks.

Three-dimensional (3D) photonic integrated circuits (PIC) are emerging as an indispensable scheme for high density and multifunctional photonic systems. However, the wafer-scale scaling of PICs towards a 3D configuration is constrained by two key factors: (i) the trade-off between inter-layer taper efficiency and footprint, and (ii) wafer-scale uniformity of inter-layer transition loss. In this work, we introduce etch-back assisted chemical mechanical polishing (E-CMP) to achieve high wafer-scale uniformity of the spacer layer. Moreover, we break the efficiency-footprint trade-off by demonstrating a novel $κ$-engineered taper, achieving a reliability metric that is 75\% higher than the traditional linearly tapered structure. Building on these design and fabrication developments, we enable reliable 3D PICs with typical loss of 0.077 and 0.068 dB/cm on two silicon nitride (SiN) waveguide layers and typical 3D transition loss as low as 6 mdB. Furthermore, the low 3D transition loss enables the first class of 3D high-Q optical cavities occupying two distinct device layers, providing new design space for high-Q optical cavities. The scalable fabrication process and design methodology provide routes for wafer-scale reliable 3D PICs that are promising in a series of applications ranging from photonic interconnects and computing networks to high-density photonic sensors and nonlinear photonics.

We experimentally observe a new type of quantum-path interference, in two-dimensional(2D-QPI), in high-harmonic generation (HHG) driven by an orthogonally-polarised highly-bichromatic field. This regime is marked by comparable intensities of the two orthogonal colours. In this highly-bichromatic regime, we demonstrate that 2D-QPI is encoded in the measured harmonic intensity modulations with respect to the relative phase of the two-colour field. The modulations of the odd-order harmonics show a monomodal behaviour, whereas the even harmonics are modulated in a bimodal structure. Our calculations using the strong-field approximation and saddle-point method disentangle contributions from multiple quantum orbits in this HHG regime, revealing that the dipole response for both odd and even harmonics inherits the dynamic symmetry of the orthogonally-polarised driving field. This new type of 2D-QPI offers a novel route to HHG spectroscopy of attosecond electron dynamics by lifting up the dimensionality of the quantum paths involved in the interference.

All-optical generation of pure spin current -- the flow of spin in the absence of a corresponding charge flow -- relies on a symmetry based compensation of valley charge. The 2d $d$-wave altermagnets, ideal spintronics materials due to a very low spin-orbit coupling, possess a magnetic point group and highly anisotropic valley manifolds that would appear to preclude such current compensation, excluding them as materials for the ultrafast generation of pure spin current. Here we show that infra-red valley excitation combined with a THz pulse envelope allows the generation of large and nearly 100\% pure spin currents in the altermagnet Cr$_2$SO. Our approach is based on a valley selection rule coupling linearly polarized light to spin opposite valleys, along with the intrinsic momentum shift that a co-occurring THz pulse imbues a valley spin excitation with. These results thus provide a practical and all-optical route to the generation of pure spin current in $d$-wave 2d altermagnets, opening a route to lightwave control of spin in an environment with very low intrinsic spin mixing.

The integration of active light-emitting elements into planar photonic circuits on a silicon nitride platform remains challenging due to material incompatibilities and high-temperature processing. Proposed hybrid method embeds monodisperse luminescent particles into lithographically defined wells above a 200 nm-thick silicon nitride taper coupler. A fabrication process involving wells etching, particle deposition, and planarization enables precise integration while maintaining waveguide integrity. When pumped at 950 nm the particles emit across 1500--1600 nm, peaking at 1532 nm (FWHM 60 nm), covering the optical telecommunication C-band. Numerical simulations yield an average coupling efficiency of 0.25% into the fundamental waveguide mode, suggesting significant potential for further device optimization. The approach provides a scalable route for integrating broadband telecommunications emitters on a silicon nitride platform.

The emergence of precision gravity simulators in quantum and fluid systems is opening new avenues for probing curved-spacetime physics and black-hole phenomenology under controlled laboratory conditions. In parallel, advances in understanding how fundamental physics can be probed in the spectral signatures of black holes and exotic compact objects motivate the development of modern spectroscopic techniques within analogue-gravity experiments. In this work, we model the spectral properties of analogue black holes sourced by broadband stochastic noise, a crucial aspect in realistic experiments that poses substantial challenges for established data-analysis techniques. Using simulation-based inference, we demonstrate that the physical parameters encoded in noisy spectra can be reliably extracted, showing that these techniques provide a powerful tool for studying both spacetime properties and boundary effects in gravity simulators.

Sub-wavelength thick photonic crystal (PhC) slabs coupled to 2D excitonic materials, such as transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), are a promising platform for highly tunable, room-temperature, on-chip optoelectronic devices. Unlike conventional Fabry-Perot microcavities, these compact open cavities exhibit non-trivial electric field profiles, leading to spatially distinct regions of weak and strong coupling with excitons within the PhC unit cell. Using coupled mode theory and rigorous solutions to Maxwell's equations, we investigate how the PhC geometry can be used to control these coexisting exciton/polariton contributions and tailor the resulting optical spectra. For large filling factors, i.e., small air gaps, we show that PhC polaritons can be modeled as dark waveguide modes brightened via the periodicity of the PhC slab. Furthermore, by spatially patterning the TMD monolayer based on the local field intensity, we reveal the simultaneous presence of excitons in both the weak and strong coupling regimes. Overall, this work provides fundamental insights into the strong light-matter coupling regime in structured photonic environments, offering a pathway to design and optimize metal-free, ultra-compact polaritonic devices.

Yang-Mills theory has extended well beyond its original role in describing the strong force and now emerges as an effective theory in condensed matter, ultracold atomic, and photonic systems. In these systems, the theory has been successful in explaining phenomena such as the spin-Hall effect, spin transport, and controlling the polarisation of light. Moreover, the ability to engineer and control synthetic non-Abelian gauge fields in these systems enables us to explore aspects of gauge dynamics inaccessible to high-energy experiments. In all the above mentioned cases, the state of the system evolves in an effective external Yang-Mills field. Thus, the study of test particle dynamics in such background fields is interesting in both the classical and quantum mechanical regimes. The background non-Abelian (color) gauge fields considered in this study are constant, and they generate uniform color magnetic fields or combined color electric and magnetic fields -- which are relevant configurations. Despite the apparent simplicity of these backgrounds, the coupled evolution of real space motion and internal color degrees of freedom results in rich, nontrivial behaviour that is qualitatively distinct from the electrodynamic (Abelian) case, such as unbounded trajectories in a constant color magnetic field. In particular, particle trajectories encode signatures of the underlying gauge sources. Finally, the classical dynamics presented in this paper serves as a precursor to the complete quantum mechanical treatment to follow.

Decoherence and dissipation, arising from unavoidable interactions with the environment, can exert a dual influence on transport in physical systems, suppressing coherent propagation while inducing diffusion and mitigating localization in disordered systems. Non-Hermitian physics reveals a qualitatively different scenario, in which structured dissipation can induce directional bulk-to-boundary transport, known as the non-Hermitian skin effect (NHSE), that remains robust against disorder. Whether such transport can persist, be enhanced or hindered under decoherence, remains a largely open question. Here we experimentally address this question using photonic quantum walks with two tunable prototypical decoherence channels, dephasing and amplitude damping. Under dephasing, the NHSE survives up to the fully incoherent regime and is observed to even be enhanced by dephasing, yielding drift velocities that exceed those of coherent dynamics. By contrast, amplitude damping shows a pronounced order dependence: applied before the non-Hermitian loss operator, it suppresses and ultimately eliminates the NHSE in the fully incoherent limit; applied afterward, the NHSE persists and can be enhanced at sufficiently large loss strengths. Our work bridges quantum and classical non-Hermitian dynamics, demonstrates the resilience of the NHSE to decoherence, and opens avenues for harnessing decoherence to enhance directional transport in noisy, nonequilibrium systems.

We study THz emission from ferromagnet / nonmagnetic material (FM/NM) spintronic nanostructures in which the $Ni_xCu_{1-x}$ alloy with different $x$ is used as an FM, an NM, or both layers. The stoichiometric composition of the NiCu alloys standing at two positions (we denote it as [FM] or [PM]) is chosen so that it is ferromagnetic at room temperature in the case it is used as the FM layer, and is paramagnetic at room temperature for the NM layer. Besides, we choose the nickel ratio $x$ close to each other for both [FM] and [PM] types of the alloy (the difference is only $10\%$). We show that although NiCu[PM] does not contain heavy metal it acts as an effective converter of spin current into the electric one in our structure showing only 2.8 times smaller efficiency than Pt. Besides, the NiCu[FM] alloy, despite having quite small Curie temperature (approximately $65 ^\circ C$), acts as an effective spin source having the efficiency only 2 times smaller than Co in similar structures. This shows up the importance of boundary matching in the spintronic THz sources. Our NiCu-based THz sources reveal a possibility of effective thermally induced control of emission of THz radiation due to a unique combination of high emission rate and relatively small Curie temperature.

Ising machines are physical platforms designed to minimize the energy of classical Ising Hamiltonians, yet accessing specific excited states remains an open challenge of both fundamental and practical relevance. In this letter we show that a network of Kerr parametric oscillators (KPOs) naturally implements an Ising selector machine. By tuning the frequency detuning between the parametric pump and the oscillator resonances, the system can be steered to converge close to the ground state, the highest-energy configuration, or targeted intermediate excited states. Beyond mean field, numerical simulations based on the truncated Wigner approximation demonstrate that noise insertion preserves the energetic structure of the landscape. The targeted state emerges with an exponentially enhanced probability over the rest of the Ising spectrum. Our results establish the pump-cavity detuning as a control knob for navigating the full Ising energy landscape, opening a route to applications in Boltzmann sampling, hardness characterization, and spectral analysis of combinatorial problems.

Thin sheets can be assembled into tubular origami structures that combine deployability with pronounced anisotropic stiffness, enabling applications ranging from robotics to deployable systems. However, most existing tubular origami designs remain limited to degree-four vertex topologies and are characterized primarily in axial and radial loading modes, without a full assessment of anisotropic stiffness. Here, we present an automated design framework for tubular origami that jointly explores local vertex topology through generalized degree-$n$ vertices and global tube topology through the polygonal cross-section, for the systematic design and optimization of anisotropic stiffness. Using a calibrated bar-and-hinge model together with experimental validation, we quantify large-deformation stiffness responses in axial translation, in-plane translation, torsion about the tube axis, and rotation about in-plane axes, thereby characterizing the anisotropic stiffness of the tube across its compliant and constrained deformation modes. The resulting design-space exploration showed that the polygonal cross-sectional topology is the primary factor governing the anisotropic stiffness. We further show that increasing the local vertex degree can improve global structural performance, particularly for tubes with a small number of cross-sectional vertices, demonstrating that higher local kinematic freedom does not necessarily compromise stiffness at the structural scale. Compared with a benchmark design, the optimized architectures achieve more than 50 times higher constrained rotational stiffness. Together, these results highlight higher-degree vertices and polygonal cross-sectional topology as powerful design variables for tailoring anisotropic stiffness in tubular origami.

Transferable excited-state dynamics offer a route to efficient screening of photophysical behavior across molecular systems, but conventional nonadiabatic simulations remain prohibitively expensive. Here we introduce X-MACE, a transferable machine-learning potential for excited-state dynamics that predicts multiple potential energy surfaces, forces and oscillator strengths, and combine it with curvature-driven surface hopping to enable data-efficient screening of photochemical pathways. We apply this framework to fluorescent chromophores as an example application, using green fluorescent protein chromophore variants to demonstrate how subtle structural modifications reshape excited-state relaxation, lifetimes and photoisomerization yields. Fine-tuning a single pretrained model with fewer than 100 reference geometries per derivative yields accurate dynamics across a chemically diverse set of analogues. The screening reveals two governing design principles: steric crowding on the phenolate ring lowers the torsional barrier and accelerates access to twisted conical intersections, whereas conjugation extension stabilizes planar excited-state configurations, suppresses non-radiative decay and prolongs fluorescence. More broadly, this workflow provides a general framework for scalable excited-state screening and interpretable design of photophysical properties.

This paper investigates DeGroot-Friedkin (DF) dynamics over signed influence networks with interdependent topics. We propose a multi-topic signed framework that combines repelling interpersonal interactions with cross-issue self-appraisal, examining how antagonism and topic interdependence shape the evolution of agent-level social power. When the logic matrices (for topic interdependence) of all agents share a common dominant left eigenvector, we identify structural conditions under which the original dynamics admit an exact reduction to an explicit scalar DF map. This yields a complete classification of limiting social power configurations into pluralistic, mixed, and vertex-dominant types. In all three cases, the dynamics are globally convergent, and in the first two the ordering induced by the interaction centrality is preserved. We further show local robustness under small heterogeneous perturbations of the logic matrices. We also clarify what changes when this common-eigenvector structure is lost. These results extend signed social power dynamics beyond the standard nonnegative scalar setting and shed light on the robustness and scope of centrality-based social power formation in multi-topic signed influence systems.

We present a quantitative framework for on-axis optical transduction of vertical InP nanowire resonators, correlating laser position to signal amplitude, calibration, and frequency stability. Photothermal resonance detuning is used to reconstruct the local beam intensity profile and to calibrate the photodetector signal using the thermomechanical noise. A noise model incorporating shot noise and spatial variation in substrate reflectance predicts the position-dependent Allan deviation. We find that the optimal detection position lies near the steepest intensity gradient, and that increasing laser power does not significantly improve frequency stability, because the accompanying temperature rise enhances thermomechanical noise and offsets the signal gain. These results establish design guidelines for optimizing nanowire-based sensors in on-axis optical detection schemes.

Controlling the statistical properties of light, namely the fluctuations in photon arrival, entropy and number, is essential for both classical and quantum photonics. While integrated systems provide tunable control over amplitude, phase, and wavelength, real-time modulation of photon statistics has remained a long-standing challenge. Herein, we introduce the concept and experimental realization of a photon statistics transducer: a high-extinction, broadband electro-optic device capable of deterministically shaping photon-number distributions at nanosecond timescales. Our approach employs a cascaded thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) Mach-Zehnder amplitude modulator delivering more than 50 dB extinction, enabling precise suppression and release of coherent seed light from an integrated InP laser. By exploiting the interplay between seed suppression and erbium-doped fiber amplifier dynamics, we demonstrate smooth, voltage-controlled switching between Poissonian and super-Poissonian photon statistics, with second-order coherence g2(0) tunable from 1.0 to 1.7. Complementary measurements with superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors further show photon-flux control down to sub-photon levels, highlighting the potential for future operation with non-classical sources. The photon statistics transducer thus establishes statistical modulation as a new functional primitive in integrated photonics. Applications range from entropy generation and secure communication to neuromorphic and hybrid quantum-classical processing, where controlled randomness and entropy are essential resources. By enabling programmable transitions between statistical regimes using only electronic drive signals, our work lays the foundation for adaptive, entropy-aware photonic systems that bridge classical and quantum domains.

An anomalous Hall effect (AHE) in antiferromagnetic (AF) systems with no net magnetization is of considerable interest for both fundamental physics and spintronic applications. Of particular interest is the two-dimensional van der Waals antiferromagnet FeTe that has an unusual fully magnetically compensated bicollinear AF structure and exhibits pronounced Kondo interaction leading to strong band renormalization. Here, we investigate the AHE in epitaxial FeTe thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy. A large anomalous Hall conductivity is exhibited below the Neel temperature (T_N ~ 60 K) and, strikingly, becomes nonlinear at high fields within a narrow temperature window around 49 K, deviating from conventional AHE scaling behavior versus its longitudinal conductivity. Linear fits reveal a pronounced negative peak in the intercept, accompanied by a field-induced canted magnetic moment. The AHE responses are related to the Berry curvature derived from FeTe's topological band structure, highlighting the intricate interplay between topology, magnetism, and electronic transport.

The functionality of catalysts, enzymes, and supramolecular assemblies emerges not from individual molecules alone, but from the subtle interplay between multiple components arranged in complex systems. Designing such systems is a grand challenge, the combinatorial explosion of possible chemical compositions and spatial arrangements makes brute-force exploration infeasible, while many current generative approaches remain limited to isolated molecules. In this work, we introduce a hierarchical generative optimization framework that overcomes this barrier by coupling a genetic algorithm for configurational search with a generative model for molecular design. This closed-loop approach enables simultaneous refinement of geometry and composition, efficiently steering discovery toward systems with targeted functionality. As a proof of concept, we design catalytic environments for the Claisen rearrangement of p-tolyl ether by optimizing surrounding components around a fixed reference transition-state geometry. Despite this constraint during the search phase, post-hoc validation via Climbing-Image Nudged Elastic Band calculations confirm a 30% reduction in activation barrier. Beyond this example, our framework provides a general strategy for data-driven discovery of functional multi-component systems, opening the door to automated design of catalysts, enzyme active sites, and advanced materials. Scientific contribution. The study presents a closed loop generative framework that enables joint optimization of molecular components and their spatial organization in multi-component systems. The method moves generative molecular design beyond single molecules toward larger and more complex systems.

A time-dependent theory for the interactions between spatially separated lossy cavities in a homogeneous background medium using quantized quasinormal modes (QNMs) is presented. The cavities interact via a bath of traveling photons, described by non-bosonic operators that are orthogonal to the open-cavity QNMs. The retarded (i.e., time-delayed) inter-cavity dynamics are fully described by system-bath correlation functions, in which the emission from one cavity appears as the input field for another. Coupling between quantum emitters (described as two-level systems), placed inside a cavity or embedded in an external medium, and the electromagnetic field (cavity modes and bath photons) is included in the theory, which gives rise to both bath-mediated and QNM-mediated interactions between the emitters.

Scaling laws are increasingly used as fast surrogate models for high energy laser atmospheric propagation, yet their calibration and comparison still depend on large collections of high-fidelity wave-optics simulations. Existing studies usually rely on privately organized simulation outputs, which makes it difficult to reproduce published fits or evaluate new surrogate formulations on a shared benchmark. We present a public simulation dataset for high energy laser atmospheric propagation with coupled turbulence and thermal blooming. The release contains 226,500 cases spanning target speed, emission geometry, aperture diameter, visibility, aerosol model, beam quality, turbulence strength, and laser power. Data are organized as a case-level main table linked to indexed long-exposure irradiance arrays and centralized metadata, which supports statistical analysis without hiding the underlying field outputs. The simulation pipeline is based on split-step wave-optics propagation with turbulence, attenuation, and thermal-blooming models that have been validated against established propagation references. The dataset is intended for scaling-law calibration, benchmark comparison, surrogate-model training, sensitivity analysis, and inverse studies.

The field of attosecond physics has expanded significantly in recent years, yet experimental facilities supporting attosecond pump attosecond probe spectroscopy remain rare. Here, we present a newly constructed beamline for the generation and application of energetic, isolated extreme ultraviolet (XUV) and soft X-ray attosecond pulses via upscaling of high-harmonic generation (HHG) in a gas medium. The fundamental properties of the HHG radiation energy, beam profile, spectrum, and divergence are characterized and optimized. The source delivers up to 55 nJ of pulse energy within the Zr window (65-150 eV) with high stability (~5-10) and a divergence of 0.1 mrad. Numerical simulations identify optimal operating conditions consistent with experimental results. Temporal super-resolution of the driving laser is applied, resulting in a broadened spectral continuum. Furthermore, the beamline includes a split-and-delay stage before focusing the HHG radiation to a <6 um spot for pump-probe experiments using two distinct focusing optics. Spatially resolved ion microscopy is employed to trace the generated ions at the focus. The presented beamline is designed for nonlinear XUV studies with attosecond isolated pulses.

High-frequency focused ultrasound is widely used in biomedical applications such as high-resolution imaging, neuromodulation, particle manipulation, and so on. However, dynamic tuning of the focal plane in conventional systems often relies on mechanically adjustable components or array-based control with complex system and high cost. In this work, an optically transparent, planar compact piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer was designed and fabricated by truncating an ideal spherical wavefront with a plane, enabling high-frequency focused ultrasound generation and convenient integration with microscopic platforms. The acoustic field was characterized experimentally at the focal plane under the design frequency and at propagation planes near the design frequency to evaluate the focal tuning. An approximate linear relation between the focal length and driving frequency near the design one is derived theoretically, and the finite-range tuning behavior is interpreted using the stationary-phase condition. Both theory and experiment show that the focal length varies approximately linearly with excitation frequency near the design frequency. Water-tank measurements agree well with the theoretical prediction, confirming the proposed model. This work provides a simple and cost-effective approach for focal tuning in compact high-frequency ultrasound devices.

Chiral phonon-polaritonic states are of interest for handedness-dependent light-matter interactions, yet their realization and magnetic control remain challenging, while direct magneto-optical tunability of phonon-polaritonic media is limited. Here, we propose a hybrid platform in which an hBN phonon polariton couples to a chiral bound state in the continuum supported by a magneto-optical photonic crystal, enabling strong and selective photonic coupling. The interaction gives rise to pronounced mode splitting and the formation of hybrid states, and their modal composition is quantified by phonon-proportion analysis and described by a coupling theory. Importantly, the hybridization can be controlled by magnetic bias through the magneto-optical response of the photonic component, providing control over the modal composition and spectral response. In addition, the hybrid states exhibit handedness-selective absorption under circularly polarized excitation. This work offers a feasible route toward magnetically tunable chiral phonon-polaritonic devices and hybrid polaritonic functionalities

Modern computing workloads demand energy-efficient, high-bandwidth interconnects, motivating photonic interposers as an alternative to electrical links. Here we demonstrate a compact 3D silicon nitride (SiN) photonic interposer prototype comprising two routing layers, with the 3D routing scheme optimized by a global optimization algorithm. The 3D interposer realizes a fully connected 12-node optical network that reduces the total number of intralayer crossings from 495 for all-planar routing to merely 150 (69.7% reduction), below the theoretical lower bound of 153 for all-planar interconnects. Comparing the two schemes, our 3D design achieves a 45.8% reduction experimentally in the average loss per waveguide. The proposed 3D routing architecture also features inherent symmetry and is scalable to higher node counts, flexible node placements, additional routing layers, and other operating wavelengths, enabling denser, lower-loss photonic interposers for next-generation scale-up and high-performance computing (HPC) systems.

Precise on-chip dispersion control is essential for advanced integrated photonic technologies, enabling applications ranging from high-speed communications and sensing to signal processing and biomedical imaging. However, existing on-chip dispersion control methods still suffer from substantial loss and a limited dispersion-bandwidth product (DBP) far from application needs. As a result, on-chip systems continue to rely exclusively on off-chip dispersion control solutions provided by optical fiber or bulky free-space optics. To overcome these limitations, we design and fabricate meter-long chirped spiral Bragg gratings (CSBGs) on the ultra-low-loss silicon nitride (SiN) photonic platform for advanced dispersion control. Our device achieves a 10-nanosecond group delay with customizable bandwidths exceeding 10 nanometers within a compact footprint of only 30 $\text {mm} ^2$, surpassing the physical limits of fiber-based grating devices. More importantly, CSBGs can simultaneously possess the characteristics of high stability, low latency, and a large DBP, thanks to the ultra-low-loss SiN platform with a loss of only 0.3 dB/m. Leveraging the precise and stable dispersion profile, we demonstrate high-fidelity pulse shaping and compression of electro-optic frequency combs (EOCs) with a 1-GHz repetition rate centered across the entire reflection bandwidth. The compressed pulse has an on-chip peak (average) power of 21.6 watts (580 milliwatts). Furthermore, we showcase for the first time the application of on-chip pulse-compressed EOC in wavelength-swept coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy. Our work provides integrated photonics with a long-sought, scalable, and robust solution for high-performance on-chip dispersion control, empowering a new generation of on-chip functionalities.

Cooperation is central to the organization of complex biological and social systems. Most theoretical models assume homogeneous environments; in reality, populations inhabit spatially varying landscapes in which the payoffs of cooperation differ across space. Here, we introduce a general framework for the evolution of cooperation in complex, heterogeneous environments where the benefit of cooperation depends on local environmental quality. Cooperators in environmentally rich sites confer greater benefits than those on poor sites. We show that whether heterogeneity promotes or suppresses cooperation is determined primarily by the spatial organization of environmental states. Across arbitrary environmental landscapes, a single quantity, the spatial correlation index (SCI), predicts the fixation probability of cooperators. Under weak selection, segregated environments enhance cooperation, whereas highly intermixed, checkerboard-like landscapes suppress it. Beyond fixation probabilities, environmental organization also controls evolutionary timescales: segregated landscapes generate long-lived metastable coexistence, whereas intermixed landscapes lead to faster but less successful fixation of cooperators. Together, these results provide a unifying description of how spatial environmental heterogeneity shapes the evolution of cooperation and suggest measurable predictors of cooperative success in biological and social settings.

Accurate evaluation of buried thermal interfaces is vital for understanding and optimizing heat dissipation in wide- and ultra-wide-bandgap (WBG/UWBG) semiconductor devices. Conventional time-domain thermoreflectance (TDTR) typically probes only near-surface transport due to its restricted modulation frequency range. Here, we employ a frequency-tunable periodic waveform analysis TDTR (PWA-TDTR) technique to perform depth-resolved thermal measurements on three representative systems: epitaxial ε-Ga2O3/SiC, GaN/Si, and mechanically bonded GaN/diamond. By combining broadband multi-frequency probing with sensitivity-guided joint fitting, we quantitively determine interfacial thermal conductance, layer-specific thermal conductivity, and volumetric heat capacity, without requiring destructive sample preparation. The results reveal that the buried Ga2O3/SiC interface exhibits weak phonon transmission due to acoustic mismatch; the transition layers in GaN/Si act as phonon-impedance gradients that redistribute heat flux; and the GaN/diamond boundary remains the dominant thermal bottleneck despite diamond's ultrahigh bulk conductivity. These findings demonstrate that the modulation frequency in PWA-TDTR functions as a tunable probe of depth-dependent phonon transport, directly linking frequency-domain thermal response to interfacial energy transmission. Overall, this work positions PWA-TDTR as a versatile platform for investigating buried nonmetal-nonmetal interfaces in next-generation high-power and optoelectronic materials.

Polyimide (PI) thin films are widely used in advanced technologies, yet accurate characterization of their thermal properties remains challenging, as evidenced by significant inconsistencies in reported data and an incomplete understanding of heat transfer mechanisms. In this study, we employ an optical Square-Pulsed Source (SPS) technique to simultaneously measure the in-plane and cross-plane thermal conductivities, as well as the volumetric heat capacity, of PI thin films. SPS is a pump-probe method that utilizes a square-wave-modulated pump laser to induce periodic heating and a probe laser to detect the thermoreflectance response. Thermal properties are extracted by analyzing amplitude signals across multiple modulation frequencies and laser spot sizes. Measurements were conducted on both suspended commercial PI films and spin-coated PI films on fused silica substrates. The results show that spin-coated films exhibit higher cross-plane thermal conductivity and lower anisotropy compared to suspended films, which we attribute to differences in molecular orientation and substrate interactions. These findings provide new physical insights into anisotropic heat transport in polymer thin films and demonstrate the SPS technique as a robust tool for probing microscale thermal phenomena in soft materials.

The integration of high-thermal-conductivity diamond films onto silicon carbide (SiC) substrates offers a promising pathway for thermal management in high-power electronic devices. Here, we investigate the depth-dependent thermal conductivity of a ~5 μm-thick diamond film grown on SiC by hot-filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) using square-pulsed source (SPS) thermometry. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveal pronounced grain coarsening from the nucleation interface to the film surface. By combining frequency-dependent thermal penetration with a depth-resolved thermal transport model, we quantitatively reconstruct the thermal conductivity profile. The thermal conductivity increases sharply from ~60 W m^(-1) K^(-1) near the nucleation region to ~200 W m^(-1) K^(-1) at the surface, directly reflecting the underlying microstructural evolution. These results provide a physically grounded understanding of graded heat transport in HFCVD diamond and offer practical guidance for engineering diamond-based thermal management layers for next-generation power devices.

Laser material processing has emerged as a versatile and indispensable tool in various industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, and materials science. However, the interaction of a lasers with surfaces is highly dependent on a large number of factors, including properties of the laser source such as pulse duration, wavelength and pulse form, as well as properties of the material such as surface roughness, heat capacity and thermal conductivity. Therefore, the optimization of laser texturing processes in regards to specific target geometries while maintaining texture quality and process efficiency is a time consuming task that requires experienced operators with expert knowledge of the process and its components. The complex and nonlinear relationships between the various process, laser and material parameters and the resulting surface topography or functionality are challenging to model analytically. Therefore, the fabrication of large numbers of different parameter variations are typically required to enable empirical modeling and process optimization. Machine learning offers a promising approach to overcoming these challenges, particularly when the interrelations between process parameters are not well understood. It enables effective process optimization, surface property prediction, and automated monitoring-tasks that previously required expert knowledge. This chapter demonstrates the application of machine learning to Laser Surface Texturing techniques. Using algorithms such as neural networks and random forests, surface roughness can be predicted based on laser parameters and material data. This facilitates faster process optimization, reduces experimental effort, and enables predictive visualization - all while maintaining high accuracy.

Linear optical spectra of molecular aggregates are often approximated by classical optics methods such as the discrete-dipole approximation (DDA), coherent exciton scattering (CES), and coherent potential approximation (CPA), where the only quantum-mechanical input to the calculation is the linear susceptibility of the monomers. However, the limits of validity of these classical optics methods remain opaque. Here, starting from a quantum mechanical Hamiltonian for the aggregate, we identify a limit where DDA/CPA/CES is exact: all-to-all coupled permutationally symmetric aggregates of $N \to \infty$ monomers. The permutational symmetry of this molecular version of the Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model, which is closely related to that of the molecular polariton problem of many identical molecules coupled to a single-cavity mode, allows us to borrow recent techniques developed for the latter. In particular, we identify a $1/N$ expansion that corrects the classical optics limit with finite $N$ corrections to the linear response of the aggregate. These corrections feature as Raman-like transitions of a single monomer. We illustrate these findings with calculations on the very physically-relevant setup of a homodimer. Our findings clarify how quantum optical features that go beyond classical optics can already be present in simple arrays of quantum emitters such as molecular aggregates.

Future AI-based studies in particle physics will likely start from a foundation model to accelerate training and enhance sensitivity. As a step towards a general-purpose foundation model for particle physics, we investigate whether the OmniLearned foundation model pre-trained on diverse high-$Q^2$ simulated and real $pp$ and $ep$ collisions can be effectively transferred to a few-GeV fixed-target neutrino experiment. We process MINERvA neutrino--nucleus scattering events and evaluate pre-trained models on two types of tasks: regression of available energy and binary classification of charged-current pion final states ($\mathrm{CC1π^{\pm}}$, $\mathrm{CCNπ^{\pm}}$, and $\mathrm{CC1π^{0}}$). Pre-trained OmniLearned models consistently outperform similarly sized models trained from scratch, achieving better overall performance at the same compute budget, as well as achieving better performance at the same number of training steps. These results suggest that particle-level foundation models acquire inductive biases that generalize across large differences in energy scale, detector technology, and underlying physics processes, pointing toward a paradigm of detector-agnostic inference in particle physics.

One intriguing property of non-Hermitian systems is the breakdown of adiabatic theorem and chiral state conversion as the system dynamically encircles exceptional points. However, the subtle dependence of the chiral dynamics on the loop geometry, the starting point, the encircling speed and especially the noise has not been studied systematically. Here we propose a non-chirality degree $χ_c$ to measure the chirality quantitatively and analyze it in dynamics without noise by exact solution and dynamics with noise by numerical integration. The exact dynamics starting from the broken phase show chirality oscillations, which are extremely sensitive to noise when the speed is small. The encircling speed and the noise strength are found to compete with each other in determining $χ_c$, resulting in two distinguished limits, namely the noisy limit and the clean limit. The critical boundary between the two limits satisfies a simple scaling law, which could be explained in terms of first-order perturbation theory and the condition number of the transfer matrix. Our findings reveal the essential role played by noise in non-Hermitian dynamics and are relevant for both theoretical and experimental investigations.

Superconducting diodes enable dissipationless directional transport, yet achieving electrical tunability and scalability remains a major challenge for circuit-level integration. Here, we demonstrate an electrothermal-switch superconducting diode in which a gate-controlled nanoscale hotspot dynamically breaks inversion symmetry in a superconducting nanowire. This mechanism gives rise to two coexisting nonreciprocal transport regimes-one associated with a nonreciprocal superconducting-to-normal transition and the other with ratchet-like vortex dynamics-both originating from the same electrothermal-switch process. The diode exhibits efficiencies up to 42% and 60% for the two regimes, respectively, and can be electrically switched on, off, or reversed in polarity in situ by applying a small gate current. These capabilities enable programmable superconducting circuits that realize electrically reconfigurable full-wave and half-wave rectification. The lithography-compatible design, high performance, and gate-controlled functionality establish a scalable platform for programmable superconducting electronics and hybrid quantum systems.

Entanglement-based quantum key distribution (QKD) relies on the distribution of high-fidelity maximally entangled Bell states, typically generated via spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC). In practical systems, unwanted relative phases arise from birefringence, pump-beam contributions, imperfect photon-pair generation, transmission through physical channels, and collection, transforming Bell states into phase-shifted states. This degrades interference visibility, increases the quantum bit error rate (QBER), and limits secure key generation. Conventional compensation techniques, such as birefringent crystals, interferometric stabilization, and spatial light modulators, are often impractical in real-world deployments. Here, we demonstrate a simple and versatile phase-compensation scheme that can be implemented at either the source or the receiver to eliminate arbitrary relative phases in Bell states. We theoretically and experimentally quantify the dependence of QBER in the BBM92 protocol on the relative phase and show that geometric-phase-based control can effectively restore entanglement quality. In a proof-of-concept experiment using a nondegenerate polarization Bell state, we achieve a fidelity exceeding 95% and reduce QBER below the 11% security threshold required for secure QKD. This robust approach enables practical phase control in entangled-photon systems and can be extended to time-bin QKD via time-polarization mapping, offering a promising route toward stable, low-QBER quantum communication.

The advent of van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures has enabled formation of bespoke materials with atomic precision, where numerous quantum and topological phenomena have already been discovered. This atomic-layer tunability, however, comes at a cost: individual 2D layers must be picked up, moved, and placed in a deterministic manner while keeping their interfaces atomically clean. Recent advances in machine learning and robotics place even stronger emphasis on the deterministic aspect of vdW assembly. Current polymer-based transfer methods satisfy neither the determinism nor cleanliness requirements. To this end, solutions are needed where adhesion can be dynamically and deterministically controlled without leaving organic contamination. Here, we present a polymer free transfer technique employing thin muscovite (mica) crystals. Temperature control over mica adhesion enables deterministic pick-up, stacking, and release of 2D materials, while their crystalline, inorganic nature ensures pristine interfaces and suppresses strain. Fully compatible with existing fabrication workflows, this approach enables the assembly of demanding vdW heterostructures, including those with exposed conductive layers, moiré superlattices and suspended membranes. Our method represents a promising strategy for vdW heterostructure fabrication toward its automatization.

Recent autonomous LLM agents have demonstrated end-to-end automation of machine-learning research. Real-world physical science is intrinsically harder, requiring deep reasoning bounded by physical truth and, because real systems are too complex to study in isolation, almost always built on existing literature. We focus on the smallest meaningful unit of such research, a mini research loop in which an agent reads a paper, reproduces it, critiques it, and extends it. We test this loop in two complementary regimes: scale and depth. At scale, across 111 open-access computational physics papers, an agent autonomously runs the read-plan-compute-compare loop and, without being asked to critique, raises substantive concerns on ~42% of papers - 97.7% of which require execution to surface. In depth, for one Nature Communications paper on multiscale simulation of a 2D-material MOSFET, the agent runs new calculations missing from the original and produces, unsupervised, a publishable Comment -- composed, figured, typeset, and PDF-iterated -- that revises the paper's headline conclusion.

Hyperbolic phonon polaritons (HPPs) are coupled oscillations of anisotropic lattice vibrations and electromagnetic fields that confine the latter to the nanoscale, enabling novel nano-polaritonic devices. While HPPs have been identified in multiple layered materials, achieving advanced control and manipulation - particularly polariton canalization for unidirectional energy flow - often necessitates complex device fabrications or crystal modifications. Here we visualize and elucidate the properties of in-plane hyperbolicity in alpha-V2O5, a layered compound with a highly anisotropic permittivity tensor. We show unidirectional Poynting-vector propagation of polaritons in alpha-V2O5 without additional treatments. Combined with theoretical modeling, our infrared nano-imaging studies unveil a novel form of polariton canalization, with its dispersion contour continuously tunable by the incident light frequency. Additionally, we provide a theoretically calculated permittivity phase diagram for tailoring polaritonic wavefronts. These findings suggest that the metal-oxide alpha-V2O5 holds great promise for on-demand light canalization and control at the nanoscale.

We learn parameterized nonlinear elasticity on curved surfaces using a physics-informed neural network that enforces governing equations and boundary conditions directly through the loss function, enabling a single trained model to represent a continuous family of elastic equilibria across geometric and material parameters. Nonlinear elasticity on curved manifolds underlies the mechanics of crystalline shells, elastic membranes, and viral capsids, where curvature and topological defects determine equilibrium structure and stability. Traditional exact and finite element solvers rely on symmetry reduction and must be reinitialized for each parameter choice, limiting scalability when symmetry is broken or parameters vary. We validate the proposed learning-based solver on a benchmark problem from curved elasticity, namely the one-dimensional single disclination on a spheroidal surface with known exact and numerical solutions. The network accurately reproduces these solutions, including parameter combinations excluded from training, demonstrating generalization across geometry and material regimes. This study establishes a scalable framework for learning nonlinear elastic systems on curved manifolds and lays the groundwork for extensions to fully two-dimensional and multi-defect configurations relevant to protein shells and other curved elastic networks.

Renewable liquid fuels are essential for achieving emissions targets for hard-to-electrify sectors such as aviation and shipping. While biofuels and synthetic e-fuels have been well-studied, e-biofuels, produced by adding renewable hydrogen to biomass conversion to better utilise the biogenic carbon, remain understudied and lack a clear role in EU fuel regulations. In this paper, using a sector-coupled European energy system model, we find that e-biofuels are cost-effective to meet stringent emissions targets if biomass availability is limited and fossil fuels are ineligible, either due to limited carbon sequestration capacity or to high renewable fuel mandates. By directly increasing utilisation of biogenic carbon instead of synthesising fuels based on captured $CO_2$, there are savings from fuel production and carbon capture that reduce total system costs by up to 2.7% and liquid fuel costs by more than 10%. Our results highlight the role of e-biofuels as a potential hedge against uncertainty in biomass, hydrogen, and carbon storage availability, as well as evolving policy implementation.

A novel design for straight directional waveguide couplers and interferometers is demonstrated in glass, fabricated using femtosecond laser direct writing and operating at telecommunication wavelengths (~1550 nm). The devices consisted of parallel waveguides with a spacing of 15 um, where the coupling strength was controlled by scan-engineered refractive index modulation along the length of the waveguide. Using this approach, we realized a 50:50 directional coupler formed by two identical waveguides with a footprint of < 40 um x 15 um x 6 mm, as well as a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with unbalanced arms. A waveguide array with 15 um spacing was also demonstrated, highlighting the potential for compact, high-density, and three-dimensional photonic integration.

We present a full-vector finite element method (FEM) mode solver for dielectric waveguides based on a mixed Nedelec-Lagrange discretization of Maxwell's curl equations in the frequency domain. The formulation combines edge elements for transverse field components with nodal elements for the longitudinal component, enabling accurate modeling of hybrid modes while effectively suppressing spurious solutions. The solver is implemented in both MATLAB and Python with an emphasis on reproducibility, computational efficiency, and accessibility, including compatibility with cloud-based platforms. Numerical validation is performed on representative waveguide structures, demonstrating excellent agreement with COMSOL Multiphysics, with relative errors below 0.05%. Convergence studies confirm the expected accuracy trends with mesh refinement, while highlighting the trade-off between computational cost and precision. The proposed implementation provides a flexible and reliable open-source tool for integrated photonics research and education.

Two-dimensional tsumoite (BiTe), a polymorph of Bi2Te3, has emerged as a promising candidate for nonlinear photonic devices owing to its strong spin-orbit coupling, tunable bandgap, and high carrier mobility characteristics. This work presents a thorough examination of the third-order nonlinear optical response of BiTe dispersions using spatial self-phase modulation (SSPM) spectroscopy. The nonlinear refractive index (n2) and third-order nonlinear susceptibility are quantitatively derived from the diffraction ring patterns, demonstrating third-order nonlinear susceptibility values, similar to or surpassing those of advanced 2D materials. The temporal development and distortion of the SSPM rings are examined using the wind-chime model, and thermal factors influencing the SSPM pattern are analyzed. First-principles electronic band structure studies reveal that the elevated nonlinear susceptibility arises from band dispersion. Direct correlation between carrier transport and third-order nonlinear susceptibility is established. Utilizing these qualities, all photonic devices, including a photonic isolator based on a 2D BiTe-2D hBN heterostructure, are depicted to show asymmetric propagation. A photonic information converter and a logic gate are designed using the cross-phase modulation technique. These findings establish 2D BiTe nanostructure as a formidable nonlinear optical platform for advanced photonic signal processing and integrated photonic applications.

Illumination using correlated photon sources has been established as an approach to allowing high-fidelity images to be reconstructed from noisy camera frames by taking advantage of the knowledge that signal photons are spatially correlated whereas detector clicks due to noise are uncorrelated. However, in computer-vision tasks, the goal is often not ultimately to reconstruct an image, but to make inferences about a scene -- such as what object is present. Here we show how correlated-photon illumination can be used to gain an advantage in a hybrid optical-electronic computer-vision pipeline for object recognition. We demonstrate correlation-aware training (CAT): end-to-end optimization of a trainable correlated-photon illumination source and a Transformer backend in a way that the Transformer can learn to benefit from the correlations, using a small number (<= 100) of shots. We show a classification accuracy enhancement of up to 15 percentage points over conventional, uncorrelated-illumination-based computer vision in ultra-low-light and noisy imaging conditions, as well as an improvement over using untrained correlated-photon illumination. Our work illustrates how specializing to a computer-vision task -- object recognition -- and training the pattern of photon correlations in conjunction with a digital backend allows us to push the limits of accuracy in highly photon-budget-constrained scenarios beyond existing methods focused on image reconstruction.

Nonlinear light-matter interaction and, in particular, high-harmonic generation (HHG) are fundamentally interesting and frequently discussed as versatile probes of quantum materials with potential for optical information processing applications. Meanwhile, there has also been significant progress in graphene-based multilayer systems to engineer interesting band structures and boost correlation effects. Motivated by the successful demonstration of HHG in graphene, we here study this effect in rhombohedral stacks of $n$ layers of graphene, a recent very prominent representative of correlated multilayer graphene systems. We show how the chiral Bloch states of the valleys of this system crucially affect the HHG. The "winding" of the Bloch states scales linearly with $n$, just like the dominant harmonic order. The location of the strongest quantum geometry in momentum space on a ring of finite radius is shown to be imprinted on the time-dependent momentum distribution at the beginning of the strong laser pulse. We further demonstrate that the presence of an interaction-induced splitting of the two valleys leads to a complex interplay of the opposite chiralities of the two valleys, directly visible in the $n$ dependence of the circular dichroism. We also analyze the impact of doping and identify a quantity that tracks the net chirality of the occupied states. Our findings show that rhombohedral graphene constitutes a promising platform for exploring rich nonlinear optical phenomena.

Our ability to predict, control, and ultimately understand complex systems rests on discovering the equations that govern their dynamics. Identifying these equations directly from noisy, limited observations has therefore become a central challenge in data-driven science, yet existing library-based sparse regression methods force a compromise between automation, statistical rigor, and computational efficiency. Here we develop Bayesian-ARGOS, a hybrid framework that reconciles these demands by combining rapid frequentist screening with focused Bayesian inference, enabling automated equation discovery with principled uncertainty quantification at a fraction of the computational cost of existing methods. Tested on seven chaotic systems under varying data scarcity and noise levels, Bayesian-ARGOS outperforms two state-of-the-art methods in most scenarios. It surpasses SINDy in data efficiency for all systems and noise tolerance for six out of the seven, with a two-order-of-magnitude reduction in computational cost compared to bootstrap-based ARGOS. The probabilistic formulation additionally enables a suite of standard statistical diagnostics, including influence analysis and multicollinearity detection that expose failure modes otherwise opaque. When integrated with representation learning (SINDy-SHRED) for high dimensional sea surface temperature reconstruction, Bayesian-ARGOS increases the yield of valid latent equations with significantly improved long horizon stability. Bayesian-ARGOS thus provides a principled, automated, and computationally efficient route from scarce and noisy observations to interpretable governing equations, offering a practical framework for equation discovery across scales, from benchmark chaotic systems to the latent dynamics underlying global climate patterns.

Rapid progress of artificial neural network applications in recent years has led to the issue of an unprecedented energy consumption. It can be solved by the implementation of energy efficient hardware based on non-von-Neumann architectures, which requires the development of electronic components emulating the behavior of synapses and neurons. While research of synaptic elements is vast, the technology for fabrication of scalable and highly reproducible neuronal elements is far less developed. In this paper, we demonstrate an artificial neuron with multiple functionalities based on filamentary switching Ag/Hf$_{0.5}$Zr$_{0.5}$O$_2$ (HZO) memristors. To improve the parameters of memristors, we propose a two-step annealing method, which allows for better control of the crystallization of the functional dielectric layer (HZO) as well as of the diffusion of active electrode (Ag) atoms. Furthermore, we demonstrate the leaky integrate-and-fire (LIF) neuronal behavior in multiple spiking modes: time-to-first-spike (TTFS), number of spikes and firing rate coding. Moreover, the neuron operation does not require the additional electronic overhead and is supported solely by a Ag/HZO memristor with a current limiting resistor connected in series. The presented results pave the way for the creation of next generation energy efficient neuromorphic hardware operating on the principles of spiking neural networks.

Bicuspid valves with crescent-shaped leaflets are found in lymphatic vessels and veins, where their primary function is to prevent reflux and ensure unidirectional flow toward the heart. These valves are passive, and their functionality emerges spontaneously from a complex interplay between the properties of the valve leaflets and the flow patterns developing within the vessel sinus region surrounding the valve. The main function of the valves is to limit retrograde flow, or reflux, but the optimal valve structure has not been well-characterized. Here we investigate numerically how the length of the leaflets affects the valve efficiency in preventing reflux. The valves are subjected to backward flow, akin to that imposed by gravity. We report the flux through the valve orifice as a function of key parameters: valve length, leaflet length, and leaflet rigidity. We monitor the transition in the flow regime - from reflux to complete flow blockage - by varying only the leaflet length. The transition threshold is found to depend strongly on the valve shape and stiffness. We captured these control parameters numerically to evaluate the ability of the valve to close and prevent reflux. This study allowed us to explain reflux observed experimentally in certain incompetent abnormal and immature valves, particularly those with shorter leaflets.

Arbitrary manipulation of light across multiple physical dimensions is essential for harnessing its parallelism in fundamental research and advanced applications, such as optical interconnects, computing, imaging, sensing, and quantum networks. However, creating a universal device capable of arbitrary operations of multidimensional optical beams has been challenging, primarily due to their complex mutual interferences and dynamic transmission characteristics. In this study, we experimentally demonstrate a self-configuring integrated photonic processor designed for the arbitrary manipulations of multiple optical waves over their spatial and polarization dimensions. Despite the random nature of the input speckle, the photonic processor relies on an optical singular-value decomposition engine to sort all orthogonal input beams and implement arbitrary processing over both spatial and polarization dimensions precisely. Notably, the photonic processor can be self programmed in situ, enabling versatile functionalities such as beam shaping, optical switching, and reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexing. Our findings advance the manipulation of multidimensional optical beams through a scalable, CMOS-compatible integration approach, paving the way for fully exploiting the parallelism of light in various applications.

Layered van der Waals antiferromagnet CrSBr supports strong light--matter coupling and formation of magnetically tunable exciton-polaritons, yet active magnetic control over polariton propagation direction has remained elusive. Here, we investigate self-hybridized exciton-polaritons in photonic crystal slabs fabricated from CrSBr flakes and their evolution across the antiferromagnetic-to-ferromagnetic spin-flip transition induced by moderate in-plane magnetic fields. Using angle-resolved reflectance and photoluminescence spectroscopy supported by modeling, we show that the polariton energy continuously tracks the layer-by-layer magnetization switching, revealing a gradual redistribution of oscillator strength from antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic excitons near the critical field. Most notably, we demonstrate that the sign of the polariton group velocity can be reversed by a small change in the external magnetic field of only 40 mT, resulting in complete switching of the polariton propagation direction. Our results establish CrSBr photonic crystal slabs as a platform for magnetically controlled polariton transport, opening opportunities for active integrated photonic and polaritonic devices.

This article aims to introduce the broad field of soft active matter physics and its relevance to the life sciences in simple, accessible language. Although this area of research is relatively new, it has already demonstrated significant potential in providing a physical understanding of many biological processes. While several review articles by leading researchers exist, they can be difficult to grasp for undergraduate students and even early-career researchers who wish to enter this field. In this article, I cover the basics, introduce the origins of soft active matter physics, and explain how it differs from traditional equilibrium condensed matter ideas at the fundamental level. For the most part, I will avoid mathematical equations and excessive technical precision in several statements. Instead, I will focus on communicating the core ideas and the overall spirit of the argument, using everyday examples to develop a physical intuition. The primary focus will be on the dynamical aspects of these systems. I will conclude by briefly discussing a published experimental study from our research group that examines universal features of the trajectories of homing and migrating organisms.

We investigate analytically and numerically the interaction of strong electromagnetic waves with unmagnetized pair plasmas. We show that the interaction is governed by a single nonlinearity parameter, $\varepsilon_{\rm p}$, defined as the ratio of the wave strength parameter to the wave frequency in units of the plasma frequency (with both frequencies measured in the plasma rest frame prior to the interaction). When $\varepsilon_{\rm p}<1$, the number of wavelengths that propagate through the plasma without attenuation from induced Compton scattering is approximately $\varepsilon_{\rm p}^{-2/3}$. This attenuation can imprint sub-structures as narrow as a few wavelengths on the pulse profile. When $\varepsilon_{\rm p}>1$, the electromagnetic pulse acts as a relativistic piston and drives a shock into the plasma. Our results establish a framework for the interaction of strong electromagnetic waves with pair plasmas, a process relevant for intense radio pulses from neutron stars and for next-generation pair plasma experiments at multi-petawatt laser facilities.

The engineering of the optical properties of materials in space and time is opening further directions and possibilities to control wave propagation in four dimensions (x,y,z,t). A key example of such modulations are time interfaces where the permittivity of the medium is changed in time from isotropic to another isotropic value. Recently, isotropic-to-anisotropic time interfaces in a homogeneous, unbounded medium have also been proposed, demonstrating their potential for redirecting waves in real time. However, the challenge relies on accessing/creating permittivity tensors in time. To address this, here we propose isotropic-to-isotropic spacetime modulations inspired by spacetime effective media to emulate such isotropic-to-anisotropic time interfaces. Specifically, we consider that subwavelength spatially periodic multilayers, arranged either horizontally or vertically, are created in time using simultaneous isotropic-to-isotropic time interfaces applied in discrete spatial regions. The theory behind this approach is presented in detail demonstrating that, indeed, it is possible to change the direction of energy propagation in real time and emulate permittivity tensors. All the results are supported by numerical simulations, demonstrating the potential of the proposed spacetime approach to emulate photonics isotropic-to-anisotropic time interfaces.

Hydrogen is a promising energy carrier, yet its practical deployment is limited by the lack of storage materials that simultaneously achieve high storage capacity ($w$) and practical equilibrium pressure at room temperature ($P_{\rm eq,RT}$). Interstitial metal hydrides offer fast kinetics and favorable thermodynamics (high $P_{\rm eq,RT}$) but suffer from intrinsically low w. Here, we establish a physically interpretable, data-driven framework to uncover descriptor-property relationships in interstitial hydrides using a curated database of pressure-composition-temperature measurements (Digital Hydrogen Platform, DigHyd) and white-box symbolic regression. Strikingly, the analysis reveals a clear separation of governing mechanisms, in which $w$ is governed by geometric and lattice conditions, captured by the average atomic radius ($\left\langle r_M \right\rangle$) and average thermal conductivity ($\left\langleκ\right\rangle$), with an optimal regime of $r_M \sim 1.47 Å$ and relatively low $\left\langleκ\right\rangle$. In contrast, $P_{\rm eq,RT}$ is governed by elastic properties, captured by the average shear modulus ($\left\langle G \right\rangle$) and average Poisson's ratio ($\left\langle ν\right\rangle$), reflecting the role of lattice rigidity and mechanical compliance. These relationships are translated into compositional optimization pathways that follow the descriptor trends above, enabling the design of candidate materials with enhanced w under practical equilibrium conditions ($P_{\rm eq,RT} \sim 0.1$ MPa). This work establishes a general, interpretable strategy for physics-informed design of energy materials systems.

We report an electrically actuated, low-loss non-volatile optical switch based on the phase-change material (PCM) Sb2Se3 integrated on a silicon nitride (Si3N4) platform. The device is fabricated using an 8-inch wafer-scale process flow, demonstrating the feasibility of scalable manufacturing for photonic integrated circuits (PICs). By employing transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) micro-heaters, reversible switching between the amorphous and crystalline states is achieved with an extinction ratio of 25~dB and an endurance exceeding 140 million switching cycles, establishing a new benchmark for non-volatile integrated photonic memory and reconfigurable architectures. Furthermore, multi-level operation beyond 6 bits can be repeatably demonstrated by tailoring the electrical pulse widths, enabling precise control of the optical phase. These results highlight a scalable and energy-efficient platform for high-density programmable and non-volatile photonic integrated systems.

We report a broadband long-wave infrared Fourier transform spectrometer with sensitivity exceeding that of previously reported direct-detection implementations. The system combines dual-comb spectroscopy with electro-optic sampling, multi-channel parallel near-infrared detection using InGaAs photodiodes, and real-time GPU-based computational corrections of multiple spectroscopy signals. Detection limits of 0.3 ppb for NH$_{3}$ and 2 ppb for C$_{2}$H$_{4}$ are achieved in 500 s, corresponding to 20x and 40x sensitivity improvements over earlier LWIR demonstrations, while maintaining high 0.0027 cm$^{-1}$ spectral resolution and broad spectral coverage. The architecture supports scalable sensitivity through increased detector count and enables rapid multispecies analysis of complex gas mixtures.

Dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) is ubiquitously observed in the brain, but why functional networks should remain dynamic even at rest is unclear. We asked whether temporal reconfiguration becomes advantageous when keeping a functional link active is costly. Modeling resting-state dFC as a temporal communication network, we show that empirical dFC outperforms equal-cost static architectures by increasing the reach and speed of information spreading in sparse regimes. Unlike more randomized temporal null models, however, it also preserves strong local cohesiveness, temporal clustering, rapid return of information to its source, and high neighborhood retention. Empirical dFC therefore achieves a compromise between large-scale integration and transient local segregation. This compromise is not explained by generic temporal variability, nor by partially frozen null models with persistent templates. A connectome-based mean-field model reproduces several key features, including high spatial and temporal clustering and strong integrative and segregative performance, but remains more stable over time than the empirical data. Our results indicate that empirical dFC reflects a structured regime of controlled persistence and renewal, in which local neighborhoods are maintained long enough to support transient recirculation before broader network-wide spreading occurs. Dynamic functional connectivity thus appears to be a resource-efficient solution to competing communication demands.

We show that short-range phoneme dependencies encode large-scale patterns of linguistic relatedness, with direct implications for quantitative typology and evolutionary linguistics. Specifically, using an information-theoretic framework, we argue that phoneme sequences modeled as second-order Markov chains essentially capture the statistical correlations of a phonological system. This finding enables us to quantify distances among 67 modern languages from a multilingual parallel corpus employing a distance metric that incorporates articulatory features of phonemes. The resulting phonological distance matrix recovers major language families and reveals signatures of contact-induced convergence. Remarkably, we obtain a clear correlation with geographic distance, allowing us to constrain a plausible homeland region for the Indo-European family, consistent with the Steppe hypothesis.

Krylov subspace methods are among the most extensively studied early fault-tolerant quantum algorithms for estimating ground-state energies of quantum systems. However, the rapid onset of ill-conditioning might make accurate energies difficult or even impossible to retrieve. In this communication, we analyse the numerical stability and statistical problems of these methods using numerical simulations both in the presence and absence of sampling noise. While in ideal numerical simulations the generalized eigenvalue problem indeed becomes unstable with increased Krylov subspace size, we find that, in realistic noisy settings, these methods do not primarily suffer from ill-conditioning. Instead, statistical fluctuations dominate and can prevent reliable solution extraction unless appropriate regularization or filtering techniques are employed. We consequently introduce two new metrics, the imaginary and unitary filters, that successfully assess the reliability of the obtained solutions without any knowledge of the true eigenspectrum.

We review recent advances in machine-learning (ML) force-field methods for large-scale Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert (LLG) simulations of metallic spin systems. We generalize the Behler-Parrinello (BP) ML architecture -- originally developed for quantum molecular dynamics -- to construct scalable and transferable ML models capable of capturing the intricate dependence of electron-mediated exchange fields on the local magnetic environment characteristic of itinerant magnets. A central ingredient of this framework is the implementation of symmetry-aware magnetic descriptors based on group-theoretical bispectrum formalisms. Leveraging these ML force fields, LLG simulations faithfully reproduce hallmark non-collinear magnetic orders -- such as the $120^\circ$ and tetrahedral states -- on the triangular lattice, and successfully capture the complex spin textures emerging in the mixed-phase states of a square-lattice double-exchange model under thermal quench. We further discuss a generalized potential theory that extends the BP formalism to incorporate both conservative and nonconservative electronic torques, thereby enabling ML models to learn nonequilibrium exchange fields from computationally demanding microscopic approaches such as nonequilibrium Green's-function techniques. This extension yields quantitatively accurate predictions of voltage-driven domain-wall motion and establishes a foundation for quantum-accurate, multiscale modeling of nonequilibrium spin dynamics and spintronic functionalities.

Observations show the multidimensional dynamics of meltwater and distribution of ice layers in the firn on the Greenland Ice Sheet. However, state-of-the-art large-scale models for firn hydrology are essentially one-dimensional, limiting their ability to explain observed datasets and contributing to uncertainty in surface mass balance and sea-level rise estimates. Here, we present a large-scale, multidimensional, multiphase, and thermomechanical model for the subsurface hydrology of firn. The model is highly efficient due to a novel algorithm in which an extra equation for pressure is solved only in saturated regions. Furthermore, the model can apply spatially heterogeneous boundary conditions to the unsaturated-saturated domain and allows for the dynamic formation of fully impermeable ice layers. The numerical results show excellent comparisons against analytic solutions to one- and two-dimensional problems that involve coupled unsaturated-saturated flows, thermodynamics, and phase change. We further apply the model to investigate field data from southwest Greenland and find that lateral heterogeneities strongly influence the depth of melt percolation and ice layer formation. Improved understanding of these local, multidimensional processes will provide physics-based constraints on firn densification, reduce uncertainty in converting altimetric elevation change to mass change, and improve estimates of freshwater fluxes to the ocean under a warming climate.

As global political tensions rise and the anticipation of additional tariffs from the United States on international trade increases, the issues of economic independence and supply chain resilience become more prominent. The importance of supply chain resilience has been further underscored by disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war in Ukraine. In light of these challenges, ranging from geopolitical instability to product supply uncertainties, governments are increasingly focused on adopting new trade policies. This study explores the impact of several of these policies on the global electric vehicle (EV) supply chain network, with a particular focus on their effects on country clusters and the broader structure of international trade. Specifically, we analyse three key policies: Country Plus One, Friendshoring, and Reshoring. Our findings show that Friendshoring, contrary to expectations, leads to greater globalisation by increasing the number of supply links across friendly countries, potentially raising transaction costs. The Country Plus One policy similarly enhances network density through redundant links, while the Reshoring policy creates challenges in the EV sector due to the high number of irreplaceable products. Additionally, the effects of these policies vary across industries; for instance, mining goods being less affected in Country Plus One than the Friendshoring policy.

Time-Resolved Spectroscopy (TRS) is a powerful modality for non-invasive characterization of turbid media. However, extracting optical properties, absorption $μ_a$ and reduced scattering $μ_s'$, from 3D stochastic measurements remains computationally expensive for real-time applications. In this paper, we propose a data-efficient, physics-informed transfer learning strategy using a Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (Bi-LSTM) network. By leveraging a fast deterministic solver to establish a physical prior before fine-tuning on a restricted set of 3D Monte Carlo simulations, our model successfully bridges the analytical-to-stochastic domain gap. The proposed method eliminates the systematic bias of analytical models while maintaining a competitive error with near-instantaneous inference time.

Our objective is to study the performance and robustness of the model-free strategy for controlling the oxygen stoichiometry of a fuel cell air supply system with a proton exchange membrane. After reviewing the literature on modeling and control of this process, the model-free approach appears to be a good candidate because, on the one hand, it allows straightforward real-time adaptation to track operating points and, on the other hand, it requires a low computational burden, which is attractive for industrial applications. Numerical simulations for two scenarios (constant and variable oxygen stoichiometry) with two current profiles reveal satisfactory performance of the model-free control law. The robustness is addressed by considering significant variations in the parameters of the proton exchange membrane air supply system.

Sustainable solid-state refrigerants based on barocaloric materials are often limited by thermal hysteresis associated with supercooling effects. Here, we present imaging methods to investigate and compare thermal behaviour and transition kinetics of the barocaloric molecular crystal neopentyl glycol (NPG) with those of a lightly doped derivative, NPG$_{0.99}$PE$_{0.01}$, which incorporates 1 mol % pentaerythritol (PE). We use temperature-dependent polarised light (PL) microscopy and infrared (IR) thermography to correlate phase transition kinetics and local heat-flow with the bulk thermodynamic response obtained from calorimetry. We show that the doped system exhibits reduced supercooling and thermal hysteresis, attributed to increased microstructural disorder and an increase in the number of nucleation events. These findings provide insight into the design of low-hysteresis barocaloric materials for high-efficiency solid-state cooling applications.

Two-dimensional materials that exhibit optically active spin and valley degrees of freedom represent one of the most fascinating -- and potentially most technologically useful -- platforms for the ultrafast interaction of light and matter. Here we show, via the example of Cr$_2$SO, that two dimensional altermagnets host valley states controllable by femtosecond laser light: linearly polarized light pulses excite charge at one of two inequivalent valleys, with which valley charge is excited at determined by the polarization vector direction. This underpins a rich spin and valley physics including: (i) valleytronics $-$ the generation of nearly 100$\%$ spin polarized valley currents, as well as (ii) a "ghost Hall" effect $-$ the ultrafast creation of states in which spin and charge currents are orthogonal without invoking Hall physics. Our findings establish 2d altermagents as a platform providing a new route for the control of spin- and charge currents at ultrafast times.

Solid-state platforms are particularly attractive for quantum optics because they facilitate on-chip integration and are compatible with established semiconductor and photonic technologies. However, a major challenge in solid-state quantum optics is the fabrication of arrays of identical emitters, such as quantum dots. In this work, we propose moire superlattices as a novel solid-state platform for manipulating light at the single-photon level. Moire superlattices form arrays of artificial-atom states characterized by nearly identical optical transition energies, tunable spacing, and highly adjustable electronic structures. They naturally operate as atomically thin, scalable, periodic emitters, making them ideal for quantum applications. Additionally, the extensive materials database of moire superlattices offers spectral coverage spanning a broad range of optical wavelengths.

Since their inception in 1984, the European Framework Programmes (FPs) have funded collaborative R&D to promote excellence, cohesion, and competitiveness in a growing European Union. However, their integrative impact and the evolution of the research landscape alongside its collaborative structures remain insufficiently understood. In this longitudinal study, we leverage CORDIS data from all nine FPs to reconstruct the evolution of country-level collaboration networks over time. We observe an increasing equity in project participation between FP1 and FP6, although newly included countries systematically tend to be marginal when first joining the programmes. However, we find that the collaborative nature of EU projects progressively integrates marginal countries in the network, even if this integration is still in progress. We also trace the evolution in time of research topics using semantic embeddings of project descriptions, identifying 117 topics grouped into 16 macro-topics. By computing the minimum spanning tree length of project embeddings within yearly time windows, we quantify how European research progressively explores a wider knowledge space. A comparison with a null model with points randomly distributed in the semantic space indicates that this exploration is more focused than a uniform coverage. Moreover, it appears uneven, with few topics mostly attracting industry and others academia. Our findings suggest that, while European funding promotes international cooperation, it has not yet fully resolved core-periphery asymmetries, and European research remains concentrated along established trajectories rather than broadly exploratory, with implications for future programme design and the excellence-cohesion debate.

This work reports back-end-of-line (BEOL) compatible, thin-film transistors (TFTs) with sub-10 nm tungsten-doped tin oxide (TWO) channels deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) at 150 $^\circ$C. TFTs with undoped SnO$_{\mathrm{x}}$, undoped WO$_{\mathrm{x}}$, and W-doped SnO$_{\mathrm{x}}$ channels with W concentrations of 5% and 10% were investigated. TFT with 10% W doping exhibited the best electrostatic control and overall device performance. Post-fabrication O$_{\mathrm{2}}$ annealing at 300 $^\circ$C for 5 minutes significantly enhanced device characteristics, reducing the subthreshold swing (SS) by nearly 2$\times$, increasing the I$_{\mathrm{on}}$/I$_{\mathrm{off}}$ ratio from $10^7$ to $10^9$, decreasing hysteresis by nearly 3$\times$ and positive bias stress-induced threshold shift by over 2$\times$ to a low value of 93 mV at a stress field of 4 MV/cm. Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations using Ginestra$^{\mathrm{TM}}$ support the experimental observations and attribute the bias instability to charge trapping in the gate dielectric and at the interface. This work demonstrates low-temperature ALD-grown TWO TFTs as a promising indium-free platform for BEOL and monolithic 3D integration.

Large Language Models (LLMs) have demonstrated an unprecedented ability to simulate human-like social behaviors, making them useful tools for simulating complex social systems. However, it remains unclear to what extent these simulations can be trusted to accurately capture key social mechanisms, particularly in highly unbalanced contexts involving minority groups. This paper uses a network generation model with controlled homophily and class sizes to examine how LLM agents behave collectively in multi-round debates. Moreover, our findings highlight a particular directional susceptibility that we term \textit{agreement drift}, in which agents are more likely to shift toward specific positions on the opinion scale. Overall, our findings highlight the need to disentangle structural effects from model biases before treating LLM populations as behavioral proxies for human groups.

Nature-inspired hyperuniform disorder offers a promising route to broadband light trapping in ultrathin perovskite solar cells by avoiding narrowband, illumination-sensitive responses commonly associated with periodic nanophotonic textures. Here, we introduce a nature-inspired ingenious hyperuniform nanohole architecture integrated into the front glass of a planar MAPbI3 perovskite solar cell, serving as a junction-preserving strategy to enhance optical absorption and photovoltaic performance. In comparison with planar and periodic textures, the hyperuniform architecture redistributed incident light across a broader spectrum of in-plane momentum states, strengthened near-interface electromagnetic fields, and improved long-wavelength coupling into the absorber, thereby increasing the effective optical path length without altering the electronically active interfaces. To quantify these effects, we employed a coupled three-dimensional multiphysics framework that integrates finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) optical simulations with drift-diffusion electrical modeling. The optimized design exhibited broadband absorption enhancement, weak polarization dependence, and strong angular tolerance, while suppressing interference-driven spectral oscillations and reducing sensitivity to patterned-layer thickness. Relative to the planar structure, the hyperuniform architecture increased the short-circuit current density from 21.57 to 23.92 mA cm-2 and improved the power conversion efficiency from 21.03% to 23.62%, while maintaining Voc at 1.13 V and preserving a high fill factor of 87.66%. In addition to statistical pattern-invariant performance, stochastic radius-variation analysis indicated a positive enhancement in photocurrent and under fabrication-relevant dimensional disorder.

We present a combined experimental and theoretical study of enhanced third-harmonic generation (THG) in silicon nitride metasurfaces. These structures exhibit strong resonant nonlinear responses, enabling up to two orders of magnitude enhancement in THG compared to a flat silicon nitride etalon, driven by strong electromagnetic field localization. We investigate two polarization-selective metasurface geometries supporting transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) resonances, implemented in fully planar architecture. When driven by ultrafast near-infrared laser pulses, these resonances confine optical energy at the nanoscale, enabling efficient frequency up-conversion from the visible to the ultraviolet (UV) and deep-UV spectral regions. Through spectral mapping of the nonlinear response under both TE and TM excitation, we quantify field confinement, extract the effective nonlinear enhancement, and characterize the spectral dependence of the third-harmonic generation efficiency. This two-dimensional periodic platform provides a flexible design toolbox for engineering polarization-dependent UV and deep-UV light sources. More broadly, our results demonstrate that silicon nitride, a CMOS-compatible dielectric, can support efficient nonlinear up-conversion deep into the UV. This finding shows that access to short-wavelength nonlinear photonics does not require complex materials or architectures, but can instead be achieved using widely available dielectrics through careful structural design.

The pore-surface and surface-surface correlation functions are structural characteristics that play an important role in theoretical materials science and in small-angle scattering theory. Exact analytical expressions for the surface correlation functions are available only for very few models, and we here derive such expressions for the general class of dead-leave models. Within these models, a two-phase pore/solid structure is created by sequentially and randomly filling space with pore-like or solid-like grains that overlap any preexisting structure, in the same way as dead leaves fall on the ground. The obtained mathematical expressions are valid for any grain shape, in arbitrary dimension. The results are illustrated with monodispersed spherical grains, as well as with a dead-leave realization of a Debye random medium. In the latter case, the size distribution of the grains is designed to produce a structure having exponential two-point correlation function. Compared to Debye random media obtained by numerical reconstruction, the dead-leave structure has almost identical surface-surface correlation function, but distinctly different pore-surface correlation function. As a byproduct of our analysis, we also submit a general expression for the pore-surface and surface-surface correlation functions of the Boolean model, valid for arbitrary grains.

