CMP Journal 2026-07-16
Statistics
Nature Reviews Physics: 1
Science: 20
arXiv: 66
Nature Reviews Physics
Emergence of Fermi-liquid and BCS physics in overdoped cuprates
Review Paper | Electronic properties and materials | 2026-07-15 20:00 EDT
B. J. Ramshaw, Steven A. Kivelson
Cuprates are the paradigmatic ‘unconventional’ superconductors: their critical temperature is much higher than can be expected from phonon-mediated pairing, the superconducting gap has d-wave symmetry, and the normal-metallic state appears to be far from a conventional Fermi liquid. These and numerous other experimental facts have led to a consensus that the conventional theory – the Fermi-liquid-based Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) theory – is the wrong starting point for understanding superconductivity in the cuprates. In this Perspective, we propose that, although underdoped cuprates do indeed require a different theoretical framework, there is a crossover with increasing doping to an overdoped regime in which a BCS-like approach is warranted (at energy scales of the order of the superconducting gap and below), provided that the various forms of disorder are accounted for. We summarize key experimental studies of the low-energy properties of overdoped cuprates, identify properties that are and are not compatible with this proposal, and argue that features that are inconsistent with this approach can in fact be attributed to the expected effects of material disorder. Finally, we provide falsifiable predictions for the behaviour of an ‘ideal’ (disorder-free) overdoped cuprate through which our approach can be tested.
Electronic properties and materials, Superconducting properties and materials
Science
Cross-cohort analysis of expression and splicing quantitative trait loci in TOPMed
Research Article | Transcriptomics | 2026-07-16 03:00 EDT
Peter Orchard, Thomas W. Blackwell, Linda Kachuri, Peter J. Castaldi, Michael H. Cho, Stephanie A. Christenson, Peter Durda, Stacey Gabriel, Craig P. Hersh, Scott Huntsman, Seungyong Hwang, Roby Joehanes, Mari Johnson, Xingnan Li, Honghuang Lin, Ching-Ti Liu, Yongmei Liu, Angel C. Y. Mak, Ani W. Manichaikul, David T. Paik, Aabida Saferali, Joshua D. Smith, Kent D. Taylor, Russell P. Tracy, Jiongming Wang, Mingqiang Wang, Joshua S. Weinstock, Jeffrey Weiss, Heather E. Wheeler, Ying Zhou, Sebastian Zöllner, Joseph C. Wu, Luisa Mestroni, Sharon Graw, Matthew R. G. Taylor, Victor E. Ortega, W. Craig Johnson, Weiniu Gan, Goncalo Abecasis, Deborah A. Nickerson, Namrata Gupta, Kristin Ardlie, Prescott G. Woodruff, Russell P. Bowler, Deborah A. Meyers, Alex Reiner, Charles Kooperberg, Elad Ziv, Ramachandran S. Vasan, Martin G. Larson, L. Adrienne Cupples, Edwin K. Silverman, Stephen S. Rich, Nancy Heard-Costa, Hua Tang, Jerome I. Rotter, Albert V. Smith, Daniel Levy, NHLBI TOPMed Consortium Multi-Omics Working Group32, NHLBI TOPMed Consortium32§, François Aguet, Laura J. Scott, Laura M. Raffield, Stephen C. J. Parker
Most genetic variants associated with complex traits are hypothesized to regulate gene expression. To understand the genetics underlying gene expression variability, we characterized 14,324 RNA-sequencing samples from the Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine program and performed expression and splicing quantitative trait locus (e/sQTL) analyses in six tissues and cell types, including whole blood (n = 6454) and lung (n = 1291). We detected tens of thousands of secondary cis-e/sQTLs, showing that secondary cis-e/sQTL discovery remains unsaturated. We fine-mapped UK Biobank-derived genome-wide association study (GWAS) signals from 164 traits and identified e/sQTL colocalizations for 10,611 GWAS signals, including 7096 that colocalize with secondary e/sQTLs. Our results suggest that even larger e/sQTL analyses will uncover additional secondary e/sQTLs, further benefiting GWAS interpretation.
Surface-dominant transport in Weyl semimetal NbAs nanowires for next-generation interconnects
Research Article | Electronic materials | 2026-07-16 03:00 EDT
Yeryun Cheon, Mehrdad T. Kiani, Yi-Hsin Tu, Sushant Kumar, Nghiep Khoan Duong, Jiyoung Kim, Lingcheng Kong, Quynh P. Sam, Han Wang, Satya K. Kushwaha, Nicholas Ng, Seng Huat Lee, Sam Kielar, Chen Li, Amelia Schaeffer, Jack D. Coyle, Dimitrios Koumoulis, Saif Siddique, Zhiqiang Mao, Gangtae Jin, Zhiting Tian, Ravishankar Sundararaman, Hsin Lin, Gengchiau Liang, Ching-Tzu Chen, Judy J. Cha
Ongoing demands for smaller and more energy-efficient electronic devices necessitate alternative interconnect materials with lower electrical resistivity at reduced dimensions. We report the synthesis of Weyl semimetal niobium arsenide (NbAs) nanowires through thermomechanical nanomolding with single crystallinity and controlled diameters down to 40 nanometers. The resistivity of NbAs nanowires decreases with decreasing diameter, and 40-nanometer-diameter nanowires exhibited a room-temperature resistivity of 10.5 ± 1.9 microhm·centimeters, which is ~70% lower than their bulk counterpart. Calculations attribute this resistivity reduction to surface-dominant conduction with a long carrier lifetime at finite temperatures. Further characterization of nanowires and bulk crystals revealed high breakdown current density, stability, and thermal conductivity. These properties highlight the potential of NbAs nanowires as next-generation interconnects that could surpass the limitations of current copper-based interconnects.
A transcriptional biosensor reveals mechanisms of α-ketoglutarate signaling to chromatin
Research Article | Cell biology | 2026-07-16 03:00 EDT
Alex C. Sternisha, Haocheng Li, Kumar Gajendra, Yi Xiao, Xin Zhao, Jeffrey I. Traylor, Lei Guo, Ji Hyung Jun, Morgan Fleishman, Tracey Shipman, Vinesh T. Puliyappadamba, Pranita Kaphle, Qing Ouyang, Michael Schmidt, Diana D. Shi, Milan R. Savani, Alexander C.-Y. Tsai, Joyce H. Lee, Ruth Gordillo, Javier Garcia-Bermudez, Yoon Jung Kim, Shih-Chia Tso, Chad A. Brautigam, Lauren G. Zacharias, Thomas P. Mathews, Lin Xu, John G. Doench, Vidyasagar Koduri, Kalil G. Abdullah, Michalis Agathocleous, Laura A. Banaszynski, Ralph J. DeBerardinis, Eric M. Morrow, Samuel K. McBrayer
The metabolite α-ketoglutarate (αKG) is required for chromatin demethylation, but mechanisms that control αKG abundance in the nucleus are poorly defined. We designed a biosensor to monitor this metabolite pool in human cells using an αKG-responsive cyanobacterial transcription factor, NtcA, and used it to identify genes that regulate αKG in the nucleus. We defined an interorganelle pathway in which sequential mitochondrial activities of glutamic-pyruvic transaminase 2 (GPT2) and the SLC25A11 transporter supply nuclear αKG. In a mouse model of GPT2 deficiency, an inborn error of metabolism, Gpt2 loss caused histone hypermethylation in the brain and dysregulated neurodevelopmental genes. Restoring αKG counteracted these changes and promoted mouse fitness. Our work provides a tool to directly monitor nuclear αKG and reveals nuclear αKG depletion as a key pathogenic mechanism underlying GPT2 deficiency.
Direct interaction of Vδ7 TCRs with IL17RA drives the differentiation of TH1-like γδT cells
Research Article | Immunology | 2026-07-16 03:00 EDT
Kewei Ye, Nimmy Francis, Josefine Dunst, Amanda Borgenstam, Iris Rocamonde-Lago, Stefanie Köhler, Yuanyuan You, Anatoly Dubnovitsky, Anja Kramer, Fanxi Meng, Valentin Zollner, Lisa Vogg, Tomás J. Ryan, Ken-ichi Hanada, Tommy Regen, Ari Waisman, Vivianne Malmström, Erik Benson, Jan Kisielow, Thomas Krey, Thomas H. Winkler, Leo Hanke, Taras Kreslavsky
Of the three classes of lymphocytes that constitute the adaptive immune system, γδT cells are the only class for which the principles of antigen recognition remain enigmatic. Although endogenous γδT cell antigen receptor (γδTCR) ligands are thought to regulate γδT cell development, their identities are largely elusive. Here, we identified the interleukin 17 receptor A chain (IL17RA) as a γδTCR ligand that drove the differentiation of Vδ7+ γδT cells with a T helper 1 (TH1)-like effector program in mice. IL17RA promoted this differentiation through an interaction involving germline-encoded regions of the Vδ7 chain, enabling the selection of cells with a diverse CDR3 repertoire and thus acting as a nonclonotypic γδTCR ligand. Together with the nonclonotypic mode of γδTCR engagement by butyrophilins, these results suggest that such interactions represent a general biological mechanism shaping the γδT cell compartment.
Dendritic cells control tertiary lymphoid structure development and maintenance in cancer
Research Article | Cancer immunology | 2026-07-16 03:00 EDT
Raphaël Mattiuz, Jesse Boumelha, Emmanouil Aerakis, Jessica Le Berichel, Pauline Hamon, Laszlo Halasz, Abishek Vaidya, Brian Y. Soong, Emir Radkevich, Hye Mi Kim, Matthew D. Park, Romain Donne, Leanna Troncoso, Rachel A. Kaplan, Clotilde Hennequin, Isaias Hernández-Verdin, Lucía López, Frederika Rentzeperis, Darwin D’Souza, Medard Ernest Kaiza, Ian P. MacFawn, Meriem Belabed, Guillaume Mestrallet, Etienne Humblin, Raphaël Merand, Samarth Hegde, Jean-Christophe Lone, Giorgio Ioannou, Sinem Ozbey, Igor Figueiredo, Alexander Tepper, Hajer Merarda, Nadine Serhan, Maximilian M. Schaefer, Jinping An, Ray A. Ohara, Erika Nemeth, Simon Goldstein, Amanda M. Reid, Moataz Noureddine, Alexandra Tabachnikova, Giulia Maria Piperno, Maria Tsoumakidou, Jalal Ahmed, Alexandros D. Polydorides, Nina Bhardwaj, Amaia Lujambio, Zhihong Chen, Edgar Gonzalez Kozlova, Seunghee Kim-Schulze, Joshua D. Brody, Michael Schotsaert, Christine Moussion, Sacha Gnjatic, Vladimir Roudko, Florent Ginhoux, Kenneth M. Murphy, Catherine Sautès-Fridman, Wolf Herman Fridman, Brian D. Brown, Thomas U. Marron, Federica Benvenuti, Jason G. Cyster, Hélène Salmon, Tullia C. Bruno, Nikhil S. Joshi, Alice O. Kamphorst, Miriam Merad
Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) are associated with immunotherapy response, yet the mechanisms controlling their formation and maintenance remain unclear. Using spatial transcriptomics and multiplex imaging across human tumors, we found that CCR7+ mature dendritic cells (DCs) accumulate in TLSs. In a mouse non-small cell lung cancer model that forms mature TLSs, we show that early TLS development requires interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-driven type 1 conventional dendritic cell (cDC1) maturation, migration to tumor-draining lymph nodes (tdLNs), and T cell recruitment. As tumors progress, TLSs persist independently of tdLN T cell egress, coinciding with cDC1 accumulation within intratumoral CCL19 stromal hubs. There, cDC1-major histocompatibility complex class 1 (MHC-I) and -MHC-II concomitant antigen presentation, along with CD40 signaling, sustain TLS, T follicular helper (TFH) cell pool, germinal centers, and tumor-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG). These findings highlight local mature cDC1s as key TLS orchestrators and potential targets to enhance antitumor TLS function.
