CMP Journal 2026-03-02
Statistics
Nature: 1
Nature Materials: 3
Nature Nanotechnology: 3
arXiv: 78
Nature
BCDX2-CX3 and DX2-CX3 complexes assemble and stabilize RAD51 filaments
Original Paper | Cryoelectron microscopy | 2026-03-01 19:00 EST
Christopher W. Koo, Jiaqi Xiao, Sebastien Coassolo, Jie Liu, Christine Yu, Caleigh Azumaya, Steven K. Gore, Tommy K. Cheung, Bobby Brillantes, Chris M. Rose, Wolf-Dietrich Heyer, Claudio Ciferri, Stanislau Yatskevich
The repair of DNA double-strand breaks by homologous recombination (HR) is essential for genomic integrity, and its dysregulation is a hallmark of cancer1. Central to HR is the RAD51 recombinase, whose assembly into a nucleoprotein filament is governed by five RAD51 paralogs (RAD51B, RAD51C, RAD51D, XRCC2, XRCC3)2. Mutations in any of these proteins predispose individuals to multiple cancers or genetic disorders3-6. These paralogs are thought to form two functionally separate complexes, BCDX2 (RAD51B-C-D-XRCC2) and CX3 (RAD51C-XRCC3), that act independently at different stages of HR7-11. Here, we demonstrate that all five paralogs can assemble into a single, ATP-dependent BCDX2-CX3-RAD51 supercomplex. The architecture of this assembly bound to single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) reveals a contiguous filament where the CX3 module stacks atop BCDX2, creating a protofilament template for RAD51 filament formation. We further identify a novel, RAD51B-independent DX2-CX3 complex (RAD51D-XRCC2-RAD51C-XRCC3) functioning as a stable RAD51 anchor on ssDNA, and we capture it in multiple states, including capping RAD51 filament segment. These distinct assemblies are differentially regulated by ATPase activity, defining a dynamic BCDX2-CX3 “loader” and a stable DX2-CX3 “anchor” that provide functional modularity to the HR machinery. This work provides a unifying mechanism for human RAD51 paralog function and delivers an atomic blueprint for interpreting disease-causing mutations.
Cryoelectron microscopy, DNA, Homologous recombination
Nature Materials
Metal hybridization in dilute-alloy catalysts promotes sintering resistance by decreasing surface mobility
Original Paper | Heterogeneous catalysis | 2026-03-01 19:00 EST
Jordan Finzel, Audrey Dannar, Shoutian Sun, Adam S. Hoffman, Yogita Soni, Bin Wang, Simon R. Bare, E. Charles H. Sykes, Phillip Christopher
Dilute-metal-alloy nanoparticles exhibit enhanced catalytic performance compared with monometallic nanoparticles for many reactions. Anecdotal reports indicate that very dilute alloying can also slow the sintering rates of supported nanoparticles, although this has not been rigorously assessed and cannot be explained using bulk descriptors such as metal melting temperature. Here we utilize methanol synthesis reactivity, microscopy and in situ spectroscopy measurements to demonstrate that 1 atom% Pt addition to ~1-2-nm-diameter Cu (Pt1Cu100) nanoparticles supported on SiO2 dramatically decreases their sintering rates. Minimal sintering of Pt1Cu100 nanoparticles is observed during aging in H2 up to 700 °C versus 500 °C for Cu nanoparticles. Scanning tunnelling microscopy reveals that the addition of 0.01 monolayer of Pt to a Cu(110) surface decreases the detachment rate of undercoordinated atoms, demonstrating that dilute dopants can locally decrease the rate of the first step in nanoparticle sintering. Density functional theory calculations quantify the stabilization and predict other sinter-resistant dilute alloys. We find that the degree of host-dopant d-state hybridization correlates with decreased surface mobility, providing a mechanistic framework for designing sinter-resistant catalysts.
Heterogeneous catalysis, Scanning probe microscopy
Charge-triggered switching mechanism in selenium selector enabling ultralow leakage current
Original Paper | Atomistic models | 2026-03-01 19:00 EST
Yuting Sun, Tamihiro Gotoh, Jiayi Zhao, Mengfei Zhang, Shucheng Shi, Hui Zhang, Zhi Liu, Jiabin Shen, Richard Dronskowski, Zhitang Song, Stephen R. Elliott, Min Zhu
The rapid growth of artificial intelligence models has outpaced the capabilities of current dynamic random-access memory/flash storage systems in speed, density and energy efficiency. Three-dimensional phase-change memory offers a scalable solution, yet cross-point integration is limited by selector performance. Here, by reverse-tracing previously reported ovonic threshold switch (OTS) materials, we identify amorphous elemental selenium as a highly effective OTS selector. It exhibits an ultralow leakage current (4 × 10-12 A), an on/off current ratio exceeding 108, high drive current density (21.2 MA cm-2), fast switching speed (~20 ns) and endurance up to 2 × 109 cycles. Photoexcitation spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations reveal a charge-triggered mechanism: dense trap pairs in amorphous selenium strongly pin the Fermi level and suppress leakage, while full carrier excitation in these traps near threshold, together with impact-ionization-induced avalanche multiplication, enables abrupt switching and high on-current. Integrated selenium-selector/phase-change memory arrays demonstrate reliable write/erase operations with a 0.75-V read margin. These results clarify the OTS mechanism and establish amorphous selenium as a leading selector material for three-dimensional memory.
Atomistic models, Electronic devices
Purcell-enhanced two-photon emission from a quantum dot via dark-state biexciton loading
Original Paper | Quantum dots | 2026-03-01 19:00 EST
Bang Wu, Li Liu, Hanqing Liu, Xinrui Mao, Xu-Jie Wang, Haiqiao Ni, Zhichuan Niu, Zhiliang Yuan
Generating light in well-defined photon-number states is central to photonic quantum technologies. While deterministic single-photon sources are well established, producing efficient two-photon states from individual emitters remains challenging. Here we demonstrate a high-efficiency two-photon emitter using the degenerate biexciton-exciton cascade in a Purcell-enhanced quantum dot-micropillar system. Leveraging polarization-selective p-shell excitation, we achieve effective biexciton loading and identify stimulated emission as a key mechanism enhancing two-photon temporal correlation. The emitter exhibits a two-photon correlation of g(2)(0) = 3,966(324), with a two-photon fraction of 0.983(1), and operates in a hybrid, predominantly cascade-dominated regime where cavity-stimulated two-photon emission coexists with the conventional biexciton-exciton cascade. These findings represent progress towards developing practical, on-demand, solid-state two-photon sources.
Quantum dots, Quantum optics, Single photons and quantum effects
Nature Nanotechnology
A CMOS-compatible, scalable and compact magnetoelectric spin-torque microwave detector
Original Paper | Electronic and spintronic devices | 2026-03-01 19:00 EST
Shuhui Liu, Riccardo Tomasello, Bin Fang, Aitian Chen, Like Zhang, Zhenhao Liu, Rui Hu, Wenkui Lin, Mario Carpentieri, Baoshun Zhang, Xixiang Zhang, Giovanni Finocchio, Zhongming Zeng
The development of compact and highly sensitive microwave detectors compatible with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) processes remains a major challenge in microwave technology. Spin-torque diodes are emerging nanoscale spintronic devices capable of surpassing the theoretical thermodynamic sensitivity limits of Schottky diodes. However, their practical use in compact systems is limited by the need for external antennas or probes. Here we demonstrate a magnetoelectric (ME) spin-torque microwave detector that monolithically integrates a ME antenna with a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ). The device directly converts wireless electromagnetic signals into a d.c. output at sub-microwatt power levels, achieving a sensitivity greater than 90 kV W-1, a noise equivalent power of 3 pW Hz-1/2 and a compact footprint of 0.4 mm2. This performance is due to the non-linear coupling between incoherent magnetization dynamics, driven by a d.c. current in the MTJ, and the combined effects of the microwave voltage and strain generated by the ME antenna under incident electromagnetic waves. We further show that this design is scalable, enabling the cointegration of a ME antenna with an array of MTJs. A detector incorporating four MTJs exhibits an increased sensitivity exceeding 400 kV W-1. Our results may contribute to the development of a new generation of highly sensitive, compact and scalable microwave detectors that combine ME antennas and spintronic diodes.
Electronic and spintronic devices, Magnetic devices, Spintronics
Rational design of rigid mRNA folding architecture to enhance intracellular processing and protein production
Original Paper | Drug delivery | 2026-03-01 19:00 EST
Bowei Yang, Benhao Li, Youliang Zhu, Mengyao Zhao, Yuanqi Cheng, Xiaodan Zhao, Deryn Teoh En-Jie, Yifan Wang, Miao Zhang, Xianglong Tang, Shuang Jin, Yibin Sun, Xuanbo Zhang, Bin Xue, Jie Yan, Guanglu Wu, Zhewang Lin, Min Luo, Haojie Yu, Longjiang Zhang, Xiaoyuan Chen, Qianqian Ni
The application of messenger RNA (mRNA) beyond infectious diseases is challenged by inefficient protein production. Whereas the engineering of secondary mRNA structures has been shown to increase mRNA half-life, it remains unclear whether tertiary mRNA structures influence therapeutic efficacy. Here we develop a metal-ion-assisted RNA folding (MARF) strategy and show that, when delivered with lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), specific metals promote mRNA folding architectures that result in the amplification of protein expression by up to 7.3-fold compared with control mRNA. This effect is due to altered mechanical interactions between the mRNA LNPs and the surrounding biosystem, resulting in enhanced intracellular processing and prolonged retention of delivered mRNA in targeted cells. Administered intravenously, MARF LNPs achieved effective and durable genome editing of the clinically relevant Pcsk9 gene through treatment with a single dose. Overall, this work provides a new MARF technology for more effective mRNA therapy and highlights the potential of mechanical cues in designing nanoparticles for improved mRNA delivery.
Drug delivery
Single atoms of indium on hafnia enable superior CO2-based methanol synthesis
Original Paper | Catalytic mechanisms | 2026-03-01 19:00 EST
Yung-Tai Chiang, Milica Ritopecki, Patrik O. Willi, Katja Raue, Jordi Morales-Vidal, Tangsheng Zou, Mikhail Agrachev, Henrik Eliasson, Jianyang Wang, Rolf Erni, Wendelin J. Stark, Gunnar Jeschke, Robert N. Grass, Núria López, Sharon Mitchell, Javier Pérez-Ramírez
Indium-zirconium oxides rank among the most selective and stable catalysts for CO2 hydrogenation to methanol. Yet, despite extensive research, the mechanistic origin of the exceptional role of monoclinic zirconia remains unresolved and continues to set the benchmark in the field. Here we show that monoclinic hafnia, a wide-bandgap oxide rarely explored in catalysis, can outperform this benchmark. Nanostructured indium-hafnium oxides synthesized via flame spray pyrolysis achieve up to 70% higher indium-specific methanol productivity than indium-zirconium oxides, with the largest gains observed for single atoms of indium. Experimental and theoretical analyses reveal that a combination of stable monoclinic support surfaces, flexible chemical potential of indium single atoms and the presence of a cooperative hydride-proton reservoir collectively enhance CO2 activation and intermediate hydrogenation. Crucially, the precise control of surface hydroxylation is required. These findings establish a new benchmark for green methanol synthesis and provide generalizable design principles for next-generation oxide supports in single-atom catalysis.
Catalytic mechanisms, Heterogeneous catalysis, Materials for energy and catalysis, Nanoscale materials, Structural properties
arXiv
A high-performance cobalt-free cathode for proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cells via multi-element doping in Sr2Fe2O6
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Le Zhou, Yanru Yin, Dilshod Nematov, Hailu Dai, Yuyuan Gu, Shoufu Yu, Lei Bi
The development of efficient and stable intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) necessitates high-performance cathode materials that are cobalt-free, cost-effective, and compatible with proton-conducting electrolytes. While Sr2Fe2O6 (SFO)-based ferrites offer a promising cobalt-free alternative, their electrochemical performance requires further enhancement to compete with state-of-the-art cathodes. This study proposes and validates a multi-element doping strategy as a superior approach to tailor the properties of SFO. The specific oxide Sr2Fe1.5Mo0.125Sn0.125Sc0.125Zr0.125O6 (SFO-ZSSM) is designed, synthesized via a solid-state reaction method, and systematically evaluated as a cathode for proton-conducting SOFCs (H-SOFCs). Its performance is benchmarked against a series of SFO cathodes modified with single dopants (Mo, Sn, Sc, Zr). Structural characterization confirms the successful formation of a phase-pure perovskite structure with homogeneous elemental distribution. Electrical conductivity relaxation (ECR) measurements reveal that SFO-ZSSM exhibits dramatically enhanced oxygen and proton transport kinetics compared to all singly-doped counterparts, demonstrating a significant synergistic effect. Consequently, fuel cells employing the SFO-ZSSM cathode deliver exceptional peak power densities of 1580, 1137, and 854 mW cm-2 at 700, 650, and 600 °C, respectively, significantly outperforming cells with single-doped cathodes. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy further corroborates its superior catalytic activity, showing the lowest polarization resistance. Moreover, the SFO-ZSSM cell demonstrates excellent operational stability over 100 hours, attributed to its robust microstructure and Ba-free composition.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
Sustainable Materials and Technologies, 2026, 47, e01936
From QED$_3$ to Self-Dual Multicriticality in the Fradkin-Shenker Model
New Submission | Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Thomas T. Dumitrescu, Pierluigi Niro, Ryan Thorngren
We consider the Fradkin-Shenker $ {\mathbb Z}_2$ gauge-Higgs lattice model in 2+1 dimensions, i.e. the toric code deformed by an in-plane magnetic field. Its phase diagram contains a multicritical CFT with gapless, mutually non-local electric and magnetic particles, exchanged by a $ {\mathbb Z}_2^{\mathsf{D}}$ self-duality symmetry. We introduce a staggered generalization of the model in which these particles carry global $ U(1)_e$ and $ U(1)_m$ charges, respectively, and we propose a continuum QFT description in terms of QED$ _3$ with $ N_f = 2$ Dirac fermion flavors and a charge-two Higgs field with Yukawa couplings. The conjectured phase diagram harbors a multicritical CFT with $ (O(2)_e \times O(2)_m)\rtimes\mathbb{Z}_2^\mathsf{D}$ symmetry, some of which is emergent in the QFT description. We compute the scaling dimensions of some operators using a large-$ N_f$ expansion and find agreement with the emergent selection rules. The staggered model admits a deformation to the original Fradkin-Shenker model, which maps to unit-charge monopole operators in Higgs-Yukawa-QED$ _3$ that break the $ U(1)_e \times U(1)_m$ symmetry. We show explicitly that this deformation reproduces all features of the Fradkin-Shenker phase diagram. Finally, we propose a multicritical duality between Higgs-Yukawa-QED$ _3$ and the easy-plane $ \mathbb{ CP}^1$ model (i.e. two-flavor scalar QED$ _3$ with a suitable potential), which describes spin-1/2 anti-ferromagnets on a square lattice. This duality implies a first-order line of Néel-VBS transitions ending in a deconfined quantum multicritical point, described by the same $ O(2)_e \times O(2)_m$ symmetric CFT that arises in the staggered Fradkin-Shenker model, which separates it from a gapped $ {\mathbb Z}_2$ spin liquid phase.
Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el), Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech), High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th), Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
Flux-induced strengthening of the magnetic couplings in a flat-band diamond chain
New Submission | Other Condensed Matter (cond-mat.other) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Biplab Pal, Maxime Thumin, Georges Bouzerar
The physics in flat bands has emerged as an essential field in condensed matter physics where a plethora of phenomena can be unveiled, such as anomalous transport properties, superconductivity dominated by quantum geometry or exotic topological phases. Our goal here is to show that even in magnetic systems, the presence of flat bands can give rise to unexpected features. More precisely, we address the impact of an Aharonov-Bohm (AB) flux on the exchange couplings in magnetic diamond chains. The most remarkable result is the significant amplification of magnetic couplings at short distances induced by the AB flux, leading to a considerable increase in the thermal conductivity of the magnons. We have also shown that the flux-dependent decaying length of the couplings is connected to the quantum metric of the flat bands. Our results could be of interest for the control of magnetic properties in spintronic devices and relevant for the heat transport by magnons at the nanoscale in quantum technologies.
Other Condensed Matter (cond-mat.other), Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall), Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
9 pages, 12 figures
Resonance-Enhanced Four-Wave Mixing Imaging for Mapping Defect Regions in Vanadium-Doped WS2 Monolayers
New Submission | Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Felipe Menescal, Frederico B. Sousa Mingzu Liu, Ana P. M. Barboza, Igor F. Curvelo, Matheus J. S. Matos, Da Zhou, Bernardo R. A. Neves, Helio Chacham, Mauricio Terrones, Bruno R. Carvalho, Leandro M. Malard
Defect engineering is crucial for tuning 2D transition metal dichalcogenide properties for quantum and optoelectronic applications. While conventional photoluminescence (PL) and Raman spectroscopies are important characterization tools, their mapping in large area samples can be time-consuming and lacks direct sensitivity for comprehensive defect characterization. Here, we introduce resonance-enhanced four-wave mixing (FWM) imaging for precise imaging and characterization of vanadium-induced defect states in WS2 monolayers. Our multi-modal investigation, integrating hyperspectral PL, Raman, and supported by density functional calculations, reveals nanoscale doping inhomogeneities, their influence on excitonic and vibrational properties. We observe resonance-enhanced FWM signals correlating with vanadium-induced defect regions, evidencing their unique nonlinear optical response. This work establishes FWM as an essential platform for high-resolution, defect-sensitive imaging, advancing defect-engineered excitonic devices and enabling novel nonlinear quantum photonics.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)
27 pages
Band Renormalization in Metal-Organic Framework/Au(111) Epitaxial Heterostructures
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Xiaoqing Yuan, Shaoze Wang, Xiaoyue He, Zhecheng Sun, Lei Sun
Two-dimensional conjugated metal-organic frameworks hold great promise for applications in chemiresistive sensing, electrocatalysis, and energy storage. Their interfacial interaction with metal electrodes, which has been rarely investigated, exerts a critical influence on the electronic properties and device performance. As a representative material, M3(HITP)2 (M = Ni, Cu; HITP = 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexaiminotriphenylene) exhibits excellent performance in various electronic devices, yet the microscopic mechanism of the interfacial interaction in M3(HITP)2/metal heterostructures remains unclear. Here, we report the synthesis, scanning tunneling microscopic characterization, and tight-binding analysis of monolayer M3(HITP)2 epitaxially grown on Au(111). Scanning tunneling spectroscopic mapping reveals a commensurate kagome-hexagonal-honeycomb triple-lattice architecture. The Au(111) substrate renormalizes the electronic band structure of M3(HITP)2, pinning the Fermi level and generating a ligand-derived flat band at 0.4 eV that corrects prior misassignment of orbital character. Meanwhile, the periodic and microporous M3(HITP)2 lattice strongly modulates the surface electronic state of Au(111) via electron-phonon coupling and quantum confinement, the latter of which gives rise to a quantum corral network exhibiting two resonant states within each pore. The formation of fully dispersive electronic bands and the robust quantum corral network requires crystallites comprising at least ten pores. The atomic-scale investigation of M3(HITP)2/Au(111) epitaxial heterostructures elucidates interlayer coupling mechanisms and advances the understanding of metal-organic framework/metal interfaces that are integral to electronic and energy-storage devices.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci), Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)
23 pages, 5 figures
Transport properties of monodisperse and bidisperse hard-sphere colloidal suspensions from multiparticle collision dynamics simulations
New Submission | Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
The shear viscosities, long-time self-diffusion coefficients, and sedimentation velocities in monodisperse and bidisperse hard-sphere colloidal suspensions are simulated for volume fractions up to 0.40 using multiparticle collision dynamics with a discrete particle model. The bidisperse suspensions have diameter ratios of 2 and 4 and equal amounts of each particle by volume. All measured properties for monodisperse suspensions are found to be in good agreement with prior literature; however, they highlight the sensitivity of the simulation method to discretization effects. The sedimentation velocities for the bidisperse suspensions are also in reasonable agreement with prior literature, including direction reversal for the smaller particles when the diameter ratio is 4. This work provides reference data for transport properties of colloidal suspensions and establishes the suitability of multiparticle collision dynamics for modeling suspensions of particles with different sizes.
Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft)
Signatures of Green’s function zeros and their topology using impurity spectroscopy
New Submission | Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Sayan Mitra, Fang Xie, Marek Kolmer, Qimiao Si, Chandan Setty
Topology without quasiparticles has emerged as a key framework for understanding Mott insulators, where Green’s-function zeros encode nontrivial topological structure. Yet, experimental detection of these zeros represents a challenge. Using exact diagonalization of the one-dimensional Hubbard model with an impurity and Zeeman field, supported by exact analytic results, we show that Green’s-function zeros manifest as an in-gap spectral weight in the unitary scattering regime. In this limit, we map the impurity problem onto a doped Mott insulator and identify the resulting in-gap state as a “zeron” excitation which is a localized doublon (holon) for an attractive (repulsive) potential. The zeron spectral weight and its associated zero vanish above a critical Zeeman field. Our results imply that Green’s function zeros have in fact already been observed in experiments, and establish impurity and magnetic-field tuning as practical tools for controlling their topology.
Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el), Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall), Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
8 pages, 5 figures
Nonequilibrium topological response under charge dephasing
New Submission | Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Shuangyuan Lu, Lucas Q Silveira, Yizhi You
We explore nonequilibrium topological responses of symmetry-protected topological (SPT) states in open quantum systems subject to decoherence. For SPT wavefunctions protected by a product symmetry G $ \times$ S , where G defects are decorated with S charge, we show that local dephasing of the S charge density generically induces spontaneous strong-to-weak symmetry breaking (SWSSB) of G in the resulting mixed-state ensemble. We extend this mechanism to SPT phases protected by higher-form and spatially modulated symmetries, and further to gapless SPT states, demonstrating that dephasing-induced SWSSB persists well beyond conventional gapped 0-form settings. Our results provide a qualitative, channel-defined fingerprint of SPT order that is intrinsic to open-system dynamics and goes beyond equilibrium linear response.
Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
23 pages, 8 figures
Exploring the extremes: atomic basis for multi-elemental materials science under complex thermodynamic conditions
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Anton Bochkarev, Yury Lysogorskiy, Aparna Subramanyam, Ralf Drautz, Danny Perez
Modern materials science has historically been founded on combining restricted subsets of the periodic table, favoring high-purity, few-element systems. However, the demands of an emerging circular economy, together with the need to understand materials behavior under planetary and industrial extremes, increasingly require mastering Mendeleev materials - chemically and structurally complex systems that span large portions of the periodic table. In these regimes, current universal machine-learning interatomic potentials often fail, largely due to systematic gaps in traditional training datasets that heavily emphasize low-energy, near-equilibrium structures. We address this limitation by introducing a chemistry-agnostic, information-entropy-maximization protocol for data generation. By decoupling structural sampling from thermodynamic bias, our approach provides a robust physical prior for atomic interactions across the entire periodic table, including regimes far from equilibrium and under extreme conditions. Training a Graph Atomic Cluster Expansion (GRACE) model on the resulting statistically maximized entropy (SMAX) dataset yields markedly improved robustness across a range of stringent benchmarks. These include large-strain phase transformations in tin, defect evolution in tungsten-based alloys, and catalytic reaction barrier prediction. More broadly, our approach establishes a scalable and principled methodology for navigating the vast chemical and configurational space relevant to future materials design. It enables a paradigm of discovery by simulation in which unbiased sampling protocols autonomously resolve emergent structures in multi-elemental mixtures-such as systems containing the nine most abundant elements in the Earth’s crust-without reliance on a priori chemical assumptions.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
Defect-Engineered h-BN as a Platform for Single-Atom HER Catalysts: Descriptor Screening Refined by Electrochemical Stability Analysis
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Ana S. Dobrota (1), Natalia V. Skorodumova (2), Igor A. Pašti (1 and 3) ((1) University of Belgrade - Faculty of Physical Chemistry, Belgrade, Serbia, (2) Applied Physics, Division of Materials Science, Department of Engineering Sciences and Mathematics, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden, (3) Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Belgrade, Serbia)
Defect engineering enables hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) to act as a platform for stabilizing isolated metal atoms, yet systematic identification of catalytically viable motifs remains limited. Here, density functional theory is used to screen transition and coinage metals anchored at B, N, and BN vacancies in h-BN for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity. Cohesive-energy benchmarking reveals that B vacancies provide the strongest thermodynamic stabilization of single atoms, while electronic-structure analysis demonstrates vacancy-dependent modulation of conductivity and metal charge state. Hydrogen adsorption free energies identify Cu@VN and Pd@VB as near-thermoneutral candidates comparable to Pt(111). However, incorporation of electrochemical stability through Pourbaix analysis significantly refines this selection: Cu@VN is unstable at low pH and susceptible to OHads poisoning, whereas Pd@VB remains stable and catalytically accessible across a broad potential-pH range. These results show that descriptor-based HER screening can generate an expanded pool of candidates, but rigorous electrochemical filtering is essential to identify truly robust systems. The presented multi-step strategy provides a general framework for rational discovery of single-atom catalysts on defect-engineered 2D supports.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
15 pages, 7 figures, 1 table, 35 references
Strain patterning of flexomagnetism
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Tamalika Samanta, Zachary T. LaDuca, An-Hsi Chen, Sangsoo Kim, Ying-Ting Chan, Jiaxuan Wu, Yujia Teng, Debarghya Mallick, Matthew Brahlek, T. Zac Ward, Katherine Su, Jia-Mian Hu, Weida Wu, Turan Birol, Hanfei Yan, Michael S. Arnold, Karin M. Rabe, Jason K. Kawasaki
Flexomagnetism, the coupling of magnetic ordering to strain gradients, provides access to novel symmetry-broken magnetic phases that cannot be accessed via uniform strain. However, flexomagnetism is hard to understand because it is extremely difficult to control a spatially varying strain. Here, we develop a top-down strategy to pattern transverse strain gradients using helium ion implantation through a lithographically defined mask. Using epitaxial films of the antiferromagnetic nodal line semimetal GdAuGe, we demonstrate that transverse strain gradients $ \partial \varepsilon_{zz}/\partial x$ induce near-room-temperature ferromagnetic response, compared to the retained para or antiferromagnetism for homogeneously strained GdAuGe. We spatially correlate the magnetic response with the regions of largest strain gradient, via magnetic force microscopy and nanobeam x-ray diffraction, respectively, to confirm the flexomagnetic response. Our approach opens new avenues for the precise control of magnetic phases in thin films of quantum materials via a patterned strain gradient.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
Performance of universal machine learning potentials in global optimization
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Edan T. Marcial, Laxman Chaudhary, Olesya Gorbunova, Aleksey N. Kolmogorov
Rapid development of universal machine learning potentials (uMLPs) and expansion of training data sets are reshaping the state of the art in atomistic simulation, highlighting the need for concurrent systematic benchmarking of their capabilities. Global optimization is among the most demanding uMLP applications because unconstrained exploration includes probing motifs not present in reference sets. We examined the latest generation of uMLPs in unconstrained evolutionary searches to assess whether these models can consistently predict complex crystal structure ground states across diverse inorganic systems. Our findings demonstrate that the considered M3GNet, MACE, SevenNet, EquiformerV2, MatterSim, GRACE, eSEN, Orb-v3, and PET-MAD models span a wide performance range, from near ab initio to essentially non-predictive, in their ability to resolve competing phases within low-energy basins. Additional tests on hcp-Zn, MB$ _4$ (M = Cr, Mn, and Fe), and LiB$ _{y}$ ($ y\approx 0.9$ ) ground states reveal that several uMLPs capture fine energy differences arising from subtle electronic structure features.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
14 pages, 3 tables, 6 figures
Spontaneous altermagnetism in multi-orbital correlated electron systems
New Submission | Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Nitin Kaushal, Adarsh S. Patri, Marcel Franz
Altermagnets have attracted considerable attention in recent years owing to their potential technological applications in spintronics and magnonics. Recently, a new class of spontaneous altermagnets has been theoretically predicted in a correlated two orbital model, driven by the coexistence of antiferromagnetic spin and staggered orbital ordering, thus broadening the scope of altermagnetic phenomena to systems with strong correlations. It has been noted, however, that the required spin and orbital order violates the well-established Goodenough-Kanamori (GK) rules, which underlie much of our understanding of magnetism in complex systems. Here we show that materials with three active orbitals may offer a more realistic route to this exotic state. Specifically, we consider a two-dimensional system with $ t_{2g}^{2}$ electrons and identify a novel microscopic mechanism that allows the formation of a spontaneous altermagnetic Mott insulator. We explain how the GK rules are circumvented and provide the stability criteria by employing unbiased mean-field and density matrix renormalization group calculations. In addition, for the first time, we uncover the presence and microscopic origin of chirally split magnons in these spontaneous altermagnets, with experimentally measurable spin conductivities. Finally, we predict that the application of a small in-plane magnetic field induces, in the presence of weak atomic spin-orbit coupling, an as-yet unreported hybrid chiral magnon-orbiton mode with a non-zero orbital polarization giving rise to finite longitudinal and transverse orbital conductivities under a thermal gradient.
Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
Diode Effect May Assist Finding Proper Superconductivity Mechanism in Copper Oxides
New Submission | Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Armen Gulian, Serafim Teknowijoyo, Vahan Nikoghosyan
We present measurements demonstrating that copper-oxide high-temperature superconductors can exhibit broken time-reversal symmetry in the absence of external magnetic fields. Using $ Tl_{2}Ba_{2}CaCu_{2}O_{8}$ microbridges, we observe a pronounced superconducting diode effect at 100 K under strictly zero-field conditions. This nonreciprocal response remains unchanged in magnetic fields up to $ \pm 100 Oe$ . Our results are consistent with recent reports of zero-field diode behavior in $ Bi_{2}Sr_{2}CaCu_{2}O_{8+{\delta} }$ and together indicate that time-reversal symmetry breaking may be an intrinsic property of the cuprate superconducting state. These findings significantly constrain theoretical models of high-temperature superconductivity that rely on time-reversal-symmetric mechanisms.
Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con)
Generic Long-Range Order-Parameter Correlations in Metallic Quantum Magnets
New Submission | Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
It is shown that in all types of metallic magnets the coupling of the order parameter to the conduction electrons leads to an order-parameter susceptibility that is long-ranged at zero temperature. This is true for all known classes of ferromagnets, and also for antiferromagnets and spin-density wave systems, helimagnets, magnetic nematics, and altermagnets. The consequences for the magnetic quantum phase transition vary between different classes of magnets. In almost all 3-d systems with a homogeneous magnetization, as well as in magnetic nematics and in altermagnets, the long-ranged correlations generically modify the nature of the magnetic quantum phase transition from second order to first order. The only exception are non-centrosymmetric ferromagnets with a strong spin-orbit interaction, where the correlations change the order of the transition in 2-d systems, but not in 3-d ones. In helimagnets, spin-wave systems, and N{é}el antiferromagnets their effect is even weaker and does not change the order of the transition if the ordering wave number is sufficiently large. In systems with quenched disorder the transition generically is of second order, but the correlations modify the critical behavior. These conclusions are reached by very simple considerations that are based entirely on the single-particle excitations in the nonmagnetic phase and their modifications by a field conjugate to the order parameter, augmented by renormalization-group considerations.
Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
26pp, 13 figs
Composite based magnetoelectric scaled devices with large output voltages
New Submission | Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Emma Van Meirvenne, Aude Brinkmann-Hornbogen, Bart Soree, Christoph Adelmann, Florin Ciubotaru
In this work, we investigate the differential voltage generation arising from the direct magnetoelectric (ME) effect in nanoscale composite devices upon magnetization rotation from the magnetic ground state to an out-of-plane (OOP) configuration. These composite devices comprise a magnetostrictive ferromagnetic layer and a piezoelectric layer, mechanically coupled through strain. Using a finite element method (FEM) model, developed in COMSOL Multiphysics, we provide a comprehensive analysis of strain transfer mechanisms and resulting voltage generations. Here, the influence of dimensional and material parameters on the device performance is systematically examined. Our results indicate the presence of two distinct strain transfer mechanisms at scaled dimensions, where the device aspect ratio and the magnetic state both determine the dominant mechanism influencing the strain transfer to the piezoelectric layer. Moreover, we observed that the influence of surface clamping diminished as the pillar area was reduced. We also saw that the strain transfer to the piezoelectric layer can be enhanced by using stiffer electrodes or clamping layers. Lastly, we concluded that magnetostrictive materials with large magnetoelastic coupling constants or large Poisson ratios may strongly increase the output voltage at small dimensions. This study provides insight in the dimension and material selection when designing scaled ME pillars, with the aim of generating large output voltages. We showed that output voltages exceeding 200 mV can be achieved in scaled devices, underscoring the potential of these structures for integration into microelectronic applications.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)
29 pages, 13 Figures
Hierarchical symmetry breaking in Moiré graphene domain-wall networks
New Submission | Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Xue Yan, Kaiyun Chen, Yuan Yan, Fan Feng, Minglei Sun, Christan Brandl, Jefferson Zhe Liu
Moiré network formation in graphene bilayers breaks stacking symmetry, giving rise to domain walls that host topologically protected one-dimensional states. Here we show that these systems undergo an additional symmetry breaking at the level of the domain-wall network geometry, leading to the spontaneous emergence of chiral network configurations that are not determined by topology alone. Using atomistic structural relaxation and electronic-structure calculations, we show that TDW networks adopt chiral geometries through lattice relaxation. Via developing a comprehensive phase diagram defined by strain and interlayer flexibility, we discover three equilibrium network morphologies: straight, mono-chiral, and dual-chiral. Chiral networks arise from the global minimization of TDW energy under moiré geometric constraints. Tight-binding calculations show that straight networks host junction-centred states, whereas chiral networks shift spectral weight toward asymmetric edge modes. While topologically protected states naturally emerge at AB/BA domain boundaries in moiré bilayers, we demonstrated that the localization of boundary states is network-symmetry dependent. Our results show that symmetry breaking at both the stacking and network levels provides a new way to understand and control low-energy electronic states in moiré bilayers.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall), Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
18 pages, 4 figures
Second-quantized approach to the study of Halperin state in fractional quantum Hall effect
New Submission | Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
We give a recursion relation for the second-quantized fermionic (bosonic) Halperin state, which avoids exact diagonalization of its two-component first-quantized parent Hamiltonian. We validate this formula by proving that the second-quantized Halperin state, as recursively defined in this formula, is indeed a zero mode of the corresponding second-quantized parent Hamiltonian and that it has the correct filling factor.
Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el), Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall), Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
9 pages
Double-Carrier Fitting of Hall Resistance Assisted by Gate-Induced Shubnikov-de Haas Oscillations in Possible Excitonic Insulator Ta2Pd3Te5
New Submission | Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Xing-Chen Guo, An-Qi Wang, Xiu-Tong Deng, Yu-Peng Li, Guo-An Li, Zhi-Yuan Zhang, Xiao-Fan Shi, Xiao Deng, Zi-Wei Dou, Guang-Tong Liu, Fan-Ming Qu, Jie Shen, Li Lu, Zhi-Jun Wang, You-Guo Shi, Hang Li, Tian Qian
Hall effect is an important phenomenon when a magnetic field is applied to materials. From the curve depicting the Hall resistance versus the magnetic field, crucial information such as carrier concentration can be extracted. If the curve exhibits a linear dependence up to rather high magnetic fields, it indicates that charge transport involves only a single type of carrier, and if a non-linear curve is measured, then the double-carrier model should be considered for fitting. However, this model involves four unknown parameters, including the concentration and mobility of the two carriers, resulting in that such fitting is usually non-unique, which significantly reduces the reliability and accuracy. In this work, a double-carrier platform was constructed on a probable excitonic insulator Ta2Pd3Te5, and the four-parameter fitting based on the double-carrier model was simplified to a single-parameter fitting by employing methods such as analyzing the shape of the Hall resistance curve and generating gate-induced Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations. Thus, we provide a reliable method for double-carrier fitting of Hall resistance and a new evidence for the existence of excitonic-insulator state in Ta2Pd3Te5.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)
Interface-Enhanced Superconductivity in Ultrathin TiN Proximitized by Topological Insulators
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Renjie Xie, Bowen Hao, Min Ge, Shenjin Zhang, Rongjing Zhai, Jiachang Bi, Shunda Zhang, Shaozhu Xiao, Fengfeng Zhang, Hee Taek Yi, Seongshik Oh, Tong Zhou, Yanwei Cao, Xiong Yao
High-quality topological insulator-superconductor (TI-SC) heterostructure with an atomically sharp and well-controlled interface is crucial for realizing topological superconductivity and topological quantum qubit. In particular, many studies of TI-SC heterostructures have focused on inducing superconducting gap in the TI layer via proximity effect, while the active manipulation of superconductivity in the SC layer remains largely unexplored. In this work, we fabricated TI/TiN heterostructures using highly air-stable, ultrathin TiN films as the SC layer, and observed an interface-enhanced superconductivity that contrasts with the conventional proximity effect in superconductor-normal metal interface. Band structure measurements reveal a consistent shift of Dirac point with Tc enhancement. Interfacial charge transfer provides a plausible explanation for this shift based on the systematic analysis and is therefore a likely contributor to the observed Tc enhancement. First principles calculations elucidate the charge transfer pathways, highlighting the critical role of the interfacial BiTe (BiSe)bilayer. Our results not only provide a tunable TI-SC hybrid system with robust superconductivity at ultrathin thickness, but also offer a potential route for manipulating superconductivity in TI-SC heterostructures via interface engineering.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
29 pages, 5 figures, Accepted by ACS Nano
Hidden in Plain Sight: Aromaticity of Hexagonal Boron Nitride
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Suryakanti Debata, Sai Krishna Narayanan, Pratibha Dev
Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) and graphene are similar in many ways - they are isoelectronic, have the same structure, are chemically inert and show persistence. All of these properties are indicators of a deeper connection that has, thus far, been overlooked. Unlike graphene, which has been shown to be aromatic, it is not known if hBN is aromatic. In this density functional theory-based work, we investigate the aromaticity (or lack thereof ) of hBN. By employing the magnetic criterion, supported by group theoretic and energetic considerations, we show that hexagonal boron nitride is indeed aromatic, even if weakly so, as compared to graphene. Since aromaticity is used to understand physical and chemical properties of planar compounds, the picture developed in this work is important to bridging the gap between the physical and chemical understanding of hBN’s properties.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
Ab initio electronic conductivity of Fe-bearing post-perovskite
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Yihang Peng, Yupei Zhang, Shuai Zhang, Chenxing Luo, Donghao Zheng, Nelson Naveas, Xifan Wu, Jie Deng
The electrical conductivity of high-pressure silicates profoundly influences the interior dynamics of rocky planets. Employing the Kubo-Greenwood formalism, we perform ab initio calculations of electronic conductivity in Fe-bearing post-perovskite under super-Earth mantle conditions, up to 4000 K and 500 GPa. Electronic structures are obtained via many-body perturbation theory, incorporating dynamical screening and correlations among localized Fe-3d orbitals. In contrast to (Fe,Mg)O, for which metallization has been reported at comparable conditions, our results indicate that post-perovskite with Earth-like Fe contents is unlikely to metallize in super-Earth mantles via band-gap closure, yielding negligible low-frequency conductivity. Any substantial conductivity would require non-electronic mechanisms, such as thermally activated small-polaron hopping, which fall beyond the scope of band conduction.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
High sub-bandgap response and fast switching enabled by thermal quenching in carbon-doped semi-insulating GaN
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Jiahao Dong, Sanam SaeidNahaei, Austin Fehr, Auditee Majumder Momo, Pramod Reddy, Ronny Kirste, Zlatko Sitar, Ramón Collazo, Selim Elhadj
Carbon-doped GaN is a promising material for sub-bandgap triggered optical switches. When incorporated in GaN, carbon introduces deep compensating centers that enable defect-mediated extrinsic photoconductivity. In this work, we investigate the optical responsivity and switching kinetics of semi-insulating carbon-doped GaN actuated by sub-bandgap blue illumination. A high ON/OFF ratio exceeding 10^7 is achieved under low-irradiance 405-nm photoexcitation. Temperature-dependent transient measurements reveal that the photocurrent decay kinetics follow a two-regime thermally activated behavior, with an activation energy of approximately 0.3 eV above the crossover temperature and near-zero activation energy below it. The two-regime behavior can be explained by a change of the dominant carrier recombination channel. We demonstrate that when heating above the crossover temperature, thermally induced quenching can accelerate the photocurrent decay by a factor of five, enabling significantly faster optical switching. The observed 0.3 eV activation energy may be associated with carbon-hydrogen defect complexes in GaN.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
Universal Scaling of Macroscopic Softening and Microscopic Scission in Phantom Chain Networks
New Submission | Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
This study demonstrates that the apparent complexity of fracture in phantom-chain polymer networks is fully decoupled into two universal master curves: (i) macroscopic softening governed by the absolute stretch, and (ii) microscopic scission governed solely by the relative stretch. Using the previously proposed network mechanics model, an analytical expression has been derived to quantitatively capture the nonlinear growth of microscopic damage. Combining the softening exponent with polymer-solution scaling yields a simple novel relationship, $ \sigma_{nb} / G \propto (c / c^\ast )^{(-1/3)}$ , where $ \sigma_{nb}$ is the nominal broken strength, $ G$ is the initial shear modulus, $ c$ is the prepolymer concentration, and $ c^\ast$ is its overlapping threshold.
Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft)
17 pages, 7 figures
High-pressure stabilization of Mg2IrH7: Structural proximity to high-Tc superconductivity
New Submission | Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Shubham Sinha, Wencheng Lu, Mads F. Hansen, Michael J. Hutcheon, Trevor W. Bontke, Lewis J. Conway, Kapildeb Dolui, Chris J. Pickard, Christoph Heil, Piotr A. Guńka, Stella Chariton, Vitali Prakapenka, Liangzi Deng, Ching-Wu Chu, Matthew N. Julian, Rohit P. Prasankumar, Timothy A. Strobel
Mg$ _2$ IrH$ _6$ is a metastable complex metal hydride with a predicted superconducting transition temperature as high as 170 K at ambient pressure. Following the synthesis of isomorphic, insulating Mg$ _2$ IrH$ _5$ at low pressure, higher-pressure studies were conducted to investigate the phase behavior and compound formation in this system. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopic measurements indicate that cubic Mg$ _2$ IrH$ _7$ is stabilized above ca. 40 GPa and coexists with a related hexagonal hydride with likely composition near Mg$ _2$ IrH$ _5$ . Electrical transport measurements show that the cubic Mg$ _2$ IrH$ _7$ is insulating, in agreement with ab initio predictions, and persists during room-temperature decompression until $ \sim$ 20 GPa before reverting back to the cubic Mg$ _2$ IrH$ _5$ . The experimental results confirm ground-state structure predictions in the Mg-Ir-H system, and the formation of two nearly identical phases with surrounding compositions opens new opportunities to access superconducting Mg$ _2$ IrH$ _6$ through non-equilibrium processing pathways.
Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con)
Intrinsic translational symmetry-breaking charge stripes in underdoped iron pnictides
New Submission | Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Qiang-Jun Cheng, Cong-Cong Lou, Yong-Wei Wang, Ze-Xian Deng, Xu-Cun Ma, Qi-Kun Xue, Can-Li Song
Despite being well established in cuprates, an intrinsic translational symmetry-breaking charge order has not been clearly identified in iron-based superconductors. Using spectroscopic-imaging scanning tunneling microscopy on epitaxial Ca(Fe1-xCox)2As2 (x = 0 ~ 0.055) thin films, we observe smectic, near-commensurate charge-stripe order in the underdoped regime that intervenes between the nematic parent phase and optimally doped superconductivity. Distinct from the bidirectional checkerboard-like order in cuprates, these charge stripes are unidirectional along the antiferromagnetic Fe-Fe bond direction and are accompanied by a van Hove singularity near the Fermi level, inherited from the Fermi surface reconstruction driven by intertwined antiferromagnetic and nematic correlations. Both local and global suppression of the charge-stripe instability enhance superconductivity, tunable via epitaxial strain and Co doping. These results establish charge-stripe order as an intermediate electronic phase in iron pnictides and reveal a coherent pathway from nematicity to superconductivity. Our findings highlight charge ordering as a unifying element across different families of high-temperature superconductors.
Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con), Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci), Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
24 pages, 4 figures
Equilibrium kink-like torsion deformation of a magnetoactive elastomer under a magnetic field
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Yu. I. Dzhezherya (1,2,3), A. V. Kyryliuk (1,2), S. V. Cherepov (1), Yu. B. Skirta (1,2), S. O. Reshetniak (1,2), S. M. Ryabchenko (3), V. M. Kalita (1,2,3) ((1) V. G. Baryakhtar Institute of Magnetism of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine, (2) National Technical University of Ukraine Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, Kyiv, Ukraine, (3) Institute of Physics, NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine)
A novel effect involving the formation of a stable kink-like torsion deformation in a magnetoactive elastomer (MAE) beam subjected to a uniform magnetic field is theoretically predicted and experimentally confirmed. The phenomenon was demonstrated using an elastomer beam containing soft magnetic carbonyl iron microparticles within a silicone matrix. The torsion kink acts as a transition boundary between two undeformed homogeneous states of the beam. We show that the elastic moment is compensated by a magnetoelastic moment in the kink region, where the local magnetization of the beam is non-collinear to the applied magnetic field due to shape anisotropy. We It is established that within the kink region, the MAE beam exists in a non-uniformly elastically deformed, low-symmetry magnetic state. Outside the kink, the beam’s magnetization is collinear with the magnetic field, corresponding to an undeformed, high-symmetry homogeneous magnetic state.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
Exponential Stress Relaxation Driven by Elementary Plastic Events in Non-Ageing Liquid Foams
New Submission | Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
F. Schott, B. Dollet, C. M. Schlepütz, C. Claudet, S. Gstöhl, R. Mokso, S. Santucci, C. Raufaste
Liquid foams are archetypal athermal amorphous solids whose elasticity arises from the jamming of densely packed bubbles. We investigate the stress relaxation of non-ageing liquid foams following flow cessation, using fast X-ray tomo-rheoscopy. Thanks to in situ, time-resolved measurements, we uncover robust linear affine relationships between shear stress, plastic activity, and coordination number throughout the relaxation toward a residual stress state below the yield value. In contrast to previous studies on amorphous solids, we observe an exponential relaxation governed by the duration of individual plastic events, rather than by cascades of correlated ones associated with much longer, shear-rate-dependent timescales or power-law relaxations. Our results are consistent with a recent theoretical framework proposed by Cuny et al., suggesting that residual stress originates from the orientation of the stress tensor.
Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft)
Inverse Isotope Effect in the Ternary Perovskite Hydride SrPdH/D$_{2.9}$: A Signature of Quantum Zero-Point Fluctuations
New Submission | Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Wencheng Lu, Mihir Sahoo, Roman Lucrezi, Michael J. Hutcheon, Shubham Sinha, Pedro N. Ferreira, Chris J. Pickard, Qiang Zhang, Matthew N. Julian, Rohit P. Prasankumar, Christoph Heil, Timothy A. Strobel
Guided by first-principles calculations, we demonstrate superconductivity in the ternary perovskite hydride SrPdH$ {3-x}$ , synthesized at low pressure. Structural characterization via neutron diffraction reveals the near-stoichiometric composition SrPdD$ {2.9(2)}$ with 96% deuterium site occupancy. Subsequent transport and magnetic susceptibility measurements establish onset superconducting transitions at $ T\text{c} = \SI{2.1}{K} $ (H) and $ T\text{c} = \SI{2.2}{K} $ (D), exhibiting an inverse isotope effect that our first-principles calculations attribute predominantly to quantum zero-point motion. The excellent agreement between theory and experiment with respect to thermodynamic stability and superconducting properties provides important validation for theory-guided superconductor discovery. This work establishes superconductivity in the perovskite hydride structural prototype – expanding the limited family of experimentally realized ternary hydride superconductors – and demonstrates the importance of quantum nuclear motion on the accurate theoretical treatment of low-pressure hydride superconductors.
Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con)
Real-time Amplitude and Phase Estimation of AC Fields with Diamond Spins
New Submission | Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Christopher T.-K. Lew, Samuel A. Wilkinson, Nicholas Gillespie, Brant C. Gibson, David A. Broadway, Jean-Philippe Tetienne
Nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond have been shown to be capable of detecting AC magnetic fields with high sensitivity, spectral resolution, and spatial resolution. However, most studies so far have focused on the regime of time-averaged or time-correlated measurements, while little attention has been paid to the single-shot regime. Here we show that the amplitude and phase of an AC field can be retrieved from a single pair of two consecutive measurements. We demonstrate this concept by measuring a 4 MHz AC field with a per-shot amplitude and phase sensitivity of 78 nT and 63 mrad, respectively, at a temporal resolution of 320 us. We also investigate the effects and quantify the errors resulting from probe frequency detunings, as well as operating in the strong field regime. Moreover, we showcase the ability of the measurement protocol to dynamically change the probe frequency in real-time. This work advances the use of NV centers for real-time measurements of AC magnetic fields.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall), Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
Unveiling the superconducting scenario in multiphase superconductor CeRh$_2$As$_2$ from space-group symmetry analysis and DFT calculations
New Submission | Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
V.G. Yarzhemsky, E.A. Teplyakov, S.V. Eremeev, E.V. Chulkov
Despite of the low transition temperature, the recently identified superconductor CeRh$ 2$ As$ 2$ has garnered significant interest due to its unique symmetry and magnetic characteristics, particularly the existence of two superconducting (SC) phases under a magnetic field, one of which exceeds the Pauli-Clogston limit. The field-induced transition from a low-field even-parity state to a high-field odd-parity state is usually described as a singlet-triplet transition. However, it is uncommon for a single compound to exhibit both triplet and singlet SC scenarios. The aim of this paper is to investigate the possibilities of symmetry changes in the SC state without a change of spin multiplicity. To this end, we construct the SC order parameter based on Anderson pair functions, considering the phase winding within the symmetry of the point group $ D{4h}$ and the magnetic group $ 4/mm^{\prime }m^{\prime}$ . It was found that two triplets with opposite-spin and equal-spin pairing states of symmetry $ E{1u}^{\prime +}$ , are nodeless but exhibit distinct internal structures and may be associated with low-and high-field phases. Additionally, nontrivial Cooper pairing resulting from the non-symmorphic structure of the space group was examined, particularly in the case where the Fermi surface intersects with the boundaries of a Brillouin zone (BZ). It was determined that at the X point, triplet pairs are even, while singlet pairs can be either even or odd. Furthermore, at the X point, pair density waves that alter phase by $ \pi$ at the atomic centers linked by lattice translations are also feasible. To explore the possibility of such scenarios, precise DFT calculations of the band structure were performed, revealing the contribution of Ce $ 4f$ electrons to the states at the Fermi level. Thus, the even-odd transition can take place in a triplet scenario at symmetry points of a BZ.
Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con)
16 pages, 4 figures
Phys. Rev. B 113, 054524 (2026)
kALDo 2.0: Scalable Thermal Transport from First Principles and Machine Learning Potentials
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Giuseppe Barbalinardo, Zekun Chen, Dylan Folkner, Bohan Li, Nicholas W. Lundgren, Nathaniel Troup, Alfredo Fiorentino, Davide Donadio
We introduce kALDo2.0, an open-source Python package for computing vibrational, elastic, and thermal transport properties of solids from first principles and machine-learned interatomic potentials. Building on the anharmonic lattice dynamics (ALD) framework, kALDo2.0 provides efficient CPU and GPU-accelerated implementations of the Boltzmann transport equation (BTE) for crystals and the quasi-harmonic Green-Kubo (QHGK) method. QHGK extends thermal transport predictions beyond crystals to disordered materials, including glasses, alloys, and complex nanostructures. kALDo2.0 introduces native integration with modern machine-learned potentials (MLPs), enabling thermal transport workflows that combine the accuracy of first-principles methods with the scalability of classical force fields. It also features comprehensive support for temperature-dependent effective potentials workflows, flexible storage backends for large-scale calculations, and advanced quantification of anharmonicity. The software seamlessly interfaces with electronic structure codes (Quantum ESPRESSO, VASP), molecular dynamics packages (LAMMPS), and MLPs (ACE, NEP, MACE, MatterSim, Orb), enabling thermal transport studies from 0 K to finite temperatures. kALDo2.0 implements multiple BTE solution strategies and essential physical corrections, including isotopic scattering and non-analytical terms for polar materials. A modular Python architecture with lazy evaluation and multiple storage formats (ASCII, NumPy, HDF5) enables simulations of systems containing up to tens of thousands of atoms. This paper describes the theoretical framework, implementation details, software architecture, and validation examples demonstrating kALDo2.0’s capabilities for studying complex materials, including halide perovskites with strong anharmonicity and polar oxides requiring long-range electrostatic corrections.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
35 pages, 11 figures
Modeling of polymer phase transition from crystalline to conformationally disordered phase
New Submission | Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
V. V. Atrazhev, D. V. Dmitriev, V. I. Sultanov
A physics-based analytical model describing the phase transition from crystalline to conformationally disordered (condis) crystalline phase is developed. In the model, the free energy is written as a function of temperature and the lattice parameter (mean distance between neighboring chains). It consists of two contributions: elastic and conformational. The elastic contribution describes the interaction between neighboring chains, while the conformational part takes into account the conformation of one chain inside the potential tube, formed by the neighboring chains. To verify this approach, polyethylene - the simplest polymer possessing the condis phase - was chosen as a modeling object. Previous experiments and molecular dynamics simulations show that the typical conformation of a polymer chain in a crystalline phase consists mainly of trans dihedrals and a small fraction of gauche dihedrals, which can be considered as defects of the crystalline lattice. These defects displace the chain inside the tube thus increasing the potential energy. The energy required to form such a defect decreases rapidly with increasing distance between neighboring chains. This leads to a first-order phase transition at a certain temperature to the condis phase, in which distance between neighboring chains is large and a fraction of gauche dihedrals is high. This physical picture of the phase transition is described by the proposed analytical model, the parameters of which were calibrated against the results of molecular dynamics simulations for atmospheric pressure. The model predictions for the pressure of 500 atm and 1000 atm are in perfect agreement with the results of molecular dynamics simulations.
Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft)
48 pages, 17 figures
Phys. Rev. E 112, 025422 (2025)
The origin of complex behavior of liquid carbon: an insight from computer simulation
New Submission | Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
In the present paper we perfomrm molecular dynamics simulation of liquid carbon with a machine-learning potential GAP-20. We show that within the framework of this model carbon demonstrates a relatively low critical temperature, which can affect the results of experimental measurements of melting point of graphite.
Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft)
Topological-Mass Control of an Emergent Kondo Scale in an Interacting SSH Chain
New Submission | Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Topological bound states emerging at domain walls of dimerized chains provide a robust platform for exploring correlation effects beyond single-particle physics. When such a soliton state is coupled to a metallic substrate, local Coulomb interactions can give rise to Kondo screening. Here we demonstrate analytically and numerically that, in an interacting Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) chain, the Kondo temperature is directly controlled by the topological mass that governs the bulk gap. Near the topological transition, the Kondo scale collapses linearly with the mass parameter while retaining its exponential sensitivity to hybridization. This establishes a minimal mechanism by which a bulk topological parameter quantitatively determines an emergent many-body energy scale. Our results clarify the strong configuration dependence of soliton-induced Kondo signatures observed in graphene nanoribbon systems on Au(111) and provide experimentally testable predictions for scanning tunneling spectroscopy.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)
10 pages, 6 figures
Self-Buckling of Pressurized Cylindrical Tubes
New Submission | Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Morten Opstrup Andersen, Nikolaj Tønner Osvald Olsen, Diksha Bhola, Aleca Borsuk, Craig Brodersen, Anja Geitmann, Matteo Pezzulla
We investigate the buckling of hollow cylindrical tubes subject to their own weight and internal pressure, inspired by the columnar cells of the palisade mesophyll in dicotyledon leaves which resemble pressurized cylindrical tubes. When the internal pressure in the cylinder is equal to the outside pressure, the problem is usually termed self-buckling, which has been studied extensively for solid rods, hollow cylinders, and thin cylindrical shells. Specifically, we perform FEM simulations and desktop-scale experiments to determine the instability thresholds for different geometrical parameters. We first test our models against self-buckling results without pressure for solid rods and hollow cylindrical tubes, and then proceed to determine the critical buckling pressure for a set of material and geometrical parameters. We find that positive internal pressures can stiffen cylinders that are unstable under their own weight, leading to an effective Young’s modulus that we show scales linearly with the applied pressure. On the contrary, cylinders that are stable under self-weight, buckle under a negative pressure, resembling classical results on pressure-induced ring buckling. Our findings offer new insights on the interplay between gravity and pressure for the mechanical instability of hollow cylindrical tubes, which we hope will be useful for the study of both engineering and biological structures under similar loads.
Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft)
Structural Evolution during Reversible Halogen Intercalation into WTe2: Commensurate-Incommensurate WTe2I and Multistage WTe2Brx (x = 0.5, 1.0 and 1.25)
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Patrick Schmidt, Carl P. Romao, Hans-Jürgen Meyer
Halogen intercalation into the layered material tungsten ditelluride (WTe2) provides a unique pathway to tune its structural and electronic properties. In this study, we detail the synthesis and characterization of the new bromine-intercalated phases WTe2Brx (x = 0.5, 1.0, and 1.25), and reinvestigate the iodine-intercalated analogue, WTe2I. A defining feature of the bromine system is its rapid and reversible “breathing” behavior at room temperature, allowing guest molecules to be absorbed or released from the van der Waals gaps under ambient conditions. Structural analysis shows that the bromine-poor phase WTe2Br0.5 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pmmn, thereby maintaining a uniform stacking sequence. In contrast, the bromine-rich WTe2Br1.25 phase (space group Imm2) adopts an architecture where two distinct types of bromine layers alternate between the host layers. For the iodine system, the compound WTe2I exhibits both incommensurate and commensurate (3+1)D modulated variants in the superspace group P21/m({\alpha}0{\gamma})00. In the commensurate polytype, the structural modulation locks into a rational vector, q = (1/2, 0, 1/6), which can be described also as a 3D supercell. Electronic structure calculations show WTe2Br0.5 and commensurately modulated WTe2I to be metals with flat bands at the Fermi energy arising from the intercalation. These findings demonstrate the unusual stability and structural flexibility of anionic intercalation in a transition metal dichalcogenides.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci), Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
14 pages, 20 figures, with supplement
Reply to “Threefold error in the reported zero-field cooled magnetic moment of single crystal $La_2SmNi_2O_7$ (arXiv: 2602.23240)”
New Submission | Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Feiyu Li, Zhenfang Xing, Di Peng, Jie Dou, Ning Guo, Liang Ma, Yulin Zhang, Lingzhen Wang, Jun Luo, Jie Yang, Jian Zhang, Tieyan Chang, Yu-Sheng Chen, Weizhao Cai, Jinguang Cheng, Yuzhu Wang, Yuxin Liu, Tao Luo, Naohisa Hirao, Takahiro Matsuoka, Hirokazu Kadobayashi, Zhidan Zeng, Qiang Zheng, Rui Zhou, Qiaoshi Zeng, Xutang Tao, Junjie Zhang
We respond to the critique by Aleksandr V. Korolev and Evgeny F. Talantsev on the superconducting phase fraction ($ f$ ) calculations in Li et al. Nature 649, 871-878 (2026). First, the weak upturn in the low-temperature tail of our data has been confirmed to originate from the background, and the paramagnetic Meissner effect is absent in our case; thus, field-cooled (FC) data can be used for superconducting phase fraction calculations. Second, demagnetization effect must be calculated based on the actual measured moment as a function of $ f$ , which has been well-established and routinely employed in the superconductivity community. In contrast, Korolev and Talantsev treated the demagnetization field as a constant; thus, their calculation underestimates $ f$ by a factor of $ (1-N\chi_{meas})(1-N)$ . This factor is close to 1/3, given $ N$ = 0.849, $ \chi_{meas}$ = -1.313 in our study, which explains the origin of their deviated result (nearly three times smaller than our results). Third, our sample is a homogeneous high-quality bulk single crystal, evidenced by various techniques, making the existence of multiple discrete superconducting regions highly unlikely. We conclude that the superconducting phase fraction calculations reported in Li et al. Nature 649, 871-878 (2026) are not invalidated by the analyses presented in Korolev et al. arXiv: 2602.23240 (2026).
Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con), Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci), Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
5 pages
A Nanocrystal Synthesis Derived Approach to Silver Bismuth Iodide Layered Double Perovskites with Aliphatic Amines: (CnH(2n+1)NH3)4AgBiI8
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Pascal Rusch, Ann Mary Antony, Meenakshi Pegu, Meysoun Jabrane, Gabriele Saleh, Arghyadeep Garai, Aswin Asaithambi, Simone Lauciello, Sergio Marras, Serena De Negri, Pavlo Solokha, Liberato Manna
Lead-free iodide double perovskites are an interesting class of materials since they combine a relatively low toxicity (compared to the lead counterpart) with the small bandgap typical of iodide-based perovskite structures. Their reported number is small due to their lower structural stability compared to the chloride and bromide analogues, hence their difficult synthesis. The structural constraints that limit stability, on the other hand, can be much relieved in layered, organic-inorganic perovskites. Following this line of thought, we report here a successful fast precipitation route to iodide layered (CnH(2n+1)NH3)4AgBiI8 (n = 10, 12, and 14) double perovskites that borrow concepts from the synthesis of colloidal nanocrystals. X-ray diffraction studies revealed for these compounds a monoclinic crystal structure containing edge-sharing alternated [AgI6] and [BiI6] octahedra. These materials have experimental band gaps of 2.1 eV, as also corroborated by theoretical calculations. We have also investigated their phase transitions by thermal analysis and temperature-dependent diffraction and found them to be similar to their lead-based layered perovskite counterparts.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
54 pages, 32 figures
Chem. Mater. 2026, 38, 2, 900-909
Thermodynamic effects of solid electrolyte interphase formation from solvation and ionic association in water-in-salt electrolytes
New Submission | Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Daniel M. Markiewitz, Michael McEldrew, Conor M. E. Phelan, Qianlu Zheng, Jasper Singh, Robert S. Weatherup, Rosa M. Espinosa-Marzal, Martin Z. Bazant, Zachary A. H. Goodwin
Water-in-Salt-Electrolytes (WiSEs) are a promising class of next-generation electrolytes. Unlike classical dilute electrolytes or more conventional battery electrolytes, WiSEs are characterised by their super-concentrated salt concentration with only a small amount of water, which gives rise to their expanded electrochemical stability window (ESW). The expansion of the ESW is, in part, due to the formation of an inorganic solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) that passivates the anode; this principle is also important in graphite and Li-metal anodes, and beyond Li-ion technologies. The solvation and ionic associations are key descriptors in understanding the expansion of the ESW. Specifically, as reactions which lead to the SEI (or cathode electrolyte interphase, CEI) must occur at the electrode-electrolyte interface, the distribution of reactants and their various solvation environments are critical. This distribution near the interface is referred to as the electrical double layer (EDL), in the absence of reactions. Here we further develop and analyse a recently proposed thermodynamic theory of hydration and ionic associations in the EDL of WiSEs. We parameterize this theory from bulk molecular dynamics simulations and benchmark it against EDL simulations, finding good qualitative agreement. Using this thermodynamic theory, we rationalise changes in the ESW through: changes in the activity in the bulk electrolyte through the Nernst equation, which directly changes the stability of the electrolytes; and thermodynamic changes to the kinetics of these reactions, from the Butler-Volmer equation and coupled ion electron transfer kinetics, through the concentration of reactant species in the Helmholtz layer.
Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft), Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
Phonon-Assisted Photoluminescence and Ultrafast Exciton Dynamics in Two-Dimensional Silicon Carbide
New Submission | Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Afreen Anamul Haque, Rishabh Saraswat, Aniket Singha, Rekha Verma, Sitangshu Bhattacharya
Phonon assisted photoluminescence provides a direct window into exciton phonon interactions in low dimensional semiconductors. Using fully ab initio many body perturbation theory, including finite momentum Bethe Salpeter calculations, we investigate phonon assisted emission and exciton dynamics in two dimensional hexagonal silicon carbide and benchmark its response against 2D hexagonal boron nitride. By explicitly resolving exciton phonon matrix elements, we identify high energy optical TO LO phonons as the dominant contributors to sideband formation and quantify their spectral weights. h SiC exhibits pronounced phonon assisted sidebands comparable to h BN, despite a smaller exciton phonon energy separation and fewer resolved replicas. The bright K K exciton governs near UV zero phonon emission, while intervalley excitons acquire radiative character through symmetry allowed optical-phonon coupling. Temperature dependent scattering rates reveal an ultrashort bright exciton lifetime of approximately 300 fs at 10 K, highlighting rapid exciton relaxation driven by intrinsic phonon channels. These results establish monolayer SiC as a symmetry-activated platform for efficient, strain-free phonon-assisted emission and provide a quantitative framework for ultrafast exciton dynamics in wide bandgap 2D semiconductors.
Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el), Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
6 figures
Percolative Instabilities and Sparse-Limit Fractality in 1T-TaS$_2$
New Submission | Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Poulomi Maji, Md Aquib Molla, Koushik Dey, Bikash Das, Sambit Choudhury, Tanima Kundu, Pabitra Kumar Hazra, Mainak Palit, Sujan Maity, Bipul Karmakar, Kai Rossnagel, Sanjoy Kr Mahatha, Bhaskaran Muralidharan, Shamashis Sengupta, Sanchari Goswami, Subhadeep Datta
The low-temperature metallic phase of 1T-TaS2 may originate from current- and voltage-driven destabilization of the commensurate charge density wave (CDW) in a strongly correlated Mott insulator, alongside the robust yet rarely realized influence of intrinsic electronic distortions. Electrical pulse-driven transport, combined with second harmonic response, reveals abrupt switching, negative differential resistance (NDR), and multiscale domain-wall reorganization. The free energy analysis identifies a critical order parameter threshold for the Mott-metal transition, with scaling exponents ({\beta} approx 1.3) consistent with 2D percolation. The sparse limit fractal dimension D_{f} approx 0.3 at 10 K, rising to approx 0.9 at 300 K, reflects the hierarchical evolution of the conductive pathways throughout the temperature. These findings establish a direct connection between fractal percolation, pulse-induced instabilities, and correlated electron transport, offering a framework for controlled access to non-equilibrium phase transitions in low-dimensional quantum materials.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)
Accepted in Physical Review B on 3rd February 2026
Orbitally resolved single-photon emission from an individual atomic vacancy center in a semiconductor
New Submission | Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Gagandeep Singh, Xiaodan Lyu, Bi Qi Chong, Ryan Li Yen Tang, Rejaul SK, Yande Que, Ranjith Shivajirao, Thasneem Aliyar, Radha Krishnan, Junxiang Jia, Michael S. Fuhrer, Teck Seng Koh, Weibo Gao, Bent Weber
Atomically confined spins are emerging as active components in quantum optoelectronic devices such as quantum bits and sensors. However, interrogating single spins at atomic length-scales remains a sizeable challenge, limited by diffraction in conventional optics. Here we show that the highly-local excitation provided by injecting energetic charge carriers from the atomically sharp probe of a scanning tunneling microscope can trigger single-photon emission from individual atomic vacancy centers in a layered semiconductor. With an effective spatial resolution of <1 nm, we show that the captured light closely mirrors the orbital symmetry of the bound-state wavefunction of the vacancy center while photon correlation measurements confirm single-photon emission, as reflected in clear photon anti-bunching signatures. Our results constitute an important step toward the realization of an electrically addressable single-atom quantum light source and solid-state spinphoton interface, addressed at the atomic-scale.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall), Optics (physics.optics), Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
Activity-Driven Dewetting and Rupture in Thin Liquid Films
New Submission | Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Preethi M, Daniya Davis, Bhaskar Sen Gupta
Thin-film dewetting is classically governed by an adhesion-mediated spinodal instability in which curvature-driven diffusion controls post-rupture coarsening. We show that internal activity fundamentally restructures this instability. Using a minimal microscopic model of an active liquid film on a solid substrate, we identify a competition between active stresses and film-substrate adhesion that produces two independently regulated dynamical length scales: vertical liquid accumulation and lateral rupture propagation. While passive films exhibit universal diffusion-limited growth, $ \ell_z(t)\sim t^{1/3}$ , activity converts transport from curvature-controlled diffusion to persistence-driven motion, yielding a continuous increase of the coarsening exponent from $ \approx 0.33$ to $ \approx 0.6$ . The growth law analysis shows that persistent self-propulsion introduces an advective flux that competes with curvature-induced chemical potential gradients, enhancing growth when the persistence length becomes comparable to the evolving domain size. Simultaneously, the rupture front transitions from dissipative spreading to strongly accelerated propagation approaching ballistic scaling. This decoupling shows that activity does not simply renormalize effective surface forces but generates a distinct nonequilibrium interfacial instability governed by the balance between persistence length and adhesion. The results provide a minimal physical mechanism linking classical thin-film dewetting to dewetting-like rupture observed in active and biological materials.
Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft), Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci), Other Condensed Matter (cond-mat.other), Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech), Biological Physics (physics.bio-ph)
The temporal picture for Bloch electron dynamics in homogeneous electric fields
New Submission | Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
The transient picture for a Bloch electron accelerating in an arbitrarily time-dependent homogeneous electric field is developed. The temporal sequence for the analysis includes the instant after electron injection, followed by the time required for a small change in electron wavenumber away from initial injection, leading to the final time evolution over many Bloch periods. The time-dependent behavior is studied using the properties of the Schrödinger equation. The electric field is described through the vector potential gauge, and the instantaneous eigenstates of the Bloch, electric-field-dependent Hamiltonian are used as basis states in describing the Bloch dynamics in the electric field. For each temporal sequence considered, the solution to the Schrödinger equation is established and comparatively discussed. The expectation value of the momentum is obtained for the special case of first order in a constant electric field; the resulting velocity derived is a field-dependent generalization of the natural Zitterbewegung-like behavior discussed in the recent literature. The early-time and long-time limits of the momentum expectation value and its time derivative demonstrate that the resistance to Bloch acceleration after initial band injection varies from real mass to effective mass dynamics as the electron accelerates through the band under the influence of electric field. This changing inertia from early injection of a free-mass electron is the result of the {\it real mass} electron {\it dressing-up} into the states of the crystal to become {\it an effective mass} electron. The ramifications of this temporal {\it dressing} behavior are discussed in considering the general dynamics of Bloch electrons subject to ultrastrong electric fields.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall), Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
10 pages
Effect of electron-electron interactions on the propagation of ultrashort voltage pulses in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer
New Submission | Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Prasoon Kumar, Thomas Kloss, Xavier Waintal
Electronic interferometers have been identified as possible candidates for building electronic flying qubits. Such a regime requires ultrafast voltage pulses whose duration is shorter than the time of flight through the device. Understanding the corresponding physics in the presence of such short excitations requires a proper treatment of electron-electron interactions. In this article, we take a step in this direction by performing time-resolved simulations of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer treating the interactions at the time-dependent mean-field level. We find that the main effect of the interaction is the renormalization of the pulse velocity. Very importantly, the interference effects appear to be robust to the presence of interactions.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall), Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el), Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
Quantum spin models of commensurate $p$-wave magnets
New Submission | Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
The $ p$ -wave magnet has emerged as a new type of magnetism exhibiting odd-parity, time-reversal-symmetric spin splitting in momentum space, and has attracted considerable interest as a promising platform for spintronic applications. However, the theoretical understanding of the fundamental mechanism responsible for stabilizing this phase remains limited. In this work, we identify a microscopic interacting model that realizes the $ p$ -wave magnet as its ground state. We first introduce a Hubbard model and derive the corresponding low-energy spin Hamiltonian. At the classical level, we find that the $ p$ -wave magnet is stabilized but remains energetically degenerate with competing noncoplanar states. Quantum fluctuations lift this degeneracy, selecting the $ p$ -wave magnet as the unique ground state. The resulting electronic structure exhibits finite spin accumulation via the Edelstein effect, highlighting the potential of $ p$ -wave magnetism for spintronic applications. We further discuss the relevance of our theory to quasi-two-dimensional honeycomb magnets such as Ni$ _2$ Mo$ _3$ O$ _8$ . Our findings establish the possibility of spontaneous $ p$ -wave magnetism.
Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el), Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)
8 pages, 4 figures
Information bound on navigation speed in smart active matter
New Submission | Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Kristian Stølevik Olsen, Mitsusuke Tarama, Hartmut Löwen
Intelligent behavior in life-like systems often arises from the ability to gather, process, and act on information. While active matter provides a framework for studying life-like dynamics, it typically omits internal information-processing and decision-making. Here we introduce an adaptive active particle model that uses minimal information processing capabilities in order to navigate towards a distant target. By combining renewal-based intermittent motion with the Cramér-Rao inequality, we derive a bound on the navigation speed valid for a wide range of information processing strategies. The framework captures hallmark features of cognitive systems, including optimal sensing durations and a speed-accuracy trade-off that balances noise and reliability. Allowing stored information to degrade before action reveals that although deterioration slows navigation, the trade-off remains governed primarily by external orientational noise and is remarkably insensitive to memory decay.
Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech), Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft)
Triplon-mediated pairing and the superconducting gap structure in bilayer nickelates
New Submission | Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Huimei Liu, Giniyat Khaliullin
We investigate the superconducting gap structure in bilayer nickelates within a model where conduction bands of dx2-y2 symmetry coexist with localized d3z2-r2 spins. Strong interlayer coupling drives the local moments into a singlet ground state, whose virtual singlet-triplet excitations (“triplons”) mediate the pairing interaction between conduction electrons. This yields interband s+- pairing, with opposite signs of the order parameter on the bonding beta and antibonding alpha bands. Our theory naturally explains two key experimental features: a larger gap on the alpha band despite its smaller density of states, and pronounced gap anisotropy arising from momentum-dependent nonlocal Kondo coupling. These results support triplon-mediated pairing as the microscopic origin of superconductivity in bilayer nickelates.
Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
6 pages, 4 figures
Fulde-Ferrell superfluids in an asymmetric three-component Fermi Gas
New Submission | Quantum Gases (cond-mat.quant-gas) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Yuhan Lu, Lihong Zhou, Yongping Zhang
An asymmetric three-component Fermi gas, featuring Raman-induced spin-orbit coupling between the first and second components and contact interaction only between the first and third components, introduces both spin-orbit coupling and population imbalance-two mechanisms known to stabilize the Fulde-Ferrell this http URL systematically study Fulde-Ferrell superfluids in an asymmetric three-component Fermi gas by finding the global minima of the thermodynamic potential. We reveal a new class of composite Fulde-Ferrell superfluids that emerges when strong spin-orbit coupling generates a double-well structure in momentum space within the lower spin-orbit-coupled band. The key features of these composite superfluids are identified.
Quantum Gases (cond-mat.quant-gas), Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
7 pages, 3 figures
Exact Anomalous Current Fluctuations in Quantum Many-Body Dynamics
New Submission | Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Kazuya Fujimoto, Taiki Ishiyama, Taiga Kurose, Takato Yoshimura, Tomohiro Sasamoto
Fluctuations of integrated currents have attracted considerable interest over the past decades in the context of statistical mechanics. Recently, anomalous current fluctuations, characterized by the M-Wright function, were obtained exactly in a classical automaton [$ Ž$ . Krajnik et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 128, 160601 (2022)], and previous studies have shown that the anomalous behavior can arise in a variety of classical systems. Despite the rapidly growing interest in such anomalous behaviors, which capture a universal aspect of one-dimensional many-body transport, the exact derivation of the M-Wright function in quantum many-body systems has remained elusive. In this Letter, we present the first exact microscopic derivation of the M-Wright function in quantum many-body dynamics by analyzing the integrated spin current in a one-dimensional Fermi-Hubbard model with infinitely strong repulsive interactions. Our results lay the groundwork for exploring anomalous integrated currents in a broad class of quantum many-body systems.
Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech), Quantum Gases (cond-mat.quant-gas), Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el), Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
35 pages, 4 figures
Superconductivity in the A15-type V3(Os1-2xSixGex) medium-entropy alloys
New Submission | Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Yucheng Li, Kuan Li, Lingyong Zeng, Rui Chen, Jingjun Qin, Shuangyue Wang, Huixia Luo
Cubic A15-type superconducting alloys continue to fascinate the academic and industrial fields because they mainly support the largest market for low-temperature superconducting applications and show exotic physical properties. Medium-/high-entropy alloys (MEAs-HEAs) can be employed stably under extreme conditions due to their high mechanical hardness and excellent irradiation tolerance. Combining with the features of the A15-type superconductor and MEAs-HEAs, we design a series of previously unreported A15-type V3(Os1-2xSixGex) (x = 0.333, 0.375, 0.425) MEA superconductors, which can be obtained by an arc melting method. Resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and specific heat measurements indicate that all of them are type-II bulk superconductors. The superconducting transition temperature (Tc) exhibits an upward trend with the systematic reduction of Os concentration. Additionally, the upper critical field of the V3(Os0.333Si0.333Ge0.333) sample is larger than the Pauli limit, suggesting it may be robust against magnetic fields due to spin-orbit coupling induced by the heavy Os atoms. These findings not only advance our understanding of emergent phenomena in entropy-stabilized A15-type alloys but also expand the members of new superconductors.
Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con), Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
25 pages, 5 figures
SCIENCE CHINA Materials, 2026
Fermi-surface studies of altermagnetic CrSb from Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Sajal Naduvile Thadathil, Beat Valentin Schwarze, Jaafar Ansari, Tommy Kotte, Sven Luther, Marc Uhlarz, Rafael Gonzalez-Hernandez, Libor Šmejkal, Thanassis Speliotis, Markéta Žáčková, Jiří Pospíšil, Christoph Müller, Dominik Kriegner, Helena Reichlová, Joachim Wosnitza, Toni Helm
Within the family of altermagnets, CrSb is a metallic, collinearly ordered material that exhibits particularly strong symmetry-induced spin splitting in its band structure. In this study, we combine electrical magnetotransport measurements up to 68 T on microfabricated single-crystalline CrSb with first-principles calculations to investigate its Fermi surface. Notably, we study the temperature and field-orientation dependence of magnetic quantum oscillations observed in the magnetoresistance. The observed frequency spectrum agrees well with results from density-functional-theory calculations. Our results confirm the predicted electronic band structure of altermagnetic CrSb and highlight the importance of high magnetic fields for accurately mapping the Fermi surfaces of unconventional emergent materials.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci), Other Condensed Matter (cond-mat.other)
11 pages, 12 figures
Nanoelectronics with Two Dimensional Magnets
New Submission | Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Bing Zhao, Roselle Ngaloy, Lalit Pandey, Himanshu Bangar, Divya P. Dubey, Saroj P. Dash
Two dimensional (2D) magnets have emerged as a compelling platform for spin based nanoelectronics, enabling atomic scale control of magnetic order, interfaces, quantum geometry, and symmetry. Here, we highlight recent advances in 2D ferromagnets, antiferromagnets, altermagnets, and related magnetic phases, emphasizing how enhanced Curie temperatures, perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, and unconventional magnetic orders translate into device relevant functionality. Spin dependent transport in vertical magnetic tunnel junctions and lateral spin valves based on 2D heterostructures are discussed, where atomically sharp interfaces enable highly tunable spin injection, propagation, and detection. We further focused on field free energy efficient spin orbit torque magnetization switching in 2D magnetic heterostructures, in which unconventional spin currents originate from an adjacent low symmetry spin orbit layer. Microscopic mechanisms involving symmetry breaking, Berry curvature, and orbital angular momentum transport are discussed, along with key challenges, including switching determinism and torque efficiency. Materials and device design strategies targeting neuromorphic, hybrid quantum spintronic, and multifunctional architectures are outlined. Collectively, these developments position 2D magnets as a promising candidate for tunable, energy efficient integrated spintronic technologies that can harness intertwined spin, charge, orbital, and topological degrees of freedom at the nanoscale.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall), Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci), Applied Physics (physics.app-ph)
Emergence of geometric order from topological constraints in a three-dimensional Coulomb phase
New Submission | Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
The emergence of order and geometric limit shapes in a three-dimensional (3D) Coulomb phase subject to domain wall boundary conditions (DWBC) is investigated. While the arctic circle phenomenon – the spatial segregation of frozen and fluctuating degrees of freedom – is well-established in the two-dimensional six-vertex model (square ice), its extension to 3D remains largely unexplored. A cubic lattice model with Ising degrees of freedom living on the edges, whose ground state manifold is governed by a divergence-free (3-in/3-out) local constraint, is considered. In the bulk, this model realizes a classical spin liquid characterized by algebraic correlations and pinch-point singularities in reciprocal space. It is demonstrated that applying DWBC partially lifts the extensive ground state degeneracy, inducing long-range magnetic order in the thermodynamic limit. Despite this ordering, it is found that the system retains a fluctuating component that exhibits the signature of a Coulomb phase. Finally, by mapping the local vertex polarization density, compelling numerical support is provided for a 3D generalization of the arctic limit shape, bridging the gap between topological constraints and emergent geometry in higher dimensions.
Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el), Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech)
5 pages, 4 figures
Solubilization kinetics of oils by ionic and nonionic micelles: theoretical model
New Submission | Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Experimental data on solubilization kinetics found in literature were analyzed by using the model proposed earlier (1). The rates of oil molecular exchange between the micellar core and the surrounding aqueous solution were determined. It was concluded that the solubilization of hydrocarbon molecules by nonionic surfactants of ethylene oxide type is essentially barrier-free, that is, is diffusion controlled. It is quite different for ionic surfactants, where the rate is one-two orders of magnitude slower, indicating the existence of a potential barrier for hydrocarbons to get inside the micelles. A Fickean diffusion model of solubilization has been proposed to explain these trends. For ionic micelles, the hydrocarbons are predicted to be excluded from the micellar double layer region because of their low dielectric constant. The Poisson-Boltzmann model was used to model this effect; the diffusion retardation factors were compared with the experiment and a fair agreement was seen. For nonionic groups, such as oligoethylene oxide, on the other hand, no such barrier was predicted to exist. The analysis of this paper is performed only for the case of the ‘slow’ solubilization; it does not cover the case of the rapid, ‘catastrophic’ solubilization observed in the other group of experiments; the distinction between the slow and fast mechanisms is discussed and a possible explanation is suggested.
Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft)
Interfacial Oxidation Enables Charge-Transfer Contacts and Degenerate n-Doping in Monolayer MoS$_2$
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Marco Bianchi, Daniel Lizzit, Alberto Turoldo, Ezequiel Tosi, Paolo Lacovig, Monika Schied, Davide Curcio, Charlotte E. Sanders, Silvano Lizzit, Philip Hofmann
High contact resistance remains a central obstacle to the integration of two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors in electronic devices. Recent advances have demonstrated that contact performance can be dramatically improved through interface engineering, including the use of group-V semimetals and charge-transfer contacts based on strong interfacial doping. Here, we show that controlled interfacial oxidation provides an effective route to convert a semimetal contact into a charge-transfer contact that degenerately $ n$ -dopes single layer MoS$ _2$ . Using a combination of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron diffraction, low-energy electron diffraction and scanning tunnelling spectroscopy, we demonstrate that putting single layer MoS$ _2$ in contact with a pristine Bi layer merely results in weak doping, whereas oxidation of the Bi layer leads to a pronounced occupation of the MoS$ _2$ conduction band with an electron density on the order of $ 10^{13}$ ~cm$ ^{-2}$ . The cause of this strong electron doping is the fact that an ultrathin $ \beta$ -Bi$ _2$ O$ _3$ layer forms below the MoS$ _2$ and that this has a particularly low work function, thereby acting as an efficient electron donor to MoS$ _2$ . Interfacial oxidation thus emerges as a powerful design knob for engineering charge-transfer contacts to 2D semiconductors.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
Highly-linear flux-to-voltage transducer based on superconducting quantum interference proximity transistors
New Submission | Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Angelo Greco, Giorgio De Simoni, Francesco Giazotto
Superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) are state-of-the-art in ultra-sensitive magnetometry; however, conventional SQUID devices are fundamentally limited by the inherently nonlinear and periodic nature of their transfer function. Although flux-locked loop (FLL) configurations can mitigate this issue, they introduce electronic complexity and bandwidth constraints that hinder scalability in quantum circuits. In this work, we present an experimental demonstration of the bi-SQUIPT, a flux transducer that modulates the density of states in a proximitized superconducting weak link. The device employs a dual-loop architecture with differential readout, which enables cancellation of non-linearities typical of individual elements, achieving a voltage swing of approximately 120 $ \mu$ V. Measurements yield a spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) of up to 60 dB, consistent with theoretical predictions and comparable to that of SQUID arrays, while maintaining power dissipation in the femtowatt range. The results further highlight a remarkable operational stability up to 600 mK, positioning the bi-SQUIPT as an enabling technology for high-density cryogenic quantum electronics.
Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con), Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
8 pages, 4 figures
Integrated nanophotonic platform for on-chip quantum emitter interactions and entanglement
New Submission | Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Yinhui Kan, Shailesh Kumar, Xujing Liu, Antonio I. Fernández-Domínguez, Sergey I. Bozhevolnyi
Entanglement between solid-state quantum emitters (QEs) is a key resource for photonic quantum technologies. Achieving such entanglement requires strong and controllable long-range interactions between QEs. However, engineering such coupling remains challenging, particularly for on-chip distant solid-state QEs. Here, we introduce a forward-designed platform that enables ultracompact nanophotonic architectures to mediate enhanced long-range QE-QE interactions via engineered surface plasmon polariton interference. Using this strategy, we realize two distinct configurations: a phase-conjugated elliptic design for energy funneling, and a co-radiating hyperbolic design for its suppression. We experimentally demonstrate large enhancement and suppression of energy transfer rates compared to bare substrates. Furthermore, we predict transient entanglement between spatially separated QEs with concurrence peaking at 0.493, approaching the theoretical bound in the transient regime. Extending to the multi-QE case, we observe enhanced energy funneling and predict QE-QE entanglement in three-QE configurations. These results establish a compact and scalable framework for on-chip entanglement engineering in integrated quantum nanophotonic systems.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall), Optics (physics.optics), Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
45 pages, 16 figures
Real-Time Formation of a Landau Polaron
New Submission | Other Condensed Matter (cond-mat.other) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Priya Nagpal, Arnab Ghosh, Helene Seiler, Samuel Palato, Patanjali Kambhampati
Polarons are electronic excitations dressed by a self-consistent lattice distortion, yet their formation has not been directly resolved in real time. We develop a microscopic lineshape framework that connects the growth of a collective lattice polarization to the population-time evolution of the anti-diagonal linewidth in coherent multidimensional spectroscopy. Within this formalism, the anti-diagonal linewidth directly tracks the decay of lattice frequency-frequency correlations. Underdamped phonon environments produce oscillatory linewidth modulation, whereas overdamped collective polarization dynamics generate monotonic exponential broadening. Applying this framework to multidimensional measurements on perovskite quantum dots, we show that the observed approximately 150 femtosecond exponential anti-diagonal broadening reflects the decay of a collective polarization order parameter. These results establish anti-diagonal linewidth dynamics as a direct real-time signature of Landau polaron formation.
Other Condensed Matter (cond-mat.other)
8 pages, 3 figures. Theory of real-time Landau polaron formation from anti-diagonal linewidth dynamics in coherent multidimensional spectroscopy
Synthesis and Structural Analysis of an Emissive Colloidal Argyrodite Nanocrystal: Canfieldite Ag8SnS6
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Francisco Yarur Villanueva, Victor Quezada Novoa, Pascal Rusch, Stefano Toso, Maxwell W. Terban, Yurii P. Ivanov, Joaquin Carlos Chu, Maxine J. Kirshenbaum, Ehsan Nikbin, Maria J. Gendron Romero, Mirko Prato, Giorgio Divitini, Jane Y. Howe, Mark W.B. Wilson, Liberato Manna
We resolve a phase identification controversy in the Ag-Sn-S material system by unraveling the polymorphic structure of nanocrystals within the argyrodite material family. Argyrodites are a class of superionic materials used in their bulk form for applications in solid-state batteries and thermoelectrics, where their advantageous properties relate to their polymorphism. However, despite their well-studied bulk applications, the limited exploration at the nanoscale has left considerable potential for the discovery of emerging properties due to size effects. Further, phase identification presents a prominent challenge to the study of polymorphs in superionic conductors and related mate-rials. In this work, we synthesize canfieldite-like (Ag8SnS6) nanocrystals to understand their formation and structural behavior at the nanoscale. We observe the emergence of emissive, meta-stable, cluster-like species. Then, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy reveals indistinguishable polymorphs of canfieldite due to identical heavy-atom frameworks. However, using synchrotron X-ray total scattering for pair distribution function analysis, we uncover structural distortions, showing a pseudo-orthorhombic configuration that likely gives rise to the red emission. Further, we investigate the optical properties and structure of Ag8SnS6 nanocrystals upon the addition of Zn2+, the cation of interest in the canfieldite vs. pirquitasite (Ag2ZnSnS4) phase identification controversy. We show that Zn2+ is incorporated in the canfieldite-like structure through the replacement of Ag+, boosting the emission. Our results solve a standing phase identification challenge and uncover fundamental insights for the synthesis and structure of canfieldite nanocrystals, laying the ground for the exploration of other argyrodite materials with emerging properties at the nanoscale.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
28 pages, 23 figures
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, 147, 32, 29413-29422
Microwave response of fractional quantum Hall droplets with quasiparticle tunneling
New Submission | Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Fumihiro Murabayashi, Ryotaro Sano, Flavio Ronetti, Jérôme Rech, Thierry Martin, Thibaut Jonckheere, Takeo Kato
We theoretically study microwave absorption spectroscopy of fractional quantum Hall droplets in the presence of quasiparticle tunneling across a quantum point contact. This contact-free probe provides access to collective edge dynamics beyond conventional transport measurements. We develop a nonperturbative path-integral Monte Carlo approach that enables computation of the frequency-dependent response at finite temperature and for arbitrary droplet geometries, and benchmark the method against analytical results in the weak-tunneling regime. We find that tunneling produces measurable shifts and broadening of resonance peaks, with systematic dependence on tunneling strength and device geometry. Such shifts and broadenings are not obtained in perturbative treatments acting directly on the response function, but emerge when interaction-kernel effects are properly incorporated. Our results indicate experimentally accessible signatures of edge-mode interference and tunneling-induced renormalization of collective excitations, and support the use of microwave spectroscopy as a quantitative probe of quasiparticle dynamics in mesoscopic quantum Hall structures.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)
16 pages, 11 figures
MesoMem: A mesoscale membrane model based on an additive potential
New Submission | Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Pietro Sillano, Siewert-Jan Marrink, Timon Idema
Bridging the gap between atomistic detail and continuum mechanics is a central challenge in modeling biological membranes, particularly for mesoscopic phenomena spanning large length and time scales. In this work, we introduce a new, solvent-free, one-particle-thick, coarse-grained model for lipid bilayers, governed by an additive potential. Our approach treats orientational elasticity through distinct additive energy terms for tilt and splay, offering an unbiased potential form. The model is implemented in the LAMMPS molecular dynamics engine. Our simulations show spontaneous self-assembly of lamellar structures and stable vesicles from disordered states. We map the dynamical phase diagram of the system, identifying distinct gel-like, fluid, and gas regimes, controlled by temperature and the steepness of the isotropic attraction. The model accurately reproduces the theoretical $ 1/q^{4}$ fluctuation spectrum for tensionless membranes and exhibits tunable mechanical properties, including biologically relevant bending rigidities and area compressibility moduli. We show how we can include osmotic pressure and spontaneous curvature in our model. Finally, we demonstrate the model’s applicability to complex membrane remodeling by simulating the adhesive wrapping of colloidal nanoparticles, recovering the predicted dependency on particle size and adhesion strength.
Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft), Biological Physics (physics.bio-ph)
Spontaneous Fully Compensated Ferrimagnetism
New Submission | Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Bingbing Wang, Yongpan Li, Yichen Liu, Cheng-Cheng Liu
We propose a general mechanism for the spontaneous emergence of filling-enforced fully compensated ferrimagnetism (fFIM), characterized by zero net magnetization yet ferromagnetic-like spin-split band structures. Using Hartree-Fock mean-field calculations of the Hubbard model, we map out the stability regime of spontaneous fFIM over a broad parameter space of interaction strength and staggered potential. We show the unique quantum-geometry-governed optical selection rules and the abundant valley- and spin-related physics of electronics and optics arising from the emergence of fFIM order, with tunable spin-polarized and valley-contrasting charge and spin currents. Furthermore, based on our theory, we demonstrate that spontaneous fFIM can be realized in nominally nonmagnetic graphene via defect engineering. Our results establish a unified framework for the mechanism, emergent properties, and materials realization of spontaneous fFIM, opening new opportunities for spintronic, valleytronic, and optoelectronic applications.
Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el), Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall), Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
Dirac semimetal phases in chiral carbon nanoscrolls
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Tzu-Ching Hsu, Jhih-Shih You, Hsiu-Chuan Hsu, Ion Cosma Fulga
Chirality induced by rolling a two-dimensional material into a spiral geometry reshapes its electronic band structure. In this work, we theoretically investigate the topological properties of carbon nanoscrolls under an axial magnetic field, focusing on structures in which chirality is encoded through shifted edge alignments. In contrast to unshifted structures, where mirror symmetry pins the Dirac cones to half a flux quantum, chiral carbon nanoscrolls lack this symmetry, and Dirac cones emerge at magnetic flux values away from half a flux quantum. We demonstrate that these Dirac cones are topologically protected by combined inversion-time reversal symmetry and remain robust even when sublattice symmetry is broken. Furthermore, we show that the number of Dirac cones and their real-space probability distributions depend on the number of turns and the magnetic field strength. Our study elucidates the role of chirality in the band topology of nanoscroll geometries.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
A Unified Approach to Strong Local Correlations and Collective Fluctuations: Eliminating Divergence in the Spin Channel
New Submission | Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
S.D. Semenov, A.I. Lichtenstein, A.N. Rubtsov
Dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT) provides an optimal local approximation for correlated lattice systems by mapping the lattice onto a self-consistent effective impurity model. To account for the missing long-range correlations, we propose a novel extended approach, which we term fluctuating dynamical mean-field theory (fDMFT). It incorporates collective fluctuations of auxiliary impurity models across different sites via functional integration. Technically, this method involves obtaining a family of DMFT solutions on a grid for a self-consistent auxiliary classical field applied to the lattice. While the result can, in principle, be improved diagrammatically, we find that the minimal version of the theory already yields accurate results, with lowest-order diagrammatic corrections offering only minor improvements. This consistent framework, based on our fluctuating local field concept, demonstrates superior performance for the nearly half-filled Hubbard model compared to other known diagrammatic extensions of DMFT.
Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
Thermal Casimir Force Imaging of Nonequilibrium Hot Electrons
New Submission | Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Weikang Lu, Ziyi Xu, Hewan Zhang, Svend Age Biehs, Achim Kittel, Ludi Qin, Xue Gong, Huanyi Xue, Yanru Song, Zhengyang Zhong, Shiyou Chen, Kun Ding, Wei Lu, Zhenghua An
The thermal Casimir effect, arising from fluctuating electromagnetic fields of thermally agitated charges, induces thermosensitive forces and presents a novel approach to detecting nanoscale hot electrons, elusive yet ubiquitous in modern miniaturized transistors. However, detecting thermal Casimir forces at the nanoscale remains extremely challenging due to background forces such as electrostatic force and quantum Casimir force. In this study, we present the first non-contact force measurement of hot electrons based on the thermal Casimir effect. Using an atomic force microscope (AFM) with a dual-resonant tip, we achieve thermosensitive force detection of nonequilibrium hot electrons while effectively suppressing background thermo-insensitive forces, thereby distinguishing them from cold electrons. In silicon nanoconstriction devices, the measured thermal Casimir pressure reaches approximately 3 bar at a separation of 5 nm at an electron temperature of about 10^3 K. Our work introduces a novel methodology for hot electron nanothermometry and provides critical insights into the thermo-mechanical properties of post-Moore nanoelectronics.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)
17 pages, 4 figures
Tuning the memristive response of TaO$_x$-based devices with Ag Nanoparticles
New Submission | Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
R. Leal Martir, A.J.T. van der Ree, M. H. Aguirre, G. Palasantzas, D. Rubi, M. J. Sánchez
Defect engineering is a key strategy to control resistive switching (RS) in oxide-based memristive devices, where oxygen vacancy (OV) dynamics governs filament formation and rupture. We investigate the effect of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) embedded in the top electrode of Pt/Ta2O5/TaO2/Pt memristors and analyze their RS behavior and statistical stability. Devices without AgNPs exhibit two hysteresis switching loops (HSLs) with opposite chiralities, originating from the participation of the Pt/Ta2O5 top interface and the Ta2O5/TaO2 bottom interface. Incorporating AgNPs reduces the overall device resistance and selectively suppresses one loop, yielding a single, well-defined switching mode. Moreover, devices incorporating Ag-NPs show markedly reduced cycle-to-cycle variability of the high-resistance state, as confirmed by Weibull analysis, indicating improved endurance and switching reproducibility. Within a filamentary RS framework, we attribute this behavior to local metallization of the top interface by AgNPs, which partially inhibit OV transport and confines the RS dynamics to the bottom interface. Numerical simulations with the Oxygen Vacancy Resistive Network (OVRN) model succesfully reproduce the experimental HSLs, statistical trends, and tunable ON/OFF ratios with AgNPs coverage. These findings demonstrate that targeted interface metallization via metallic nanoparticles provides an effective route to control multi-interface RS dynamics and improve switching stability in without modifying the oxide architecture.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)
preprint 23 pages, 6 figures. Supplementary Material upon request
A Kapitza Pendulum Route to Supercurrent Tunnel Diodes
New Submission | Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Yuriy Yerin, Stefan-Ludwig Drechsler, A. A. Varlamov, Francesco Giazotto, Jeroen van den Brink, Mario Cuoco
Superconducting diodes that support nonreciprocal supercurrent flow in principle constitute attractive, non-dissipative, circuit elements for superconducting electronics. But their realization faces fundamental challenges, as conventional Josephson tunnel junctions are inherently reciprocal. Existing approaches to break reciprocity typically involve magnetism or spin-orbit coupling, which often increase device complexity and limit reproducibility. Here, we demonstrate an alternative dynamical route to supercurrent nonreciprocity based on parametric driving. By applying a frequency-modulated supercurrent amplitude we show that effective higher-order, nonharmonic terms are generated in the current-phase relation. Leveraging mathematical equivalences with the Kapitza pendulum, we show that these terms dynamically break reciprocity. This establishes the concept of a Kapitza supercurrent diode and demonstrates that nonreciprocal superconducting transport can be engineered by nonequilibrium driving conventional Josephson tunnel junctions. We propose two implementations of the Kapitza supercurrent diode - via gate-controlled superconducting interferometers or flux-driven double-loop SQUIDs - to achieve nonreciprocal supercurrent transport within experimentally accessible frequencies $ \omega/2\pi \sim 1$ -$ 10,\mathrm{GHz}$ .
Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con), Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall), Chaotic Dynamics (nlin.CD)
18 pages (7 pages main text) and 3 figures. Comments are welcome
Vacancy-induced local moments in quantum paramagnetic phases: An SU($N$) designer Hamiltonian study
New Submission | Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Md Zahid Ansari, Souvik Kundu, Kedar Damle
We explore the effects of non-magnetic impurities (vacancy disorder) on the quantum paramagnetic phases stabilized by SU($ N$ ) designer Hamiltonians on bipartite lattices. Using the results of our quantum Monte Carlo simulations, we demonstrate that isolated vacancies seed emergent spin $ S=1/2$ moments in their vicinity when the low-temperature state has valence bond solid order. Indeed, our quantum Monte Carlo results for the low-temperature susceptibility in such regimes shows clear evidence of the vacancy-induced Curie tails associated with these emergent moments, and our zero-temperature projector Monte Carlo results on the ground-state wavefunction in the valence bond basis provide additional evidence in support of this picture. Further, for such designer Hamiltonians on the Lieb lattice with two additional sites on each bond of a square lattice, we identify a low-temperature spin liquid-like regime with no sign of spin or valence bond order. This liquid-like regime serves as a test bed for validating a recently-developed argument concerning the effects of vacancy disorder in such low temperature regimes. Consistent with this argument, we find that isolated vacancies do not seed emergent local moments in such spin liquids. Instead, in the presence of vacancy disorder, emergent local moments are associated with the presence of monomers in maximum-density dimer packings of the corresponding diluted lattice.
Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
11 pages, 9 figures
Duality of Theoretical Approaches to Understand the Electrical Double Layer in Concentrated Electrolytes
New Submission | Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Understanding the electrical double layer (EDL), i.e, the distribution of electrolyte at an electrified interface, in concentrated electrolytes is important for various technologies, such as supercapacitors, batteries and electrocatalysis. Atomistic approaches offer unprecedented detail, but are too computationally expensive to exhaustively investigate the EDL of concentrated electrolytes, motivating the development of continuum theories. In these concentrated electrolytes, correlations between ions and solvents are strong, through electrostatic and specific interactions, as well as significant excluded volume effects of the complicated molecular species, making the development of theories challenging. Thus far, there are mainly two distinct \textit{simple} theoretical approaches to understand the EDL of concentrated electrolytes, with account of these correlations beyond mean-field. One is a local-density approximation (LDA) based on treating electrostatic and specific interactions beyond mean-field through the ionic aggregation and solvation; where a simple conceptual understanding can be gained and reasonable agreement with experiments in terms of integrated quantities, but poor agreement for ion profiles and Debye capacitance. The other approach is to treat electrostatic correlations and excluded volume effects more rigorously with beyond LDA approaches, but at the cost of simplifying the chemical interactions between species; where excellent agreement can be obtained for ion profiles, differential capacitance, etc., but mainly for the simplified hard-sphere systems that the theories are based on. Here, we describe the merits and downfalls of these two approaches, how they have contributed to understanding anomalous underscreening, and outline future directions for these theoretical approaches.
Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft)
Spin dynamics of the spin-1 triangular lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet K$_2$Ni(SeO$_3$)$_2$
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Chaebin Kim, Sathvik Nallapati, E. A. Ghioldi, Long Chen, Alexander I. Kolesnikov, Haidong Zhou, Shang-Shun Zhang, Cristian D. Batista, Martin Mourigal
Strong quantum fluctuations and unconventional spin dynamics are well established in the spin-1/2 triangular lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet. However, their survival in the spin-1 case remains an open question. We investigate the spin dynamics of K$ _2$ Ni(SeO$ 3$ )$ 2$ , a nearly ideal spin-1 triangular lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet, using inelastic neutron scattering. Below the ordering temperature $ T{\rm N}$ , we observe coherent one-magnon excitations coexisting with a broad high-energy continuum. Two complementary approaches, a spectrally consistent $ 1/S$ -corrected spin wave theory and a beyond-mean-field Schwinger boson theory, reproduce different facets of the continuum. Neither alone is complete, demonstrating substantial quantum fluctuations survive for $ S!=!1$ and are reflected primarily in the spectral distribution of the continuum. Above $ T{\rm N}$ , the continuum bandwidth is conserved while spectral weight is redistributed as magnons lose spatial coherence. Our results establish K$ _2$ Ni(SeO$ _3$ )$ _2$ as a model triangular antiferromagnet, identifying bandwidth conservation and the distribution of spectral weight within the continuum as organizing principles to understand the spin dynamics of ordered quantum magnets beyond spin-1/2. Our results highlight the need for controlled calculations of the interacting multi-magnon sector of 2D antiferromagnets.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci), Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
7 pages, 3 figures, including supplementary information
Mechanism-Resolved PFM of Ferroionic and Ferroelectric Responses in Thickness-Gradient Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 Libraries
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Yu Liu, Yi-Xiu Chen, Haotong Liang, Ichiro Takeuchi, Sergei V. Kalinin
Resolving growth mechanisms and thickness evolution of functional properties is one of the key tasks in materials discovery and optimization involving thin-film materials, traditionally requiring significant experimental budgets. Here we introduce the combination of thickness-gradient libraries and automated scanning probe microscopy as a systematic pathway to elucidate growth modes and disentangle ferroelectric and electrochemical contributions in ferroelectric thin films. As a model system, we explore the Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 (HZO) gradient thin films grown on LaxSr1-xMnO3 (LSMO) bottom electrode thin films. Automated piezoresponse force microscopy, spectroscopy, and lithography reveals that irreversible topographic deformation arises from electrochemical activity at the LSMO surface, whereas reversible phase inversion in HZO reflects ferroelectric switching. Automated topography height-map scans are used to further quantify nucleation density, particle-size evolution, and roughness correlations across the thickness-gradient, demonstrating that improved plume stabilization during growth suppresses interfacial reactions and promotes dense, fine-grained HZO conducive to ferroelectric phase formation. This combined materials-engineering and automated-SPM framework establishes a platform for high-throughput, mechanism-resolved characterization of ferroionic and ferroelectric responses in complex oxide films.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci), Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)
Effective Three-Boson Interactions using a Separable Potential
New Submission | Quantum Gases (cond-mat.quant-gas) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Corinne Beckers, Jacques Tempere, Jeff Maki, Denise Ahmed-Braun
Effective field theories (EFTs) are widely used to study many-body systems by describing two-body interactions using zero-ranged contact potentials. However, when extended to three-body processes, these contact interactions lead to divergences due to the absence of an intrinsic length scale. In EFT, this is typically resolved by introducing a zero-ranged three-body interaction, which can be renormalized to make the low-energy physics independent of the short-distance physics. However, when the two-body potential has a finite range, such as in separable potentials, there is no need for such renormalization. In this work, we derive the integral equation for the three-body scattering amplitude for separable potentials, and solve it in the strongly-interacting regime. With our model, we retrieve the known analytic form of the scattering amplitude for inelastic scattering processes and formulate a new scaling law for elastic three-body scattering processes.
Quantum Gases (cond-mat.quant-gas)
11 pages of main text, 6 figures and 4 appendices
Anomalous hydrodynamic fluctuations in the quantum XXZ spin chain
New Submission | Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Takato Yoshimura, Žiga Krajnik, Alvise Bastianello, Enej Ilievski
The quantum XXZ spin-1/2 chain features non-Gaussian spin current fluctuations in the regime of easy-axis anisotropy. Using ballistic macroscopic fluctuation theory, we derive the exact probability distribution of typical spin-current fluctuations in thermal equilibrium. The obtained nested Gaussian distribution is fully characterized by its variance which we analytically relate to the spin diffusion constant and static spin susceptibility, and compare our with numerical simulations. By unveiling how the same mechanism which leads to anomalous charge current fluctuations in single-file systems manifests in the XXZ chain, our approach establishes the universal hydrodynamic origin of the observed anomalous fluctuations.
Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech), Quantum Gases (cond-mat.quant-gas), Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el), Exactly Solvable and Integrable Systems (nlin.SI)
9+2 pages, 3 figures
Resolving the Metastable Si-XIII Structure through Convergent Theory and Experiment
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Fabrizio Rovaris, Corrado Bongiorno, Anna Marzegalli, Mouad Bikerouin, Davide Spirito, Gerald J. K. Schaffar, Mohamed Zaghloul, Agnieszka Anna Corley-Wiciak, Francesco Montalenti, Verena Maier-Kiener, Giovanni Capellini, Antonio M. Mio, Emilio Scalise
Silicon is the undisputed cornerstone of modern technology, with applications ranging from micro- and opto-electronics to quantum technologies. Recently, the exploration of its allotropes has emerged as a pivotal frontier for engineering materials with tailored optical and electronic functionalities. High-pressure experiments have revealed several metastable silicon phases, among which is Si-XIII. First observed more than 20 years ago, this phase has remained structurally unidentified, representing a significant gap in our understanding of elemental silicon allotropy. In this work, a convergent methodology is employed combining advanced theoretical modeling with experimental characterization to finally resolve the long-standing structural assignment of Si-XIII. Guided by careful experimental observations, a structural model validated through first-principles optimization and systematically tested against multiple experimental signatures is constructed. All the fingerprints of this phase are rationalized by our proposed crystal structure: interplanar spacings, Raman frequencies, thermodynamic stability, and kinetic pathways. These findings provide a crucial missing piece in the high-pressure phase diagram of silicon and demonstrate the power of integrating computational predictions with experimental validation to resolve complex structural problems in materials science.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci), Applied Physics (physics.app-ph), Computational Physics (physics.comp-ph)
Active fluctuations induce buckling of living surfaces
New Submission | Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Matteo Ciarchi, Andriy Goychuk, Erwin Frey
Active tissues exhibit tension fluctuations that are correlated in space and time. We study a minimal overdamped surface model in which such fluctuations enter as a zero-mean, multiplicative modulation of the local surface tension. Although the deterministic elastic dynamics (tension plus bending) stabilizes the flat state for all nonzero wave numbers, we find that sufficiently persistent active fluctuations generate positive ensemble growth rates for a finite band of Fourier modes, leading to stochastic buckling with wavelength selection. A non-Markovian theory based on the Novikov–Furutsu theorem captures the instability threshold and unstable band observed in simulations.
Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft), Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech)
Asymptotically Solvable Quantum Circuits
New Submission | Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech) | 2026-03-02 20:00 EST
Samuel H. Pickering, Bruno Bertini
The discovery of chaotic quantum circuits with (partially) solvable dynamics has played a key role in our understanding of non-equilibrium quantum matter and, at the same time, has helped the development of concrete platforms for quantum computation. It was shown that solvability does not prevent the generation of chaotic dynamics, however, it imposes non-trivial constraints on the generated correlations. A natural question is then whether it is possible to gain insight into the generic case despite the latter being very hard to access. To address this question here we introduce a family of ‘asymptotically solvable’ quantum circuits where the solvability constraints only affect correlations on length scales beyond a tuneable threshold. This means that their dynamics are only solvable for long enough times: for times shorter than the threshold they are generic. We show this by computing both their dynamical correlations on the equilibrium (infinite temperature) state and their thermalisation dynamics following quantum quenches from compatible (asymptotically solvable) non-equilibrium initial states. The class of systems we introduce is generically ergodic but contains a non-interacting point, which we use to provide exact analytical results, complementing those of numerical experiments, on the non-solvable early time regime.
Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech), High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th), Mathematical Physics (math-ph), Quantum Physics (quant-ph)