Rotating space tethers have long been proposed as momentum-exchange devices capable of transporting payloads between orbital regimes without continuous propellant expenditure, offering a potential alternative to conventional propulsion for transfers from low Earth orbit to higher orbits. In this work, we numerically investigate a system of multiple rotating tethers distributed across different orbital radii and coupled through intermediate transfer platforms (elliptical nodes) moving along Keplerian trajectories. We identify families of dynamically consistent configurations in which neighboring tethers achieve near-phase synchronization, enabling coordinated payload exchange without impulsive maneuvers. Based on these results, we introduce the concept of a Space-Clock Elevator: a modular orbital transport architecture in which payloads are transferred sequentially between synchronized rotating tethers via intermediate elliptical nodes. Numerical experiments demonstrate that such synchronized tether networks can support outward payload transport while maintaining bounded tether tension and dynamically stable orbital motion.

Tunable bound states in the continuum (BICs) in photonic crystal slabs are highly sensitive to substrate-induced mirror-symmetry breaking and typically degrade into finite-$Q$ quasi-BICs in realistic integrated platforms. Here we show that such degradation can be deterministically reversed. Using temporal coupled-mode theory and full-wave simulations, we demonstrate that the radiation channel opened by the substrate can be exactly canceled by introducing a second, independent odd-parity perturbation inside the slab. This dual-asymmetry strategy restores the singularity of the radiation matrix and thereby recovers an exact tunable BIC in a substrate-supported photonic crystal slab. The recovered state regains both the polarization vortex and the characteristic $Q\propto Δk^{-2}$ scaling. The recovery points further follow a linear relation in the two-asymmetry parameter space, revealing a simple mode-dependent compensation law. The same mechanism also restores merging-BIC configurations, showing that it applies not only to isolated tunable BICs but also to higher-order topological resonance states built from them. Our results establish a practical route for preserving tunable topological resonances in substrate-supported nanophotonic systems.

Binary amplitude spatial light modulators, such as digital micromirror devices (DMDs), are increasingly relevant for computer generated holography due to their high refresh rates, low cost, and due to the emergence of subwavelength pixel architectures. However, the binary constraint limits the reconstruction quality, as conventional approaches rely on a binarization applied as a final step after hologram computation which leads to reduced efficiency and contrast. We introduce an iterative estimation approach for the generation of off axis binary amplitude holograms, in which the binarization constraint is applied at each iteration. We validate the approach through numerical simulations and experimental reconstruction using a DMD based optical setup. Quantitative and qualitative comparisons with random superposition and Gerchberg Saxton methods demonstrate significant improvements in image contrast, light efficiency, and reconstruction fidelity, with comparable computational cost. The proposed method provides a practical route toward high quality CGH using binary modulators and supports emerging applications requiring high speed and high resolution holographic projection.

In this contribution we present recent developments in the formulation and solution of Initial Boundary Value Problems (IBVPs). Building upon a modern variational action formulation of classical dynamics, we treat Initial Boundary Value Problems directly on the action level, bypassing governing equations. We show that by including coordinate maps as dynamical degrees of freedom together with propagating fields two key results emerge. Space-time symmetries remain protected even after discretization, leading to an exact conservation of Noether charges even for discrete IBVPs. The dynamical nature of the coordinate maps leads to an adjustment of space-time resolution, guided by Noether charge conservation, realizing a form of automatic adaptive mesh refinement. We stress that as long as SBP operators are used for the discretization, our results are independent of whether the dynamics are solved on the action or governing equation level and hold in particular also at high order. As proof-of-principle for our approach we present its application to scalar wave-propagation in 1+1 dimensions.

We propose a novel measurement-free scheme for stabilizing a spin-oscillator hybrid qubit via autonomous quantum error correction. The engineered Lindbladian renders the code space into an attractive steady-state subspace, realized by coupling the storage mode to a rapidly cooled bath through a controlled beam-splitter and spin-dependent displacement interactions. The continuous variable-discrete variable hybrid approach to autonomous quantum error correction preserves the hardware efficiency of conventional dissipation engineering while simplifying the required system-bath coupling. The construction is compatible with simple logical gates and leverages primitives already demonstrated in experimental platforms, such as trapped-ion systems, suggesting a practical route to hardware-efficient, noise-biased logical qubits without repeated syndrome measurements and feedforward.

Recent experiments on K$_3$C$_{60}$ revealed a giant enhancement of the light-induced superconducting-like optical response for pump frequencies near 10 THz, with an efficiency roughly two orders of magnitude larger than for off-resonant excitation. Here we show that a resonant enhancement of pair correlations arises naturally in a driven electronic model of K$_3$C$_{60}$ derived from \emph{ab initio} parameters. Exact diagonalization on small clusters identifies a symmetry-constrained two-photon pathway: the first photon drives the system from the even-parity ground state to an intermediate odd-parity manifold, and the second photon drives it to an even-parity excited state with enhanced pair correlations. Guided by this structure, we develop a DMRG+Krylov approach for larger clusters and find that the resonance energy shifts downwards with system size due to the kinetic-energy gain of the delocalized doublon excitation. A simplified single-orbital model reproduces the same scaling trend and allows us to reach a 14-site fcc cluster, where the resonant peak is pushed to $\sim$ 30 THz. Our results establish a purely electronic mechanism for resonant light-enhanced pair correlations in K$_3$C$_{60}$ and independently support the view that the experimentally observed 10 THz resonance is indeed due to superconducting-like coherent pair formation rather than improved metallicity. More broadly, they suggest that related resonant pathways may arise in other intermediate-coupling Hubbard materials with on-site repulsion $U$ and electronic bandwidth $W$ on comparable scales.

Moire lattices provide a powerful route for engineering emergent symmetries and length scales through the relative rotation of periodic structures. However, their implementation in polaritonic systems remains relatively unexplored, and a general framework describing how twist modifies the interaction of optical modes in momentum space is still lacking. Here, we investigate how twist-induced moire periodicities can control symmetry and momentum-space coupling in surface phonon polariton (SPhP) metasurfaces. We fabricate twisted overlapping dual-grating metasurfaces on a polar dielectric substrate with dielectric overlayer and characterize their optical response using polarization-resolved Fourier-transform infrared microscopy. Experimental measurements are combined with full-wave simulations and momentum-space analysis to identify the resonant SPhP and SPhP-like waveguide (WG) modes arising from both individual grating periodicities and emergent moire periodicities. The results reveal twist-controlled symmetry breaking manifested as asymmetry between p to s and s to p polarization conversion, along with twist-dependent interactions between SPhP and SPhP-like WG modes. Our analysis reveals that the twist-engineered polarization-conversion asymmetry enables directional biasing of infrared radiative heat transfer. These findings establish twisted phonon-polaritonic metasurfaces as a versatile platform for geometry-controlled symmetry engineering in the mid-infrared. Future work may leverage such twist-programmable polaritonic interactions to enable directional thermal emission, polarization-selective detection, and reconfigurable infrared photonic devices.

In this study, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were combined to investigate the SERS spectra of Ln-citrate complexes (Ln: Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu) under 488 and 532 nm excitation. Peak assignment was supported by simulated SERS spectra calculated with an optimized DFT method using large-core effective core potentials. The main bands near 935, 1060, 1315, and 1485 cm-1 were assigned to (C-COO-) + (CH2), (CH2) + (C-O -- Ln), sym(COO-) + (CH2), and asym(COO-) + (CH2), respectively. Relative peak intensities were evaluated by normalizing the bands near 935, 1060, and 1485 cm-1 to that near 1315 cm-1. The ratios I_935/I_1315 and I_1485/I_1315 generally increased from Dy-citrate to Lu-citrate, whereas the I_1060/I_1315 ratio decreased. These trends were observed under both excitation wavelengths. The decrease in relative SERS peak intensity of the 1060 cm-1 band is attributed to stronger Ln-O interaction and reduced polarizability change, whereas the increases of the 935 and 1485 cm-1 bands are likely related to changes in local electronic distribution and effective symmetry sensitivity.

Nanoplastics pose serious environmental and health risks due to their widespread presence in aquatic systems. Detecting trace amounts of nanoplastics is a challenging task, which currently requires sophisticated equipment and tedious sample preparation (e.g., ultrafiltration). In this work, we demonstrate an ultra-sensitive Shrinking Surface Bubble Deposition (SSBD) technique for nanoplastics detection. SSBD leverages plasmonic photothermal effects to generate a surface bubble and the resulting Marangoni flow to concentrate sparsely suspended nanoplastics onto the bubble surface. The collected nanoplastic particles are subsequently deposited on the substrate after the bubble shrinks and vanishes. To quantify the detection limit of SSBD for nanoplastics in water, core-shell gold plasmonic nanoparticles are mixed with the aqueous sample to enable photothermal bubble generation, while also supporting surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for signal enhancement. Results show that the limits of detection are 10 ng/mL, 10-1 ng/mL and 10-3 ng/mL for polystyrene (PS) particles with diameters of 500 nm, 200 nm and 30 nm, respectively. We further used SSBD to detect plastics particles in real drinking water (e.g., bottled and fountain water) and found polyamides (PA) and polypropylene (PP) micro/nanoplastics, demonstrating the potential of the SSBD-SERS technique as a versatile and sensitive platform for detecting trace-level nanoplastic contamination and assessing human exposure risk.

The exponential growth of machine-intelligence workloads is colliding with the power, memory, and interconnect limits of the post-Moore era, motivating compute substrates that scale beyond transistor density alone. Integrated photonics is emerging as a candidate for artificial intelligence (AI) acceleration by exploiting optical bandwidth and parallelism to reshape data movement and computation. This review reframes photonic computing from a circuits-and-systems perspective, moving beyond building-block progress toward cross-layer system analysis and full-stack design automation. We synthesize recent advances through a bottleneck-driven taxonomy that delineates the operating regimes and scaling trends where photonics can deliver end-to-end sustained benefits. A central theme is cross-layer co-design and workload-adaptive programmability to sustain high efficiency and versatility across evolving application domains at scale. We further argue that Electronic-Photonic Design Automation (EPDA) will be pivotal, enabling closed-loop co-optimization across simulation, inverse design, system modeling, and physical implementation. By charting a roadmap from laboratory prototypes to scalable, reproducible electronic-photonic ecosystems, this review aims to guide the CAS community toward an automated, system-centric era of photonic machine intelligence.

A well-known shortcoming of High Harmonic Generation (HHG) is the strong dependence of the broadband HHG spectra (HGS) on the carrier envelope phase (CEP) of the driver. Here we numerically show that compared to the current well-established scalar (linearly polarized) schemes for generating broadband HGS, namely a short driver [Amplitude gating (AG)], Polarization-Gating (PG) or Time-Gating (TG), the vectorial driver of the Vectorial-Time-Polarization-Gating (VTPG) scheme renders the cutoff HGS much less sensitive to the CEP of the driver. The polarization state (helicity) of the emitted radiation is likewise CEP-resilient. Unlike scalar schemes, where the number of recollisions heavily depends on the CEP, in VTPG the CEP keeps this number almost unchanged, and only controls the partitioning of the recollisions between two orthogonal directions. This reduces the CEP-dependence of the HGS and decreases the spectral modulations. The CEP-resilience of the VTPG scheme holds promise for a variety of applications in attosecond science benefiting from quasicontinuous, helical HHG sources liberated from the necessity to stabilize the CEP of the laser.

Colloid models have frequently been used to successfully describe the influence of protein-protein interactions on antibody solution properties, but they suffer from inherent problems due to the anisotropic shape of the particles. The net charge required to describe electrostatic interactions is an effective quantity that cannot directly be obtained from the known molecular structure of an antibody, and the solution structure caused by excluded volume interactions is strongly overestimated at high concentrations due to the assumption of hard sphere interactions. As a result, these models have descriptive rather than predictive power. Here we present an improved, soft penetrable sphere model based on analogies to soft colloids and star polyelectrolytes that take into account the Y-shaped antibody form and the corresponding charge and ion distribution. The model not only correctly describes the concentration and ionic strength dependence of thermodynamic and collective dynamics quantities such as the osmotic compressibility and the apparent hydrodynamic radius, but also reproduces the center-of-mass static structure factor obtained in computer simulations using a weakly coarse-grained model, in which the antibody is described at an amino acid level. We demonstrate that this soft penetrable sphere model quantitatively reproduces experimental data from static and dynamic light scattering at low and high ionic strength for two well-characterized monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) using the net charges and the overall mAb dimensions directly obtained from their molecular structure.

We propose a theoretical framework to dynamically control the degree of polarization of light by using the superposition of incoherent orthogonally polarized beams in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer incorporating a twisted nematic liquid crystal cell in one of its arms. The liquid crystal acts as an elecro-optically controlled polarization rotator, where the applied electric field changes the twist of molecules inside the nematic liquid crystal, thereby altering the plane of polarization. This controllable voltage dependent polarization rotation causes manipulation of the output degree of polarization. The resulting system allows real-time, tunable control over the degree of polarization, offering advantages over traditional static or reflection-based approaches, which often suffer from intensity losses or manual errors. We also observe that in the interference of fully coherent orthogonally polarized beams through a similar configuration, the degree of polarization is always equal to 1, whereas the orientation of linear state of polarization is changed with voltage.

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) enables element-specific, nondestructive imaging, but conventional raster scanning scales poorly with sample size, particularly for tomography, because measurements must be repeated at every projection angle and spatial position. We demonstrate direct volumetric XRF ghost tomography, which replaces point-by-point acquisition with compressive structured illumination and multiplexed fluorescence detection. Rather than reconstructing projections at each angle and then applying standard tomographic reconstruction, we recover the three-dimensional elemental distribution by solving a single inverse problem that jointly incorporates measurements from all angles. For a volume of 2.8 million voxels, we reconstruct the elemental distribution from only 400 measurements per angle, achieving a 43X reduction relative to raster scanning while maintaining spatial resolution and contrast. By exploiting sparsity directly in the volumetric domain, this approach enables scalable, multi-element XRF tomography of large and heterogeneous samples under stringent acquisition time constraints.

In traditional phase-field modeling of multiphase materials, a significant challenge arises from the non-local nature of fracture energy regularization, where interfacial toughness is inherently coupled with the properties of the surrounding bulk phases. Achieving consistency with prescribed material properties typically necessitates complex corrections and exceptionally fine local mesh refinement near the interfaces. To address this fundamental issue, we leverage the capacity of the recently proposed $Ω^2$-model to manifest Dirac-like damage concentration and emergent displacement discontinuities, while introducing an analytical, strongly localized interfacial source term $q_φ$ into the phase-field formulation. It should be emphasized that the ``sharp" nature of the proposed model manifests as a naturally emergent strong discontinuity within a continuum framework, fundamentally distinguishing it from inherently discrete approaches such as cohesive element method. This allows for the independent and precise control of interface toughness in a straightforward manner. Theoretical analysis further reveals that the proposed framework can describe the cohesive failure of both bulk and interfacial regions using a unified set of parametric equations for the cohesive law, where the model parameters are directly determined by the local material properties without the need for additional corrections. The model's versatility is numerically validated through a series of benchmarks. The results confirm that the proposed model not only accurately reproduces diverse interfacial cohesive laws but also captures the intricate competition between interfacial debonding and matrix cracking. This sharp-diffusive phase-field model may provide a robust and computationally efficient tool for predicting complex fracture trajectories in sophisticated engineering materials.

We introduce kinetic models to simulate epidemic spread while accounting for individuals' opinions on protective behaviors. Opinion exchanges occur on a social network represented by a graphon, leading to scenarios with or without opinion leaders. We prove convergence to equilibrium in the strong $L^1$ norm via relative entropy methods and in homogeneous Sobolev spaces $\dot{H}^{-s}$, $s \in \big(\frac{1}{2},1\big)$, using Fourier-based techniques. We then design a structure-preserving scheme for the coupled opinion-epidemiological system, highlighting graphon effects: opinion leaders supporting protective behaviors limit disease spread, whereas influenceable individuals may shift toward opposing views, worsening epidemics. Finally, we introduce a time-dependent quantity, analogous to the reproduction number, whose oscillations can generate epidemic waves without explicit external forcing. The MATLAB code implementing our algorithms is made publicly available.

High-speed quantitative phase imaging enables non-intrusive visualization of transient compressible gas flows and energetic phenomena. However, phase maps reconstructed via the transport of intensity equation (TIE) suffer from spatially correlated low-frequency artifacts introduced by the inverse Laplacian solver, which obscure meaningful flow structures such as jet plumes, shockwave fronts, and density gradients. Conventional filtering approaches fail because signal and noise occupy overlapping spatial frequency bands, and no paired ground truth exists since every frame represents a physically unique, non-repeatable flow state. We address this by developing a physics-informed synthetic training dataset where clean targets are procedurally generated using physically plausible gas flow morphologies, including compressible jet plumes, turbulent eddy fields, density fronts, periodic air pockets, and expansion fans, and passed through a forward TIE simulation followed by inverse Laplacian reconstruction to produce realistic noisy phase maps. A U-Net-based convolutional denoising network trained solely on this synthetic data is evaluated on real phase maps acquired at 25,000 fps, demonstrating zero-shot generalization to real parallel TIE recordings, with a 13,260% improvement in signal-to-background ratio and 100.8% improvement in jet-region structural sharpness across 20 evaluated frames.

Quantum mechanics owes much of its extraordinary success to a Hilbertian program of mathematical formalization. Yet, the formalism remains poorly aligned with the practical limitations of computations in finite dimensions and under finite accuracy. In this perspective, we argue that this mismatch points to the need for a new mathematical program: a rigorous constructive theory for effective descriptions to identify essential degrees of freedom. We propose an observation-centered point of view in which signals are treated as the primary objects of analysis, while wave functions and Hamiltonians are reconstructed as auxiliary structures to rationalize the observed data. Our starting point is a signal-based spectral equation that reformulates frequency analysis as an operator problem. We connect this point of view to results on prolate Fourier theory, spectral analysis with finite observation time, and short-time quantum simulation. We highlight a sharp accuracy transition relating necessary observation time to the effective spectral density of a signal for achieving accurate resolution. The resulting framework integrates approximation as a fundamental necessity more directly into the foundations of quantum mechanics and points toward a broader program for the effective description of complex quantum systems, such as those found in the molecular sciences.

At the fundamental conceptual level, two alternatives have traditionally been considered for how mutations arise and how evolution happens: 1) random mutation and natural selection, and 2) Lamarckism. Recently, the theory of Interaction-based Evolution (IBE) has been proposed, according to which mutations are neither random nor Lamarckian, but are influenced by information accumulating internally in the genome over generations. Based on the estimation-of-distribution algorithms framework, we present a simulation model that demonstrates nonrandom, non-Lamarckian mutation concretely while capturing indirectly several aspects of IBE: selection, recombination, and nonrandom, non-Lamarckian mutation interact in a complementary fashion; evolution is driven by the interaction of parsimony and fit; and random bits do not directly encode improvement but enable generalization by the manner in which they connect with the rest of the evolutionary process. Connections are drawn to Darwin's observations that changed conditions increase the rate of production of heritable variation; to the causes of bell-shaped distributions of traits and how these distributions respond to selection; and to computational learning theory, where analogizing evolution to learning in accord with IBE casts individuals as examples and places the learned hypothesis at the population level. The model highlights the importance of incorporating internal integration of information through heritable change in both evolutionary theory and evolutionary computation.

In studying primate vision, a large body of work focuses on the first feedforward sweep. During this initial time window, information is thought to pass through ventral stream regions in a stage-like fashion in an effort to extract high-level information from the retinal input. Consequently, electrophysiological analyses commonly focus on spatial response patterns, either by averaging data in time, or by applying decoders in a temporally local fashion. By analysing data recorded simultaneously across multiple arrays placed along the macaque ventral stream, we here show that this prior approach may be missing key aspects of information encoding. First, time-resolved, multivariate analyses of information transfer between V4 and IT reveal temporally and semantically varied information content as being exchanged within the first 100ms of processing. Second, by employing recurrent neural network (RNN) decoding techniques that extend across the temporal domain, we demonstrate that the neural pattern dynamics themselves carry categorical information far beyond the spatially encoded information available at any given time point. These findings challenge the prevailing view of a single, stage-like feedforward process and suggest that even the earliest parts of visual processing are better characterised as a spatiotemporally evolving process that encodes information in its dynamics rather than purely spatial response patterns.

Current fMRI foundation models primarily rely on a limited range of brain states and mismatched pretraining tasks, restricting their ability to learn generalized representations across diverse brain states. We present \textit{Brain-DiT}, a universal multi-state fMRI foundation model pretrained on 349,898 sessions from 24 datasets spanning resting, task, naturalistic, disease, and sleep states. Unlike prior fMRI foundation models that rely on masked reconstruction in the raw-signal space or a latent space, \textit{Brain-DiT} adopts metadata-conditioned diffusion pretraining with a Diffusion Transformer (DiT), enabling the model to learn multi-scale representations that capture both fine-grained functional structure and global semantics. Across extensive evaluations and ablations on 7 downstream tasks, we find consistent evidence that diffusion-based generative pretraining is a stronger proxy than reconstruction or alignment, with metadata-conditioned pretraining further improving downstream performance by disentangling intrinsic neural dynamics from population-level variability. We also observe that downstream tasks exhibit distinct preferences for representational scale: ADNI classification benefits more from global semantic representations, whereas age/sex prediction comparatively relies more on fine-grained local structure. Code and parameters of Brain-DiT are available at \href{https://github.com/REDMAO4869/Brain-DiT}{Link}.

Objective: This study aimed to assess how wearable physiological signals, alone and combined with salivary cortisol, distinguish physical and psychological stress and their recovery states. Methods: Six healthy adults completed three laboratory sessions on separate days: rest, physical stress (high-intensity cycling), or psychological stress (modified Trier Social Stress Test). Heart rate, heart rate variability, electrodermal activity, and wrist accelerometry were recorded continuously, and salivary cortisol was sampled at five time points. Features were extracted in non-overlapping 10-minute windows and labelled as rest, physical stress, physical recovery, psychological stress, or psychological recovery. A gradient boosting classifier was trained using wearable features alone and with five additional cortisol features per window. Performance was evaluated using leave-one-participant-out cross-validation. Results: Wearable-only classification achieved 77.8% overall accuracy, with high accuracy for physical stress and recovery but frequent misclassification of psychological stress and recovery (recall 50.0% and 54.2%). Including cortisol improved overall accuracy (94.4%), particularly for psychological states, increasing recall to 83.3% and 87.5%. Cortisol also reduced misclassification between psychological stress and rest. Conclusion: Wearable signals alone were insufficient to reliably distinguish psychological stress from rest and recovery. Integrating salivary cortisol improved classification of psychological stress and recovery and reduced confusion with rest, highlighting the value of endocrine context alongside wearable physiology. Significance: These findings support multimodal stress monitoring and motivate larger, ecologically valid studies and scalable alternatives to repeated cortisol sampling.

Multi-site autism neuroimaging studies routinely control for the confound between full-scale IQ and head motion by regressing framewise displacement against IQ scores and removing shared variance. This procedure assumes that ordinary least squares (OLS) provides an unbiased estimate of the confound magnitude. We tested this assumption on the ABIDE-I phenotypic dataset (n=935 subjects across 19 international scanning sites) using Probability Cloud Regression, an errors-in-variables (EIV) estimator that models per-observation measurement uncertainty in both variables. IQ measurement error was derived from published Wechsler test-retest reliability coefficients; response-side uncertainty was represented by a site-level proxy equal to the within-site standard deviation of mean framewise displacement. Three findings emerged. First, OLS overestimates the IQ-motion slope by a factor of 4.67 relative to the EIV-corrected estimate when the bias factor is computed from the full-precision fitted coefficients (OLS -0.00125, EIV -0.00027 mm per IQ point after rounding for display). Second, under leave-site-out cross-validation a single pooled predictor of raw FD produces negative out-of-sample R^2 at all 19 sites (overall R^2 = -0.074), indicating that the pooled predictor does not transport cleanly across sites once site information is removed. Third, the direction of the EIV-corrected slope is robust across all 64 configurations of an 8x8 sensitivity grid spanning 12-fold ranges of each noise parameter. These results suggest that pooled OLS may overstate the IQ-motion association in ABIDE-I, but direct downstream consequences for motion-correction pipelines remain to be quantified using raw motion traces and connectivity-level re-analysis. Formal EIV methods appear to remain uncommon in multi-site neuroimaging confound estimation.

In this study, we investigate the application of Semidefinite Programming (SDP) to phylogenetics. SDP is a powerful optimization framework that seeks to optimize a linear objective function over the cone of positive semidefinite matrices. As a convex optimization problem, SDP generalizes linear programming and provides tight relaxations for many combinatorial optimization problems. However, despite its many applications, SDP remains largely unused in computational biology. We argue that SDP relaxations are particularly well suited for phylogenetic inference. As a proof of concept, we focus on the Balanced Minimum Evolution (BME) problem, a widely used model in distance-based phylogenetics. We propose an algorithm combining an SDP relaxation with a rounding scheme that iteratively converts relaxed solutions into valid tree topologies. Experiments on simulated and empirical datasets show that the method enables accurate phylogenetic reconstruction. The approach is sufficiently general to be extendable to other phylogenetic problems.

The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a central role in cancer progression, treatment response, and patient outcomes, yet large-scale, consistent, and quantitative TME characterization from routine hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained histopathology remains scarce. We introduce OpenTME, an open-access dataset of pre-computed TME profiles derived from 3,634 H&E-stained whole-slide images across five cancer types (bladder, breast, colorectal, liver, and lung cancer) from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). All outputs were generated using Atlas H&E-TME, an AI-powered application built on the Atlas family of pathology foundation models, which performs tissue quality control, tissue segmentation, cell detection and classification, and spatial neighborhood analysis, yielding over 4,500 quantitative readouts per slide at cell-level resolution. OpenTME is available for non-commercial academic research on Hugging Face. We will continue to expand OpenTME over time and anticipate it will serve as a resource for biomarker discovery, spatial biology research, and the development of computational methods for TME analysis.

Predicting the functional impact of single amino acid substitutions (SAVs) is central to understanding genetic disease and engineering therapeutic proteins. While protein language models and structure-based methods have achieved strong performance on this task, they systematically neglect protein dynamics; residue flexibility, correlated motions, and allosteric coupling are well-established determinants of mutational tolerance in structural biology, yet have not been incorporated into supervised variant effect predictors. We present TriFit, a multimodal framework that integrates sequence, structure, and protein dynamics through a four-expert Mixture-of-Experts (MoE) fusion module with trimodal cross-modal contrastive learning. Sequence embeddings are extracted via masked marginal scoring with ESM-2 (650M); structural embeddings from AlphaFold2-predicted C-alpha geometries; and dynamics embeddings from Gaussian Network Model (GNM) B-factors, mode shapes, and residue-residue cross-correlations. The MoE router adaptively weights modality combinations conditioned on the input, enabling protein-specific fusion without fixed modality assumptions. On the ProteinGym substitution benchmark (217 DMS assays, 696k SAVs), TriFit achieves AUROC 0.897 +/- 0.0002, outperforming all supervised baselines including Kermut (0.864) and ProteinNPT (0.844), and the best zero-shot model ESM3 (0.769). Ablation studies confirm that dynamics provides the largest marginal contribution over pairwise modality combinations, and TriFit achieves well-calibrated probabilistic outputs (ECE = 0.044) without post-hoc correction.

Fixation probabilities are essential for characterizing stochastic evolutionary dynamics, but analytical results remain limited mainly to systems with two competing types. We develop a perturbative framework to compute fixation probabilities in multi-allele Moran processes under weak selection. Exploiting the general structure of the backward Fokker-Planck operator in this regime, we show that fixation probabilities admit a systematic expansion around their neutral solution. We first introduce the framework in a general case with $M$ competing alleles and arbitrary fitness functions, and then apply it to three biologically motivated examples: a simple model of three competing alleles with a constant fitness function, a coordination game in which allele fitness increases with its frequency in the population, and a model of clonal interference between mutualistic alleles. These results extend the analytical understanding of fixation probabilities beyond pairwise interactions, establishing a framework for investigating multi-strategy stochastic evolutionary dynamics.

Diabetes devices, including Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM), Smart Insulin Pens, and Automated Insulin Delivery systems, generate rich time-series data widely used in research and machine learning. However, inconsistent data formats across sources hinder sharing, integration, and analysis. We present DIAX (DIAbetes eXchange), a standardized JSON-based format for unifying diabetes time-series data, including CGM, insulin, and meal signals. DIAX promotes interoperability, reproducibility, and extensibility, particularly for machine learning applications. An open-source repository provides tools for dataset conversion, cross-format compatibility, visualization, and community contributions. DIAX is a translational resource, not a data host, ensuring flexibility without imposing data-sharing constraints. Currently, DIAX is compatible with other standardization efforts and supports major datasets (DCLP3, DCLP5, IOBP2, PEDAP, T1Dexi, Loop), totaling over 10 million patient-hours of data. https://github.com/Center-for-Diabetes-Technology/DIAX

Modern machine learning methods have been proposed to detect life in extraterrestrial samples, drawing on their ability to distinguish biotic from abiotic samples based on training models using natural and synthetic organic molecular mixtures. Here we show using Artificial Life that such methods are easily fooled into detecting life with near 100% confidence even if the analyzed sample is not capable of life. This is due to modern machine learning methods' propensity to be easily fooled by out-of-distribution samples. Because extra-terrestrial samples are very likely out of the distribution provided by terrestrial biotic and abiotic samples, using AI methods for life detection is bound to yield significant false positives.

Background/ Objectives: Resolving the origin of the genetic code is fundamental to understanding how life began its journey out of the chemical world. Since its deciphering some 60 years ago, there is still no general theory of the emergence of the genetic code. My objectives are to bring some unique data that might provide some insight into this particular issue. Methods: Because tRNA (transfer RNA) constitutes a crucial piece of the present translational system, having unique structural characteristics, I hypothesized that they might constitute the key elements at the origin of the genetic code and thus decided to compare the primary structure of the tRNAs from a bacterium, Bacillus subtilis. Results: The comparison of the primary structure of the tRNAs from Bacillus subtilis generated a genealogical tree, meaning that the tRNAs were all related and appeared gradually in a precise time sequence. Remarkably, analysis of the various characteristics of this tRNAs tree showed that it very likely reflects the time of entry of amino acids into the Universal Codon Table. Conclusions: These results strongly suggest that the tRNA entity was indeed a major component in the formation of the genetic code and, further, provide a likely scenario for the time sequence of codon colonization of the Universal Codon Table by the various amino acids at the very beginning of life. Also, these data are interpreted in terms of a general theory of the origin of the genetic code I propose, the poly-tRNA theory.

Infectious disease transmission in human populations has a complex two-way interaction with changes in host behaviour. It is increasingly recognised that incorporating adaptive behavioural change into epidemic models is important for improving understanding of infectious disease dynamics and developing policy-relevant modelling tools. An important aspect of behavioural dynamics is social contagion, where people tend to adopt behaviours exhibited by others around them. In a simple behavioural contagion model, the behaviour uptake rate increases linearly with the number of contacts who have adopted a given behaviour. Here, we explore an epidemic model with complex behavioural contagion, where the behaviour uptake rate is a nonlinear function of the number of behaving contacts. We identify key bifurcation parameters of the model, which include the basic reproduction number $R_0$, the strength of the behavioural effect on disease transmission, and the speed of behaviour uptake relative to behaviour abandonment. We show that, in some regions of parameter space, the model has multiple disease-free equilibria. In this situation, the occurrence of an epidemic in a population with an initially low level of behaviour practice can trigger a self-sustaining increase in behaviour, which then causes the disease to be eliminated. In some cases, while moderate values of $R_0$ lead to the disease becoming endemic, higher values of $R_0$ may lead to behaviour-driven disease elimination. We demonstrate that this mechanism of epidemic-triggered uptake of behaviour leading to disease elimination can occur in the presence and absence of temporary post-infection immunity.

The identification of reliable molecular biomarkers for Parkinson's disease remains challenging due to its multifactorial nature. Although protein sequences constitute a fundamental and widely available source of biological information, their standalone discriminative capacity for complex disease classification remains unclear. In this work, we present a controlled and leakage-free evaluation of multiple representations derived exclusively from protein primary sequences, including amino acid composition, k-mers, physicochemical descriptors, hybrid representations, and embeddings from protein language models, all assessed under a nested stratified cross-validation framework to ensure unbiased performance estimation. The best-performing configuration (ProtBERT + MLP) achieves an F1-score of 0.704 +/- 0.028 and ROC-AUC of 0.748 +/- 0.047, indicating only moderate discriminative performance. Classical representations such as k-mers reach comparable F1 values (up to approximately 0.667), but exhibit highly imbalanced behavior, with recall close to 0.98 and precision around 0.50, reflecting a strong bias toward positive predictions. Across representations, performance differences remain within a narrow range (F1 between 0.60 and 0.70), while unsupervised analyses reveal no intrinsic structure aligned with class labels, and statistical testing (Friedman test, p = 0.1749) does not indicate significant differences across models. These results demonstrate substantial overlap between classes and indicate that primary sequence information alone provides limited discriminative power for Parkinson's disease classification. This work establishes a reproducible baseline and provides empirical evidence that more informative biological features, such as structural, functional, or interaction-based descriptors, are required for robust disease modeling.

Writing systems are cultural replicators whose evolution has never been studied quantitatively at global scale. We compile the Global Script Database (GSD): 300 writing and notation systems, 50 binary structural characters, and 259 phylogenetic edges spanning 5,400 years. Applying four methods -- phenetics, cladistics, Bayesian inference, and neural network clustering -- we find that scripts exhibit a detectable molecular clock. The best-fitting model (Mk+Gamma strict clock) yields a substitution rate of q = 0.226 substitutions/character/millennium (95% CI: 0.034-1.22; Delta BIC = -4.1 versus relaxed clock; Delta BIC = -1,364.7 versus Mk without rate variation). Political interventions break this clock: deviation from expected divergence times correlates with intervention intensity (Spearman rho = 0.556, p < 10^{-4}), and per-character rate analysis reveals that intervention selectively rewrites deep structural features rather than merely accelerating change (rate profile correlation rho = 0.320). We identify 30 major script replacement events and rank their destructive impact. A ceiling effect suppresses independent invention wherever writing already exists (Fisher's exact OR = 0.054, p < 10^{-6}), and colonial contact predicts script extinction (Cox HR = 5.25, p = 0.0006). The Spanish Empire extinguished the most scripts (6 of 12 contacted, 50%), followed by the Empire of Japan (3 of 9, 33.3%). Feature coding was validated by inter-rater reliability testing with two independent human coders (Cohen's kappa = 0.877; human-LLM kappa = 0.929; Fleiss' kappa = 0.911).

Instance segmentation enables the analysis of spatial and temporal properties of cells in microscopy images by identifying the pixels belonging to each cell. However, progress is constrained by the scarcity of high-quality labeled microscopy datasets. Many recent approaches address this challenge by initializing models with segmentation-pretrained weights from large-scale natural-image models such as Segment Anything Model (SAM). However, representations learned from natural images often encode objectness and texture priors that are poorly aligned with microscopy data, leading to degraded performance under domain shift. We propose DINOCell, a self-supervised framework for cell instance segmentation that leverages representations from DINOv2 and adapts them to microscopy through continued self-supervised training on unlabeled cell images prior to supervised fine-tuning. On the LIVECell benchmark, DINOCell achieves a SEG score of 0.784, improving by 10.42% over leading SAM-based models, and demonstrates strong zero-shot performance on three out-of-distribution microscopy datasets. These results highlight the benefits of domain-adapted self-supervised pretraining for robust cell segmentation.

We propose a dynamical neural network model with a hierarchical and modular structure. The network architecture can be derived by minimizing an energy function that is originally designed based on two kinds of neurons with quite different time constants. It has multiple subspaces that are spanned by neural parameters employed in the energy function, and adjacent subspaces are related to each other with a layered internetwork. Each internetwork further consists of a pair of a forward subnet and a backward one, and signals flowing through these subnets determine total dynamics of the network. The model can operate in either a learning or an association mode. In the learning mode, when periodic signals equivalent to repetitive neuronal bursting are suitably applied to input ports in all subspaces, mapping relationships corresponding to those input signals are eventually formed in internetworks between subspaces. Various two-dimensional mapping relationships between subspaces can be shaped by employing an appropriate set of periodic input signals with different frequencies based on the same mechanism as a Lissajous curve. The model in the association mode provides an overall framework such that state variables inside the network individually relax in warped spaces, each of which has been designed as favorable for a (or some) state variable(s). The association mode is further classified into two modes; unconstrained and constrained. In the latter mode, for instance, when a sufficiently slow periodic trajectory is set as an input, a warped output trajectory appears in each subspace as if imaginary layered networks with the inverse mapping relationships to existing forward subnets' were located hierarchically from outside to inside. These results suggest that a certainty/uncertainty relation exists between an input trajectory and an output trajectory.

We test whether artificial intelligence architectural evolution obeys the same statistical laws as biological evolution. Compiling 935 ablation experiments from 161 publications, we show that the distribution of fitness effects (DFE) of architectural modifications follows a heavy-tailed Student's t-distribution with proportions (68% deleterious, 19% neutral, 13% beneficial for major ablations, n=568) that place AI between compact viral genomes and simple eukaryotes. The DFE shape matches D. melanogaster (normalized KS=0.07) and S. cerevisiae (KS=0.09); the elevated beneficial fraction (13% vs. 1-6% in biology) quantifies the advantage of directed over blind search while preserving the distributional form. Architectural origination follows logistic dynamics (R^2=0.994) with punctuated equilibria and adaptive radiation into domain niches. Fourteen architectural traits were independently invented 3-5 times, paralleling biological convergences. These results demonstrate that the statistical structure of evolution is substrate-independent, determined by fitness landscape topology rather than the mechanism of selection.

We investigate the longitudinal behaviour of blood markers from common haematological tests as a marker of disease and as a function of disease progression in a variety of conditions including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and infections. We study confounding and non-confounding factors to allow for the earlier detection of disease and conditions based on their longitudinal signatures from biomarker patterns commonly measured in popular and scalable common blood tests across routine clinical tests, in particular the Complete Blood Count (CBC or FBC). Our analysis with normalised temporal profiles and machine learning techniques even before any symptoms appear demonstrates that analyte-group patterns found in blood testing are disease sensitive and disease specific. We demonstrate that CBC markers contribute to the majority of the predictive signal, while biochemistry and other blood panels provide only a modest additional gain mostly associated to very the individual disease for which the test was designed (e.g. CRP, liver enzymes, blood sugar). Our results demonstrate how regular monitoring, computational intelligence, and machine learning applied to longitudinal CBC data can converge to uncover disease patterns, advancing the potential for precision healthcare and predictive medicine on a mass scale leveraging an existing and pervasive blood test.

Understanding epidemic dynamics in urban environments requires models that capture interactions across space and time while incorporating biological constraints. In this work, we propose a probabilistic spatiotemporal framework based on pairwise interaction kernels to analyze arboviral transmission using large-scale georeferenced data from Recife, Brazil. The model describes interactions as a function of spatial distance and temporally delayed influence, with parameters estimated via maximum likelihood. Our results reveal a marked asymmetry between spatial and temporal components. The spatial parameter systematically collapses, indicating that spatial proximity does not provide discriminatory information between diseases at the urban scale. In contrast, temporal dynamics exhibit scale-dependent behavior: statistical differentiation between dengue, Zika, and chikungunya emerges only beyond a critical temporal window. We show that unconstrained models primarily capture short-term co-occurrence, leading to apparent but non-robust differences, while biologically constrained models reveal a common underlying transmission structure. Additionally, reconstructed transmission networks exhibit localized and structured interaction patterns consistent with plausible epidemic propagation. These findings demonstrate that epidemic differentiation is not intrinsic, but an emergent phenomenon dependent on temporal scale, highlighting the importance of biologically grounded and scale-aware modeling in spatiotemporal epidemic analysis.

Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) is an important 5G network architecture enabling flexible communication with adaptive strategies for different verticals. However, testing for O-RAN deployments involve massive volumes of time-series data (e.g., key performance indicators), creating critical challenges for scalable, unsupervised monitoring without labels or high computational overhead. To address this, we present ESN-DAGMM, a lightweight adaptation of the Deep Autoencoding Gaussian Mixture Model (DAGMM) framework for time series analysis. Our model utilizes an Echo State Network (ESN) to efficiently model temporal dependencies, proving effective in O-RAN networks where training samples are highly limited. Combined with DAGMM's integratation of dimensionality reduction and density estimation, we present a scalable framework for unsupervised monitoring of high volume network telemetry. When trained on only 10% of an O-RAN video-streaming dataset, ESN-DAGMM achieved on average 269.59% higher quality clustering than baselines under identical conditions, all while maintaining competitive reconstruction error. By extending DAGMM to capture temporal dynamics, ESN-DAGMM offers a practical solution for time-series analysis using very limited training samples, outperforming baselines and enabling operator's control over the clustering-reconstruction trade-off.

Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) architectures enhance flexibility for 6G and NextG networks. However, it also brings significant challenges in O-RAN testing with evaluating abundant, high-dimensional key performance indicators (KPIs). In this paper, we introduce a novel two-stage framework to learn temporally-aware low-dimensional representations of O-RAN testing KPIs. To be specific, stage one employs an information-theoretic H-score to train a hybrid self-attentive transformer and echo state network (ESN) reservoir, called Transformer-ESN, capturing temporal dynamics and producing task-aligned $8$-dimensional embeddings. Stage two evaluates these embeddings by training a lightweight multilayer perceptron (MLP) predictor exclusively on them for key target KPIs such as reference signal received quality (RSRQ) and spectral efficiency. Using real-world O-RAN testbed data (video streaming with interference), our approach demonstrates a significant advantage specifically when training samples are very limited. In this scenario, the low-dimensional representations learned from the Transformer-ESN yield mean square error (MSE) reductions of up to 41.9\% for RSRQ and 29.9\% for spectral efficiency compared to predictions from the original high-dimensional data. The framework exhibits high efficiency for O-RAN testing, significantly reducing testing complexities for O-RAN systems.

This paper investigates the fundamental limits of integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) systems with 1-bit receiver quantization. We analyze a Gaussian fading ISAC channel with separate communication and monostatic sensing links, where both communication and sensing receivers are equipped with 1-bit quantizers. When the communication channel state information (CSI) is available at the receiver, we characterize the communication-sensing capacity region of 1-bit ISAC channel and show that no trade-off exists between communication and sensing performance. In particular, both communication and sensing capacities can be simultaneously achieved by a constant-amplitude input distribution with a specific rotational symmetry. For the scenario where communication CSI is also available at the transmitter, we formulate a weighted optimization problem that balances communication and sensing rates in 1-bit ISAC channel under an average power constraint and then derive the corresponding optimal power control policy. The results demonstrate how the optimal power control policy evolves with the weighting parameter, transitioning from a communication-centric water-filling structure to a more uniform allocation as sensing becomes increasingly prioritized.

Token-based semantic communication is promising for future wireless networks, as it can compact semantic tokens under very limited channel capacity. However, harsh wireless channels often cause missing tokens, leading to severe distortion that prevents reliable semantic recovery at the receiver. In this article, we propose a token encoding framework for robust semantic recovery (TokCode), which incurs no additional transmission overhead and supports plug-and-play deployment. For efficient token encoder optimization, we develop a sentence-semantic-guided foundation model adaptation algorithm (SFMA) that avoids costly end-to-end training. Based on simulation results on prompt-based generative image transmission, TokCode mitigates semantic distortion and can approach the performance upper-bound, even under harsh channels where 40% to 60% of tokens are randomly lost.

Machine learning models are increasingly deployed in wireless networks with stringent performance requirements. However, dynamic propagation environments and fluctuating traffic densities introduce concept drift, which complicates the ability to maintain accurate predictive machine learning models. We propose a distributed optimization framework that jointly clusters cells and trains cluster-level predictive models, enabling nodes to cooperatively predict quality of service (QoS) distributions under communication constraints. The proposed method models QoS as a multivariate Gaussian/lognormal distribution and uses a novel clustering mechanism that groups cells with similar network conditions, allowing each cell to select the most appropriate predictor without retraining new models for each cell. By leveraging block coordinate descent, our solution efficiently clusters the cells and updates the predictive models to mitigate concept drift, while maintaining a compact model set to minimize computation overhead. Evaluation using data from realistic simulations with the Sionna ray-tracer and the ns-3 simulator shows that the method converges and yields cluster constellations that adapt to changes in the network that cause concept drift. The experimental evaluation focuses on providing a prediction of the distribution latency, jitter, and RSRP over a one-hour prediction horizon. The proposed method significantly outperforms the traditional single global predictive model approach and reduces the mean absolute error by 9-27% compared to local cell-level predictors. This demonstrates that the proposed method effectively captures local variability using far fewer models through scalable distributed clustering.

Wireless communications in intelligent rail transit face harsh propagation conditions, including severe penetration loss, frequent blockages, and amplified large-scale fading. Existing leaky coaxial cables (LCX) provide wired-to-wireless conversion and stable coverage, but can be energy- and spectrum-inefficient, particularly at high carrier frequencies. Motivated by the growing demand for high-capacity and high-reliability rail services, this article introduces pinching-antenna systems (PASS), which are flexible waveguide-based architectures that enable reconfigurable radiation points with low deployment overhead and a natural fit to predominantly straight track geometries. We discuss the key benefits and deployment flexibility of PASS, evaluate their performance relative to LCX via representative simulations, and present a deep learning (DL)-enabled channel-estimation framework to cope with mobility-induced channel dynamics. Finally, we summarize the major open challenges for practical deployment and outline promising research directions.

The integration of accurate and reproducible wireless network simulations is a key enabler for research on open, virtualized, and intelligent communication systems. Network Digital Twins (NDTs) provide a scalable alternative to costly and time-consuming measurement campaigns, while enabling controlled experimentation and data generation for data-driven network design. In this paper, we present an open and user-friendly NDT framework that integrates controllable vehicular mobility with the site-specific ray tracer Sionna and the discrete-event ns-3 network simulator, enabling virtualized end-to-end modeling of wireless networks across the radio, network, and application layers. The proposed framework is particularly well-suited for dynamic vehicular networks and urban deployments, supporting realistic mobility, traffic dynamics, and the extraction of cross-layer metrics. To promote open-source initiatives, we release both the NDT implementation and a representative dataset generated from realistic vehicular and urban scenarios. The framework and dataset facilitate reproducible experimentation and benchmarking of machine learning-based quality of service prediction, network optimization, and intelligent network management algorithms, lowering the entry barrier for research on virtual and open wireless network services.

Radio frequency fingerprints (RFFs) enable secure wireless authentication but struggle in open-set scenarios with unknown devices and varying channels. Existing methods face challenges in generalization and incur high computational costs. We propose a lightweight, self-adaptive RFF extraction framework using Low-Rank Adaptation (LoRA). By pretraining LoRA modules per environment, our method enables fast adaptation to unseen channel conditions without full retraining. During inference, a weighted combination of LoRAs dynamically enhances feature extraction. Experimental results demonstrate a 15% reduction in equal error rate (EER) compared to non-finetuned baselines and an 83% decrease in training time relative to full fine-tuning, using the same training dataset. This approach provides a scalable and efficient solution for open-set RFF authentication in dynamic wireless vehicular networks.

Stress remains a significant social problem for individuals in modern societies. This paper presents a machine learning approach for the automatic detection of stress of people in a social situation by combining two sensor systems that capture physiological and social responses. We compare the performance using different classifiers including support vector machine, AdaBoost, and k-nearest neighbor. Our experimental results show that by combining the measurements from both sensor systems, we could accurately discriminate between stressful and neutral situations during a controlled Trier social stress test (TSST). Moreover, this paper assesses the discriminative ability of each sensor modality individually and considers their suitability for real-time stress detection. Finally, we present an study of the most discriminative features for stress detection.

Future sixth-generation (6G) networks require high spectral efficiency (SE), massive connectivity, and stringent reliability under imperfect channel state information at the transmitter. Rate-splitting multiple access (RSMA) addresses part of this challenge by flexibly managing interference through common and private message streams, while fluid antenna systems (FAS) offer low-cost spatial diversity by dynamically reconfiguring antenna positions within a compact aperture. In this paper, we first classify FAS-enabled multiple access systems from the perspectives of FAS deployment, objectives, and antenna configuration, along with some comparisons with benchmark schemes, thereby exhibiting the inherent efficiency of FAS-RSMA. Moreover, we reveal the mutually enhancing mechanism between FAS and RSMA: FAS strengthens the weakest effective link and improves the beamforming design in RSMA, whereas RSMA turns FAS-induced spatial diversity into robust interference management under diverse channel conditions. In addition, we identify representative 6G scenarios and highlight major research challenges in joint beamforming-antenna position design, channel estimation, and hardware design. Furthermore, case studies quantify the gains of FAS-RSMA over the fixed-position antenna (FPA) system with RSMA and NOMA baselines, which validates that FAS-RSMA is a strong candidate for interference-limited access in 6G systems.

In massive machine-type communication (mMTC) applications, a key challenge is joint device activity detection and channel estimation (JADCE) under grant-free random access, as a massive number of devices with sporadic traffic seek to connect to the base station. We address JADCE for massive random access using a covariance learning-based sparse Bayesian learning (SBL) approach. Specifically, we first use the successive convex approximation (SCA) framework to partially linearize the scaled negative log-likelihood function (LLF) of the data, then minimize it to estimate the sparse vector of devices' signal powers. After identifying active devices from these power estimates, empirical Bayesian estimation is used to obtain channel estimates. Simulation results demonstrate the efficiency and performance superiority of the proposed CL-SCA method compared to other existing methods.

Micro-Doppler signatures are a proven modality for discriminating between drones and birds, but their reliability degrades in low-SNR, data-constrained settings where deep learning models often fail. This paper presents a systematic study of ten statistical and physics-motivated handcrafted features for micro-Doppler classification under controlled signal degradation, using a publicly available 77 GHz FMCW radar dataset. Spectrograms are corrupted with additive white Gaussian noise, phase noise, and their combination across SNRs from -10 dB to 10 dB and phase noise levels from 1 to 10 degrees. Features are evaluated using stratified 5-fold cross-validation with Support Vector Machine and Random Forest classifiers, using fixed hyperparameters across all noise conditions. On clean data, both models achieve mean accuracy of 0.916, with F1 scores of 0.909 (SVM) and 0.892 (Random Forest). Under severe noise, entropy-based and side-lobe features remain robust, yielding F1 scores up to 0.773 and 0.831, respectively. Permutation-based importance analysis shows that some features retain complementary discriminative power even when their individual importance is low. These results highlight the value of principled feature design and provide insight into feature robustness for interpretable radar classification systems.

Continuous contactless respiration monitoring of co-sleeping subjects faces a dilemma: conventional single-site multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radars struggle with limited angular resolution for closely spaced individuals, while distributed radar networks typically require complex hardware synchronization. To address these limitations, this paper proposes non-coherent multi-site single-input-single-output (SISO) radar systems that completely eliminate the need for physical synchronization cables or common reference clocks. The fundamental challenge of ghost target ambiguity in such non-coherent multilateration is resolved through a novel physiological-feature-assisted suppression technique. By exploiting the inherent statistical independence of individual respiratory rhythms, true target locations are robustly distinguished from ghosts via cross-correlation analysis. Experimental validation demonstrates that the proposed system can accurately resolve two subjects spaced less than 20 cm apart, surpassing the resolution limits of traditional compact MIMO arrays, while achieving a respiration rate estimation accuracy of 0.7 bpm root mean square error (RMSE) compared to contact-based ground truth.

Successive Interference Cancellation (SIC) is a powerful technique for managing interference in wireless networks, yet its optimal deployment in decentralized environments remains a challenge. This study investigates joint power and rate allocation in a two-user Gaussian interference channel incorporating SIC at the receivers. We characterize the global optimal solutions of the problem, and recognizing the limitations of centralized coordination, we introduce a novel decentralized algorithm for a symmetric channel configuration. Numerical results demonstrate that even without global Channel State Information, our proposed algorithm significantly outperforms traditional benchmarks, such as Orthogonal Access which suffers from temporal underutilization or greedy strategies that fail to exploit SIC gains.

The transition toward 6G networks demands energy-efficient hardware capable of active interaction with the environment. Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) have emerged as a key technology for Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC), enabling geometric environment recognition with minimal power consumption. However, achieving targeted 3D spatial mapping in a fully autonomous, closed-loop system remains a significant challenge. In this work, we validate experimentally an autonomous mmWave 3D imaging framework that integrates an Frequency-Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) radar with a 1-bit RIS and a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) to perform targeted 3D reconstruction. The FMCW radar acts as a coarse localizer, providing real-time spatial priors to define dynamic Regions of Interest (ROI). These coordinates are translated into optimized RIS phase profiles to perform Stepped-Frequency Continuous-Wave (SFCW) measurements. We experimentally validate the system through three diverse scenarios, including metallic mannequins, calibration spheres, and a complex multi-target environment containing human subjects and an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV). The results demonstrate accurate 3D voxel-based reconstruction of targets even at reduced angular resolutions, advancing the feasibility of RIS-based sensing for industrial and security applications.

Integrated terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks (ITNTNs) are regarded as a key architectural paradigm for sixth-generation (6G) wireless systems. This paper investigates a dual-aerial reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)-assisted ITNTN, where a terrestrial base station (TBS) and a satellite (SAT) jointly serve terrestrial and satellite users with the aid of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-mounted RIS and a high-altitude platform (HAP)-mounted RIS. We formulate an average sum-rate maximization problem by jointly optimizing the TBS and SAT precoders, the RIS phase shift matrices, and the three-dimensional trajectories of the UAV and the HAP, subject to transmit power, unit-modulus, and mobility constraints. The resulting optimization problem is highly non-convex due to the strong coupling among the transmit precoders, RIS phase shifts, and aerial platform mobility. To efficiently address this challenge, we propose a block coordinate descent (BCD) framework that integrates weighted minimum mean square error (WMMSE) optimization for precoder design, a manifold-based Riemannian conjugate gradient (RCG) method for RIS phase-shift optimization, and successive convex approximation (SCA) for trajectory optimization. The proposed algorithm is shown to converge to a stationary point. The simulation results show that the proposed joint design achieves an approximately $7.05 \%$ higher average sum-rate compared to the random RIS scheme, highlighting the effectiveness of dual-aerial RIS deployment and joint communication-mobility optimization in ITNTNs.

Integrated terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks (ITNTNs) are envisioned as a key paradigm for sixth-generation (6G) wireless systems, enabling seamless global connectivity. In this paper, we investigate a dual-aerial active reconfigurable intelligent surface (ARIS)-assisted non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA)-based ITNTN, where a terrestrial base station (TBS) and a satellite (SAT) simultaneously serve terrestrial and satellite users with the aid of a UAV-mounted ARIS and a HAP-mounted ARIS. Users are multiplexed via power-domain NOMA with a predefined SIC decoding order. We formulate an average sum-rate maximization problem by jointly optimizing transmit beamforming, ARIS coefficients, and the 3D trajectories of the UAV and HAP, subject to power, unit-modulus, ARIS power, and mobility constraints. The problem is highly non-convex due to coupled variables, nonlinear SINR expressions, ARIS amplification, and trajectory-dependent channels. To address this, a block coordinate descent (BCD)-based framework is proposed. Specifically, beamforming is optimized via WMMSE, ARIS phase shifts via a manifold-based RCG method, amplification factors via SCA, and trajectories via first-order approximations. The proposed algorithm is guaranteed to converge to a stationary point. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed design achieves significant performance gains over benchmark schemes. In particular, it provides an average sum-rate improvement of approximately $8.44\%$ over passive RIS under given power constraints, highlighting the benefits of dual-aerial ARIS and joint communication-mobility optimization.

We study decentralized learning over networks where data are distributed across nodes without a central coordinator. Random walk learning is a token-based approach in which a single model is propagated across the network and updated at each visited node using local data, thereby incurring low communication and computational overheads. In weighted random-walk learning, the transition matrix is designed to achieve a desired sampling distribution, thereby speeding up convergence under data heterogeneity. We show that implementing weighted sampling via the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm can lead to a previously unexplored phenomenon we term entrapment. The random walk may become trapped in a small region of the network, resulting in highly correlated updates and severely degraded convergence. To address this issue, we propose Metropolis-Hastings with Levy jumps, which introduces occasional long-range transitions to restore exploration while respecting local information constraints. We establish a convergence rate that explicitly characterizes the roles of data heterogeneity, network spectral gap, and jump probability, and demonstrate through experiments that MHLJ effectively eliminates entrapment and significantly speeds up decentralized learning.

This paper investigates the secrecy performance of pinching-antenna systems (PAS) under practical pinching-position activation uncertainty. By dynamically selecting the radiation point along a dielectric waveguide, PAS enables low-cost spatial reconfigurability and enhanced secure transmission. Unlike existing studies that assume ideal activation control, we account for spatial inaccuracies caused by hardware limitations and environmental perturbations, which induce statistical dependence between the legitimate and eavesdropping channels. To capture this effect, a copula-based framework is employed to model the joint distribution of the corresponding signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), and approximate expressions for the secrecy outage probability (SOP) are derived. Simulation results validate the theoretical findings and demonstrate that PAS retains robust secrecy performance compared with conventional fixed-antenna systems, even in the presence of activation uncertainty.

This paper studies a pinching antenna system (PAS)-assisted hybrid uplink architecture that integrates over-the-air computation (AirComp) and non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) to simultaneously support distributed data aggregation and individual communication services. A base station with a dielectric waveguide hosting multiple pinching antennas receives signals from AirComp and NOMA users over shared time-frequency resources. To assess joint computation-communication performance, a hybrid metric combining the AirComp computation rate and the NOMA sum rate is proposed. Based on this metric, a joint optimization problem is formulated to maximize the hybrid rate by optimizing user transmit precoding, receive combining, and antenna deployment, subject to power, quality-of-service, and aggregation accuracy constraints. An alternating optimization framework is developed to solve the resulting non-convex problem. Numerical results show that the proposed design achieves significant performance gains over several benchmark schemes.

Rydberg atomic receivers have recently emerged as a promising platform for radio-frequency (RF) sensing and reception due to their intrinsic broadband response and calibration-free operation. Most existing receivers rely on four-level ladder-type electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) schemes, which limit the number of simultaneously accessible RF transitions within a given atomic manifold. In this paper, a six-level hybrid Rydberg atomic quantum receiver (H-RAQR) architecture is proposed that combines cascaded and parallel RF coupling pathways to enable simultaneous multi-band RF reception within a single vapor-cell platform. A physically consistent system and electromagnetic coupling model is developed, and a steady-state analytical expression for the probe coherence is derived, establishing a direct relationship between the incident RF fields and the optical probe transmission. The analytical model is validated through numerical simulations of the Lindblad master equation with realistic relaxation and detuning parameters. Using the resulting communication signal representation, the achievable ergodic sum-rate performance of the receiver is evaluated. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed hybrid architecture enables four simultaneous RF channels within the same six-level system and achieves higher throughput than conventional cascade Rydberg state (CRS) and parallel Rydberg state (PRS) receivers. These results demonstrate the potential of hybrid Rydberg receiver architectures for scalable multi-channel RF sensing and communication systems.

This paper considers a multi-user system, where the users first harvest energy from the base station and then use the harvested energy to transmit information via non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA). A pinching antenna array is adopted to assist the energy transfer and information transmission, owing to its ability to adapt to dynamic propagation conditions. To enhance the system's energy efficiency (EE), we formulate a joint optimization problem involving antenna positioning, transmit power control, and time-switching ratio selection. The problem is non-convex due to the coupled variables, nonlinear energy-harvesting characteristics, and uncertainties in user locations and battery states. To effectively solve this problem, a deep reinforcement learning-based algorithm is proposed to autonomously learn near-optimal resource allocation policies in dynamic environments. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed PA-assisted scheme achieves significant gains in EE compared with conventional fixed-antenna schemes.

The analysis of multi-dimensional graph signals on complex structured domains remains a fundamental challenge,

Deep learning underpins a wide range of applications in MRI, including reconstruction, artifact removal, and segmentation. However, progress has been driven largely by public datasets focused on brain and knee imaging, shaping how models are trained and evaluated. As a result, careful studies of the reliability of these models across diverse anatomical settings remain limited. In this work, we introduce MosaicMRI, a large and diverse collection of fully sampled raw musculoskeletal (MSK) MR measurements designed for training and evaluating machine-learning-based methods. MosaicMRI is the largest open-source raw MSK MRI dataset to date, comprising 2,671 volumes and 80,156 slices. The dataset offers substantial diversity in volume orientation (e.g., axial, sagittal), imaging contrasts (e.g., PD, T1, T2), anatomies (e.g., spine, knee, hip, ankle, and others), and numbers of acquisition coils. Using VarNet as a baseline for accelerated reconstruction task, we perform a comprehensive set of experiments to study scaling behavior with respect to both model capacity and dataset size. Interestingly, models trained on the combined anatomies significantly outperform anatomy-specific models in low-sample regimes, highlighting the benefits of anatomical diversity and the presence of exploitable cross-anatomical correlations. We further evaluate robustness and cross-anatomy generalization by training models on one anatomy (e.g., spine) and testing them on another (e.g., knee). Notably, we identify groups of body parts (e.g., foot and elbow) that generalize well with each other, and highlight that performance under domain shifts depends on both training set size, anatomy, and protocol-specific factors.

Compact, high-performance components in millimeter-wave (mmWave) communication systems demand new acoustic filter technology at increasingly higher frequencies. Among various promising mmWave platforms, first-order antisymmetric (A1) mode laterally excited bulk acoustic resonators (XBARs) in thin-film lithium niobate (LiNbO3) have perhaps the most impressive linear performance. Despite these advances, there are few reports of nonlinear characterization of LiNbO3 filters at mmWaves. Here, we address this gap by developing a new nonlinear methodology for high-frequency filters. The result is a methodology for performing power-dependent S-parameters and third-order intermodulation (IMD3) measurements. To test our methodology, we fabricated filters on transferred single-crystal LiNbO3 films on sapphire (Al2O3) and silicon (Si) substrates with amorphous silicon (aSi) sacrificial layer. At 21.8 GHz, the filters on Al2O3 demonstrated an insertion loss of 1.48 dB, a 3 dB fractional bandwidth (FBW) of 17.7%, and in-band third-order input intercept points (IIP3) of 50.8 dBm. At 21.6 GHz, the filters on silicon demonstrated an insertion loss of 2.47 dB, a 3 dB FBW of 18.6%, and in-band IIP3 of 46.5 dBm. The nonlinear results conclusively show that thermal stability and passband distortion improved on the Al2O3 substrate, confirming that substrate selection plays a pivotal role in mitigating nonlinearity in acoustic front-end modules.

Accurate material recognition is a fundamental capability for intelligent perception systems to interact safely and effectively with the physical world. For instance, distinguishing visually similar objects like glass and plastic cups is critical for safety but challenging for vision-based methods due to specular reflections, transparency, and visual deception. While millimeter-wave (mmWave) radar offers robust material sensing regardless of lighting, existing camera-radar fusion methods are limited to closed-set categories and lack semantic interpretability. In this paper, we introduce VLMaterial, a training-free framework that fuses vision-language models (VLMs) with domain-specific radar knowledge for physics-grounded material identification. First, we propose a dual-pipeline architecture: an optical pipeline uses the segment anything model and VLM for material candidate proposals, while an electromagnetic characterization pipeline extracts the intrinsic dielectric constant from radar signals via an effective peak reflection cell area (PRCA) method and weighted vector synthesis. Second, we employ a context-augmented generation (CAG) strategy to equip the VLM with radar-specific physical knowledge, enabling it to interpret electromagnetic parameters as stable references. Third, an adaptive fusion mechanism is introduced to intelligently integrate outputs from both sensors by resolving cross-modal conflicts based on uncertainty estimation. We evaluated VLMaterial in over 120 real-world experiments involving 41 diverse everyday objects and 4 typical visually deceptive counterfeits across varying environments. Experimental results demonstrate that VLMaterial achieves a recognition accuracy of 96.08%, delivering performance on par with state-of-the-art closed-set benchmarks while eliminating the need for extensive task-specific data collection and training.

Cell-free massive multiple-input multiple-output is a potential candidate for future networks with pervasive connectivity by utilizing coherent joint transmission and distributed antenna arrays. This paper studies the exploitation of full-duplex communication for a distributed antenna array. Specifically, we derive a closed-form expression for the uplink and downlink ergodic spectral efficiency (SE) for a network where the APs can flexibly operate in either the full-duplex or half-duplex mode with linear processing and Rayleigh fading channels. A long-term total SE maximization problem is formulated subject to a network operation model and individual SE requirements with limited power budget. Due to the intrinsic nonconvexity and infeasible circumstances where some UEs might not be able to achieve the rate requirements, we adapt differential evolution to design a low computational complexity algorithm that can attain good power allocation and network operation mode in polynomial time. Numerical results demonstrate the effectiveness of our system design and proposed algorithm over state-of-the-art benchmarks with satisfactory service to the majority of UEs, although several ones may be unscheduled under harsh conditions.

The enhanced Gaussian noise (EGN) model is widely used for estimating the nonlinear interference (NLI) power accumulated in coherent fiber-optic transmission systems. Given a fixed fiber link, under the assumption that transmitted symbols are independently and identically distributed (i.i.d.), the EGN model establishes that the NLI power depends on time-invariant signal statistics, i.e., the second-, fourth-, and sixth-order moments of the symbols, which are determined by the modulation format and its probability distribution. However, recent advances in coded modulation have sought to mitigate NLI by introducing controlled temporal correlations among transmitted symbols, thereby violating the i.i.d. assumption underlying the EGN model. Among these correlations, symbol energy correlations are believed to exert the most significant influence on NLI. This work presents a rigorous mathematical derivation of a memory extension of the EGN model that explicitly accounts for symbol energy correlations, referred to as the MEGN model. The proposed MEGN model is validated through both numerical simulations and transmission experiments. Normalized average NLI power estimations with less than 5% errors across a wide range of symbol rates and transmission distances are reported. The model also provides a theoretical framework for analyzing and optimizing optical transmission systems employing temporally correlated modulation schemes.

Rain attenuates Ku-band satellite signals by up to 20~dB, encoding precipitation information along the Earth-space slant path. This paper derives the Bayesian Cramér-Rao bound (BCRB) for rain rate estimation from LEO broadband OFDM downlinks. Using corrected ITU-R P.838-3 coefficients, the standard CRB yields a minimum detectable rain rate $R_{\min} \approx 4.3\mmh$ for a single link at the $38^\circ$ reference elevation. We derive the prior Fisher information in closed form for log-normal rain ($c_v = 1.05$, from 186{,}292 samples) and show that a single-snapshot BCRB reduces $R_{\min}$ to $1.1\mmh$; exploiting temporal correlation ($ρ= 0.95$) over a 30-min window further tightens it to $0.95\mmh$, while multi-link fusion across $N = 215$ links lowers the operating-point RMSE \emph{lower bound} at $R = 20\mmh$ to approximately $0.07\mmh$. Building on these bounds, we formulate a weather-adaptive pilot allocation that minimizes the BCRB subject to a hard spectral-efficiency constraint, characterize its three-regime structure (full-sensing, throughput-tracking, outage), and pair it with a CUSUM rain onset detector achieving sub-10-min delay for $R \geq 20\mmh$. A closed-form analysis of dynamic LEO slant geometry identifies a sensing-optimal elevation at the P.618-validity floor of $15^\circ$ that yields a $1.58\times$ geometric improvement over the $38^\circ$ baseline, exposing a structural anti-correlation between sensing- and communication-optimal elevations along an orbital pass. Validation against 9.4~million radar samples from 215 Ku-band GEO satellite links ($r = 0.72$, RMSE~$= 1.24\dB$) and 113 rain gauges confirms the underlying attenuation model; the bounds transfer to LEO constellations under matched OFDM signal parameters, with dedicated LEO validation left for future work.

We propose CisLunarSense, an opportunistic integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) framework that exploits the Lunar Gateway's Ka-band relay for monostatic debris detection, addressing the absence of cislunar space situational awareness infrastructure beyond the reach of ground-based radars. Using NASA/ESA-documented system parameters with author-selected sensing settings and a CR3BP-based 9:2 near-rectilinear halo orbit model, we derive the orbit-phase-dependent Cramér--Rao bound under OFDM inter-carrier interference, quantify a 36~dB cislunar sensing advantage over a ground-based Ka-band reference, and design a velocity-adaptive processor with mode switching at 337~m/s. Gateway operational debris ($v_\mathrm{rel} < 50$~m/s) is detectable within 700~km with over 30~minutes of warning; external threats ($v_\mathrm{rel}$ up to 500~m/s) remain detectable within 400--630~km. An orbit-phase-adaptive allocation reduces the sensing duty cycle from 60\% to 19\%, increasing relay throughput from 44 to 90~Mbps. A closed-form sensing outage probability for $K$-CPI non-coherent integration under Swerling~I fluctuation shows that the 10\%-outage detection range reaches 91\% of the deterministic maximum at the nominal operating point $K = 16$.

This paper investigates a fluid reconfigurable intelligent surface (FRIS)-assisted Rydberg Atomic REceiver (RARE) architecture under magnitude-only heterodyne readout. We show that, unlike conventional coherent systems, the optimal propagation environment is fundamentally governed by the receiver's nonlinear measurement structure. In particular, under the strong-reference regime, symbol detection is limited by residual quadrature leakage after reference alignment, motivating a receiver-induced channel shaping approach rather than conventional channel-centric optimization. Based on this insight, we formulate a signal-independent leakage minimization problem that jointly optimizes the FRIS port set, finite-resolution phase shifts, and the transmit beamformer, resulting in a nonconvex mixed discrete-continuous design. To address this, we develop an alternating-optimization (AO) framework comprising: (i) a closed-form eigenvector solution for widely-linear beamforming, (ii) cross-entropy method (CEM)-based combinatorial port selection, and (iii) coordinate-descent (CD) phase refinement with guaranteed monotonic descent. Simulation results demonstrate fast convergence and consistent bit-error-rate (BER) gains across various modulation orders and receiver dimensions. Moreover, the proposed FRIS-enabled design achieves near-exhaustive performance with significantly reduced complexity and consistently outperforms conventional RIS schemes with fixed elements, highlighting the effectiveness of spatial reconfiguration in suppressing quadrature leakage and the additional spatial degree-of-freedom (DoF) enabled by FRIS for reliable atomic-MIMO detection.