Restored clearance of senescent neutrophils by tissue-resident macrophages limits organ aging
Research Article | Aging | 2026-07-16 03:00 EDT
Yuting Jessy Tan, Travis E. Conley, Fuwen Yao, Fernando J. García-Marqués, Damilola E. Akinyemi, Van Vuong Dinh, Qian Wang, Abel Bermudez, Jieun Kim, Julia A. Belk, Oliver Soehnlein, Sharon J. Pitteri, Katrin I. Andreasson
Aging disrupts tissue homeostasis across organ systems. Here, we identify tissue-resident macrophages (TRMs) as central coordinators of age-related organ decline through impaired clearance of senescent neutrophils, a process regulated by the immunomodulatory prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) receptor EP2. Reducing TRM EP2 signaling in aged mice preserved youthful mitochondrial fitness and prevented cognitive decline, frailty, sarcopenia, adiposity, cardiac impairment, and systemic inflammation. Plasma proteomics implicated the liver as a major source of age-associated immune change, in which reduced TRM EP2 signaling rescued neutrophil efferocytosis and prevented paracrine stress in neighboring cells. Elevated TRM EP2 expression and senescent neutrophils were also observed in aged and diseased human tissues. Pharmacologic EP2 inhibition restored youthful neutrophil clearance, establishing impaired TRM efferocytosis as a reversible driver of organ decline in aging.
Production and spectroscopy of cold radioactive molecules
Research Article | Molecular physics | 2026-07-16 03:00 EDT
Chandler J. Conn, Phelan Yu, Madison I. Howard, Yuxi Yang, Chaoqun Zhang, Arian Jadbabaie, Aikaterini Gorou, Alyssa N. Gaiser, Timothy C. Steimle, Lan Cheng, Nicholas R. Hutzler
Molecules with heavy, radioactive nuclei promise extreme sensitivity to fundamental nuclear and particle physics. However, these nuclei are available in limited quantities, which challenges their use in precision measurements. Here we demonstrate the gas-phase synthesis, cryogenic cooling, and high-resolution laser spectroscopy of radium monohydroxide, monodeuteroxide, and monofluoride molecules (226RaOH, 226RaOD, and 226RaF) in a tabletop apparatus by combining trace radioactive target production protocols, optically driven chemistry in a cryogenic buffer gas, and low-background spectroscopic detection methods. The molecules are cooled in the lab frame, creating conditions that are the same starting points as those for many current molecular precision measurement and quantum information experiments. This approach can be readily applied to a wide range of species and establishes key capabilities for molecular quantum sensing of exotic nuclei.
Helium escaping from the atmosphere of a nearby rocky exoplanet orbiting in a habitable zone
Research Article | 2026-07-16 03:00 EDT
Collin Cherubim, Shreyas Vissapragada, Tim Cunningham, Annabella G. Meech, David Charbonneau, Robin Wordsworth, Aaron Householder, Johanna Teske, Leonardo A. Dos Santos, Nicole L. Wallack, William Misener, Zifan Lin, Andrew McWilliam, Michael Zhang, Jason A. Dittmann, Mercedes López-Morales
Observations of highly irradiated gas giant exoplanets have shown helium escaping from their atmospheres. There is limited evidence for atmospheres on rocky exoplanets, perhaps because they have already escaped. We report near-infrared spectroscopic observations of LHS 1140b, a rocky exoplanet that orbits in the habitable zone of a nearby low-mass star. The transit spectra show absorption by helium escaping from the planet’s atmosphere. Helium absorption is detected in 2024 but not in 2025, indicating time-variable atmospheric escape. We interpret these results as indicating an upper atmosphere dominated by helium and depleted in hydrogen, with other volatile species trapped at lower altitudes, consistent with atmospheric fractionation models. No helium absorption is detected for LHS 1140c, a smaller and more strongly irradiated exoplanet in the same system.
A cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase-like scaffold organizes monoterpenoid indole alkaloid biosynthesis
Research Article | 2026-07-16 03:00 EDT
Di Gao高笛, Scott Galeung Alexander Mann, Binbin Chen陈彬彬, Yuanwei Gou苟源蔚, Cong Chen陈聪, Chong Qiao乔崇, Jorge Jonathan Oswaldo Garza-Garcia, Mohammadamin Shahsavaraniمحمدامین شهسوارانی, Xiaojing Jiang姜小晶, Hannah Caroline Tran, Jingfei Bao包竟飞, Mathew Bailey Richardson, Jianing Li李佳宁, Jacob Owen Perley, Jaewook Hwang황재욱, Feng Dong董峰, Chang Dong董昌, Lei Huang黄磊, Vincenzo De Luca, Yajie Wang王雅婕, Yang Qu曲洋, Jiazhang Lian连佳长
Biosynthesis of ~3,000 monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (MIAs), including the anticancer drug vinblastine, involves the highly unstable intermediate strictosidine aglycone. Its formation by strictosidine β-glucosidase (SGD) and subsequent conversion by geissoschizine synthase (GS) occur in spatially separated compartments, representing a major biosynthesis bottleneck. Here we discover VinBLAST, a cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase-like protein repurposed as a scaffold for efficient processing of this labile intermediate. VinBLAST physically mediates SGD and GS interaction in the nucleus and allosterically enhances GS catalytic efficiency. VinBLAST homologs from diverse plant families enhance biosynthesis of several representative MIAs, with the production of catharanthine increased to ~160 mg L-1 in yeast, nearly 1,000-fold higher than previous studies. Our discovery provides a missing link in organizing MIA biosynthesis and enables scalable bioproduction of geissoschizine-derived therapeutics.
De novo design of orthogonal far-red, orange, and green fluorophore-binding proteins for multiplexed imaging
Research Article | 2026-07-16 03:00 EDT
Long Tran, Steffen Klein, David Juergens, Shajesh Sharma, Justin Decarreau, Gyu Rie Lee, Yujia Wang, Wei Chen, Asim K. Bera, Alex Kang, Jon Woods, Emily Joyce, Dionne K Vafeados, Nicole Roullier, Xinting Li, Bingxu Liu, Yang Bo, Edin Muratspahić, Tim A. Brown, Jonathan B. Grimm, Ronak Patel, Luke D. Lavis, Julia Mahamid, Linna An, David Baker
Fluorescent proteins and small-molecule dyes offer complementary advantages for biological imaging: proteins are amenable to genetic tagging, whereas dyes provide superior brightness and photostability. To combine these strengths, we used de novo protein design to generate small, nanomolar-affinity, high-selectivity binders (NovoTags) for three cell-permeable dyes spanning the visible spectrum. We show that the NovoTag fluorescent lifetimes can be tuned and demonstrate their application in lifetime and wavelength-based multiplexed fluorescence imaging. We further design a two-chain NovoTag that functions as a chemically induced dimerization system with fluorescent readout in living cells, or as a minimally perturbing proximity probe in fixed cells. Our approach combines the advantages of fluorescent proteins and small-molecule dyes, expanding the toolkit for cellular imaging.
Drying of the Aral Sea reshapes the anthropogenic carbon inventory of Central Asia
Research Article | Carbon cycle | 2026-07-16 03:00 EDT
Rafael Marcé, Daniel Diaz de-Quijano, Sofía Rodríguez-Gómez, Enrique Moreno-Ostos, Makhambet Mukhtar, Björn Wissel, Zoraida Quiñones-Rivera, Carolina Olid, Santiago Giralt, Joan Pere Casas-Ruiz, Georgiy Kirillin, Daniel Mercado-Bettín, Valentí Rodellas, Jordi Ibáñez-Insa, Núria Catalán
Lakes store large quantities of carbon in their sediments, contributing to climate regulation. Yet the fate of this carbon after lake desiccation remains unclear. Using a space-for-time substitution approach, combining sediment cores, carbon dioxide flux measurements, and remote sensing, we quantified organic carbon losses from the world’s largest desiccated lake, the Aral Sea. Since 1960, exposed lake bed sediments have released 204 ± 53 teragrams of carbon (Tg C), with vegetation growth offsetting less than 1%. Incorporating these emissions alters the regional carbon budget, transforming the Aral Sea basin from a presumed land-use-change carbon sink into a net source. Reflooding the sea could prevent an additional 165 ± 13 Tg C release, reframing restoration not only as an ecological and humanitarian imperative but also as a climate mitigation opportunity.
Tracing the origins of St Helena’s liberated Africans
Research Article | Archaeology | 2026-07-16 03:00 EDT
Xueye Wang, Judy Watson, Helena Bennett, Andrew Pearson, Geoff M. Nowell, Joanne Peterkin, Kate Robson Brown, Alistair Pike, Jason Laffoon, Vicky M. Oelze, Hannes Schroeder
In the mid-19th century, St Helena became a key receiving point for Africans “liberated” from illegal slave ships by the British Royal Navy. Of the ~27,000 landed, ~8000 died soon after arrival and were buried locally. In connection with a broader community-led commemorative effort, we analyzed tooth enamel strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) data for 152 individuals, including high-resolution intratooth profiles, to identify likely origins and infer forced movements before embarkation. Isoscape-based probabilistic assignment, integrated with historical evidence and published ancient DNA data, constrains homelands ranging from coastal Central Africa to far inland areas, revealing long-distance movements, sometimes beginning in childhood. By refining provenance, these data informed local decisions about care and potential repatriation, highlighting the complexities of return and ultimately supporting reburial on St Helena.
Cyclic sealing and drainage on an oceanic transform fault
Research Article | Seismology | 2026-07-16 03:00 EDT
Hao Yang, Lingling Ye, Haijiang Zhang
Oceanic transform faults have been considered conservative, shear-dominated boundaries, yet their proximity to magmatic systems implies fluid involvement. In this work, we discovered tidally modulated tremor at the Gofar transform fault along the East Pacific Rise. Tremor amplitude correlates with semidiurnal tides during periods of sparse seismicity and low in situ compressional to shear wave velocity ratio (Vp/Vs), but this correlation weakens following earthquake swarms accompanied by high Vp/Vs. We propose a valve-like sealing-drainage dynamic process where sealing traps volatiles and boosts tidal sensitivity, sustaining tremor activity until rupture opens high porosity and permeability pathways, which silences tremors, triggers microseismicity, and resets the system through hydrothermal resealing. Thus, transform faults are likely permeable and tide critical, with energy release oscillating between tremors and rupture, paced by magmatic volatile supply and healing.
Geometrically driven reversible solid-liquid phase transition at the atomic scale
Research Article | Nanomaterials | 2026-07-16 03:00 EDT
Wenjun Cui, Cheng Qian, Weixiao Lin, Zefan Xue, Zhencui Ge, Wen Zhao, Gustaaf Van Tendeloo, Jinsong Wu, Feng Ding, Xiahan Sang, Zhengyi Fu
Atomic-resolution observation of the liquid-solid phase transition within a geometrically confined nanocluster provides fundamental insights into heterogeneous nucleation mechanisms. In this work, using in situ transmission electron microscopy, we directly control and observe a single critical-sized bismuth nanocluster within a tunable nanoscale gap, driving it through a reversible cycle from quasi-amorphous nanodisc, to crystalline nanowire, to liquid nanodroplet. The cluster’s aspect ratio, rather than its volume, is the primary descriptor governing these phase transitions, determined by the interplay between intrinsic surface anisotropy and interfacial energetics. Confinement also imposes texture, forcing the nanowire to adopt a preferred orientation that is absent in unconfined nanoparticles. These results provide the mechanistic foundation for geometry-driven phase and orientation selection, which enables the rational design of nanomaterials through engineered confinement.
Structure and evolution-guided design of minimal RNA-guided nucleases
Research Article | Protein engineering | 2026-07-16 03:00 EDT
Petr Skopintsev, Isabel Esain-Garcia, Evan C. DeTurk, Peter H. Yoon, Zehan Zhou, Trevor Weiss, Maris Kamalu, Ajit Chamraj, Kenneth J. Loi, Conner J. Langeberg, Ron S. Boger, Hunter Nisonoff, Hannah M. Karp, Lin-Xing Chen, Honglue Shi, Kamakshi Vohra, Jillian F. Banfield, Jamie H. D. Cate, Steven E. Jacobsen, Jennifer A. Doudna
The design of RNA-guided nucleases with properties not limited by evolution can expand programmable genome-editing capabilities. However, generating diverse multidomain proteins with robust enzymatic properties remains challenging. Here, we use a protein design strategy that couples a structure-guided inverse-folding model with evolution-informed residue constraints to generate active, divergent variants of TnpB, a minimal CRISPR-Cas12-like nuclease, termed SynTnpBs. High-throughput screening of artificial intelligence-generated variants yielded editors that retained or exceeded wild-type activity in bacterial, plant, and human cells. Cryo-electron microscopy-based structure determination of the most divergent variant revealed stabilizing contacts in the RNA-DNA interfaces across conformations, demonstrating the design potential of this approach. Together, these results establish a strategy for creating non-natural RNA-guided nucleases and conformationally active nucleic acid binders, enlarging the designable protein space.