We construct for a Schur concave function $f$ on the set of quantum states a tight upper bound on the difference $f(ρ)-f(σ)$ for a quantum state $ρ$ with finite $f(ρ)$ and any quantum state $σ$ $m$-partially majorized by the state $ρ$ in the sense described in [1]. We also obtain a tight upper bound on this difference under the additional condition $\frac{1}{2}\|ρ-σ\|_1\leq\varepsilon$ and find simple sufficient conditions for vanishing this bound with $\,\min\{\varepsilon,1/m\}\to0\,$. The obtained results are applied to the von Neumann entropy. The concept of $\varepsilon$-sufficient majorization rank of a quantum state with finite entropy is introduced and a tight upper bound on this quantity is derived and applied to the Gibbs states of a quantum oscillator. We also show how the obtained results can be reformulated for Schur concave functions on the set of probability distributions with a finite or countable set of outcomes.

In this work we explore the potential of implementing an optical quantum optimizer using non-linear optics, specifically using sum-frequency generation and/or two photon absorption. This proposal uses Zeno effects to enforce independence constraints and then a linear protocol to find a maximum independent set in a way where the elements of the set can be weighted. Our proposal can either be viewed as an implementation of the entropy computing paradigm presented in [Nguyen et.~al.~Communications Physics 1, 411, 8] which uses real rather than imaginary time evolution, or as quantum annealing within a Zeno constrained subspace. We discuss how such a device could be built, and considerations such as error mitigation, particularly for photon-loss errors. We numerically study aspects of the protocol, including the effect of coherent versus incoherent incarnations of the Zeno effect, finding superior performance from the former.

Many-body cages have very recently emerged as a general route for nonergodic behaviour in quantum matter. Here, we show that new types of many-body cages can be engineered in Floquet circuits with the potential to realize novel nonequilibrium quantum states. For that purpose, we first identify an explicit, general construction of Floquet circuits capable of hosting many-body cages. We then present a generic strategy to engineer and structure Floquet many-body cages. We demonstrate the developed scheme for the quantum hard disk model as a generic constrained model system, realizable for instance in Rydberg atom arrays. We construct Floquet circuits yielding Floquet many-body cages with topological properties and $π$-quasienergy modes, implying `time crystalline' spatiotemporal order. Our results can be directly extended to general quantum circuits, thus providing a new tool to engineer nonequilibrium behaviour in driven systems.

We study the computational complexity of 2-local Hamiltonian problems generated by a positive-weight symmetric interaction term, encompassing many canonical problems in statistical mechanics and optimization. We show these problems belong to one of three complexity phases: QMA-complete, StoqMA-complete, and reducible to a new problem we call EPR*. The phases are physically interpretable, corresponding to the energy level ordering of the local term. The EPR* problem is a simple generalization of the EPR problem of King. Inspired by empirically efficient algorithms for EPR, we conjecture that EPR* is in BPP. If true, this would complete the complexity classification of these problems, and imply EPR* is the transition point between easy and hard local Hamiltonians. Our proofs rely on perturbative gadgets. One simple gadget, when recursed, induces a renormalization-group-like flow on the space of local interaction terms. This gives the correct complexity picture, but does not run in polynomial time. To overcome this, we design a gadget based on a large spin chain, which we analyze via the Jordan-Wigner transformation.

The Energy Conserving Descent (ECD) algorithm was recently proposed (De Luca & Silverstein, 2022) as a global non-convex optimization method. Unlike gradient descent, appropriately configured ECD dynamics escape strict local minima and converge to a global minimum, making it appealing for machine learning optimization. We present the first analytical study of ECD, focusing on the one-dimensional setting for this first installment. We formalize a stochastic ECD dynamics (sECD) with energy-preserving noise, as well as a quantum analog of the ECD Hamiltonian (qECD), providing the foundation for a quantum algorithm through Hamiltonian simulation. For positive double-well objectives, we compute the expected hitting time from a local to the global minimum. We prove that both sECD and qECD yield exponential speedup over respective gradient descent baselines--stochastic gradient descent and its quantization. For objectives with tall barriers, qECD achieves a further speedup over sECD.

Scalar-induced gravitational waves (SIGWs) have recently attracted considerable interest, both as a possible explanation for the nanohertz signal reported by the Pulsar Timing Array (PTA) collaboration and for their connection with primordial black hole (PBH) physics. In addition to SIGWs, scalar-tensor-induced gravitational waves (STGWs) have emerged as a promising cosmological source of the stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB). In this paper, we compute the STGWs generated during a generic matter-dominated (MD) era, as well as during an early matter-dominated (eMD) epoch followed by a sudden transition to the standard radiation-dominated (RD) stage, working in the Poisson gauge. We find that, in a purely MD age, the corresponding energy density rapidly dilutes, whereas in the presence of an eMD phase it remains non-vanishing due to the short duration of the eMD period. We then investigate whether the STGW signal could provide a dominant contribution to the $\texttt{NANOGrav 15-year}$ dataset and we forecast the prospects for its detection with future observations by the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). In particular, we consider STGWs generated during both eMD and RD eras, including their linear-order contributions. Our results show that the GWs induced by scalar-tensor mixing constitute a viable target for future, more sensitive detections of the SGWB.

We investigate the stability of ultra-compact stellar configurations in the context of an interacting vacuum component. By extending the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equations to include a covariant energy exchange between the fluid and vacuum sectors, we examine how the classical Buchdahl stability limit is modified. We analyze two phenomenological interaction models: a coupling to the matter energy density gradient and a direct coupling to the spacetime curvature. Numerical integration reveals that while standard General Relativity predicts a central pressure divergence as the compactness approaches the Buchdahl threshold, the interaction term $Q_ν$ relaxes the pressure gradient and maintains a finite, well-behaved central pressure for proper domains of the coupling parameter. These results demonstrate that an interacting vacuum provides a physical mechanism to bypass classical geometric bounds, potentially supporting ultra-compact objects in regimes previously considered singular.

We investigate the cosmological implications of non-polynomial quasi-topological gravity (NPQTG), a novel class of modified gravitational theories in which the background dynamics is encoded in a single function of the Hubble parameter. This framework provides a minimal and theoretically consistent extension of general relativity, incorporating higher-curvature effects while preserving second-order field equations and avoiding higher-derivative instabilities. We first establish the general conditions for cosmological viability and construct explicit realizations, including polynomial, quartic, power-law and non-polynomial models, demonstrating how different functional forms lead to distinct expansion histories. Focusing on the quartic and power-law cases, we show that the resulting cosmological evolution reproduces the standard thermal history of the Universe and gives rise to an effective dark-energy sector of geometric origin, with dynamical equation-of-state behavior that can lie in the quintessence or phantom regime. We then confront the models with observational data from Type Ia Supernovae, Cosmic Chronometers, and Baryon Acoustic Oscillations, using a Bayesian MCMC analysis. We find that both models provide an excellent fit to the data, remaining fully compatible with current constraints and statistically competitive with $Λ$CDM. Our results demonstrate that NPQTG offers a simple and efficient framework for describing late-time cosmic acceleration with dynamical dark energy, while maintaining theoretical consistency and observational viability.

We investigate how strongly late-time inferences about DE dynamics depend on the functional prior used to represent the expansion history. Using identical late-time combinations of CC, DESI BAO measurements, the Pantheon+ SN1a sample, and the H0DN prior, we compare a node-based reconstruction of the reduced Hubble function $E(z)$ with a representative family of smooth low-dimensional DE EoS parametrizations, including CPL. Over the redshift range constrained by the data, both approaches yield consistent $H(z)$, and, in the absence of H0DN, compatible values of $H_0$. However, a clear method dependence emerges at intermediate redshift ($z\sim1.7$): the reconstruction favors stronger deceleration, $q_{\rm Rec}(1.7)\simeq0.56-0.61$, whereas the smooth parametrizations cluster at $q(1.7)\simeq0.32-0.40$, implying a persistent $\sim2-3σ$ discrepancy across dataset combinations and parametrizations. For the EoS-based parametrizations, whose effective DE densities remain positive by construction, the preferred $w_{\rm DE}(1.7)<-1$ values correspond to NECB-violating (phantom-like) behaviour, but this is a less robust discriminator as $w_{\rm DE}$ becomes ill-conditioned as $ρ_{\rm DE}\to0$. In the effective-fluid mapping, the reconstruction accommodates the same late-time kinematical preference through a rapid descent of $ρ_{\rm DE}(z)$ toward very small values and a sign change, whereas the EoS-based parametrizations absorb it through smoother, and in several cases NECB-violating, evolution over $z\sim1-2$. Although the reconstruction improves the best-fit likelihood, especially with H0DN, Bayesian evidence continues to favor the simpler parametric descriptions. Our results isolate $z\sim1.5-2$ as the key window in which EoS-based DE parametrizations can compress localized kinematic structure and associated features of DE that are still permitted by current late-time data.

The emergence of Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computers (CRQCs) presents a critical threat to classical cryptographic systems, particularly widely adopted protocols such as RSA, Diffie-Hellman (DH), and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC). Given their extensive use in the financial sector, the advent of quantum adversaries compels banking institutions to proactively develop and adopt quantum-safe communication mechanisms. This paper introduces a hybrid quantum-safe architecture, orchestrated via Software-Defined Networking (SDN) key distribution. The proposed framework enables the early integration of Classical Cryptography (CC), Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), and Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) within a Dynamic Multipoint Virtual Private Network (DMVPN) environment, providing highly scalable, full-mesh, site-to-site encrypted communications for enterprise networks. This is particularly relevant at a time when PQC algorithms have not yet been incorporated into finalized IPsec standards. The architecture has been validated across a five-node testbed comprising three physical nodes within a campus network in Madrid and two private-cloud nodes located in the north of Spain and Mexico. The deployment leverages a heterogeneous mix of physical and virtual devices, diverse technology providers, Discrete Variable QKD (DV-QKD) and Continuous Variable QKD (CV-QKD) implementations, and mutually incompatible key-delivery interfaces (ETSI004, ETSI014 and Cisco SKIP), demonstrating flexibility, scalability, and interoperability across environments. Through this framework, we demonstrate that quantum-safe communication in financial networks is not only technically feasible but also scalable, interoperable, and resilient. The proposed architecture establishes a robust, flexible, and future-proof foundation for secure financial communications in the era of quantum computing.

While Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) has been proven in lab environments, large-scale implementation requires integration with existing infrastructure. This paper proposes an opportunistic QKD framework that takes advantage of idle spectral capacity, that is, unused channels in classical fibers, to perform QKD while prioritizing classical traffic. To mitigate crosstalk during the co-propagation of classical and quantum signals, we require a guardband of unused channels between classical and quantum signals. We propose a stochastic traffic model, with a deterministic day-night cycle and fractional Gaussian noise. Monte-Carlo simulations of an 80-channel WDM system with our stochastic traffic model demonstrate that 45-65% of unused spectrum can be repurposed for QKD, depending on the traffic conditions. We also model a key reservoir model, with Available and Recovery states. We define the Reliability Horizon as the 3σ depletion threshold. We find a trade-off between buffer reset levels: increasing the buffer reset level extends the reliability horizon but linearly increases recovery time, resulting in longer service "dark windows". Furthermore, simulations indicate that the first-passage time follows a heavy-tailed distribution, which is accurately characterized by a composite model combining a diurnal trend and a Bihill transition function. This framework enables network operators to optimize buffer parameters for specific Service Level Agreements (SLAs) in real-world environments.

It is known that the semiclassical approximation to the gravity path integral can be leveraged to explain certain inherently quantum aspects of gravity. One such aspect is the state-counting interpretation of the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of black holes. A second aspect is the Page curve for the entanglement entropy of Hawking radiation, which agrees with expectations from unitarity. We show that these two questions are equivalent from the gravity path integral point of view. In particular, the Hawking's information loss puzzle gets resolved automatically by considering any (over)complete basis of black hole microstates which is compatible with black hole entropy. The tool which relates the two questions is a convex optimization problem for the von Neumann entropy of Hawking radiation.

The tunable interaction between stationary quantum bits and propagating modes of light allows for the encoding of quantum information in the state of itinerant photons. This ability fulfills a central requirement for quantum networking, enabling quantum state transfer between distant quantum devices. Conventionally, a symmetric envelope of the photon wavepacket is used for such purposes. Yet, the use of alternative \textit{temporal modes} enables multiple applications in waveguide quantum electrodynamics that remain unexplored experimentally. Here, we use superconducting quantum circuits to generate individual itinerant microwave photons shaped in three mutually orthogonal temporal modes. We transfer the created photons across a 30-m cryogenic link, showing that the orthogonality allows us to decide at the receiver which mode to absorb, reflecting the other two with a selectivity ratio of 40. This experimental capability extends the microwave-frequency quantum communication toolbox, enabling a new photonic degree of freedom.

In Hermitian impurity scattering, each isolated late-time exponential is the fingerprint of a bound state. We show that this correspondence breaks down in non-Hermitian bands. For a single impurity in a non-Hermitian lattice, the late-time signal is controlled by isolated complex frequencies selected by the analytic continuation of the Green's function relevant to real-time dynamics, which we term dynamical poles (DPs). DPs need not coincide with static bound states: one may appear without any bound-state counterpart, while a static bound state may be dynamically invisible. The remainder of the signal is an incoherent background set by complex continuum edges. Our results establish that the real-time analytic structure of the Green's function, not the static eigenvalue problem alone, organizes non-Hermitian impurity scattering.

The radial acceleration relation reveals a nearly universal acceleration scale of order $10^{-10}\,\mathrm{ms^{-2}}$ in galactic dynamics, whose origin remains unexplained within conventional cold dark matter scenarios. We propose that this scale arises from an intrinsic infrared spectral property of the dark sector. Specifically, we hypothesize that a long-lived, color-neutral gluonic vacuum component survives the post-inflationary expansion era and, at large distances, develops a spectrally rigid lowest-weight structure. The microscopic seed for this infrared organization is provided by the QCD trace anomaly, which breaks classical scale invariance and, through dimensional transmutation, generates an intrinsic infrared scale in the gluonic sector. Requiring Lorentz covariance together with a positive-energy lowest-weight unitary realization then selects the Anti de Sitter algebra $\mathfrak{so}(2,3)$ as the simplest symmetry admitting a discrete tower of states with a representation-theoretically protected gap. The associated gap introduces a finite correlation length $r_{\texttt{c}}$ that controls the large-scale coherence of the dark sector. A self-gravitating condensate dominated by the lowest-weight mode generates a characteristic acceleration $g^{}_\star = G M_h / r_{\texttt{c}}^2$, naturally of the same order as the observed galactic acceleration scale, within standard Newtonian gravity. In this framework, the galactic acceleration scale appears as the gravitational imprint of a trace-anomaly-seeded infrared spectral gap in a coherent gluonic dark sector, rather than as a consequence of modified gravity or of galaxy-by-galaxy formation histories.

Hilbert space fragmentation refers to exponential growth in the number of dynamically disconnected Krylov sectors with system size. It is taken as evidence of ergodicity breaking, since conventional symmetries generate at most a polynomial number of sectors. However, we demonstrate that generalized symmetries can fragment the Hilbert space. Models with higher-form, subsystem, and gauge symmetries can have exponentially many symmetry sectors. We further prove that non-invertible symmetries can induce additional fragmentation within individual symmetry sectors. Fragmentation in several known models arises from generalized symmetries, and the presence of exponentially many Krylov sectors therefore does not by itself imply ergodicity breaking. Finally, we show that disorder free localization arises naturally from Krylov-restricted thermalization when sectors lack translation invariance, requiring neither ergodicity breaking nor gauge symmetry.

Celestial symmetries of gravity and gauge theory can be enhanced to a $w_{1+\infty}$ algebra and an $S$-algebra respectively, when restricting to a single graviton/gluon helicity sector. Difficulties in combining both sectors in the full theory have been pointed out in the previous literature. In this work, we face this problem from the covariant phase space perspective and analyze in detail the structure of the mixed-helicity bracket of the higher-spin charges for both gravity and Yang--Mills theory. We show that, when restricting one of the two helicities to the wedge sector, a closed algebra can be obtained for all spins in terms of a notion of shadow charge we introduce. Furthermore, when focusing on the lower spin subalgebra sectors, in the case of gravity, we show that a dual mass extension of the BMS algebra can be consistently constructed; in the case of Maxwell theory, inclusion of magnetic charges allows us to recover a non-vanishing expression for the electromagnetic central charge previously obtained through different methods.

Fast, scalable decoding architectures that operate in a block-wise parallel fashion across space and time are essential for real-time fault-tolerant quantum computing. We introduce a scalable AI-based pre-decoder for the surface code that performs local, parallel error correction with low decoding runtimes, removing the majority of physical errors before passing residual syndromes to a downstream global decoder. This modular architecture is backend-agnostic and composes with arbitrary global decoding algorithms designed for surface codes, and our implementation is completely open source. Integrated with uncorrelated PyMatching, the pipeline achieves end-to-end decoding runtimes of order $\mathcal{O}(1 μ\text{s})$ per round at large code distances on NVIDIA GB300 GPUs while reducing logical error rates (LERs) relative to global decoding alone. In a block-wise parallel decoding scheme with access to multiple GPUs, the decoding runtime can be reduced to well below $\mathcal{O}(1 μ\text{s})$ per round. We observe further LER improvements by training a larger model, outperforming correlated PyMatching up to distance-13. We additionally introduce a noise-learning architecture that infers decoding weights directly from experimentally accessible syndrome statistics without requiring an explicit circuit-level noise model. We show that purely data-driven graph weight estimation can nearly match uncorrelated PyMatching and exceed correlated PyMatching in certain regimes, enabling highly-optimized decoding when hardware noise models are unknown or time-varying, as well as training pre-decoders with realistic noise models. Together, these results establish a practical, modular, and high-throughput decoding framework suitable for large-distance surface-code implementations.

In this article, we find a theorem that gives a relation between the maximal fidelity of teleportation and the concurrence of the inseparable $X$ state used as a quantum channel in this process. Furthermore, we evaluate the concurrence of the output states generated by the local and nonlocal asymmetric broadcasting of entanglement and prove that the concurrence is greater in the case of nonlocal broadcasting. We analyze the possibility of using the output states obtained by the broadcasting of entanglement as quantum channels in quantum teleportation. We prove, with the help of the above-mentioned theorem, that all the inseparable states given by the local and nonlocal asymmetric broadcasting of entanglement are useful for quantum teleportation. Finally, we show that the maximal fidelity of teleportation is greater in the case when the second scenario is used, i.e., when the quantum channel is generated by the nonlocal asymmetric broadcasting of entanglement.

We study the distinguishability of quantum states under local operations with classical communication (LOCC), separable, and positive-partial-transpose (PPT) measurements, focusing on locally diagonal orthogonally invariant (LDOI) states -- those invariant under local diagonal orthogonal twirling. This class includes many important families such as Werner states, isotropic states, X-states, and Dicke states. We show that optimal PPT and separable measurements for distinguishing LDOI states can always be taken to be LDOI, and the LOCC supremum can be approached by LDOI LOCC POVMs, enabling a dimensional reduction from $n^4$ to $O(n^2)$ in the associated optimization problems. We establish efficiently computable bounds on the distinguishability of orthonormal LDOI bases and prove that for a broad class of such bases -- including all two-qubit cases -- the LOCC supremum equals the PPT and separable optima. More generally, we show the gap between PPT and LOCC distinguishability is at most $(n-2)/(2n^2)$ for local dimension $n$.

The role of complex numbers in quantum theory extends beyond mathematical convenience, having recently been formalized as a resource under the framework of the resource theory of imaginarity. Operationally, imaginarity translates into using fewer resources in optical setups. In this work, we investigate the operational advantage offered by complex-valued measurements in the entanglement of assistance protocol for three-qubit systems. We demonstrate that employing such measurement bases leads to a significant improvement in the concentration of bipartite entanglement with the aid of the third party. We further analyze a modified entanglement swapping protocol and show that a three-qubit complex measurement bases with certain symmetries outperform the standard GHZ-basis. This is also one example where a three-qubit non-maximally entangled basis surpasses a maximally entangled one in generating entanglement. Construction of the basis also addresses the open problems raised in [Phys. Rev. A. \textbf{108}, 022220 (2023)]. As an intriguing application, we show that using this approach in quantum network percolation on a honeycomb lattice reduces the required bond occupation probability by $22.7\%$ and, requirement of entanglement by $10.6\%$ in each bond.

The observed unusual behaviors of the orbits of Trans-Neptunian objects as well as the gravitational anomalies detected by the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment can be explained by assuming the existence of a ninth planet in the Solar System, having a mass of the order of $5-10M_{\oplus}$, and located at the distance of 300-1000 AU from the Sun. Since no optical counterpart of Planet 9 was observed, it is reasonable to assume that it has a very low luminosity. Various proposals on the nature of Planet 9 have been advanced, including the possibility that it is a black hole, an axion or a dark matter star. We propose that dark matter heating of Planet 9 could generate a thermal radio flux that could allow its observational detection, even if Planet 9 is a very dark object. We estimate the dark matter impact parameter, the mass and the kinetic energy deposition rates, as well as the surface temperature of Planet 9. By adopting a specific model for the time evolution of the planet, and assuming a long time capture of dark matter, the surface temperature of Planet 9, and the spectral features of the emitted radiation are obtained. Our results indicate that dark matter capture may provide an efficient mechanism for the heating of Planet 9, and also provide a specific observational signature of the planet. The numerical evaluations depend on the unknown value of the dark matter-ordinary matter interaction cross-section, with the estimates obtained as a function of its ratio and the saturation cross section for dark matter to deposit its entire energy. For a value of this ratio of $10^{-10}$, and for a dark matter density of the order of $1.32\times 10^{-17}$ g/cm$^3$, in a few Gyrs the surface temperature of Planet 9 can reach values of the order of 200 K, or even higher, with a maximum wavelength of around $λ_{max}=1.44\times 10^{-3}$ cm, situated in the infrared domain.

Recent years have witnessed tremendous progress in developing a fine-grained low-dimensional holographic correspondence, specifically the construction of quantum mechanical boundary theories as holographic duals of two-dimensional gravity. In these developments, quantum chaos played a crucial role, both as source of universality and as a guiding principle for the matching of bulk and boundary signatures of gravity. In this article we review the construction of the chaos-assisted low-dimensional holographic correspondence for non-experts. We open with an introductory discussion of the two main protagonists of the theory, the SYK model and two-dimensional Jackiw-Teitelboim gravity. Within this framework we will discuss two independent 'bridges' between bulk and boundary physics, one pertaining to early time chaotic instabilities, the other to late time quantum chaos up to and including time scales of the order of the gravitational quantum level spacing. We will demonstrate that the resolution of these fine-grained quantum scales requires the extension of semiclassical gravity by elements of string theory. We conclude with an outlook towards higher dimensional generalizations of the chaotic holographic correspondence.

The temporal and spatial coincidence between the gravitational wave (GW) event GW190425 and the fast radio burst (FRB) event FRB 20190425A raises the intriguing possibility of a physical connection between the two. The widely discussed possibility invoking the collapse of a supermassive neutron star as the merger product suffers the inconsistency between the model prediction and the measured inclination angle of the system. Here, we propose a novel physical mechanism to account for the association. We envisage a magnetar located at about 2.5 light hours away from the binary neutron star merger site. The kiloherz GWs generated by the merger are converted into kiloherz electromagnetic (EM) radiation via the Gertsenshtein-Zeldovich (GZ) effect near the magnetar. Subsequent inverse Compton scattering off the kilohertz EM waves by relativistic particles generates the observed gigahertz FRB emission. Our calculation reveals that, with appropriate parameter choices, the properties of FRB 20190425A can be reproduced.

We present a real-time path-integral formulation of the quantum Fisher information for dynamical parameter estimation. For pure states undergoing unitary evolution, we show that the quantum Fisher information can be expressed as a connected symmetrized covariance of a time-integrated action deformation, equivalently as an integrated insertion of $\partial_λS$ in the propagator. This reformulation avoids explicit state reconstruction by rewriting the quantum Fisher information in terms of real-time correlators that are natural targets for many-body methods. We further embed the construction into the Schwinger-Keldysh closed-time-path formalism, identifying the quantum Fisher information with the Keldysh component of an appropriate contour-ordered correlator generated by forward and backward propagating sources. Finally, using the Van Vleck-Gutzwiller approximation we re-derive the compact semiclassical quantum Fisher information expression, clarifying how classical trajectory data control leading-order metrological sensitivity.

In this work, we address the question about the fate of chaos in the Mixmaster model when we promote the system at a quantum level. We consider Deformed Commutation Relations for the Misner anisotropic variables, whose Deformed Algebras are related to two different Quantum Gravity approaches, i.e. Loop Quantum Gravity and String Theory. Also, this approach naturally implements a form of Non-Commutativity between the space variables, i.e. the anisotropies, that live in a two-dimensional space. In particular, we consider the deformation in the semiclassical limit, where the Deformed Commutators become Deformed Poisson Brackets. Then, we derive the modified Belinskii-Khalatnikov-Lifshitz map in both cases, whose properties determine the chaotic behavior for the dynamics at a classical level. The result is that chaos is removed in both cases. In fact, depending on the sign of the deformation, the dynamics will either settle into oscillations between two almost-constant angles, or stop reflecting after a finite number of iterations and reach the singularity as one last simple Kasner solution.

Long-range interactions can fundamentally reshape the low-energy properties of low-dimensional quantum matter, altering both continuous symmetry breaking and topological phenomena. However, their impact on the quantum criticality separating these regimes remains poorly understood. We determine the ground-state phase diagram and critical properties of the spin-one Heisenberg chain with single-ion anisotropy and staggered antiferromagnetic power-law interactions, using matrix-product state (MPS) calculations complemented by high-order series expansions (pCUT+MC). Such long-range, non-frustrated interactions circumvent the Hohenberg-Mermin-Wagner theorem, thereby stabilizing continuous symmetry breaking (CSB) phases in direct competition with the Haldane phase. We map out the resulting phase diagram and analyze the entanglement entropy scaling behavior in the U(1) and SU(2) CSB phases, finding logarithmic corrections beyond the short-range, universal contributions expected from linearly dispersed Goldstone modes. We further characterize all critical boundaries through finite-size scaling of either the entanglement entropy or the staggered magnetization. In particular, the large-D-to-U(1)-CSB transition exhibits unconventional, continuously varying critical exponents as a function of the long-range decay exponent with a strong dependence on the imposed boundary conditions leading to distinct finite-size scalings for sufficiently long-range potentials. Remarkably, the Haldane-to-U(1)-CSB transition likewise displays unconventional quantum criticality with distinct continuously varying critical exponents. Our work positions this model as a target for near-term atomic platforms with tunable long-range couplings and exhibiting natural single-ion anisotropy, offering a minimal playground for exploring the interplay between long-range interactions, continuous symmetry breaking, and topology.

We propose a method to test whether a photonic 3D QRNG works according to the underlying theory, thereby generating highly incomputable/unpredictable sequences of random digits. The test relies on undoing the unitary evolution realized by the 3D QRNG. The test verifies the unitarity, the magnitude of the noise, and other potential errors, such as photon loss or systematic and reproducible fabrication errors. Therefore, the test can confirm the theoretically proven features of the 3D QRNG, such as strong incomputability and unpredictability, or how one has to correct it, if necessary. In addition, the test ensures that the QRNG is not affected by limits of quantum measurement accuracy, as those described in the Wigner-Araki-Yanase Theorem. The test can be easily incorporated into the QRNG and used as a means of experimental certification.

Quantum graphs are a paradigmatic model for quantum chaos as well as for spectral theory. We give a concise didactical introduction to quantum graphs, or Schrödinger Hamiltonians on metric graphs, with a focus on results related to quantum chaos, periodic orbit theory and spectral theory. We summarise related seminal results, and give an overview over a few more recent developments.

Orthogonal geometric constructions are the basis of many many quantum error-correcting codes (QEC), but strict orthogonality constraints limit design flexibility and resource efficiency. We introduce a quasi-orthogonal geometric framework for stabilizer codes that relaxes these constraints while preserving the symplectic commutation structure on the binary symplectic space $\mathbb{F}_{2}^{2}$. The approach permits controlled overlap between X- and Z-check supports, leading to quasi-orthogonal Pauli operators and a generalized notion of effective distance defined via induced anti-commutation with logical operators. This relaxation expands the stabilizer design space, enabling codes that approach the Gilbert-Varshamov regime with improved logical rates at moderate distances. Finite-length constructions, including quasi-orthogonal variants of the $[[8,3,\approx 3]]$, $[[10,4,\approx 3]]$, $[[13,1,5]]$, and $[[29,1,11]]$ codes, demonstrate consistent improvements over strictly orthogonal counterparts. Under depolarizing noise with error rates up to $p=0.30$, logical error rates, fidelities, and trace distances improve by up to two orders of magnitude. These improvements reflect the increased connectivity of the underlying stabilizer geometry while remaining compatible with standard decoding schemes. The proposed framework offers a principled extension of stabilizer code design through quasi-orthogonal geometric structures.

We investigate the optical response of a conduction electron in a helically twisted mesoscopic medium containing a screw dislocation and a uniform torsional background, in the presence of an axial magnetic field and an Aharonov--Bohm flux. We show that the coupling between longitudinal motion and the geometric background produces an effective in-plane confinement, allowing bound states to emerge without the need for an external radial potential. Exact analytical solutions are obtained for the energy spectrum and radial wave functions, and these results are used to evaluate linear and third-order nonlinear absorption, changes in the refractive index, the photoionization cross section, and the oscillator strength. The combined action of torsion, magnetic field, and topological defect increases the interlevel spacing, compresses the radial electronic distribution, and breaks the dynamical symmetry between opposite angular-momentum channels, leading to strongly asymmetric and state-resolved optical spectra. Under intense optical excitation, the nonlinear contribution can overcome linear absorption, driving the system into a negative-absorption regime and enabling geometry-controlled optical gain. These results establish torsion and defect engineering as effective tools for tuning confinement, resonant energies, and selective amplification in mesoscopic nanophotonic platforms operating in the mid-infrared and terahertz ranges.

Quantum states of light are central resources for quantum communication, networking, and photonic information processing. In many quantum emitters, coherent internal dynamics arising from intrinsic or field-induced level splittings imprint a deterministic, time-dependent phase on the emitted light. When emission times are stochastic and detector timing resolution is finite, this phase evolution becomes effectively unresolved, suppressing observable entanglement. Here, we demonstrate a photonic-compensation protocol that removes this emitter-induced phase evolution directly in the photonic domain. Rather than modifying the emitter, we apply synchronized, time-dependent coherent operations to the emitted photons that reverse the accumulated phase independently of the emission time. Using exciton fine-structure splitting in a semiconductor quantum dot as a model system, we implement dynamic phase modulation and perform time-resolved two-photon polarization tomography. We show that this restores a stationary two-photon polarization state and recovers polarization entanglement without temporal post-selection and independently of detector timing resolution. Our approach provides a scalable route to robust solid-state entangled-photon sources and, more broadly, establishes a strategy for removing the imprint of coherent emitter dynamics on photonic entanglement in integrated platforms.

We demonstrate that quantum light statistics can be used to control strong-field ionization at the tunneling step. Using a bichromatic linearly polarized field composed of a strong coherent driver and a weak bright squeezed vacuum (BSV), we show through simulation that photoelectron momentum distributions (PMDs) exhibit asymmetries that exceed those obtained with classical fields of comparable intensity by orders of magnitude. This enhancement is uniquely linked to the nonclassical statistics of the BSV field. A semiclassical analysis based on the strong-field approximation (SFA) reveals that the effect originates from fluctuations in the instantaneous field amplitude, which strongly modify the tunneling ionization probability while leaving the electron's continuum dynamics essentially unchanged. This selective control enables reconstruction of ionization pathways and provides a robust route to extract sub-cycle dynamics from strong-field observables.

Instantaneous Quantum Polynomial-time (IQP) circuits are a candidate for demonstrating near-term quantum advantage, as their sampling task is believed to be classically hard in the ideal theoretical setting under standard complexity-theoretic assumptions. In noisy implementations, however, this hardness can disappear once circuit depth exceeds a noise-dependent critical threshold. We show that qubit connectivity is a key parameter in this transition, since sparse architectures require additional routing to implement long-range interactions, thereby increasing compiled circuit depth. To make this explicit, we present a connectivity-aware analysis of compiled IQP circuits. For a fixed abstract IQP instance, different hardware connectivity graphs yield different compiled depths and thus different effective positions relative to the noisy-IQP simulatability boundary. We quantify this architecture-dependent shift using the compiled depth overhead and the corresponding simulatability margin. We combine analytic depth estimates for sparse geometries, including the two-dimensional grid, with native-gateset-aware compilation experiments across seven hardware-grounded experimental device models derived from publicly available topologies. To compare these device models under a unified empirical framework, we approximate the effective noise level primarily through reported two-qubit gate error rates. This lets us compare how much effective noise sparse and fully connected architectures can tolerate for the same position relative to the noisy-IQP simulatability boundary. Our results show that sparse connectivity requires a lower effective noise level to sustain the same margin relative to the noisy-IQP simulatability boundary, and they provide a quantitative framework for determining when compiled IQP experiments are likely to remain outside, or instead enter, the classically simulatable regime.

We investigate the mutual information harvesting of two circularly accelerated detectors that interact with the massless scalar fields near a reflecting boundary. We consider that the two detectors share a common rotational axis with the same acceleration and trajectory radius. As the interdetector separation increases, the mutual information may exhibit oscillatory behavior at large acceleration and small radius. For a fixed radius, a larger acceleration leads to a larger peak value of the mutual information. Near the boundary, the mutual information may oscillate and the maximum can be obtained. As the acceleration increases, the mutual information in a small interdetector separation first increases and then decreases. For an intermediate interdetector separation, the mutual information may oscillate with the increase of acceleration. For a not large interdetector separation, when we take large acceleration and small radius, as the energy gap increases, the mutual information first decreases, then oscillates, and finally goes to zero. The combination of large acceleration and small radius corresponds to the fast rotation, which significantly modifies the vacuum fluctuations of the field, leading to the oscillatory behavior. Furthermore, the oscillation intensifies near the boundary, which indicates that it is related to the coherent superposition of boundary reflections.

We investigate the impact of a late-time transition in the standardized absolute magnitude $M$ on the best-fit values of cosmological parameters using the Pantheon+ dataset. Extending previous analyses which focused on flat $Λ$CDM, we examine this transition within flat $Λ$CDM, wCDM, and CPL cosmologies, as well as a model-independent cosmographic expansion, employing both frequentist ($χ^2$ minimization with \textit{AIC}/\textit{BIC}) and Bayesian (MCMC and Nested Sampling) inference frameworks. We confirm that the data consistently favor a step in absolute magnitude of $ΔM \simeq 0.19~\mathrm{mag}$ at a characteristic distance of $d_{\mathrm{crit}} \approx 20~\mathrm{Mpc}$. The inclusion of this transition leads to a statistically significant improvement in the quality of fit and has a distinct impact on parameter estimation: it induces a systematic increase in the inferred Hubble constant of approximately $2\%$ across all tested models. In contrast, we find that the dynamical parameters governing the background expansion, including the matter density $Ω_m$ and the dark energy equation of state ($w_0, w_a$), remain stable and largely unaffected. These results indicate that the $20~\mathrm{Mpc}$ feature acts primarily as a low-redshift calibration shift rather than a modification of the late-time expansion history.

Quantum key distribution protocols based on the quantum eraser phenomenon offer an operational advantage: automatic identification of matching and mismatching encoding choices through interference, eliminating basis reconciliation over public channels. However, security analysis reveals that binary quantum eraser implementations permit an eavesdropper to correctly identify transmitted quantum states with 85\% probability using optimal measurement strategies. This vulnerability persists regardless of state randomization schemes. We demonstrate that this limitation reflects a fundamental bound on all two-state quantum cryptographic protocols, arising from the geometry of non-orthogonal state discrimination. To overcome this constraint, we introduce a ternary quantum eraser protocol employing three polarization states with $120^\circ$ angular separation, transmitted in three-photon groups with randomized temporal ordering. This extension achieves enhanced security through two complementary mechanisms. First, the reduced distinguishability of symmetrically-arranged quantum states limits single-photon discrimination. Second, the combinatorial complexity of unknown photon ordering constrains multi-photon eavesdropping strategies. Security analysis against individual eavesdropping attacks within the four-dimensional path-polarization Hilbert space establishes that an eavesdropper's maximum success probability is bounded at 54\% substantially below the binary discrimination bound. The protocol maintains a binary-equivalent efficiency of 0.30 bits per photon competitive with established QKD implementations while preserving the operational simplicity inherent to quantum eraser cryptography.

The $p_3$-PPT criterion is an experimentally viable relaxation of the well-known positive partial transposition (PPT) criterion for the certification of quantum entanglement. Recently, it has been generalized to various families of entanglement criteria based on the PT moments $p_k=$Tr$[(ρ^Γ)^k]$, where $ρ^Γ$ denotes the partially transposed density matrix of a quantum state $ρ$. While most of these generalizations are strictly more powerful than the $p_3$-PPT criterion, their $m$-th level versions usually rely on the availability of $p_k$ for all moment orders $k\le m$. Here, we show that one can alternatively compare any three PT moments of orders $k<l<m$, which can significantly reduce experimental overheads. More precisely, we show that any state satisfying $p_l>p_k^xp_m^{1-x} $ must be entangled, where $x=(m-l)/(m-k)$. Using the example of locally depolarized GHZ states, we identify the most promising versions of these three-moment criteria and compare their performance with a broad range of entanglement criteria. In the case of globally depolarized stabilizer states, we prove that having access to $p_k$ for $k \le 5$ is sufficient to reproduce the full PPT criterion. More generally, we show that the Stieltjes-$m$ criterion is as powerful as the PPT criterion whenever $ρ^Γ$ has no more than $(m+1)/2$ distinct eigenvalues. Finally, we introduce a notion of quantum weight enumerators that capture the decay of $p_k$ under local white noise for arbitrary quantum states and illustrate this concept for an AME state. Our results contribute to the growing body of literature on higher-moment PPT relaxations and modern applications of weight enumerators in quantum error correction and information theory.

Fault-tolerant quantum computers (FTQCs) based on surface codes and lattice surgery have been widely studied, and there is strong demand for a framework that can identify logical operations with low space-time cost, verify their functionality and fault tolerance, and demonstrate their optimality within a given search space, much like electronic design automation (EDA) in classical circuit design. In this paper, we propose KOVAL-Q, an EDA kernel that verifies and optimizes surface-code logical operations by formulating them as a satisfiability (SAT) problem. Compared with existing SAT-based frameworks such as LaSsynth, our method can handle logical qubits with more flexible surface-code encodings, both as target configurations and as intermediate states. This extension enables the optimization of advanced layouts, such as fast blocks, and broadens the search space for logical operations. We demonstrate that KOVAL-Q can determine the minimum execution time of fundamental logical operations in given spatial layouts, such as $d$-cycle logical CNOTs and $2d$-cycle patch rotations. Their use reduces the execution time of widely studied FTQC applications by about 10% under a simplified scheduling model. KOVAL-Q consists of three subkernels corresponding to different types of constraints, which facilitates its integration as a submodule into scalable heuristic frameworks. Thus, our proposal provides an essential framework for optimizing and validating core FTQC subroutines.

Feedback-controlled electromigration (FCE) enables precise regulation of atomic migration by carefully optimizing multiple experimental parameters. However, manually fine-tuning these parameters poses significant challenges. This study investigated the feasibility of autonomously fabricating Au atomic junctions through gate-based quantum computing using a noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) device, which effectively approximates solutions to combinatorial optimization problems. We compared the computational accuracy of the NISQ device against a previously reported D-Wave quantum annealer. The results indicate that the NISQ device achieved lower residual energies and produced higher-quality approximate solutions for large-scale problems than the quantum annealing system.

We investigate electron paring in two-dimensional electron systems mediated by the vacuum fluctuations of a quantized magnetic flux generated by the inductor of an LC resonator. The interaction induces long-range attractive interactions between angular momentum states which lead to pairing in a broad class of materials with critical temperatures of few Kelvin or even higher, depending on the field-covered area. The induced state is a pair-density wave topological chiral superconductor. The proposed platform in circuit QED environment offers a tunable promising tool for engineering electron interactions in two-dimensional systems to create new quantum phases of matter.

We use the configuration-space Faddeev formalism to study scattering of three particles in the double continuum where all particles are free. All scattering processes, starting from and ending in both single and double continua, are collected in a unique matrix. We apply our method to the benchmark system of neutron-deuteron scattering.

The quantum kernel method, a promising quantum machine learning algorithm, possesses substantial potential for demonstrating quantum advantage. Although the majority of the quantum kernel is constructed in the context of gate-based quantum circuits, inspired by the idea of analog quantum computing, here we construct an analog quantum kernel and a hybrid quantum kernel, and show their competitiveness against other kernel methods in a benchmarking task and the practical problem of estimating non-Markovianity from sparse data. Additionally, we also incorporate operational noise into the quantum kernels. Our results reveal that the presence of operational noise can be beneficial to the performance of the developed quantum kernels. We attribute this counterintuitive noise-enhanced performance to the improved expressivity and higher model complexity induced by noise. These results pave the way for practical implementations of quantum kernel methods and provide an efficient approach for estimating non-Markovianity with reduced experimental demands.

We demonstrate the Parity Architecture on quantum hardware, using the quantum Fourier transform (QFT) as a benchmark. As a result, a record performance in both fidelity and qubit count is achieved using quantum processors with a native CZ-based instruction set. On the IBM Heron r3 chip, a process fidelity of the QFT algorithm of ${F \approx 10^{-2}}$ for ${N=50}$ qubits is achieved. The scaling of the speedup compared to previous swap-based methods is super-exponential $\mathcal{O}(\exp(N^2))$. Furthermore, we show that the scaling can be improved further by including iSWAP gates in the instruction set.

We present an introductory review of nonergodic dynamics in interacting many-body quantum systems, focusing on the phenomenon of many-body localization (MBL). We describe aspects of MBL and summarize the evidence for a crossover from the ergodic to the MBL regime in finite systems, using the paradigmatic XXZ model as an example. We then broaden the scope to other models to illustrate the generality of the phenomenon. We briefly touch on the largely unexplored relation between MBL and quantum computing.

We analytically describe the dynamically separated $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$ skin channels (wavepacket evolutions) under periodic boundary condition (PBC) in non-Hermitian systems with anomalous time-reversal symmetry (ATRS), by combining the semiclassical worldline perspective with an enhanced understanding of skin effects. These channels, tied to the initial state and relevant symmetries, exhibit individually exponential-dominated time evolution in momentum space, where their amplitude maxima evolve toward the dominant momenta. In real space, they circulate around the one-dimensional (1D) chain, tracing semiclassical worldlines. Such circulations imply quantum revivals and dynamical quantum phase transitions (DQPTs) regardless of any wavepackets' phase interference, with the latter showing scale-dependent behavior, a feature distinct from conventional DQPTs. This work rigorously demonstrates our previous findings on worldline windings and the winding-control mechanism, confirming that the core physics is shared with the ordinary skin effect.

Model-independent estimation of the properties of quantum states is a central challenge in quantum technologies, as experimental imperfections, drifts, and imprecise models of the actual quantum dynamics inevitably hinder accurate reconstructions. Here, we introduce a training strategy for photonic quantum extreme learning machines in which both the learning stage and the optimization of the measurement settings are performed entirely with classical light, while inference is carried out on genuinely quantum states. The protocol is based on the identity between the normalized output intensities following the evolution of coherent states through a linear optical reservoir, and the output statistics obtained with separable input quantum states. Building on this correspondence, we implemented a model-free, gradient-based optimization of the reservoir measurement projection directly on experimental data, without relying on a prior model of the device transformation. We experimentally show that the resulting classical-to-quantum transfer enables accurate reconstruction of single-qubit Pauli observables for previously unseen single-photon states, and extends to the estimation of a two-qubit entanglement witness for arbitrary bipartite states. Beyond demonstrating a qualitatively distinct form of out-of-distribution generalization across the classical-to-quantum boundary, our results identify a practical route to fast, adaptive, and resource-efficient training of photonic quantum learning devices.

We analyze the Schwarz inequality and its generalizations, as well as inequalities resulting from the Jensen inequality. They are used in quantum theory to derive the Heisenberg-Robertson (HR) and Schroedinger-Robertson (SR) uncertainty relation for two non-commuting observables and their generalizations to three or more non-commuting observables. Jensen's inequality, in turn, is helpful in deriving various the "sum uncertainty relations" for two or more observables. Using these inequalities, we derive various types of generalized uncertainty relations for more than two non--commuting observables and analyze their properties and critical points. We also study the connections between the generalizations of the HR and SR uncertainty relations for two and more observables and the correlations of these observables in the state of the quantum system under study. In this analysis, we pay special attention to the consequences of the generalized SR uncertainty relation for three non--commuting observables on their correlations in a given state of a quantum system and to the connections of this relation with the appropriate correlation matrix, whose matrix elements are the quantum versions of the Pearson coefficient. We show also that the SR uncertainty relation (including the generalized ones) can be written in an equivalent way using these Pearson coefficients.

We introduce a new geometric framework for relativistic particle dynamics based on contact geometry and suitable for treating dissipative processes like particle decay. The dynamics is formulated on a nine--dimensional extended phase space consisting of four position coordinates, four momenta, and an additional variable (functioning as a geometric variant of the particle's proper time). In this setting, the evolution is generated by an evolution contact vector field with a contact Hamiltonian encoding the mass shell. By promoting the proper time to an independent variable, the relativistic Hamilton canonical equations are rewritten in a fully geometric form without having to identify the proper time with a parameter along the worldlines. This makes for instance the evolution of massless particles (photons) well-defined without the need of reparametrization. The framework is then applied to decaying particles. Finally, we formulate a covariant kinetic theory and show how decaying particles can be described geometrically in this framework, changing the entropy.

In this paper we reexamine the definition of parafermions and parabosons by means of Green's triple relations, and extend these relations by including a parity operator $P$ which is also determined by means of triple relations. As a consequence, we are dealing with new algebraic structures. It is shown that the algebra underlying a set of $n$ parafermions together with $P$ is the orthogonal Lie algebra $so(2n+2)$. The Fock spaces correspond to particular irreducible representations of $so(2n+2)$, and the action of $P$ in these spaces leads to interesting observations. Next, we show that the algebra underlying a set of $n$ parabosons together with $P$ is the orthosymplectic Lie superalgebra $osp(2|2n)$. In this case, the Fock spaces correspond to certain irreducible infinite-dimensional representations of $osp(2|2n)$. Both for parafermions and parabosons the spectrum of $P$ is closely related to the so-called order of statistics $p$, introduced by Green.

The effectiveness of quantum illumination (QI) of a lossy target is investigated in a realistic setting in which the signal sequentially interacts with a noisy environment and the target. The target is considered at a temperature distinct from its surroundings, while both the interactions are modeled as an action of independent beam splitters with different reflectivities. The detection performance is quantified using the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the quantum Chernoff bound (QCB), the latter providing an upper bound on the error probability. The performance of the Gaussian two-mode squeezed state (TMSS) is compared with that of the optimal classical protocol based on coherent states (CS). The proposed model shows that TMSS consistently achieves a higher SNR than CS for a low-reflectivity target and an arbitrary phase change and remains robust against thermal noise. Furthermore, a sufficiently lower QCB is obtained for TMSS than in previously reported results, indicating greater distinguishability between the presence and absence of the target. These findings underscore the role of realistic modeling in improving QI-based detection of lossy targets, with potential relevance to quantum radar and lidar systems.

We present a comprehensive theoretical analysis of ultrafast entanglement generation between two Rydberg-blockaded atoms, explicitly accounting for realistic laser noise. Using femtosecond Gaussian pulses as a baseline, we systematically evaluate Bell-state fidelity sensitivity to amplitude and phase noise across white, pink (1/f), and Ornstein-Uhlenbeck spectra using Monte Carlo ensemble simulations. Our results show that amplitude noise is well tolerated, with fidelities above 90% even at 30% noise levels, while phase noise is the primary limiting factor, causing fidelity to drop rapidly beyond about 1% noise amplitude. The spectral structure of the noise is also important: pink noise consistently causes less fidelity loss than white noise of the same amplitude. By applying quantum optimal control theory (QOCT) with the D-MORPH algorithm under multiple equality constraints, we obtain a double-pulse structure with a spectral notch that achieves approximately 99% fidelity in the noise-free case and maintains high fidelity under moderate amplitude noise. A breakdown threshold near 1% amplitude noise is identified, beyond which even optimized pulses cannot sustain coherent control. These results offer practical benchmarks for the development of ultrafast neutral-atom quantum processors operating in the femtosecond regime.

Self-healing is the ability of a wave packet to spontaneously restore its spatial profile after scattering. As an emergent feature of non-unitary dynamics, it has attracted significant interest in non-Hermitian physics. Here, we systematically investigate how stochastic noise influences edge self-healing. Counterintuitively, we find that noise can constructively enhance this dynamical process. Weak noise prolongs the self-healing window by aligning the finite-time Lyapunov exponent of the reference state with the maximum imaginary part of the energy spectrum. Remarkably, strong noise universally stabilizes asymptotic profile recovery across the entire spectrum by inducing an effective non-unitary drift-diffusion dynamics. We analytically elucidate these distinct mechanisms using a general finite-time Lyapunov exponent analysis, complemented by a dedicated perturbation theory for the strong-noise regime. Our results provide concrete guidance for realizing robust non-Hermitian dynamics in realistic noisy environments.

The quantum kicked top (QKT) is one of the most widely studied models in quantum chaos, providing a minimal yet powerful framework for exploring the relationship between classical nonlinear dynamics and quantum behavior. Unlike many chaotic systems with infinite-dimensional Hilbert spaces, the QKT possesses a finite-dimensional Hilbert space, making it analytically and numerically controllable while still showing a rich dynamical phenomena. In this chapter, we present a comprehensive introduction to the QKT as a paradigmatic model of quantum chaos. Starting from the classical kicked top, we derive the discrete nonlinear map governing the dynamics on the unit sphere and analyze its phase space structure through fixed points, stability analysis, bifurcations and Lyapunov exponents. We then discuss the role of symmetries, including rotational and time-reversal symmetry, and how their breaking modifies the dynamics. The quantum description is developed using Floquet theory, where the periodically driven spin system is represented by a unitary Floquet operator acting on a $(2j+1)$-dimensional Hilbert space. Within this framework, signatures of quantum chaos such as spectral statistics, entanglement generation and recurrences are discussed. The model also admits an interpretation as a system of interacting qubits, enabling explicit few-qubit realizations and direct connections with quantum information measures through reduced density matrices and entanglement entropy. By linking classical phase space structures with quantum dynamical indicators, the QKT provides a clear setting to investigate the emergence of chaotic behavior in the semiclassical limit. The chapter, therefore, highlights the quantum kicked top as a bridge between nonlinear classical dynamics, quantum chaos and modern quantum information science.

High-dimensional quantum systems offer a number of advantages in larger information capacity, stronger noise resiliency, higher improved efficiency and accuracy over the qubit systems. In quantum communication the maximally entangled states will inevitably become mixed states or less-entangled pure states by the channel noise during the practical transmission or storage. We propose a universal scheme to concentrate nonlocal high-dimensional generalized Bell states with unknown parameters. After the cross-Kerr nonlinearities, $X$-quadrature homodyne measurements, and single-partite projection measurements are performed only at Bob's site, a two-qutrit maximally entangled Bell state can be distilled, while previous entanglement concentration protocols (ECPs) mostly focused on two-level qubit systems. The concentrated partially entangled qubit states, reserved as the by-product are the fascinating resources for some quantum information processing tasks. Moreover, single-qutrit projection measurement, the key ingredient for our ECP with unknown parameters, are completed by using linear optical elements. Additionally, linear optical high-dimensional ECP with known parameters are also designed.

Quantum computers solve intractable problems which classically require an exponentially long time to compute. With the development of large-scale experiments that claim quantum advantage, a vital issue has now emerged. What are the errors, and how do they affect the complexity of the problem solved? Large-scale Gaussian boson sampling (GBS) experiments give an example in which random numbers are generated. Despite classical hardness, these have computable benchmarks for checking data validity. While there are other quantum computing architectures, Gaussian boson sampling is uniquely testable at all scales. Several large, pioneering quantum computing (QC) experiments have been carried out to investigate quantum advantage. Here, we introduce a highly scalable but classical algorithm that can solve GBS approximately. Our numerical simulation of the output count data is closer to the exact solution than current experiments up to 1152 modes. This algorithm outperforms all previous classical, approximate algorithms and scales efficiently to larger experiments. Our results show that effects beyond losses can cause the errors that allow classical simulability. This work will lead to more precise algorithms and is a step towards understanding how QC quantum advantage is affected by the underlying physics.

Quantum metrology promises phase sensitivity surpassing the shot-noise limit by exploiting entanglement and photon-number correlations. NOON states-maximally path-entangled $N$-photon superpositions $(|N,0\rangle + |0,N\rangle)/\sqrt{2}$ -achieve the Heisenberg limit $1/N$ for single-parameter estimation, as demonstrated experimentally by Afek et al. (2010) using hybrid coherent-plus-squeezed light up to $N=51$. We present an end-to-end differentiable quantum-optical framework-implemented in Strawberry Fields (Killoran et al., 2019) with a TensorFlow backend -that learns optimal circuit parameters by maximising the classical Fisher information (CFI) across all coincidence channels for $N=2,3,4,5$. Starting from proper numerical reproductions of the Afek et al. coincidence fringes, verified by FFT analysis and parity measurements, we apply gradient descent (Adam) to the eight trainable circuit parameters. Raw CFI improvements grow dramatically with photon number: $+153\%$ ($N=2$), $+834\%$ to $+956\%$ ($N=3$), $+829\%$ to $+1598\%$ ($N=4$), and $+1775\%$ ($N=5$), alongside post-selection rate improvements of $+153\%$ to $+3269\%$, and an $8\times$ to $133\times$ improvement in useful measurement events per pulse across $N=2$-$5$. A fundamental inter-channel trade-off is identified at $N=2$ but weakens at higher $N$ where the Afek initialisation is further from optimal. These results provide numerically rigorous benchmarks for adaptive single-parameter quantum sensing and demonstrate that the Afek working point is significantly suboptimal at $N\geq 3$. QFI calculations confirm that the optimised probe reaches $82\%$ of the Heisenberg limit at $N=2$ and improves from $36\%$ to $58\%$ at $N=5$, while useful measurement events per pulse improve by $8\times$ to $133\times$ across all $N$, making quantum-enhanced sensing at $N\geq 3$ experimentally practical.

One of the promising applications of digital quantum processors is the simulation of many-body quantum systems. They have been already used to investigate several ergodicity violating mechanisms, which were initially discovered in synthetic quantum matter, such as many-body localisation, Hilbert space fragmentation and quantum many-body scars (QMBS). In addition to conventional QMBS, a recently discovered mechanism for ergodicity violation are the so-called asymptotic quantum many-body scars (AQMBS). These become more stable as system size is increased, leading to progressively longer thermalisation timescales. In this work, we show a connection between gapless excitations and AQMBS in certain qudit-based models. We then consider a 2-local model, hosting both conventional and asymptotic scars, in which the AQMBS states are gapless excitations of a ground state localisation transition. By exploiting the structure of the found AQMBS states and the all-to-all connectivity of the Quantinuum H1-1 quantum processor, we prepare these states in logarithmic circuit depth, and probe their thermalisation behaviour under Floquet dynamics. Performing simulations on up to N = 20 qubits and up to 418 entangling ZZ gates, we find slower thermalisation times as the system size is increased, providing the first experimental signatures of asymptotic scars.

We numerically optimized a scheme for a neutral atom Rydberg blockade symmetric controlled-Z (CZ) gate to increase its robustness to variations in the Rabi frequency. This gate scheme uses analytically defined phase profiles of the laser pulse and demonstrates increased robustness to variations in the Rabi frequency almost by an order of magnitude compared to previous proposals. We demonstrate the applicability of our gate protocol to individual addressing in Rydberg excitation, taking into account the asymmetry of Rabi frequencies for two atoms that are individually excited by tightly focused laser beams. This allows for reducing the effects of residual thermal motion of trapped atoms and beam pointing instability on gate fidelities. We investigated the performance of our gate protocol for single-photon and two-photon Rydberg excitation schemes and showed its advantages for individual addressing at finite temperatures of trapped atoms.

A quadratic well plays a central role in a wide variety of modern physical theories and applications. In this work, we investigate many-body dynamics in a quadratic well, using an Ising chain as a paradigmatic example. In contrast to a uniform Ising chain, where the quantum phase transition is driven by the field strength, the present system exhibits spatially varying quantum phases along the chain. Through analysis of the Majorana representation, we obtain exact solutions for localized modes, revealing a topologically degenerate spectrum in the thermodynamic limit. In the case of a finite-size quantum phase region, the Kramers-like degeneracy is lifted by a constant shift, leading to periodic oscillations for a finite-temperature thermal initial state. Numerical simulations of the magnetization, local density of state, and quench fidelity support our conclusions. Our findings enrich the understanding of many-body dynamics in a trapping field.

The path toward practical superconducting quantum processors requires the integration of a large number of high-performance qubits. Modular architectures could offer a way to address the scaling limitations of monolithic designs by partitioning a large quantum processor into physically separated modules, or chiplets, linked through long-range interconnects. In this context, although fluxonium qubits have emerged as a compelling platform for quantum computing due to their long coherence times and high-fidelity gates, existing coupling schemes remain restricted to qubits in close proximity on a single chip. This limitation inherently precludes the long-range interconnects essential for modular integration. In this work, we propose a long-range tunable coupler designed to interconnect fluxonium qubits separated by more than one centimeter, thereby supporting the realization of modular fluxonium quantum processors. Under realistic assumptions, the proposed coupler has the potential to achieve inter-module two-qubit gate performance, specifically sub-100-ns gates with intrinsic errors below $10^{-4}$, comparable to that of intra-module (intra-chiplet) gates, while enabling modular integration with low quantum crosstalk, a key requirement for scalable systems. We further discuss the integration of this coupler into modular fluxonium lattices and explore its feasibility for achieving the higher connectivity and longer coupling range required for complex quantum error correction codes. This work could contribute to the development of large-scale fluxonium quantum processors by bridging their demonstrated potential with modular scalability.

Quantum circuit simulation is crucial for the development of quantum algorithms, particularly given the high cost and noise limitations of physical quantum hardware. While full-state quantum circuit simulation is commonly employed for prototyping and debugging, it poses challenges because of the exponential increase in simulation time for large quantum systems. In this work, we propose an extensible framework designed to enhance simulation performance by optimizing both data locality and computational efficiency, thereby addressing these challenges. This framework is seamlessly integrated with an optimizer that restructures quantum circuits and a simulator that adjusts execution strategies for various quantum operations. For the newly developed components, merge booster and diagonal detector, the underlying algorithms are inspired by the principles of quantum entanglement and gate fusion, as well as by the limitations identified in existing third-party simulation libraries. The experiments were conducted on eight DGX-H100 workstations, each equipped with eight NVIDIA H100 GPUs, employing both gate-level and circuit-level benchmarks. The results indicate a speedup of up to 160 times for circuit-level benchmarks and an acceleration of up to 34 times for diagonal-heavy gate-level benchmarks compared to existing simulators. The proposed methodologies are anticipated to deliver more robust and faster quantum circuit simulations, thereby fostering the advancement of novel quantum algorithms.

This work investigates the dynamics of a charged particle in a uniform magnetic field within the Bohm--Madelung formulation of quantum mechanics. In this representation, the stationary Schrodinger equation separates into coupled amplitude and phase equations, where the amplitude sector admits a Sturm--Liouville structure supporting Ermakov--Lewis invariants. The analysis considers two complementary regularisation schemes: a global Fisher--information--based regularisation and a local canonical (shell) Bohm regularisation derived from stationary flux closure. These are applied within distinct classes of stationary flow, characterised by vanishing and nonvanishing component currents. It is shown that the radial and axial sectors remain globally regularisable, preserving analytic structure across the domain. In contrast, the azimuthal sector develops a nonseparable, generally complex-valued amplitude structure due to gauge-induced coupling. Nevertheless, a consistent local regularity is recovered at the level of canonical branches, where amplitude--momentum relations organise the solution in a well-defined manner. Regularisation thus acts as a structural reorganisation mechanism in amplitude space, preserving the Landau spectral scale while reorganising the flux-sector structure through branch-wise amplitude--momentum relations, thus establishing branch-wise organisation as a natural framework for describing stationary Bohmian dynamics in the Landau problem.

We show that averaging matter dynamics over stochastic gravitational fluctuations gives rise to a complex velocity field \(η_μ = π_μ - i u_μ\) living as a section of the pullback bundle \(E = π_{2}^{*}(T^{*}M)\to \mathcal{C}\times M\). We prove that \(η_μ\) is isomorphic, via the Schrödinger representation, to the symmetric logarithmic derivative (SLD) operator \(L_μ\) on the Hilbert space \(\mathcal{H}_{x} = L^{2}(\mathcal{C})\), up to a trace-zero projection. This isomorphism \(\widetilde{\mathcal{T}}:Γ(E / \sim)\to Γ(\mathcal{L})\) is a bundle isomorphism preserving the flat \(U(1)\) connection (proved in \cite{meza2026topological}) and the quantum Fisher metric. The quantum Fisher information metric \(g_{μν}^{\mathrm{FS}}\) is expressed directly in terms of \(η_μ\) as \(g_{μν}^{\mathrm{FS}} = - \frac{4m^{2}}{\hbar^{2}}\mathrm{Re}\langle (η_μ - \langle η_μ\rangle)(η_ν - \langle η_ν\rangle)\rangle_{\mathcal{P}}\). The holonomy of \(η_μ\) is quantized, leading to topological phases observable in atom interferometry.

We develop a quantum message-passing framework for factor graphs over finite abelian groups. Our starting point is the task of discriminating between a collection of quantum states indexed by the elements of a finite abelian group $\mathcal{G}$ whose overlaps respect the structure of a group-covariant pure-state channel (PSC). For such channels, we show that the Gram matrix constructed from the output states is diagonalized by the character basis of the dual group $\widehat{\mathcal{G}}$. Hence, the channel is characterized, up to isometric equivalence, by its character-indexed eigen list. Based on this representation, we analyze the induced classical-quantum channels associated with check, equality, homomorphism, marginalization, and automorphism factors. For each factor, we derive explicit update rules showing that if the incoming messages are heralded mixtures of group-covariant PSCs, then the outgoing message remains in the same class. This provides a closed quantum message-passing framework for tree-structured factor graphs assembled from these primitives. The framework applies directly to several standard code families over finite abelian groups, including polar codes, LDPC codes, and convolutional and turbo codes. It recovers the previously studied $q$-ary formulation as the special case $(\mathcal{G}=\mathbb{Z}_q)$, while extending the belief propagation with quantum messages (BPQM) framework introduced by Renes to non-cyclic alphabets and more general factor-graph constraints described by homomorphisms between products of abelian groups.

Transferring the information stored in the expansion coefficients of a multi-qubit state to the coefficients of a continuous-variable state is an important protocol for communicating quantum information. It was shown in previous work how to transfer an $n$-qubit state to a single qumode in $\mathcal{O}(2^n)$ time. We show that by transferring this state to $m$ qumodes, the runtime can be improved to $\mathcal{O}(2^{n/m})$. Furthermore, we demonstrate how multi-qumode state transfer can be used as a subroutine for approximately realizing the $n$-qubits quantum Fourier transform on $m$-qumode with runtime scaling $\mathcal{O}(m2^{n/m}/ε+m^2)$, accelerating qubit quantum Fourier transform using qumodes. This work presents a scalable approach to convert discrete and continuous quantum information between an arbitrary number of qubits and qumodes. It represents a crucial step forward in mixed analog-digital quantum signal processing for computing, sensing, and communication.

Strongly correlated materials are a natural target for fault-tolerant quantum computers, but they require tools beyond those developed for molecules. Electronic wavefunctions vary rapidly near nuclei yet remain delocalized across many unit cells, and bulk properties must be converged systematically with respect to finite-size errors. To resolve such issues, we present the Bloch--UPAW framework that combines Bloch-orbital $k$-space structure with unitary projector-augmented-wave (UPAW) augmentation. The UPAW Hamiltonian, expressed directly in the Bloch basis, retains explicit control of Brillouin-zone sampling, and incorporates near-nuclear physics through strictly local on-site corrections. The construction is independent of the underlying one-particle representation, so it applies to both plane-wave and localized bases, and it handles supercells for symmetry-breaking phenomena more efficiently. We derive a linear-combination-of-unitaries decomposition and a block-encoding circuit suitable for qubitization; UPAW augmentation adds one ancilla qubit and no Toffoli gates at leading order relative to a Bloch-only block encoding. Asymptotically, the Toffoli cost scales as $\mathcal{O}(N_k^3)$ when refining the $k$-mesh and as $\mathcal{O}(N_a^{3.5})$ when enlarging the supercell, enabling convergence to be steered by the most favorable route for a given material. Resource estimates for bulk diamond show approximately an order-of-magnitude reduction in Toffoli count relative to prior work on periodic solids.

We review the ideas of how random matrix theory has to be properly applied to quantum physics; particularly we focus on how the spectrum has to be properly prepared and the random matrix correctly identified before the random matrix and the physical eigenvalue spectrum can be compared. We explain the ideas of the symmetry classification of symmetric matrix spaces and how that yields Dyson's threefold and Altland-Zirnbauer's tenfold way. We also outline how the joint probability density function of the eigenvalues can be calculated from a given probability density function on the matrix space. Furthermore, we dive into the subtleties of the unfolding procedure. For this purpose, we explain the ideas of the local mean level spacing, the local level spacing distribution and the $k$-point correlation functions. We outline the techniques of orthogonal polynomials, determinantal and Pfaffian point processes and their related Fredholm determinants and Pfaffians as well as the supersymmetry method. Moreover, we relate the local spectral statistics to effective Lagrangians that give the relation to non-linear $σ$-models. In all these discussions, we also make brief excursions to non-Hermitian random matrix theory which are useful when studying open quantum systems, for instance.

The article deals with photon propagation in pp-wave spacetimes in the strong gravitational-wave regime and its consequences for redshift measurements. We show that null geodesics crossing a localized pp-wave pulse exhibit an energy memory effect, producing a finite asymptotic shift in the photon frequency measured by static observers. This path-dependent contribution acts directly on the redshift observable and may help account for divergent interpretations of supernova redshift data in the presence of intervening gravitational radiation.

An intriguing open problem in general relativity is whether a stationary equilibrium configuration of multiple, physically relevant black holes can exist. In such a hypothetical setup, the gravitational attraction would need to be balanced by the repulsive spin-spin and electromagnetic interactions. This contribution reports on a method to address this problem for an arbitrary number of $n$ aligned, rotating and possibly charged black holes in an asymptotically flat spacetime. By employing soliton methods to study the underlying boundary value problem for the Einstein-Maxwell equations, we derive the most general form of the boundary data on the symmetry axis. The resulting axis potentials are necessarily rational functions of a specific form, depending on a finite number of parameters. This powerful result reduces the search for $n$-black-hole solutions from solving a highly nonlinear PDE system to analysing a well-defined, finite-parameter family of candidate solutions. We briefly review known results for special cases, such as the constructive uniqueness proofs for a single black hole in vacuum or electrovacuum, and the non-existence proof for two stationary black holes in vacuum, before stating the open problem for more general configurations.

The short-path quantum algorithm introduced by Hastings (Quantum 2018, 2019) is a variant of adiabatic quantum algorithms that enables an easier worst-case analysis by avoiding the need to control the spectral gap along a long adiabatic path. Dalzell, Pancotti, Campbell, and Brandão (STOC 2023) recently revisited this framework and obtained a clear analysis of the complexity of the short-path algorithm for several classes of constraint satisfaction problems (MAX-$k$-CSPs), leading to quantum algorithms with complexity $2^{(1-c)n/2}$ for some constant $c>0$. This suggested a super-quadratic quantum advantage over classical algorithms. In this work, we identify an explicit classical mechanism underlying a substantial part of this line of work, and show that it leads to clean dequantizations. As a consequence, we obtain classical algorithms that run in time $2^{(1-c')n}$, for some constant $c'>c$, for the same classes of constraint satisfaction problems. This shows that current short-path quantum algorithms for these problems do not achieve a super-quadratic advantage. On the positive side, our results provide a new ``quantum-inspired'' approach to designing classical algorithms for important classes of constraint satisfaction problems.

In the presence of confinement, small-data solutions to nonlinear dispersive equations can exhibit a gradual energy transfer from low to high frequencies, a mechanism driving the emergence of weakly turbulent dynamics. We show that such a forward energy transfer, manifested as arbitrary inflation of higher order Sobolev norms, occurs for small-data solutions of a quasilinear cubic wave equation on the Schwarzschild-AdS black hole exterior with Dirichlet conditions at infinity, for generic values of the mass parameter. This result is motivated by the question of nonlinear stability or instability of Schwarzschild-AdS as a solution to the Einstein vacuum equations, but the strategy of proof applies to a broader class of backgrounds exhibiting stable trapping of null geodesics. As an application, we obtain the analogous norm inflation statement on $\mathbb R \times \mathbb S^3_+$ for generic perturbations of the round metric on the hemisphere $\mathbb S^3_+$ preserving the trapping structure at the boundary.

By an idealized quantum mechanical model, we formally describe the dispersion of nonretarded electromagnetic surface waves that express charge density oscillations near a fixed plane in three spatial dimensions (3D) at zero temperature. Our goal is to capture the interplay of microscopic scales that include a confinement length in the emergence of the surface plasmon, a collective low-energy charge excitation in the vicinity of the plane. We start with a time-dependent Hartree-type equation in 3D. This model accounts for particle binding to the plane and the repulsive Coulomb interaction associated with the induced charge density relative to the ground state. By linearizing the equation of motion, we formulate a homogeneous integral equation for the scattering amplitude of the particle wave function in the (z-) coordinate vertical to the plane. For a binding potential proportional to a negative delta function and symmetric-in-z wave function, we apply the Laplace transform with respect to positive z and convert the integral equation into a functional equation that involves several values of the transformed solution. The scattering amplitude and dispersion relation are derived exactly in terms of rapidly convergent series via the Mittag-Leffler theorem. In the semiclassical regime, our result furnishes an asymptotic expansion for the energy excitation spectrum. The leading-order term is found in agreement with the prediction of a classical hydrodynamic model based on a projected-Euler-Poisson system.

I argue that there is a straightforward way to understand the occurrence of wavefunction collapses or 'quantum events' in relational approaches to quantum mechanics: we necessarily encounter a discontinuity in our description when a system interacts with the reference relative to which we are describing it, since the reference system cannot be described relative to itself. This makes it clear how recent concerns around quantum events in relational quantum mechanics should be resolved. However, the solution requires accepting that quantum mechanics is not a complete description of all physical facts, and moreover I argue that this is most likely inevitable if we want to be able to give a precise description of quantum events.

We explore here how to generate a two-mode squeezed output using reservoir engineering in a double-cavity optomechanical system coupled to a common mechanical resonator. Such hybrid platforms are experimentally accessible in electro-optomechanical interfaces and are relevant for high-fidelity state transfer, quantum communication, and metrological applications. By examining violations of the CHSH Bell inequality, we demonstrate that maximal squeezing does not necessarily imply nonlocality; instead, nonlocal correlations can emerge in states with lower squeezing. Furthermore, by analyzing the CHSH inequality across different cavity finesse values, we find that the parameter region supporting nonlocality can broaden even as the squeezing region shrinks. Across all regimes considered, our results emphasize the crucial influence of the mixedness of the state in determining the relationship between squeezing and nonlocality.

We present a hybrid study that combines a concise review of scalar-field cosmology with new analytic developments that integrate averaging reductions for oscillatory regimes with dynamical-systems techniques. For oscillatory fields, we derive an averaging reduction that yields an effective slow system whose time averages control dissipation; introducing uniform derivative bounds, Barbalat/LaSalle arguments, and a finite-dimensional center/stable manifold reduction, we carry out late-time analysis of the models. We prove persistence of equilibria, decay estimates, and local invariant manifolds under small $C^k$ perturbations of $χ(φ)$ and $G(a)$, quantify how averaged dissipation lifts to the full oscillatory dynamics with an $\mathcal{O}(H)$ error, and provide numerical examples. In addition to asymptotic reductions, we obtain exact quadrature solutions in general relativistic, anisotropic, and brane-world settings, yielding closed-form expressions for $t(a)$, $φ(a)$, and $H(a)$ and enabling analytic computation of inflationary observables.

We introduce a two state vector formalism of quantum mechanics by generalizing Bell's hidden variable model to higher dimensions and by attributing a physical significance (a state evolving backward in time) to the hidden variable. A simple deterministic and time symmetric rule for measurement outcomes allows us to obtain the Born rule. It turns out that probabilistic outcomes can be derived from a deterministic assignment and averaging over all possible future states traveling backward in time. The assignment rule provides an alternative statement and demonstration of the Pusey, Barrett, Rudolph theorem.

Quantum error correction assumes that all syndrome activations represent errors requiring correction. We present evidence from 756 QEC runs across three IBM Eagle r3 processors that this assumption is wrong. The hardware exhibits sub-Poissonian syndrome statistics (Fano factor F = 0.856, t = -131 against Poisson, zero dependence on code distance), indicating that a fraction of syndrome events are not random noise but structured cooperative transitions. We introduce a regime classifier decoder that distinguishes binary errors (which should be corrected) from ternary transitions (which should not). On a mixed binary/ternary error model calibrated to IBM hardware statistics, the classifier reduces logical error rates by 7-19% at static detection depth (tau = 1) across all cell sizes, with statistical significance p < 0.05 in 7 of 8 test conditions (p < 0.0001 in all four tau = 1 conditions). The improvement mechanism is selective abstention: the classifier correctly identifies 75-98% of ternary transitions and leaves them uncorrected (75-81% at tau = 1, 88-98% at tau = 5), whereas a standard decoder miscorrects them, introducing errors that would not otherwise exist. A cross-platform control on Google's 105-qubit Willow processor (420 experiments, d = 3, 5, 7) shows the opposite: super-Poissonian statistics (F = 2.42), super-linear burst scaling, and positive spatial correlation -- confirming that the sub-Poissonian signal is absent from standard surface-code circuits that lack the P-gate asymmetry. The result demonstrates that standard QEC actively destroys quantum information by correcting valid ternary states, and that less correction produces better performance when the hardware has cooperative error structure.

Complexity class containments involving interactive proof classes are famously nonrelativizing: although $\mathsf{IP} = \mathsf{PSPACE}$, Fortnow and Sipser showed that that there exists an oracle relative to which $\mathsf{coNP} \not\subseteq \mathsf{IP}$. In contrast, the question of whether the containment $\mathsf{BQP} \subseteq \mathsf{IP}$ is relativizing remains wide open. In this work we make progress towards resolving this question by showing that the containment $\mathsf{BQP} \subseteq \mathsf{MIP}$ holds with respect to any classical oracle. We obtain this result by constructing, for any classical oracle $O$, a $\mathsf{PCP}$ proof system for $\mathsf{BQP}^{O}$ where the verifier makes polynomially many classical queries to an exponentially-long proof, and to the oracle $O$. Our construction is inspired by the state synthesis algorithm of Grover and Rudolph, and serves as a complement to the "exponential PCP" constructed by Aharonov, Arad, and Vidick, which achieves similar parameters but which is based on different ideas and does not relativize. We propose relativization as a proxy for prover efficiency, and hope that progress towards an $\mathsf{IP}$ for $\mathsf{BQP}$ in the oracle world will lead to a non-cryptographic interactive protocol for proving any quantum computation to a classical skeptic in the unrelativized world, which is a longstanding open problem in quantum complexity theory.

We study Bardeen-like regular black holes without Cauchy horizons via gravitational lensing. In the weak field, the deflection angle receives a positive $\ell$-dependent correction, producing a slightly larger Einstein ring. For the galaxy ESO 325-G004, the predicted ring radius is consistent with current observations. In the strong field, for Sgr A* and M87*, the asymptotic position $θ_{\infty}$ remains identical to the Schwarzschild value; however, SDL coefficients are $\ell$-dependent, the angular separation s increases and the relative flux ratio $r_{\mathrm{mag}}$ decreases as $\ell$ increases. Time delays between relativistic images for Sgr A* and M87* also increase mildly with $\ell$. Our calculated values for these observables remain consistent with current observations. Future strong-field measurements of $ΔT_{2,1}$, s, and $r_{\mathrm{mag}}$ may offer a viable test for regular black holes free of Cauchy horizons and may distinguish Bardeen-like from Schwarzschild black holes.

Quantum correlations in networks with independent sources have revealed novel forms of nonclassical behavior. While entanglement in the sources is a necessary ingredient, the role played by entanglement in the measurements remains largely unexplored. In particular, all existing demonstrations of full network nonlocality, certifying the nonclassicality of every source in the network, have relied on entangled measurements performed at a central node with no inputs. In this work, we construct an explicit strategy that does not rely on entangled measurements, yet still achieves full network nonlocality. Our approach is based on separable measurements augmented with bidirectional classical feedforward. We further show that this same class of measurements can give rise to another recently proposed form of network nonlocality, the minimal network nonclassicality, which ensures that the observed correlations cannot be attributed to any fixed subset of nonclassical sources within the network. Finally, building on a recently developed certification framework, we quantify the amount of device-independent randomness that can be extracted from full network nonlocal correlations under different measurement strategies. Beyond their foundational significance, our results also offer a practically attractive route toward experimental implementations of network nonlocality, as they remove the need for entangled measurements.

We introduce pyEFPEHM, a post-Newtonian (PN) inspiral waveform model for eccentric and spin-precessing compact binaries that includes higher-order modes and matter effects. Accurate and efficient waveform models capturing these effects are essential for probing compact-binary formation channels and exploiting current and future gravitational-wave (GW) observations. pyEFPEHM extends pyEFPE, significantly improving its physical content and accuracy. In particular, we show that above 2.5PN order the quasi-circular contributions to the orbital phasing dominate at each PN order, and incorporate all available higher-order quasi-circular PN corrections to the phasing, including adiabatic tidal effects. We generalize the multiple-scale analysis solution of the spin-precession equations, extending it to higher PN orders and including all available quasi-circular corrections. Finally, we add eccentric corrections up to 1PN order in the waveform amplitudes, including the GW multipoles $(l,|m|)=(2,2),(2,1),(2,0),(3,3),(3,2),(3,1),(3,0),(4,4),(4,2),(4,0)$. We validate pyEFPEHM against analytical waveform models and numerical relativity simulations, showing that it provides a robust and computationally efficient description of the inspiral, with good agreement across a broad region of parameter space and up to close to merger. The accuracy degrades in the late inspiral for systems with very unequal masses ($m_2/m_1 \lesssim 0.1$), significant spins aligned with the orbital angular momentum ($|χ_\mathrm{eff}| \gtrsim 0.5$), and high eccentricities ($e \gtrsim 0.6$), where the PN expansion is expected to break down. pyEFPEHM represents a significant step toward physically complete and efficient waveform modeling of eccentric and precessing binaries, providing a foundation for future extensions including higher-order corrections, calibration to numerical relativity, and merger ringdown modeling.

Programmable quantum hardware provides an emerging platform for exploring and controlling non-unitary quantum dynamics through measurement-based operations. In this work, we introduce feedback-directed circuit architectures that integrate spatially structured mid-circuit measurements with real-time conditional operations to steer the evolution of random dynamics, and perform their large-scale simulations (up to 100 qubits) on programmable digital quantum processors. By promoting measurement from a passive readout to an active control signal, these adaptive monitored circuits enable directional information flow and generate intrinsic asymmetry in random circuit simulations. We implement this framework on IBM superconducting quantum processors and observe robust, noise-resilient signatures of feedback-induced asymmetry distinct from the more well-known non-Hermitian skin effect. Our results establish feedback as a programmable resource for non-unitary control, opening new avenues for engineering measurement-based dynamics, non-equilibrium phenomena, and tunable open-system behavior on large-scale quantum hardware.

We calculate the response of an Unruh--DeWitt detector in a 2+1d spacetime that contains a BTZ black hole in a superposition of locations. Upon performing a Quantum Reference Frame (QRF) transformation, this can also be seen as a detector in a superposition of locations in a single classical black hole spacetime. We use this to derive the form of the interaction of the detector and scalar field in such a superposition of spacetimes, ignoring backreaction. We define a measurement whose outcome probabilities contain a nonclassical contribution that would be absent for a black hole described by a classical mixture of positions. Finally, we compare our results with a previously studied setup involving a mass-superposed black hole by Foo et al in [Phys. Rev. Lett. 129, 181301 (2022)], and highlight a key difference. We show analytically how this difference arises from singularities in the spectrum probed by the detector.

We present GreyRing, a new model for the post-merger signal in black-hole binary coalescences based on the greybody factor of the remnant. The model accurately reproduces the full frequency-domain ringdown signal of a large set of comparable-mass, aligned-spin numerical relativity waveforms, achieving mismatches of order ${\cal O}(10^{-6})$ for the dominant $(\ell,m)=(2,2)$ mode, and typically outperforming state-of-the-art time-domain models. Building on this model, we introduce a novel consistency test of strong gravity based on the greybody factor: the remnant mass and spin inferred from GreyRing can be compared with those obtained through standard black hole spectroscopy. This agnostic test relies exclusively on the post-merger signal and does not require the inclusion of overtones or the choice of very early ringdown starting times, combining the advantages of inspiral-merger-ringdown consistency tests and traditional black hole spectroscopy. We apply the test to GW250114 and find that the remnant mass and spin inferred from GreyRing are consistent with those measured from the full signal. Remarkably, the inferred parameters can be measured with a precision comparable to, or slightly better than, that achieved with standard black-hole spectroscopy. Our greybody-factor waveform model allows for new precision tests of strong gravity using the ringdown signal.

We investigate properties of the five-dimensional Chern--Simons AdS black hole coupled to $\mathrm{SU}(2)$ solitons by means of a minisuperspace approximation adapted to static, spherically symmetric configurations. The reduced action reproduces the known branch of solutions and provides a variational framework in which the boundary terms determine the conserved quantities and their conjugate variables. In particular, we recover the energy and the $\mathrm{U}(1)$ charge previously obtained by Hamiltonian methods, while the enlarged parameter space also reveals a momentum conjugate to the trace-torsion mode. The Euclidean action yields an entropy satisfying the first law of black hole thermodynamics. In contrast to many other torsional black hole models, the axial torsion parameter, describing the secondary black hole hair, together with the trace-torsion mode, contributes nontrivially to the entropy. The expression for the entropy obtained in this way is further confirmed by the other two methods found in the literature.

We study gravitational wave emission by circular extreme-mass-ratio systems in a spherically symmetric scalar environment. Previous studies have focused on the impact of scalar radiation channels, revealing a rich structure of resonances, sharp features and floating orbits. Through the backreaction of the cloud on the metric, corrections to the gravitational sector come in at the same order. We develop the computational methods, and provide a characterization of this new, fully relativistic cloud signature. Remarkably, corrections to the polar sector can dominate all other dissipative corrections. We identify scalar field masses $Mμ\lesssim 0.12$ as the regime where polar can overtake axial and scalar channels at small separation. For small $Mμ$, vacuum dephasing is dominated mostly by conservative and polar cloud corrections, with scalar radiation acting as only a minor correction. At large $Mμ$, both terms terms are shown to be highly non-negligible. Our results therefore motivate including these relativistic signatures in beyond-vacuum EMRI templates.

A rotating metric solution in Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity with a negative cosmological constant was recently found in the Chern-Simons point. We construct a rotating thin shell gluing two spacetimes in Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity, using the Davis junction conditions. We take the inner and outer spacetimes as replicas of the same rotating metric, with different values of mass and angular momentum. We show that the only possible thin shells either are vacuum thin shells or have a non-zero pressure in one tangential direction while the remaining stress tensor components vanish. We obtain the equation of motion for the shell, which resembles the continuity equation for a shell in General Relativity (GR), even though the quantity analogous to the intrinsic mass of the shell in GR is not connected to its stress tensor. We study the special case of vacuum thin shells connecting two spacetimes with zero hair. We obtain analytically the possible trajectories of the shell, and in certain situations we observe that the solution ceases to be valid. We find cases where the vacuum shell collapses and a naked singularity is formed. There two types of static vacuum thin shell solutions, one being stable occurring when both inner and outer spacetimes are overextremal, and the other unstable occurring when the horizons of inner and outer spacetimes approach each other, and are close to extremality.

We present the first formulation of linearised gravity in four dimensions which is manifestly Lorentz covariant and democratic, i.e. treats the two frames related by electric-magnetic duality on equal footing. It is well-known that four-dimensional linearised gravity belongs to a class of singleton representations of the four-dimensional conformal algebra $\mathfrak{so}(2,4)$. Our key insight is viewing this algebra as the isometry of $\text{AdS}_5$ and realising the massless spin-2 field as an edge mode of a five-dimensional topological field taking values in a specific finite-dimensional representation of $\mathfrak{so}(2,4)$. The desired four-dimensional action is then found by a covariant boundary reduction procedure.

Closed chaotic quantum systems relax after a quench into a Gibbs ensemble. At late times, the relaxation speed is determined by their conservation laws and hydrodynamics. As a result, there exist pairs of initial states which thermalize to the same ensemble, yet exhibit drastically different hydrodynamic relaxation. We show in two chaotic spin chains how this enables a simple and robust realization of the quantum Mpemba effect: a system initially closer to equilibrium relaxes slower than one that starts farther away, despite both approaching the same final state.

Processes with indefinite causal order (ICO), such as the quantum switch, are an emerging resource for quantum tasks and a fundamental test bed for studies of temporal correlations in quantum mechanics. A limitation of past photonic implementations of the quantum switch, however, is their inability to perform measurements inside the switch without either destroying the superposition of causal orders or delaying readout until the after the quantum switch. Measurements where the results are read out locally are needed for several applications of ICO, but also for a loophole-free verification of ICO. Here, we overcome past limitations by introducing a $\mathit{local}$ measurement scheme and coupling the photon in the switch to a $\mathit{time-delocalized}$ ancilla system. We experimentally realize this protocol using a photonic quantum switch with post-selected linear optical logic gates. Our method ensures that the measurement apparatus interacts with the system at two distinct times and yet yields a single outcome. We use a quantum eraser measurement to preserve the ICO, which we certify by measuring a causal witness and finding a negative value of $\mathcal{C}_W \approx -0.305 (1)$. Furthermore, by explicitly realizing a time-delocalized ancilla system, our protocol not only enables a new class of quantum switch protocols requiring local readout, but also provides a general method for path-coherence-preserving measurements with broad applications beyond ICO.

Next-generation (XG) gravitational-wave detectors, such as Cosmic Explorer (CE) and the Einstein Telescope (ET), will observe compact binary coalescences at unprecedented rates and signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). Accurate sky localization of these sources is crucial for several aspects of the science case of CE and ET. The localization of most binary black hole (BBH) signals, which will spend at most a few minutes within the XG detector's effective sensitivity band, will continue to rely primarily on timing triangulation across a network of detectors. A key design choice for triangulation is the baseline between instruments. We investigate how the baseline affects the localization capabilities of a two-detector CE network, analyzing both fixed-parameter injections and a realistic BBH population consistent with the latest GWTC-4 results. For detector-frame total masses up to $\sim\!100\,{\rm M}_\odot$, we find that baselines corresponding to light travel times of $8-11$ ms ($\sim\!2300-3300$ km) offer a reasonable compromise, producing predominantly unimodal or bimodal sky localizations suitable for electromagnetic follow-up and statistical host galaxy identification and galaxy cross-correlation studies. Shorter baselines significantly degrade localization, particularly for high SNR events. Crucially, we find that adding a third detector to the network eliminates localization multimodality for a substantial fraction of sources. A network with two CEs and LIGO-India provides unimodal posteriors for a good fraction of events, whereas two CEs plus ET would provide unimodal posteriors for essentially all of them. These considerations should be useful to inform the development of the XG detector network.

We provide a pedagogical introduction to eigenstate thermalization. This phenomenon, which occurs in generic systems, allows one to understand why thermalization takes place in isolated quantum systems under unitary dynamics. We motivate eigenstate thermalization using random matrix theory and discuss recent complementary results for the volume-law entanglement entropy of Haar-random states. We discuss numerical results that highlight the corresponding behaviors in quantum many-body systems.

Programmable arrays of neutral Rydberg atoms are one of the leading platforms today for scalable quantum simulation and computation. In these systems, the dipole-dipole interactions between the individual atoms, or qubits, typically result in binary -- i.e., two-body -- couplings. In this work, we develop an experimentally accessible scheme for engineering three-body interactions in Rydberg lattices. Such strong three-body couplings can fundamentally modify the underlying physics compared to systems with only two-body interactions: we demonstrate this, in particular, by systematically investigating the effective many-body Hamiltonian and its emergent quantum phases. This capability paves the way for the quantum simulation of a broader class of correlated models of condensed matter and high-energy physics.

When quantum emitters couple indistinguishably to light, they can synchronize into a collective light matter system with radiative properties profoundly different from those of independent particles. To date, the resulting collective effects have largely been confined to point like or homogeneous ensembles. Here, we open access to a qualitatively new collective regime by realizing geometrically ordered, spatially extended atom arrays with subwavelength spacing. This establishes a fundamentally new platform in which collective emission is no longer confined to a single Dicke mode but instead emerges from an ordered network of photon mediated interactions. We find that 2D atom arrays undergo strong super and subradiant emission. Despite subwavelength spacing, we achieve site resolved imaging and directly observe the buildup of spatial correlations, demonstrating the transformation of cooperative decay into a strongly correlated many-body process. We observe extensive scaling of superradiance, uncover superradiant revivals, and reveal the ferromagnetic nature of superradiance and the antiferromagnetic nature of subradiance. Our results realize a novel programmable platform for exploring and utilizing dissipative many-body quantum physics, opening new possibilities for photon capture, storage, and atom photon entanglement.

We equip the space of Cauchy hypersurfaces in a globally hyperbolic spacetime with a natural Hausdorff-type metric and study its properties, in particular completeness and local compactness, for Lorentzian manifolds and in more general synthetic Lorentzian settings. For this purpose, we also generalize results on completeness properties of spacetimes due to Beem and Takahashi.

As quantum computing systems continue to mature, there is an increasing need for benchmarking methodologies that capture performance in terms of meaningful, application-level metrics. In this work, we present a scalable framework for application-level quantum benchmarking that is designed to support internal system evaluation and cross-platform comparison across technology providers. Our framework is guided by a set of core principles, including measurability, simplicity, scalability, and extensibility. We present 13 benchmark families that reflect realistic workloads across multiple domains. This enables the systematic evaluation of the quality of solutions, the total execution time, total used energy, as well as Time-to-Solution. The benchmarks are designed to be reproducible, interpretable across stakeholder groups, and adaptable to evolving system capabilities. The framework aims to bridge the gap between low-level performance metrics and real-world value, providing a unified approach to assessing quantum systems. The resulting benchmarks support development and validation and contribute to the foundation of industry-wide benchmarking standards.

We present a quantum optimization framework for the Shipment Selection Problem (SSP) in electric freight logistics, developed jointly by IonQ and Einride. Idle gaps arising from stochastic shipment cancellations reduce fleet utilization and revenue; filling them optimally requires solving a combinatorial assignment problem with quadratic inter-gap dependencies. We formulate the SSP as a Mixed-Integer Quadratic Program, map it to an Ising cost Hamiltonian, and solve it using Iterative-QAOA, a non-variational warm-start extension of the Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm (QAOA) with a fixed linear-ramp parameter schedule. An end-to-end hybrid workflow integrates Einride's vehicle routing problem (VRP) solver with IonQ's quantum simulations, enabling evaluation on real, anonymized logistics data spanning up to 130 qubits. We assess solution quality through application-level performance metrics, including Shipments Delivered (SD), Schedule Compatibility Score (SCS), and Total Drive Distance (TDD). When the quantum assignment is passed to the classical solver as a warm start, the resulting hybrid workflow achieves improvements of up to 12\% in SD and a reduction of up to 6\% in total drive distance per shipment for specific instances, while total operational cost remains effectively unchanged. These results show that Iterative-QAOA can generate compatibility-aware assignments that become operationally valuable when embedded in a hybrid logistics optimization workflow.

In this paper, we study a system of bosons trapped in a confining potential, interacting with a quantized field of coherent photons in the mean field description of non-relativistic Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) obtained by [N. Leopold and P. Pickl , 2017]. We derive the effective nonlinear cascade equations governing the emission and absorption of coherent photons by the boson subsystem in a combined weak-coupling and kinetic-scaling limit. We demonstrate that solutions to this nonlinear cascade describe a monotone decreasing energy flow in the boson subsystem. Thereby, we prove that a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) forms dynamically, under conservation of the total boson $L^2$ mass. We note that this process is crucially different from thermal relaxation to the ground state, and fundamentally depends on the nonlinear nature of the cascade dynamics.

Within the effective field theory approach to gravity, deviations from general relativity can be systematically described by higher-curvature operators. However, computing the resulting corrections to black hole quasinormal mode spectra remains challenging in the rapidly rotating regime, where perturbative expansions in the spin break down. We use recently constructed numerical rotating black hole solutions to compute quasinormal mode frequency corrections at leading order in the effective field theory. Focusing on scalar perturbations, we evaluate cubic-curvature corrections, which constitute the leading modifications. We employ a pseudo-spectral collocation method to solve the resulting perturbation equations on these backgrounds, enabling accurate computation across a broad parameter range. We obtain frequency corrections for fundamental modes with $l\le5$ for all $m$, and the first overtone of $2 \le l \le 5$ modes for all $m$ for spins up to $a=0.99M$, with relative errors below $10^{-4}$. We observe that corrections to certain modes grow significantly as the spin approaches the near-extremal regime.

Dynamical decoupling techniques are widely used to characterize and control the environments of solid-state quantum defects, enabling solid-state quantum memories and nanoscale quantum sensors. However, resolution is often limited by the timing granularity of control hardware, which can undersample narrow spectral features and distort extracted parameters. Here, we demonstrate sub-nanosecond timing control on an inexpensive FPGA-based platform by extending the open-source QICK (Quantum Instrumentation Control Kit) framework using a waveform-offset method. This approach achieves an effective timing resolution of 200~ps on an RF system-on-chip device without modification to the underlying hardware. We apply this capability to dynamical decoupling spectroscopy of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond, enabling precise extraction of hyperfine couplings of individual $^{13}\mathrm{C}$ nuclear spins and resolving spectral features that are otherwise undersampled. These results demonstrate that high-resolution, device-level characterization of spin-based quantum memories can be achieved using flexible, inexpensive control hardware, providing a scalable alternative to commercial arbitrary waveform generators.

We investigate equatorial periodic orbits and their gravitational wave radiation in the spacetime of an Euler--Heisenberg (EH) black hole surrounded by perfect fluid dark matter (PFDM). The combined effects of quantum electrodynamic corrections and dark matter are incorporated through an effective metric, and the dynamics of timelike geodesics are analyzed using the effective potential formalism. We derive the conditions for marginally bound and innermost stable circular orbits, classify periodic trajectories using the rational parameter and topological indices, and identify a rich hierarchy of zoom--whirl motions in the strong-field regime. Gravitational wave signals from periodic orbits are computed using the numerical kludge method, revealing characteristic burst-like features associated with whirl phases. Our results show that perfect fluid dark matter systematically modifies the stability thresholds and suppresses the waveform amplitude, while QED corrections enhance high-frequency components generated near the horizon. These findings demonstrate that periodic orbits in the EH--PFDM spacetime provide a sensitive probe of quantum corrections and dark matter effects in strong gravitational fields.

The speed and fidelity of dispersive readout of superconducting qubits should improve by increasing the amplitude of the measurement drive. Experiments show, however, that beyond some drive amplitude there is always a saturation or drop in fidelity, often associated with a decrease in qubit energy relaxation time $T_1$. A simple Lindblad master equation does not capture the latter effect. More involved approaches based on effective master equations rely on strong assumptions about the spectra of the system and the bath and only partially agree with observations. Here, we perform a first-principles simulation of the full unitary dynamics of dispersive readout by considering the circuit QED Hamiltonian coupled to a microscopic model for the measurement transmission line, allowing for its arbitrary spectrum, including filters. Our access to the dynamics of the bath degrees of freedom allows us to investigate the emission spectrum of the system as a function of drive power. We show how the dependence of qubit $T_1$ on readout drive amplitude is sensitive to the details of the bath spectrum. In particular, we find that $T_1$ drops with increasing drive amplitude when a Purcell notch filter is placed at the qubit frequency, and that the Lindblad master equation shows general qualitative defects compared to the first-principles model.

Geometric frustration, arising from competing interactions that prevent simultaneous energy minimization, presents a fundamental challenge for variational quantum algorithms applied to quantum many-body systems. We investigate the transverse-field Ising model on a square lattice with frustrated diagonal coupling and show that geometric frustration leads to strongly inhomogeneous correlations that are difficult to capture using standard Hamiltonian-inspired ansätze with global parameters. As a result, the required circuit depth increases significantly in the intermediate-field regime. We demonstrate that this limitation is not caused by optimization difficulties such as barren plateaus, but instead arises from insufficient expressibility of the ansatz. By introducing bond-resolved variational parameters, we recover accurate results at reduced circuit depth. We also study low-energy excitations and find that near-degenerate spectra in the frustrated regime further challenge variational methods. Our results provide a clear physical explanation for the limitations of variational quantum algorithms in frustrated systems and suggest improved ansatz design strategies for quantum simulation.

We present a rigorous theoretical and observational analysis of the Hybrid $ f(Q) $ class of models by including the late-time modifying $ 1/Q $ term. After deriving strict viability conditions from the analytical expansion history, we show that preserving early-universe structure formation dictates that the linear coupling be exactly unity. This fixes the background of the Hybrid model into a geometric degeneracy with $ Λ$CDM which is confirmed explicitly through MCMC analysis with the latest background-only probes. The physical novelty of this model is manifest in the perturbation sector, where the geometric coupling breaks the background degeneracy and induces a late-time suppression of the effective gravitational constant $ G_{eff} < G_N $. Consequently, the inclusion of RSD data reveals an amplitude compensation mechanism, by which the matching of the signature $ fσ_8 $ of the data causes the clustering amplitude $ σ_8 $ to inflate under weaker gravity. Statistical model comparison through AIC/DIC demonstrates that incorporating growth data yields a moderate to weak preference for the Hybrid model keeping the background cosmology intact. This provides a physically bounded alternative to $ Λ$CDM with a falsifiable signature in the large scale structure, directly testable by the next generation of galaxy surveys.

This work investigates the performance of a Hybrid Quantum Genetic Algorithm (HQGA) compared to a classical Genetic Algorithm (GA) for solving the portfolio optimization problem. Our results indicate that the HQGA converges faster to the optimal solution than its classical counterpart, while also maintaining a higher level of population diversity throughout the optimization process. In addition, the HQGA requires significantly fewer evaluations-to-solution than a brute-force approach to reach the global optimum.

This study investigates the optical appearance of rotating scalarized Kerr-Newman black holes in the Einstein-Maxwell-scalar theory with exponential coupling. By analyzing equatorial null geodesics, these black holes are classified into six types according to the number and properties of their light rings. Combining slow-rotation analysis with full numerical ray tracing, we investigate images of black holes illuminated by a geometrically and optically thin accretion disk. Unlike the Kerr case, where the image is typically governed by a single outer photon shell and a single critical curve, scalarized Kerr-Newman black holes can develop an additional inner photon shell outside the event horizon. This extra shell gives rise to an inner critical curve inside the usual outer one, which may be absent, partial, or closed depending on the black hole parameters and the observer's inclination. Moreover, it generates new higher-order images in the region between the two critical curves, some of which exhibit crescent-like morphologies distinct from the nearly circular higher-order images familiar from Kerr black holes. These features enrich the optical appearance of scalarized black holes and could serve as distinctive observational signatures in future high-resolution observations.

We present a parametrization of density matrices (mixed states) in a finite-dimensional Hilbert space $\mathbb{C}^n$, particularly suited to the description of their time evolution as open quantum systems governed by GKLS dynamics. A generic (non-degenerate) density matrix $rho_{\mathbf{r},\pmbφ}$, characterized by $n^2-1$ real parameters, naturally decomposes into two sets: (i) an $(n-1)$-tuple $\mathbf{r}$ of spectral parameters, constrained to lie in a convex polytope, and (ii) a set of $n^2-n$ angular variables $\pmbφ$, associated with the flag manifold $\simeq \mathrm{SU}(n)/\mathbb{T}^{n-1}$, where $\mathbb{T}^{n-1}$ is the standard maximal diagonal torus, in the spirit of the Tilma--Sudarshan construction. A key observation is that the spectral parameters $\mathbf{r} = (r_1, \ldots, r_{n-1})$ admit a natural Lie-algebraic interpretation: they are precisely the simple root coordinates of the eigenvalue vector in the Cartan subalgebra of $A_{n-1} = \mathfrak{sl}(n)$, with each $r_i = p_i - p_{i+1}$ corresponding to the simple root $α_i = e_i - e_{i+1}$. The convex polytope constraining $\mathbf{r}$ is thus the positive Weyl chamber of $A_{n-1}$, and the full spectral domain $R_{n-1}$ is the corresponding weight polytope. This parametrization leads to a partial decoupling of the dynamics: the evolution of the angular variables depends on both the Hamiltonian and the dissipative part of the Lindblad generator, whereas the evolution of the spectral parameters involves only the dissipative contribution. Low-dimensional examples for $n=2$ and $n=3$ are discussed in detail, including an application to the trichromatic structure of human colour perception, and we propose an alternative definition of purity expressed solely in terms of the spectral parameters $\mathbf{r}$.

In our recent study [arXiv:2601.03407] we showed that a hybrid non-degenerate parametric amplifier could be realized for a microwave mode and an ensemble of NV-centers (or other spins) by parametrically driving the spin ensemble. The parametric driving was sinusoidal at the sum of the spin and cavities frequencies. Here we consider whether the performance of the amplifier can be improved by using a more complex drive. Employing numerical optimization, we find that the optimal driving is primarily a sum of harmonics of the sum frequency. The optimal drive, which is essentially a square wave, ramps up the amplification rate by about 40 %, while limiting the drive to four harmonics improves the amplification by about 22 %.

Disorder is ubiquitous in quantum devices including quantum probes designed and fabricated for quantum parameter estimation and sensing. We investigate the robustness of a quantum probe against the presence of glassy disorder. We define a disorder marker quantifying the effect of the disorder by expanding the quantum Fisher information in terms of different orders of the standardized central moments of the disorder-distributions. We classify the quantum probes in terms of the possible values of the disorder marker, and analytically show, for a disorder-sensitive probe with identical and weak disorder on all or a subset of the parameters of the probe-Hamiltonian, that the absolute value of the disorder marker exhibits a quadratic dependence on the disorder strength. We derive a robustness scale intrinsic to the probe that competes with the disorder, and provide a prescription for estimating the maximum disorder strength that the probe can withstand from the disorder-free probe-Hamiltonian for a given initial state of the probe, which can be computed without the disorder averaging. We demonstrate our results in the case of a single-qubit probe under disordered magnetic field, and a multi-qubit probe described by a disordered one-dimensional Kitaev model with nearest-neighbor interactions.

We investigate quantum state transfer on a class of bipartite graphs, namely the butterfly graphs, within the framework of discrete-time quantum walks. These graphs facilitate the construction of scalable quantum networks that enable communication between a sender and a receiver via perfect state transfer. Our analysis demonstrates that state transfer occurs across different butterfly graphs, thereby extending the known families of networks that support high-fidelity quantum state transfer. In addition to the ideal noiseless dynamics, we further investigate the robustness of quantum state transfer in the presence of non-Markovian environmental noise, specifically, random telegraph noise, modified Ornstein-Uhlenbeck noise, which are examples of unital noise and non-Markovian amplitude damping noise, non-unital noise. These noise models capture different types of system-environment interactions and memory effects that influence the coherence of the quantum walk. These findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of how butterfly graph constructions influence quantum transport phenomena.

Hard scattering events in high-energy collisions produce highly virtual partons that subsequently fragment into collimated hadronic cascades. When such partonic showers evolve in a QCD medium, as in deep-inelastic scattering or heavy-ion collisions, the resulting multi-particle distributions encode information about the surrounding matter. Decades of theoretical developments have led to a consistent and order-by-order improvable perturbative description of the shower. This description needs, however, the non-perturbative input that encodes the structure of the hadronic matter. The determination of such input remains challenging within conventional computational approaches, thereby limiting the applicability of the approach. In this work, we develop a framework that employs quantum simulation techniques to compute multi-particle processes in such environments by mapping partonic cross-sections to quantum circuits. As benchmarks, we analyze dipole formation and the QCD antenna radiation pattern at leading order in the strong coupling constant, comparing the results with analytic estimates in simplified limits. The quantum circuit formulation here introduced naturally extends to higher perturbative orders and enables amplitude-level computations in complex matter backgrounds. This provides a systematic foundation for applying quantum information science methods to study multi-particle dynamics in QCD media.

The prequel to this work [Ng et al., Phys. Rev. A 93, 042121 (2016)] proposes the method of spectral photon counting to enhance noise spectroscopy with an optical interferometer. While the predicted enhancement over homodyne detection is promising, the results there are derived by taking an asymptotic limit of infinite observation time; their validity for a finite time remains unclear. To validate the theory, here we perform a numerical study of a finite-time model. Assuming that the signal is an Ornstein--Uhlenbeck process with an unknown variance parameter, we evaluate the Fisher information for homodyne detection, a lower bound on the Fisher information for spectral photon counting, and a quantum upper bound, all without taking the infinite-time limit. To confirm that the Fisher-information quantities are satisfactory precision measures, we also compute the errors of the maximum-likelihood estimator by Monte-Carlo simulations. The results demonstrate that the Fisher-information quantities and the estimation errors all smoothly approach their asymptotic limits, and the advantage of spectral photon counting over homodyne detection can remain substantial for finite times.

First, we consider generalized wave and scattering operators and derive modifications of commutation relations (between scattering operators and unperturbed operators) when the corresponding deviation factors behave as $\exp\{i t {\mathcal C}_{\pm}\}$ for $t\to \pm \infty$. Then, we construct so called secondary generalized scattering operators for the related case of linear divergence in QED, which gives a positive answer (in that case) to the well-known problem of J. R. Oppenheimer regarding scattering operators in QED: "Can the procedure be freed of the expansion in $\varepsilon$ and carried out rigorously?"

Dynamic quantum circuits with mid-circuit measurement and classical feedforward are essential for near-term algorithms such as error mitigation, adaptive phase estimation, and Variational Quantum Eigensolvers (VQE), yet transpiling these programs across frameworks remains challenging due to inconsistent support for control flow and measurement semantics. We present a transpilation pipeline that converts OpenQASM 3.0 programs with classical control structures (conditionals and bounded loops) into optimized CUDA-Q C++ kernels, leveraging CUDA-Q's native mid-circuit measurement and host-language control flow to translate dynamic patterns without static circuit expansion. Our open-source framework is validated on comprehensive test suites derived from IBM Quantum's classical feedforward guide, including conditional reset, if-else branching, multi-bit predicates, and sequential feedforward, and on VQE-style parameterized circuits with runtime parameter optimization. Experiments show that the resulting CUDA-Q kernels reduce circuit depth by avoiding branch duplication, improve execution efficiency via low-latency classical feedback, and enhance code readability by directly mapping OpenQASM 3.0 control structures to C++ control flow, thereby bridging OpenQASM 3.0's portable circuit specification with CUDA-Q's performance-oriented execution model for NISQ-era applications requiring dynamic circuit capabilities.

A spectrally isolated quartet can preserve a local two-qubit description at each point in parameter space while still acquiring a loop holonomy that does not lie in the local subgroup $\U(2)\otimes\U(2)$. We demonstrate this in three localized topological settings: a BHZ ribbon, a spinful SSH chain, and a BBH corner quartet. On a given quartet, changing only the loop moves the transport between almost local and strongly entangling regimes. The clearest contrast appears in BHZ: co-rotating and counter-rotating edge-field loops carry nearly identical eigenphase data, yet the former remains almost local whereas the latter realizes an Ising-like entangler. SSH isolates the controlled-rotation mechanism in a numerically stable setting, while BBH extends the phenomenon to a higher-order corner multiplet. Standard topological diagnostics, including Berry phases, Chern numbers, determinant phases, and eigenphase spectra, do not distinguish these cases. The primary diagnostic is the distance of the loop holonomy to the extracted local subgroup; canonical two-qubit coordinates are introduced only after reduction failure has been established, in order to identify the resulting gate class. In the sense of Ref.[arXiv:2601.13764], these results provide microscopic, loop-resolved manifestations of entangling gluing.

Measurement-based quantum computation (MBQC) is a framework for quantum information processing in which a computational task is carried out through one-qubit measurements on a highly entangled resource state. Due to the indeterminacy of the outcomes of a quantum measurement, the random outcomes of these operations, if not corrected, yield a variational quantum channel family. Traditionally, this randomness is corrected through classical processing in order to ensure deterministic unitary computations. Recently, variational measurement-based quantum computation (VMBQC) has been introduced to exploit this measurement-induced randomness to gain an advantage in generative modeling. A limitation of this approach is that the corresponding channel model has twice as many parameters compared to the unitary model, scaling as $N \times D$, where $N$ is the number of logical qubits (width) and $D$ is the depth of the VMBQC model. This can often make optimization more difficult and may lead to poorly trainable models. In this paper, we present a restricted VMBQC model that extends the unitary setting to a channel-based one using only a single additional trainable parameter. We show, both numerically and algebraically, that this minimal extension is sufficient to generate probability distributions that cannot be learned by the corresponding unitary model.

In this work, we study the motion of massive test particles and the gravitational--wave emission associated with periodic trajectories around a magnetically charged black hole immersed in a \textit{Hernquist} dark matter halo. We begin by analyzing the effective potential and the conditions for stable motion, with particular attention to the marginally bound radius and the innermost stable circular orbit. Our results show that the dark matter parameters, namely the halo density and scale radius, enlarge the allowed region and generally shift the relevant characteristic radii and angular momenta toward larger values. In contrast, the magnetic charge partially counterbalances this behavior. We then examine periodic trajectories through the rational number $q$, which characterizes the relation between the azimuthal and radial frequencies, and construct representative zoom--whirl configurations together with their precessing counterparts. Finally, we investigate the imprints of dark matter and magnetic monopole charge on the gravitational--wave polarizations in the extreme mass--ratio regime.

Near-term quantum machine learning (QML) models operate in environments wherein noise is unavoidable, arising from both imperfect classical data acquisition and the limitations of noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) hardware. Although most existing studies have focused primarily on quantum circuit noise in isolation, the combined influence of corrupted classical inputs and quantum hardware noise has received comparatively little attention. In this work, we present a systematic experimental study of the robustness of a variational quantum classifier under realistic multi-level noise conditions. Using the Titanic dataset as a benchmark, a range of dataset-level noise models-including speckle noise, impulse noise, quantization noise, and feature dropout are applied to classical features prior to quantum encoding using a ZZ feature map. In parallel, hardware-inspired quantum noise channels such as depolarizing noise, amplitude damping, phase damping, Pauli errors, and readout errors are incorporated at the circuit level using the Qiskit Aer simulator. The experimental results indicate that noise in classical input data can significantly intensify the effects of quantum decoherence, resulting in less stable training and noticeably lower classification accuracy. Together, these observations emphasize the importance of designing and evaluating quantum machine learning pipelines with noise in mind, and highlight the need to consider classical and quantum noise simultaneously when assessing QML performance in the NISQ era

Implementation of high-dimensional (HD) quantum gates shows very promising perspectives for HD quantum computation. A bipartite quantum system with arbitrary dimensions $n$ and $m$ is termed a quNit-quMit. Here we propose a synthesis scheme to construct the quantum circuit for general quNit-quMit gates with controlled increment (CINC) gates and local gates. This shows that CINC gates combined with local gates form a universal gate set for HD quantum computation. An upper bound of $O(n^2)$ CINC gates is achieved for arbitrary quNit-quMit gate implementation in the proposed scheme, which is the best known result. Especially for the controlled quNit-quMit gates, our scheme requires only 2 CINC gates, whereas the previous scheme required $2n$.

We develop a semiclassical Boltzmann theory for frequency-dependent magneto-optical transport in Weyl semimetals (WSMs), incorporating momentum-dependent relaxation via a scattering matrix approach. The interplay of orbital magnetic moment, Weyl cone tilt, intervalley scattering, and electromagnetic driving is analyzed to obtain the full conductivity tensor in the presence of a static magnetic field. For untilted WSMs with orbital magnetic moment, strong intervalley scattering in the weak ac regime induces a sign reversal of the longitudinal magneto-optical conductivity (LMOC), thereby suppressing the chiral anomaly. In contrast, in the strong ac regime, intervalley scattering fails to neutralize the chiral imbalance within a driving cycle, and no sign reversal is observed. Orbital magnetic moment induces linear magnetic-field contributions, while chiral anomaly yields quadratic response accompanied by expected angular profiles. Tilt direction and orientation strongly affect LMOC such as, transverse tilt gives symmetric non-monotonic behavior, whereas parallel tilt leads to asymmetric, nearly monotonic response. Notably, negative LMOC arises intrinsically for parallel tilt, but requires orbital magnetic moment for transverse tilt. These results highlight frequency-dependent conductivity as a sensitive probe of chiral relaxation in MHz-THz magneto-optical experiments.

The evolution of a charged lepton in the field of an electromagnetic plane wave can be described as a superposition of Volkov states. Here we demonstrate that imposing specific momentum correlations among Volkov states produces a spatiotemporally structured wavepacket whose probability-density peak travels at an arbitrary, tailored velocity. This velocity can be chosen independently of both the field amplitude and the velocity expectation value. The imposed momentum correlations modify the expectation-value trajectory, providing a measurable signature of the arbitrary velocity within a physical observable.

We establish a link between different relativistic variants of the Kepler problem. In particular, we show that solutions of the special relativistic model with fixed energy can be reparameterized as solutions of a generalized Kepler equation with an additional $1/r^2$ term in the gravitational potential. This yields a dynamics of the same type as the Levi-Civita correction, up to different coefficients.

We present a hardware-validated reference dataset for variational ground-state energy calculations of the hydrogen molecule H\(_2\) on several IBM Quantum processors available in 2026. Using a standardized workflow, we benchmark the impact of shot count, backend choice, optimization strategy, and runtime variability on the achievable energy accuracy relative to exact diagonalization. The resulting dataset and analysis provide a transparent baseline for assessing the current capabilities and limitations of IBM Quantum hardware for quantum-chemistry applications, and are meant to ease the entry for new users by providing a comprehensive overview of choices and their effects as well as runtime efforts and costs that can be expected. Across the configurations studied here, circuit simplification through tapered mappings provides the most consistent accuracy gains, resilience level 1 improves accuracy at a substantial cost premium, and session-based execution yields no systematic accuracy advantage over single-job execution despite markedly higher billed time.

We propose a novel way of detecting gravitons using emission of photons from charged array of quantum harmonic oscillators placed inside of a cavity while the cavity is being pumped with low frequency photons. We observe that when the detector is in its ground state, a single graviton is absorbed by the detector while it jumps a single energy level by simultaneously emitting a photon. We also observe that while the detector de-excites from an higher energy level, it spontaneously emits a high frequency graviton, by absorbing a single photon. This analytical outcome encourages us to propose a very simple tabletop graviton detector model as the transition probabilities can be significantly enhanced by pumping photons in the initial state of the system. This mechanism gives us a physical way to `visualize' the effect of gravitons with a relativistic system.

The non-Hermitian skin effect (NHSE) refers to the accumulation of an extensive number of eigenstates at system boundaries under open boundary conditions (OBCs). As a dynamical consequence, wave packets in such systems drift and ultimately accumulate at a boundary, giving rise to the dynamical skin effect (DSE). While strong quasiperiodic potentials are known to suppress the DSE by inducing localization, we show that the introduction of Ornstein-Uhlenbeck (OU) noise unexpectedly restores it. Using perturbative analysis, we demonstrate that noise effectively maps the non-Hermitian Schrödinger dynamics onto a non-reciprocal master equation, whose complex spectrum develops a noise-induced point gap. This mechanism enables delocalization, reinstates directional transport, and revives the DSE even in regimes where the static NHSE is absent. Moreover, the relaxation dynamics exhibit a non-monotonic dependence on noise strength, reflecting a competition between noise-assisted delocalization and noise-induced decoherence. Our results uncover a noise-enabled mechanism for resurrecting the DSE and suggest a new route for controlling transport in quasiperiodic, open quantum systems.

Quantum annealing (QA) is a promising approach for solving combinatorial optimization problems; however, it is known to exhibit unfair sampling, in which degenerate ground states are not sampled with equal probability even for sufficiently long annealing times. Fair sampling is important in applications such as solution diversity assessment and combinatorial counting, yet the mechanism of unfair sampling remains poorly understood, particularly in constrained combinatorial optimization problems. In this work, we investigate unfair sampling of QA in weighted graph bipartitioning problems (GBP), a representative constrained optimization problem. We study how the penalty coefficient in the penalty method affects sampling fairness. Through numerical simulations and experiments on the D-Wave Advantage2 system, we show that increasing the penalty coefficient reduces unfair sampling in a representative single instance, and that this qualitative behavior is also observed on actual hardware. A scaling analysis over randomly generated instances with up to 12 spins reveals that, while this trend does not hold universally, more than 70% of instances exhibit monotonically increasing sampling fairness as the penalty coefficient increases, even at the largest system size studied. These results show that increasing the penalty coefficient improves sampling fairness, though at the cost of ground-state probability under practical annealing conditions, and call for a deeper theoretical understanding of unfair sampling in constrained optimization problems.

Device-independent quantum key distribution (DI-QKD) provides the highest level of cryptographic security by certifying secrecy through observed Bell inequality violations, independent of the internal device physics. However, the transition from theory to practice is obstructed by the dual challenge of closing the detection loophole and achieving viable key rates over fiber distances. In this paper, we present a comprehensive theoretical framework for DI-QKD implemented on topological Majorana Zero Mode (MZM) processors. While MZMs offer a native parity-readout basis that simplifies Bell-state measurement, their viability as QKD nodes is fundamentally constrained by the interplay between storage latency and quasiparticle poisoning. We bridge the gap between microscopic hardware noise and macroscopic security by: (i) developing a hardware-native error model that maps MZM-specific processes, including poisoning rates, braid infidelities, and readout anisotropy, directly to the CHSH Bell parameter $S$; (ii) introducing a loss-disciplined protocol that monitors setting-conditional efficiencies to strictly enforce detection-loophole closure in a heralded architecture; and (iii) providing a composable finite-size security proof based on the Entropy Accumulation Theorem (EAT). Our analysis reveals that while topological protection stabilizes the system against calibration drift, the achievable secure distance is strictly bounded by the poisoning-induced visibility collapse during the photonic round-trip time. We identify specific hardware thresholds, particularly the suppression of poisoning rates to $Γ_p τ_{\text{max}} \ll 1$ and high-fidelity sensor integration, as the critical path for viable topological quantum networks.

Recently, conjectured and verified in TIFM model that for a sudden quench within the same physical phase region, the overlap of the initial ground state with the final eigenstates is maximal for the final ground state. We solve this problem exactly for a broad class of translationally invariant free-fermion systems. For Hamiltonians that factorize into independent $2\times2$ sectors, the final ground state is uniquely maximal if and only if the initial and final sector Bloch vectors have positive dot product. This exact criterion proves the conjecture for large classes, but also shows that it is false in general: in Kitaev chains there are same-phase quenches for which the final ground state is not the maximal-overlap state. The same mechanism has a direct dynamical consequence, implying that same-phase quenches can generate DQPTs without crossing an physical phase boundary.

The efficient execution of fault-tolerant quantum algorithms is fundamentally limited by the production rate of magic states required for non-Clifford operations. While circuit optimization typically targets T-depth, static T-depth does not reliably predict executable performance under bounded T-state delivery. We introduce a model that captures demand-supply imbalance using two key quantities: slack ratio, a structural indicator of scheduling flexibility, and Delta_max, a measure of cumulative demand surplus. We show that Delta_max is a strong schedule-level indicator of execution slowdown and yields a provable lower bound on executable makespan for a fixed schedule. Empirical evaluation on constructed directed acyclic graph (DAG) families, with arithmetic circuits and exact quantum Fourier transform (QFT) traces providing additional grounding, shows that slack ratio is a stronger structural predictor than T-depth for stall and inversion risk, while Delta_max is the strongest predictor of slowdown. Across 4,904 instances, the lower bound shows zero violations, with 88.9% of cases within one cycle. These results highlight the importance of explicitly modeling delivery constraints in fault-tolerant quantum compilation.

We reveal that a fundamental minimal length naturally replaces the Schwarzschild singularity with future infinity, formalizing the ``asymptotic throat'' as a geometric inevitability. This scheme avoids the topology changes, multiple horizons, and universe towers characteristic of existing regular black hole models. We establish a general regularization framework, construct explicit examples with their physical sources, and show that the surface gravity and Hawking temperature remain unaltered. The asymptotic throat thus provides a pristine classical bedrock for future quantum gravity investigations.

Absence of thermalization after a global quantum quench is a well-established numerical observation in integrable many-body systems, and can be empirically related to a violation of the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis (ETH) in such models. Still, in many of those examples a weaker version of the conventional ETH (wETH) has been numerically reported or even rigorously proven. In this paper we show analytically and illustrate numerically that the absence of thermalization is already possible after a local quench. A closely related finding is a strong violation of the ETH, meaning that not even the wETH is fulfilled anymore. In our analytical explorations we focus on XX-spin-chain models with open boundary conditions, where the local quench is generated by initiating the system in thermal equilibrium and then suddenly switching on (or slightly changing) a single-spin impurity either at the end or in the center of the chain. Numerically we observe qualitatively similar phenomena also for more general XXZ-models in the case of an end-impurity, but not in the case of a central impurity.

We investigate the gravitational lensing of massless particles around a Kerr-Sen black hole immersed in a magnetized, cold, pressureless plasma medium. Both homogeneous and inhomogeneous plasma distributions are considered in this study to mimic realistic astrophysical environments. The light deflection angle is computed, and the effects of the black hole's rotation and charge on light bending are analyzed in detail. The conditions for the circular photon orbits are also examined in both plasma configurations. A comparison with the vacuum case (i.e. zero plasma frequency) highlights the role of plasma in modifying the light propagation, and the results obtained provide a deeper insight into plasma effects which improve our understanding of observational signatures of rotating charged black holes.

Quantum computing is increasingly offering concrete solutions toward the simulation of nuclear structure, with the potential to overcome the exponential scaling that limits classical diagonalization methods in large spaces. A particularly efficient encoding scheme, based on collective like-nucleon pairing modes, reduces the qubit requirements by half and avoids the non-local operator strings of standard fermion-to-qubit mappings. While this quasiparticle framework provides accurate results for semimagic nuclei, it does not adequately describe open-shell systems where proton-neutron correlations become important. In this work, we apply Brillouin-Wigner perturbation theory to systematically improve the quasiparticle description of open-shell nuclei in the $sd$ shell, reaching an energy relative error below $0.2\%$ compared to the nuclear shell model. Furthermore, to make the effective Hamiltonian suitable for quantum simulation, we introduce a mean-field Hartree-Fock approximation of the non-quasiparticle resolvent, achieving ground-state energies typically within $2\%$ of the exact shell-model result. This represents a systematic improvement over the bare quasiparticle Hamiltonian while remaining within the reach of near-term quantum devices.

Superconducting quantum computing is advancing toward the thousand- and even million-qubit regime, making wafer-scale fabrication an essential pathway for achieving large-scale, cost-effective quantum processors. This manufacturing paradigm imposes new requirements on quantum-chip electronic design automation (Q-EDA): design tools must not only generate layouts (GDSII files) that satisfy quantum-circuit physical constraints but also ensure that the design data can be seamlessly converted into a complete set of manufacturing files executable by a wafer foundry, thereby enabling reliable translation from design intent to physical chip. This paper focuses on this critical data-conversion pipeline and presents a systematic treatment of the Q-EDA technology stack for wafer-scale fabrication. Starting from GDSII as the single authoritative data source, we analyze the key stages including process-design-kit (PDK)-based design rule checking (DRC), layout-versus-schematic (LVS) verification, design for manufacturability (DFM) optimization, wafer layout planning, and mask data preparation (MDP). We describe the concrete architecture of a Q-EDA system, present nine quantum-specific DRC rules together with their physical underpinnings and a multi-layer process stack model, and benchmark the manufacturing data-flow coverage of mainstream Q-EDA tools. Finally, we discuss the core challenges and future directions in this field.

We present an analytically tractable model of a driven quantum harmonic emitter, such as an oscillating charged dipole, emitting radiation via resonance fluorescence. With this model we are able to characterize the quantum mechanical correlations that are built up at early times between the drive, the resonant emitter, and its fluorescence. We describe detection strategies that can reveal these quantum signatures in experiments by performing joint measurements on the quantum emitter and its fluorescence field. In particular, we show that simultaneous quantum measurements of a driven quantum emitter and its fluorescence can be used to probe the quantum noise of the driving field, relative to the maximally classical coherent state of the driving field, in short-time experiments. We conclude by discussing the applications to quantum sensing in quantum optical, quantum acoustic, and quantum gravitational scenarios of interest.

In this work, we systematically investigate the null geodesics of electrically charged black holes in a gravitational framework that incorporates Lorentz violation induced by a background Kalb-Ramond (KR) field, in the presence of perfect-fluid dark matter. The properties of the photon sphere, black hole shadow, and photon trajectories are analyzed in detail. Furthermore, to explore the combined effects of Lorentz violation and dark matter on the motion of neutral test particles, we examine the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO) in this spacetime. In addition, the epicyclic frequencies of test particles are studied to gain further insight into the dynamical behavior of particle motion around these black holes. The main analytical results are complemented by a phenomenological QPO analysis, a thermodynamic investigation, and a discussion of the sparsity of Hawking radiation, allowing us to connect optical, dynamical, and thermodynamic signatures within a single framework.

We present an analytical theory of greedy peeling decoding for bivariate bicycle (BB) codes under circuit-level noise. The deferred greedy decoder achieves 330x latency reduction over belief propagation (BP) at p = 10^{-3} while maintaining identical logical error rate. Our main theoretical contribution is a closed-form collision resolution factor A_0 = |true collisions| / |birthday collisions|, derived from XOR syndrome analysis with no free parameters, that quantifies the fraction of detector-sharing fault pairs genuinely blocking iterative peeling. For the [[144,12,12]] Gross code, A_0 = 0.8685 (within 0.5% of the empirical value), with shared-2 pairs (4-cycles) always resolving under peeling. We show A_0 depends on the mean fault-graph degree d-bar rather than code size: A_0 = 0.87 for d-bar = 52 (Gross family) versus A_0 = 0.76 for d-bar = 17 ([[32,8,6]]). We establish a syndrome code stopping distance d_S = n/4.5 for the Gross family and demonstrate that [[32,8,6]] (d_S = 4) enables two-shot streaming decoding: T = 2 rounds achieve 89% peeling success with 1.29 +/- 0.03 LER ratio versus T = 12, at estimated latency ~50 ns. The full formula P_peel = exp(-A_0 * gamma_analytic * exp(-BTp) * n * p^2) is validated across five BB codes, four noise levels, and four values of T with R^2 = 0.86. Cross-platform reproduction of the Kunlun [[18,4,4]] experiment matches their hardware LER within 0.73 percentage points.

Color centers associated with group-IV dopants in diamond with long-lived nuclear spins have emerged as major candidates for distributed quantum computing nodes and quantum repeaters. Several proof-of-principle experiments have already been demonstrated. A key operation for long-distance entanglement-distribution protocols are fast and robust gates between the electron spin and a nuclear spin. Here, we investigate numerically for an existing experimental platform of a Germanium-vacancy (GeV) center with a strongly-coupled ${}^{13}$C spin, how such gates can be implemented via quantum optimal control. In the presence of realistic noise we investigate different parameter regimes and gate operations and obtain robust two-qubit gates with fidelities exceeding $99.9 \%$. The framework provides a scalable strategy for group-IV quantum nodes and can be adapted to related architectures.

We consider symmetries and reduction in non-relativistic many-body quantum mechanics, with the aim of identifying physically meaningful observables in systems such as molecules and crystalline solids. To this end, we propose a unified framework based on two additional postulates supplementing the standard quantum-mechanical formalism. For stable systems, the physically relevant states are normalizable stationary states, while physically meaningful observables are required to be invariant under a selected subgroup of the symmetry group and under Galilean boosts. In addition, we postulate the existence of a map from the set of all observables allowed by quantum mechanics to the corresponding invariant physically meaningful observables. The originality of the present work does not lie in specific reductions, but in the unified framework that connects symmetry reduction and relational many-body quantum theory. We interpret entities like superselection rules and quantum reference frames as important parts of the postulated process of obtaining the physically meaningful relational description. In particular, the requirement of Galilean-boost invariance added strengthens the criterion for physical observability by excluding quantities that depend on the choice of inertial frame. An important consequence of the postulates is that in the considered cases every physically meaningful observable necessarily depends on more than one non-invariant observable, the latter being typically associated with degrees of freedom assigned to a single particle. The postulates thus lead to theories that are well aligned with the literature on reduction and the description of molecules, while at the same time being consistent with the relational interpretation of quantum mechanics, according to which the complete physical description of a system is defined only relative to other systems.

We develop a fidelity-informed neural pulse-compilation framework for a continuous family of single-qubit gates on a three-qubit liquid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) processor. Instead of decomposing each target unitary into a sequence of calibrated basis gates, the method learns a direct map from the axis-angle parameters of an arbitrary U_2 in SU(2) operation to a piecewise-constant radio-frequency control sequence that implements the desired transformation. Training is performed end-to-end through the time-ordered propagator of the driven Hamiltonian using global-phase-insensitive unitary fidelity as the learning signal. We show numerically that a single model generalizes across a continuous range of gate parameters and experimentally validate representative compiled pulses on a benchtop three-qubit NMR device. In addition, we analyze sensitivity to structured perturbations in Hamiltonian and control parameters by introducing a prescribed uncertainty set and performing a comparative risk-aware redesign based on right-tail Conditional Value-at-Risk (RU-CVaR). This stage produces pulse solutions with broader tolerance margins within the chosen uncertainty model. The results demonstrate continuous pulse-level gate synthesis in an experimentally accessible setting and illustrate a hardware-aware compilation strategy that can be extended to other quantum platforms. While the uncertainty model considered here is tailored to NMR, the neural compilation and risk-aware optimization framework are general and may be useful in architectures where calibration overhead, parameter drift, or control constraints make repeated per-gate optimization costly.

Accessing quantum advantage (QA) is a legitimate task in energy harvesting devices, and it is potentially reshaping thermodynamic concepts. In this respect, the resourceful quantum non-Gaussian (QNG) states are promising candidates that precisely enable universal quantum operations to enhance thermodynamic performance with capabilities beyond what Gaussian states can achieve. We recently proposed [K. Adhikary, D. W. Moore, and R. Filip, {\em Quantum Sci. Technol.} \textbf{10}, 035048 (2025)] the QNG state generation scheme, which serves as the framework for this study and is directly integrated into the battery setting to figure out QA. By leveraging coherence in the engineered QNG states, we aim to optimize the performance of quantum batteries for various Gaussian charger profiles under unitary dynamics. We further exploit the degree of thermal broadening and environmental coupling to the charger, which is capable of fostering stable performance under precise thermal management. This study provides a proof-of-concept for exploiting thermodynamic resources in quantum energy storage units.

We show that quantum computational imaging is advantageous in the setting of low-dose electron microscopy of beam-sensitive specimens. Two qudits placed near the electron beam enable full transfer of quantum information between the electron microscope and a quantum computer in the proposed scheme, providing the specimen is a phase object. We present a quantum algorithm that identifies the correct image among n candidate images, where n is larger than the effective dimension of the Hilbert space of the imaging electron.

We introduce a new type of generating theorems in General Relativity for anisotropic, static, spherically symmetric solutions of the Einstein field equations. The results are used to derive a class of solutions that can serve as new models for the interiors of compact stars. Their geometric and thermodynamic properties are studied in detail, and we show that some of the new spacetimes contain, as particular cases, other well-known solutions. Focusing on a constant-density solution, we assess the relevance of the newly found geometry as a candidate for the incompressible limit of anisotropic compact stellar objects, comparing its features with those of the Bowers-Liang spacetime.

The reliable operation of finite-time quantum heat engines is fundamentally limited by control imperfections that induce nonadiabatic phase accumulation and quantum friction, degrading the stability of the thermodynamic cycle. Traditional monitoring relies on energetic observables such as instantaneous cycle work; however, under finite-time driving, these quantities exhibit strong fluctuations, obscuring reliable single-shot fault detection without extensive statistical averaging. Here, we apply a topological data analysis (TDA)-based approach to establish a non-invasive, purely geometric framework for diagnosing control failures in finite-time quantum Otto engines. We construct time-delay embeddings from weak measurements and map the dynamics into persistent homology diagrams. We define a scalar quality index based on Wasserstein and Bottleneck distances that tracks control degradation and anticipates cyclic failure. By encoding topology via persistence images and silhouettes, we achieve highly robust classification of degraded operation across diverse noise profiles. We benchmark the TDA-based approach (topological engine monitor, TEM) against a standard multi-feature statistical baseline (spectral-statistical monitor, SSM) across progressively realistic noise settings, from global timing jitter to correlated adiabatic noise and coherence injection. We find that as noise becomes more localized and realistic, the conventional SSM approach degrades while the TEM remains robust. Finally, a pixel-wise Pearson correlation analysis reveals that the method captures microscopic signatures of quantum friction. Our results demonstrate the potential of topology-based diagnostics for non-ideal quantum thermodynamic devices.

Stationary multi-magnetometer arrays are routinely deployed in geomagnetic observatories, laboratory shielded rooms, and ground-based monitoring stations. The standard analysis pipeline reduces each sensor to an independent power spectrum, discarding any inter-sensor structure that is itself diagnostic of measurement health and of localised magnetic activity. This paper develops a purely theoretical framework for a deliberately simple visualisation that maps the short-time Fourier (STFT) power spectra of three concurrent magnetometers into the red, green, and blue channels of a single image: the \emph{cross-sensor RGB spectrogram}. Inter-sensor coherence appears as neutral grey or white, while spectral energy that is unique to one or two sensors stands out as saturated colour. We formalise the construction of the image, derive its time-frequency resolution properties, give an explicit account of the per-channel normalisation choice, and present a colour-anomaly taxonomy that distinguishes coherent broadband activity, single-sensor faults, asymmetric pairwise sources, and slow temporal drift. A companion long-window variant is described for resolving features in the ultra-low frequency (ULF) band. The construction is presented without reference to any particular dataset or implementation; it is intended as a self-contained methodological building block that can be inserted into any monitoring pipeline whose front end is a synchronously sampled magnetometer triad. Because the construction operates on scalar magnitude time series alone, it applies equally to classical fluxgate sensors and to quantum magnetometers -- optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs), nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centre arrays, and superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) -- where distinguishing quantum-limited noise from technical artefacts is a central diagnostic challenge.

We analyze a class of one-dimensional quantum systems characterized by a position-dependent kinetic term arising as the continuum limit of an inhomogeneous tight-binding model with spatially varying hopping amplitudes. In this limit, the Schrodinger equation takes the so-called BenDaniel-Duke form with an effective mass, scaling as $m_{eff}(x) = m_{eff}|x|^α$ with $α> 0$, leading to a framework we term sluggish quantum mechanics, where particle motion is progressively suppressed at larger distances. Both without any external potential and with $V_{ext}(x)=\frac{1}{2}m_{eff}ω^2 |x|^{α+2}$, we obtain the eigenfunctions and the quantum propagators exactly. We then investigate the problem of $N$ noninteracting spinless fermions in the trap, determining the many-body ground-state wavefunction and the joint probability density function of the positions of the $N$ fermions. We show that the many-body quantum probability density in the ground state forms a determinantal point process whose correlation kernel can be computed for any $N$, giving access to the average density as well as higher order correlation functions for any finite $N$. Moreover, we analyze the scaling form of this kernel in the large $N$ limit in the bulk, near the edge, and close to the origin. Our results show that the scaled average density profile for large $N$ has a finite support symmetric with respect to the origin, but has a non-monotonic shape with a vanishing minimum at the origin for any $α>0$. One of the key findings of our work is that the scaled kernel near the origin $x=0$ for $α>0$ is neither the Bessel nor the Airy kernel (that are standard for trapped fermions), but is new, and is given by a sum of two Bessel kernels with different indices. Our results thus provide a framework relevant to engineered optical lattices with position-dependent tunneling.

We investigate the sensitivity of a torsion-bar gravitational-wave detector to Yukawa-type deviations from Newtonian gravity using a differential gravitational calibrator (GCal), where two rotating mass systems cancel the leading Newtonian torque. We derive an exact expression for the residual torque and map the Yukawa signal into a strain-equivalent response in the sub-Hz band. We evaluate the sensitivity in the $(α_Y,λ)$ parameter space, finding optimal performance at scales comparable to the experimental geometry, reaching $|α_Y| = 2.4\times10^{-5}$ at $λ= 8\mathrm{m}$. The sensitivity is limited by residual Newtonian torque from imperfect cancellation rather than statistical noise, with a systematic floor reached at $T_{\rm eq} \simeq 9.25\times10^{4}\mathrm{s}$ ($\sim 26$ hours). This limit is dominated by uncertainties in the source-mass geometry. The differential configuration retains sensitivity even at large interaction ranges, enabling constraints at meter-scale distances. These results establish torsion-bar detectors as a systematics-limited probe of non-Newtonian gravity in the sub-Hz band.

Catalytic quantum error correction (CQEC) recovers quantum states via catalytic covariant transformations but requires full knowledge of the target state. We introduce \emph{blind CQEC}, which estimates the target from the noisy output alone before catalytic recovery. Five estimation strategies are benchmarked across three noise models (dephasing, depolarizing, amplitude damping), four quantum algorithms ($d = 4$--$64$), Haar-random states up to $d = 256$, and mixed-state targets with variable purity. Key results: (i)~coherence maximization achieves $ F_{ rec } > 0.95$ for $d \leq 16$ without noise-model knowledge, matching the oracle to within $4\%$; (ii)~channel inversion is required at $d = 64$ ($ F_{ rec } = 0.905$); (iii)~estimation and recovery fidelities are linearly correlated ($r > 0.99$), identifying target estimation as the sole bottleneck; (iv)~an analytical crossover dimension $d^* \approx 25$--$40$ separates noise-model-free and noise-informed regimes, bridged by a hybrid interpolation strategy; (v)~copy scaling follows $1 - F(n) \sim n^{-α}$ with $α\in [0.4, 2.2]$, spanning the statistical averaging and denoising synergy limits. Standard linear inversion tomography fails as a CQEC target estimator, validating the need for decoherence-aware strategies. An end-to-end VQE demonstration for H$_2$ shows $3.4\times$ energy-error reduction with channel-inversion blind CQEC.

This paper extends our previous work (arXiv:2504.14313) of a single timelike subregion to two, in the framework of AdS$_3$-Vaidya holography. We confirm the positivity of timelike mutual information and the statement of weak monotonicity when the subregions are non-overlapping. We also study entanglement inequalities such as Araki-Lieb inequality and strong subadditivity when the intervals start to overlap. In line with the recent findings in the literature, we provide explicit working examples showing that the timelike version of the strong subadditivity is generally violated in these setups, even though the statements of subadditivity and Araki-Lieb inequality hold true.

The search for quantum-like wave formulations of the Navier-Stokes (Schrödinger-Navier-Stokes, SNS for short) equations describing classical dissipative fluids has met with increasing attention in the recent years, due to the large portfolio of potential applications in science and engineering. A SNS formulation of classical fluids was first presented in a largely un-noticed paper by Dietrich and Vautherin back in 1985(Journal de Physique). In this paper, we revisit this specific SNS approach and assess its viability for quantum implementations based on Carleman embedding/linearization techniques. Specifically, we i) Clarify in full mathematical detail why the SNS dissipator presents a steep challenge for quantum computers and propose a way out strategy based on the Hamilton-Jacobi (HJ) formulation of fluid dynamics; ii) Develop a corresponding quantum algorithm using a new technique based on a tensor-network representation of Carleman embedding of the HJ equations (CHJ) which permits substantial memory savings; iii) Emulate the CHJ quantum algorithm on a classical computer and analyse its convergence and accuracy for the specific case of Kolmogorov-like flows at moderate Reynolds numbers. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first quantum algorithm based on a quantum-like wave formulation of the genuine Navier-Stokes equations, including pressure, dissipation and vorticity.

We present a strategy for the quantum simulation of many-body lattice models with constrained Hilbert spaces. We focus on lattice gauge theories (LGTs), which underlie a wide range of phenomena in particle physics, condensed matter, and quantum information. In present-day quantum computing platforms, perfect restrictions of the Hilbert space to the desired gauge sectors are beyond reach: for LGTs, violations of the local constraint are unavoidable, posing a formidable challenge for the emulation of the underlying physics. Here, we develop a Floquet-engineering framework that restructures departures from a target sector such that a series of emergent local symmetries occurs hierarchically in time and in a controllable way. This leads to a set of approximate dynamical selection rules that strongly restrict inter-sector couplings, resulting in a pronounced, symmetry-controlled hierarchy of lifetimes for the state population to spread among sectors. Concretely, this protects $U(1)$ LGTs against violations of the {defining} local symmetry. While some sectors remain very long-lived, others are destabilized on shorter timescales. We numerically verify our theory for the one-dimensional $U(1)$ quantum link model. In addition, we reveal that `defects', whose movement accounts for violations of the gauge constraint, are kinetically constrained, becoming mobile only through the assistance of intra-sector dynamics, which we describe using an effective quantum marble model. Our results can thus be used to extend the lifetime, in the spirit of passive error correction, of quantum simulations of complex many-body problems when emergent or desired local symmetries are only implemented approximately.

We derive an upper bound on the maximum balanced bipartite entanglement entropy of ground states of many-body Hamiltonians defined on a graph, agnostic to any particular model, that possesses a nontrivial automorphism group. We show that the entropy is bounded by the logarithm of a weighted sum of multiplicities of irreducible representations of the bipartition-preserving automorphism subgroup. This bound complements the known degeneracy-based bound, with neither universally dominating the other. For the complete graph $K_n$, the new bound yields an exponential improvement from linear to logarithmic scaling in the system size, consistent with the exact value of the entropy.

Most quantum machine learning (QML) pipelines still rely on static encodings such as angle and amplitude maps, and this limits their ability to handle temporal information. To address this limitation, this paper uses spike-based data representation as an effective encoding mechanism that incorporates temporal structure into quantum feature preparation. Specifically, we propose Spiking-Phase Adaptive Temporal Encoding (SPATE), a novel spike-driven temporal encoding method that converts real-valued tabular features into leaky integrate-and-fire spike trains and maps spike statistics to quantum rotations, augmented with a small set of temporal qubits through controlled phase operations. An encoding-centric evaluation protocol is also introduced to assess representation quality independently of the classifier, covering centered kernel-target alignment (CKTA), Fisher-style separability, inter/intra-class distance ratios, silhouette score, normalized entropy, and pairwise total-variation (TVpair) collapse indicators. Under stratified cross-validation, SPATE yields stronger representations across multiple datasets. For example, SPATE reaches a CKTA of 0.966 and a Fisher score of 7.37 on Blobs, compared with a CKTA of 0.632 and a Fisher score of 0.70 using angle encoding, and achieves a CKTA of 0.506 on Moons, compared with 0.015 using angle or amplitude encoding. These gains translate into stronger hybrid quantum neural network performance within a fixed qubit budget across several tasks, including an accuracy of 0.826 and an AUC of 0.978 for Wine, as well as an accuracy of 0.840 and an AUC of 0.923 for Moons. These results demonstrate that SPATE provides a practical spike-to-phase interface for building more informative quantum feature representations under constrained resources.

Lattice quasi-periodicity is easily realized with ultracold atoms in optical lattices and has been used to study delocalization-localization transition at low dimensions. Models with true disorder, however, remains largely unrealized in experiments. Here, using Bose-Einstein Condensate of ${^{87}{\text{Rb}}}$ atoms, we realize a Generalized Aubry-André (GAA) chain with added hopping disorder in a Momentum Space Lattice (MSL) via multiple Bragg diffractions. Unlike real space lattice simulators, MSL allows simulations of arbitrary disorder configurations and control over spatial disorder correlations. Uncorrelated hopping disorder added to the AA model enhances localization in all phases, smoothening the transition into a crossover between weakly and strongly localized regimes. On the other hand, numerical analysis shows that, spatially correlated hopping disorder induces partial delocalization of localized states in the vicinity of strong hopping bonds. Over a range of disorder strengths and correlations, the experimental results agree quantitatively with the numerical simulation of the dynamics in MSL. Ability of the platform to resolve correlation-dependent dynamical features in dynamics reflects the precision achieved in the realization. Our results demonstrate MSL as a viable platform for studying general disordered quantum systems beyond quasiperiodic systems.

We construct a class of quantum many-body systems hosting an $\mathfrak{su}(3)$-invariant scar subspace, extending the conventional paradigm of quantum many-body scars beyond equally spaced spectra and single-directional tower structures. Our construction is based on local constraints that realize an algebraic closure within the scar subspace. As a result, the spectrum in the subspace is no longer equally spaced, but instead forms a multidirectional lattice structure parametrized by multiple independent quantum numbers. This leads to qualitatively new dynamical signatures: instead of single-frequency revivals, the system exhibits multifrequency oscillations governed by integer linear combinations of distinct energy scales. Importantly, the stability of the scar subspace does not rely on exact solvability of individual eigenstates. We show that algebraic closure preserves the invariant subspace even under perturbations that render the eigenstates analytically intractable, thereby realizing quantum many-body scars on an unsolvable reference state. Our results identify algebraic closure as a unifying mechanism underlying scar subspaces beyond the conventional $\mathfrak{su}(2)$ paradigm, and open a route toward richer nonthermal dynamics in nonintegrable quantum systems.

The quantum computing community is increasingly positioning quantum processors as accelerators within classical HPC workflows, analogous to GPUs and TPUs. However, many real-world applications require scaling to hundreds or thousands of physical qubits to realize logical qubits via error correction. To reach these scales, hardware vendors employing diverse technologies -- such as trapped ions, photonics, neutral atoms, and superconducting circuits -- are moving beyond single, monolithic QPUs toward modular architectures connected via interconnects. For example, IonQ has proposed photonic links for scaling, while IBM has demonstrated a modular QPU architecture by classically linking two 127-qubit devices. Using dynamic circuits, Bell-pair-based teleportation, and circuit cutting, they have shown how to execute a large quantum circuit that cannot fit on a single QPU. As interest in quantum computing grows, cloud providers must ensure fair and efficient resource allocation for multiple users sharing such modular systems. Classical interconnection of QPUs introduces new scheduling challenges, particularly when multiple jobs execute in parallel. In this work, we develop a multi-programmable scheduler for modular quantum systems that jointly considers qubit mapping, parallel circuit execution, measurement synchronization across subcircuits, and teleportation operations between QPUs using dynamic circuits.

We present a directional-transport (DT)-based remote CZ gate and compiler for zoned neutral-atom arrays that overcomes movement-bound entanglement limitations. Current AOD-based shuttling faces row/column non-crossing constraints, device-speed limits, and hardware-restricted range - bottlenecks for long-distance connectivity. Our approach reserves AODs for channel setup and micro-tuning while making DT the default for remote entanglement. Under antiblockade, a detuning-modulated pi-pulse sequence drives directional transport of a Rydberg excitation along a dynamic and resettable ancilla corridor, realizing a CZ gate between stationary, non-adjacent qubits. This cuts entangling-stage duration by approximately 50 to 90 percent versus AOD-only baselines and enables long-distance connectivity beyond objective-limited shuttling.

The finite-cutoff disk amplitude of Jackiw-Teitelboim (JT) gravity is known from closed-channel spectral methods and finite-cutoff trumpet/cap gluing, while its complete open-channel operator formulation has remained incomplete. In this paper, we provide an operator-level open-channel closure of this known result. More precisely, we separate the data imported from finite-cutoff geometry -- the rigid length --momentum kernel, the disk-trumpet gluing relation, and hence the target cap overlap -- from the structures derived within the parity-even auxiliary problem, namely the Neumann vacuum sector, the generalized eigenbasis, and the branch-projecting spectral functional. When these ingredients are combined, the known finite-cutoff disk amplitude is reproduced as a boundary-state matrix element. We further show that the induced finite-cutoff geodesic sector is bandlimited and therefore admits sampled and branch-doubled discrete representations of the same physical sector, rather than an independent microscopic lattice model. Finally, we show that the resulting compact-support branch-difference amplitude is not the ordinary thermal trace of any single lower-bounded self-adjoint $β$-independent Hamiltonian.

Free-fall atom interferometers offer a powerful platform for accurate, absolute gravitational sensing. Szigeti et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 100402 (2020)] recently proposed a quantum-enhanced scheme that uses a spin-squeezed Bose-Einstein condensate as an input state to improve the phase sensitivity of the interferometer. The spin squeezing, generated via one-axis twisting interactions, was limited by condensate expansion. Here we present an improved state preparation in which a sudden trapping potential -- a delta kick -- is initially applied to focus the condensate. The resulting increase in density enhances the one-axis-twisting interactions and produces greater spin squeezing. Using multimode truncated-Wigner simulations, we quantify the performance of the interferometer and find that, for an optimal kick strength, the phase sensitivity surpasses the standard quantum limit by a factor of $\sim 20$. This represents a fourfold improvement over the original scheme without the delta kick and is well captured by a two-mode approximation.

Deep neural networks remain highly vulnerable to adversarial perturbations, limiting their reliability in security- and safety-critical applications. To address this challenge, we introduce QShield, a modular hybrid quantum-classical neural network (HQCNN) architecture designed to enhance the adversarial robustness of classical deep learning models. QShield integrates a conventional convolutional neural network (CNN) backbone for feature extraction with a quantum processing module that encodes the extracted features into quantum states, applies structured entanglement operations under realistic noise models, and outputs a hybrid prediction through a dynamically weighted fusion mechanism implemented via a lightweight multilayer perceptron (MLP). We systematically evaluate both classical and hybrid quantum-classical models on the MNIST, OrganAMNIST, and CIFAR-10 datasets, using a comprehensive set of robustness, efficiency, and computational performance metrics. Our results demonstrate that classical models are highly vulnerable to adversarial attacks, whereas the proposed hybrid models with entanglement patterns maintain high predictive accuracy while substantially reducing attack success rates across a wide range of adversarial attacks. Furthermore, the proposed hybrid architecture significantly increased the computational cost required to generate adversarial examples, thereby introducing an additional layer of defense. These findings indicate that the proposed modular hybrid architecture achieves a practical balance between predictive accuracy and adversarial robustness, positioning it as a promising approach for secure and reliable machine learning in sensitive and safety-critical applications.

Uncertainty quantification (UQ) is essential for deploying machine learning models in safety-critical physical systems, yet classical Bayesian approaches incur substantial computational overhead. We establish a formal connection between Born-rule measurement statistics from variational quantum circuits (VQCs) and Bayesian posterior uncertainty, proving that repeated quantum measurements naturally produce calibrated prediction intervals without requiring explicit Bayesian neural network (BNN) machinery. We demonstrate this framework on physics-constrained VQCs trained on PDE residuals. Systematic experiments comparing quantum shot-based UQ against MC Dropout and Deep Ensemble baselines show that quantum UQ achieves coverage probabilities within 1-3% of target confidence levels at N >= 5000 shots, while MC Dropout systematically over-covers by 4-5%. Physics-constrained circuits reduce the expected calibration error (ECE) by 34-40% compared to unconstrained counterparts, with interval widths 14-30% narrower at equivalent coverage. Information-theoretic analysis reveals that quantum circuits extract ~15% more bits of UQ information per evaluation than MC Dropout and ~42% more than Deep Ensembles (M = 10), owing to the exponential Hilbert space accessible through Born-rule sampling. These results establish quantum measurement statistics as a principled, computationally efficient framework for uncertainty quantification in physics-informed learning.

Two-photon interference effects arise because photons are indistinguishable particles. In the wellknown Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) effect, the transmission of two photons at a beam splitter interferes destructively with the reflection of both photons, requiring both photons to "bunch up" by leaving the beam splitter on the same side. Here, we show that the interference between locally propagating photons and photons exchanged by a mode swap can be implemented by post-selecting spatially separated photon outputs of a four-path interferometer. Even though the photons detected at spatially separated locations must have travelled along paths that never met up at the same beam splitter, the Hong-Ou-Mandel effect can be observed in correlations between the output ports that originate from the association of detection events with non-local output modes defined by the two single photon inputs. Local phase shifts can be used to map out non-classical correlations between the photons detected at different output locations, clarifying the role of linear optics in generating entanglement between spatially separated photons. Our work thus establishes a fundamental relation between multiphoton interference and entanglement, opening the door to new possibilities in optical quantum technologies.

Differential privacy is a mathematical notion of data privacy that has fast become the de facto standard in privacy-preserving data analysis. Recently a lot of work has focused on differential privacy in the quantum setting. Continuing on this line of study, we investigate how to answer counting queries on a quantum encoded dataset with differential privacy. An example of a counting query is ``How many people in the dataset are over the age of 25 and with a university education?'' Counting queries form the most basic but nonetheless rich set of statistics extractable from a dataset. We show that answering these queries on a quantum encoded dataset reduces to measuring the amplitude of one of two orthogonal states. We then analyze the differential privacy properties of two algorithms from literature to measure amplitude: one which performs repeated measurements in the computational basis, and the other which utilizes the classic amplitude estimation algorithm. For the first technique, we prove privacy results for the case of counting queries that improve on previously known results on general queries, and show that the mechanism in fact \emph{amplifies} privacy due to inherent randomness. For the second method, we derive a tight bound on maximum possible change in the amplitude if we add or remove a single item in the dataset, a quantity called global sensitivity which is central in making an algorithm differentially private. We then show a differentially private version of the amplitude estimation algorithm for counting queries. We also discuss how these methods can be outsourced to a quantum server to blindly compute counting queries with differential privacy.

Hyperentangled states are fascinating resources in quantum information processing as they can significantly increase the channel capacity and enhance noise resistance. We explore a hyperfusion mechanism to fuse one n photon hyper-W state and one m-photon hyper-W state into a large-scale (n+m-2)-photon hyper-W state. Another mechanism to fuse one n-photon hyper-W state, one m-photon hyper-$W$ state, and one $t$-photon hyper-W state into an (n+m+t-3)-photon hyper-W state is also proposed. These two hyperfusion mechanisms are constructed employing only polarizing beam splitters, balanced beam splitters, half-wave plates, single-photon detectors, and cross-Kerr nonlinearities. Conditional quantum gates, path couplers, and ancillary photons are not required in our constructions. Moreover, our fused $W$ states are hyperentangled in the polarization and spatial degrees of freedom of single-photon systems. The presence of only one garbage output state demonstrates that high efficiency can be achieved in our schemes.

An anisotropic Bianchi type I cosmological model with power-law scalar-field potentials of the form $V(ψ_1,ψ_2)=V_1ψ_1^{\pmλ_1}+V_2ψ_2^{\pmλ_2}$ is studied within a generalized Sáez--Ballester--K-essence-like theory involving standard kinetic terms and a mixed coupling contribution. In order to solve the corresponding field equations, for negative sign case, the mixed term introduces an essential constraint on the associated parameter, which yields relevant contributions to quintessence, quintom, and phantom scenarios in the context of primordial inflation. Exact solutions for these regimes are obtained through an appropriate change of variables. It is shown that the volume function of the universe derived from the present power-law scalar potential coincides with that obtained from exponential scalar potentials in standard chiral multifield cosmology, while the scalar fields remain dynamically present throughout the cosmic evolution.

We show that a relative holographic energy coincides with the relative Hamiltonian energy.

The computational demands of deep learning motivate the investigation of alternative approaches to computation. One alternative is physical neural networks~(PNNs), in which learning and inference are performed directly via physical processes. Stochastic PNNs arise when the underlying neurons are realized by the dynamics of a stochastic activation switch. Here we propose novel electronic and photonic stochastic neurons. The electronic realization is implemented by single-electron tunneling through a quantum dot. The photonic realization is implemented via a single-photon source driving one of two modes coupled via a controllable beam-splitter-like interaction. In the electronic case, the charge state of the quantum dot forms the basis for the stochastic neuron, whereas in the photonic case the occupation of the undriven mode serves as the basis for the stochastic neuron. Training of stochastic PNNs is performed with models of stochastic neurons, as well as with coherently-driven, single-photon detector stochastic neurons previously introduced. Several training strategies for MNIST handwritten digit classification have been investigated using single-hidden-layer stochastic PNNs, including varying the number of trials in each layer to control forward pass stochasticity and employing either true probability or empirical outputs in the backward pass to evaluate their influence on gradient estimation. We show that when empirical outputs are used in the backward pass, the network achieves more than 97\% test accuracy with few trials per layer. Despite the simplicity of the model architecture, high test accuracy is maintained in the presence of a high degree of noise and model uncertainty. The results demonstrate the potential of embracing stochastic PNNs for deep learning.

We study massive scalar quasinormal spectra of charged Einstein--Maxwell--dilaton black holes by combining high-order WKB--Padé calculations with time-domain evolution. The two approaches show close agreement in the regime where both methods are reliable, allowing controlled tracking of spectral trends across different charges and dilaton couplings. We find that increasing scalar-field mass can strongly suppress damping for several branches, signaling an approach to quasi-resonant, very long-lived oscillations. Although WKB is not expected to determine modes extremely close to the real-frequency axis with high precision, the onset of this regime is clear and appears for multiple dilaton couplings, with additional near-resonant behavior in lower-multipole sectors. The dilaton-induced shifts are substantially larger than the estimated numerical uncertainty, indicating that quasi-resonances are a robust physical signature relevant for ringdown spectroscopy in scalar-extended gravity.

We study analytic properties of thermal spectral functions of holographic CFTs, examining both their (a) exact properties at finite momentum and (b) asymptotics at large momentum. For even-dimensional holographic CFTs on Minkowski spacetime and for scalar primaries with integer dimensions, we demonstrate that the exact spectral function at finite momentum factorizes into a perturbative/OPE piece and a non-perturbative piece. The former is controlled by stress tensor exchange and fixed by a near-boundary analysis. The latter encodes information about the bulk interior, including the black hole horizon and singularity. Utilizing the exact factorization, we obtain the full transseries expansion of the non-perturbative piece at large timelike momentum. This is achieved by employing exact WKB techniques to compute the monodromy of the bulk wave equation. Finally, we use these results to work out the singular loci of a spatially averaged thermofield double correlator in the complex time plane. These singular loci have been argued to provide imprints of the black hole curvature singularity in the dual CFT observables. Our result, which includes the case of non-vanishing momentum, gives a clear link between the non-perturbative spectral function and the black hole singularity.

We study the geodesic motion and epicyclic oscillations of massive test particles around a static, spherically symmetric black hole (BH) solution of the Einstein--Skyrme (ES) theory in Anti-de Sitter (AdS) spacetime. The lapse function of this BH depends on the Skyrme coupling $η$, a charge-like parameter $Q$ inherited from the Skyrme term, and the cosmological constant $Λ<0$. We first map out the horizon structure and identify three regimes-non-extremal BH (NEBH), extremal BH (EBH), and naked BH (NBH)-showing that the NEBH $\to$ EBH $\to$ NBH transition is governed by $Q$ rather than $η$, which enters $f(r)$ only as a constant shift. We then derive the effective potential (EP), locate the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO), and compute the radiative efficiency, finding that $\mathcal{E}_{\rm ISCO}>1$ in AdS renders the standard Novikov-Thorne formula negative. The corrected radial epicyclic frequency $Ω_r$ reveals a distinctive AdS signature: $ν_r$ grows at large $r$ and overtakes the orbital frequency $ν_φ$, causing the periastron precession frequency $ν_p = ν_\varphi - ν_r$ to change sign-a feature absent in asymptotically flat geometries. Adopting the relativistic precession (RP) model for quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs), we perform a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) analysis using twin-peak QPO data from XTE~J1550-564, GRO~J1655-40, Sgr~A$^*$, and M82~X-1. The posteriors converge to $Q\approx 0.6$ across all sources, with orbital radii near $r\approx 4.2\,M$ and masses consistent with independent estimates, demonstrating that the ES-AdS BH accommodates the observed frequency pairs within physically motivated parameter ranges.

This work develops a symplectic framework for quantum computing to be applied to classical Hamiltonian systems, exploiting the intrinsic geometric compatibility between unitary quantum evolution and symplectic phase-space dynamics in a two-fold way. The first part is devoted in establishing an exact correspondence between quantum evolution and classical Hamiltonian flow on a Kahler manifold. This correspondence enables a geometric quantization scheme that identifies a family of classical Hamiltonian systems admitting exponentially compressed quantum representations-appropriate for quantum simulation. In the second part we demonstrate that Liouville-integrable Hamiltonian dynamics induce finite-dimensional unitary evolution through action-angle variables and Koopman-von Neumann encoding. This allows efficient quantum representation and parallel evolution of large phase-space ensembles, where entangled encodings provide exponential compression in ensemble size and enable quantum speed-ups in observable estimation via amplitude estimation techniques. For non-integrable systems, Lie canonical perturbation theory is incorporated to construct near-symplectic transformations that map dynamics to approximately integrable forms, preserving unitary evolution up to a controlled error. We derive the resulting quantum computational complexity of the proposed quantum-symplectic scheme, revealing both an exponential compression in memory requirements and a potential polynomial speed-up with respect to the system size. Finally, the transport evolution equation governing the quantum phase-space observables is obtained.

We derive a bound on the efficiency of thermal engines that can be sharper than Carnot's limit. It is a function of statistical correlations between the engine internal state and Hamiltonian, can be saturated even in finite-time cycles, and applies to both classical and quantum engines. Specifically, the bound establishes the exact maximal efficiency of engines operating with multiple baths, tightening the upper limit set by Carnot's theorem. Then, we show that an engine made of a quantum dot coupled with fermionic baths can achieve the bound, even when operating beyond the quasistatic regime. The result provides a design principle for realistic energy harvesting machines.

We investigate the dissipative dynamics of compact binary systems within the framework of Einstein-Maxwell theory. By evaluating the mass and electric multipole moments of binaries, we compute the combined gravitational and electromagnetic radiation fluxes to the next-to-leading order. Using the flux balance equation, we obtain the evolution of the orbital angular frequency for quasi-circular inspirals. We further analyze the stability of circular orbits in charged black hole binaries and assess how different charge-to-mass ratios affect the inspiral dynamics.

We present an analytical study of the relativistic quantum Otto cycle driven by a time-dependent harmonic oscillator. By imposing an asymmetry on the two adiabatic processes of this cycle, we obtain distinct scenarios of sudden compression and sudden expansion, and analyze how asymmetry affects the performance of the relativistic quantum Otto engine. By leveraging the Omega function as a unified performance metric, we analytically characterize the efficiency in both scenarios. Our findings demonstrate that the efficiency approaches unity in the sudden compression case, while it is restricted to one-half for the sudden expansion case. Furthermore, we investigate the impact of increasing oscillator velocity on the extracted work and identify parameter regimes where either sudden compression or sudden expansion dominates. Additionally, we examine the optimal operating point using parametric efficiency-work plots, whose loop-shaped structure shows that increasing oscillator velocity enhances both work output and efficiency. Finally, through a detailed phase diagram analysis of the Otto cycle, we observe that the operational region corresponding to the engine mode expands with increasing oscillator velocity, while the refrigeration regime shrinks correspondingly.

Classical reaction dynamics suggests transport through an index-1 saddle is organized not just by flux, but by local symplectic width scales of bounded proxy neighborhoods near the bottleneck. We investigate if a related geometric effect appears in the quantum regime for highly squeezed Gaussian wavepackets. Building on de Gosson's symplectic approach, we analyze how transverse bath-mode squeezing modifies transmission across a quantum normal-form (QNF) bottleneck. To avoid the instability of propagating states with extreme phase-space eccentricity, we use the Weyl-symbol formulation of the QNF. For the quadratic saddle-center model, we derive an exact baseline transmission formula by convolving the bath's squeezed-state number distribution with the 1D Kemble transmission factor. For anharmonic truncated QNF models, we enforce strict algebraic energy conservation and evaluate exact Gaussian expectation-value diagnostics of the Weyl symbol via Wick-Isserlis moment formulas. Results reveal a pronounced squeeze-induced suppression of transmission. As the squeezed state's bath-plane geometric scale grows relative to the classical candidate width, the expected bath action grows rapidly. Consequently, effective reactive energy is strongly depleted, driving transmission into a severely suppressed regime. We interpret this as evidence of a quantum geometric suppression mechanism consistent with the classical candidate symplectic-width picture. While not yet a rigorous quantum non-squeezing theorem, this work provides a concrete framework linking squeezed-state covariance geometry, normal-form action scales, and mode-specific quantum reactivity near an index-1 saddle.

H-EFT-VA established a physics-informed solution to the Barren Plateau (BP) problem via a hierarchical EFT UV-cutoff, guaranteeing gradient variance in Omega(1/poly(N)). However, localization restricts the ansatz to a polynomial subspace, creating a reference-state gap for states distant from |0>^N. We introduce Adaptive H-EFT-VA (A-H-EFT) to navigate the trainability-expressibility tradeoff by expanding the reachable Hilbert space along a safe trajectory. Gradient variance is maintained in Omega(1/poly(N)) if sigma(t) <= 0.5/sqrt(LN) (Theorem 1). A Safe Expansion Corollary and Monotone Growth Lemma confirm expansion without discontinuous jumps. Benchmarking across 16 experiments (up to N=14) shows A-H-EFT achieves fidelity F=0.54, doubling static H-EFT-VA (F=0.27) and outperforming HEA (F~0.01), with gradient variance >= 0.5 throughout. For Heisenberg XXZ (Delta_ref=1), A-H-EFT identifies the negative ground state while static methods fail. Results are statistically significant (p < 10^-37). Robustness over three decades of hyperparameters enables deployment without search. This is the first rigorously bounded trajectory through the VQA landscape.

Quantum circuit cutting enables near-term quantum devices to execute workloads exceeding their qubit capacity by decomposing circuits into independently runnable fragments. While this extends computational reach, it creates a previously unexplored confidentiality surface: the fragment-level execution transcript observable by a semi-honest cloud provider. We formalise this surface and demonstrate that post-cut transcripts constitute a practical metadata side channel. Operating solely on provider-visible compiled circuit metadata (fragment width, depth, and two-qubit gate count), we evaluate a structured inference attack across six classification objectives spanning algorithm identity, cut mechanism, and coarse Hamiltonian structure. Our corpus comprises 1,200 circuit fragments across eight algorithm families transpiled against three hardware topologies, validated on a 156-qubit production quantum computer confirming that QPU execution time remains invariant across a 25x variation in compiled depth. Under strict instance-disjoint generalisation, our attack recovers algorithm family with 0.960 accuracy (AUC 0.999), cut mechanism with 0.847 accuracy (AUC 0.924), and Hamiltonian k-locality with 0.960 accuracy (AUC 0.998). Connectivity and geometry inference achieve AUC of 0.986 and 0.942 with strong stability under size-holdout. Topology inference remains above chance (AUC 0.666). A matched-footprint control and ablation study confirm leakage is structure-dominated and not explained by scale artefacts. These results demonstrate that circuit cutting is not confidentiality-neutral and that metadata leakage should be treated as a first-class security concern in quantum cloud systems.

We investigate how the junction law for multipartite entanglement is realized in confining holographic backgrounds, using genuine multi-entropy (GM) as our main diagnostic. We first study an AdS$_3$ hard-wall toy model as an analytic benchmark, where multi-way cuts and junction geometries can be analyzed explicitly. In this setup, we classify the relevant saddles, determine the dominant phases, and show that the genuinely multipartite contribution diagnosed by GM is localized near the junction. We also examine how this structure depends on subsystem sizes, asymmetry, and the confinement scale, including phase transitions between competing saddles. We then move beyond the hard-wall benchmark to smooth confining geometries, focusing on the D4-soliton and D3-soliton backgrounds and formulating the corresponding framework also for the Klebanov--Strassler background. In the smooth-cap examples, we find that the junction picture persists, while the detailed phase structure differs from the hard-wall case: in particular, the hard-wall plateau does not survive, and GM instead decreases monotonically and vanishes at a finite critical scale. We also find that the short-distance behavior is background-dependent, with $\mathrm{GM}^{(3)}\sim L^{-4}$ in the D4-soliton background, $\mathrm{GM}^{(3)}\sim L^{-2}$ in the D3-soliton background, and $\mathrm{GM}^{(3)}\sim L^{-2}\cdot (\log L)^{2}$ in the Klebanov--Strassler background. These results clarify which features of the junction-law picture are robust in confining holography and which features of the phase structure and short-distance scaling are background-dependent.

This study examines the combined effect of electric charge and Lorentz symmetry breaking (LSB) on the observables of strong gravitational lensing (SGL) and the dynamics of quasiperiodic oscillations (QPOs) around an electrically charged, Lorentz symmetry-violating (LV) black hole (QKR BH). We first explore the SGL, which unravels an interesting effect that the two combined generate. We find cases where the competing effect of charge and LV cancels each other, leaving the underlying quantity unchanged from that of a \s BH. We find bounds on the LV parameter utilizing observations related to the shadow angular size of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) $M87^*$ and $SgrA^*$. No bound could be gleaned for the charge from these shadow observations. Observations of QPOs in microquasars provide an alternative method to probe our model and to extract bounds on its parameters. We use experimental data for the microquasars $GRO J1655-40$ and $XTE J1550-564$. Here we obtain bounds on both parameters. Our results provide deeper insights into the interplay between charge and LSB in the strong-gravity regime.

The hypothesis that disentanglement spontaneously occurs in quantum systems is motivated by some outstanding issues in the foundations of quantum mechanics. However, for some cases, spontaneous disentanglement enables the violation of the causality principle. To mitigate the conflict with causality, a formulation for the hypothesis, which is based on the maximum entropy principle, is proposed. The method of Lagrange multipliers is implemented to ensure consistency with causality. The proposed formulation is applicable for any quantum system having a Hilbert space of finite dimensionality.

Accurately evaluating finite-temperature properties of quantum many-body systems remains a central challenge. Many existing quantum approaches typically require thermal-state preparation at each target temperature, making low-temperature calculations especially demanding in terms of circuit depth and accuracy. Here we introduce a distinct framework based only on the real-time overlap sequence $g_n=\langle φ|e^{-inτH}|φ\rangle$, which enables thermodynamic quantities to be obtained over a broad temperature range, without specifying a target temperature on the quantum device. For the one-dimensional spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ Heisenberg model with periodic boundary conditions, we obtain accurate specific heat, magnetic susceptibility, and entropy in the noiseless case. Magnetic susceptibility is also evaluated accurately without explicit symmetry-sector decomposition by employing pseudorandom vectors compatible with $S_{\mathrm{tot}}^{z}$ conservation. With suitable stabilization, the method further retains the main thermodynamic features under finite-shot statistical errors up to $σ\sim10^{-3}$. Our results establish real-time-overlap-based finite-temperature evaluation as a promising framework for finite-temperature computation on near-future quantum hardware.

Based on the Rényi entropy, Rényi holographic dark energy has been proposed to explain the current accelerated expansion of the universe. In this paper, we analyze holographic inflation and slow-roll inflation within the framework of RHDE. Our results show that holographic inflation is ruled out by ACT DR6, while the slow-roll inflation with the power-law potential $V_{0}φ^{n}$ is favored by ACT DR6 for the cases $n=0.2$ and $0.3$, with $N$ in the range of $50$ to $55$. These findings suggest that RHDE provides a viable framework for slow-roll inflation while disfavoring the holographic inflation scenario.

In [\href{https://quantum-journal.org/papers/q-2022-12-07-872/}{Quantum 6, 872, 2022}], Linden and de Wolf proposed a lightweight protocol for verifying the average-case correct behavior of the quantum Fourier transform (QFT). They proved that good average-case QFT performance suffices for good worst-case performance in several quantum tasks. Here we provide another application of this worst-case-to-average-case reduction, using a strengthened Linden-de Wolf protocol. We show that, across three distinct scenarios, the Harrow-Hassidim-Lloyd algorithm can be executed with provably good worst-case performance, assuming only that the QFT is correct on average.

Equilibrium quantum phase transitions profoundly reshape the ground state of light-matter systems, yet, the resulting quantum correlations, such as squeezing and entanglement, remain experimentally inaccessible since they involve virtual ground state excitations. We investigate how nonadiabatic modulation of a Hamiltonian parameter can convert these virtual excitations into real photons, enabling quantum vacuum radiation. We show that proximity to the critical point strongly enhances the emitted photon flux and the non-classical nature of the emitted radiation, even when thermal fluctuations are expected to dominate. In addition, higher-order processes become relevant even for small modulation amplitudes, and we develop a framework that systematically incorporates them. Our results reveal that criticality can act as an efficient amplifier of vacuum fluctuations, offering new routes to probe and exploit quantum critical ground states.

This is the text for a one quarter or one semester undergraduate course on quantum computing that has been given at the University of California Santa Cruz. It is intended for students in the physical sciences who have already studied linear algebra (though a review of this topic is given in the course). No prior knowledge of quantum mechanics is required. The most important topics covered are Shor's algorithm and an introduction to quantum error correction. Most of the text is a build-up to these topics.

Motivated by the limited understanding of entanglement entropy in non-asymptotically AdS spacetimes, we develop a framework in which a circular string is embedded as a quantum probe in a spherically symmetric curved spacetime, and its quadratic fluctuations are quantized using the squeezed-state formalism. This construction naturally yields two mode quantum states and the associated von Neumann entropy, providing a direct measure of particle antiparticle entanglement. The resulting entanglement serves as an effective probe of the underlying geometry, granting access to intrinsic features that are not readily captured by classical observables such as geodesic motion. As a concrete application, and as representative toy models of spacetimes with topological defects, including wormhole geometries, we investigate backgrounds with topological charge, focusing on global monopole and monopole wormhole configurations. We show that the entanglement generated by the probe string exhibits a clear qualitative distinction between these backgrounds and is highly sensitive to the global structure of the spacetime, in particular to the deficit angle. These results illustrate the utility of quantum correlations as diagnostic tools for probing geometric properties beyond the classical regime and offer a complementary perspective on the interplay between spacetime structure and quantum entanglement.

We develop a detector-based framework in which quantum theory and spacetime geometry arise within a common inferential structure. Detector states and a detector kernel assign amplitudes to measurement events, allowing quantum theory to be interpreted as weighting hypothetical configurations consistent with observed detector clicks. Using a Gaussian detector model with phase structure, we show that distinguishability induces an information geometry on detector-state space, described by the quantum geometric tensor. A Lorentzian spacetime metric is reconstructed from coupled position and time detector sectors, with both amplitude and phase deformations contributing to geometry. Scalar curvature acquires an operational interpretation as a local deficit of distinguishable outcomes. We construct an effective consistency functional combining detector-deformation cost with a geometric term selected by locality and diffeomorphism invariance. Its stationary configurations yield the Einstein equation, with a stress-energy tensor arising from detector deformations. Vacuum configurations need not be flat, while local deformations provide an operational notion of matter and recover standard field-theoretic behavior in the scalar sector.

In this article, we derive the components of the entropy covector field for a relativistic kinetic gas composed of collisionless, spinless, massive, and uncharged particles following bound orbits in a curved spacetime background. By assuming a dependence on the inclination angle of the particle orbits, we consider two distinct models that describe a rotating and a non-rotating relativistic kinetic gas around a Schwarzschild black hole. We analyze the behavior of key macroscopic observables (including the anisotropy parameter and the kinetic temperature) which are constructed from the particle density, energy density, and principal pressures. We aim to characterize and compare the morphology of the resulting configurations, thereby extending and complementing a previous work. The results reveal significant differences between the rotating and non-rotating cases, particularly in the asymptotic behavior of the anisotropy parameter, kinetic temperature, and average pressure, highlighting the role of angular momentum in shaping the macroscopic properties of collisionless gases in strong gravitational fields.

We construct an analytic model of static semiclassical backreaction for a Schwarzschild black hole in the Hartle--Hawking state enclosed within a finite spherical cavity. Using a minimal renormalized stress--energy tensor consistent with conservation, thermal asymptotics, and horizon regularity, we integrate the reduced semiclassical Einstein equations under Dirichlet boundary conditions at the cavity wall. This yields explicit expressions for the corrections to the mass function, redshift factor, horizon location, and surface gravity. We obtain a closed-form first-order correction to the Hawking temperature in terms of a dimensionless backreaction parameter and the cavity radius. The temperature shift decomposes into redshift renormalization, geometric horizon displacement, and a local energy-density contribution at the horizon. The perturbative expansion is controlled by a parameter of order $M_P^2/M^2$, ensuring validity for macroscopic black holes. The near-horizon geometry retains its universal Rindler$^{2}\times S^{2}$ structure, indicating that semiclassical effects renormalize rather than modify the geometric origin of Hawking radiation.

We study the effective dynamics of the Schwarzschild black hole interior by introducing entropic deformations derived from generalized superstatistical entropies $S_{+}$ and $S_{-}$. The resulting modified Hamiltonians $\bar{H}_{\pm}$, formulated in Ashtekar--Barbero variables, encode quantum gravity-inspired corrections that become significant near the Planck scale. Analytical solutions show that these corrections regularize the classical singularity, replacing it with a finite anisotropic core characterized by bounded canonical variables and a minimal internal area. For $S_{-}$ ($α_{-} > 0$), curvature invariants remain finite, yielding a completely regular interior, whereas $S_{+}$ ($α_{+} < 0$) leads to a localized region of high curvature associated with a cigar-like throat. The interior and exterior geometries are thus connected through this high-curvature region, indicating that the classical singularity is replaced by an entropic transition layer. These features reproduce loop quantum gravity phenomenology without invoking polymer discretization.

A single operational protocol based on free evolution and projective measurements yields inequivalent quantum time distributions through distinct post-processing procedures. We construct an activity-based time-of-flow (TF) distribution and a presence-based quantum stroboscopic (QS) distribution, providing complementary operational notions of time. Applied to tunneling, the regional QS mean saturates, whereas the TF mean first decreases in the Hartman regime and then grows for larger barrier widths. Within this framework, we provide an operational interpretation of the Hartman effect in terms of quantum time distributions associated with flow through the exit region and occupation within the barrier, capturing the mechanism of early penetration, dominant reflection, and spectrally filtered transmission.

In hybrid classical-quantum computing, variational quantum algorithms (VQAs) have emerged as a promising approach in the Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) era; however, their performance is often hindered by barren plateaus, where gradients vanish exponentially, rendering optimization ineffective. In this work, we introduce a residual-inspired quantum circuit architecture that incorporates a single messenger qubit, referred to as Q-LINK. By conducting numerical simulations on random quantum states, we observe that Q-LINK significantly enhances optimization behavior by sustaining larger gradient variance and accelerating convergence. Additionally, Q-LINK improves convergence efficiency by 4-6 times and increases gradient variance by up to two orders of magnitude compared with the Vanilla model. To further characterize the impact of the proposed structure, we analyze the expressibility of the circuits before and after introducing Q-LINK and find that the overall expressibility value remains largely unchanged, indicating that the original representational capacity of the circuit is preserved. In addition, we visualize the loss landscapes of different architectures to provide insights into how the proposed design reshapes the cost function landscape. These results demonstrate that introducing only a single messenger qubit can effectively mitigate barren plateau effects while maintaining the ability to explore the Hilbert space of variational quantum circuits.

Bell-CHSH-like inequalities have been very successful in benchmarking {\it spatial} quantum correlations. However, as this paper illustrates, they are in general not sufficient for benchmarking {\it temporal} quantum correlations. To show this, we parametrise classical and quantum stochastic finite state generators based on a single bit and a single qubit, respectively, and compare the temporal correlations of their output sequences using a Bell-CHSH-like inequality. We find that for sequential measurements by two observers, Alice and Bob, classical machines can exceed the Tsirelson bound of $2\sqrt{2}$, due to their fundamental structure. However, when we consider a time delay between consecutive measurements, we find examples where the quantum machines outperform their classical counterparts by maintaining correlations longer under generally scrambling operations. Our result can be used to distinguish quantum from classical processes and to identify novel resources for quantum technology applications.

Some skeptical arguments on the physical reality of quantum states are given. First, I argue that the algebraic formalism of quantum field theory in curved spacetime (algebraic QFTCS, AQFTCS) leads to such a skepticism. Of course we have the purely mathematical notion of states on a $C^{*}$-algebra $\mathfrak{A}$, but usually in non-relativistic quantum mechanics and quantum field theory in Minkowski spacetime (QFTM), not all of them are considered to be physically real; Some of them are physically real (or realizable) states, but others are non-physical ``fictional'' states. Only the states which can be expressed as a density matrix on a fixed ``physical Hilbert space'' (the GNS representation space of $\mathfrak{A}$ w.r.t. the vacuum) are viewed to be physically real. On the other hand, in QFTCS, there is no distinguished physical Hilbert space; no distinguished vacuum state. Thus we cannot distinguish physically real states from fictional states. The second part of my argument is a counterargument to what I call ``pragmatic realism on quantum states'', which insists as follows: ``We are permitted to regard a quantum state as a physical reality, because the concept of quantum state is indispensable in quantum physics.'' I argue that the concept of quantum state is indeed dispensable in non-relativistic QM, and hence this pragmatic realist thesis is vacuous there. I give a conjecture that it is also dispensable in QFTM and QFTCS, and some preliminary considerations on it.

Strongly coupled quantum field theories in $(1+1)$ dimensions are notoriously hard to solve non-perturbatively. Variational methods, despite their success for quantum many-body physics on the lattice, have long lacked a natural ansatz adapted to the relativistic setting. This monograph explains the intuition behind relativistic continuous matrix product states (RCMPS), a variational ansatz tailored to $(1+1)$-dimensional QFT, and reports on several years of progress in developing and applying this approach. Using Riemannian optimization on the manifold of RCMPS, we obtain competitive non-perturbative approximations to ground state energies and local observables in the $φ^4$, Sine-Gordon, and Sinh-Gordon models, including in strongly coupled regimes where perturbation theory fails. We then describe extensions to models with several interacting fields. Beyond energy density and local observables, we show how the framework can be used to evaluate non-local observables (defects) and, through an original linear programming approach, to extract spectral data such as particle masses. We close by discussing the current limitations of the method and the most promising directions for future work.

We develop a model-free framework for stabilizing quantum states using only empirical finite-difference evaluations of a measurement-derived Lyapunov observable. The controller requires no knowledge of the Hamiltonian, dissipative structure, or generator of the dynamics, and relies solely on discrete measurement data. The approach combines three key elements: sign-based Lyapunov descent, adaptive gain amplification, and a finite-difference analogue of LaSalle's invariance principle. We provide rigorous conditions under which these mechanisms guarantee asymptotic stabilization along the sampling instants in the drift-free case and practical input-to-state stability (ISS) in the presence of unknown drift and noise. The resulting feedback law is simple, derivative-free, and experimentally feasible. A qubit example illustrates the complete closed-loop scheme and the predicted ISS-type behavior. Although demonstrated on a single qubit, the theory applies to arbitrary finite-dimensional quantum systems and offers a foundation for further developments in stochastic, subspace, and multi-qudit model-free quantum control.

Precise time synchronisation underpins critical infrastructure from telecommunications and financial markets to power grids and scientific metrology. Several families of quantum protocols have been proposed and demonstrated for clock synchronisation and time distribution, exploiting entangled photon pairs, quantum key distribution (QKD) correlations, Hong-Ou-Mandel interference, and entangled clock networks. We critically assess these approaches, reviewing the main quantum time synchronisation (QTS) protocol families, quantifying the gap between theory and experiment, and identifying practical bottlenecks in sources, detectors, and channels. We survey the classical timing landscape from Network Time Protocol (NTP) and GPS to laboratory-grade optical frequency transfer, and compare quantum and classical methods at equivalent maturity. We examine use cases including financial trading, power grids, telecommunications, scientific metrology, and military applications, evaluating whether quantum timing offers a realistic advantage. We show that time transfer, not clock performance, is now the bottleneck for distributed optical timekeeping: the best demonstrated synchronisation uncertainty (2.46~ps) falls two to three orders of magnitude short of what optical clocks with fractional frequency uncertainties of $10^{-18}$--$10^{-19}$ require. Our assessment is that quantum time synchronisation will not replace classical methods for most applications in the near-to-medium future. Its near-term value lies in physical-layer security against timing manipulation and integration with quantum communication networks, while closing the synchronisation gap for scientific metrology remains the most critical open challenge.

Many nonlinear PDEs have singular or oscillatory solutions or may exhibit physical instabilities or uncertainties. This requires a suitable concept of physically relevant generalized solutions. Dissipative measure-valued solutions have been an effective analytical tool to characterize PDE behavior in such singular regimes. They have also been used to characterize limits of standard numerical schemes on classical computers. The measure-valued formulation of a nonlinear PDE yields an optimization problem with a linear cost functional and linear constraints, which can be formulated as a linear programming problem. However, this linear programming problem can suffer from the curse of dimensionality. In this article, we propose solving it using quantum linear programming (QLP) algorithms and discuss whether this approach can reduce costs compared to classical algorithms. We show that some QLP algorithms, such as the quantum central path algorithm, have up to polynomial advantage over the classical interior point method. For problems where one is interested in the dissipative weak solution, namely the expected values of the Young measure, we show that the QLP algorithms offer no advantage over direct classical solvers. Moreover, for random PDEs, there can be up to polynomial advantage in obtaining the Young measure over direct classical PDE solvers. This is a significant advantage over standard PDE solvers, since the Young measure provides a more detailed description of the solution. We also propose some open questions for future development in this direction.

Encrypted cloning enables the redundant storage of an unknown qubit while remaining compatible with the no-cloning theorem, since only one clone can later be recovered through key-consuming decryption. Because encryption in this protocol is introduced to enable cloning-compatible redundancy rather than to guarantee confidentiality by design, its secrecy properties must be assessed explicitly. Here we classify the subsets of the encrypted-clone storage register into authorized, completely non-informative, and partially informative sets. We show that intermediate non-authorized subsets may retain only a restricted residual dependence on the input state, and we characterize exactly when this dependence occurs. The resulting leakage pattern is parity-dependent, revealing a structural confidentiality limitation of encrypted cloning.

According to various no-go results in the foundations of quantum mechanics, for any system associated to a Hilbert space of dimension higher than two, it is not possible to assign definite truth values to all propositions pertaining to the system without generating a Kochen-Specker contradiction. In this respect, the Bub-Clifton uniqueness theorem is utilized for arguing that truth-value definiteness is consistently restored with respect to a determinate sublattice of propositions defined by the state of the quantum system concerned and a particular observable to be measured. On this basis, a perspectivist/contextual account of truth valuation in the quantum domain is produced that satisfies Tarski's criterion of material adequacy for a theory of truth. In light of the latter, perspectivist truth conforms to perspective or context-bound correspondence of a de re nature, designating locally an objectively existing state of affairs. Such an account derives by virtue of the microphysical nature of physical reality in displaying a context-dependence of facts; thus, it essentially opposes a non-perspectival, metaphysically fixed point of reference, or a panoptical standpoint from which to state all facts of nature.

We study entanglement dynamics among helicity degrees of freedom in quantum electrodynamics (QED) scattering processes. For generic initial states, we consider scattering at fixed momentum, corresponding to a generalized measurement described by a positive operator-valued measure, resulting in a post-measurement state. Such processes are modeled in terms of quantum maps, whose spectral structure fully determines the associated entanglement dynamics. For scattering involving fermions only, maximal entanglement present in the initial state is always preserved. Moreover, iterating the corresponding quantum maps on arbitrary initial states, we obtain the fixed points of the maps, which, in the largest number of cases, are asymptotic (pure) maximally entangled states. The structure of the maps also accounts for the entanglement dynamics in processes involving both fermions and photons. The defining properties of these maps originate from discrete symmetries of the QED interaction.

The realization of unitary designs is of fundamental interest in quantum science and typically requires the ability to implement structured quantum circuits. Recent developments have explored the possibility of generating unitary designs using only a small number of quantum quenches, in which the evolution during each interval is governed by a static Hamiltonian. In particular, it has been established that at least three chaotic Hamiltonians are required when only Hamiltonian evolutions are employed. In this work, we propose the emergence of unitary designs in the temporal ensemble of qubit systems evolved under two distinct chaotic Hamiltonians for sufficiently long times, supplemented by an intermediate random Pauli operation inserted between them. This result follows from the universal Pauli spectrum of chaotic Hamiltonians, a central concept in the study of non-stabilizerness. Our theoretical predictions are verified numerically using explicit examples, including Gaussian unitary ensemble Hamiltonians and random spin models. We further investigate finite-time and finite-size corrections to the protocol. Our results provide new insights into the dynamical generation of quantum randomness and offer a new route toward realizing unitary designs in chaotic systems.

We explore black hole solutions in the context of Born-Infeld-f(R) gravity, a modified gravitational framework that extends both Born-Infeld and f(R) theories. By adopting a static, spherically symmetric spacetime ansatz, we derive an exact black hole solution and investigate its geometrical structure. We proceed to analyze the thermodynamic properties of the solution, including the Hawking temperature, entropy, and specific heat, with particular emphasis on their dependence on the model parameters. Our results reveal novel thermodynamic behavior that deviates significantly from the standard predictions of general relativity. A comparative study with the Schwarzschild-AdS black holes is also presented, showing how Born-Infeld-f(R) corrections alter black hole thermodynamics.

Dark matter (DM), a fundamental cosmic component, motivates the study of its influence on black hole (BH) shadows, especially for spinning BHs confirmed by EHT observations. This work generalizes the Schwarzschild BH surrounded by DM to an axisymmetric Kerr BH using the Newman-Janis Algorithm (NJA), investigating the resulting event horizon and ergosphere structures. Employing null geodesics, we examine the effects of DM mass ($Δ$M) on BH shadow, including its radius, distortion, and the associated energy emission rate. Our analysis reveals that DM has a negligible effect below a critical mass, once this threshold is surpassed, all BH structures expand significantly. Furthermore, DM robustly contributes to the shadow maintaining a near circular shape, even for highly spinning BHs. This pronounced structural expansion under high DM mass may potentially exceed current observational constraints, suggesting that DM must either be absent in the immediate vicinity of the BH or its localized mass must remain below this critical value to be consistent with astrophysical observations.

Variational quantum circuits (VQCs) solving partial differential equations (PDEs) on near-term quantum hardware face a critical challenge: hardware noise degrades solution fidelity and disrupts convergence. We present a systematic study of three noise channels; depolarizing, amplitude damping, and bit-flip on VQCs constrained by PDE residual loss functions for the heat equation, Burgers' equation, and the Saint-Venant shallow water equations. We benchmark three error mitigation strategies: zero-noise extrapolation (ZNE) via Richardson polynomial fitting, probabilistic error cancellation (PEC), and measurement error mitigation through inverse confusion matrices. Our numerical experiments on 6-qubit, 4-layer circuits demonstrate that ZNE reduces absolute error by 82-96% at low noise (p = 0.001), with effectiveness degrading gracefully at higher noise strengths. We prove analytically and confirm numerically that physics-constrained circuits exhibit inherent noise resilience: at p = 0.01, constrained circuits maintain 25-47% higher fidelity than unconstrained counterparts, with the advantage scaling with PDE complexity. PEC provides near-exact correction at low gate counts but incurs exponential sampling overhead, rendering it impractical beyond ~60 gates at p >= 0.02. Error budget decomposition reveals that systematic errors dominate at all noise levels (43-58%), while the PDE residual component grows from ~10% to ~31% as noise increases, indicating that physics constraints absorb noise through structured gradient information. These results establish practical guidelines for deploying variational PDE solvers on NISQ hardware.

We report the experimental observation of holographically motivated quantum teleportation on a quantum processor, driven by the highly entangled, chaotic dynamics of a many-body system. Specifically, we implement the traversable-wormhole (TW) protocol utilizing a \textit{chaotic} binary sparse $N = 8$ Sachdev--Ye--Kitaev (SYK) model. This optimized approach dramatically reduces circuit depth for noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) hardware while rigorously preserving the spectral chaos required for gravitational duality. Diagnosing the teleportation signal via mutual information, we find that while inherent noise in NISQ hardware precludes perfect quantitative agreement with exact numerical simulations, our experimental results clearly demonstrate the essential qualitative signature: a sign-dependent asymmetry. This work establishes a practical, scalable framework for holographic quantum simulations, offering a novel empirical testbed for exploring holographic quantum gravity.

The $f(T)$ gravity is one of the extensions of teleparallel equivalent of general relativity, in which more general functions of the torsion scalar $T$ can be described. With the proposed functional form of $f(T) = αT - βu^{-n} + γu^m$, where $u = (-T/6)$, we have analyzed the cosmological parameters using dynamical system analysis and cosmological datasets. The dynamical behavior of this model is analyzed with phase-space analysis by transforming the cosmological equations into an autonomous system. Critical points are identified, and their stability conditions examined, enabling the classifications of the early and late-time evolutionary phases of the Universe. The stability conditions are further demonstrated by phase-portrait diagrams that highlight transitions between radiation, matter, and dark-energy-dominated epochs. Then we used the Markov Chain Monte Carlo statistical technique to constrain the model parameters with the recent observational dataset, such as DESI DR2 BAO, and its combination with the Hubble and Pantheon+SH0ES data. The best-fit values for the model parameters were obtained by data analysis, $m \equiv 0.91^{+0.07}_{-0.09}$ and $n \equiv 0.69^{+0.09}_{-0.08}$, and are well within the stability range obtained ($m<1\land n>-1$) through dynamical system analysis. The combined theoretical and observational analysis shows that the proposed $f(T)$ gravity model successfully reproduces the observed cosmic expansion history of the Universe.

Understanding the late-time cosmic phenomenon of the universe commonly referred to as the dark energy problem, which is one of the prominent tension in the field of theoretical as well as observational cosmology. In this work, we attempt to analyze the nature of the missing fluid of the universe. In order to do so, we employ a poly tropic equation of state consisting of free parameters rather assuming directly a particular form of the fluid. In addition, for the background geometry we consider a $f(Q)$ cosmology exhibiting power-law assumption, which is recently proposed and found to be attractive in the study of late-time cosmology. We find exact cosmological solution along with a rigorous data analysis, utilizing the Bayesian statistics approach and the emcee ensemble sampler, to find the parameter constraints and then we interpret the parameters of physical interests such as deceleration and statefinder parameter. Also, we present status of the $H_0$ tension predicted by our polytropic $f(Q)$ cosmological model.

The Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is a well-established mesoscopic approach for simulating fluid dynamics by evolving particle distribution functions on discrete lattices. While the LBM is highly parallelizable on classical hardware, its translation to quantum algorithms is impeded by the collision process, which is intrinsically nonlinear and irreversible. Several existing quantum formulations implement this process through repeated quantum tomography and state preparation at every timestep, leading to significant overheads. We introduce a quantum LBM based on a denoising-type collision operator that avoids tomography-based updates. The collision dynamics are reformulated as an orthogonal projection onto the linearized manifold of equilibrium distributions around a reference state. This geometric approach filters non-equilibrium components while preserving lattice symmetries and approximating nonlinear terms needed to recover hydrodynamic behavior. A complete pipeline is presented with efficient gate-level realizations, incorporating encoding of distributions, collision, streaming, boundary conditions, and measurement of physical quantities such as hydrodynamic forces. In addition, we outline an approach for implementing projector-based operators deterministically without postselection, paving the way to fully coherent multi-timestep LBM simulations. Numerical experiments for advection-diffusion and flow problems demonstrate that the method reproduces macroscopic behaviors with high accuracy, with performance depending on the choice of reference state.

Boolean satisfiability (SAT) problem is of fundamental importance in computer science and many application domains. For Grover's algorithm, solving the SAT problem requires $\mathcal{O}(\sqrt{2^n})$ queries--where n denotes the number of logic variables in the problem. However, Grover's algorithm suffers from the Souffle problem: specifically, when the number of solutions is unknown, terminating the algorithm too early or too late leads to a significant reduction in the probability of obtaining a solution. In this paper, we propose a parallel fixed-point (PFP) search algorithm to solve the SAT problem. By exploiting entanglement, each clause in the conjunctive normal form (CNF) formula can be processed independently, leading to a significant reduction in circuit depth. We also discuss how to perform the algorithm in distributed manner. These make the PFPS algorithm particularly suitable for the noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) era.

We present an exact analytical solution to the Einstein field equations describing the internal structure of strange stars in general relativity. A smooth spacetime deformation is introduced via the sinusoidal perturbation $ g(r)=\sin(Ψr^2) $, which naturally generates anisotropy $Δ=P_t-P_r>0$. This anisotropy provides additional support against gravitational collapse. Ultra-compact pulsars, due to their strong gravity and stable emission, serve as ideal laboratories for testing such models. Applying the Israel-Darmois matching conditions, the interior solution is smoothly connected to the Schwarzschild exterior, with constants expressed in terms of the geometric parameters $β$ and $Ψ$. Varying these parameters allows a controlled study of how small spacetime distortions affect stellar equilibrium. For example, increasing $β$ from 0 to 0.003 (with fixed $Ψ$) raises the maximum mass to $2.28^{+0.10}_{-0.09}~M_\odot$ and the radius to $11.57^{+0.87}_{-0.10}$ km before instability sets in. A similar trend appears when $Ψ$ increases to $\sim 0.03$ at fixed $β$. The resulting mass-radius relations agree with observations of massive pulsars. Density and pressures remain positive and regular throughout the star. Causality is satisfied as sound speeds stay subluminal, and stability is ensured by an adiabatic index $Γ>4/3$. Small increases in $β$ and $Ψ$ produce mild oscillatory variations in mass and radius, showing that even weak geometric deformations can influence stellar structure. Overall, the model provides realistic mass--radius predictions and a robust framework to study the response of strange stars to small geometric perturbations.

Quantum energy teleportation (QET) has been studied in continuum field theory and in lattice many-body systems, but the relation between the two within a single interacting model is still not well understood. To address this question, we consider the massive Thirring model, equivalently the sine--Gordon theory. In the continuum, the trigonometric measurement is a weak binary Positive Operator-Valued Measure (POVM), and its leading signal is set by a conserved-current correlator in the bosonized theory, with both gapless behavior and gapped large-distance asymptotics. On the lattice, the conventional protocol does not access this neutral current sector. For Alice's local measurement, a lattice $U(1)$ selection rule removes the neutral current contribution from Bob's subsystem, and the separated signal lies in charged sectors. On the same lattice Hamiltonian we construct a neutral current protocol whose weak signal is exactly a coarse-grained current correlator and whose extracted energy scales quadratically with the measurement strength. This identifies the neutral sector shared by the lattice and continuum descriptions, while separating it from the charged sector that governs the conventional qubit protocol.

Quantum correlations can be harnessed to improve the precision in parameter estimation beyond classical capabilities. Under a standard interferometric or rotation protocol, it is well established that the optimal single-mode Gaussian state is a standard squeezed vacuum, which enables Heisenberg limited precision. In this work, we investigate the potential metrological advantage of two distinct families involving high-order squeezing, namely, mth-phase and multisqueezed states. Our results show that these non-Gaussian states can grant a significant metrological advantage with respect to the optimal squeezed vacuum under equivalent conditions, i.e. at equal occupations. Their advantage holds both at low and large occupations, but its behavior critically depends on the chosen family of high-order squeezing. While higher squeezing orders enhance the advantage, this comes at the cost of higher-order observables in the measurement for full metrological performance. Finally, we study their robustness to standard decoherence channels, i.e. pure dephasing and zero-temperature damping. Employing standard squeezing as reference state, our results indicate a reasonable robustness against damping up to a certain noise strength, while their metrological advantage becomes fragile under pure dephasing. Our work shows the potential enhancement in quantum metrology beyond Gaussian states, carefully detailing the main challenges and limitations.

The barren plateau phenomenon; where cost function gradients vanish exponentially with system size; remains a fundamental obstacle to training variational quantum circuits (VQCs) at scale. We demonstrate, both theoretically and numerically, that embedding partial differential equation (PDE) constraints into the VQC loss function provides a natural and effective mitigation mechanism against barren plateaus. We derive analytical gradient variance lower bounds showing that physics-constrained loss functions composed of local PDE residuals evaluated at spatial collocation points inherit the favorable polynomial scaling of local cost functions, while additionally benefiting from constraint-induced landscape narrowing that concentrates gradient information. Systematic numerical experiments on the one-dimensional heat equation, Burgers' equation, and the Saint-Venant shallow water equations quantify the gradient variance across 4-8 qubits and 1-5 layer depths, comparing global cost, local cost, PDE-constrained, and PDE-constrained with structured ansatz configurations. We find that PDE-constrained circuits exhibit favorable gradient variance scaling with system size, with the physics constraints creating a stabilizing effect that resists exponential gradient vanishing. Entanglement entropy analysis reveals that structured ansatze operate in a sub-maximal entanglement regime consistent with trainability. Convergence experiments confirm that physics-constrained VQCs achieve lower loss values in fewer epochs. These results establish PDE constraints as a principled, physically motivated strategy for designing trainable variational quantum circuits, with direct implications for quantum physics-informed neural networks and variational quantum simulation.

Recent advancements in quantum computing have enabled practical use of quantum error detecting and correcting codes. However, current architectures and future proposals of quantum computer design suffer from limited qubit counts, necessitating the use of high-rate codes. Such codes, with their code parameters denoted as $[[n, k, d]]$, have more than $1$ logical qubit per code (i.e., $k > 1$). This leads to reduced error tolerance of the code, since $\lceil (d-1)/2\rceil$ errors on any of the $n$ physical qubits can affect the logical state of all $k$ logical qubits. Therefore, it becomes critical to optimally map the input qubits of a quantum circuit to these codes, in such a way that the circuit fidelity is maximized. \par However, the problem of mapping program qubits to logical qubits for high-rate codes has not been studied in prior work. A brute force search to find the optimal mapping is super exponential (scaling as $O(n!)$, where $n$ is the number of input qubits), making exhaustive search infeasible past a small number of qubits. We propose a framework that addresses this problem on two fronts: (1) for any given mapping, it performs logical-to-physical compilation that translates input gates into efficiently encoded implementations utilizing Hadamard commutation and gate merging; and (2) it quickly searches the space of possible mappings through a merge-optimizing, noise-biased packing heuristic that identifies high-performing qubit assignments without exhaustive enumeration. To the best of our knowledge, our compiler is the first work to explore mapping and compilation for high-rate codes. Across 71 benchmark circuits, we reduce circuit depth by $34\%$, gate counts by up to $31\%$ and $17\%$ for one-qubit and two-qubit gates, and improve total variation distance by $1.75\times$, with logical selection rate improvements averaging $86\%$ relative to naive compilation.

We study conserved charges of $\mathcal{N}=1$ supergravity formulated as a constrained BF theory based on the $\OSp(1|4)$ superalgebra. Using the covariant phase space formalism, we derive bulk and boundary contributions to the symplectic structure and construct charges associated with Lorentz transformations, supersymmetry, translations, and diffeomorphisms. We show that the algebra of boundary charges reproduces the expected superalgebra, while translational charges vanish on-shell due to the super-torsion constraint, leaving Lorentz and supersymmetry as the non-trivial generators.

Conformally-invariant and pure, scale-invariant theories of gravity are particularly interesting in four or higher dimensions. Yet, in contrast to their four-dimensional counterparts, theories in higher dimensions are significantly more difficult to study. In these proceedings, following our recent work, we will formulate such theories in d dimensions, present an elegant way to handle them, and show that imposing invariance under scale or conformal transformations gives rise to entirely different properties when compared to their four-dimensional analogues.

The quantum dynamics of an externally driven ensemble of nuclear two-level systems embedded in a leaky broadband cavity is investigated theoretically. In the considered scenario both the nuclear ensemble and the cavity mode are coherently pumped by two externally applied x-ray electromagnetic fields. When the frequencies of the applied coherent fields are identical, cross-correlations among the existing decay channels increase the nuclear excitation probabilities depending on the phase difference of the applied fields. Our results show that the excited state of the nuclear ensemble may exhibit sub- to super-Poissonian nuclear statistics, demonstrating induced correlations during photon absorption or emission processes. The role of cross-correlations for the superradiant decay and the collective Lamb shift of the ensemble is also investigated.

We consider a self-gravitating, rigidly rotating charged perfect fluid immersed in the Wald magnetosphere, constructed out of two linearly independent Killing vectors present in stationary and axially-symmetric spacetimes. We show that in non-vacuum spacetimes, Wald's solution can be compatible with the electric current associated with a rotating charged perfect fluid characterized by the vanishing electric conductivity. We prove that for rigidly rotating fluids with a constant energy density or described by the polytropic equation of state, the resulting equations expressing the conservation of the energy-momentum tensor can be integrated. Consequently, the system can be described by nearly standard Einstein-Euler equations known from the theory of general-relativistic rotating fluids, with modifications introduced in the Euler-Bernoulli equation. Numerical solutions of the Einstein-Euler equations are provided for these two cases by introducing suitable modifications in the pseudospectral code by Ansorg, Kleinwächter, and Meinel.

Our goal in this paper is twofold. First, we characterize the class of pairwise interactions for which the Seidl conjecture on the structure of optimal plans for the symmetric multimarginal optimal transport problem with one-dimensional marginal holds. This extends previous results by Colombo, De Pascale, and Di Marino [Can. Jou. Math., 67 (2015), https://doi.org/10.4153/CJM-2014-011-x], which treated the case of translation-invariant, convex and decreasing interactions. In particular, our results apply to physically relevant interactions for electrons living on a quantum ring. The second main goal of the paper is to rigorously derive the leading order asymptotics of the adiabatic connection potential for strongly interacting systems. More precisely, we show that for electrons in a quantum ring (or one-dimensional interval), not only the Lieb density functional converges to the optimal transport (or strictly correlated) functional in the semiclassical limit, but also the representing potential converges to a regular Kantorovich potential. As an intermediate step, we also extend previous results on the strongly interacting limit of the Lieb functional to periodic systems in arbitrary dimensions.

We examine the relation between the quantum Landau-Lifshitz equation ($q$-LL) [Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 147201 (2013)] and quantum Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation ($q$-LLG) [Phys. Rev. Lett. 133, 266704 (2024)]; two non-linear purity preserving master equations that extend classical atomistic spin dynamics into the quantum regime. While the classical LL and LLG counterparts for any number of spins are known to be equivalent, i.e., give identical spin trajectories up to a rescaling of the time parameter, the quantum formulations are equivalent only in certain cases, such as for pure states or for arbitrary single spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ states. Here, we demonstrate that this equivalence breaks down even at the level of a single spin, provided $s \geq 1$. Focusing on a spin-1 particle in an anisotropic crystal field, we show that the $q$-LL and $q$-LLG equations generate inequivalent time evolution. We introduce temporal rescaling misfits that quantify the inequivalence of the two types of dynamics. Although our results highlight fundamental differences in dissipation mechanisms encoded in these equations, the resulting trajectories remain qualitatively similar for this system.

We investigate a two-qubit quantum battery where coherent charger-battery coupling competes with non-Markovian environmental interactions. By tuning the coupling strengths and detuning, we identify regimes in which environmental memory enhances energy storage and charging power, while strong dissipation suppresses ergotropy by driving the battery into passive states. We show that detuning plays a dual role: reducing dissipation and inducing a phase shift in the memory kernel that controls the interference between coherent energy exchange and environment-induced backflow. As a result, although the stored energy varies smoothly, the extractable work exhibits a discontinuous onset at a critical detuning, signaling a first-order phase transition in ergotropy. The corresponding phase diagram in the coupling-detuning plane reveals a sharp boundary between thermodynamically inactive and work-producing regimes. Our results demonstrate that phase-controlled coherence and non-Markovianity provide a powerful mechanism for optimizing work extraction in open quantum batteries, offering practical strategies for noise-resilient quantum energy storage.

A major hurdle in Quantum Image Processing (QIMP) is efficiently transferring classical, high-dimensional image data into quantum states. Current methods face trade-offs: amplitude encoding (FRQI) is computationally expensive in gate complexity and limited arithmetic capabilities, while basis encoding (NEQR) incurs heavy initialization overhead scaling with image resolution and intensity bit-depth. Frequency-domain approaches further demand complex transformations for basic pixel-wise arithmetic and extensive post-processing to reconstruct pixel information. To address the lack of practical phase encodings, we introduce Q-PIPE (Quantum-Gray Phase Injection for Pixel Encoding). Exploiting the quantum phase kickback mechanism and optimized spatial traversal via a Gray-code sequence, Q-PIPE efficiently maps continuous intensity values into the computational basis with an elementary gate count of $O(qN)$ a $O(\text{log}N)$ improvement over standard basis encoding. Operating directly in the phase domain enables native computation of finite differences without deep arithmetic circuits. Classical readout vulnerabilities, including phase aliasing and spectral leakage, are mitigated by mapping inputs to $[-π, π]$ and introducing a probability threshold equation that scales inversely with the dimension of the spatial register. A proof-of-concept performing Quantum Edge Detection (QED) via directional derivatives demonstrates strong accuracy, yielding exact reconstructions for quantized inputs and low Mean Absolute Error (MAE) for continuous data across multiple benchmark datasets. Ultimately, Q-PIPE establishes a highly parallelizable, NISQ-compatible subroutine that advances quantum computer vision while reducing input/output (I/O) data-loading overhead in broader Quantum Machine Learning (QML) workflows.

The use of free energy perturbation (FEP) methods to study protein-ligand complexes is one of the most important tools in structure-based drug design. Because FEP methods typically rely on force fields, they may suffer from force field parameter-related issues. Herein, we present a quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) hybrid method to overcome deficiencies in force-field models by using QM bookending approaches on both classical and quantum hardware. In the MM part of this QM/MM FEP method, AMBER is used to simulate the protein receptor and the unperturbed moiety of the ligand, with the ff19SB and GAFF2 force fields. In the QM part, QUICK was used to conduct Hartree-Fock (HF) calculations, followed by heat-bath configuration interaction (HCI) as a benchmark on classical devices. To enable the HCI function in QUICK, we developed a Python-based interface to execute HCI from IBM's qiskit-addon-dice-solver. Moreover, the same interface also enabled this work to execute QM/MM FEP calculations on quantum hardware using the Local Unitary Cluster Jastrow (LUCJ) ansatz, followed by sample-based diagonalization (SQD) and extended-SQD (extSQD) post-processing. Using a series of thermolysis inhibitors as an example, we find reasonable agreement with experiment between the classical HCI method and the LUCJ-SQD/extSQD method, with the latter yielding a result closer to the experimental value. The execution time between the HCI-based FEP method and the LUCJ-SQD/extSQD-based FEP method is also comparable, indicating a high potential for utility in the noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) era.

Hybrid quantum-classical models offer a promising route for learning from complex data; however, their application to multi-band remote sensing imagery often relies on generic, data-agnostic quantum circuits that fail to account for channel-specific statistical variability. In this work, we propose a data-driven framework that maps band-level statistics such as Shannon Entropy, Variance, Spectral Flatness, and Edge Density to the hyperparameters of customized quantum circuits. Building on this framework, we introduce QMC-Net, a hybrid architecture that processes six data channels using band-specific quantum circuits, enabling adaptive quantum feature encoding and transformation across channels. Experiments on the EuroSAT and SAT-6 datasets demonstrate that QMC-Net achieves accuracies of 93.80 % and 99.34 %, respectively, while a residual-enhanced variant further improves performance to 94.69 % and 99.39 %. These results consistently outperform strong classical baselines and monolithic hybrid quantum models, highlighting the effectiveness of data-aware quantum circuit design under NISQ constraints.

We present a quantum algorithm for multiplying two $n$-bit integers with overall circuit depth and $T$-depth both bounded by $O(\log^{2} n)$, while using $O(n^{2})$ gates and ancillary qubits. Our construction generates partial products via indicator-controlled copying and adds them using a binary adder tree, enabling parallel accumulation with logarithmic depth overhead per level. To the best of our knowledge, our design has the lowest $T$-depth among all multiplication algorithms using the Clifford + $T$ model. By optimizing both circuit depth and $T$-depth, our construction advances the practical feasibility of large-scale fault-tolerant quantum algorithms.

Quantum wrapper networking (QWN) is an emerging quantum networking protocol that wraps qubits in classical header bits to enable switching/routing, monitoring, and control without detecting the quantum signal. In this work, we encode header bits with two nonorthogonal polarization references to track and actively compensate for the changing birefringence of a 48 km deployed fiber link. Our method is analytical and deterministic, using motorized waveplates and a variable phase retarder to accurately and stably compensate the channel. We verify successful compensation by measuring the polarization stability of single photon qubits and the visibility of entangled photon pairs under both slow birefringence drift due to environmental fluctuations and large sudden changes designed to emulate those that occur during packet switching and rerouting over different fiber paths. For large, sudden changes, our compensator recovers the Stokes vector of single photons to within 10 degrees of the target state on the Poincaré sphere and restores two-photon interference visibilities to better than 79% on a deployed fiber link. Additionally, experiments monitoring long-term compensation over 44 hours show that visibilities remain above 84.5% with compensation active and degrade to below the quantum threshold of 70.7% within 4 hours of the compensator being turned off. These results add a polarization-control layer to QWN and illustrate that information-carrying headers can enable deterministic physical-layer compensation in the quantum channel over long-distance deployed fiber links.

We present a family of planted-solution benchmark instances for satisfiability (SAT) solvers and Ising optimization derived from integer factorization. Given two primes $p$ and $q$, the construction encodes the arithmetic constraints of $N = p \times q$ as a conjunctive normal form (CNF) formula whose satisfying assignments correspond to valid factorizations of~$N$. The known pair $(p,q)$ serves as a built-in ground truth, enabling unambiguous verification of solver output. We show that for two $d$-bit primes the total number of carry contractions is on the order of $d^4$. Empirical benchmarks with SAT solvers show that median runtime grows exponentially in the bit-length of the factors over the range tested. The construction provides a scalable, structured, and verifiable benchmark family controlled by a single parameter, accompanied by open-source generation software.

We present a local seed-to--Kerr--Schild route to Birkhoff rigidity in four-dimensional spherical vacuum gravity. On the two-dimensional orbit space, the areal radius \(r\) determines a scalar \(F:=-(\nabla r)^2\), and the reduced vacuum equations imply \(F(r)=1-2M/r\). We show that the normalized one-forms \(dr/F\) and \((*dr)/F\) are closed, so that the null combinations \(F^{-1}(dr\pm *dr)\) are exact null seed forms. Integrating these yields local Eddington--Finkelstein coordinates in which the metric takes Kerr--Schild form over a flat background. We then prove the corresponding uniqueness statement in the stationary optical sector: spherical symmetry forces the inverse optical seed \(\mathcal R\) to equal \(\pm r\), equivalently the optical seed \(ρ\) to equal \(\mp 1/r\), and the resulting seed data reconstruct the Schwarzschild family. Thus, Birkhoff rigidity is paired with a spherical converse theorem in the stationary optical framework: Schwarzschild is the unique spherically symmetric stationary vacuum Kerr--Schild geometry generated by a nowhere-vanishing optical seed.

In 1935, Albert Einstein, Boris Podolsky and Nathan Rosen (EPR) published a thought experiment that is entirely correct, has been demonstrated in real experiments, and is now the most famous in quantum physics. Their pioneering work described, for the first time, quantum correlations and can be regarded as a very early glimpse into today's 'deep' quantum technologies, by which I mean those that enhance functionality by making use of quantum correlations. However, their work also contains a paradox that Erwin Schroedinger had already recognised as such in 1935 and which has since been cemented by the so-called Bell experiments. Here, I am now able to pinpoint the origin of the paradox within the chain of reasoning, which ultimately resolves the paradox.

Quantum error correction (QEC) codes are traditionally defined and searched for without specifying the manner in which its syndrome extraction circuits are executed using elementary gates and measurements. We show how morphing circuits introduced in Refs. [1-3] provide a way of optimising syndrome extraction circuits and codes directly in terms of connectivity, choice of two-qubit gate (ISWAP versus CNOT) and number of physical qubits. We discuss morphing circuits in code optimisation among Abelian two-block group algebra (2BGA) codes, handling boundaries for 2D codes, codes with single-shot properties, and improving performance in stability experiments against measurement and reset errors. We show that alternating syndrome extraction circuits - executed with alternating time-reversed rounds - can be viewed as a two-round morphing circuit whose fault-tolerant properties are computationally much easier to examine than non-alternating syndrome extraction circuits. Our methods find new codes and syndrome extraction circuits of practical interest, including Abelian 2BGA morphing circuits with better code parameters and connectivity than existing circuits. [1] Matt McEwen, Dave Bacon, and Craig Gidney. Relaxing hardware requirements for surface code circuits using time-dynamics. Quantum, 7:1172, 2023. [2] Craig Gidney and Cody Jones. New circuits and an open source decoder for the color code, 2023. [3] Mackenzie H. Shaw and Barbara M. Terhal. Lowering connectivity requirements for bivariate bicycle codes using morphing circuits.

Decays of heavier neutrino mass eigenstates into lighter ones, while very slow in the Standard Model, can be significantly enhanced in scenarios with more than three neutrino flavours, or in models with new ultra-light particles such as Majorons. A full theoretical description is challenging due to the intricate interplay between oscillations and decay, interference between different decay channels, and the possibility of multi-step decay cascades. In this paper, we develop a fully general description of arbitrarily complex systems of oscillating and decaying neutrinos using methods from the theory of open quantum systems. Notably, we demonstrate how such systems can be implemented using the Lindblad master equation, the Liouvillian superoperator, as well as Kraus operators. The last two methods eschew the need for solving a differential equation, thereby showing superior numerical performance.

Distributed quantum computing offers a promising approach to scaling quantum devices by networking multiple quantum processors. We present a quantum state tomography protocol tailored for distributed quantum computers that avoids assuming remote entanglement as a primitive resource. The protocol extends projected least-squares (PLS) tomography based on projective 2-designs to systems composed of multiple quantum processors, using only local operations within each processor and classical communication between nodes. Assuming entanglement within each individual quantum processor is trusted, the protocol can be executed using mutually unbiased bases. We derive rigorous, non-asymptotic trace-norm error bounds for the PLS estimator, with explicit exponential dependence on the number of nodes. In addition, we establish certified error bounds for estimating entanglement negativity from the PLS estimator. Numerical simulations for systems of up to seven qubits distributed across several devices validate the theoretical error bounds.

We provide a theory defined purely on null infinity that describes Yang-Mills in the Minkowski space bulk. The dynamical field of our model is the characteristic data of the bulk gauge field, and the action combines an electric branch Carrollian kinetic term with non-local interactions of MHV type that link different points on the celestial sphere. We explicitly show how this theory recovers all MHV and NMHV tree amplitudes in Yang-Mills, and outline how arbitrary tree amplitudes may be obtained from its Feynman diagram expansion. The detailed expression we find for the NMHV amplitude appears to be new.

Cosmological soft theorems (or consistency relations) provide a powerful probe for the physics of inflation. These relations rely on minimal assumptions and hold very generally. Consequently, any violation of these relations would rule out a large class of inflationary models. For instance, a violation of the scalar soft theorem (or consistency relation) would rule out all attractor single-field inflation models and instead point toward either multi-field dynamics or a non-attractor phase. In this paper, we derive tree-level multi-soft theorems, at leading order in the soft expansion, for both scalar and tensor correlation functions. Our analysis employs the background-wave method, in which the effect of long-wavelength modes is captured by an appropriate spatial coordinate rescaling. In addition, we systematically incorporate soft-exchange contributions, including tensor exchanges in scalar correlators and scalar exchanges in tensor correlators.

The sector length distribution or Shor-Laflamme distribution (SLD) of quantum states is governed by the $k$-body correlations amongst the different systems, and has been used to study entanglement and error correction. A succinct description of a quantum state's SLD can be obtained by representing it through the coefficients of an appropriate weight enumerator polynomial, yielding bounds on fidelity under depolarizing noise and on multipartite entanglement. However, such expressions quickly grow out of hand and are generally difficult to achieve analytically, reflecting the computational hardness of the SLD. We sidestep this problem and, instead of a single state's SLDs, encode a family of quantum state's SLD as a generating function. We then find closed-form expressions for a large class of graph states which we call `recursively definable' and which include many common graphs such as path graphs, cycle graphs, star graphs, grid graphs, and more. As direct corollary, we obtain analytical expressions for such graph states' concentratable entanglement, bounds on their depolarizing fidelity, and a multipartite entanglement criterion. Our work opens up the use of generating functions and more generally analytic combinatorics to solve problems in quantum information theory.

The Difference-of-Gaussian (DoG) is a widely used operator across applications, including image processing (feature and edge detection), quantum machine learning, and finite-difference methods (approximations of the Laplacian-of-Gaussian). In this paper, we construct an explicit quantum block encoding of the DoG operator on a periodic grid, exploiting its natural probabilistic structure. The central observation is that the DoG admits a natural decomposition to two normalized Gaussian distributions, each preparable by explicit and efficient circuits, with the negation encoded using a single Pauli-$Z$ gate on a branch-indicator qubit. This enables the operator's block encoding to be directly mapped to the Linear Combination of Unitaries framework without requiring signed amplitude loading, quantum random-access memory, or any other black-box oracles. The proposed method achieves a constant subnormalization factor $λ= 2$ independent of the grid size $N$, the spatial dimension $D$, and the stencil width. Additionally, we show that the DoG operator is diagonalized by the discrete Fourier basis, which allows us to derive an exact closed-form expression for the block-encoding success probability in terms of the input signal's power spectrum, weighted by the operator's transfer function. Finally, we prove that the expression reduces to $O(h^4)$ scaling with respect to grid spacing $h$ as the periodic grid becomes finer. This implementation provides an explicit construction method for a tunable, wide-stencil bandpass filter whose frequency response is controlled by two Gaussian scale parameters.

The Optimal Polynomial Intersection (OPI) problem is the following: Given sets $S_1, \ldots, S_m \subseteq \mathbb{F}$ and evaluation points $a_1, \ldots, a_m \in \mathbb{F}$, find a polynomial $Q \in \mathbb{F}[x]$ of degree less than $n$ so that $Q(a_i) \in S_i$ for as many $i \in \{1, 2, \ldots, m\}$ as possible. Decoded Quantum Interferometry (DQI) is a quantum algorithm that efficiently returns good solutions to the problem, even on worst-case instances (Jordan et. al., 2025). The quality of the solutions returned follows a semicircle law, which outperforms known efficient classical algorithms. But does DQI obtain the best possible solutions? That is, are there solutions better than the semicircle law for worst-case OPI instances? Surprisingly, before this work, the best existential results coincide with (and follow from) the best algorithmic results. In this work, we show that there are better solutions for worst-case OPI instances over prime fields. In particular, DQI and the semicircle law are not optimal. For example, when the lists $S_i$ have size $ρp$ for $ρ\sim 1/2$, our results imply the existence of a solution that asymptotically beats the semicircle law whenever $n/m \geq 0.6225$, and we show that an asymptotically perfect solution exists whenever $n/m \geq 0.7496$. Our results generalize to Max-LINSAT problems derived from any Maximum Distance Separable (MDS) code, and to any $ρ\in (0,1)$. The key insight to our improvement is a connection to local leakage resilience of secret sharing schemes. Along the way, we recover several re-proofs of the existence of solutions achieving the semicircle law.

We study the conformal Killing equation for generic Vaidya-like spacetimes, including those with rotation. We show that these spacetimes admit a unique class of conformal Killing vectors that are homothetic for mass, charge, or rotation parameters being linear functions of the advanced null-time. For the Kerr-Vaidya metric, the solution to the conformal Killing equation exists iff both mass and rotation parameters become dynamic. The presence of a homothetic Killing vector (HKV) for such a spacetime enables one to conformally map the original dynamical spacetime to a stationary spacetime, enabling access to the standard methods pertaining to a Killing horizon. The surface where an HKV becomes null is termed the homothetic Killing horizon. We discuss the thermodynamic properties of such homothetic Killing horizons and formulate a version of the first law (or flux balance law) for spherically symmetric Vaidya spacetimes. We further study the maximal analytic extension of a charged Vaidya metric and indicate its implications for studying particle creation in such backgrounds.

Resolving degenerate quantum eigenspaces - including topologically ordered ground states and frustrated magnets - requires preparing high-fidelity states that span every direction of the target manifold. Existing variational and projective algorithms do not naturally cover a multi-dimensional degenerate subspace without sequential orthogonality constraints. We introduce the quantum randomized subspace iteration (QRSI), a fully parallel construction that conjugates the Hamiltonian by independent random unitaries across as many branches as the degeneracy g, then invokes any chosen eigenstate-preparation primitive on each branch. The target subspace is identified from the resulting ensemble via standard subspace estimation, either classically through the coefficient matrix or on hardware through Gram-matrix measurements. We prove that the construction spans the full eigenspace almost surely and preserves the spectral gap exactly on every branch. For practical use, we show that these guarantees hold whenever the random rotations satisfy an anti-concentration condition over the degenerate manifold, substantially weaker than full Haar randomness. We demonstrate QRSI on the toric code, recovering all four topological ground states, and on random Hamiltonians with planted degeneracies.

We investigate the static spherically symmetric vacuum solutions in a generalized bumblebee gravity model characterized by non-minimal couplings $B^2 R$ and $B^μB^νR_{μν}$. We demonstrate that the variation of the action and the imposition of the vacuum expectation value constraint are non-commutative, leading to a richer solution space than previously explored. A diverse set of solutions, including naked singularities, black holes, and wormholes, is obtained, and as many as ten exact solutions are presented. The thermodynamic properties of the new black hole solutions are also analyzed, and a subset of these solutions is found to have zero entropy. We argue that if such a non-minimally coupled vector-tensor gravity provides a fundamental description of the universe, it is best described by a Bumblebee-type theory, where the vector field acquires a VEV.

Nonlocal games provide a unified framework for studying the distinction between classical, quantum, and more general no-signaling correlations. In this work, we develop this perspective by connecting the Bell-locality framework to several complementary mathematical representations of nonlocal games and quantum strategies. We begin with local hidden-variable models, the CHSH inequality, and the role of Bell nonlocality as a device-independent witness of entanglement, and then introduce nonlocal games through the standard predicate/verifier formalism. We next examine a set of representative examples, including XOR games, the GHZ game, graph-based coloring games, the Mermin-Peres magic square game, and Hardy's paradox as a related logical manifestation of nonlocality. Building on this foundation, we compare four closely related representation frameworks: conditional-probability and correlation descriptions, Bell-functional formulations, entangled-value optimization, and the quantum-operator approach together with the Navascues-Pironio-Acin (NPA) hierarchy. These viewpoints are then instantiated for the CHSH, magic square, and GHZ games, showing how each representation emphasizes a different aspect of the same underlying task. Taken together, these examples show that nonlocal games can be studied simultaneously as geometric objects in correlation space, optimization problems over entangled resources, and operator-theoretic constructions. This multi-representation viewpoint clarifies the relation between Bell inequality violations, perfect quantum strategies, pseudo-telepathy, and semidefinite relaxations of quantum correlations.

Quantum-selected configuration interaction (QSCI) has emerged as a feasible approach for approximating electronic ground states on noisy quantum devices toward large-system demonstrations. In QSCI, Slater determinants are sampled from a quantum-prepared state, and the Hamiltonian is then diagonalized in the sampled subspace. To create a high-quality subspace under hardware constraints, the design of the state-preparation circuit is crucial. Here, we present a Generative Quantum Eigensolver (GQE)-based framework that optimizes ansatz structures using a Transformer policy trained on the QSCI subspace energy. We validate the framework on N2 in active spaces of up to 32 qubits. We found that the optimized circuits reach chemical precision with substantially lower gate counts than time-evolved circuits. Quantitatively, this corresponds to an average reduction of 98% in the required two-qubit gate count relative to the single-step first-order Trotterized approximation and 83% relative to the qDRIFT approximation. Furthermore, the resulting wavefunctions are competitive with heat-bath configuration interaction (HCI) in terms of compactness. In stretched-bond, strongly correlated regimes, they achieve chemical precision with subspaces that are 50% smaller than those required by HCI.

We study the periodic properties of sequences of quantum channels sampled from an ergodic stochastic process satisfying a natural irreducibility condition. We relate these periodic properties to certain global spectral data defined by the sequence of quantum channels, proving a general Perron-Frobenius-type theorem. We give examples to motivate the theory and conclude with some open problems and conjectures.

Thermal behavior in subsystems of closed quantum systems is commonly attributed to dynamical chaos, quantum ergodicity, canonical typicality, or the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis, suggesting a fundamentally statistical origin of thermalization. Here, we propose a potential alternative mechanism in which thermal structures emerge deterministically from symmetry considerations alone, without recourse to statistical arguments. We prove a finite de Finetti-type theorem for quantum states invariant under energy-preserving unitaries, establishing that the reduced marginals of any such invariant $N$-qudit state are close (both in trace distance and relative entropy) to convex mixtures of thermal product states, with explicit error bounds vanishing as $N \to \infty$. We further present an example of energy-conserving Lindblad dynamics whose long-time limit is invariant under energy-preserving unitaries, providing a dynamical realization of the desired symmetry class. These results imply that invariance under energy-preserving unitaries suffices as a sole fundamental, deterministic principle to enforce thermal structures.

We review the plethora of uncertainty relations that appear in quantum mechanics and their nuances. We present both foundational applications, e.g. in understanding and defining complementarity, and practical applications, e.g. in quantum metrology and cryptography. Both variance- and entropy-based uncertainties are covered here.

We propose a Hybrid Quantum-Classical Physics-Informed Neural Network (HQC-PINN) that integrates parameterized variational quantum circuits into the PINN framework for hydrological PDE-constrained learning. Our architecture encodes multi-source remote sensing features into quantum states via trainable angle encoding, processes them through a hardware-efficient variational ansatz with entangling layers, and constrains the output using the Saint-Venant shallow water equations and Manning's flow equation as differentiable physics loss terms. The inherent stochasticity of quantum measurement provides a natural mechanism for uncertainty quantification without requiring explicit Bayesian inference machinery. We further introduce a quantum transfer learning protocol that pre-trains on multi-hazard disaster data before fine-tuning on flood-specific events. Numerical simulations on multi-modal satellite and meteorological data from the Kalu River basin, Sri Lanka, show that the HQC-PINN achieves convergence in ~3x fewer training epochs and uses ~44% fewer trainable parameters compared to an equivalent classical PINN, while maintaining competitive classification accuracy. Theoretical analysis indicates that hydrological physics constraints narrow the effective optimization landscape, providing a natural mitigation against barren plateaus in variational quantum circuits. This work establishes the first application of quantum-enhanced physics-informed learning to hydrological prediction and demonstrates a viable path toward quantum advantage in environmental science.

In this work we introduce discrete-time quantum walks in state space, more precisely on Fock-state lattices. Fock-state lattices provide a natural and clean setting for implementing lattice models, particularly in quantum optical systems. Thus, contrary to the common setting where the walker resides in real space or phase space, here the walk takes place in a synthetic space. We present a general formalism based on Lie algebras and their properties. For each Lie algebra one can associate both a phase space and a Fock-state lattice, and by understanding how these spaces are related, together with the action of generalized displacement operators, we construct the discrete unitary operator that generates the walk. In this framework the displacement operators replace the usual nearest-neighbor shifts and lead to state-dependent tunneling on the lattice. By considering several examples we demonstrate ballistic spreading and other characteristic features of discrete-time quantum walks, such as coin-walker entanglement and symmetry-induced interference patterns. We also show that different algebraic structures can give rise to qualitatively different dynamics, including anomalous behavior such as super-ballistic spreading as well as localization effects.

Gravitational-wave memory is a low-frequency, non-oscillatory component of the radiation field that provides a potentially powerful but as yet undetected probe of strong-field gravity. We present the first calculation of gravitational memory from full inspiral--merger--ringdown waveforms in a theory beyond general relativity, focusing on scalar-Gauss-Bonnet gravity as a theoretically well-motivated and numerically accessible extension of GR. Starting from the general memory formulas in Horndeski gravity, we derive explicit spin-weighted spherical-harmonic expressions for the tensor null memory in scalar-Gauss-Bonnet theory and evaluate them on existing numerical-relativity waveforms for both shift-symmetric and dynamically scalarizing binary black hole mergers. We find that the dominant effect is an indirect modification of the tensor memory through changes in the nonlinear merger dynamics, while the direct scalar contribution to the tensor memory remains suppressed by orders of magnitude for the systems considered in this work. For the largest deviations in our dataset, the final memory amplitude differs from the corresponding GR prediction by a few percent and by up to $\sim 4\%$ when compared to the GR template that minimizes the waveform mismatch in a detector-oriented analysis. We further show that including memory increases the mismatch between GR and scalar-Gauss-Bonnet waveforms by more than an order of magnitude, indicating that memory can provide complementary information for testing gravity with third-generation detectors, especially for low-mass binaries.

We analyze Fock-state lattices (FSLs) from an algebraic viewpoint. Starting from a Lie algebra, we associate a FSL constructed from the action of its generators: diagonal (Cartan) generators define the lattice sites, while off-diagonal (root) generators determine the lattice bonds. This construction reveals that identifying an underlying algebraic structure provides direct physical insight into FSLs, including their dimensionality, connectivity, symmetry constraints, and possible transport and revival phenomena. By examining several common Lie algebras, we identify not only their associated FSLs but also the corresponding Lie phase spaces, thereby establishing a systematic connection between FSL dynamics and phase-space geometry. In many cases, both the phase space and the FSL exhibit nontrivial curvature, opening possibilities for exploring quantum dynamics in curved synthetic spaces. We further address whether every integrable Hamiltonian admits an underlying Lie algebra that reproduces the same FSL structure. We show that this is not generally the case, particularly for Hamiltonians that are nonlinear in the generators, and that for systems combining different types of degrees of freedom the appropriate underlying structure may instead be a Lie superalgebra.

Tensor network techniques are becoming increasingly popular tools to solve partial differential equations within the so-called quantics representation. Their popularity stems from the fact that their spatial resolution depends only logarithmically on the number of grid points, making them very tempting approaches in situations where two or more characteristic length scales are vastly different. A first generation of technique used ``out-of-the-box'' algorithms of the tensor network toolkit (e.g. the celebrated Density Matrix Product State (DMRG) algorithm) to solve these problems. These techniques were designed for situations (e.g. quantum magnetism) where the different degrees of freedom (e.g. spins) play equivalent roles. In the quantics representation, however, the different degrees of freedom correspond to the physics at different scales and therefore play inequivalent role. Here we show that by tailoring the tensor network algorithms to this particular case, in the spirit of the multigrid approach, we obtain faster and more robust convergence of the algorithms. We showcase the approach on linear (Poisson equation) and eigenvalue (Schrödinger equation) problems in two, three and four dimensions. Our simulations involve up to $2^{80}$ grid points and would represent, we argue, a very strong challenge for conventional approaches.

We investigate the emergence of semiclassical dynamics in the quantum Rabi model using a recently developed limiting procedure that formally establishes correspondence with the semiclassical Rabi Hamiltonian [E. K. Twyeffort Irish and A. D. Armour, Phys. Rev. Lett. 129, 183603 (2022)]. While the limit itself is defined at the Hamiltonian level, how it is reached depends on the choice of quantum states. Defining a set of quantitative measures that capture the differences between quantum and semiclassical dynamics, we examine convergence to the semiclassical limit when the field is prepared in a displaced number state. These states, which interpolate to Fock states for zero displacement, are more general than the set of coherent states usually employed when considering the emergence of semiclassical behavior. Numerical computations of these measures consistently demonstrate the progressive emergence of semiclassical behavior as the joint limit of vanishing coupling and infinite displacement is approached. Complementing the numerical results, analytical approximations are developed that reproduce the behavior in the vicinity of the semiclassical limit with a high degree of fidelity and allow scaling relations to be derived. Although any initial displaced number state will eventually converge to the corresponding semiclassical dynamics as the limit is taken, the rate of convergence depends on the Fock number $n$ of the state. States with larger values of $n$, which behave less classically than coherent states, converge more slowly to the limit.

We investigate the dynamics of a charged particle interacting with a multimode quantized electromagnetic field and obtain an analytic solution for the full electron--field system. This framework enables the calculation of position expectation values and uncertainties for arbitrary wave packets and field states, allowing us to identify quantum corrections to the corresponding classical motion. While the corrections to the position expectation value are weak and largely insensitive to the quantum state of the field, the wave packet broadening exhibits a pronounced dependence on the field state. In particular, the quantum uncertainty of the radiation is directly imprinted onto the spatial uncertainty of the particle. We illustrate these effects for Gaussian wave packets interacting with coherent, Fock, and squeezed states, including bright squeezed vacuum. The interaction with a finite-duration laser pulse is also analyzed as a multimode example. Our results provide a transparent analytic route toward understanding how quantum fluctuations of light influence electron dynamics in strong-field settings.

A simplified relativistic kinetic theory for gases with internal degrees of freedom, based on a BGK-type collision term, is considered. First the Boltzmann equation is rewritten in tetrad form and then thermal coefficients are determined to first order in the Chapman-Enskog expansion for general spacetimes. The results are used to construct a self-consistent system of first order differential equations, equivalent to the Einstein-Boltzmann system, for some spatially homogeneous models with viscosity and heat flow.

Optically Pumped Magnetometers use light to drive an atomic vapor into a Non-Equilibrium Steady State for sensing. This kind of state is achieved when spin-exchange collisions, together with optical pumping, dominate the relaxation dynamics, redistributing the atomic populations and thereby shaping the steady-state configuration. Despite the rapid advancement of atomic magnetometer technology, a comprehensive thermodynamic analysis of the state preparation is largely unexplored. We apply a thermodynamic framework to alkali atoms in a vapor cell, modeling their interactions with the pump laser and their relaxation via spin-exchange and spin-destruction collisions. We analyze how the pump rate and light polarization determine the non-equilibrium steady state, quantifying irreversibility via entropy production, assessing useful energy via ergotropy, and defining the spin-polarization efficiency. Finally, we establish a connection between metrological performance and the Quantum Fisher Information (QFI), demonstrating that a higher thermodynamic efficiency directly translates into an improved fundamental bound on magnetometer sensitivity. These results provide insights for optimizing state preparation in quantum sensors.

The standard stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP) protocol enables high-fidelity quantum state transfer in an ideal three-level system via adiabatic following of a dark state evolution. However, in practical systems with more energy levels, control pulses with finite spectral selectivity often couple the three-level subspace to the remaining subspace, introducing leakage that fundamentally limits the transfer performance. Here, we adopt a multilevel chain model for STIRAP that explicitly incorporates this leakage subspace. Using Pontryagin's maximum principle, we formulate a leakage-penalized quantum optimal control problem with the control pulses constrained to experimentally feasible Gaussian pulse families. We derive explicit gradients of the objective functional with respect to the pulse parameters, enabling efficient low-dimensional optimization that suppresses leakage while preserving the counterintuitive STIRAP pulse ordering. Numerical simulations for a superconducting transmon platform demonstrate that the optimized control pulses can significantly enhance the target-state transfer fidelity and provide enhanced robustness to amplitude miscalibration and detuning drifts.

We study the signalling structure of higher order quantum maps from an order-theoretic perspective, building on the combinatorial characterization of higher order types by Bisio and Perinotti. We have shown in a previous work arxiv:2411.09256 that types are represented by boolean functions called type functions, and that each such function is characterized by a related structure poset. We characterize the distributive lattice generated by all type functions with fixed indices of input and output systems - whose elements we call regular subtypes - by a monotonicity condition. Unlike the set of type functions, the lattice of regular subtypes is closed under the one-way signalling product, moreover, it is generated by a specific family of causally ordered types. We then study signalling relations for maps belonging to a regular subtype, showing that the no-signalling conditions between an input and an output system are determined by a single evaluation of the corresponding function. For higher order types specifically, we show that all signalling relations can be read off directly from the structure poset via a rank parity condition. Finally, we study relations between the structure poset of a type and its normal forms, that is, expressions of the type in terms of causally ordered types. We illustrate construction of normal forms on some examples, demonstrating the possibility that the normal form can be systematically derived from maximal chains of the poset and signalling relations between them.

Quantum key distribution (QKD) networks provide information-theoretically secure keys for distant parties, emerging as a vital alternative to classical cryptography infrastructures threatened by quantum computing. In QKD networks, the immediacy of key supply service is crucial to the security and performance of applications, as their data must be encrypted before transmission. While key buffering can enable instant key supply services, existing schemes rely on heuristic solutions that incur prohibitive key resource consumption, thus significantly hindering practical deployment. To address this issue, we propose QuIKS, an instant key supply scheme based on adaptive buffering, offering the dominant advantage of near-zero key supply latency while consuming ultra-low key resources (i.e., ultra-low buffer size). Specifically, it is built upon a novel analytical model that determines the minimum buffer size required to guarantee near-zero-latency key supply performance. Guided by this model, QuIKS introduces a lightweight two-phase control algorithm that dynamically determines key relaying requests and adjusts the buffer size by probing real-time application patterns and network conditions. Experiments on a real QKD network testbed demonstrate that QuIKS achieves near-zero key supply latency while providing a more than 10-fold reduction in key buffer size compared to state-of-the-art schemes.

Beamforming is conventionally understood as a collective property of many discrete antenna elements in both communication and radar fields, which links angular selectivity to array size, element spacing, and band-specific hardware. Here we uncover a fundamentally different beamforming mechanism achieved by a Rydberg atomic receiver: a Rydberg-atom vapor cell dressed by a local-oscillator field constitutes a continuous quantum aperture. In this regime, spatially-varying quantum coherence across the aperture provides continuous amplitude-phase control, allowing a directional beam pattern to emerge from one sensing volume rather than from an engineered array. We establish the theory of continuous quantum aperture and show that tailoring the local-oscillator field can directly program the aperture response. This enables reconfigurable single-peak, multipeak, and multiband beamforming within a single vapor cell. Experiments on a Rydberg atomic receiver prototype verify that practical beam patterns agree with theoretical predictions across aperture sizes, frequency bands, and local-oscillator configurations. Leveraging this new beamforming mechanism, we further demonstrate interference mitigation, multiuser access, and multiband multiuser access with the single-vapor-cell platform. Our results identify the continuous quantum aperture as a new operating principle of Rydberg atomic receivers and establish single-vapor-cell beamforming as an integrated and reconfigurable platform for spatially selective electromagnetic reception.

Superconducting coplanar waveguide resonators are essential components in quantum processors, where their internal quality factor (Qi) constrains qubit coherence and readout fidelity. In niobium devices, microwave losses at millikelvin temperatures are strongly influenced by two-level systems (TLS) associated with the complex NbOx surface oxide. To mitigate these losses, we investigate a surface-engineering approach in which Nb films are capped in situ with a thin tantalum layer to suppress Nb2O5 formation and replace the native NbOx interface with a Ta-based oxide. We fabricate Nb/Ta bilayer and reference Nb resonators on high-resistivity silicon using identical DC sputtering and wet etching conditions, and characterize their performance at millikelvin temperatures. Fresh Ta-encapsulated devices exhibit internal quality factors up to 2.4 x 10^6 in the near-single-photon regime, with power dependence consistent with reduced TLS-related loss at the metal-air interface. A control Nb device fabricated under the same process shows comparatively lower Q_TLS, consistent with the beneficial effect of the Ta capping layer. Furthermore, ageing tests performed on Nb/Ta resonators after six months reveal a moderate reduction in Q_TLS relative to their initial values, yet the performance remains superior to newly fabricated Nb-only devices. These results suggest that thin Ta encapsulation enhances interface quality and contributes to improved temporal stability while remaining compatible with Nb-based fabrication workflows.

Giannelli and Chiribella derived an observable-generator duality for energy from a collision model of informational nonequilibrium. We study a continuous-variable version aimed at the Galilean one-particle sector. A smooth family of reference states around an isotropic equilibrium supplies time, translation, rotation, and boost directions. The local observable-generator correspondence is obtained by differentiating a smooth extension of the single-state duality map, and the norm-one property of localization is obtained from a fiducial focusing assumption together with covariance. Combined with the standard smearing form of covariant localization observables, this yields sharp localization. With local inertial composition, the spin-cover action of rotations, and a central boost-translation holonomy, every irreducible sector is unitarily equivalent to the Hilbert space L2(R3) tensored with a (2s+1)-dimensional spin space. In that representation translations are generated by the canonical momentum, the holonomy is a scalar mass m > 0, boosts at t = 0 are generated by m times the position observable, the Hamiltonian is the free-particle kinetic term plus a constant E0, and the total angular momentum is orbital plus spin.

Quantum repeaters constitute a promising platform for enabling long distance quantum communication and may ultimately serve as the backbone of a secure quantum internet, a scalable quantum network, or a distributed quantum computer. An efficient approach to encoding qubits within an error-correcting code is provided by bosonic codes, in which even a single oscillator mode can function as a sufficiently large physical system. In this work, initially we focus on the bosonic Gottesman Kitaev Preskill (GKP) code as a natural candidate for loss correction based quantum repeaters, which can be implemented at room temperature. We demonstrate that transmission loss can be suppressed across three related protocols at the expense of the introduction of logical errors. The third protocol, where a relay-like teleamplifier is applied is optimal. This approach enables medium-distance quantum communication without requiring higher level encoding. We compute the resulting secure key rates while leveraging analog syndrome information. Furthermore, we propose a concatenated Bell state measurement (CBSM) scheme with a modified parity encoding based on GKP qubits, CV measurement and a clipping method that corrects transmission loss without introducing logical errors. This significantly enhances the possible transmission distance. We find that GKP based repeaters can achieve performance comparable to approaches relying on photonic qubits, while requiring orders of magnitude fewer qubits.

Superconducting traveling-wave parametric amplifiers (TWPAs) are essential elements for enhancing the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and thus the read-out fidelity of superconducting qubits because of their high gain and near quantum-limited noise. However, the impact of the pump source, e.g., phase noise on these amplifiers, has not yet been studied. In this work, we show that among the two amplification processes in JTWPAs, the three-wave mixing (3WM) process is more sensitive to the pump phase noise than the four-wave mixing (4WM) process. We show that the even-order nonlinearity of 4th order and above in three-wave mixing is responsible for more than 10 dB increase of phase noise at high frequency offsets within the phase noise mask as the power of the pump increases. A polynomial model of the amplifier and cyclo-stationary property of phase noise also corroborate with the simulations. The Harmonic Balance (HB) periodic noise analysis tool and Leeson phase noise model in Keysight Advanced Design System (ADS) simulator were used in this study.

We show that implementing a generalized uncertainty principle (GUP) with both minimal length and maximal momentum directly on the reduced phase space of the Schwarzschild black hole (BH) leads to a finite and discrete mass spectrum, a strict upper bound on the BH mass, a bounded entropy, and a fully regulated Hawking temperature. We further construct a GUP-deformed lapse function that preserves the ADM mass and horizon radius while exactly reproducing the GUP temperature through the surface gravity. Using the most massive observed supermassive BHs, we derive the constraint on the GUP parameter, $β\lesssim 10^{-98}$, showing that present astrophysical data already impose robust bounds on minimal length quantum gravity.

Bell statistical-strength analyses and complexity-based model selection are usually treated separately. Here we relate them by showing that a witness obtained from a coarse-graining of full Bell trials yields, through data processing, a lower bound on the Kullback-Leibler (KL) distance to a competitor class in terms of the induced witness distribution. For binary Bell-game witnesses this reduces to a Bernoulli bound, and in the CHSH scenario the local image collapses to a single threshold, giving the closed-form expression D_KL(Bern(omega) || Bern(3/4)) under uniform inputs, with a corresponding extension to known nonuniform designs. A finite-sample Hoeffding argument gives a lower confidence bound under independent trials. We also include a non-CHSH example based on the three-party Mermin-GHZ game. Because the bound is measured in bits per trial, it can be compared directly with an MDL/BIC-type complexity penalty and thereby yields a conservative crossover criterion for when a more expressive competitor becomes worthwhile. For the reproducible four-photon data of Wang et al., the witness certifies a positive information gap against locality, while a full-table comparison across local, no-signaling, saturated, and two compact nonlocal families favors low-dimensional nonlocal descriptions once complexity is charged. A four-parameter unbiased-correlator control shows that the data support compact nonlocality over locality, while only weakly distinguishing the specific cosine structure of the two-parameter model; an AIC comparison instead favors broader nonlocal controls. We also report witness-based benchmarks from additional published CHSH experiments and discuss the interpretational scope of BIC for constrained or non-regular model classes.

Quantum-mechanical incompatibility, which precludes the simultaneous precise measurement of non-commuting observables, imposes fundamental limits on the rate at which classical information can be extracted. While the potential to surpass these limits using entangling collective measurements has been explored for two parameters, the regime of three or more parameters remains largely unexplored despite its fundamental and technological importance. Here, we investigate the three-parameter trade-off relations for estimating the Bloch vector components of a qubit, comparing conventional individual measurements with entangling collective measurements. We theoretically derive and experimentally implement optimal collective measurements on two identically prepared qubits using a programmable photonic circuit. Our experimental results demonstrate a clear violation of the entanglement-free trade-off relation -- by an average of 16 standard deviations -- achieving a tomography precision beyond the reach of any individual measurement scheme. This work directly confirms that optimal collective measurements can surpass the fundamental quantum limits of individual schemes in a three-parameter setting -- thereby deepening our understanding of quantum uncertainty relations beyond the two-parameter regime and providing a clear strategy to overcome the precision trade-offs imposed by quantum incompatibility.

The design of coupler-based superconducting two-qubit gates simplifies circuit layout and alleviate frequency crowding, thereby enhancing the scalability and flexibility of quantum chips. However, in such architectures, a trade-off often exists between suppressing crosstalk and reducing gate duration, and how to achieve synergistic optimization of both remains an open challenge. To address this, this paper proposes a coupler-assisted superconducting two-qubit geometric gate scheme oriented towards crosstalk robustness. By introducing additional parametric degrees of freedom, the scheme steers the system evolution along desired trajectories, thereby flexibly avoiding crosstalk-sensitive operational regions. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the proposed scheme can effectively suppress crosstalk errors while enabling fast gate operations, and exhibits strong robustness against typical experimental imperfections such as qubit frequency drift. Moreover, even when accounting for unavoidable high-frequency oscillation terms and qubit decoherence in realistic physical systems, our crosstalk-robust two-qubit geometric gates still achieve high fidelity. This work provides a feasible pathway toward robust and efficient two-qubit gate implementation in superconducting quantum computation.

The goal of this chapter is to investigate the effects of relaxation and dephasing on the quantum Rabi model in the ultrastrong coupling regime, and to provide explicit formulas to implement and numerically solve the resulting nonunitary dynamics from first principles. The quantum Rabi model constitutes the most fundamental description of light-matter interaction, describing a single two-level system coupled to a single mode of a quantized cavity field. The ultrastrong coupling regime is typically defined by $g \gtrsim 0.1ω$, where $ω$ denotes the cavity-mode frequency. In this regime, the standard master equation of quantum optics -- commonly referred to as the Gorini-Kossakowski-Sudarshan-Lindblad (GKSL) master equation -- becomes inaccurate. The reason is that strong light-matter interaction hybridizes the bare atom and field states, so that dissipation cannot be consistently described in the uncoupled basis. A consistent treatment must therefore incorporate this hybridization directly into the dissipative terms. One such approach is the dressed-picture Markovian master equation derived by Beaudoin, Gambetta, and Blais, in which the qubit-field interaction is explicitly included in the construction of the system-bath coupling operators. In this chapter, we numerically solve both the GKSL master equation and the dressed master equation (DME) for various initial field states, including coherent, odd Schrödinger cat, squeezed vacuum, squeezed coherent, and thermal states. We also examine photon generation from the vacuum induced by external time-dependent modulation of the qubit parameters, as well as multiphoton Rabi oscillations for an initially excited qubit. Two reservoir spectral densities are considered: white and Ohmic noise. The differences between the two approaches are illustrated through numerical results for several physical observables.

The term 'neutrinoless' is a cornerstone of modern particle physics, yet it defines a fundamental process by what is missing rather than what is created. We trace the origins of this privative neologism to a 1953 experimental claim and show how a 'sociology of suspicion' transformed Ettore Majorana's affirmative ontology into an agnostic shorthand. By examining this linguistic shift, we argue that our current terminology may obscure the profound physical meaning of the search. Reclaiming the language of 'matter creation' is not merely a semantic choice, but a timely conceptual shift to bridge the gap between experimental caution and the radical character of the laws of nature we aim to uncover.

Glueballs represent a fascinating aspect of the strong interaction in nature. Gluons that serve as the mediators of the strong interaction are massless particles, but they possess a property unique to the strong interaction called color charge, which is analogous to electric charge in the electromagnetic interaction. Glueballs are composed of multiple gluons and would be massless without color charges. The interaction of the color charges, however, makes glueballs becoming massive objects. Glueballs thus offer a unique way to study the mass creation of strongly interacting particles.

Charged lepton-flavor violation is a null-test frontier of the Standard Model and a direct probe of physics beyond it. We present a global effective field theory (EFT) analysis across FCC-ee, ILC, CLIC, HL-LHC, HE-LHC, and muon colliders at 3 and 10 TeV, with operator identification as the primary target rather than exclusion reach alone. The analysis combines low-energy constraints, collider differential observables, and Dalitz-level $μ\to 3e$ information in a common profile-likelihood framework. Key hadron-collider and muon-collider signal/background samples are generated at event level and propagated through Delphes detector simulation, while clean $e^+e^-$ benchmark channels are modeled with CDR-calibrated parametric response. We include one-loop renormalization-group (RG) running and operator mixing between UV matching and measurement scales, finding 10--30\% shifts in selected operator-correlation entries when comparing tree-level and RG-evolved coefficient mappings at multi-TeV matching scales. Polarization asymmetries are used to separate $c_{H\ell}$ and $c_{He}$ directions, and UV discrimination is quantified with Bayes factors for benchmark leptoquark and heavy-neutral-lepton hypotheses. The full code chain for event generation, detector response, inference, and figure reproduction is provided.

We present a pedagogical review of certain exact theoretical results concerning the physics of an imaginary world where one quark or more are deprived of their masses.

We extend the $SU(3)_C \times SU(3)_L \times U(1)_X$ model with neutral leptons (331LHN) by introducing scalar leptoquarks. We determine the particle content of the leptoquark multiplets and their Yukawa interactions with fermions. We find that a singlet leptoquark can fully account for the $4.2σ$ discrepancy in the muon anomalous magnetic moment $Δa_μ^{2021}$. The corresponding leptoquark mass is constrained to be $m_S \gtrsim 1.8$~TeV, consistent with current LHC bounds. We further consider the updated $Δa_μ^{2025}$ based on recent lattice QCD results, which strengthen the lower bound to $m_S \gtrsim 6$~TeV. Combining $Δa_μ$ with low-energy leptonic observables, including charged lepton flavor violation and the $μ$--$e$ conversion rate, we constrain the viable parameter space. The allowed leptoquark Yukawa couplings exhibit a normal hierarchical pattern under all constraints. We also investigate the collider phenomenology of the singlet leptoquark, showing that its QCD-driven pair production leads to suppressed signal rates at the LHC for multi-TeV masses, while future hadron colliders can significantly extend the discovery reach.

In this work, we investigate the scattering of spin-$3/2$ fermionic particles mediated by a Yukawa-like coupling in the context of the massive Rarita-Schwinger model. The interaction is introduced by replacing $m \to m_ψ + gφ$ in the free spin-$3/2$ Lagrangian. The analysis is performed at both zero and finite temperatures. In the latter case, thermal effects are incorporated using the Thermofield Dynamics (TFD) formalism. In both regimes, we obtain the differential and total cross sections and examine their behavior in the short-range ($m_φ \neq 0$) and long-range ($m_φ = 0$) limits, in order to analyze the influence of zero- and finite-temperature effects.

A precision measurement of the $W$-boson production cross-section is performed using the $W \to μν$ decay channel, based on a sample of proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb experiment at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.1 $fb^{-1}$. The cross-section is measured for muons with transverse momentum between 25 and 55 GeV and pseudorapidity between 2.0 and 4.5. The integrated production cross-sections of $W$ bosons are measured to be $$ \begin{array}{lcl} σ_{W^+ \to μ^+ν} &=& 1754.2 \pm 1.5 \pm 11.9 \pm 35.1\text{ pb} \\ σ_{W^- \to μ^-\barν} &=& 1178.1 \pm 1.3 \pm 9.7 \pm 23.6\text{ pb} \end{array} $$ where uncertainties are statistical, systematic, and due to the luminosity determination, respectively. Results are in good agreement with theoretical predictions at next-to-next-to-leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics. This measurement is significantly more precise than previous results in this kinematic regime.

The experimental observation of collective behaviour in proton-proton and proton-nucleus collisions poses a fundamental theoretical question regarding the proper characterization of the initial state underlying hydrodynamic evolution. While relativistic hydrodynamics requires an initial condition (IC) characterized by an entropy current, corresponding to a maximally mixed state, the microscopic description of the proton is based on inherently quantum objects, that are projections of pure states. We show that the appropriate matching between proton wave function and classical hydrodynamics emerges from the coarse-graining of its phase-space distribution quantified by the Wehrl-like entropy. This entropy provides a semi-classical, positive-definite measure of the density of accessible microstates at a given resolution scale, and therefore constitutes the appropriate quantity to characterize entropy deposition in small collision systems.

We study graviton production from an oscillating inflaton condensate during reheating by systematically comparing Boltzmann and Bogoliubov descriptions for inflaton potentials of the form $V(φ)\proptoφ^n$ around the minimum. The Bogoliubov framework provides a unified description of graviton production, capturing both perturbative and non-perturbative effects across short and long wavelengths, whereas the Boltzmann approach is restricted to perturbative production at short wavelengths. For the quadratic case ($n=2$), we find that the two approaches yield identical graviton spectra at short wavelengths, indicating that the Boltzmann treatments fully captures perturbative gravitational production in this regime. For steeper potentials ($n>2$), however, we identify a sizable contribution arising from the non-adiabatic transition between inflation and reheating. This component is naturally incorporated in the Bogoliubov formalism but absent in the Boltzmann description, and we show that it is important over a broad range of momenta. We derive analytic approximations within both frameworks that clarify the physical origin and scaling behavior of the spectrum. Our results delineate the regime of validity of Boltzmann approaches and show that, for steeper inflaton potentials, graviton production is governed by non-adiabatic transition dynamics for which the Bogoliubov formalism provides the most appropriate description.

The ultra-rare decay $K^+\toπ^+ν\barν$ is a golden mode in flavor physics. The Standard Model prediction for its branching ratio is below $10^{-10}$. This decay mode is highly sensitive to new physics models at mass scales up to $\mathcal{O}(100\,\mathrm{TeV})$. The NA62 experiment at CERN SPS is designed to measure this decay mode. A preliminary result of the branching ratio measurement using data collected in 2023--2024 is presented. With the new dataset, the NA62 experiment doubled its signal sample while reducing the background in proportion. Combining the data collected in 2016--2024, the branching ratio is measured to be $\mathcal{B}(K^+\toπ^+ν\barν) = \left(9.6^{+1.9}_{-1.8}\right)\times10^{-11}$. The result is compatible with the Standard Model prediction with a precision better than $20\%$.

The production of two isolated photons in high-energy hadron collisions poses a challenge to perturbative QCD because of large corrections through next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO). We present novel next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order ($\text{N}^3$LO) predictions and finally demonstrate perturbative convergence for this process. We discuss the considerable computational challenges and phenomenological results for the Large Hadron Collider.

The impact of open-flavor thresholds on the quarkonium spectrum has been a subject of study since the introduction of the Cornell potential and has been quantified through various phenomenological approaches, most notably the $^3P_0$ model. We revisit this problem using the Born--Oppenheimer effective field theory (BOEFT), an effective field theory systematically derived from QCD by exploiting hierarchies of energy scales and symmetries. Within the BOEFT, open-flavor threshold effects emerge from the mixing between quarkonium and tetraquark static potentials sharing the same Born--Oppenheimer quantum numbers. The shapes of the static potentials are constrained by lattice QCD calculations. Furthermore, we account for the distinctive behavior of the BOEFT tetraquark static potentials at short and large distances: at short distances they are repulsive, reflecting the color-octet configuration of the heavy quark-antiquark pair, while at large distances they asymptotically approach heavy-light meson-antimeson thresholds. To quantify threshold effects on the quarkonium spectrum below threshold, we solve a set of coupled Schrödinger equations dictated by the BOEFT, whose only free parameter, the adjoint meson mass, is fixed to the mass of the $χ_{c1}(3872)$ state. These coupled equations are solved both in the spin-isospin averaged threshold limit and, for the first time, including the spin splittings of the physical thresholds. We validate our results by computing the same threshold effects as self-energy corrections to the quarkonium propagator. We compare our predictions with existing experimental data and previous literature. Finally, we provide a field-theoretical interpretation of the pair-creation constant $γ$ appearing in the $^3P_0$ model.

A precision measurement of the muon charge asymmetry from $W$-boson decays in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV is presented. The analysis utilizes data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.1 $fb^{-1}$, recorded by the LHCb detector during 2016, 2017 and 2018. The asymmetry is measured for muons with transverse momentum between 25 and 55 GeV and pseudorapidity between 2.0 and 4.5. This result represents the most precise determination of the muon charge asymmetry in the forward region to date, exhibiting excellent agreement with next-to-next-to-leading-order predictions in perturbative quantum chromodynamics.

The sine-Gordon model serves as a foundational $1+1$-dimensional quantum field theory with numerous applications in condensed matter physics. Despite its integrability, characterizing its finite-temperature behavior remains a significant theoretical challenge. Here we use the previously developed Method of Random Surfaces (MRS) to evaluate two-point and higher-order correlation functions. We cross-check these results with known analytical limits, demonstrating that the MRS provides reliable, non-perturbative data in intermediate regimes where traditional form-factor expansions and semiclassical methods are inapplicable. Furthermore, we derive an exact result for arbitrary $N$-point functions satisfying an appropriate selection rule, providing a direct computational method for complex multi-point observables at finite temperature. We also characterize the non-Gaussianity of correlations and demonstrate that the results align with intuitive theoretical expectations.

We review the role of primordial black holes (PBHs) for illuminating the dark ages of the cosmological evolution and as dark matter (DM) candidates. We elucidate the role of phase transitions for primordial black hole formation in the early Universe and focus our attention on the cosmological QCD phase transition within a recent microscopical model. We explore the impact of physics beyond the Standard Model (SM) on the cosmic equation of state and the probability distribution for the formation of PBHs which serve as candidates for DM and contribute to present-day binary black-hole merger events.

The RELICS (REactor neutrino LIquid xenon Coherent elastic Scattering) experiment employs a dual-phase liquid xenon time projection chamber to search for Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering (CE$ν$NS) induced by reactor neutrinos. To detect these sub-keV nuclear recoils and minimize signal attenuation, it is critical to maintain a sufficiently low impurity concentration in the detector. This work presents a comprehensive purity evolution model developed to describe impurity migration inside the detector. Utilizing measured material outgassing rates as input parameters, the model incorporates non-uniform transport mechanisms of the impurities, including circulation, vaporization, and condensation. The model is validated using data from a dedicated prototype detector. Based on this validated model, projections for the purification performance of the upcoming RELICS-10 and RELICS-50 detectors are provided.

The subprocess $nn\to ppe^-e^-$ is a key ingredient in the interpretation of nuclear neutrinoless double-beta decay. Intermediate $Δ$ resonances may provide additional enhancements to this transition. We take a first step toward a $Δ$-full description of $nn\to ppe^-e^-$ by investigating the neutrinoless double-beta decay $Δ^- \to p e^-e^-$ in the framework of chiral effective field theory. We systematically derive the long-range contribution from light-Majorana-neutrino exchange through loop diagrams and incorporate the short-range part through counterterms required by renormalization. We predict the pion-mass dependence of the decay amplitude in the kinematic configuration with collinear electrons. Furthermore, to facilitate lattice-QCD matching, we calculate the decay amplitude in the degenerate $Δ$-nucleon mass limit and provide the corresponding long-range prediction.

We calculate electromagnetic multipole moments of $Σ$-type strange hidden-charm pentaquarks $P^Σ_{ψs}$ (isospin triplet $Σ^+,Σ^0,Σ^-$) using QCD light-cone sum rules, with six (spin-1/2) and seven (spin-3/2) interpolating currents built from diquark-diquark-antiquark operators. We compute magnetic dipole $μ$ for all channels and, for spin-3/2, electric quadrupole ${\cal Q}$ and magnetic octupole ${\cal O}$ moments (first computation), and give the first quark-flavor decomposition. Scalar diquark currents yield charm-dominated, flavor-insensitive moments ($μ\in[-1.92,-1.21]μ_N$ for spin-1/2, $|μ|\lesssim1.2μ_N$ for spin-3/2), consistent with heavy-quark spin symmetry. Axial-vector diquark currents produce larger, flavor-sensitive moments with sign reversals governed by $e_u/e_d=-2$. For ${\cal Q}$, scalar-diquark currents give oblate deformations ($Q_0\approx-2.0\times10^{-2}{\rm fm}^2$) dominated by charm, while two-axial-vector-diquark currents predict prolate values up to $Q_0=+8.0\times10^{-2}{\rm fm}^2$, with sign reversal for $[su][uc]\bar{c}$ in two currents. Currents with scalar antiquark coupling yield a topology-independent octupole ${\cal O}\approx-0.25\times10^{-3}{\rm fm}^3$, a lattice QCD benchmark. Comparison with constituent quark models identifies four discriminants: $|μ|\gtrsim3μ_N$ in spin-1/2; sign of $μ$ for $[su][uc]\bar{c}$ in spin-3/2; non-zero ${\cal Q}$ (vanishes in $S$-wave molecules); and the ${\cal Q}$-${\cal O}$ sign correlation, probing $1/m_q$ weighting.

A partial wave analysis of the process $ψ(2S)\rightarrowγχ_{c1}, χ_{c1}\rightarrowπ^+π^-η^{\prime}$ is performed using $(2712.4\pm14.3)\times10^{6}$ $ψ(2S)$ events collected with the BESIII detector. An isovector state with exotic quantum numbers $J^{PC}=1^{-+}$, denoted as $π_{1}(1600)$, is observed for the first time in the charmonium decay of $χ_{c1}\rightarrowπ_{1}^{\pm}(1600)π^{\mp}$, $π_{1}^{\pm}(1600)\rightarrowπ^{\pm}η^{\prime}$ with a statistical significance over $21σ$. Its mass and width are determined to be $1828 \pm 8 ({\rm stat})^{+11}_{-33}({\rm syst})~\mathrm{MeV}/c^2$ and $638 \pm 26 ({\rm stat})^{+35}_{-86}({\rm syst})~\mathrm{MeV}$, respectively, using a relativistic Breit-Wigner function with a mass-dependent width. The corresponding product of branching fractions is determined to be $\mathcal{B}\left[χ_{c1}\rightarrowπ_{1}(1600)^{\pm}π^{\mp} \right] \times \mathcal{B}\left[π_{1}(1600)^{\pm}\rightarrowπ^{\pm}η^{\prime}\right] = \left( 4.30 \pm 0.14 ({\rm stat})^{+1.04}_{-1.03}({\rm syst})~ \right) \times 10^{-4}$.

Magnetic field amplification is an integral part of the process of particle acceleration at non-relativistic shocks. It is necessary to reach the maximum energies required by observations, especially in supernova remnants, thought to be sources of the bulk of Galactic cosmic rays. Such amplification can be caused by the acoustic instability that develops when small density perturbations interact with the cosmic-ray pressure gradient in the upstream of a cosmic-ray-modified shock. The vorticity induced by the nonlinear development of the instability may lead to turbulence, which amplifies the pre-existing magnetic fields. To study this phenomenon, we use the PLUTO code to carry out 2D (and some 3D) magnetohydrodynamical simulations of the evolution of small density perturbations in the presence of an assigned cosmic-ray pressure gradient. Adopting more realistic values of Mach number and cosmic-ray acceleration efficiency than previously assumed in the literature, we show that the acoustic instability can transform small density perturbations into large nonlinear structures while the fluid crosses the precursor region of a cosmic-ray-modified shock. We study the power spectrum of turbulent magnetic fluctuations that may be important to scatter particles. We comment on the possible constructive interference between acoustic and non-resonant streaming instabilities. We discuss limitations of previous and current numerical investigations in accessing spatial scales where turbulence is expected to turn nonlinear, and outline perspectives for future investigations.

We study a two-component pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone-boson (pNGB) dark matter (DM) model motivated by boosted dark matter (BDM). The model is based on a complex scalar field charged under a dark $\text{U}(1)_V$ gauge symmetry, with a softly broken global $\text{SU}(3)_g$ symmetry that is spontaneously broken. The pNGB nature suppresses DM--Nucleon scattering, while the residual $\text{U}(1)_3 \times \text{U}(1)_{T_0}$ symmetry automatically stabilizes the two pNGB DM candidates and allows conversion of the heavier component into the lighter one. A central point is that the heavier or light component hierarchy is controlled by the two independent soft-breaking parameters that split the pNGB multiplet, so an abundant heavier component required for BDM can be obtained without introducing ad hoc hierarchies among independent portal coupling tuned to enable effective conversion. We analyze the relic abundance together with the constraints considered in this work, including Higgs invisible decays and perturbative unitarity, classify the coupled freeze-out dynamics, and assess the resulting BDM scattering cross section and flux.

The complex Langevin approach is a promising method for the numerical treatment of systems with a sign problem, for which conventional lattice field theory techniques based on importance sampling cannot be applied. However, complex Langevin dynamics may fail to converge in some cases and converge to a wrong limit in others, motivating the development of various diagnostic tools over the years to assess the correctness of given simulation results. This work aims at providing a systematic comparison between the most prominent such correctness criteria. In particular, the main goal is to contrast their applicability, ease of use, and - most importantly - their predictive power. To this end, four simple but nontrivial models are considered and the criteria applied to each of them. The obtained conclusions are expected to carry over to more realistic theories as well.

Observations of ultra-dense substructures in strong lensing systems challenge the standard cosmological model at small scales. Self-interacting dark matter (SIDM), as an alternative to the cold and collisionless dark matter (CDM) of the standard cosmological model, provides a natural mechanism for forming such structures via gravothermal core collapse. We show that strong gravitational lensing of fast radio bursts (FRBs) provides an effective approach to detecting these substructures and probing dark matter self-interactions. Core-collapsed SIDM halos exhibit steeper central density profiles than CDM halos, enhancing the lensing cross section and producing longer time delays between FRB images. We compute lensing properties of core-collapsed subhalos and host halos, including maximal impact parameters and time-delay distributions. We demonstrate that future all-sky monitors, such as BURSTT, SKA2-Low, and SKA2-Mid, which are expected to detect $10^{5}$--$10^{7}$ FRBs over a decade, can measure time-delay distributions with high statistical significance. Modeling collapsed halos with a cored power-law density profile with inner slope $γ=3$ and assuming no excess beyond the singular isothermal sphere lens model, we show that our strategy can probe self-interaction cross section strengths of $σ_{\text{SI}}/m \gtrsim \min\{18,\, 40λ_{\text{sub}}\}\,\text{cm}^2/\text{g}$, where $λ_{\text{sub}}$ parameterizes the collapse time of a subhalo relative to that of the isolated case.

We explore the sensitivity of the $e^{+} e^{-} \to K^+ K^- 2 π^0$ cross section to the magnetic dipole moment (MDM) of the $K^*$ vector meson. We describe the $γ^* \to 2K2π$ vertex using a vector meson dominance model, including the intermediate resonant contributions relevant for energies below 2.4 GeV. Using BaBar data for this process, we show that this observable is indeed sensitive to the MDM of the $K^*$; we obtain a central value for the MDM of $μ_{K^*}=4.5$ and an upper bound of $\barμ_{K^*} = 6.3$, in units of $e/2 m_{K^*}$. We emphasize the need for higher precision data to provide a first data-driven determination of this parameter to confront it with theoretical predictions.

We show that the $\mathrm{SU}(3)_C \times \mathrm{SU}(3)_L \times \mathrm{U}(1)_N$ model with right-handed neutrinos naturally accommodates a viable sub-MeV dark matter (DM) candidate realized as pseudo-Goldstone boson that acquires tiny mass through gravitational effects. The observed relic abundance is obtained via freeze-in in a low-reheating temperature scenario, without requiring tiny couplings. The model operates at the TeV scale and remains testable at current and future collider experiments.

We deform classical holomorphic Chern--Simons theory on a Calabi--Yau three-fold $X$ by deforming the complex structure by a deformation parameter $h \in\mathscr{H}^{0,1}(T^{1,0}X)$. The corresponding equations of motion admit new "instanton solutions" which which are invariant under re-scalings of $h$, and are perhaps more reminiscent of $G_2$-instantons for $G_2$ manifolds. We give examples of such instantons. In particular, when $h$ has non-vanishing Yukawa coupling ${\rm Yuk}(h,h,h)\neq 0$, it may be used to define a connection on ${\rm End}(T^{1,0}X)$ solving the instanton constraint. Interestingly, this connection gives rise to a hermitian (self-adjoint) connection for a real gauge theory on the real bundle ${\rm End}(TX)$ for only specific directions in deformation space, which may be classified using Morse theory. We quantize the deformed theory around these instanton backgrounds, and derive explicit expressions for the partition function in the limit where the complex structure deformation is large. We study anomalies, and the $h$-dependece of the partition function. In particular, coupling the theory to additional gravitational degrees of freedom, we find that the special directions in deformation space give rise to novel anomaly free theories on ${\rm End}(T^{1,0}X)$.

We show that, in the collinear regime, the fixed--$j$ holographic double deeply virtual Compton scattering (DDVCS) amplitude contains the same hypergeometric hard kernel as the $\pm$-basis Wilson coefficients of perturbative QCD. Starting from the $t$--channel Witten diagram, we derive the closed-string fixed--$j$ amplitude and obtain the even-spin open-string channel by a parallel replacement rule. After holographic collinear factorization, the upper photon vertex is universal and model independent: in the conformal limit it depends only on the pure-AdS bulk wave functions of the two virtual photons and yields an exact Gauss hypergeometric function of $η^2/ξ^2$. The Mellin exponent $δ_X(j)=j+Δ_X(j)-2=2j+γ_X(j)$ is fixed by Witten-diagram $z$-power counting, while all infrared model dependence is isolated in lower hadronic conformal moments. Comparing with the singlet vector Compton form factor in the conformal operator product expansion, we find that at a single matching scale $Q=μ=μ_0=μ_\ast$ the open channel matches the $(+)$ eigenchannel and the closed channel matches the protected $(-)$ eigenchannel. The sharpest anchor is the first physical even moment $j=2$, together with the distinct $\sqrt{j-1}$ and $\sqrt{j-2}$ branch-point structure of the open and closed trajectories. Logarithmic running deforms only the scale dependence, not the channel dictionary. The result is a fixed--$j$, fixed-scale structural matching statement for holographic DDVCS/DVCS, not a claim of all-scale equality or a global fit.

Holographic QCD reproduces the leading short-distance vector-current two-point function in vacuum, fixing the bulk gauge coupling by matching the logarithmic $Q^2$ dependence of the boundary current correlator. We show that this vacuum matching extends to the off-forward hadronic current-current correlator relevant for DDVCS/DVCS. Starting from the fixed-$j$ $t$-channel Witten diagram, we derive a factorized holographic Compton amplitude whose ultraviolet photon vertex is universal and model independent, while all infrared sensitivity is isolated in hadronic conformal moments. In the conformal limit this upper vertex depends only on the pure-AdS bulk wave functions of the virtual photons and yields an exact Gauss hypergeometric kernel. In the collinear window and at a single matching scale $Q=μ=μ_0=μ_\ast$, this kernel matches exactly the $\pm$-basis Wilson coefficients of the singlet conformal operator product expansion in perturbative QCD. The channel dictionary is fixed dynamically: the closed-string branch matches the protected $(-)$ eigenchannel, while the open-string branch matches the unprotected $(+)$ eigenchannel, with the first physical even moment $j=2$ and the distinct $\sqrt{j-2}$ versus $\sqrt{j-1}$ branch points providing the sharpest anchor. The result is therefore an exact fixed-scale matching statement for the hadronic current-current correlator in the fixed-$j$ channel. It identifies the holographic DDVCS/DVCS amplitude as a hadronic generalization of the familiar vacuum current-correlator matching.

We illustrate, via a simplified model, a scenario in which the baryon-asymmetry and, possibly the dark matter component of the Universe are simultaneously generated by the decay of a WIMP-like mother particle, in turn produced non-thermally during an epoch of Early Matter domination. We first consider the standard evolution of the Universe and introduce TeV-scale BSM particles, finding that this paradigm cannot produce enough baryon asymmetry. This deficiency can be resolved by considering a non-standard scenario, with a matter-dominated phase prior to radiation-domination. Finally, we include a dark matter candidate, which is non-thermally produced during the Early Matter domination. Our results demonstrate an interesting common origin of baryon asymmetry and Dark Matter, with the particle masses lying within the collider-detectable range, thanks to the presence of non-standard evolution in the early Universe.

Cosmology is living through fascinating times, where new observations from ground and space telescopes are questioning the established paradigm, the so-called Lambda Cold Dark Matter model. The particle nature of Dark Matter is severely constrained by underground experiments, while recent observations by galaxy surveys indicate that the cosmological constant (Lambda) may not be constant after all. Furthermore, observations at high redshift of fully-formed galaxies with massive black holes at their centers by the James Webb Space Telescope, as well as black holes with unexpected properties observed by gravitational wave detectors LIGO-Virgo, are driving an in-depth revision of our assumptions in models of structure formation and the evolution of the universe. I propose to explore two new paradigms to account for Dark Matter and Dark Energy, based on known physics without the need for new particles nor new degrees of freedom. I will extend the primordial spectrum of fluctuations to small scales with new statistical properties to provide a viable Primordial Black Hole scenario for Dark Matter, and will include non-equilibrium thermodynamics in the expanding universe, in the form of General Relativistic Entropic Acceleration, to explain Dark Energy. My proposal could provide a unified explanation for a plethora of interrelated multi-epoch, multi-scale and multi-probe observations from present and future Gravitational Wave detectors, Large Scale Structure observatories and Cosmic Microwave Background experiments. It emphasizes the need to develop new theoretical ideas hand-in-hand with observations to acquire a deeper understanding of our universe. If these ideas are correct, they will open a new window into the early universe and a new fundamental understanding of gravity in the late universe.

We discuss the effective field theory of large scale structure in terms of a single scalar degree of freedom, corresponding to the velocity potential of the matter fluid in a $Λ$CDM universe. This cosmic ``pion'' field is nonlinearly related to the overdensity and the gravitational potential, and corresponds to the Goldstone boson of spontaneously broken spacetime symmetry, allowing us to organize perturbation theory in a systematic way while keeping the symmetries manifest. We develop the effective field theory of the pion field to next-to-leading order, and we use it to calculate the corrections to the power spectrum and to check that these are consistent with the consistency relations of spontaneously broken spacetime symmetry. We compare our results against computer simulations for the evolution of large scale structure in the pion field picture, and we make use of N-body simulations to measure EFT coefficients and analyze the growth of additional degrees of freedom in the deep nonlinear regime. We conclude with a discussion of how the pion field picture may help suggest new variables for analyzing simulations and experimental surveys of large scale structure.

Energy correlators offer a clean probe of quantum chromodynamics, serving as an ideal laboratory to rigorously investigate non-perturbative power corrections. The recent discovery that linear corrections exhibit a universal anomalous scaling points to a deep, underlying theoretical structure. We uncover the quantum field-theoretic origin of this phenomenon in the energy-energy correlator using light-ray operators. Through an explicit loop calculation, we derive the one-loop anomalous dimension, revealing that the dijet operator must be combined with a specific triple-jet component. This provides a first-principles framework that connects operator theory with high-precision collider phenomenology.

The $U(1)_A$ symmetry of the massless QCD Lagrangian is explicitly broken by the axial anomaly, but it may be effectively restored at finite temperature. Determining the temperature at which this occurs is important for understanding the chiral transition and the structure of the QCD phase diagram. A commonly used probe of effective $U(1)_A$ restoration is the degeneracy of flavour non-singlet pseudoscalar and scalar susceptibilities. Using anisotropic lattice QCD ensembles with Wilson-clover fermions generated by the \textsc{Fastsum} collaboration, we study this degeneracy through hadronic correlation functions over a wide range of temperatures. The fine temporal resolution of our Generation 3 ensembles allows us to determine the temperature at which the pseudoscalar and scalar channels become degenerate. We find evidence for the effective restoration of $U(1)_A$ symmetry at $T_{U(1)_A}=319(22)$ MeV, well above the chiral crossover temperature.

A simple method is presented for deriving universal formulae for the correlators, frequently denoted $W_{g,n}(\{z_i\}), i=1,..n$, of a wide range of models of physical and mathematical interest. While many alternative methods exist for constructing such correlators, these formulae can be simply written in terms of one defining function and its derivatives. The method has been applied to the Airy and Bessel models, various minimal string and superstring theories, and their associated intersection theory settings, ordinary and various kinds of supersymmetric Weil-Petersson volumes, and more besides. For all these cases, their $W_{g,n}(\{z_i\})$ are just all specializations of the {\it same} universal formulae. A special variant of the method useful for ${N}{=}1$ supersymmetric cases is also presented. It allows for swift derivations of Norbury's three closed-form formulae for the volumes $V_{g,n}$ ($g{=}1,2,3$) of ${ N}{=}1$ supersymmetric Weil-Petersson volumes, and generalizations of them to a wider set of models. Moreover a new closed-form formula for the genus 4 case $V_{4,n}$ is derived. The straightforward method for how to derive such formulae for $g{>}4$ cases is described. Throughout, crucial roles are played by the underlying integrable KdV flows, as well as the Gel'fand-Dikii equation.

Wilson loop operators in ABJM theory provide a rich arena for studying defect conformal field theories (dCFTs) and the renormalization group (RG) flows connecting them. While these are well understood at weak coupling, a complete strong-coupling picture remains an open problem. In this paper, we present a systematic analysis of defect RG flows in ABJM at strong coupling, via holography. By examining fluctuations of fundamental strings in the AdS$_4 \times \mathbb{CP}^3$ background around classical AdS$_2$ solutions, we map worldsheet excitations to the operators in the dual dCFT which are responsible for the flows and determine their scaling dimensions, including subleading corrections from one-loop worldsheet effects. We show how different boundary conditions on string coordinates correspond to distinct operators and provide a geometric realization of the RG flows through interpolating boundary conditions. We apply this framework to fermionic 1/2 BPS, bosonic 1/6 BPS, and non-supersymmetric Wilson loops, establishing a coherent strong-coupling picture in which the 1/2 BPS loop is IR stable, the 1/6 BPS loop acts as a saddle point, and the non-supersymmetric configuration emerges as a natural UV fixed point. We also advance a proposal for the holographic dual of a second non-supersymmetric loop, in terms of averaging over Dirichlet boundary conditions.

In this paper we study axion-like particles (ALPs) with lepton-flavour-violating (LFV) couplings in the mass regime above the muon threshold, $m_a>m_μ$, where the strong bound from the exotic muon decay $μ\to ea$ no longer apply and the decay channel $a\to eμ$ becomes kinematically accessible. In this region, the ALP typically decays promptly, motivating new search strategies based on its production in decays involving virtual muons. We analyse charged-meson and $W$ decays, neutral-current processes such as $Z$ and quarkonium decays, and, when couplings to the third generation are present, LFV $τ$ decays. The subsequent decay $a\to eμ$ leads to striking LFV signatures with negligible Standard Model backgrounds. Combining these production modes with current low-energy constraints, we assess the sensitivity of future high-energy $e^+e^-$ colliders, flavour factories such as Belle II and STCF, fixed-target experiments such as NA62, and proton beam-dump facilities such as SHiP. Overall, our results identify LFV ALP production in meson, gauge-boson, quarkonium and $τ$ decays (with displaced vertices) as a promising and largely unexplored avenue to test ALP interactions with charged leptons above the muon mass threshold.

We systematically study the spin correlations and quantum entanglement in transversely polarized electron-positron collisions. We find that the $s$-channel QED process $e^-e^+\to f\bar f$ produces a maximally entangled state in the entire phase space when the initial beams are transversely polarized, while the quantum magic varies in different phase space points for the maximally entangled Bell states. For electroweak processes, the spin configuration of final states depends on chiral couplings, and the entanglement is also greatly enhanced by transverse polarization as in the QED process. For Bhabha scattering with additional $t$-channel contributions, the transverse polarization still increases the final state entanglement, although with some dilution. The sensitive dependence of final spin states on the transverse polarization makes the beam polarization a powerful tool for generating and controlling quantum entanglement in collider experiments, opening up new opportunities for quantum information studies at high-energy colliders.

We study the phenomenological consequences of higher symmetry structures in axion effective field theories. Higher-group and non-invertible symmetries impose parametric constraints on the energy scales at which different symmetries can emerge in the infrared, providing a guide to the ultraviolet physics. We clarify and analyze these emergence constraints in axion EFTs coupled to abelian and non-abelian gauge bosons, with and without charged matter. We show that emergence constraints are universally saturated by anomaly inflow onto topological defects, while in perturbative UV completions they are supererogatory owing to the parametric separation of scales.

Neutrons are important final-state particles in neutrino interactions, yet they are not considered or reconstructed in most current neutrino LArTPC physics analyses. In this paper, we present a simulation-based proof-of-concept study of neutron reconstruction in a generic LArTPC detector. Leveraging isolated, MeV-scale energy deposits, or blips, from neutron inelastic scattering, and using realistic blip response from published experimental results, we demonstrate the capability to identify neutrons and to reconstruct the direction and energy of the final-state neutron system in sub-GeV neutrino interactions. We then explore how neutron-related blip attributes can be used to improve physics studies of neutrino interactions, such as enhancing neutrino-antineutrino separation in atmospheric neutrinos and reverse-horn-current beam neutrinos. This simple study provides an initial quantification of LArTPC neutron reconstruction capabilities, which we expect to improve with future advancements in blip reconstruction, identification, and classification algorithms, as well as the modeling of neutrons.

We investigate Maxwell-Chern-Simons theory on a three-dimensional noncommutative spacetime endowed with a constant spacelike Poisson structure. By exploiting the residual rotational symmetry, we construct exact classical solutions corresponding to pointlike electric and magnetic charges. We demonstrate that noncommutativity acts as a natural regulator, ensuring a finite total electromagnetic energy and thereby resolving the classical self-energy divergence. Furthermore, some of these solutions exhibit a non-perturbative dependence on the noncommutativity parameter and allow for the generation of an arbitrary magnetic flux. We also present a noncommutative generalization of Gauss's law, providing a robust framework for the physical interpretation of these exact solutions.

To address the Reactor Antineutrino Anomaly (RAA) observed in neutrino experiments, the Reactor Experiment for Neutrino and Exotics (RENE) has been initiated using a liquid scintillation detector. In this study, we investigate the characteristics of two 20-inch Hamamatsu R12860 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) intended for installation in the RENE detector. The charge and timing responses of the PMTs were evaluated at both the nominal and target gains expected during actual operation. In particular, gain non-uniformity arising from the large-diameter photocathode with a box-and-line type dynode structure was examined, and the maximum gain variation was measured. The occurrence rate, timing, and charge distributions of late pulses and afterpulses were also investigated to characterize the specific response features of the R12860 PMT. The results reported in this study will aid in the interpretation of signals from the RENE detector and serve as a reference for estimating potential systematic uncertainties in RENE data. Furthermore, these findings are expected to provide valuable information for other experiments employing the same type of PMTs.

We calculate the spin density matrix of a back-to-back quark-antiquark pair inclusively produced in electron-nucleus scattering, taking into account the gluon saturation effect and the linearly polarized gluon distribution. We then investigate concurrence and stabilizer Rényi entropy, quantifying entanglement, Bell-nonlocality, and magic. We find that the linearly polarized gluon distribution tends to enhance the entanglement of a heavy quark pair when the total and relative transverse momenta of the pair are orthogonal.

We have developed and commissioned an experimental system at ELI-NP towards searches for axion-like particles (ALPs) in the worldwide 10~PW-class laser facility. The search principle is based on the Four-Wave Mixing (FWM) process at a focal region of coaxially combined two laser beams. The subsystems to control vacuum pressure, area size, spatiotemporal overlap and trigger-event pattern, are integrated into the experimental area for 0.1 PW laser output at ELI-NP. The integrated system is dedicated to identifying the possible background sources originated from the residual atoms and the optical elements. The performance and functionality of the subsystems were validated through the evaluations of laser characteristics, their stability and the FWM signal detections. Furthermore commissioning results for the background studies were demonstrated with 20 mJ-level laser pulses at the vacuum pressure of $1.3 \times 10^{-7}$ mbar. In conclusion, the integrated experimental system is fully functional as designed and provides a suitable platform for the background studies towards the ALP searches, enabling a stepwise scale-up of the laser pulse energies from 20 mJ to the maximum energy of 2.5 J in the 0.1 PW experimental area.

Collider experiments are equipped with trigger systems that rapidly inspect the physics content emerging from collisions to decide whether the resulting products are worth saving for later analysis. One crucial aspect for analyzing the final states originating from the collisions is to process the information produced by charged particles in the innermost detectors to reconstruct the corresponding trajectories. This task is a challenge for the experiments running at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN because of the large number of secondary collisions per bunch crossing, the so-called pile-up vertices, giving rise to extremely high hit occupancies in the detector layers close to the beam line. Reconstructing tracks is a combinatorial problem and its processing time strongly depends on the average pile-up per event. The future accelerator-complex upgrade to the High-Luminosity LHC, implying even higher detector occupancies, will result in a considerable growth of the computational cost of the current trigger strategies. To face this issue, a new technique for assisting track reconstruction by filtering out unnecessary detector information is presented and characterized in this work. The algorithm is based on a convolutional-neural-network architecture which can be easily deployed on accelerator cards. The impact of this approach is assessed and future prospects are also discussed.

We present the TQ4Q2.0 fragmentation functions for the production of all-heavy (fully heavy) $S$-wave tetraquarks ($T_{4Q}$) with scalar ($0^{++}$), axial-vector ($1^{+-}$), and tensor ($2^{++}$) quantum numbers in high-energy hadronic collisions. This work extends the previous TQ4Q1.1 framework by incorporating nonconstituent heavy-quark contributions and introducing a replica-based uncertainty-quantification strategy derived from multi-scale variations (MHOUs). The construction follows a nonrelativistic QCD factorization approach, combining gluon- and heavy-quark-initiated fragmentation channels at leading power. Initial-scale inputs are modeled through updated potential-inspired wave functions, while the subsequent DGLAP evolution is performed via the threshold-aware HF-NRevo scheme. A comprehensive systematic analysis of uncertainties is carried out, with contributions from color-composite long-distance matrix elements (LDMEs) and perturbative multiscale inputs. The resulting TQ4Q2.0 grids, publicly released in LHAPDF6 format, provide the first complete phenomenological set for all-heavy exotics, enabling precise studies of all-charm tetraquark production and jet-associated observables within the JETHAD environment. This article completes the high-energy resummation-driven generation of the TQ4Q program and establishes a definitive baseline for future collider-oriented analyses of all-heavy multiquark dynamics.

False-vacuum decay between two morphologically distinct supersolid phases via bubble nucleation is studied in a uniform dipolar gas confined to the plane. Starting from a metastable honeycomb state, the formation of stripe phase domains is simulated numerically by means of a stochastic projected extended Gross-Pitaevskii equation. The speed of bubble growth is analyzed in relation to the multiple speeds of sound of the supersolid, and is found to be set by the slowest of these sounds. The vacuum decay rate is numerically extracted and compared against a minimal effective model for the Coleman bounce solution connecting the two supersolid orders. Our results establish dipolar supersolids as a novel and versatile platform for studying false-vacuum decay. This setting offers a rich structure of metastable states and collective excitations that come into play in the decay. Furthermore, here, in contrast to previous studies, bubble formation occurs directly in the real-space density and can be probed with \textit{in situ} imaging.

The $S$-algebra originally arose as a chiral algebra of asymptotic symmetries of Yang-Mills theory. We show that in the self-dual sector of Yang-Mills, the $S$-algebra gets upgraded to an infinite-dimensional algebra of $1$-form symmetries in the bulk. The associated 2-form currents encode the integrability and hierarchies of self-dual Yang-Mills. As an application, we prove the equality of Carrollian corner charges with modes of the celestial chiral algebra by expressing them as integrals of the same 2-form currents over homologous 2-cycles.

The production of top quark pairs is one of the most relevant production modes at the LHC, and allow for precise measurement of the properties of this particle. Top quarks are also produced through rarer mechanisms, including the production of multiple top quarks or the associated production of top quarks with electroweak gauge bosons. Although these processes have significantly smaller cross sections, they provide unique sensitivity to the couplings of the top quark and to possible effects of physics beyond the standard model (SM). This contribution reviews recent analyses of rare top quark production performed by the ATLAS and CMS Collaborations.

A method for selecting and/or rejecting leptons from charm semileptonic decays based on the tagging of the secondary vertex using a hadron track is introduced. The method is developed for dimuon Drell-Yan measurements in LHCb using full simulations in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13.6$ TeV. We focus on the invariant mass range between 2.9 and 5 GeV/$c^2$ with single muon transverse momentum larger than 1 GeV/$c$. A novel strategy is detailed for background rejection, achieving an improvement of the signal over background of a factor $\sim 4$ at an efficiency of 81% with minimal bias on the Drell-Yan signal properties. Moreover, a second approach is presented for the construction of unbiased background-pure samples of single muons from charm decays, achieving a charm efficiency of 21.4% at a Drell-Yan efficiency of 1.1%.

Low Gain Avalanche Diodes are prime candidates for high-resolution timing applications in High Energy Physics, Nuclear science, and several other fields. Operating these devices in high-radiation environments presents various hazards, including the risk of their permanent degradation or destruction caused by effects such as Single Event Burnout. Studies using minimum ionizing particles found a greatly reduced Single Event Burnout risk by operating below a bias voltage corresponding to an average electric field of 12 V/$μ$m - however, as high energy particle colliders produce a wide energy spectrum of radiation, it is crucial to understand this phenomenon and other possible damage mechanisms at energy deposition levels greater than those of minimum ionizing particles. This was achieved by pre-irradiating LGADs and PiN diodes with active thicknesses of 20, 30, and 50 $μ$m up to 1.5 $\times$ 10$^{15}$ $\mathrm{n_{eq}/cm^2}$, and exposing them to beams of protons and heavy ions (C, O, Fe, Au) at the BNL Tandem van de Graaff accelerator. Several mortality categories were observed, defined by different electrical and mechanical damage signatures. This furthers our understanding of permanent radiation damage of silicon devices, crucial towards mitigating Single Event Burnout and other damage mechanisms to safely operate future detectors.

Sommerfeld-enhanced annihilation cross sections in the presence of nearly zero-energy bound states can become so large that perturbative partial-wave unitarity appears to be violated. Previous literature incorporated the short-distance annihilation potential self-consistently into the computation of the Schrödinger wave function at the origin, leading to the unitarization of the Sommerfeld effect in vacuum. We employ non-relativistic effective field theory methods and the Keldysh-Schwinger formalism to additionally include pair-creation effects in the self-consistent computation of four-point correlation functions, which renders the unitarization temperature dependent. Up to small thermal corrections in the non-relativistic and dilute regime of the pairs, we confirm the previous results based on the Schrödinger equation approach for scattering states in vacuum. For the first time, we analyze bound-state contributions beyond their leading decay via annihilation. Interestingly, our self-consistent computation of the four-point correlation function shows that bound states remain on-shell in their out-of-equilibrium decay, even though their spectral functions take the form of Breit-Wigner distributions due to finite decay widths. While this may appear paradoxical, it aligns with expectations from earlier results based on exact analytic solutions of the Kadanoff-Baym equations for a decaying elementary particle in a thermal environment.

We study in QCD the $\overline{\mathrm{MS}}$ renormalization of three-quark operators with up to two covariant derivatives, which are related to $N=0,1,2$ Mellin moments of baryonic light-cone distributions amplitudes. Apart from general three-quark operators, we also consider those corresponding to spin 3/2 and 1/2 states. We present in analytic form the renormalization constants and anomalous dimensions of these operators through three loops, confirming previous two- and three-loop results for $N=0$. Furthermore, we evaluate through two loops their amputated four-point Green's functions with RI${}^\prime$/MOM four-momentum assignment, which are required for the matching of lattice results with perturbative calculations. We work in linear covariant gauge and find the anomalous dimensions to be gauge independent as expected.

We present \emph{GlobalCY}, a JAX-based framework for globally defined and symmetry-aware neural Kähler-potential models on projective hypersurface Calabi--Yau geometries. The central problem is that local-input neural Kähler-potential models can train successfully while still failing the geometry-sensitive diagnostics that matter in hard quartic regimes, especially near singular and near-singular members of the Cefalú family. To study this, we compare three model families -- a local-input baseline, a globally defined invariant model, and a symmetry-aware global model -- on the hard Cefalú cases $λ=0.75$ and $λ=1.0$ using a fixed multi-seed protocol and a geometry-aware diagnostic suite. In this benchmark, the globally defined invariant model is the strongest overall family, outperforming the local baseline on the two clearest geometric comparison metrics, negative-eigenvalue frequency and projective-invariance drift, in both cases. The gains are strongest at $λ=0.75$, while $λ=1.0$ remains more difficult. The current symmetry-aware model improves projective-invariance drift relative to the local baseline, but does not yet surpass the plain global invariant model. These results show that global invariant structure is a meaningful architectural constraint for learned Kähler-potential modeling in hard quartic Calabi--Yau settings.

Observation of baryon number violation (BNV) in laboratory experiments would constitute unambiguous evidence for physics beyond the Standard Model. We propose dedicated searches for \textit{apparent} BNV in charm-baryon decays, $Λ_c^+\to M^+ +$ missing energy ($M=π, K$) where the missing energy stems from a resonance. These channels have not been explored experimentally so far, despite the relatively clean environment potentially provided by near $Λ_c^+\overlineΛ_c^-$ threshold production at $e^+e^-$ colliders. Performing state-of-the-art Monte Carlo simulations for the proposed Super Tau-Charm Facility (STCF), we evaluate the signal efficiencies and derive projected model-independent sensitivities under the assumption of negligible background. We further interpret these sensitivities within two theoretical frameworks: a sterile-neutrino-extended low-energy effective field theory ($ν$LEFT) and R-parity-violating (RPV) supersymmetry. With an integrated luminosity of 1 ab$^{-1}$, STCF can probe new-physics scales of several TeV in the $ν$LEFT description and constrain the RPV model parameter $λ''_{212}/m^2_{\tilde{q}}$ down to about $0.1~\mathrm{TeV}^{-2}$. Our results demonstrate that STCF provides a highly competitive opportunity for probing BNV interactions in rare charm-baryon decays.

The first observation of a charmless purely baryonic decay, $Λ_b^{0} \to Λp \bar{p}$, is reported using the full Run 2 LHCb dataset, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $6.0~fb^{-1}$. The branching fraction is measured relative to that of the topologically similar normalisation mode $Λ_b^{0} \to ΛK^+K^-$. A simultaneous fit to the long- and downstream-track categories yields a signal significance of $5.1σ$ after including systematic uncertainties. The relative branching fraction is measured to be $\left(5.13 \pm 1.28_{\rm stat} \pm 0.27_{\rm syst}\right)\times 10^{-2}$ in the region $m(h^+h^-)< 2.85$ GeV.

We propose a radiative Dirac neutrino mass model stabilized by a non-invertible fusion rule originating from a $Z_3 \times Z_3'$ gauging. The imposed symmetry forbids tree-level Yukawa couplings and ensures that neutrino masses are generated only at the one-loop level through the exchange of exotic fermions and inert scalars. This minimal framework simultaneously accommodates neutrino masses and mixings consistent with current oscillation data, while providing a viable dark matter candidate. We analyze lepton flavor violating processes and lepton anomalous magnetic moments, finding that all contributions remain well below present experimental bounds. In the dark matter sector, the bosonic singlet emerges as a promising candidate with relic density compatible with cosmological observations, whereas the fermionic option is strongly disfavored due to suppressed annihilation cross sections. Our study demonstrates that non-invertible fusion rules can serve as a powerful organizing principle for constructing minimal and phenomenologically consistent extensions of the Standard Model, linking neutrino physics and dark matter within a unified radiative framework.

We update the holomorphic modular bootstrap incorporating a recent result that computes the exact S-matrix within the Modular Linear Differential Equation (MLDE) setting. Further, using knowledge of the allowed exponents modulo one, we obtain admissible solutions to all MLDE's with up to six characters and Wronskian index < 6 and one accessory parameter with c_eff <= 24. We then identify which of the admissible solutions have good fusion rules -- we call such solutions tenable. When possible, we identify the CFT and in the unitary cases the MTC class they belong to.

Vector-like leptons are non-chiral, colorless fermions from new physics beyond the Standard Model, appearing in many theoretical extensions. We investigate the prospect for detecting the single production of a singlet vector-like lepton that mixes with the $τ$ lepton at the Large Hadron Collider. The corresponding final states are classified as the three- and four-lepton search channels. The machine learning algorithm XGBoost is employed to enhance signal-background discrimination. Our analysis indicates that, at $\sqrt{s} = 14~\mathrm{TeV}$ with an integrated luminosity of $3000~\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$, the expected $2σ$ exclusion limits in the three- and four-lepton channels can reach vector-like lepton masses up to $620~\mathrm{GeV}$ and $490~\mathrm{GeV}$, respectively. These findings demonstrate that machine learning techniques can substantially improve the sensitivity of collider searches for vector-like leptons.

We review the constraints on baryon inhomogeneities derived from measurements of the deuterium abundance, $D/H$, and apply them to a range of baryogenesis models. In particular, we derive bounds on electroweak baryogenesis as well as on more exotic scenarios. Our results show that, across most of the relevant parameter space, electroweak baryogenesis remains largely unconstrained by current and foreseeable $D/H$ measurements. By contrast, the constraints on alternative scenarios are significantly stronger and can exclude regions of parameter space that would otherwise remain viable.

The inclusive production of the $η_c(1S)$, $η_c(2S)$ and $χ_{c}$ charmonium states in $b$-hadron decays is studied with LHCb Run~2 data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $5.9~\text{fb}^{-1}$, using charmonia decays to $φφ$ pairs. The production branching fractions of the $χ_{c}(1P)$ states in $b$-hadron decays are measured, using $b \to η_c(1S) (\to φφ) X$ as a normalisation channel, with $X$ indicating any additional particles. The results are \begin{align*} &{\cal{B}} (b \to χ_{c0} X) = (1.34 \pm 0.13 \pm 0.06 \pm 0.37) \times 10^{-3}, &{\cal{B}} (b \to χ_{c1} X) = (1.58 \pm 0.12 \pm 0.09 \pm 0.44) \times 10^{-3}, &{\cal{B}} (b \to χ_{c2} X) = (0.55 \pm 0.08 \pm 0.05 \pm 0.15) \times 10^{-3}, \end{align*} where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic and the last is due to the limited knowledge of externally measured branching fractions. The production branching fraction of $η_c(2S)$ times the branching fraction of its decay into $φφ$ is measured as ${\cal{B}} (b \to η_c(2S) X) \times {\cal{B}} (η_c(2S) \to φφ) = (4.0 \pm 0.6 \pm 0.6 \pm 1.1) \times 10^{-7}$. Furthermore, the mass of the $η_c(1S)$ state is measured to be $M_{η_c(1S)} = 2984.1 \pm 0.5 \pm 0.5$ MeV with the best precision to date.

Based on a global fit to experimental measurements of the pion electromagnetic form factor and parton distribution functions (PDFs), we report a data-driven determination of the unpolarized quark generalized parton distributions (GPDs) for the case of pion in the zero-skewness limit ($ξ= 0$). The form factor is parameterized using a flexible functional form constrained by data and embedded into a GPD framework constructed from collinear PDFs and a profile function encoding transverse dynamics. This approach provides a unified description of the pion's electromagnetic structure and its spatial parton distributions. We present the extracted pion GPDs and their impact-parameter-space interpretations, offering new insights into the internal structure of the lightest QCD bound state and providing essential input for future electron-ion collider studies via the Sullivan process, as well as for the exclusive $π^+$ electroproduction at the 12~GeV Jefferson Lab program, pion-induced exclusive measurements at COMPASS, proposed pion-beam experiments at AMBER, and phenomenological and lattice investigations of the structure of the meson.

We investigate the nonlinear response of flow harmonics $v_2,v_4$ to initial-state eccentricities $ε_2,ε_4$ within the Gubser-flow framework. By extending the perturbative solutions of Gubser flow, we derive analytic nonlinear response relations connecting the eccentricities $ε_2,ε_4$ to the flow harmonics $v_2,v_4$. Our results reproduce the well-known result $v_4/v_2^2 \to 1/2$ in large transverse momentum $p_T$ limit. Furthermore, we study the effects of a mismatch between the participant and reaction planes. We find that the conventional nonlinear response coefficients acquire an additional factor determined by the participant-plane angles, which is often approximated as statistical noise driven by event-by-event fluctuations. This factor can modify both the strength but even the sign of the effective nonlinear response coefficient, making it sensitive to the initial configuration of the colliding nuclei. Our study provides new analytical insight into the origin of collective phenomena in relativistic heavy-ion collisions.

In the fermionic liquids, the Fermi surface is topologically stable,\cite{Volovik2003} which is at the origin of the applicability of the Landau theory of Fermi liquid (LFL). The LFL exists under special condition, when the Green's function has a pole with nonzero residue $Z$. Otherwise one has non-Landau Fermi liquid (NLFL), such as Luttinger liquid, which is described by the same topological invariant. It appears that in general this topological invariant is the property of the fermionic particle, i.e. the particle charge (or the electric charge of electron) is equivalent to the topological charge of the fermion. The conservation of the fermionic charge is equivalent to the conservation of the topological charge. We consider the application of this topological charge to the Landau theory of Fermi liquids. We also consider the application to non-Fermi liquids and crystalline insulators in relation to the Luttinger theorem.

We investigate uni-vector deformation in the Type IIA setup and show that the D0-brane background is mapped into itself (sedimentation), and other extremal backgrounds get bound with a dissolved D0-brane charge. Explicitly we generate F1-D0 and D2-D0 bound states background from uni-vector deformations. For the former we show that deformation of the non-extremal string gives the correct thermal F1-D0 bound state. We discuss relations between critical uni-vector deformations and DLCQ of M-theory.

We investigate resonant leptogenesis in a two-triplet Type-II seesaw framework and demonstrate a coherent and predictive connection between neutrino mass generation, baryogenesis, and charge lepton flavor violation (LFV). In the presence of quasi-degenerate scalar triplets, self-energy effects induce a resonant enhancement of the CP asymmetry, enabling successful baryogenesis at the TeV scale. We construct Yukawa couplings consistent with neutrino oscillation data and perform a comprehensive numerical analysis by solving the Boltzmann equations across a wide parameter space. We find that viable solutions arise only within a restricted region characterized by near-resonant mass splittings and moderate-to-strong washout. In this regime, successful leptogenesis is achieved through resonant enhancement, which compensates for suppressed Yukawa couplings. A key prediction of the framework is that the allowed parameter space dynamically favors small Yukawa couplings, leading to strongly suppressed LFV rates. The near-absence of observable LFV signals therefore emerges as a direct consequence of the dynamics responsible for baryogenesis. Our results highlight a distinctive feature of the two-triplet Type-II scenario: the simultaneous realization of resonant enhancement and LFV suppression within a unified and testable framework.

We searched for proton decay via $p \to e^{+}π^{0}π^{0}$ and $p \to μ^{+}π^{0}π^{0}$ in 0.401 megaton-years of data collected in all pure water detector phases of Super-Kamiokande (SK) I-V. A theoretical study predicts proton decay rates without assuming a particular grand unified theory and suggests that three-body proton decays involving two pions can have decay rates comparable to those of $p \to e^{+}π^{0}$ and $p \to μ^{+}π^{0}$. This is the first search for proton decay into a charged anti-lepton and two neutral pions in SK. One data candidate event was found for each of the two decay modes, which is consistent with the expected atmospheric neutrino background. We set lower limits on the lifetime of $τ/B(p \to e^{+}π^{0}π^{0}) > 7.2 \times 10^{33}$ years and $τ/B(p \to μ^{+}π^{0}π^{0}) > 4.5 \times 10^{33}$ years at 90 $\%$ confidence level. These limits are more than one order of magnitude higher than those of the previous experiment.

We propose that the enhanced Higgs quartic coupling required by radiatively broken electroweak symmetry (RBEWS) emerges naturally from SO(10) grand unification. Our previous analysis demonstrated that a coupling enhancement factor $k = λ_{\rm enhanced}/λ_{\rm SM}$ leads to absolute vacuum stability with a UV Landau pole near the GUT scale for $k \gtrsim 1.03$. The RBEWS prediction $e_{125} = 7.2$ of Steele and Wang, when properly translated from the Coleman-Weinberg scheme at the electroweak VEV to the $\overline{\rm MS}$ scheme at $M_t$ via scheme conversion and scale-dependent ratio evolution, yields $k(M_t) \approx 6.0$--$6.4$, corresponding to a UV pole at $Λ_{\rm UV} \sim {1.5\text{--}2} \times 10^{16}$~GeV -- remarkably close to the GUT scale $M_{\rm GUT} \sim 2 \times 10^{16}$~GeV. We argue this coincidence is not accidental: the UV pole signals the scale where the Standard Model effective description must be embedded into the full SO(10) structure. We derive threshold corrections from SO(10) scalar sectors containing $\mathbf{10}_H$, $\mathbf{\overline{126}}_H$, and $\mathbf{45}_H$ representations, showing that portal couplings between the light Higgs doublet and heavy GUT scalars can generate enhancement factors of order $k \sim 5$--$10$ at the matching scale. The Coleman-Weinberg mechanism operating within a classically scale-invariant GUT scalar potential provides a dynamical origin for both RBEWS and the hierarchy between $M_{\rm GUT}$ and the electroweak scale.

Recently, the BESIII Collaboration reported the first observation of the decays $χ_{cJ} \to ηηη^\prime$ in order to search for the $1^{-+}$ exotic state $η_1(1855)$. A partial wave analysis of the $ηη^\prime$ invariant mass spectrum shows no significant signal for the $η_1(1855)$. In this work, we, using an effective Lagrangian approach, investigate the processes $χ_{cJ} \to ηηη^\prime$ via the box and triangle loops involving charmed mesons and the scalar meson $f_0(1500)$. Our calculations reproduce well the experimental branching fractions of $χ_{cJ} \to ηηη^\prime$. Furthermore, we present the predictions of the relevant invariant mass spectra of $ηη^\prime$ and $ηη$ produced in the $χ_{c1}$ decay, which seem overall consistent with the BESIII measurements. In the present model, the decay $χ_{c1} \to ηηη^\prime$ is dominated by the triangle and box loop contributions. The consistency between our theoretical results and the BESIII measurements sheds light on the underlying decay mechanism of the $χ_{cJ}$ decaying into light mesons and might be helpful to understand the absence of the $η_1(1855)$ signal in the decay channels $χ_{cJ} \to ηηη^\prime$.

We study the lifetimes and inclusive semileptonic decay widths of doubly heavy baryons within the framework of heavy quark expansion. Our analysis includes next-to-leading-order corrections to the dimension-3, -5, and -6 operators, together with the leading dimension-7 contributions, while the nonperturbative matrix elements are evaluated in a bag model with translationally improved baryon wave functions. We obtain $( τ_{Ξ_{cc}^{++}} , τ_{Ξ_{cc}^{+}} , τ_{Ω_{cc}^{+}} ) = ( 2.67 \pm 0.94,\, 0.47 \pm 0.08,\, 1.79 \pm 0.62 ) \times 10^{-13}\,{\rm s}$ and $( τ_{Ξ_{bb}^{0}} , τ_{Ξ_{bb}^{-}} , τ_{Ω_{bb}^{-}} ) = ( 0.75 \pm 0.11,\, 0.92 \pm 0.15,\, 0.93 \pm 0.15 ) \times 10^{-12}\,{\rm s}$, where the uncertainties here arise from the heavy quark pole masses and the hadronic scale adopted in the quark model. Hence, the lifetime hierarchy patterns are $τ(Ξ_{cc}^{++})>τ(Ω_{cc}^+)>τ(Ξ_{cc}^+)$ and $τ(Ω_{bb}^{-})\simτ(Ξ_{bb}^-)>τ(Ξ_{bb}^0)$ for doubly charmed and bottom baryons, respectively. The $W$-exchange contribution plays a crucial role in generating the large lifetime splitting in the doubly charmed sector and remains phenomenologically important for doubly bottom baryons. In addition to the total lifetimes, we calculate the separate nonleptonic and semileptonic contributions, which allow us to trace the pattern of spectator effects in each baryon channel. We also evaluate the inclusive semileptonic decay widths and the decay width asymmetries, which provide complementary probes of the underlying decay mechanisms.

We present a semiclassical account of the Veneziano-Yankielowicz (VY) superpotential in four-dimensional $N=1$ super Yang-Mills theory. Motivated by two-dimensional gauged linear sigma models, where superpotentials arise from vortex dynamics, we reinterpret domain walls as fundamental objects associated with higher-form gauge fields. In this formulation, the vacuum structure is encoded in a compact three-form gauge field, whose four-form flux labels topological sectors. In the presence of charged matter with total charge $N$, these sectors exhibit a natural $\mathbb{Z}_N$ structure, leading to a decomposition into $N$ semiclassical contributions. These contributions arise from Euclidean point-like configurations in the higher-form sector, analogous to fractional instantons. We show that these configurations provide the relevant non-perturbative contributions to the effective superpotential. Integrating out the associated degrees of freedom reproduces the VY superpotential in the infrared. This gives a semiclassical origin of the VY superpotential in terms of higher-form gauge dynamics.

We present a self-consistent framework for heavy-quark transport in the quark-gluon plasma across the QCD crossover region. By synthesizing perturbative and non-perturbative interactions into a unified interaction kernel, we circumvent the traditional reliance on arbitrary soft-hard momentum separation scales. The interaction is governed by an in-medium effective potential, incorporating short-range Yukawa screening and long-range confining string contributions, both rigorously constrained by the latest lattice QCD data. Our results reveal that the non-perturbative string tension is indispensable for capturing the extreme opacity of the medium near the critical temperature $T_c$. Specifically, our model predicts a spatial diffusion coefficient of $2πT D_s \approx 0.5 \sim 1.7$, demonstrating a striking quantitative agreement with the recent lattice QCD extractions. Ultimately, our results provide a robust dynamical interpretation of the strong heavy-quark coupling near the QCD crossover and offer a unified framework for describing heavy-flavor transport in hot and dense QCD matter.

The suppression of heavy quarkonium polarization at high transverse momentum ($p_T$) remains a persistent puzzle in quantum chromodynamics (QCD). We propose an effective open-quantum-system paradigm demonstrating that the heavy quark spin state and its macroscopic momentum effectively decouple during hadronization. By retaining the short-distance non-relativistic QCD (NRQCD) perturbative calculations as a kinematic baseline, we argue that the immense kinematic inertia at high $p_T$ parametrically preserves the power-law momentum spectrum. Concurrently, the intense, stochastic chromo-electric background within a fragmenting jet acts as a dynamic decoherence environment. Using a horizon-inspired picture as a physically motivated parametrization, we derive an effective temperature $T_{\text{eff}}(z) \propto \sqrt{\ln(1/z)}$ driven by the multiplicity of soft accompanying partons. By incorporating this effective temperature into a Lindblad dissipation framework, we predict a simultaneous quenching of the polar and azimuthal anisotropies towards a maximally mixed state. Crucially, the recently observed ``soft'' fragmentation of $Υ(nS)$ by the CMS Collaboration provides a highly consistent phase-space weighting required in our framework to explain the historical inclusive unpolarized anomaly. Identifying the fragmentation fraction $z=p_T^{\mathcal{Q}}/p_T^{\text{jet}}$ as the critical control variable, we propose that a key testable prediction is the simultaneous $z$-dependent suppression of $λ_θ$, $λ_φ$, and $\tildeλ$ in fixed quarkonium and jet $p_T$ bins.

The longitudinal single-target spin asymmetry in exclusive $π^0$ production in $ep$ collisions is a sensitive probe of the imaginary part of the gluon generalized transverse momentum dependent distribution $F_{1,4}^g$. It appears as a characteristic $\sin(2φ)$ azimuthal correlation between the transverse momenta of the scattered electron and the recoil proton, generated by Coulomb-nuclear interference; consequently, the Primakoff process should be included. We compute the relevant gluon distributions in a light-front spectator model of the proton that explicitly incorporates gluonic degrees of freedom. This work presents the first model calculation of the imaginary part of $F_{1,4}^g$ and delivers predictions for the resulting asymmetries in kinematics relevant to the planned Electron-Ion Colliders (EIC and EicC), providing theoretical predictions for upcoming measurements.

A search for microscopic black holes, string balls, and electroweak sphalerons using proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV recorded with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC during the 2016$-$2018 data taking, and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$, is presented. Two search strategies based on control samples in data are used. Model-independent limits on the cross section of physics phenomena with multiple energetic jets, leptons, and photons are set using a method that relies on the shape invariance of the scalar sum of the transverse momenta of all objects in the event. Model-dependent limits on black hole and sphaleron production are set using a newly introduced method that has been developed for the identification of collider events with distinct kinematic features by separating them into classes based on phase space proximity. In the context of models with large extra dimensions, semiclassical black holes and string balls with masses below 8.4$-$11.4 TeV and 9.0$-$10.7 TeV, respectively, are excluded at 95% confidence level, significantly extending the reach beyond previous searches. Results of a dedicated search for electroweak sphalerons are used to derive an upper limit of 0.0034 at 95% confidence level on the fraction of quark-quark interactions above the nominal sphaleron transition energy threshold of 9 TeV.

A first search at the LHC for a new heavy resonance decaying to a top quark and a neutral scalar boson $φ$ in the fully hadronic final state is presented, where the $φ$ boson is identified by its decay into a bottom quark-antiquark pair. The search is focused on final states in which the decay products of the highly Lorentz boosted top quark and $φ$ boson are each reconstructed as a single, large-radius jet with distinct substructure. The analysis is performed using proton-proton collision data at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$, recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC in 2016$-$2018. The single production of a vector-like top quark, $\mathrm{T}'$, is used as a benchmark model for the signal process. The results of this search are combined with those of a previous CMS search in which semileptonic decays of the top quark were used. No significant excess of data is observed with respect to the background prediction. For the case where the neutral scalar is a standard model Higgs boson and the $\mathrm{T}'$ quark width is 5% of its mass, $\mathrm{T}'$ quark masses between 0.85 and 1.3 TeV are excluded at 95% confidence level and the most stringent limits to date are set for masses above 2 TeV. For other $φ$ boson masses, upper limits as low as 0.1 fb are set on the product of the $\mathrm{T}'$ quark production cross section and branching fraction for its decay to a top quark and a $φ$ boson.

The energy-energy correlation (EEC) in electron-positron annihilation plays a crucial role in precision tests of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) and measurements of the QCD coupling constant. In this paper, we provide a novel analysis for the EEC by using the Principle of Maximum Conformality (PMC), a systematic method for eliminating renormalization scheme-and-scale ambiguities. The PMC scales are determined by resumming the non-conformal $β$-terms that govern the behavior of the QCD running coupling via the renormalization group equation, and reflect the virtuality of the propagating gluons in QCD. It is noteworthy that the resulting PMC scale varies dynamically with the EEC's angular distribution, reflecting the expected scale's physical behavior. Moreover, due to the reabsorption of all $β$-terms, including also those related to the divergent renormalon terms such as $n!β^n_0α^n_s$, in the pQCD series, the behavior of the QCD perturbative coefficient using PMC, differs entirely from that of the conventional coefficient. Consequently, the PMC predicted EEC distribution agrees well with the experimental data in the perturbative domain.

The resonance $X(6600)$ is explored as the all-charm tetraquark structure with spin-parities $J^{\mathrm{PC}}=2^{++}$. It is considered in the diquark-antidiquark picture and modeled as a tensor state $X$ composed of the axial-vector diquark $cCγ_μc$ and antidiquark $\overline{c}% γ_νC\overline{c}$ with $C$ being the charge conjugation matrix. The mass and decay width of $X$ are evaluated in the framework of QCD sum rule (SR) methods. The two-point SR approach is applied to find its spectroscopic parameters, while three-point SRs used to calculate partial widths of different decay channels of $X$. We study its leading decays $X \to J/ψJ/ψ$, $X \to η_{c}η_{c}$ and $χ_{c1}(1P)η_{c}$ in which all four $c$-quarks constitute final-state mesons. We consider also the subleading channels $X\to D_{(s)}^{(\ast )+}D_{(s)}^{(\ast )-}$ and $% D_{(s)}^{(\ast )0}\overline{D}_{(s)}^{(\ast )0}$ generated by annihilation of $\overline{c}c$ quarks in the tetraquark. Comparison of the mass $m=(6609 \pm 50)~ \mathrm{MeV}$ and width $Γ[X]=(165 \pm 23)~ \mathrm{MeV}$ of the tensor diquark-antidiquark state $X$ with experimental data allows us to interpret it as an essential component of the resonance $X(6600)$. We also provide a lower limit for the mass of the first radial excitation of $X$.

We introduce a no-reaction-plane (no-RP) method for extracting directed (\(v_1\)) and elliptic (\(v_2\)) flows in heavy-ion collisions, which eliminates the need for event-plane reconstruction. %by scanning over fixed test angles and using simple count asymmetries. The method is validated with PHSD model simulations of Au+Au collisions at \(\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 9.2\) GeV at freeze-out (impact parameter \(b = 4\) fm). We demonstrate that the two asymmetries for each harmonic contribute equally, i.e., \(\langle A_{\mathrm{ud}}^2\rangle \approx \langle A_{\mathrm{lr}}^2\rangle\) and \(\langle A_1^2\rangle \approx \langle A_2^2\rangle\), so that a single asymmetry measurement suffices for a good flow estimate. Event-by-event comparisons with direct calculations using the true reaction plane yield Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.985 for \(v_2\) and 0.883 for \(v_1\), confirming that the no-RP method captures flow fluctuations well enough.

The BESIII collaboration has achieved important measurements in charmed purely leptonic and semi-leptonic decays using data samples collected at center-of-mass energies of 3.773 GeV, 4.128-4.226 GeV, and 4.237-4.669 GeV. This proceeding presents recent BESIII results on charmed purely leptonic and semileptonic decays, including measurements of branching fractions, the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix elements $|V_{cs}|$ and $|V_{cd}|$, decay constants and form factors, as well as a test of the Lepton flavor universality.

Using $(2712.4\pm14.3)\times 10^6$ $ψ(3686)$ events collected with the BESIII detector operating at BEPCII, the branching fractions of $χ_{cJ}\toπ^+π^-π^0π^0$ ($J=0,~1,~2$) are measured via the radiative transition $ψ(3686)\toγχ_{cJ}$. The results are $\mathcal{B}(χ_{c0} \to π^{+}π^{-}π^{0}π^{0}) = (3.10 \pm 0.01 \pm 0.14) \times 10^{-2}$, $\mathcal{B}(χ_{c1} \to π^{+}π^{-}π^{0}π^{0}) = (1.16 \pm 0.01 \pm 0.05) \times 10^{-2}$, and $\mathcal{B}(χ_{c2} \to π^{+}π^{-}π^{0}π^{0}) = (1.92 \pm 0.01 \pm 0.08) \times 10^{-2}$, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. The dominant intermediate states are found to be $χ_{cJ}\toρ^+ρ^-$. These results supersede the previous most precise measurements and provide significantly improved precision.

We present the application of Parnassus, a generative model for full detector simulation and reconstruction, to the ALEPH detector at the Large Electron-Positron Collider (LEP). Training on simulated $e^+e^-$ to Z to qqbar events processed through the ALEPH detector simulation and reconstruction, we demonstrate that Parnassus faithfully reproduces the detector response at the event, jet, and particle levels. The clean $e^+e^-$ environment, free of pileup and characterized by simple event topologies, provides a well-controlled benchmark for evaluating the generative model's fidelity. Our results demonstrate that modern neural-network-based generative simulation approaches, developed primarily for LHC experiments, generalize naturally to historical collider experiments with distinct detector geometries and physics environments. This work shows that Parnassus can be applied beyond the LHC context and serves as an important tool for legacy data analysis where archival software tools are challenging to resurrect.

We perform the first amplitude analysis of the singly Cabibbo-suppressed decays $D^+ \to π^+ π^{+(0)} π^{-(0)} η$, using $e^+e^-$ collision data collected with the BESIII detector at the center-of-mass energy of 3.773\,GeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 $\rm{fb}^{-1}$. The absolute branching fractions of the $D^+ \to π^+ π^+ π^- η$ and $D^+ \to π^+ π^0 π^0 η$ decays are measured to be $(3.20\pm0.06_{\text{stat.}}\pm0.03_{\text{syst.}})\times 10^{-3}$ and $(2.43 \pm 0.11_{\text{stat.}} \pm 0.04_{\text{syst.}}) \times 10^{-3}$, respectively. % , both achieving three times better precision than the current PDG values. The decay process $D^{+}\to a_0(980)^{+}f_0(500)$ is observed for the first time with an unexpectedly large branching fraction. Moreover, we observe the decays $D^+ \to a_0(980)^{+(0)} ρ(770)^{0(+)}$ and measure the ratio $r_{+/0} \equiv \frac{\mathcal{B}(D^+ \to a_0(980)^+ ρ(770)^0)}{\mathcal{B}(D^+ \to a_0(980)^0 ρ(770)^+)}$ for the first time to be $0.55\pm0.08_{\text{stat.}}\pm0.05_{\text{syst.}}$. These results offer a novel insight into our comprehension of the nature of the $a_0(980)$ and $f_0(500)$ states.

We construct a generalized Lagrangian that unifies the Gross-Neveu-Yukawa, Nambu-Jona-Lasinio-Yukawa, and Wess-Zumino models, allowing for arbitrary scalar and fermion flavors in $D$-dimensional regularization. This framework clarifies how emergent supersymmetry arises at critical points and reveals structural connections between these theories. The unified formulation provides additional supersymmetry Ward identities that simplify loop calculations, even for non-supersymmetric models. As an application, we show how this technique can reduce the computational cost of determining anomalous dimensions of twist-two operators.

The BESIII experiment has collected a large data sample of charmonium, charm mesons, hyperons, and other light mesons. These data provide a unique opportunity to explore the dark sector and rare decays. We present recent dark sector results from the BESIII experiment, including searches for sub-GeV dark matter in $η\to π^0 + \text{invisible}$ and $J/ψ\to φ+ \text{invisible}$, searches for dark baryon particles in $Ξ^- \to π^- +\rm{invisible}$, and searches for light vector bosons in $χ_{cJ} \to J/ψX$, where $X \to e^+ e^-$. In addition, we also present the recent rare decay searches, including a search for $ψ\to e μ$, as well as searches for several baryon number and lepton number violation processes, and searches for various charmonium weak decays.

Pion decay width in a uniform magnetic background, constructed within chiral perturbation theory, is compared with lattice QCD for which results are available in the muon channel. While the results are consistent for large magnetic fields, the discrepancy observed for weak magnetic fields is largely due to differences in the pion decay constants.

A generic spacetime topology contains timelike boundaries. Making use of two such boundaries, we formulate a microscopic holographic dual that captures cosmological spacetime beyond the cosmic horizon patch, including the future wedge. We build this starting from two copies of the dressed Hamiltonian quantum theories which formulate the cosmic horizon and pole patches of de Sitter. At the top level of the spectrum we obtain the extended spacetime from a nearly maximally entangled (micro-)canonical thermofield double state. This requires addressing the maximality of the unrenormalized gravitational path integral saddle in the calculation of the entanglement entropy upon tracing out one sector. We resolve this in both ensembles via explicit computations in the constrained path integral for three bulk dimensions, incorporating UV-sensitive quantum beyond-GR effects when they contribute strongly. Lower energy levels in the spectrum generate tall extended spacetimes where the boundaries' causal wedges overlap. These arise in our theory via constraints on the doubled Hilbert space, which encode the operator redundancies arising from the reconstruction of bulk operators from either boundary within the region where their causal wedges overlap. With positive cosmological constant, the tallness implies that causal wedge reconstruction is more powerful than in the AdS/CFT setting. In contrast to the special case of a closed universe, generically quantum gravity with positive cosmological constant -- including the future wedge -- is manifestly consistent with the existence of multiple states.

We propose DREAMuS, a fixed-target experiment at the High Intensity Heavy-Ion Accelerator Facility (HIAF), to search for muon-philic dark matter mediated by light flavor-violating bosons. DREAMuS is designed to probe the parameter space of a muon-philic dark matter (DM) mediated by a light flavor-violating boson, specifically a vector $Z'$ (or a scalar $φ$) which is produced in muon-nucleus interactions and decays into dark matter particles with a distinctive detector signature. Precision tracking and time-of-flight measurements are used to suppress the Standard Model backgrounds. We find that DREAMuS can achieve competitive sensitivity in the GeV-scale muon-philic dark matter parameter space, reaching sensitivity to couplings at the $10^{-4}$, especially in the few-hundred-MeV region.In addition to a $μ^-$ run, we highlight the potential of a complementary $μ^+$ beam option, further improving sensitivity to dark matter below 200 $\mathrm{MeV}$ by an order of magnitude.

William Allan Bardeen (September 15, 1941 $-$ November 18, 2025) was an American theoretical physicist who worked at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. He is renowned for his foundational work on the chiral anomaly, the Adler-Bardeen theorem, the non-Abelian anomaly and gravitational anomalies. He was instrumental in the development of quantum chromodynamics and its applications, such as semileptonic decays and the $Λ_{\overline{MS}}$ scheme frequently used in perturbative analysis of high energy processes involving strong interactions. Bardeen also played a major role in developing a theory of dynamical breaking of electroweak symmetry via top quark condensates, leading to one of the first composite Brout-Englert-Higgs boson models. His work on the chiral symmetry dynamics of heavy-light quark bound states correctly predicted abnormally long-lived resonances which are chiral symmetry partners of the ground state.

We compute Hall transport coefficients associated with Taub-NUT AdS black holes in four space-time dimensions using the probe D-brane approach. In particular, we examine the effects due to the NUT parameter ($n$), or equivalently, the novel frame-dragging on the holographic charge transport properties. In our analysis, we treat the external electric field as a constant background, while varying the magnetic field ($B$) from small to finite. Within this framework, we analyze conductivities in both low and high temperature regions, focusing on locations that are both near and far from the Misner string. Our calculations show that frame-dragging effects are significant primarily at lower temperatures and near the Misner string, while a small magnetic field is maintained. However, these effects become negligibly small at a ``finite" magnetic field and even at lower temperatures. Our analysis reveals the existence of finite Hall transport, that has its origin in the novel frame-dragging.

We investigate the combined effects of rotation and finite quark chemical potential on inhomogeneous chiral condensation and the chiral phase diagram within the soft-wall holographic QCD model. Using the five-dimensional AdS-RN metric, we study the spatial profile of the chiral condensate and the resulting $T - Ω$ phase diagram under Neumann and Dirichlet boundary conditions. Increasing $Ω$ induces strong spatial inhomogeneity: the condensate is suppressed more strongly near the edge than at the center, and vanishes at the boundary when $Ω$ exceeds a critical value. The chemical potential $μ$ acts as a global suppression factor, reducing the condensate magnitude without altering the spatial pattern. The $T - Ω$ phase diagrams are investigated for different chemical potentials .For the case $μ$ = 0, they are also studied at different distances from the rotation axis. It is found that both $Ω$ and $μ$ lower the chiral phase transition temperature, and their suppression effects are additive. In a rotating system, the critical temperature becomes position-dependent, decreasing with increasing distance from the rotation axis. These findings reveal a rich, spatially dependent phase structure in rotating QCD matter, relevant for non-central heavy-ion collisions.

Relativistic wavefunctions of nucleon excitations are scrutinised to understand their node structure and the underlying role of local interpolating fields in generating the nucleon spectrum. In addressing quark model perspectives, approximately 4000 propagators are employed on the heaviest PACS-CS ensemble at $m_π\simeq$ 702 MeV. We examine the ground and four lowest-lying excited states at zero momentum for both positive- and negative-parity spectra, where the proton's d-quark wavefunction is calculated about the two u quarks at the origin. This is achieved using two local interpolating fields that each carry the quantum numbers of the nucleon but with differing spin-flavour structures, one of which vanishes in the nonrelativistic limit. We find that two distinct types of wavefunction nodes are manifest: "superposition nodes" formed through a linear combination of interpolating fields, and novel "built-in nodes" that are fundamentally built in to the s-wave Dirac components of an individual interpolating field. These are investigated qualitatively through visualisations in the form of both volume and surface renderings, and quantitatively by the calculation of radial wavefunctions. Combined, these findings build a comprehensive picture of the single-particle nucleon spectrum and how its properties derive from fundamental lattice operators.

We recast the case for quantum advantage in hadronic physics as an observable-by-observable question rather than a blanket claim about Quantum Chromo-Dynamics (QCD). Focusing on hadronic tomography, we analyze why Compton form factors (CFF), generalized parton distributions (GPDs), Transverse Momentum-dependent Distributions (TMDs), and Generalized Transverse Momentum-dependent Distributions (GTMDs) are natural quantum targets: they are defined by light-front, off-forward, or real-time correlation functions whose extraction from Euclidean calculations or sparse experimental data is often an ill-posed inverse problem. We separate three notions of advantage -- algorithmic, computational, and representational -- and connect each to explicit formal objects. At the algorithmic level, Hamiltonian simulation, linear-response algorithms, and amplitude-estimation primitives motivate gains for real-time and sign-problematic observables. At the computational level, direct quantum evaluation of matrix elements and correlators becomes plausible for PDFs, GPDs, timelike response, and high-energy evolution. At the inference level, recent Quantum Deep Neural Network (QDNN) studies of CFF extraction indicate improved performance in noisy and sparse regimes and motivate hybrid fits in which a quantum simulator supplies a physics prior while a classical network models detector and nuisance effects. We discuss why real-device execution is scientifically necessary, summarize current hardware milestones, and propose benchmark criteria for credible claims of quantum advantage in hadronic tomography.

We calculate the baryon number--electric charge susceptibility at non-vanishing baryo-chemical potential within the model of hadron gas where pion-nucleon interaction is accounted for by the $S$-matrix formalism. The susceptibility is largely increased when the chemical potential grows within a phenomenologically relevant interval. The results are then evaluated along the chemical freeze-out line. We also calculate the evolution of the susceptibility in a cooling fireball by making use of the Partial Chemical Equilibrium model.

NA61/SHINE is a multipurpose fixed-target experiment located at the CERN SPS. One of its main goals is to study the onset of deconfinement and the properties of strongly interacting matter. For this purpose, a unique two-dimensional scan in collision energy ($\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}} = 5.12 - 16.8/17.3$~GeV) and system size (from $p$+$p$ to Pb+Pb) was performed. Results on hadron spectra produced in nucleus-nucleus collisions, including the recent data on charged hadrons produced in central Xe+La collisions and baryons in central Ar+Sc collisions, are presented. The kinematic distributions and the measured multiplicities of identified hadrons are compared with NA49 Pb+Pb results and with available world data. The obtained results, particularly the $K^+/π^+$ ratio, are crucial for understanding the phenomena of the onset of deconfinement, which is one of the main aims of the strong interaction program of the NA61/SHINE Collaboration. Additionally, a comparison of proton rapidity spectra in nucleus-nucleus collisions from NA61/SHINE and NA49 is presented, providing a complete picture of the energy and system-size dependence of the mechanism of transport of baryon number at SPS energies.

In this proceeding, I present a modified treatment of final-state interactions (FSI) in quasielastic (QE) lepton-nucleus scattering within the spectra function (SF) framework of the NuWro Monte Carlo generator. Our approach establishes a consistent correspondence between inclusive cross-section calculations and exclusive descriptions of hadron-propagation by combining a convolution-based formalism at the cross-section level with an event-level implementation in which interactions are classified as transparent or non-transparent within the NuWro intranuclear cascade. This unified framework enables realization of FSI effects across inclusive observables and exclusive final states. We demonstrate the impact of this implementation by comparing predictions to both inclusive electron-scattering data and exclusive MicroBooNE measurements of CCQE-dominated observable, showing that the inclusion of FSI leads to a significant improvement in agreement with the data.

This proceeding summarises recent studies on semileptonic and leptonic $B$ decays, which provide stringent tests of lepton flavour universality as well as key experimental inputs to ultimately increase the precision of inclusive $|V_{ub}|$ and $|V_{cb}|$ determinations. The presented analyses investigate electron-positron collision data recorded by the Belle and Belle II detectors at the $Υ(4S)$ resonance, comprising the complete Belle data set of 711 fb$^{-1}$ and 365 fb$^{-1}$ of Belle II data samples collected between 2019 - 2022.

We show how a large class of Feynman integrals can be efficiently reduced to master integrals by suitable covariant differentiation on the vector space dual to the one spanned by the master integrals. The connections needed in the covariant derivatives have to be built only once for a given topology and then apply to any configuration of internal propagator masses. We implement our algorithm in the Mathematica code Method for Reduction of Loop Integrals (MERLIN).

A novel deep neural network classifier, a ``Particle transformer'' (PaRT), is introduced for the identification of highly Lorentz-boosted resonances reconstructed as single, multipronged jets in measurements and searches performed by the CMS Collaboration at the CERN LHC. Based on a self-attention mechanism that allows the model to weigh the importance of different particles, PaRT is trained on a wide variety of topologies, notably demonstrating strong performance for the first time on jets originating from boosted Higgs boson decays to W bosons. The PaRT algorithm achieves a tagging efficiency of more than 50\% for such jets at a background efficiency of 1%, while maintaining decorrelation from the jet mass. A calibration is performed in proton-proton collision data collected by CMS at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, with a data set corresponding to a total luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. Data-to-simulation selection efficiency scale factors are measured to be in the 0.9$-$1.0 range, with relative uncertainties between 7 and 23%. The tagging capability of PaRT enhances the sensitivity of standard model measurements and searches for beyond-the-standard-model resonances decaying to hadronic diboson systems.

Reddened Type-1 quasars offer a unique window into the structure and evolution of active galactic nuclei (AGN), yet their physical origin and the source of their reddening remain uncertain. Optical surveys often miss these dust-obscured objects, resulting in an incomplete view of the quasar population. In this work, we construct a sample of 6,600 Type-1 quasars at redshifts $0.5 \leq z \leq 1.2$ by combining deep optical imaging from HSC with mid-infrared photometry from WISE, enabling a more complete selection that is not biased against reddened objects. We perform detailed SED modeling using the CIGALE code, enhanced by synthetic photometry derived from SDSS spectra to better constrain the optical continuum. We classify quasars into blue and reddened Type-1 populations based on their continuum slopes and compare their SEDs and emission line properties. As expected from this definition, reddened Type-1 AGN show higher dust extinction, with a median $A_V = 0.60^{+0.32}_{-0.19}$ mag, compared to $A_V = 0.06^{+0.10}_{-0.03}$ mag for blue objects. But they also exhibit smaller torus half-opening angles, with a median of $25.7^{+10.1}_{-8.7}$ deg, compared to $33.3^{+11.1}_{-5.9}$ deg for blue objects. While such extinction could arise on either galaxy or nuclear scales, the systematically stronger narrow-line equivalent widths and weaker Balmer broad lines in reddened Type-1s indicate that the obscuration acts on nuclear scales, likely from dust concentrated near the polar axis. We discuss the possibility that these structural differences may be linked to a sub-pc outflow, that carries dusty gas into the polar region and evacuates the torus region.

Little Red Dots (LRDs) are a population of compact, red sources that have emerged as one of the most puzzling findings of JWST. Variability provides a direct probe of their central engines. Here we present the first joint spectroscopic and photometric time-domain study of LRDs undertaken with the JWST TWINKLE slitless spectroscopy program. Surveying the FRESCO GOODS-North legacy field, TWINKLE monitors a complete, H$α$-flux-limited sample of 18 LRDs at z = 3.9-6.8, achieving a rest-frame baseline of $\sim$140-220 days. We detect no variability in photometry, H$α$ line flux, or line shape across the sample. If LRDs resembled AGN in reverberation mapping samples -- the foundation for black hole mass calibrations and luminosity scaling relations -- we would expect >10 sources to show measurable fluctuations. Observing none implies a 5.9$σ$ deficit. The non-detections hold across all broad H$α$ emitters within TWINKLE's field of view -- the 18 V-shaped LRDs as well as 9 non-LRDs. Comparison with simulated light curves disfavors sub-Eddington accretion and is instead consistent with super-Eddington accretion, other mechanisms that suppress variability, or perhaps no AGN whatsoever. If LRDs do harbor black holes, calibrations derived from sub-Eddington systems may not apply, thereby explaining JWST's apparently "overmassive" black holes. These observations provide unique constraints on the physics of one of the most enigmatic populations discovered by JWST.

Supersonic winds from massive stars carry great amounts of kinetic power and modify the surrounding interstellar medium. Through this interaction a stellar bubble is formed. Theoretical studies and recent observations suggest that the winds of massive stars could be sources of Galactic cosmic rays. The first detection of synchrotron emission from the bubble of a single star was reported, indicating the presence of relativistic electrons. Studying the non-thermal emission from a single massive star can help to better understand the acceleration of particles taking place in massive star clusters. WR 102 is the perfect case of study. In this work, we present the first high-energy model for the bubble of WR 102: G2.4+1.4. We aim at fitting the radio data and predicting gamma-ray emission. We assume that both electrons and protons are accelerated at the wind shock. We applied a classical model for the stellar bubble and adopted a one-zone model for estimating the radiation produced by the relativistic particles near the acceleration region. Additionally, we computed the expected emission from the protons that diffuse to the outer regions of the bubble. Also, we estimated the leptonic and hadronic contributions expected from cosmic rays. We fitted the observations considering that 3% of the wind kinetic power goes into relativistic electrons, and a magnetic field of 250 $μ$G. The dominant component at high energies is produced by locally accelerated protons reaching the shell. Protons might reach PeV energies in the wind bubble, but the predicted gamma-ray flux is too low to be detectable.

VLBI measurements of the sizes of compact extragalactic radio sources, jetted active galactic nuclei, provide data for probing the angular size--redshift relation, offering a complementary test to other distance--redshift methods. We analyse a significantly expanded dataset to reassess the angular size--redshift relation and its potential for constraining cosmological model parameters, focusing on the matter density parameter $Ω_{\mathrm{m}}$ in a flat $Λ$ Cold Dark Matter Universe. This is the first major update of the compact-source angular size test in the past quarter of a century, using a dataset an order of magnitude larger than in previous studies. MCMC analysis on real data and on multiple mock catalogues to evaluate parameter constraints in the presence of observational scatter. In addition, we conducted a test with 100 randomized catalogues created by shuffling redshifts while preserving other observables. We also explored how astrophysical parameters depend on fixed cosmological models with different $Ω_{\mathrm{m}}$ values. The randomization test showed that the posterior distributions from randomized data do not overlap with those from real observations, confirming that the measured angular size--redshift relation is physically meaningful. The astrophysical model parameter that describes the redshift dependence of the source angular size exhibits degeneracy with $Ω_{\mathrm{m}}$. Simulated mock catalogues indicate that the method is able to constrain $Ω_{\mathrm{m}}$ if the data scatter is below $\sim20\%$. Scaling estimates suggest that high-quality data of samples of several thousands to $\sim 100\,000$ sources, a standardisation calibration approach, and/or refining sample selection criteria are needed to fully exploit the potential of the angular size--redshift test with this type of objects (abridged).

The actinides, including thorium (Th), are the heaviest observable elements synthesized in the universe, holding clues to the extremes of the astrophysical and nuclear conditions of $r$-process sites. We present Th abundances based on high-resolution spectroscopy for 47 metal-poor stars, the largest homogeneously analyzed sample to date. The chemical evolution of Th exhibits a decrease in dispersion in [Th/H] and [Th/Fe] from $\sim$0.6 dex at the lowest metallicities to $\sim$0.2 dex at higher metallicities. We also find that Th and the lanthanides Eu and Dy are co-produced remarkably well, with average [Th/Eu]$\sim0.0$ across $-3.0 \lesssim$ [Fe/H] $\lesssim -1.5$, as well as across stars with $0.0\lesssim$ [Eu/Fe] $\lesssim2.5$. Even so, the absolute range of $\logε$(Th/Eu) is 1.02 dex, with an observed standard deviation of $\pm0.20$ dex and an intrinsic standard deviation of $\pm0.11$ dex at the lowest metallicities. We infer that $68\%$ of $r$-process events have $\logε$(Th/Eu) yields that only vary within a factor of $\pm1.3$ or $\pm30\%$, while $5\%$ of $r$-process events have $\logε$(Th/Eu) yields that vary by factors $>3.3$ approaching $\sim$10. This serves as a strong constraint for the nuclear and astrophysical models of $r$-process sites, and suggests that achieving an $r$-process site that is both prompt and produces a robust $\logε$(Th/Eu) ratio is a challenge for current models.

While the connection between massive stars and supernova explosions is well established observationally, the link between massive stars and black hole formation remains elusive. Some massive stars may collapse directly to black holes without a successful supernova, and may therefore appear as disappearing stars. We investigate the expected photometric properties of such black hole progenitors by combining detailed single and binary stellar evolution models with physically motivated prescriptions linking pre-collapse core structure to explosion or direct collapse outcome, together with stellar atmosphere calculations, producing synthetic photometry across standard ultraviolet to infrared filters. Weighting by an initial mass function and empirical binary distributions, we predict both the observable distribution of progenitor brightness and colour and the rate of direct-collapse events, which we estimate to be about 0.4 per century for a galaxy forming stars at 1 Msun/yr. We find that black hole progenitors are predominantly hot and blue at the pre-collapse stage, with many in Wolf-Rayet phases and luminous in the ultraviolet, while only a minority are red supergiants. Consequently, searches that focus primarily on red supergiants are likely to miss a substantial fraction of direct-collapse events. Monitoring campaigns that include ultraviolet-sensitive observations of nearby star-forming galaxies therefore provide a promising route to detecting disappearing massive stars, offering a direct observational probe of black hole formation. Our results provide predictions to interpret such surveys and constrain the channels that lead to black hole formation.

We analyze JWST spectroscopy of the northwest filament of NGC7023, where the relatively soft radiation field results in a photodissociation region with an extended atomic hydrogen region, and strongly pronounced variations of the carbonaceous emission band profiles. We focus on the 16.4 and 17.4 um bands and their relation to the main bands at 3.3, 3.4, 5.2, 5.7, 6.2, 7.7, 8.6, 11.3, and 12.7 um, and aim to identify which bands and sub-features originate from co-spatial emission carriers. We apply a PAHFIT spectral decomposition to measure the emission bands and their individual sub-components, and produce maps that spatially resolve the main dissociation front (DF1). Nearly all emission maps peak at DF1, while the relative intensity in the atomic hydrogen region (ATM) varies strongly. We classify the features into spatial distribution types based on the intensity ratio in ATM relative to DF1. Most bands are of type I (low ATM/DF1; 3.3, 3.4, 5.2, 5.7, 11.3 um) or II (medium ATM/DF1; 16.2, 7.7, 8.6, 12.7, 16.4 um), while only few are of type III (high ATM/DF1; 11.0, 17.4 um). A breakdown of the 5.7, 7.7, 11.3 and 12.7 um bands into blue and red sub-components reveals that contributions on the blue side are of type III, while those on the red side are of type I or II. These strongly differing spatial distributions reveal that at least two different populations contribute to the 16-18 um range, and that these populations are also connected to the profiles of the 5.7, 7.7, 11.3, and 12.7 um bands. The maps further indicate a continued evolution of these profiles toward the central cavity of NGC7023, where fullerene emission (C60) was previously detected. We speculate that the population of emission carriers could be in an intermediate photochemical evolution stage that precedes fullerene formation.

Gaia has the potential to deliver several tens of new dormant black holes (BHs) with low-mass stellar companions (hereafter, Gaia BHs) in the upcoming fourth data release. Three Gaia BHs are already known, but their formation pathways remain uncertain. Here, we perform a large parametric study to explore the formation of Gaia BHs from isolated binary systems with the population-synthesis code SEVN and compare our models with the properties of the three already reported Gaia BHs. Specifically, we explore the impact of accretion efficiency, mass transfer stability, natal kicks, angular momentum transport, and core-collapse supernova prescriptions. We find that models in which stable mass transfer is highly non-conservative and angular momentum is lost as a wind from the donor surface (Jeans mode) maximize the probability of forming dormant systems that match the properties of the observed Gaia BHs in terms of both orbital period and eccentricity, because such assumptions prevent the initial orbit from shrinking too much when the BH progenitor fills its Roche lobe. If we allow for common-envelope evolution, we find that models with common-envelope ejection efficiency $α < 1$ predict dormant systems with orbital periods that are too short compared to the observed Gaia BHs. The eccentricity of the observed Gaia BHs, when combined with information about orbital period and BH mass, favors relatively large natal kicks, similar to those inferred from Galactic neutron stars. Finally, models in which the natal kicks are low - e.g. because they are modulated by fallback - result in the formation of a large population of dormant BHs with long orbital periods ($P_{\rm orb}>10^4$ days) and low eccentricity, which will be tested soon by the fourth Gaia data release.

Persistent radio sources (PRSs) are (sub-)parsec-scale compact non-thermal continuum sources associated with some repeating fast radio bursts (FRBs). Their nature is debated, but their properties provide insights into the FRB environment and progenitors. We measure the spectrum of the recently confirmed PRS associated with FRB 20190417A. Spectral features such as the self-absorption and cooling break can be used to constrain the age and size of PRSs and test theoretical models. We present observations made with the 1.26 GHz upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (uGMRT) and observations from the 6 GHz Karl Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). With complementary archival data and the LOw Frequency ARray Two Meter Sky Survey (LoTSS), we characterise the spectrum of the PRS between 144 MHz and 6 GHz. The spectrum follows a power-law behaviour at gigahertz frequencies. The source is not detected at 144 MHz down to a $2σ=170 \; {\rm μJy}$ sensitivity. We modelled the spectrum with a broken power law, obtaining a spectral index $α= 0.20 \pm 0.05$ between 1-6 GHz. We placed a lower limit on the turn-over frequency of $> 370$ MHz ($95\%$ confidence). The flat spectrum and low-frequency turn-over of the target are consistent with the spectral properties predicted for magneto-ionic nebulae, inflated behind the supernova ejecta by a flaring young magnetar. Considering the multi-zone magnetar wind nebula scenario, we estimate an age of $t< 250$ yr and a radius of $R< 0.4$ pc for the target, which would thus be slightly older than the PRSs associated with FRB 20121102A and FRB 20190520B.

Within the volume-limited subsample at $z<0.06$ of the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) DR2 sample, we confirm a statistically significant excess of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) at $z \simeq 0.02$-$0.04$, previously reported but not explained by survey selection effects. Forward simulations assuming a uniform volumetric SN Ia rate and realistic ZTF detection efficiencies fail to reproduce the feature at the $5$-$7σ$ level. We also detect an excess in the rates compared to our survey simulations at $z \simeq 0.08$ and $0.14$, albeit at smaller significance. To investigate the origin of these inhomogeneities, we compare the observed SN distribution to constrained reconstructions of the local matter density field from the Manticore project, based on Bayesian forward modelling of the 2M++ galaxy catalogue. While SN overdensities are spatially associated with prominent nearby structures such as the Perseus, Coma, and Hercules superclusters, the amplitude of the SN excesses significantly exceeds that expected from matter overdensities alone. By reconstructing a redshift-dependent volumetric SN Ia rate, we find that local enhancements can reach factors of two to five within specific clusters, while the sample-averaged rate remains consistent with previous low-redshift measurements. These results indicate that the SN Ia rate is not a linear tracer of the underlying matter density and suggest a strong environmental dependence in dense structures. We discuss possible physical origins and highlight the implications for low-redshift SN cosmology, including correlated peculiar velocities and additional covariance beyond standard linear corrections.

Light curves from binary systems containing white dwarfs with neutron star or stellar-mass black hole companions (WD+NS and WD+BH) with edge-on orbital planes potentially show self-lensing/eclipsing signals. Here, we evaluate the properties and detectability of these signals in the NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (Roman) observations. WD+NS systems with orbital periods $T\lesssim25~$days mostly have considerable finite-source sizes with the normalized source radii $ρ_{\star}\gtrsim1$. WD+BH systems with $T\gtrsim3$ days have $ρ_{\star}\lesssim1$, and $ρ_{\star}\sim0.01$ for BHs with a few tens solar-mass. Our analytical calculations show the probabilities of occurring self-lensing signals in WD+NS and WD+BH systems are $\sim10^{-3},~10^{-2}$, and maximize for systems with low-mass WDs revolving massive NSs/BHs. We simulate their light curves and generate synthetic data for them by applying the observing protocols of these two satellites. We assume self-lensing signals are detectable if (i) $1\leq T\leq T_{\rm{obs}}$ (where $T_{\rm{obs}}=62~\rm{and}~27.4$ days are the Roman and TESS continuous observing windows), (ii) $\rm{SNR}\ge3,~6$, their signals are (iii) deeper than twice the photometric error, and (iv) covered by at least one datum. Systems with detectable self-lensing signals in the TESS and Roman observations on average have small inclination angles $i\lesssim0.2^{\circ}$, with the orbital periods $\sim6,~19~$days, and their signals last $\sim[6,~30]~\rm{minutes}$. The TESS and Roman efficiencies for detecting these signals are $\sim2-6\times10^{-4}$ and $\sim2-12\times10^{-10}$. Although detecting these self-lensing signals by Roman is impossible, the TESS telescope potentially manifests at least one self-lensing signal due to these binary systems, if $8\%,~\rm{and}~3\%$ of WDs have NS and BH companions.

Core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) in luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) can have extreme line-of-sight host galaxy dust extinctions, which leads to a large fraction of the events remaining undetected by optical and infrared surveys. This population of undetected CCSNe is important to constrain in order to determine the cosmic CCSN rates. Our aim is to confirm and refine our estimates for the undetectable fraction of CCSNe in LIRGs in the local Universe. Our study is based on the near-infrared K-band multi-epoch SUNBIRD survey monitoring dataset of a sample of nine LIRGs using the Gemini-South telescope with the multi-conjugate GSAOI/GeMS laser guide star adaptive optics system. We determined the limiting magnitudes for CCSN detection for each epoch in our dataset with artificial supernova injection and image subtraction methods. Subsequently, we used a Monte Carlo method to determine the combined effects of limiting magnitudes, survey cadence, CCSN subtype distribution, and their light curve evolution diversity. The intrinsic CCSN rates of the sample galaxies were estimated based on detailed modelling of their spectral energy distribution. Finally, we combined the resulting CCSN detection probabilities with the intrinsic CCSN rates for the dataset, and compared that against the real CCSN detections over the survey period. Based on our GSAOI/GeMS dataset, assuming optical or near-infrared example surveys with capabilities to detect CCSNe in local LIRGs with host extinctions of $A_V =$ 3 or 16 mag, respectively, the resulting total undetectable fractions are $86.0^{+4.7}_{-5.9}$ % and $53.6^{+15.6}_{-19.6}$ %. When folding in the results from our previous near-infrared adaptive optics assisted LIRG monitoring dataset, the corresponding total undetectable fractions are $88.3^{+2.6}_{-3.2}$ % and $61.4^{+8.5}_{-10.6}$ %, respectively.

In this study, we investigate the dynamical evolution of a massive binary black hole (MBHB) in the Leo I dwarf spheroidal galaxy model and examine how dark matter along with stellar matter's gravitational interactions influence its long-term behavior. Using high-resolution direct N-body simulations, we follow the orbital evolution of the binary within a realistic model of the Leo I stellar and dark matter distribution. We found that the binary separation decreases from an initial 300-parsec orbit to roughly 1 parsec over a period of about 2 Gyr, primarily driven by dynamical friction and stellar hardening. The orbital evolution then stalls at this scale, illustrating the well-known final parsec problem. During this phase, the binary also develops increasing orbital eccentricity and produces a modest redistribution of the inner mass profiles in some cases. We then further estimate the final stage of the system's evolution using gravitational-wave emission models and find that the binary is unlikely to merge within a Hubble time. The prolonged dynamical friction phase appears to be related to the low stellar and dark matter densities in Leo I. These results suggest that massive binary black holes in dwarf spheroidal galaxies such as Leo I will not contribute to the gravitational-waves detectable from LISA even if dark matter is considered.

We present a new metal enrichment analysis of a unique galaxy group IC 1262 using archival Chandra and GMRT observations, focusing on metal transport via radio jet, sloshing cold fronts, and shock front. This group shows two sloshing cold fronts along the east and north-west direction which is nearly orthogonal to the north - south orientated radio jet. We report discontinuities in the metallicity at the location of previously detected cold fronts, a more prominent one towards the eastern direction. In addition, the gas inside the cold fronts is 45$\pm$8 per cent more enriched than the gas outside the cold front, suggesting the role of sloshing in transporting metals through the IGrM. We also confirm the presence of a previously reported shock front with higher significance and with greater details. Across this shock, we detect a significant metallicity drop from 0.45$\pm$0.05 $Z_{\odot}$ to 0.22$\pm$0.04 $Z_{\odot}$, located at a projected distance of 78$\pm$2 kpc in the southern direction. The shock could potentially account for the region of gas enrichment seen in the abundance map and profile, which could be the result of a non-Maxwellian electron distribution in its vicinity. This should be considered a contributing factor rather than the sole cause of the observed discontinuity in the abundance. Furthermore, our spectral analysis reveals two temperature X-ray gas preferentially aligned with the radio-jet axis, indicating a possible influence of radio AGN activity on the surrounding gas.

Magnetic fields play a fundamental role in the formation of protostellar winds. In the magneto-centrifugal models, poloidal magnetic fields launch winds from accretion disks, and fast-rotating gas twists the fields into toroidal geometry that collimates and accelerates winds through magnetic hoop stress. However, toroidal fields in protostellar winds remain observationally unresolved. Here we report polarization observations of carbon monoxide emission toward the NGC1333 IRAS 4A protostellar outflow. The inferred magnetic fields are perpendicular to the outflow axis and aligned with the rotational structure of the outflow, indicating toroidal fields with strengths of a few milligauss, sufficient to collimate and accelerate the outflow at several hundred astronomical units from the protostar. A linear correlation is found between the curl of plane-of-the-sky magnetic field and the line-of-sight electric current density. Our analysis provides better constraints on ion-electron drift velocity in protostellar outflows and supports rotating outflows driven by the magneto-centrifugal mechanism.

Accurate characterization of filamentary structures in star-forming clouds is essential for understanding star formation. Traditional methods fit observed surface density profiles $Σ(r)$ with slope $γ$ and width $H$ using the Plummer function, assuming $β=γ+1$ and $h\approx H$ for the volume density slope and width. These assumptions are inconsistent with the finite nature of filaments. We present a new fitting method that explicitly accounts for finite cylindrical geometry and establishes self-consistent empirical relationships between the parameters of $Σ(r)$ and those of the volume density profile $ρ(r)$ with slope $β$ and width $h$. The method was validated on model profiles and applied to California filaments. The slope difference $δ\equivβ-γ$ falls below unity for shallow ($β\lesssim 2$) and compact profiles; $h$ and $H$ can differ by over an order of magnitude for extended filaments with shallow slopes. Accurate parameter recovery requires high resolvedness $R\equiv H/O\gtrsim 10$ (where $O$ is the beam width); at lower resolvedness, slopes are severely overestimated and filaments remain unresolved even when $H\gg O$. The traditional Plummer function yields systematically overestimated slopes. Accurate deconvolution requires a priori knowledge of the true parameters, creating a fundamental circular problem whose only robust solution is obtaining sufficiently high angular resolution. Current far-infrared observations typically lack sufficient resolution, and some previously reported filament properties may require reinterpretation.

The shaping of planetary nebulae on their evolution from asymptotic giant branch circumstellar envelopes to their final, most often axisymmetrical, form is still a process with many unknown details. The key to understanding the whole shaping process is the study of the transition objects called pre-planetary nebulae (pPNe). In this context, modelling tools must be kept to the standard of radio telescope capabilities, so we can make the most of the data they collect. In this work we first present the newest update of the SHAPE and SHAPEMOL modelling tools, adding ten new molecular species to be reproduced together with other general improvements. Later, we put this new update into practice to study M1-92, a pPN with a rich chemistry that can provide valuable information on its origin and shaping. We created a 3D morpho-kinematical model of the nebula in SHAPE that is able to reproduce 23 line profiles from the IRAM 30m telescope and HIFI/HSO and five maps from IRAM NOEMA. The observational dataset is reproduced simultaneously under the same physical conditions, adjusting only the relative abundance of the different species. We obtained a full description of the nebula's physical and chemical properties, and we provide the total estimates for mass (0.79 $M_\odot$), linear momentum (4.10$\times10^{39}$ g cm s$^{-1}$), and kinetic energy (6.48$\times10^{45}$ erg) as well as their detailed distribution across the nebula. We also analysed the isotopic ratios, finding robust discrepancies (values of 10 versus 30) in the $^{12}$C/$^{13}$C ratio across structures depending on their age.

Variability is a well known phenomenon in low-mass young stellar objects, but in recent years the monitoring of methanol masers and infrared continuum emission has permitted the detection of both burst-like episodes and periodic variations also in high-mass (proto)stars. Multi-epoch studies on large samples of these objects have become possible thanks to the NEOWISE database, which surveyed the sky in the mid-IR for about a decade. Our goal is to analyse the mid-IR emission from the well studied massive protostar IRAS20126+4104 and confirm the hypothesis that such emission is periodic, as proposed in previous studies. We take advantage of the NEOWISE, ALLWISE, and Spitzer databases to obtain 24 images of the 3.4 $μ$m emission from IRAS20126+4104 spanning 19 years, with $\sim$6 months sampling over a decade. With these data we create a light curve for each lobe of the bipolar nebulosity/outflow associated with the protostar. Our results confirm that the IR emission from IRAS20126+4104 varies regularly with a period of $\sim$6.8 yr. The period is the same for both lobes, but their emissions are anticorrelated with a phase difference of $\sim$2.5 yr. The variation is consistent with that found in previous studies for the 6 GHz CH$_3$OH masers and the near-IR emission from the lobes. After discussing four possible ``clocks'' that could determine the observed periodicity, we rule out all but a model involving rotation of the star with a spot obscuring $\sim$20% of the stellar surface. The long rotation period implies that the 12 $M_\odot$ protostar is bloated, with a radius of $\sim$200 $R_\odot$.

The cubic-kilometer neutrino telescopes have opened neutrino astronomy as an observational discipline. The recent detection of KM3-230213A, the highest-energy neutrino ever observed at ~220 PeV, as a near-horizontal muon track underscores that the ultra-high-energy frontier is accessed through horizontal directions where the Earth's opacity above ~100 TeV confines the observable sky to a narrow band around and above the horizon. Yet extending general-purpose detector architectures into this regime requires disproportionate increases in instrumentation, cost, and logistical complexity. A compelling alternative is to deploy specialized detectors that target this natural geometry. POLARIS (Pacific Ocean Large Area Radial Instrumented Sparse array) is a sparse planar deep-water Cherenkov array optimized for neutrino-induced muon tracks from horizontal directions in the multi-TeV to PeV regime. By rotating the conventional vertical string layout into a radial planar configuration, the detector presents maximal cross-section to horizontal tracks while naturally suppressing the down-going atmospheric background. With only 1100 optical modules, the five-arm design reaches point source and diffuse flux sensitivities at PeV energies competitive with detectors deploying several times more instrumentation. As a dedicated $ν_μ$ track detector, POLARIS provides the muon-flavor channel that tau-optimized experiments such as TAMBO and Trinity do not cover, enabling full flavor composition measurements from astrophysical sources. Using the Prometheus simulation framework, this study demonstrates that targeted sparse geometries can open new discovery space at the high-energy frontier at a fraction of the cost of general-purpose arrays.

We investigate whether the Type Ibn supernova SN 2023uqf, reported close in time and direction to the $\sim$442 TeV IceCube alert IC-231004A, is physically consistent with a shock--circumstellar medium (CSM) interaction scenario. One-dimensional radiation-hydrodynamics calculations with {\tt STELLA} reproduce the ZTF optical light curves with a dense helium-rich CSM following $ρ_\mathrm{CSM} \propto r^{-3}$ and a CSM density parameter $D'\approx 50$. Using the shock evolution and CSM conditions inferred from the optical data, we model time-dependent cosmic-ray acceleration and hadronic neutrino production during the interaction phase. The inferred shock and CSM properties open a short-lived window in which multi-PeV hadron acceleration and efficient hadronic interactions can coexist, making SN 2023uqf a plausible transient PeVatron candidate. After folding the predicted neutrino emission through the IceCube effective area, we obtain an expected number of $\sim10^{-5}-10^{-4}$ track-like events at $d = 723$ Mpc, depending on the alert selection. In the low-count regime, the model predicts a detection-time weighting for a rare event, and the detection time of IC-231004A falls within the high-weight interval while its energy scale is compatible with the modeled spectrum. Although a single event cannot establish a definitive association, our results show that the optically inferred environment of SN 2023uqf is consistent with a transient PeVatron window and illustrate how interaction-powered Type Ibn supernovae can be tested as high-energy neutrino sources.

We present a focused multiwavelength study of blue straggler stars (BSSs) in the intermediate-age open cluster Tombaugh 2, located in the outer Galactic disk, to constrain the dominant formation pathways of BSSs in a low-density environment. Cluster members are identified using Gaia DR3 astrometry through a Gaussian Mixture Model, yielding a clean sample of high-probability members. Color-magnitude diagram analysis indicates an age of 1.74 Gyr. The radial surface density profile is well described by a King model, indicating a centrally concentrated overall structure, while the cluster exhibits only weak or no clear evidence of mass segregation among its stellar populations. We identify 26 BSS candidates and 2 YSS candidates. Spectral energy distributions constructed from ultraviolet, optical, and infrared photometry reveal that 9 BSSs (32%) exhibit significant ultraviolet excess, indicating an additional hot component. Binary SED decomposition identifies stripped companions with effective temperatures Teff $\sim$ (1.5-8) $\times$ 10$^4$ K and radii R $\sim$ 0.04-0.28 R_$\odot$, consistent with proto-white dwarfs, extremely low-mass pre-helium white dwarfs, and young hot remnants formed through recent mass transfer. A slight central concentration of BSSs, together with stripped companions, suggests that binary mass transfer is an important formation channel, with no evidence for merger-driven formation. Multi-epoch VLT/FLAMES spectroscopy reveals radial-velocity variability in several systems, providing independent evidence for binarity. Our results highlight that optical-infrared photometric analyses alone may fail to detect hot compact companions, while spectroscopy and ultraviolet observations provide complementary constraints, with ultraviolet data offering a direct probe of such companions in intermediate-age open clusters.

The physical origin of optical changing-look AGNs (CLAGNs), characterized by the appearance or disappearance of broad emission lines, is thought to be mainly driven by the variation of the black-hole (BH) accretion rate. In this work, we explore this issue based on a sample of {224} CLAGNs with UV-to-optical continua, where the UV radiation is more sensitive to the accretion state near the BH horizon. We find that the luminosity correlation of $L_{3000}$--$L_{5100}$ at 3000$\rm Å$ and 5100$\rm Å$ becomes steeper at low luminosities (e.g., $L_{3000}\lesssim10^{44}\rm erg/s$), where the sources with high luminosities are roughly consistent with the prediction of a standard accretion disk. At lower luminosities, the observations are more consistent with the prediction of a truncated disk. The whole sample has a median bolometric Eddington ratio of $\sim$2.2\%, which is consistent with the critical value for state transition in X-ray binaries. Such transitions can significantly alter the UV-to-optical continuum, largely due to variations in the truncation radius, even when the change in the overall accretion rate is minimal. The deficit of ionization photons resulting from an increase in the truncation radius will lead to the weakening or disappearance of broad lines, which triggers the AGN changing-look.

We present a deep learning framework to enhance the identification of Ly$α$ emitters (LAEs) in the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX), an untargeted spectroscopic survey of LAEs at $1.9 < z < 3.5$ without imaging pre-selection. We primarily address the low signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) regime ($4.8 \leq \mathrm{S/N} \leq 5.5$), where LAE candidates suffer from substantial noise contamination. To distinguish LAE candidates from artifacts and sky residuals, we employ a convolutional neural network (CNN) trained on two-dimensional spectral images of single emission lines. The training sample is constructed from the HETDEX COSMOS catalog, with external validation from ancillary observations and our participatory science project, \textit{Dark Energy Explorers}. For small-format, low-resolution spectroscopic data, the model achieves a balanced accuracy, precision, and recall of $94.1\%$, $97.5\%$, and $97.5\%$, respectively, in the high-S/N regime ($\mathrm{S/N}>5.5$), and $85.1\%$, $78.2\%$, and $84.4\%$ in the low-S/N regime. Using HETDEX LAEs independently identified by DESI spectroscopy, the model recovers $99\%$ and $93\%$ of the high- and low-S/N LAEs, respectively. Visual attribution indicates that the CNN attends to smooth, spatially extended central emission in true positives and to irregular or noisy features in true negatives. Applied to the full HETDEX catalog, the CNN enables an S/N threshold down to 4.8 by suppressing spurious spikes across $z\sim 1.9$--$2.5$ in the redshift distribution. Our approach facilitates HETDEX cosmological analyses by mitigating false positives in galaxy clustering and highlights the value of domain-specific deep learning for refining low-S/N spectroscopic identification in untargeted surveys.

We present JWST/MIRI-MRS observations of ISO-Oph 37, a highly inclined flat-spectrum ($\lesssim$1 Myr old) source, to investigate the chemical composition and dynamical origin of its inner-disk gas. The spectrum reveals a rich combination of molecular emission and absorption: H$_2$O, CO, and OH are detected in emission, while strong absorption is observed from CO, H$_2$O, CO$_2$, HCN, C$_2$H$_2$, and CH$_4$, with no detectable ice absorption features. LTE slab modeling of the absorption yields excitation temperatures of $T_{\rm ex}\sim400-600$ K and column densities of $\log N/{\rm cm}^{2}\sim16-19$, characteristic of warm gas located within the inner few au. The absorption lines are significantly blueshifted relative to the systemic velocity, with mid-IR lines exhibiting larger shifts than near-IR CO absorption. This velocity structure points to a velocity- and temperature-stratified molecular disk wind. In this framework, the absorption directly samples disk material lifted from the inner disk surface, preserving the chemical imprint of the wind-launching region. Along the line of sight, ISO-Oph 37 is unusually hydrocarbon-rich compared to other known absorption systems (GV Tau N and IRS 46), exhibiting high (C$_2$H$_2$+CH$_4$)/HCN, (C$_2$H$_2$+CH$_4$)/CO and H$_2$O/CO column density ratios, while the CO and HCN columns remain broadly typical. We find that these molecular ratios are best explained by enhancement of both hydrocarbons and water, driven by inward drift and sublimation of icy pebbles and by thermal processing of carbonaceous grains at the soot line. ISO-Oph 37 thus demonstrates that carbon-rich inner-disk chemistry can be established early in disk evolution and that it can be directly probed through molecular absorption in disk winds.

The Tianlai Dish Pathfinder Array (TDPA) is a radio interferometer designed to test techniques for 21 cm intensity mapping in the post-reionization universe as a means of measuring large-scale cosmic structure. Using 9 nights of observations targeting the North Celestial Pole (NCP) field, totaling approximately 107 hours of integration time, we analyze data in the frequency range 700-800 MHz (corresponding to redshift $z \sim 0.9$). We do the data format conversion, radio frequency interference (RFI) flagging, calibration, imaging and point source subtraction, and foreground removal via Singular Value Decomposition (SVD). The spherically averaged power spectrum $Δ^2(k)$ is obtained. This work successfully establishes and validates a comprehensive data analysis framework for the TDPA. We identify key improvements including sky model refinement, increased integration time, and pipeline optimization that will enable future detection of the 21 cm signal through auto-correlation and cross-correlation with optical galaxy surveys.

We model the dynamical mass density profiles of 14 strong gravitational lens galaxies from the Sloan Lens ACS (SLACS) sample using spatially resolved kinematics obtained from Keck KCWI integral-field spectroscopy. We use the Jeans Anisotropic Modeling (JAM) method, combining 2D kinematic maps with joint constraints from lens models from Hubble Space Telescope imaging. We use informative priors on the anisotropy and intrinsic shape from local galaxies to help break the residual mass-anisotropy degeneracy (MAD). We find nearly isothermal power-law total mass density slopes ($ρ_{\rm tot}\propto r^{-γ}$) for the sample with a mean of $γ= 2.04\pm0.02$ with intrinsic scatter of $0.08^{+0.03}_{-0.02}$. We fit explicitly for deviations from the pure power-law form that are fully sensitive to the mass-sheet degeneracy (MSD) and constrain the value of the mass-sheet parameter $\rm λ_{int}$ for each individual galaxy to an average precision of 5.8%. The mean value of $\rm λ_{int}$ for the sample is $1.01\pm0.03$, with intrinsic scatter of $0.11\pm0.03$. Values of $\rm λ_{int}$ for individual objects and the scatter in the sample are consistent to $1σ$ uncertainty with those found by the Time-Delay COSMOgraphy collaboration's 2025 milestone analysis, which used a spherical analysis of the same dataset, but azimuthally averaged. We thus conclude that on average power-law mass profiles are a good first-order description of the SLACS sample and do not introduce measureable bias in time-delay cosmography. However, our analysis indicates that more flexible mass models should be able to reproduce the highly detailed kinematic datasets more accurately.

Changing-Look AGN (CL-AGN) are AGN which transition between Seyfert types, challenging AGN unification models. Most CL-AGN have been identified via repeat spectroscopy, making it difficult to determine the duration and magnitude of the CL-AGN transition. As such, the physical mechanisms behind this transition are still unknown. We use synthetic photometry in combination with ZTF light curve data to develop a new criterion to identify photometric CL-AGN transitions based on changes in g-band magnitude and g-r color. We find that a CL-AGN criterion of $| Δg| > 0.4$ mag and $| Δ(g-r)| > 0.2$ mag recovers a photometric transition in $9.6^{+4.9}_{-3.4}\%$ of CL-AGN hosts over the six-year ZTF survey, including a candidate repeating changing-look event in SDSS J084957.78+274728.9. Using simulated AGN light curves, we estimate the false positive rate among the simulated Seyferts to be $1.6^{+0.19}_{-0.17}\%$. We find that the rate of similar flares among Type 1 Seyferts is $1.2^{+0.87}_{-0.50}\%$ , and among Type 2 Seyferts is $\leq 0.39\%$ over six years. Photometric CL-AGN transitions last between 21 and 560 days, with a median duration of 360 days, consistent with the thermal or orbital timescales for AGN disks. We do not detect a correlation between black hole mass and transition duration, likely due to the small sample of detected photometric transitions. This method can be applied to the upcoming Legacy Survey of Space and Time to identify CL-AGN candidates and test theories of their origins

Previous theoretical studies indicate that the inner disk in dwarf novae evaporates into a high-temperature, optically thin, and geometrically thick accretion flow during quiescence, with the inner edge moving toward the white dwarf at the onset of an outburst. We incorporate this process into the numerical model developed by Kimura & Osaki (2023) and test the code on two representative dwarf novae, SS Cyg and U Gem. By modeling the inner accretion flow, we calculate the optical, ultraviolet (UV), and X-ray luminosities. Our results show that evaporation suppresses the inside-out outbursts without requiring a radially dependent viscosity parameter in the cold state. The observed time delay between the rise in UV luminosity and the onset of the optical outburst is more than one day, which is successfully reproduced when the inner disk is truncated at several $\times 10^{9}$ cm in the standard evaporation model. However, while the modeled accretion rate at the inner disk edge in U Gem accounts for its quiescent X-ray luminosity, the rate in SS Cyg remains insufficient. This discrepancy in SS Cyg suggests that SS Cyg may require either more efficient evaporation or an additional mass supply into the coronal cavity via gas-stream overflow. By accounting for disk evaporation, our simulations offer a refined version of the disk instability model for dwarf nova outbursts that naturally explains the observed multiwavelength light curves.

The jets and lobes of nearby radio galaxies are ideal laboratories to explore the spectral and dynamical evolution of the radio-emitting plasma that emanates from active galactic nuclei. Here, we present a high-resolution radio continuum study of the low-redshift (z=0.01713), Fanaroff-Riley I (FRI) radio galaxy 3C 449 performed by combining radio data at 145 MHz acquired with the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) and archival Very Large Array (VLA) data at 1365, 1485, 4985, and 8485 MHz. Our LOFAR maps have angular resolutions of 20"x20" and 6.0"x6.0", and show the full extent of the known radio emission at the highest angular resolution to date. Our spectral index maps show the distribution of the spectrum in the 145-8485 MHz frequency range over a region that extends beyond 2.5'. The average 145-8485 MHz spectrum is consistent with a single power law and stays approximately constant over the inner ~50" of both jets. Beyond ~50", on both source sides, the higher-frequency spectrum steepens, indicating no significant downstream sites of particle acceleration. By modelling the spectrum under the assumption of equipartition and of a constant magnetic field across the source, we derive maps of the highest radiative age of the particles. At the outer edges of both the northern tail and southern lobe, the spectral age is ~150 Myr. If the latter age were representative of the dynamical source age, the average expansion speed of both jets during the source lifetime would be supersonic, with Mach numbers of M~4.1 and M~2.8 for the northern and southern jets, respectively. As numerical simulations of FRI jets suggest that the source's current expansion is subsonic, the high Mach numbers might arise either from the source being highly supersonic for a small fraction of its lifetime or from a severe underestimation of the spectral age due to particle acceleration on scales of hundreds of kpc.

We investigate the current viability of a well-known coupled dark energy scenario in which fermionic cold dark matter (DM) interacts with a spin-0 dark energy component through a non-trivial field dependence of the DM mass. This ultra-light scalar mediates a fifth force between DM particles, which can leave signatures on cosmological scales. We use state-of-the-art data on the cosmic microwave background from Planck's CamSpec likelihood, baryon acoustic oscillations from the second DESI data release as well as the supernovae of Type Ia (SNIa) from Pantheon+ and DES-Dovekie. We perform the analysis considering both a flat potential and a Peebles-Ratra (PR) potential for the scalar field in order to assess the impact of the potential slope on the fitting performance of the model. While for a constant potential the scalar field dynamics is insensitive to the sign of the coupling parameter $β$, the PR potential breaks the existing symmetry in the solutions at late times and could induce a difference at the phenomenological level between positive and negative values. We study for the first time if it is actually the case, finding no important asymmetry in the fitting results. In the light of the aforesaid datasets, we find in all cases a peak at $|β|\sim 0.03$ - less pronounced than reported in some recent works -, excluding the no-coupling scenario at $\sim 95\%$ CL. The model is able to explain an effective crossing of the phantom divide, with the equation-of-state parameter lying within the $2σ$ bands of model-agnostic reconstructions. Our results are very robust under changes in the SNIa sample used in the analysis and is not significantly altered when we replace a constant potential with the PR one, although the latter is crucial to produce the aforesaid crossing. In passing, we also provide constraints obtained with the PR potential in the uncoupled case.

OB runaway stars are massive stars moving through interstellar space at high velocities (up to 200 km/s), produced by dynamical ejections in young massive clusters or supernova explosions in massive binaries. They can travel several hundred parsec before exploding as supernovae, affecting the dynamical and chemical evolution of the Galaxy. The Vel OB1 association, one of the largest OB associations, hosts about 20 O-type and more than 50 B-type stars. We aimed to identify OB runaways in this region, quantify their number, identify their parent clusters, and understand their production channels and impact on the surrounding medium. Using Gaia DR3 coordinates, parallaxes, and proper motions, we identified OB runaways by measuring their peculiar velocity. We inspected infrared WISE images to identify wind bow shocks and reconstructed runaway trajectories to locate parent clusters and estimate travel times. We identified six young stellar clusters hosting most of the massive-star population in Vel OB1 (distance 1.6-2.1 kpc; age 1-10 Myr) and derived a threshold velocity of 15 km/s to classify runaways. We identified 25 OB runaways (including HMXB VelaX-1) and one F-type runaway. We detected 16 arc-like features, six associated with runaways selected by peculiar velocity, and ten bow shocks aligned with runaway proper motions. Parent clusters are identified for seven runaways, most likely ejected dynamically. The runaway fraction is about 30%. Wind bow shocks from OB runaways reveal valuable information on local ISM conditions.

With n-body simulations and analytic approximations we study the dynamics and stability of low eccentricity misaligned test particles around binary systems with varying mass fraction and eccentricity. General relativity (GR) plays a primary role in determining the motion of an outer particle since it drives apsidal precession of the binary orbit. The effects of GR can drive particle instability close to the binary orbit, depending upon the binary parameters and the initial inclination of the particle. For the binary parameters we consider, we find instability up to a semimajor axis of about 8 ab, where ab is the binary semimajor axis. In particular, we identify and analyse three different regions of instability that are driven by GR in the phase plane of the initial semimajor axis and the initial inclination of the particle. The results have implications for circumbinary orbits and circumbinary disks on all scales, but are particularly important around supermassive black hole binaries where the effects of GR can be strong.

Phylogenetic methods, traditionally used in biology to trace the evolutionary relationships among species, are emerging as a powerful framework to reconstruct evolutionary processes in galaxies from chemical information. We apply galactic phylogenetics to study the chemical evolution of stellar populations in distinct regions of a simulated disc galaxy, assessing its capability to unveil assembly histories. We used a high-resolution simulation that follows the chemical enrichment of an isolated disc galaxy, by different stellar progenitors. We track gas particles as they turn into stars and inherit their parent gas chemical composition. Target particles are selected to store the chemical history of each chemical element considered in the simulation. Two regions were analysed: an inner ring, influenced by early bar-driven inflows, and an outer ring, shaped by spiral arms. We built phylogenetic trees for stellar populations in each region and quantified their structure using the Corrected Colless index, a standard metric of tree balance used in biology. The inner ring tree reveals a compact clade of old stars enriched by rapid SNII feedback, followed by a hierarchical sequence with increasing SNIa and AGB contributions. In contrast, the outer ring exhibits more symmetric, caterpillar-like trees with smoother abundance gradients, consistent with more prolonged star formation and efficient local mixing. Chemical enrichment rates corroborate these trends, showing fast early enrichment in the inner ring and gradual, spatially extended enrichment in the outer disc. The structural indices differ significantly between the two regions and converge robustly even for modest stellar samples (NSSP = 100). Galactic phylogenetics provides a novel and complementary tool to decode the fossil record of galaxies.

RR Lyrae stars are widely considered tracers of ancient (greater than 10 Gyr), metal-poor stellar populations. However, recent kinematic and photometric studies suggest the existence of a metal-rich RRL sub-population associated with the thin disc and intermediate ages (approximately 2-5 Gyr), challenging canonical evolutionary models. We aim to provide the first spectroscopic confirmation of a member of this elusive population. Specifically, we target a metal-rich RRL candidate recently identified photometrically as a member of the intermediate-age open cluster Trumpler 5. We obtained high-resolution spectroscopy using PEPSI at the LBT and GHOST at Gemini-South Telescope. We measured radial velocities from multiple epochs to constrain cluster membership and derived detailed chemical abundances (Mg, Ca, Sc, Ti, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Y, and Ba) to compare the RRL's composition with that of red clump stars in the cluster. The RRL's systemic velocity Vgamma = 50.57 +0.78/-0.36 km/s is in excellent agreement with the cluster mean V = 50.76 +/- 0.49 km/s. Combining RVs, proper motions, and parallax, the probability of the star being a background interloper is negligible (approximately 0.002%, better than 4 sigma). We derived a metallicity of [Fe/H] = -0.40 +/- 0.05, matching the cluster value. While most abundance ratios (Mg, Ti, Mn, Cu, and Zn) align with cluster members, the RRL exhibits significant depletion in Ca, Sc, Y, and Ba. Notably, [Sc/Fe] is under-abundant by approximately 0.6 dex relative to the cluster stars, following trends seen in field metal-rich RRLs. We provide strong constraints on the membership status between an RRL variable and an intermediate-age open cluster [...]

Massive quiescent galaxies (QGs) at high redshifts are likely progenitors of massive elliptical galaxies in the local Universe. Recent observations, such as the discovery of QGs in overdensity (galaxy groups and proto-clusters) at high redshifts, have highlighted the importance of the relationship between star formation activity in galaxies and the surrounding environment. We spectroscopically confirm a galaxy group associated with a massive QG at $z_\mathrm{spec}=4.53$ from the Lyman break feature using Subaru/FOCAS. This group consists of at least three star-forming galaxies within 150 pkpc of the QG, which suggests the importance of physical association with other galaxies for galaxy quenching. In order to understand the role of the surrounding environment, we also perform a statistical analysis to characterize the typical environment of QGs at high redshifts. By selecting QGs using the SFR-based selection in the COSMOS field, we find that the fraction of QGs is higher in group or cluster-like environment at $1<z_\mathrm{phot}<5$. This means some of the processes that regulate galaxy quenching occurs more frequently in the overdensity regions. In particular, the elevated fraction of QGs within small-scale overdensities ($<100\mathrm{-}300$ pkpc) at $z>2$ demonstrates that environmental quenching (primarily driven by galaxy mergers and interactions) plays a major role in the formation and evolution of massive QGs at high redshifts.

We anticipate that hundreds of thousands of distant, strongly gravitationally lensed sources will be detectable with the European Space Agency's (ESA) Euclid mission and the Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time. We consider the virtues and shortcomings of the Singular Isothermal Elliptical Potential (SIEP) with Parallel External Shear (XS_||) for these systems. Its principal virtue is that it admits an analytic forward model that gives image positions and magnifications as functions of the source position (and shape for extended sources). Preliminary experiments suggest a speed-up of a factor in excess of 10,000 compared with conventional models that instead map from the image plane to the source plane and require iteration to converge upon a unique source. A second virtue is that the Witt--Wynne geometric representation of SIEP+XS_|| permits the quick visual verification of the model's adequacy for a particular lensed system. Unfortunately, the model's strictly elliptical lens equipotential is inconsistent with strictly elliptical surface mass density contours. The Witt--Wynne construction might nonetheless yield a sufficiently good first approximation to accelerate convergence to one's preferred lens model.

We introduce a new kinematic disturbance parameter, $ΔV_{\star-g}$ (pronounced `DVSG'), which takes advantage of integral field spectroscopy (IFS) to quantify differences between a galaxy's stellar and gas velocity maps. The motivation behind $ΔV_{\star-g}$ is to capture disturbances in the kinematics of a galaxy that might be missed by alternative methods, while also attempting to minimize bias towards galaxy properties or features of the IFS data. We first detail the reasons for introducing this parameter, and explain how the $ΔV_{\star-g}$ value of a galaxy can be calculated. We then present initial results using $ΔV_{\star-g}$ to quantify the kinematic disturbance of obscured active galactic nuclei (AGN) found in the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey. We find that there is no statistically significant difference between the $ΔV_{\star-g}$ distributions of AGN and a control sample (matched in mass and redshift) of inactive galaxies. This suggests that AGN triggering may not be preferentially caused by any distinct kinematic disturbance process, or combination of processes, beyond those observed in inactive galaxies.

Protostellar winds can theoretically lift solids from the planet-forming disks, but direct evidence for launched dust has been scarce so far. Numerous atomic lines that are unique to mid-infrared (IR) wavelengths reveal refractories eroded from dust grains and provide information on wind properties in the earliest stages of the star formation process. We present JWST/MIRI-MRS spectral imaging of the inner 2000 au of the BHR71-IRS1 blueshifted side of the outflow. Atomic line intensities are compared to shock models to constrain the physical conditions and elemental abundances of the outflowing gas. Dust continuum maps are constructed from PSF-subtracted cubes, and the dust spectral energy distribution is analyzed. The ionized central jet of BHR71-IRS1 is spatially resolved and imaged for the first time, revealing a unique inventory of refractory, volatile, and noble-gas fine-structure lines (Fe, Ni, Co, Cl, S, Ne, Ar). The emission is concentrated along four bright knots that wiggle along the jet axis. PSF-subtracted continuum maps reveal extended mid-IR continuum emission co-spatial with the jet bullets and within the H$_2$-traced outflow cone. Spectral energy distributions along the jet are fit together with the extinction, revealing a warm (200-400 K) and a cold (70-90 K) dust component. Shock modeling constrained by the mid-IR lines indicates a decline in shock velocity from 70 to 35 km s$^{-1}$ and pre-shock density from $>$10$^5$ to $ 4\times 10^4$ cm$^{-3}$ with distance from the protostar. Gas-phase Fe and Ni are measurably depleted relative to Solar abundances, consistent with a substantial fraction of refractories remaining locked in grains in spite of the shocks. These JWST observations provide direct evidence that dust is launched in a Class 0 jet and at least partly survives shock processing.

In this second paper in a series dedicated to characterizing shear layers via 2D hybrid (kinetic ions -- fluid electrons) simulations, we study the dynamical role of nonthermal particles (cosmic rays, CRs), either spontaneously generated or pre-existing. We initialize Kolmogorov-type sinusoidal velocity shear flows unstable to the Kelvin--Helmholtz instability, which evolve nonlinearly into turbulence. Particles with large gyroradii act as long-range messengers that promote momentum exchange between layers, hence introducing a form of CR viscosity. Even when not energetically dominant, increasing the CR energy density generally enhances momentum transfer, provided that their gyroradii are smaller than the shear lengthscale. We consider flows ranging from subsonic to supersonic and assess the rate of shear dissipation, the partition of the initial kinetic energy among heating, thermal ion acceleration, CR reacceleration, and magnetic-field amplification, and the maximum energy attained by accelerated particles.

JWST has revealed an overabundance of very bright, blue galaxies at z>10, raising fundamental questions about how star formation and feedback operate at Cosmic Dawn. We present new JWST/NIRSpec MSA PRISM/CLEAR spectroscopy of JADES-GS-z14-0 (z=14.18) obtained with the JADES and OASIS programmes. While the rest-frame UV continuum flux level and shape are consistent between the two datasets, the OASIS spectrum shows a 10$σ$ detection of the CIII]$λ\lambda1907,1909$ emission line, with a luminosity three times higher than that measured in the JADES data. This difference is naturally explained by the offset in shutter placement between OASIS and JADES, implying that the CIII] emission is spatially displaced by $\sim400$ pc from the stellar continuum. The non-detection of CIII] in NIRCam medium-band imaging indicates that the emitting region is extended on scales $\gtrsim165$ pc, with a surface brightness below the detection threshold. Interpreting this diffuse, carbon-enriched gas as the result of ongoing or past outflows, we infer a mass outflow rate of $\dot{M}_{\rm out}\sim160~{\rm M_\odot\,yr^{-1}}$. We compare it with the star-formation rate (SFR) and derive a mass-loading factor of $η= \dot{M}_{\rm out}/{\rm SFR} = 4-15$, suggesting highly efficient feedback at very early times. Finally, we show that, if outflows are one of the mechanisms regulating star formation in JADES-GS-z14-0, the instantaneous star-formation efficiency in massive haloes is constrained to $ε_\star\lesssim0.08$. These results support a scenario in which outflows play a crucial role during the earliest phases of galaxy formation. Comparing our results with the current theoretical galaxy formation model, we conclude that a combination of moderate star-formation efficiency and reduced dust attenuation can account for the emergence of luminous galaxies at the highest redshifts.

Cosmic ray (CR) transport is usually modeled with a single diffusion coefficient, but this description captures only the growth of the variance and not the full transport process. Distinct transport mechanisms can share the same effective diffusion coefficient while producing different particle distributions and approaches to the diffusive limit. This limitation is especially relevant in realistic multiphase, structured, and time-dependent media, and is also reflected in observed environmental variations in CR transport near pulsar wind nebulae, supernova remnants, and molecular clouds. Particle-tracing studies also show clear departures from standard diffusion, including both superdiffusion and subdiffusion. We therefore develop a propagator-based framework centered on $P(x,t)$, the probability distribution of particle positions, or equivalently its Fourier-Laplace transform $P(k,s)$. This object is compact and statistically complete, and naturally exposes memory: the CR flux can depend on earlier gradients when unresolved trapping or phase changes are coarse-grained away. Using the Montroll-Weiss formalism, we show how to measure $P(k,s)$ directly from trajectories, how to recover the associated memory kernel, and how to represent broad kernels efficiently with a Prony expansion. Applied to a multiphase medium, the framework shows that slow regions can regulate escape without dominating the total residence-time budget. We also introduce an accelerated Monte Carlo method for coarse-grained transport, and show that if trapping structures evolve while particles are still sampling them, the static long-time limit need not be reached. This paper provides the foundation for future observational applications, particle-tracing measurements, and CR-MHD closures.

Understanding how galaxies ignite and extinguish their star formation remains a cornerstone question in modern astrophysics. Recent JWST surveys have revealed an overabundance of massive quiescent galaxies in the first billion years of the Universe, challenging current models of galaxy evolution. In the nearby Universe, ram pressure stripping (RPS) is a major environmental mechanism capable of rapidly shutting down star formation, yet direct observation remains scarce at redshift $z\gtrsim1$, and its role at $z>2$ is even poorly constrained by simulations. Here, we utilize JWST and ALMA observations to present direct evidence of RPS in the post-starburst galaxy A2744-JF-z3, residing in a galaxy group at redshift 3.06, the earliest such detection to date. Spectroscopic diagnostics and spectral energy distribution modeling reveal the ongoing removal of cold gas and dust, coincident with the abrupt cessation of star formation. Contrary to hydrodynamical simulations that predict a reduced incidence of RPS at high redshift, our results instead imply that RPS can operate at $z>3$, suggesting a highly stochastic and impulsive stripping within a clumpy, filamentary intra-group and circumgalactic medium. These observations extend environmental quenching well into the epoch of galaxy assembly, highlighting RPS as a previously overlooked decisive pathway to rapid quenching in nascent groups and protoclusters in the early Universe.

Polarized emission from dust and synchrotron radiation from the ISM are the dominant foregrounds for CMB polarization and are a major challenge for extracting the primordial signal on large angular scales. A key characteristic of the galactic foreground emission is its $EE/BB$ ratio. We argue that MHD shocks play an important role in setting the observed $EE/BB$ ratio. To support this, we first analyze quasi-linear magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulations to obtain an $EE/BB$ ratio that increases as $\sim k^2$, then show that with increasing energy injection rates, the $EE/BB$ ratio flattens to a value $\gtrsim 1$, approaching observational results. Looking at the distribution of the velocity divergence, a tail with power law $-7/2$ develops around the same injection rates where the $EE/BB$ ratio flattens. While the system becomes more isotropic, MHD shocks are intrinsically anisotropic and lead to the $E/B$ power asymmetry. We also observe total pressure balance among all our simulations, indicating slow wave dominance. Therefore, in the regime we consider, it is important to go beyond linear MHD equations to understand the foreground radiation.

The lopsidedness of galaxies is a commonly observed phenomenon, and through different studies, it has been observed that nearly 30% of galaxies show this phenomenon. In this work, we study morphological lopsidedness in both stellar and gas disks in the inner and outer regions using Fourier analysis techniques and compare the results for a sample of nearby galaxies with different morphologies and environments. Although lopsidedness can result from diverse factors like tidal interactions, gas accretion, and internal instability, recent studies suggest it is a common feature that is not solely reliant on rare events, and moderate lopsidedness most likely results from the disk's response to a lopsided dark matter halo potential. Assuming lopsidedness originates due to a lopsided halo, we find the morphological and kinematic halo perturbation parameters in the same radial range. Unlike previous studies, we use 3D kinematic modelled rotation curves for finding kinematic lopsidedness and, hence, kinematic halo perturbation parameter. Although the detected linear correlation between them is not statistically significant for our small sample of eleven galaxies, this approach provides a more uniform and physically consistent framework to test the theoretically expected similarity between morphological and kinematic halo perturbation parameters. Further, within this framework, the discrepancy between them does not appear to depend on the nature of the rotation-curve asymmetry of the two sides of the galaxy, in contrast to trends seen in earlier studies. In future work, we plan to extend this analysis to a substantially larger sample in order to robustly assess these findings.

Stellar abundances reveal non-monotonic [Y/Eu] and [Sr/Eu] evolution, a systematic decline with increasing [Eu/H] at low metallicity, a minimum at $[\rm{Eu/H}] \sim -0.3$ and then a rise at high metallicity. This behavior requires at least three distinct neutron-capture sources operating on different timescales. We develop a one-zone chemical-evolution model constraining their typical delay-times, rates, and yield ratios. Reproducing the observed $\rm{[Y/Eu]}$ and $\rm{[Sr/Eu]}$ sequences requires, a delayed $r$-process channel (most likely binary neutron-star mergers) dominating Eu production ($\gtrsim 95\%$ of total Eu). A prompt channel preferentially producing first-peak elements with minimal Eu, explaining the increasing [Y/Eu] at decreasing [Eu/H] below $[\rm{Eu/H}] \lesssim -2.5$; and delayed AGB $s$-process enrichment with delays greater than $t_{min} = 0.3-0.6$\,Gyr reproducing the late-time upturn in Y (Sr). Our model quantitatively reproduces all constraints, including the large $Δ[\rm{Y/Eu}] \approx 0.6$ dex variation between the late-time rise [Eu/H] and the minimum value, the location of the minimum at [Eu/H] $\sim -0.3$ and late-time rise. The first-to-second peak yield ratios correspond to $[\rm{Y/Eu}] \approx -0.3$ (prompt) and $\approx -0.8$ (BNS mergers). The observed $Δ[\rm{Y/Eu}]$ amplitude establishes a model-independent lower limit on the first to second peak yield ratio $\gtrsim 3.4$ between the prompt and delayed channels, ruling out models with similar prompt and delayed yield ratios. These results demonstrate that explaining the observed heavy-element abundance patterns requires multiple channels with distinct nucleosynthetic signatures and operational timescales, providing constraints on the relative rates, delay times, and yield patterns of candidate production sites.

Recent analyses combining DESI DR2 BAO with CMB and SNe Ia data have reported $2.8$--$4.2σ$ evidence for dynamical dark energy, but the significance depends strongly on the supernova sample, raising the question of whether this signal reflects new physics, dataset-specific systematics, or the choice of dark energy parameterization. We investigate this question by analyzing four SNe Ia compilations (Pantheon, Pantheon+, DES-Dovekie, and Union3) with DESI DR2 BAO and Planck CMB distance priors, using flux averaging, model-independent expansion rate extraction, parametric ($w_0 w_a$CDM) fits, and a non-parametric reconstruction of the dark energy density ratio $X(z) \equiv ρ_{\rm DE}(z)/ρ_{\rm DE}(0)$. Flux averaging reduces the $Ω_m$ difference between SNe and DESI from ${\sim}2σ$ to ${\sim}1σ$ for Pantheon+ and DES-Dovekie. The reconstructed $X(z)$ for DESI DR2 + CMB + SNe is consistent with $Λ$CDM for Pantheon, Pantheon+, and DES-Dovekie except at $0.5<z<1$, consistent with Wang \& Freese (2026). The largest deviation occurs at $z=2/3$, reaching ${\sim}2.7σ$ for Pantheon+ but only $1.6$--$1.7σ$ for Pantheon and DES-Dovekie. The $X(z)$ for DESI DR2 + CMB + Union3 is consistent with these within $1σ$, but shows an additional $2.4σ$ deviation at $z=1/3$ besides the ${\sim}2.7σ$ deviation at $z=2/3$. Across all analyses, the departure from $Λ$CDM correlates with each dataset's $Ω_m$ preference. We demonstrate that a pure $Λ$CDM universe with the measured $Ω_m$ differences can reproduce the observed $X(z)$ pattern, providing a viable alternative interpretation of the observed $X(z) \neq 1$ pattern. Future surveys by Euclid and Roman with sub-percent $Ω_m$ constraints will be essential to determine whether the signal reflects genuine dark energy evolution or residual inter-probe $Ω_m$ inconsistencies.

The multiply imaged SN 2022riv was discovered through a search of galaxy cluster fields as part of a Hubble Space Telescope (HST) SNAP program to find highly magnified stars. The supernova (SN) was detected in the last-to-arrive image of a galaxy at redshift $z=1.522$ strongly lensed by the foreground galaxy cluster RX J2129.7+0005. Follow up James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) NIRSpec G140M and PRISM spectroscopy yields a Type Ia SN classification. Using the SALT3-NIR light-curve fitter, we obtain a cosmology-independent measurement of the magnification of $5.35\pm1.01$ for the last-to-arrive image of the SN, with multiple SALT SN spectral time-series models yielding consistent constraints. The last-to-arrive image of SN 2022riv we detect appeared adjacent to the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) at a location with an exceptionally high stellar mass density ($\sim 1-2$ dex higher than that of SN Refsdal), where microlensing is expected to introduce a 20-50% modulation of the magnification. Analyzing six independent lens models of the cluster, we find that four predict the magnification with much greater precision ($p < 0.05$) than would be expected by random chance, given the large effect anticipated from microlensing. Five models yield magnifications of roughly $4-7$ (within $1σ$) prior to accounting for microlensing, whereas HoliGRALE favors a significantly higher value of $15.39 \pm 0.85$. After incorporating nominal microlensing, the HoliGRALE prediction is within $1σ$ tension with our measurement. A companion paper (Dalrymple et al.) will present constraints on the relative time delay of the image that arrived earlier.

Galactic radio transients (GRTs) are mysterious short-lived (~days to months) radio transients that are quiet at all other wavelengths. Until now, roughly half a dozen such sources have been reported, predominantly towards the Galactic center. However, no unifying properties have been identified among these, leaving their nature, emission mechanism, and even classification poorly understood. Due to the lack of periodic and uniform radio observations over wide areas of the Galactic plane until now, the sample size of such transients remained limited. Here, we use radio observations from the Australian SKA Pathfinder's Variables and Slow Transients survey to discover six new radio transients along the Galactic plane that resemble GRTs. Detailed investigation of archival data suggests that these sources may be divided into two classes: sources that exhibit sporadic, pulse-like (minutes) radio emission, and sources that exhibit long-term (weeks) flaring-type radio emission. For the short-time variable sources, we draw similarities between optically bright long-period radio transients and our sample to propose wide-orbit (~days) white dwarf binaries as underlying sources. For sources that show long-term outbursts, we draw comparisons between dust-obscured outbursts from WD binaries and our sample. These results could imply that the ongoing wide-field radio surveys are uncovering radio emission from sub-populations of WD binaries that were previously unexplored.

We investigate the possibility of a binary supermassive black hole system at the center of MCG+11--11--032, a local (z = 0.036) Seyfert 2 galaxy. Prior work with stacked Swift/XRT spectra suggested the presence of two Fe K$α$ lines (at 6.16 keV and 6.56 keV) with 2$σ$ confidence. This could be consistent with a prediction of several hydrodynamical models, in which each black hole hosts a mini-disk and contributes one Doppler-shifted Fe K$α$ line to the total spectrum. Another study using a single exposure from Chandra/ACIS did not find evidence for a double line. Here, we conduct follow-up with two epochs of XMM-Newton/EPIC data spaced $\sim$6 months apart. After fitting our spectra with models from the previous two studies, we do not find evidence for a double iron line in either observation. Our best-fit model yields $Γ= 1.63^{+0.20}_{-0.21}$ and $N_\text{H}/10^{22} \text{ cm}^{-2} = 17.9^{+2.7}_{-2.4}$ for the first epoch, and $Γ= 1.46^{+0.22}_{-0.24}$ and $N_\text{H}/10^{22} \text{ cm}^{-2} = 17.1^{+2.7}_{-2.4}$ for the second. We compare our spectral parameters with those derived in past work on this source, finding broad agreement with prior datasets. Lastly, we discuss the properties of MCG+11--11--032 alongside samples of Seyfert 2 galaxies from the literature, finding that it is consistent with this population and the single AGN scenario.

Relativistic jets launched by active galactic nuclei are fundamental for understanding the physics of accreting supermassive black holes and their immediate environment, yet the mechanisms driving jet launching remain uncertain. In this study, we investigate the sub-parsec jet of 3C 84 using multi-epoch, multi-frequency, very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations with the European VLBI Network and the Very Long Baseline Array at 22 and 43 GHz. We analyse the evolution of the spectral index gradient in the core region to relate the observed structure to physical interpretations and to discriminate between competing jet launching models. Furthermore, we examine the impact of the ambient medium and magnetic field configuration on jet morphology and dynamics over time, and explore their connection to a coinciding $γ$-ray flare. Our spectral analysis reveals significant changes across three epochs, indicating dynamic activity between filamentary structures on sub-parsec scales, evolving magnetic fields, and a complex interaction with the surrounding medium, all of which shape the innermost jet and may influence its high-energy emission.

We present an Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) spectroscopic follow-up survey of an 870 $μ$m-selected sample of dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) in the GOODS-S field. We use these linescans to identify or confirm spectroscopic redshifts (spec-zs) for 20 sources. Including spec-zs from the literature, there are now secure or tentative spec-zs for 52 out of 75 DSFGs (69%). At $f_{870}>2.5$ mJy, the sample is 97% spectroscopically complete, allowing us to model the full DSFG redshift distribution down to nearly the confusion limit for a 15-m telescope at 850 $μ$m. This is the highest completeness for an unbiased sample at this flux limit to date. We find that nearly all of the DSFGs in our sample that were targeted with JWST/NIRSpec were spectroscopically identified, without much dependence on near-infrared or submillimeter flux or redshift. However, only 29% of our sample have JWST spectroscopic coverage. We use the spec-zs to evaluate various photometric redshift (photo-z) estimates, finding that all methods exhibit an outlier fraction of at least $>20$%. Nearly all of the photo-z methods tend to overshoot the redshifts, leading to overestimates of the number of DSFGs at high redshift ($z>4$). Our results suggest that $\lesssim10$% of $f_{870} \gtrsim 2$ mJy DSFGs lie at $z>4$ and $\lesssim2$% lie at $z>5$, reflecting a steep decline in the abundance of massive dusty galaxies in the first 1.5 Gyr.

The advent of high-fidelity imaging of supermassive black holes calls for efficient and robust data-analysis methods. In this work, we use $\texttt{Jipole}$, a differentiable, $\texttt{ipole}$-based radiative transfer code, to enable gradient-based analyses of images generated from state-of-the-art general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulations. We compute image sensitivities, i.e., pixel-wise derivatives of the intensity with respect to model parameters, which form the Jacobian of the forward model and define a local map from parameter space to image space. Using these sensitivities in a mock data analysis, we find that GRMHD-based images generate a structured error landscape for parameter fitting, with anisotropies and local minima, making parameter exploration nontrivial but still tractable when guided by gradient information. We characterize this landscape through the Jacobian and assess the feasibility of gradient-based recovery under idealized, blurred, and noisy conditions. Our results show that automatic differentiation-computed image gradients can guide parameter exploration effectively even in the presence of noise. These findings establish a basis for efficient, high-precision model--data comparisons in black hole imaging and motivate the integration of these sensitivities into advanced inference frameworks.

We present JWST MIRI and NIRCam imaging of the inner ~5 kpc of the M82 superwind at 0.05-0.375'' (~0.9-6.5 pc) resolution. Targeted filters probe emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs; F335M, F360M, F770W, F1130W) and continuum (F250M, F360M). The images reveal a network of cool wind filaments traced by PAHs. PAH surface brightness declines with the inverse square of distance to the midplane, suggesting that the incident radiation field from the starburst drives the observed PAH intensity out to 2.5 kpc. The 3.3/11.3 and 3.3/7.7 band ratios show uniformity with distance from the starburst, though comparisons with mid-IR dust emission models indicate a modest shift toward larger PAHs. Outside the disk, 11.3/7.7 increases moderately, reflecting that PAHs become more neutral with distance from the starburst as they are exposed to a declining radiation field and ionization parameter. Overall, PAHs in the wind are consistent with standard-to-large sizes and standard-to-high ionization states. Including Spitzer and Herschel data, PAH abundance (qPAH) is set at ~1% in the starburst and remains unchanging out to 5 kpc off the disk. This flat qPAH profile suggests that PAHs are shielded from the hot wind, perhaps residing in the surface layers of cool clouds, with possible replenishment from cloud interiors and enrichment of the halo from previous bursts. In this picture, clouds are not dense enough to promote PAH growth, and they likely undergo radiative cooling and mixing with the hot phase to survive the gauntlet for at least ~20 Myr.

In this paper, we report on the first 3D general relativistic radiation magnetohydrodynamic simulations of large supercritical accretion discs that are tilted with respect to the black hole spin axis. We explore a range of black hole spin parameters (from $a_* = -0.9$ to 0.9), initial tilts (in the range from $β_0 = 0^\circ$ to $30^\circ$), and target mass accretion rates. We first confirm that, for all the untilted simulations, the Eddington accretion limit is obeyed ($\dot{M}_\mathrm{BH} \lesssim \dot{M}_\mathrm{Edd}$), consistent with our previous findings. However, for tilted discs we find that the mass accretion rate can be enhanced by up to a factor of ten and that factor depends linearly on tilt $\dot{M}_\mathrm{BH} \propto β_0 \ge \dot{M}_\mathrm{Edd}$. This could be an important aspect in solving the puzzle of the growth of the first supermassive black holes. We also find that for a given tilt, the mass accretion rate enhancement is proportional to the magnitude of the spin. Additionally, we find that tilted supercritical accretion discs are more advective than their untilted counterparts. We attribute all of these differences to the presence of standing shocks in the inner regions of the accretion flow, a feature unique to tilted discs.

In this work we present the results of our analysis of medium-resolution LAMOST spectra of candidate members of the cluster NGC 1647 with the aim of determining the stellar parameters, activity level, lithium abundance, and to study the cluster properties. We used the code ROTFIT to determine the atmospheric parameters (Teff, logg, and [Fe/H]), radial velocity (Vr), and projected rotation velocity (vsini) for 158 cluster members. Moreover, for solar-type and cooler stars (Teff< 6500 K), we calculated the H-alpha and LiI-6708 net equivalent width by means of the subtraction of inactive photospheric templates. We determined the rotation periods for 160 stars by analyzing the available TESS photometry. We found four double-lined spectroscopic systems for which we provide the radial velocities of the two components. The Vr distribution of the cluster members peaks at -5.3 km/s with a dispersion of 1.6 km/s, while the average metallicity is [Fe/H]=-0.08$\pm$0.08 dex, in line with previous determinations. From the fitting of the spectral energy distribution of 160 likely members we infer the existence of a differential reddening across the cluster field with an average value of $A_V$=1.1 mag. The $A_V$ values show a distinct correlation with the color offset from the lower boundary of the main sequence; conversely, this offset appears to be uncorrelated with vsini. These two findings confirm that differential reddening is the primary driver behind the observed extended Main-Sequence Turn-Off (eMSTO) in this cluster. The age of NGC 1647, obtained from the lithium abundance, is 203$\pm$27 Myr, which is compatible with the values inferred from a gyrochronological approach and the isochrone fitting.

We report time-resolved NICER and Swift X-ray spectroscopy of a bright flare from the black hole X-ray binary GRS 1915+105 during its obscured state, which is characterized by heavy line-of-sight absorption by dense material with complex geometry. In April 2023, an unexpected flare was detected, with the observed X-ray flux increasing by nearly an order of magnitude relative to the typical obscured-state level. The spectra show pronounced variability, including significant evolution of the Fe K emission features. Time-resolved spectral modeling indicates that the main flare is associated with a combination of enhanced intrinsic emission and reduced obscuration. We further find that neutral and ionized reflection components are subject to distinct absorbers, whose evolving visibility implies a stratified absorber-reflector geometry. These properties are consistent with a re-illumination phase following a failed disk wind. A delayed radio flare detected about 2.5 days later suggests a coupling between accretion and jet activity.

Accurate modeling of small-scale redshift-space clustering is crucial for full shape RSD analyses, where satellite galaxies contribute to 1-halo terms and Finger-of-God distortions. We investigate halo reconstruction based on the cylinder grouping (CG) method of Okumura et al. (2017), which selects an effective halo center tracer from the observed galaxy distribution, and how it impacts cosmological parameter inference. Using DESI-like luminous red galaxy mock catalogs from the AbacusSummit simulations at $z=1.1$, we perform effective field theory (EFT)-based full-shape modeling of the power spectrum of the reconstructed-halo sample. We show that the dominant reconstruction-induced systematics can be described and incorporated within the standard EFT framework. In particular, a simple multipole-dependent rescaling inferred directly from the data on large scales captures the dominant effect, while residual small-scale changes are absorbed by the standard counterterm and stochastic sector, without introducing additional reconstruction-specific parameters. The reconstructed-halo sample yields unbiased constraints on cosmological parameters, including the growth rate $fσ_8$ and Alcock-Paczynski parameters. Compared to the galaxy sample, it enables both improved robustness and increased statistical precision: the inferred $fσ_8$ remains stable when extending the fit beyond $k_{\max}\simeq 0.2\,h\,{\rm Mpc}^{-1}$, with its uncertainty reduced by more than $20\%$.

JWST observations have identified a class of enigmatic sources known as "Little Red Dots" (LRDs). These have been interpreted as a distinct class of active galactic nuclei (AGN) and host galaxies, potentially involving "quasi-stars" or Black Hole stars (BH*). However, two questions remain: is there a clear discontinuity between LRDs and field galaxies, and do LRDs form a homogeneous population? In this work, we address these issues by introducing a continuous metric to evaluate the "LRDness" of galaxies. We measure their compactness ($δ_{compact}$), the sharpness of the V-shaped spectral energy distribution ($δ_{v-shape}$), and the strength of the broad Balmer line emission. We apply this approach to a sample of ~48,000 galaxies with photometric and ~5,000 with spectroscopic information, selected over ~750 arcmin^2. We find that V-shape prominence correlates strongly with morphology without a clear transition at common LRD selection thresholds: the fraction of compact galaxies rises continuously with V-shape intensity. Similarly, broad H$α$ strength increases with both V-shape sharpness and compactness. The [N II] deficit is not an exclusive feature of LRDs but a global property of compact, metal-poor galaxies. Only the 3% most extreme LRDs present a prominent Balmer break (>3) of potentially non-stellar origin. LRDs and non-LRDs follow similar trends in the evolution of the Balmer decrement with V-shape sharpness, suggesting a shared physical origin, likely dust attenuation. Estimated dust masses (~4-7 x 10^4 M_{sun}) and luminosities are low enough to account for their non-detection by ALMA. We conclude that most LRDs do not represent a separate class of objects, but rather the extreme tail of a continuous distribution of galaxies and broad H$α$ emitters, consistent with a classical broad line region and dust attenuation.

The NASA Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (\emph{NICER}) mission measures the X-ray pulse profiles of select millisecond pulsars and uses sophisticated pulse profile modeling (PPM) techniques to constrain their masses ($M$) and radii ($R$), in order to probe the state of matter in their interiors. One of the most studied pulsars, PSR J0030+0451, has been analyzed by multiple groups using different choices of hotspot models. The different choices of hotspot prescriptions to fit the same observational data led to different $M$--$R$ posteriors that do not completely agree with one another, resulting in a practical bottleneck for dense-matter equation-of-state (EoS) inference. In this paper, we adapt a robust Bayesian combination framework to the published $M$--$R$ posteriors of PSR J0030+0451 while allowing for unknown systematic uncertainties that might have led to the apparently divergent results. Using this technique, we combine eight existing $M$--$R$ posteriors into a single conservative and reproducible posterior that incorporates unknown model systematics across the currently available analyses and is suitable for direct use in EoS studies. The resulting constraint is $M = 1.46^{+0.09}_{-0.08}\,M_\odot$, $R = 12.69^{+0.64}_{-0.55}\,\mathrm{km}$, and compactness $C = 0.172^{+0.006}_{-0.007}$ (68\% credible interval). Incorporating this combined J0030+0451 constraint in an EoS-agnostic joint analysis with PSR~J0437--4715 and GW170817 yields $R_{1.4} = 11.98^{+0.58}_{-0.68}\,\mathrm{km}$ and $Λ_{1.4} = 320^{+216}_{-138}$. Our results provide a combined $M$--$R$ constraint for J0030+0451 and a practical framework for incorporating cross-model uncertainty into neutron star EoS inference pipelines.

The Galactic diffuse gamma-ray emission is conventionally modeled as the product of cosmic-ray interactions with the interstellar medium. However, the cumulative contribution of stellar atmospheres acting as hadronic interaction targets remains an unexplored multi-messenger background. In this work, we present the first systematic evaluation of this stellar diffuse emission by coupling MESA stellar evolution profiles and magnetic-field-modulated cosmic-ray transport with a 3D Galactic population synthesis framework. We find that the cumulative stellar contribution to the Galactic diffuse gamma-ray flux is negligible at 1 TeV, and the associated diffuse neutrino flux ($\sim 10^{-16}\;\mathrm{TeV\;cm^{-2}\;s^{-1}\;sr^{-1}}$) remains orders of magnitude below current IceCube limits. Nevertheless, at ultra-high energies ($>10\;\mathrm{TeV}$), this emission establishes an irreducible local background that overtakes the strongly attenuated extragalactic isotropic gamma-ray background. Our results demonstrate that the Galactic stellar ensemble is a strictly sub-dominant background, indicating that stellar subtraction templates are not required for identifying Galactic PeVatrons or constraining dark matter annihilation.

Protostellar streamers are elongated structures that channel material from larger scale onto disks, influencing their physical and chemical evolution. The M512 protostar in Orion/Lynds 1641 hosts one of the most massive and extended streamer discovered so far, offering a unique opportunity to study these processes. We investigate the morphology, chemistry, and origin of this streamer,and its potential impact on the protostellar disk. Using archival ALMA observations of C18O, DCO+, N2D+, and HCO+, we compare their spatial distributions through moment maps and spatial profiles. The streamer shows clear chemical stratification: C18O lies on the western side of the protostar, N2D+ is farther out to the east, and DCO+ is in the middle. This suggests that the structure has been shaped by environmental effects rather than tracing a single coherent infalling flow, with only the densest gas near the protostar likely to accrete onto the disk. Overall, the bulk of the streamer reflects the physical and chemical imprint of the surrounding cloud, highlighting the importance of environmental shaping in interpreting streamer-disk connections and their role in disk growth.

We study the effect of temperature on secular, compositional $g$-modes in the core of inviscid neutron stars. Using a chiral $SU(2)_f$ sigma model, we construct isentropic temperature profiles for hot and dense matter and find that the frequency of the global core $g$-mode's dependence on temperature is governed by the nuclear symmetry energy slope parameter $L$. As a result, the $g$-mode frequency of a warm neutron star can be either higher or lower than that of its cold counterpart, depending on $L$. Our results highlight the interplay of thermal effects and composition gradients, and demonstrate the potential of neutron star $g$-mode observations to constrain the density dependence of the symmetry energy.