Performance trade-offs define a fundamental dental dichotomy in mammals
Research Article | Paleontology | 2026-07-16 03:00 EDT
Narimane Chatar, Melvin Vankelst, Alejandro Pérez-Ramos, Tahlia I. Pollock, Davide Tamagnini, Margot Michaud, Levi Yoder Raskin, Z. Jack Tseng
Teeth define mammalian evolution, and one of many adaptive dental breakthroughs in crown mammals is the tribosphenic molar: a tooth with a dual shearing-crushing function, often considered a key adaptation in crown mammals. However, we do not know how potential trade-offs between these antagonistic functions may influence the macroevolutionary outcomes of mammalian lineages. Here, we show that predatory mammals evolved dichotomized performance in their tribosphenic carnassial teeth, with slicing constrained to a narrow set of optimal phenotypes and crushing exhibiting redundant solutions. Less than 1% of predators evolved optimized shearing and crushing. The fundamental trade-off in functions of the tribosphenic architecture promoted divergent macroevolutionary specializations rather than functional duality. These results highlight how key innovations can drive early evolutionary success while simultaneously constraining subsequent diversification.
Spatiotemporally homogeneous crystallization for ambient scalable perovskite photovoltaics
Research Article | Solar cells | 2026-07-16 03:00 EDT
Binlou Gao, Yang Zhong, Xiao Luo, Jiacheng He, Junxi Guo, Xueying Wang, Yikun Liu, Licheng Tan, Yiwang Chen
Commercializing perovskite solar cells (PSCs) will likely require the scalable deposition of homogeneous perovskite films under ambient conditions. However, the spatially heterogeneous degradation of metastable perovskites during prolonged coating leads to nonuniformity. Here, we demonstrate spatiotemporally homogeneous crystallization of α-phase FAPbI3 (where FA is formamidinium) enabled by a phase-locking strategy that establishes a dynamically evolving, moisture-buffering intergranular network during large-area printing. This method prevents the premature degradation caused by ambient humidity, eliminating directional inhomogeneity. Blade-coated PSCs achieved a 26.7% power conversion efficiency (PCE; 26.1% certified), and rigid and flexible 100-square-centimeter modules reached 21.5 and 19.5%, respectively. Improved morphological homogeneity mitigated localized degradation and suppressed self-amplifying aging pathways. Encapsulated devices retained more than 90% of their initial PCE after 1500 hours of 85°C maximum power point tracking in ambient air.
Robust single-electron memory with quantum states manipulation
Research Article | Quantum engineering | 2026-07-16 03:00 EDT
Chunsen Liu, Yutong Xiang, Chong Wang, Peng Zhou
The ultimate goal of information storage is single-electron memory. Quantum mechanics predicts that two distinguishable quantum states can be realized by confining a single electron within an ultrasmall space. However, scaling down such devices paradoxically amplifies fringe capacitance effects, which hinders the experimental observation of single-electron memory. We report a two-dimensional single-electron memory device based on a coplanar drain-channel-source structure that suppressed fringe capacitance, exhibiting a nonvolatile threshold voltage shift of 0.5 volts after the change of a single electron. Two intriguing quantum behaviors have also been verified regarding the programming voltage. Additionally, we have predicted and observed a distinctive quantum memory effect: A quantum state is cut off by density of states scissors.
Preferred synthesis of armchair transition metal dichalcogenide nanotubes
Research Article | 2026-07-16 03:00 EDT
Abid, Luneng Zhao, Ju Huang, Yongjia Zheng, Yuta Sato, Tianyu Wang, Dmitry Levshov, Lingfeng Wang, Qingyun Lin, Zhen Han, Chunxia Yang, Bill Herve Nduwarugira, Yicheng Ma, Yige Zheng, Hang Wang, Salman Ullah, Afzal Khan, Qi Zhang, Wenbin Li, Junfeng Gao, Bingfeng Ju, Feng Ding, Yan Li, Wouter Herrebout, Kazu Suenaga, Shigeo Maruyama, Huayong Yang, Rong Xiang, Haiming Sun
Nanotubes represent an important class of crystalline materials but controlling their structures, particularly chiralities, remains a fundamental challenge. In this work, we report a strategy for synthesizing transition-metal dichalcogenide nanotubes with preferred armchair chirality. tin disulfide, molybdenum disulfide, and tungsten disulfide nanotubes are formed with high yield and structural purity inside boron nitride nanotube channels. Atomic-resolution imaging, electron diffraction, and circular dichroism reveal an armchair preference up to 83%. Density functional theory rules out structural stability as the origin of this preference but confirms that zigzag nanoribbons are energetically more stable. Machine learning potential molecular dynamics simulate that zigzag nanoribbons roll up to form armchair nanotubes, a process that is subsequently observed by in situ transmission electron microscope. This work may inspire the achievement of on-demand synthesis of various nanotubes with specific chiralities.
Parallel independent voltage computing along dendrites of CA3 pyramidal neurons
Research Article | Neurophysiology | 2026-07-16 03:00 EDT
Asako Noguchi, Satoshi Terada, George N. Zakka, Cliodhna O’Toole, Luke Reynolds, Michelle Ann Land, Balázs J. Rózsa, François St-Pierre, Attila Losonczy
Dendritic computation contributes to information processing in cortical circuits. Hippocampal CA3 plays a central role in navigation, but how the dendrites of CA3 pyramidal neurons process information in vivo remains largely unknown. Using voltage imaging across dendrites and somata of CA3 pyramidal neurons during virtual reality-guided navigation in mice, we found that the dendritic arbor comprises multiple independent computational units that can dynamically couple to or dissociate from somatic activity, depending on behavioral conditions. Dendritic activity shapes subcellular representations of space, reward, and context through conditional coupling to the somatic output. Furthermore, spatially cotuned dendrites retain their coordination during sharp-wave ripples. These findings demonstrate that past, present, and future representations coexist within the dendritic arbor of CA3 pyramidal neurons, collectively shaping behaviorally relevant neuronal coding.
arXiv
Cooper pairing with the onsite exchange interaction: A possible mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity
New Submission | Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Among the various mechanisms proposed for unconventional superconductivity, this paper focuses on the Coulomb interaction responsible for $ d$ -wave and $ s\pm$ -wave pairing symmetries in cuprates and iron pnictides. Although the effective interaction $ U_\text{eff}=U-J$ is predominantly repulsive, an attractive component arising from the Hund’s coupling parameter $ J$ is sufficient to bind fractional charges. Evaluating this binding energy within a single-band Hubbard model yields a superconducting pairing gap $ \Delta_0$ and estimates the transition temperature $ T_c$ . Given the complex electronic structure and vast compositional space of these materials, the model focuses exclusively on the doped superconducting plane hosting these fractional charges. Through this approach, an analytical expression dependent on the Hubbard $ U$ and Hund $ J$ parameters that accurately reproduces the superconducting dome is derived. Furthermore, the model successfully addresses the characteristic electron and hole doping asymmetry observed in cuprates by accounting for Hund’s coupling parameters. Finally, while the theory accurately describes strange metal behavior, it currently provides only a qualitative explanation for the pseudogap phase and the underdoped isotope effect.
Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con), Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
DeepCormack: Fermi surface tomography using model-based data-driven algorithms
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Georg F. B. Lovric, Bryn Drury, Carola-Bibiane Schönlieb, Stephen B. Dugdale, Ander Biguri
The experimental reconstruction of the 3D two-photon momentum density (TPMD) via angular correlation of electron-positron annihilation radiation (ACAR) is a particularly useful method for studying material Fermi surfaces. It does not rely on low temperatures, UHV conditions, or strong magnetic fields, and enables the study of the spin-resolved electronic structure of materials. Yet, it remains a challenging inverse problem. Typically, 10^8 positron annihilation events are measured for 3–6 projections of the TPMD at different angles. The standard reconstruction approach is an ACAR adaptation of Cormack’s method (the MCM) that leverages the inherent symmetry in the crystal’s structure. However, the poor signal-to-noise ratio means collecting data of sufficient quality for Fermi surface studies can take months per sample. We present DeepCormack, a family of data-driven model-based reconstruction algorithms that augments the MCM by integrating supervised deep-learning models (CNN, MLP, and UNet) at various stages. To overcome the lack of large experimental training sets, we propose a method which leverages singular value decomposition with dynamic mode decomposition to generate realistic synthetic TPMD volumes, requiring only a single reference momentum density computed via density functional theory. On test data, DeepCormack improves reconstruction quality over MCM by about 8.5 dB PSNR at 200M counts and remains stable at reduced counts, enabling significantly faster acquisition times. Generalisation to experimental data depends strongly on how well the training distribution from the reference momentum density matches the sample. We therefore recommend pairing DeepCormack with a DFT calculation of the target material to create sample-specific training data. Our proposed method offers either much higher quality reconstructions, or enables significantly faster ones, on the order of weeks.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci), Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el), Machine Learning (cs.LG)
28 pages, 17 figures
SiMOS quantum-dot spin qubits enabled by extreme-ultraviolet lithography
New Submission | Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Thomas Van Caekenberghe, Paul Steinacker, Bart Raes, Sofie Beyne, Clement Godfrin, Jacques Van Damme, Sylvain Baudot, Arne Loenders, Gulzat Jaliel, Stefan Kubicek, Johan De Backer, Yannick Hermans, Sugandha Sharma, Shuchi Kaushik, Yuchao Jiang, Yosuke Shimura, Roger Loo, Vukan Levajac, Kristof Moors, George Simion, Florian K. Unseld, Ensar Vahapoglu, Ajit Dash, Tuomo Tanttu, Chris C. Escott, Chih Hwan Yang, Andre Saraiva, Arne Laucht, Wee Han Lim, Nard Dumoulin Stuyck, Massimo Mongillo, Danny Wan, Andrew S. Dzurak, Kristiaan De Greve
The realization of large-scale silicon quantum processors requires spin qubits compatible with advanced semiconductor manufacturing technologies, demanding lithographic processes that combine nanometer-scale precision with exceptional uniformity. Although the highest-performing silicon spin qubits demonstrated to date have relied on electron-beam (e-beam) lithography, its serial exposure process limits reproducibility studies and wafer-scale fabrication. Here, we demonstrate high-performance silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor (SiMOS) spin qubits fabricated using extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) lithography in a 300 mm semiconductor pilot line. We report wafer-scale quantum-dot uniformity metrics, including 100 % room-temperature gate-to-gate leakage yield and sub-nanometer control of critical gate dimensions. We characterize four double-dot systems realized in two triple-quantum-dot devices. Gate set tomography (GST) reveals consistently high fidelities across all four systems, with values up to 99.8 % for SPAM, 99.9 % for single-qubit gates, and 99.1 % for two-qubit gates. The devices exhibit highly reproducible exchange turn-on characteristics of 10-13 dec/V, indicating high fabrication uniformity enabled by EUV patterning. These results establish EUV lithography as a viable manufacturing technology for quantum processors based on high-fidelity SiMOS spin qubits.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall), Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
11 pages, 4 figures, 3 extended data figures
Three-Dimensional Non-Foliated Fractional Quantum Hall Phases with Irrational Anyons in Twisted van der Waals Multilayers
New Submission | Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Seyoung Jin, Hyeonseo Lim, Youngwook Kim, Gil Young Cho
Three-dimensional fractional quantum Hall phases offer a route to intrinsically higher-dimensional topological order beyond simple stacks of two-dimensional quantum Hall liquids. Such phases can exhibit non-foliated, intrinsically three-dimensional entanglement structures, exponentially large topological degeneracies and quasiparticles with irrational braiding statistics. Their microscopic realization has remained elusive because Landau quantization in three dimensions generally leaves dispersive one-dimensional bands, favoring metallic and density-wave states over incompressible fractional liquids. Here we show that large-angle twisted van der Waals multilayers provide a practical route around this obstruction. Large twist angles suppress coherent interlayer tunneling through momentum mismatch, while the atomic-scale layer separation preserves strong interlayer Coulomb interactions. Using Monte Carlo calculations to compare the energies of an extensive set of 862 competing trial wavefunctions, we find that generalized Halperin states with quantum coherence extending across multiple consecutive layers are stabilized. In experimentally accessible magnetic-field regimes, these states replace the metallic spontaneous-interlayer-coherent phases that dominate conventional untwisted graphite-like multilayers. The resulting liquids realize non-foliated fractional quantum Hall order closely related to fractonic topological order, hosting quasiparticles with rational electric charges but irrational braiding statistics. Their large topological degeneracy and non-rational statistical phases may offer unconventional resources for quantum information storage and processing. Our results establish twisted van der Waals multilayers as a realistic materials platform for three-dimensional fractional Hall matter beyond conventional two-dimensional quantum Hall systems.
Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el), Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall), Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
8+23 pages, 3+6 figures, 0+9 tables
Half dualization and non-invertible particle-vortex duality defect on lattice
New Submission | Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
We introduce half dualization as a general principle to construct non-invertible duality defects. The construction performs a duality transformation only in a subregion of spacetime, leaving an interface between the original theory and its dual. A non-invertible duality defect can be hosted on this interface. Half dualization is applicable whenever a local duality transformation is available, and does not depend on the spacetime dimension. We demonstrate the construction procedure in the (2+1)-dimensional Villainized charge-$ n$ XY model on a cubic lattice. Half dualization yields a non-invertible particle-vortex duality defect whose fusion with its orientation reverse produces a (1+1)-dimensional $ \mathbb{Z}_n$ gauge theory on the fusion surface. We then apply half dualization to the $ \mathbb{Z}_n$ -gauged XY model relevant to the 3D XY$ ^\ast$ transition. In the gauged model, the half dualization interface hosts a gauge covariant duality wall, rather than a genuine gauge invariant duality defect. It flows to an invertible duality defect in infrared when the $ \mathbb{Z}_n$ gauge theory is confined or Higgsed.
Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech), Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el), High Energy Physics - Lattice (hep-lat), High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th)
6.5 pages
Emergent Yielding from Structural Load Transfer in Disordered Soft Solids
New Submission | Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Lalit Kumar (Department of Energy Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India)
Yielding in disordered soft solids originates from the progressive redistribution of load-bearing capacity from recoverable elastic networks to frictional interactions through deformation-induced structural evolution. We present a unified, non-singular constitutive framework demonstrating that this mechanism naturally generates a finite yield stress and a smooth solid-to-fluid transition without prescribed yield criteria, constitutive switching, or divergent viscosities. The framework captures diverse transient and steady rheological phenomena, including Herschel-Bulkley behavior, stress overshoots, hysteresis, viscosity bifurcation, plug-flow formation, and thixotropic steady-state shear banding.
Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft)
6 pages, 3 figures
Synthesis of the Elusive Bulk Iodide Double-Perovskite Semiconductor, Cs2AgBiI6: Microcrystals and Photoconductive Films
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Faris Horani, Nicolas Nguyen, Carmelita Ro-Mendez, Nicholas J. Adams, Daniel R. Gamelin
Three-dimensional (3D) iodide double-perovskite (elpasolite) semiconductors have attracted interest as potential lead-free metal-halide absorber layers for solar applications. Although studied extensively by computational methods, they have remained largely inaccessible synthetically, consistent with their predicted thermodynamic instability. Here, we report the first synthesis of bulk Cs2AgBiI6, demonstrating both microcrystalline and thin-film forms. Microcrystalline powders of Cs2AgBiI6 were prepared via anion exchange from phase-pure Cs2AgBiBr6 microcrystals. The resulting iodide elpasolite shows broad absorption throughout the visible with a 1.70 +/- 0.05 eV optical bandgap and near-infrared photoluminescence centered at 1.03 eV. We identify the elimination of trace moisture in bulk Cs2AgBiBr6 as the critical factor enabling complete halide exchange and isolation of bulk Cs2AgBiI6 with phase purity. In inert atmosphere, microcrystalline Cs2AgBiI6 shows no decomposition when stored for months at room temperature or heated to ~70 °C, and it appears equally stable in dry air. Building upon these insights, we then demonstrate the preparation of phase-pure Cs2AgBiI6 films by flash thermal evaporation of Cs2AgBiBr6 followed by anion exchange. Photoconductivity measurements on such Cs2AgBiI6 films demonstrate photocarrier generation and transport, marking the first optoelectronic measurement on this elusive 3D iodide double perovskite.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
25 pages, 7 figures + TOC graphic, additional supporting information of 25 pages, 28 figures, 2 tables. Submitted to the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS)
Zero-energy bound state trapped in line-shaped vortex in topological superconductor
New Submission | Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Fermion bound states in the core of a line-shaped vortex of a two-dimensional topological superconductor are investigated. The superconducting pairing potential, described in terms of elliptical coordinates, vanishes along a line defect with the two foci at the endpoints. The superconductivity is induced into a topological insulator via proximity effect with a type II s-wave superconductor. The spin and the momentum are perpendicularly locked by the strong spin-orbit coupling via Rashba interaction. A zero-energy Majorana state arises from the Berry phase together with a sequence of equally spaced fermion exitations. By solving the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations using the method employed by Caroli, de Gennes and Matricon we calculate the energies, the wave-functions and spin-polarization of the bound states. An analytic expression for the local density of states within the vortex is obtained.
Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con)
27 pages, 6 figures
Multiwavelength Raman investigation of mono- and few-layer MoS2 grown by Pulsed Laser Deposition on SiO2
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Alice Cartoceti (1), Paolo D’Agosta (1), Francesco Tumino (1), Valeria Russo (1), Carlo S. Casari (1), Andrea Li Bassi (1) ((1) Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy)
Molybdenum disulfide (MoS$ 2$ ) is a semiconductor whose vibrational and excitonic properties are highly sensitive to layer number and structural disorder. We demonstrate the growth of MoS$ 2$ monolayers on inert, electronics-compatible SiO$ 2$ substrates using room-temperature pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Control of the process parameters enables tuning from monolayer to multilayer films, which we investigate by multiwavelength Raman spectroscopy. The evolution of the Raman-shift difference between the $ E{2g}^{1}$ and $ A{1g}$ modes, combined with an assessment of defect density, tracks film growth as a function of the number of deposition laser pulses. Although excitonic effects strongly influence the optical response of two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides, experimental reports of symmetry-selective exciton-phonon coupling remain limited. We provide experimental evidence of symmetry-dependent exciton-phonon coupling in PLD-grown monolayer MoS$ 2$ . Specifically, we observe modulation of the resonant behaviour of the out-of-plane $ A{1g}$ and in-plane $ E{2g}^{1}$ modes, related to their different coupling to A excitons, predominantly derived from Mo $ d_{z^2}$ orbitals, and C excitons, characterized by mixed orbital contributions from Mo $ d_{z^2}$ and S $ p_x$ and $ p_y$ states. Comparison with mechanically exfoliated monolayers reveals the role of growth-induced defects in modulating these interactions. These findings establish room-temperature PLD as a viable approach for growing two-dimensional MoS$ _2$ on inert, electronics-compatible substrates and provide insight into the interplay between excitonic resonances and growth-induced disorder in two-dimensional MoS$ _2$ .
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci), Chemical Physics (physics.chem-ph)
30 pages, 7 figures, and 1 table, including 4 pages of Supporting Information. Corresponding authors: Alice Cartoceti, Andrea Li Bassi
Exact collective first-passage statistics of N trail-interacting walkers
New Submission | Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Paul Pineau, Julien Brémont, Olivier Bénichou, Raphaël Voituriez
Memory encoded in the environment mediates interactions between active agents, from trail-following organisms to synthetic active matter depositing persistent tracks. Although such memory is known to strongly affect transport, its consequences for collective first-passage phenomena remain largely unexplored. Here we study $ N$ one-dimensional random walkers interacting through a shared trail field. We characterize the $ k^{\rm th}$ (among $ N$ ) arrival time at a fixed target, and the probability that exactly $ k$ walkers in $ [0,1]$ reach one boundary before the other. For the broad class of self-interacting walkers with a saturating response to the trail, we derive exact expressions for the corresponding persistence exponents and splitting probabilities. Strikingly, despite the strong history-dependent correlations generated by the common environment, splitting probabilities are exactly identical whether walkers explore simultaneously or one after another. This invariance breaks down for nonsaturating trail interactions. Our results follow from an exact representation of the collective trail field and establish a framework for first-passage phenomena in systems coupled through persistent environmental memory.
Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech), Mathematical Physics (math-ph), Probability (math.PR)
Article: 6 pages; Supplementary: 28 pages
Modeling damage and fracture in additively manufactured polymeric triply periodic minimal surface lattices
New Submission | Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Abhishek Gupta, Aditya Konale, Ke Ma, Keven Alkhoury, Pradeep Guduru, Yuri Bazilevs, Vikas Srivastava
Architected triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) lattices offer superior specific energy absorption, toughness, fatigue strength, and tunability. While recent advancements have established rate-dependent viscoplastic constitutive models to capture the complex nonlinear deformation response of additively manufactured polymeric TPMS structures, predicting fracture and the resulting structural failure remains a significant challenge. We address this by performing systematic experiments on unit cells and lattices of various sizes under tension, compression, and non-monotonic loading. The experiments inform the development of a new constitutive model that captures the damage and fracture behavior of polymeric TPMS lattices. We first implement a high-fidelity viscoplastic deformation constitutive model from Ma et al. (2026) into finite element software Abaqus/Explicit via a user material subroutine. We then propose a damage initiation criterion for amorphous polymers based on stored elastic energy and equivalent plastic strain. The damage model is implemented in Abaqus using gradient-damage framework following Konale and Srivastava(2025). The damage model and numerical simulation capability are quantitatively and qualitatively validated using experimental results for a unit cell under non-monotonic loading and lattices under tension. The proposed damage model and simulation capability enable in silico design of architected polymer structures.
Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft)
Electronic properties and topological aspects of graphene nanohelicoids
New Submission | Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Xiaoqian Liu, Arsen Herasymchuk, Yaroslav Zhumagulov, Oleg V. Yazyev
We introduce graphene nanohelicoids, geometric analogues of graphene nanoribbons, in which the honeycomb lattice is embedded on a helicoidal surface. Starting from the three-dimensional helical structure, we construct effective one-dimensional lattice models with band structures characterized by a momentum-shifted particle-hole relation $ E_v(k)=-E_c(k+\pi)$ that reflects an anti-chiral symmetry arising from the nonsymmorphic symmetry. A systematic investigation of graphene nanohelicoids using the tight-binding approximation reveals a number of trends upon varying width and edge orientation, for instance, alternating transitions between semiconducting and metallic regimes. As the structure width varies, the band gap periodically closes and reopens, accompanied by an alternating Zak phase that switches between trivial and nontrivial. We derive an analytic tight-binding model and introduce a continuous deformation of the graphene nanohelicoids that explains the origin of width-dependent band inversion and alternating Zak phase.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall), Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
15 pages, 13 figures
Theoretical prediction of structural stability and superconductivity in T-hexagonal molybdenum dihydrides Monolayer
New Submission | Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Jakkapat Seeyangnok, Udomsilp Pinsook
The realization of ambient-pressure, high-temperature superconductivity in hydrogen-rich materials remains a major pursuit in condensed-matter physics. While bulk hydrides require extreme pressures to stabilize, two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal hydrides offer a promising alternative to bypass these compression constraints. In this work, we investigate the structural stability, electronic properties, and phonon-mediated superconductivity of a hexagonal molybdenum dihydride (MoH2) monolayer using first-principles calculations. Total-energy evaluations reveal that the octahedral T-phase is energetically more favorable than the previously reported trigonal prismatic H-phase by 0.198 eV, establishing the T-phase as the true ground-state configuration. Consequently, we systematically evaluate the lattice dynamics and superconducting properties of this ground-state T-MoH2 monolayer within the frameworks of density functional perturbation theory (DFPT) and the anisotropic Migdal-Eliashberg formalism. The transition metal-hydrogen vibrational networks induce strong electron-phonon coupling (EPC), yielding an integrated coupling parameter of \lambda = 1.04. Solving the anisotropic Eliashberg equations predicts a conventional superconducting transition temperature (Tc of 14.4K) at ambient pressure, characterized by a moderately gap distribution (\Delta = 2.07-3.01meV at 5.0 K). Our findings highlight the T-MoH2 monolayer as a structurally, mechanically, and thermally stable platform for exploring low-dimensional conventional superconductivity under ambient conditions.
Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con)
7 pages, 6 images
Fundamental Relation between Conductance of Biomolecules and the Fukui Function
New Submission | Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
The finite-temperature conductance of a molecule coupled to metallic leads is derived entirely within the framework of density functional theory (DFT) and its time-dependent extension for open quantum systems. Starting from the Mermin grand potential, the foundational Kohn-Sham equations, the Fukui function, and the open-system master equation for the single-particle density matrix are systematically formulated. The non-equilibrium electron-phonon dissipator is obtained from the partial trace over the phonon bath. By applying Wick’s theorem for non-interacting fermions, a fully exchange-symmetric collision integral is obtained that strictly preserves Pauli exclusion at the operator level. Performing a double perturbation expansion, initially in the applied voltage (linear response), and subsequently in the molecule-lead coupling (weak coupling), it is demonstrated that under the fast-thermalization condition, the complex exchange-correlation self-consistent field response is analytically projected out by the diagonal structure of the slow Liouvillian mode. Consequently, the thermal conductance is governed by the finite-temperature Fukui function, the central reactivity descriptor of conceptual density functional theory. This condition is satisfied in proteins, whose wave functions are extended and multifractal due to quantum criticality at the Anderson metal-insulator transition. This derivation establishes a fundamental link between electronic transport and chemical reactivity, identifying conducting paths with reactive sites. It opens new technological avenues connecting drug design to conductance experiments and also provides a foundation for designing next-generation bioelectronic sensing and computing architectures.
Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft), Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall), Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci), Biological Physics (physics.bio-ph), Biomolecules (q-bio.BM)
13 pages, 2 figures
Direct Imaging of Temperature Evolution of Polar Nanoregions and Chemically Ordered Regions in PMN Relaxor: Evidence for Polar Phase Percolation
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Kohei Hino, Daisuke Morikawa, Desheng Fu, Mitsuru Itoh, Kenji Tsuda
Polar nanoregions (PNRs) are central to understanding the exceptional dielectric and piezoelectric properties of relaxor ferroelectrics and are key to advancing dielectrics for high-energy storage. However, direct real-space imaging of their formation and evolution remains a major challenge in condensed matter physics. Here, we report the real-space mappings of both PNRs and chemically ordered regions (CORs) in the prototypical relaxor Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 and their temperature dependence using convergent-beam electron diffraction (CBED) combined with four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D-STEM). The results reveal that CORs, with sizes of 2-5 nm, remain static with temperature and act to suppress PNR growth. In contrast, PNRs evolve from isolated 2-5 nm regions at room temperature to interconnected structures ~10 nm in size at low temperatures, indicative of a percolation transition. These observations support the random-field model, in which PNRs emerge from a paraelectric matrix and their growth and collective interactions are constrained by random local fields associated with CORs.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
12 pages, 4 figures
Appl. Phys. Lett. 128, 142901 (2026)
The Sample Pre-selection and Characterization Station at the SECUF: Instrumentation, Capabilities, and Representative Scientific Achievements
New Submission | Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Xu Chen, Tao Sun, Huifen Ren, Minjie Cui, Jun Luo, Shuai Zhang, Shaokui Su
The Synergetic Extreme Condition User Facility (SECUF) is a comprehensive, state-of-the-art user facility designed to provide integrated extreme physical conditions-including ultrahigh pressure, ultralow temperature, strong magnetic fields, and ultrafast optical fields-for frontier research in condensed matter physics and materials science. Within SECUF, the F2 Sample Pre-selection and Characterization Station plays a pivotal supporting role. Its mission is to provide comprehensive sample synthesis, processing, pre-screening, and characterization services to prepare high-quality specimens for subsequent experiments under extreme conditions. This paper details the specifications and performance of ten core instrument systems within these units. Furthermore, we highlight several breakthrough scientific achievements enabled by the F2 Station, encompassing the discovery of novel quantum spin supersolid states, pressure-induced high-temperature superconductivity in nickelates, giant anomalous Hall angles, and molecular water in lunar soil. We also outline ongoing technical developments that expand the station’s capabilities, such as integrated high-pressure cells and self-built ancillary measurement systems.
Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
20 pages, 9 figures
A Loewner-Theoretic Approach to the Nonlinear Generalized Langevin Equation: The Role of Entropy in Colored Noise Environment
New Submission | Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
In this study, the formal derivation of a one-dimensional nonlinear generalized Langevin equation is demonstrated using a decomposition method based on the conformal transformation governed by the chordal Loewner equation. Here, we used a modified Mori-Zwanzig method whose operator is substituted by that is derived from the discrete Loewner evolution. By this approach, the different types of fluctuation-dissipation relation (FDR) were reformulated using mathematical terms affected by the conformal maps. Dealing with a memory kernel that models the cell migration experiment, the numerical simulation was performed to obtain the specific scaling law of energy dissipation that is common among the two obtained types of FDRs. In addition, the concept of Loewner entropy is used for the estimation of the canonical ensemble in the colored noise environment throughout the theoretical analyses.
Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech), Mathematical Physics (math-ph)
12 pages, 2 figures
The nonequilibrium statistical mechanics of Markov interacting particles
New Submission | Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
We consider coupled stochastic systems decomposed into exterior, boundary, and interior variables, with the boundary variables sometimes carrying the directed structure of a sensor and actuator. The central question is when the conditional law of histories factorises, and how this path space statement is detected by log likelihoods, by Girsanov changes of measure, and by information theoretic quantities used in nonequilibrium statistical physics. The basic object is a regular conditional probability on a path space. Under domination by clamped reference laws, the boundary property becomes multiplicative separation of a Radon–Nikodym derivative, or equivalently additive separation of a path log likelihood. For Itō diffusions this log likelihood is computed by Girsanov’s theorem; its expectation is the quadratic control energy appearing in the Föllmer entropy identity and in the stochastic control formulation of Schrödinger bridge problems. When exact factorisation fails, the remaining coupling is measured by conditional mutual information, namely the relative entropy between the true boundary-conditioned path law and the product of its conditional marginals. This gives a common language for boundary screening, path likelihood inference, controlled changes of path law, and the thermodynamic value of mutual information.
Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech), Mathematical Physics (math-ph), Probability (math.PR), Adaptation and Self-Organizing Systems (nlin.AO)
35+1 pages
On-chip quantum sensing of Kondo spins in a high-mobility quasi-one-dimensional nanoconstriction
New Submission | Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Shun-Tsung Lo, Che-Cheng Wang, Sheng-Chin Ho, Jun-Hao Chang, Ming-Wei Chen, G. L. Creeth, L. W. Smith, Shih-Hsiang Chao, Yu-Chiang Hsieh, Pei-Tzu Wu, Yi-Cheng Wu, Chi-Te Liang, M. Pepper, J. P. Griffiths, I. Farrer, G. A. C. Jones, D. A. Ritchie, Tse-Ming Chen
The precise nature of Kondo spins has remained enigmatic when extended to multiple spin impurities or, more intriguingly, when the localized spin itself may already be the consequence of many-body interactions in a presumably-delocalized open nanoconstriction, such as a quantum point contact (QPC). It is experimentally challenging to distinguish the Kondo state from other coexisting many-body spin states in such a strongly correlated system. Here we lithographically define an all-on-chip electronic resonator (ER) and a QPC in a high-mobility GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure transistor. Local Kondo screening of the QPC spin and nonlocal spin singlet across the ER-QPC integration are controllable in response to ER occupancy parity. We also show that the 0.7 anomaly, another strongly-correlated state in QPCs, not only has a different physical origin but furthermore counteracts the Kondo spin singlet. These results demonstrate a noninvasive quantum method for sensing spontaneous magnetic impurities within an open nanoconstriction.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall), Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
18 pages, 4 figures
Nano Letters 25, 7740-7747 (2025)
Dirac topology, anomalous Hall response, and giant magnetoresistance in carrier-compensated altermagnetic semimetal NiS
New Submission | Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Shovan Gayen, Sk. Soyeb Ali, S K Panda
We combine first-principles density-functional theory, Berry-curvature analysis, semiclassical Boltzmann transport, and atomistic spin dynamics to establish hexagonal NiS as a compensated 3d altermagnetic semimetal in which topology, magnetism, and lattice dynamics are intrinsically intertwined. The rotational coset symmetry of the NiAs lattice produces momentum-dependent spin splitting characteristic of altermagnetism. With spin-orbit coupling, gapped Dirac-like crossings generate intense Berry-curvature hot spots and nearly compensated electron-hole pockets. This leads to a large and anisotropic intrinsic spin Hall conductivity comparable to that of several 4d, 5d metals, a symmetry-allowed anomalous Hall response despite zero net magnetization, and nonsaturating magnetoresistance exceeding 10000 percent. On the magnetic side, first-principles determination of the exchange tensor reveals dominant long-range superexchange and sizable anisotropic interactions, quantitatively reproducing the experimental Neel temperature. Our results identify NiS as a model 3d platform in which carrier compensation, altermagnetic symmetry, Berry-curvature driven transport, and lattice-sensitive magnetism coexist within a single symmetry framework, offering a design principle for multi-functional quantum responses in correlated transition-metal compounds.
Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el), Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
Accepted in Phys. Rev. B Letter
Resistivity in Dilute Cu-3d Alloys Governed by Disorder-Induced Band Broadening
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
The mechanism governing the resistivity in dilute Cu-3d transition-metal alloys at ambient temperature – the regime relevant to most practical applications and distinct from the low-temperature, Kondo-screened regime addressed by earlier theoretical work – is investigated using first-principles calculations based on the Korringa–Kohn–Rostoker coherent potential approximation combined with the Kubo–Greenwood formalism. The paramagnetic state is described within the disordered local moment (DLM) framework, corresponding to a local-moment paramagnet rather than a Pauli paramagnet. We show that the experimentally observed resistivity trends are reproduced only within the DLM description, while nonmagnetic and ferromagnetic states fail to capture the correct element dependence. Contrary to conventional interpretations based on the density of states at the Fermi level, the resistivity exhibits a strong correlation with the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the Bloch spectral function (BSF) on the Fermi surface. This correlation reflects the disorder-induced lifetime broadening of electronic states, directly related to the scattering rate that governs electrical resistivity. A common power-law scaling between resistivity and BSF broadening is identified across different magnetic states. These results demonstrate that the resistivity is governed by disorder-induced band broadening in momentum space rather than by local density-of-states effects, providing a unified microscopic interpretation of the breakdown of Linde’s rule in Cu-based alloys.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci), Disordered Systems and Neural Networks (cond-mat.dis-nn), Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
20 pages, 9 fiqures (main text); 10 pages, 4 figures (supplemental material)
Hubbard-assisted stability of Hatsugai-Kohmoto correlations in a one-dimensional open chain
New Submission | Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
The Hatsugai-Kohmoto (HK) model has recently been identified as a fixed-point description of Mottness that is stable against perturbing local interactions. This raises a natural question beyond the weak-perturbation regime: how does a finite local repulsion modify HK physics in real-space observables and local spectra? We address this question in a half-filled one-dimensional spinful fermion chain, where the HK interaction is supplemented by an onsite Hubbard repulsion. Using exact diagonalization in an open chain, we compute ground-state correlation functions and site-resolved local spectra. We find that the Hubbard term does not drive the system away from the HK-dominated regime. Instead, at moderate $ U_{\rm HK}$ , a finite $ U_{\rm Hub}$ promotes the emergence of behavior characteristic of the pure HK chain at larger $ U_{\rm HK}$ . This Hubbard-assisted strong-HK response is reflected consistently in the development of positive spin correlations, the suppression of single-particle coherence, the impurity-induced redistribution of local spectral weight, and the evolution of pairing correlations. As a control perturbation, we replace the onsite Hubbard interaction by a nearest-neighbor (NN) density interaction. In contrast to the Hubbard case, the HK and NN interactions display competing tendencies and do not reproduce the same strong-HK behavior. These results provide a nonperturbative real-space complement to the fixed-point stability of HK physics and show that the effect of an additional repulsive interaction depends sensitively on its spatial structure.
Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
14 pages,20 figures
Physics-Informed Residual Deep Learning for Constitutive Modeling of Hot Deformation and Dynamic Recrystallization in a Mo-Rich $α+β$ Titanium Alloy
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Prashil S. Joshi, Diksha Mahadule, Rajesh K.Khatirkar
Accurate constitutive modeling of hot deformation behavior is essential for designing thermomechanical processes in advanced structural alloys. Conventional Arrhenius-type and empirical models do not adequately capture the combined effects of strain hardening, dynamic recovery (DRV), and dynamic recrystallization (DRX) across broad processing conditions. In this study, two Stacked Residual Physics-Informed Neural Networks (STAR-PINNs) were developed to simulate the hot deformation response of a Mo-rich $ \alpha+\beta$ titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4Mo-1V-0.1Si). The Enhanced STAR-PINN incorporated thermomechanical constitutive constraints, while the DRX-Aware STAR-PINN employed a dual-output architecture to account for recrystallization kinetics. Both models used a shared residual encoder trained on experimental flow stress data collected at temperatures from 800 to 1050 degrees C and strain rates between 0.01 and 10 per second. Physics-informed constraints, including thermal softening, strain-rate sensitivity, strain hardening, and post-peak softening, were enforced through automatic differentiation. The DRX-Aware model further integrated JMAK-Avrami regularization, DRX saturation constraints, and Arrhenius-based consistency with tunable parameters, directly linking the predicted DRX fraction to stress output via latent-feature fusion. The DRX-Aware STAR-PINN achieved RMSE = 11.69 MPa, MAE = 4.83 MPa, R^2 = 0.9850, and a cross-validated RMSE of 12.47 +/- 0.26 MPa. This model accurately reproduced temperature-dependent flow curves, DRX kinetics, and Zener-Hollomon relationships, while maintaining physically consistent constitutive behavior. These results demonstrate that physics-informed deep learning provides a robust and interpretable framework for constitutive modeling, offering a practical approach for advanced process modeling of titanium alloys.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
33 pages, 11 figures
Hybridization-controlled re-entrant electronic phase switching and moire-confined states in twisted bilayer PtTe2
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Seoung-Hun Kang, Jeonghwan Ahn, Young-Kyun Kwon
Twisting a van der Waals bilayer changes not only the moiré periodicity but also the local stacking and interlayer hybridization. Here, we show, using fully relaxed first-principles calculations including spin–orbit coupling, band unfolding, and Brillouin-zone-integrated densities of states, that bilayer PtTe$ _2$ exhibits a non-monotonic evolution between gapless and gapped electronic regimes. The $ 7.34^\circ$ structure remains gapless, whereas finite direct gaps appear at the sampled intermediate angles. The gap closes at the sampled $ 60^\circ$ configuration and reopens at higher angles. The direct gap shows an overall increase with the minimum local interlayer Pt–Pt separation, although the complete distribution of local stacking environments is required to account for deviations from this trend. At $ 7.34^\circ$ , the low-energy states are concentrated predominantly in the AA-like regions of the otherwise gapless moiré cell. Controlled interlayer-separation scans show that increasing the layer spacing removes the near-$ E_F$ crossings and opens a gap, consistent with weakened interlayer Te-$ p_z$ hybridization. These results identify the redistribution of interlayer hybridization as the microscopic origin of the re-entrant gap evolution in twisted bilayer PtTe$ _2$ .
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
Emergent induction in magnetic Weyl semimetals
New Submission | Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Takahiro Anan, Takahiro Morimoto
We theoretically study emergent electromagnetic responses in Weyl semimetals. Focusing on magnetic Weyl semimetals, we develop a general theory of emergent induction driven by magnetic dynamics. We show that magnetoelectric (ME) responses in Weyl semimetals give rise to emergent induction mediated by magnetization dynamics. Using effective two-band models for magnetic Weyl semimetals, we derive a formula for the ME response that includes both intraband and interband contributions. The resulting formula shows that the intraband contribution is proportional to the relaxation time $ \tau$ , whereas the interband contribution is associated with the separation of the Weyl nodes. Applying the general formula to a model of polar Weyl ferromagnets, we demonstrate that the dynamics of the toroidal moment is closely related to the emergent inductive response in polar Weyl ferromagnets, as recently discovered by Suzuki et al. [Y. Suzuki et al. arXiv:2607.12322]. The chemical-potential dependence of the inductance indicates that the emergent electromagnetic response is enhanced in the energy range of the Weyl dispersion, reflecting the topological nature of Weyl semimetals.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall), Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
8 pages, 3 figures
Quantum-classical crossover in finite spin-1/2 rings with Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interaction
New Submission | Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Raúl Sánchez Galán, Robert Wieser
We study finite spin-$ \tfrac12$ rings with nearest-neighbor Heisenberg exchange, Dzyaloshinsky–Moriya interaction, and an external magnetic field. We introduce an interpolation parameter between the fully quantum Hamiltonian and a state-dependent mean-field description. Using dissipative Gisin–Schrödinger dynamics, we analyze the resulting quantum–classical crossover through local magnetization, connected spin correlations, single-site entropy, and the saturation field of the fully polarized state.
Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el), Mathematical Physics (math-ph)
17 pages, 3 figures
Rotation topological states: theory and material realization
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Chun-Xue Liu, Yilin Han, Runze Li, Yulong Liu, Zhi-Ming Yu
The conventional characterization of topological materials relies on topological invariants calculated from the entire set of occupied bands. However, when a system possesses rotational symmetry, the occupied Hilbert space can be decomposed into multiple subspaces labeled by distinct rotation eigenvalues. We show that this decomposition reveals hidden topological states characterized by a novel $ \mathbb{Z}_2^n$ topological invariant, where $ n$ is the number of subspaces, while the conventional $ \mathbb{Z}_2$ invariant may fail to detect the topology hidden in the rotation subspaces. Remarkably, time-reversal symmetry pairs conjugate rotation eigenvalues and guarantees that the two subspaces have the same $ \mathbb{Z}_2$ invariants, making the topology always hidden from the conventional global invariant. We formulate the theory of rotation-subspace topology and demonstrate its material realization in bulk CsCl. Using first-principles calculations and symmetry analysis, we show that bulk CsCl, which is diagnosed as topologically trivial by the conventional approach, features a nontrivial $ \mathbb{Z}_2^3$ invariant along the $ \Gamma$ -R path and a nontrivial $ \mathbb{Z}_2^4$ invariant along the $ \Gamma$ -Z and M-R paths, leading to double Weyl points on the (111) and (001) surfaces, respectively. The subspace $ \mathbb{Z}_2^n$ invariant proposed here serves as a necessary refinement for symmetry-protected topological phases and will facilitate the identification of a large class of topological states overlooked by existing diagnostics.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
Opinion Formation in a Spatially Constrained Coevolving Nonlinear Voter Model
New Submission | Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Phil Gwon Kim, Jaeyong Bae, Jaeseok Hur, Hawoong Jeong
We investigate a spatially constrained coevolving nonlinear voter model. Using a random geometric graph, we constrain the interaction range of voter dynamics. If local rewiring is not possible, the discordant link is deleted. Our results reveal absorbing states that differ not only in magnetization and activity, but also in mean degree and spatial state organization. By exploring dynamical and structural observables, we found that distinct regimes from the existing coevolving nonlinear voter model are characterized by a reduced consensus region, spatially segregated fragmentation, and isolated node formation. Additionally, we develop a phenomenological description of the evolution of the mean degree and terminal non-conserved quantities that is consistent with the numerical results. Our model highlights how local geometric accessibility reshapes the structure of the absorbing states.
Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech)
Phase diagram of one-dimensional bosons with Rydberg-dressed soft-core interactions
New Submission | Quantum Gases (cond-mat.quant-gas) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Shengjie Yu, Laurent Sanchez-Palencia
Rydberg and Rydberg-dressed atomic gases have recently emerged as a promising quantum simulator for a variety of models in condensed matter physics. Here we investigate one-dimensional bosons with soft-core Rydberg-dressed interactions using exact path-integral quantum Monte Carlo simulations. The finite-range and the negative Fourier component of the interaction potential generate a roton mode at finite momentum, while particle-hole backscattering processes enhance the susceptibility of one-dimensional systems at twice the Fermi momentum. The competition between the corresponding length scales yields a rich phase diagram, featuring a conventional Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid (TLL) regime, a beyond-TLL regime, and commensurate cluster phases. In the TLL regime, the system transitions from Lieb-Liniger-like bnehavior with Luttinger parameter $ K>1$ to hard-rod-like behavior with $ K<1$ , with a quasi-supersolid phase emerging for $ K < 1/2$ . For strong interactions and high densities, deviations from TLL theory appear as precursors for the onset of cluster phases, where particles aggregate into stable clusters of several particles. The properties of each phase is discussed in detail.
Quantum Gases (cond-mat.quant-gas)
Research progress in high-pressure tuning of layered magnetic materials
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Yue Dongdong, Gao Xin, Mu Congpu, Liu Zhongyuan, Zhai Kun
Two-dimensional van der Waals materials have enormous potential applications in many fields due to their unique layered structure and excellent properties. Compared with three-dimensional bulk materials, layered systems are coupled by weak van der Waals interactions between layers, endowing them with much higher structural compressibility, particularly along the interlayer direction, which is more sensitive to external pressure. High pressure can expand the accessible phase space, enabling the synthesis of new materials or the retention of metastable phases. On the microscopic level, pressure can significantly tune the interlayer structure and interactions, induce changes in the electronic structure, and consequently give rise to a variety of rich physical properties. This article systematically introduces in situ high-pressure experimental approaches, including diamond anvil cells combined with X-ray and spectroscopic techniques, high-pressure magnetic transport measurements, and emerging NV-center quantum sensing. It further reviews representative pressure-induced phenomena and underlying tuning mechanisms in layered magnetic materials, such as high-spin to low-spin transitions of transition-metal ions and the accompanying structural phase transitions and superconductivity; substantial enhancement of the Curie temperature and continuous switching of magnetocrystalline anisotropy; and antiferromagnetic-to-ferromagnetic transitions achieved by modulating exchange interactions or via stacking engineering. Finally, we discuss future directions, including synergistic multi-field control by combining pressure with electric fields and twisted heterostructures, as well as strategies such as pressure quenching to retain high-pressure metastable magnetic phases at ambient conditions.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
Transverse order and longitudinal fluctuations in a near-Ising spin supersolid
New Submission | Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Mengze Zhu, V. Romerio, S. Raymond, N. Murai, S. Ohira-Kawamura, K. Yu. Povarov, S. A. Zvyagin, R. Sibille, Arianna Minelli, Z. Yan, S. Gvasaliya, A. Zheludev
We investigate the polarization of the ordered moments and low-energy spin fluctuations in the spin supersolid state of the S = 1/2 triangular-lattice easy-axis antiferromagnet K2Co(SeO3)2 using neutron scattering. The supersolid order develops through successive BKT transitions: the longitudinal order appears at higher temperature, while the transverse component associated with the Bose-Einstein condensate emerges only below a lower-temperature transition accompanied by a change in the interlayer correlations. At the lowest measured temperature, the transverse ordered moment reaches only 11% of the longitudinal component. Moreover, the low-energy spin fluctuations are found to be predominantly longitudinal in character. These results provide direct evidence that the supersolid ground state survives even in the near-Ising regime and exhibits longitudinal low-energy dynamics, imposing stringent constraints on microscopic theories of triangular-lattice XXZ antiferromagnets.
Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
Role of small-radius and high-electronegativity A-Site dopants in enhancing proton transport and stability of perovskite electrolytes
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Hang Ma, Ying Liang, Tianxing Ma
The practical application of BaCeO$ _3$ -based electrolytes is limited by their poor chemical stability in proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cells. Commonly employed B-site doping strategies typically improve proton transport with limited improvement in stability. Recent experiments show that A-site Ca doping can simultaneously enhance both properties. Here, through first-principles calculations and mechanistic analysis of Ca-doped BaCeO$ _3$ , we identify the synergistic roles of small-radius, high-electronegativity A-site dopants in governing proton transport and chemical stability in perovskite electrolytes. We show that the higher electronegativity of A-site dopant weakens the A-O ionic bonding, facilitating oxygen-vacancy formation and enhancing proton uptake by increasing the basicity. This weakened A-O interaction also suppresses the formation of impurity phases and reduces the adsorption strength of acidic gases such as CO$ _2$ and SO$ _2$ . The lattice contraction induced by the smaller ionic radius improves thermal stability and can enhance proton diffusion in systems where proton transfer is the rate-limiting step. Furthermore, we find that Ca surface segregation can mitigate grain-boundary resistance effects. Our results demonstrate the advantages of A-site Ca doping in Ba-based electrolytes, clarify the mechanisms by which small-radius, high-electronegativity dopants influence proton transport and chemical stability, and provide guidance for the design of high-performance proton-conducting electrolytes.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci), Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)
15 pages and 11+4 figures. The version that accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. B
Direct observation of photon-induced vortices in superconducting films
New Submission | Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Takeshi Jodoi, Fuminori Hirayama, Tetsuya Tsuruta, Takahiro Kikuchi, Daiji Fukuda
Nucleation of vortex-antivortex pairs (VAPs) is believed to play a central role in the photon detection mechanism of superconducting detectors; however, their direct dynamic observation has remained challenging. Here, we report the direct observation of photon-induced VAP dynamics in a current-carrying superconductor as quantized voltage signals following photon absorption. The observed signals are interpreted as discrete phase-slip events, where each vortex traversal induces a 2-pi phase change of the superconducting order parameter, resulting in a quantized voltage pulse whose time integral is given by the magnetic flux quantum. We analyze the resulting quantized signals as a function of bias current, base temperature, and input photon-number states, and find that the number of VAPs generated per absorbed photon becomes effectively stabilized under specific conditions. Under these conditions, we demonstrate photon-number-resolving capability by directly counting phase-slip-induced voltage quanta. Our results reveal a detection mechanism governed by phase dynamics rather than conventional resistive transitions. We further show that photon-number resolution emerges when the fluctuation of photon-induced vortex-antivortex pair generation becomes statistically suppressed. These findings establish a new route toward photon-number-resolving detection based on phase-slip counting and open opportunities for high-speed superconducting detectors for quantum optics and photonic quantum technologies.
Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con), Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
Submitted to Physical Review Applied. Presented at SPW 2026
Stoner transitions beyond mean-field in two-dimensional electronic systems: a diagrammatic Monte Carlo study
New Submission | Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Yueh-Chen Lee, Nikolay P. Prokof’ev, Andrey V. Chubukov
Stoner instabilities for fermions with repulsive interaction have been well studied within the mean-field (ladder) approximation. In this study, we consider two-dimensional electronic systems with one or two valleys and discuss a Stoner transition beyond the ladder approximation. At weak coupling, the corrections to the ladder approximation come predominantly from the renormalization of the particle-hole vertex in the particle-particle channel, and the lowest-order corrections are logarithmically singular in the low-density limit. To investigate the problem beyond the lowest order, we apply the diagrammatic Monte Carlo algorithm and treat ladder and non-ladder renormalizations on equal footing. We find that in a one-valley system, a Stoner transition to a ferromagnetism occurs at low density only if there is a cutoff on the momentum transfer carried by the interaction. In a two-valley system, the restriction is less severe. Here we find either a direct Stoner transition into a spin- and valley-polarized state, or a set of two Stoner transitions via an intermediate valley-polarized state. The pathway is controlled by the anisotropy of the fermionic dispersion.
Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
35 pages, 17 figures
Magnetic quadrupole current generation and accumulation in noncentrosymmetric systems
New Submission | Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Magnetization control via magnetic octupole injection has recently been proposed for a new class of centrosymmetric antiferromagnets, namely $ d$ -wave altermagnets, where the magnetic octupole is the lowest-rank magnetic multipole allowed by symmetry and serves as an alternative carrier to spin injection. In contrast, in noncentrosymmetric antiferromagnets, the magnetic quadrupole (MQ) constitutes the lowest-rank symmetry-allowed magnetic multipole, suggesting that MQ currents can provide an efficient route toward magnetization control through MQ injection. Here, we establish the symmetry conditions for MQ-current generation by constructing the multipole representation of the MQ conductivity tensor and show that MQ currents are generically allowed in noncentrosymmetric crystallographic point groups. As a representative example, we demonstrate MQ-current generation in the linear-response regime associated with symmetry lowering from the centrosymmetric point group ($ mmm$ ) to its noncentrosymmetric subgroup ($ mm2$ ). Furthermore, we reveal MQ accumulation near sample edges, analogous to spin accumulation induced by the spin Hall effect. This edge accumulation provides direct evidence of MQ-current generation and constitutes a key prerequisite for realizing MQ injection and MQ-based magnetization control in noncentrosymmetric antiferromagnets.
Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
29 pages, 6 figures, 6 tables
Microscopic constitutive theory of stress overshoot, yielding, and strain hardening in amorphous materials
New Submission | Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Ankit Singh, Valeriy V. Ginzburg, Alessio Zaccone
We develop a microscopic constitutive theory for the nonlinear deformation of metallic and polymer glasses based on nonaffine elasticity coupled to irreversible many-body relaxation. The theory predicts the full stress–strain response, from linear elasticity through stress overshoot and yielding to steady plastic flow. We show that stress overshoot originates from the competition between a nonaffine elastic instability induced by strain-driven loss of mechanical connectivity at the atomic/molecular level, and viscous dissipation associated with structural relaxation. For polymer glasses, finite chain extensibility naturally accounts for strain hardening at large deformation. The stretched-exponential relaxation exponent is obtained independently from stress or modulus relaxation measurements and provides the primary dynamical input to the theory. Using a small set of physically meaningful parameters, the model quantitatively reproduces experimental stress–strain curves for metallic glasses, polycarbonate, PMMA, and epoxy resins over a broad range of strain rates. These results establish a unified microscopic framework linking relaxation dynamics, yielding, plastic flow, and strain hardening in amorphous solids.
Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft), Disordered Systems and Neural Networks (cond-mat.dis-nn), Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci), Applied Physics (physics.app-ph)
Aharonov-Casher-induced electric quadrupole of charge-neutral particles
New Submission | Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Hojun Lee, Youngjae Jeon, Suik Cheon, Hyun-Woo Lee
For charged particles, their orbital angular momentum (OAM) in solid have a direct magnetic manifestation as an orbital magnetization. For charge-neutral particles, however, the physical manifestation of the OAM in solid remains unclear. Here, we show that a charge-neutral particle carrying a magnetic moment couples to electric-field gradient through the Aharonov-Casher (AC) effect, thereby exhibiting the electric quadrupole in crystalline solids. This AC-induced electric quadrupole (AC-EQ) contains the scalar, toroidal dipole, and reduced quadrupole components, which are conjugate to the divergence, circulation, and shear of the electric field, respectively. As representative examples, we calculate the AC-EQ of magnons in two magnetic systems. In ferromagnetic pyrochlore, Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) induces a sizable AC-EQ, whereas in helical Fe langasite the AC-EQ emerges from the helical spin configuration even in the absence of DMI. In both systems, the unit-cell-integrated AC-EQ components reach magnitudes comparable to typical nuclear electric quadrupole moments.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)
13 pages, 4 figures
Momentum Distribution and Contact Parameters of a mass-imbalanced three-body system across the Efimov-Unatomic transition
New Submission | Quantum Gases (cond-mat.quant-gas) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
D. S. Rosa, R. M. Francisco, T. Frederico, G. Krein, M. T. Yamashita
We investigate the single-particle momentum distribution and contact parameters of mass-imbalanced three-body systems at the critical dimension Dc, where the transition between discrete and continuous scale invariance takes place as the spatial dimension is tuned between three and two dimensions. We show that the asymptotic momentum distribution at Dc is governed by a distinct logarithmic scaling structure, which differs fundamentally from both the log-periodic behavior of Efimov states and the power-law scaling of the unatomic regime. This structure requires the introduction of an additional three-body contact parameter associated with a quadratic logarithmic contribution, leading to a finite and well-defined description of the momentum tail at the transition. This additional three-body parameter depends sensitively on the mass imbalance, changing sign across different mass configurations and vanishing for identical particles. As a consequence, the three-body contribution to the momentum distribution can be suppressed at a characteristic momentum scale, leaving the asymptotic tail entirely determined by the two-body contact. We further analyze the narrow intermediate region connecting the Efimov and unatomic regimes, here identified as an intermediate scaling regime, whose extent and properties are strongly controlled by the mass ratio. These results establish the critical dimension as a regime with emergent scaling properties and provide experimentally accessible signatures for probing the transition between discrete and continuous scale invariance in few-body quantum systems.
Quantum Gases (cond-mat.quant-gas), Atomic Physics (physics.atom-ph)
Mapping recrystallization trajectories in GaAs using latent space diffraction analysis
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Ellis Rae Kennedy, Kwanghwi Je, Erik Thiede
Recrystallization in disordered solids proceeds through a sequence of local structural rearrangements that are difficult to resolve using conventional diffraction analysis. In amorphous and partially ordered materials, subtle variations in diffuse scattering, short-range order, and defect-mediated symmetry emergence encode the pathways through which ordering initiates and propagates. Here, we introduce a latent space framework for mapping these pathways directly from \textit{in situ} 4D-STEM diffraction data. A convolutional autoencoder provides a compact representation of structural motifs, and unsupervised clustering identifies recurring microstructural states, including amorphous, paracrystalline, crystalline, twinned, and hybrid intermediates. By tracking these states across temperature, we construct phase trajectory models that reveal the topology of the recrystallization landscape, including metastable basins, branching pathways, hybrid states, and temperature-dependent reorganizations of accessible states.
Applied to ion irradiated GaAs, this approach uncovers two distinct recrystallization regimes separated by a transition near 250\textdegree{}C. At low temperature, recrystallization is growth-dominated and dominated by the persistence of amorphous and crystalline states. At high temperature, the transformation landscape reorganizes: hybrid and faulted states become metastable precursors to twinning, polycrystalline regions stabilize, and twinned structures emerge as dominant end states. The latent space representation also identifies amorphous patterns with weak symmetry signatures that precede recrystallization. This reveals structural precursors to ordering that are not captured by conventional descriptors give new insights into how recrystallization is initiated.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
22 pages
Fractional Chern insulators in alternating twisted multilayer MoTe$_{2}$
New Submission | Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Xi-Hang Feng, Shi-Ping Ding, Xiang-Jian Hou, Ying-Hai Wu, Jin-Hua Gao
We study strongly correlated many-body states in alternating twisted trilayer and tetralayer MoTe$ _{2}$ . By sliding the top layer with respect to others and applying a perpendicular electric field, a variety of band structures can be realized. In many cases, the topmost hole band has unity Chern number and its quantum geometric properties can be tuned to some extent. Exact diagonalizations suggest that fractional Chern insulators are stabilized in certain parameter regimes but not in some regimes even when the band is topological. This contrast is attributed primarily to different quantum geometries as quantified by the trace condition. Our results demonstrate that sliding can serve as a useful knob for probing many-body states in moiré systems.
Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el), Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)
9 pages, 10 figures
Cooling rate and glassy behavior in the Fermi–Pasta–Ulam system
New Submission | Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Matteo Razza, Andrea Carati, Luigi Galgani
In this work, we numerically studied the cooling process of a Fermi–Pasta–Ulam system, which occurs when the FPU system is placed in contact with a gas whose temperature $ T$ is reduced with a certain cooling rate $ \xi$ . It was found that the existence of a weak stochastic threshold has a significant impact on the cooling process, because below such a stochastic threshold the specific FPU energy is larger than its temperature, i.e., the FPU system falls out of equilibrium. The difference remains finite in the limit $ T \to 0$ , so that the FPU system maintains a residual amount of energy $ E_0$ at vanishing temperature. Our numerical simulations reveal that this energy exhibits a power–law dependence on both the system size and the cooling rate, scaling approximately as $ E_{0} \sim (\xi N)^{2/3}$ .
Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech), Classical Physics (physics.class-ph)
Five figures
First-principles Study of Structural and Electronic Properties of Mn-doped Cu2NiXY4 (X=Sn, Ge, Si; Y=S, Se) Chalcogenide Semiconductors
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Iskandar Raufzoda, Dilshod Nematov, Amondullo Burhonzoda
In this work, the effect of partial substitution of Mn by Ni on the structural and electronic properties of kesterite systems Cu2NiXY4 (X = Sn, Ge, Si; Y = S, Se) was studied using density functional theory (DFT). The mBJ+U method was used to characterize the bandgap more accurately. To the best of our knowledge, a systematic comparative study of Mn substitution in the entire Cu2NiXY4 (X = Sn, Ge, Si; Y = S, Se) family has not been previously performed. Due to crystallographic constraints of the kesterite unit cell, the substitution of a single Ni atom with Mn corresponds to 50%. This configuration was chosen to study the effect of Mn substitution on the structural and electronic properties of Cu2NiXY4 (X = Sn, Ge, Si; Y = S, Se) compounds, whereas the study of lower concentrations requires the use of a supercell and is the subject of further research. The calculation results show that the partial substitution of Ni with Mn preserves the tetragonal structure of kesterite and significantly alters the electronic structure. In all the compounds studied, the bandgap decreases from 1.028-3.397 to 1.007-3.333 eV. For example, in the Cu2NiSnS4 system, the bandgap width decreases from 1.59 eV to 1.49 eV. The narrowing of the bandgap results from hybridization between the Mn-3d, Cu-3d, and S/Se-p orbitals near the band edges, leading to a redistribution of electronic states around the Fermi level. The results demonstrate that Mn substitution is an effective strategy for controlling the electronic properties of Cu2NiXY4 kesterites, offering great promise for use in optoelectronic devices where adjustable bandgaps are required.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
Functional Thin Films and Energy Materials,2026,2,59-65
Temperature-driven sodium-ion dynamical-to-static crossover in the zig-zag ordered phase of Na$_{0.5}$CoO$_2$
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Shangfei Wu, Hengxin Tan, Dong Wu, Mingshu Tan, Xinyu Zhou, Tianchen Hu, Tao Dong, Feng Jin, Qingming Zhang, Nanlin Wang
We employ polarization-resolved Raman spectroscopy combined with first-principles calculations to study the sodium-ion lattice dynamics in a sodium zig-zag ordered cobaltate compound Na$ _{0.5}$ CoO$ 2$ . We detect two sodium phonon modes for the first time, and their mode frequencies are consistent with first-principles phonon calculations based on an orthorhombic unit cell. We find that they appear below around $ T^\ast\sim300\pm50$ K with large linewidth broadening, much lower than the sodium zig-zag ordering temperature $ T\text{S}\sim460$ K, and then narrow at lower temperatures. We interpret the sodium-phonon anomalies occurring at $ T^\ast$ as a dynamical-to-static crossover involving mainly the motion of sodium ions. Our results suggest that the gradual freezing of the sodium ions and the well-defined static sodium-zigzag order below $ T^\ast$ set the stage for the emergent electronic and magnetic orders in the CoO$ _2$ layer of Na$ _{0.5}$ CoO$ _2$ .
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci), Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
17 pages, 12 figures, to appear in Physical Review B
Electron Beam Radiolysis-Assisted Growth of Rutile TiO2 Thin Films
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Silu Guo, Nitin Sathish Kumar, Sreejith Nair, Supriya Ghosh, Bharat Jalan, K. Andre Mkhoyan
A new approach for growing crystalline thin films is developed that takes advantage of electron beam radiolysis being a constructive force to rearrange atoms into a crystalline structure. It is demonstrated that by irradiating the surface of a TiO2 film by an electron beam supplied by a reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) gun inside the MBE chamber during growth, a crystalline film can be grown at much lower substrate temperatures, where deposited films typically appear amorphous. Here, rutile TiO2 films were grown using hybrid molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) allowing atomic level control of growth as well as an observation of radiolysis-driven crystallization. Analysis was carried out using a combination of SEM and atomic-resolution STEM imaging. It is also shown that by tuning the temperature of the substrate and the dose of the electron beam, the degree of crystallinity of the film can be controlled.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
Ultrafast altermagnetophononics
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Chenyu Wang, Yaxian Wang, Sheng Meng
Altermagnets feature symmetry-dictated nontrivial spin splitting in electronic structure promising for next-generation spintronics, yet their ultrafast dynamical manipulation remains largely unexplored. Here, we establish altermagnetophononics as an efficient route for magnetic control via selective symmetry breaking induced by coherent phonons. Using the prototypical altermagnet $ \alpha$ -MnTe as an example, we demonstrate that the targeted excitation of B$ _{1g}$ mode selectively lifts the symmetry constraints protecting altermagnetism (AM), driving ultrafast transition into a transient compensated ferrimagnetic (cFiM) phase characterized by a global spin splitting without net magnetization. Further, we show that the proposed mechanism is broadly applicable by demonstrating a multi-mode symmetry breaking pathway, and by realizing a ferrimagnetic order with reversible magnetic moment in metallic CrSb. These findings elucidate the potential to obtain desirable nonequilibrium properties in altermagnets via coherent phononic control over their spin splittings.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
6 pages, 5 figures
Phonon down-conversion by normal metals for superconducting devices
New Submission | Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Guglielmo La Magna, Gianluigi Catelani
Thanks to low dissipation, superconducting devices are promising for a number of applications, such as detectors and implementations of quantum computation. However, their working can be adversely impacted by quasiparticles, which is why so-called quasiparticle poisoning mechanisms and their mitigation are under intense investigation. Here we focus on one poisoning mechanism, namely pair-breaking phonons, and its mitigation through down-conversion by a normal-metal film - the process in which scattering of high-energy phonons by electrons lowers the energy of the former below the pair-breaking threshold. To study the down-conversion, we introduce a model based on kinetic equations, which we solve both analytically (approximately) and numerically in the steady state. We use the solution the estimate a properly-defined down-conversion efficiency which depends on material parameters (such as the strength of electron-phonon interaction and the phonon transmission coefficient at interfaces) and film and substrate thicknesses. Interestingly, we find that the efficiency is nearly optimal over a finite range of metal thicknesses, with the minimum near-optimal thickness being typically of the order of a micron.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall), Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con), Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
20 pages, 9 figures
Superconducting proximity effect in a strongly correlated charge-transfer insulator
New Submission | Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Mengya Ren, Yaoyao Chen, Fudi Zhou, Can Zhang, Zhaoteng Dong, Lili Zhou, Quanzhen Zhang, Huixia Yang, Xiaolong Xu, Yuanxiao Ma, Yu Zhang, Yeliang Wang
Proximity-induced superconductivity in strongly correlated insulators provides a versatile route for engineering quantum states of matter and artificial systems with tailored functionalities. However, microscopic interplay between superconductivity and correlated insulating states remains poorly understood. Here we use ultralow-temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) to systemically investigate superconducting proximity effects in a charge-transfer insulator. Via STM tip manipulation, atomically sharp lateral junctions composed of superconducting monolayer H-NbSe2 and charge-transfer insulating monolayer T-NbSe2 are constructed, enabling direct access to tunable coupling regimes. In the weak-coupling regime, there is a robust proximity-induced superconducting gap in T-NbSe2, with a reduced gap value relative to that of H-NbSe2. Upon entering the strong-coupling regime, T-NbSe2 exhibits a superconducting gap comparable to that of H-NbSe2, accompanied by pronounced particle-hole-symmetric in-gap bound states, consistent with Yu-Shiba-Rusinov-like excitations. These findings establish monolayer H/T-NbSe2 lateral junctions as a model platform for elucidating superconducting proximity effects in strongly correlated charge-transfer insulators.
Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con), Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
Realization and manipulation of spiral charge density waves in a two-dimensional metal
New Submission | Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Lili Zhou, Ruizi Zhang, Chen Si, Zhaoteng Dong, Mengya Ren, Keru Guo, Can Zhang, Jizheng Wu, Fudi Zhou, Huixia Yang, Yaxin Zhao, Guoyuan Yang, Xiaolong Xu, Yuanxiao Ma, Xiao Kong, Yu Zhang, Yeliang Wang
Nearly degenerate charge-density-wave (CDW) states play a central role in the competition among collective phenomena. In real materials, however, these states are often intertwined by disorder, hindering their disentanglement and control. Here we show that strain can lift this near-degeneracy and spatially separate distinct CDW states in NbSe2. Using van der Waals (vdW) interactions, we stabilize a micron-scale strain network that produces spatially inhomogeneous strain fields. Within this landscape, the intrinsic 3 \ast 3 CDW superlattice of pristine NbSe2 transforms into an isolated unidirectional 4 \ast 1 order under 1D-confined compression, and into a 2 \ast 2 order under biaxial tension. The 4 \ast 1 CDW has a multiband origin and exhibits markedly enhanced thermal stability, persisting up to 70 K. At strain-network nodes, it further develops into chiral spiral textures, which can be melted by voltage pulses. These results establish strain as a powerful approach to disentangle, stabilize and manipulate competing electronic orders.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)
Revealing the MoS2 Growth Mechanism in Chemical Vapor Deposition: Real-Time Imaging and Statistical Analysis
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Faizal Arifurrahman, Tianshu Zhai, Yuguo Wang, Jing Zhang, Andrew L. Hitt, Jun Lou, Ming Tang
Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) is a promising method for scalable synthesis of two-dimensional transitional metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) such as MoS2, but challenges in reproducibility and controllability persist due to an incomplete understanding of their dynamic growth mechanisms. While in-situ characterization methods could provide valuable insights, it remains challenging to track a large ensemble of crystals to enable quantitative, statistical analysis. Here, we address this gap by developing and applying a semi-automated image processing pipeline to analyze in-situ optical microscopy footage of MoS2 growth. This framework enables the high-throughput reconstruction of complete growth trajectories for over 400 individual crystals from a single experiment. Our statistical analysis demonstrates that MoS2 crystallization is governed by an edge-attachment-limited mechanism rather than by precursor diffusion. Furthermore, MoS2 crystals exhibit non-competitive growth, indicating that precursor supply does not limit the growth of neighboring flakes until physical impingement occurs. These findings provide direct, quantitative evidence that advances the fundamental understanding of TMD growth, establishing a powerful methodology for rational optimization of the CVD growth of two-dimensional materials.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
Chemical short-range order controls deformation pathways in a complex concentrated alloy
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Angelo F. Andreoli, Gabriela B. Ribeiro, Guilherme C. Stumpf, Maria F. L. Valverde, Gustavo Bertoli, Vinícius P. Bacurau, David D. S. Silva, Pedro H. F. Oliveira, Eric M. Mazzer, Mamta Silwal, Garritt J. Tucker, Rodrigo Freitas, Martin Sahlberg, Daniel Miracle, Francisco G. Coury
Chemical short-range order (CSRO) is an intrinsic feature of complex concentrated alloys (CCAs), yet its influence on deformation mechanisms is controversial because of the inconclusive state of concurrent CSRO quantification during deformation. Here, we provide experimental evidence that CSRO acts as an intrinsic thermodynamic state variable governing stacking-fault energetics and deformation pathways in a Co30Cr40Ni30 alloy. By comparing quenched (CSRO-lean) and aged (CSRO-enriched) conditions with equivalent grain structure and phase constitution, we isolate the influence of atomic-scale chemical ordering on mechanical behavior. Calorimetry confirms reversible CSRO formation, while synchrotron X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy reveal that CSRO suppresses deformation-induced fcc-hcp martensitic transformation at both room and cryogenic temperatures. Despite differences in transformation dynamics, the macroscopic tensile response is still broadly similar. Atomistic simulations show that CSRO increases both stable and unstable stacking-fault energies, raising the energetic barrier for partial-dislocation activity and stabilizing the fcc lattice against transformation. Together, the experimental and computational results establish CSRO as an added degree of freedom for tuning stacking-fault energetics and controlling deformation pathways in complex concentrated alloys.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
25 pages, 7 figures, 8 supplementary information figures, 42 references
Modified Family-Vicsek Scaling and Probability Distributions for Brownian Castle Interfaces
New Submission | Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Noah Sublett, Charles Sutton, Benjamin Long, Daniel B. Dougherty
The Brownian Castle is a new interface growth model that is a variation on the well-known ballistic deposition model that results in an entirely new universality class. We present numerical verification that the interface width for BC interfaces displays modified Family-Vicsek scaling properties up to finite size corrections. Specifically, we find a growth exponent of $ \beta=0.470 \pm 0.012$ and a roughness exponent of $ \alpha=1.01 \pm 0.018$ . The scaling is modified at short times with a size scaling exponent that described the early time dependence of interface width on length. The probability distribution of heights for the BC interface shows significant deviations from simple Gaussian behavior and the probability distribution of height changes shows a Cauchy-Lorentz form consistent with expectations for a process involving relatively large jumps.
Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech), Disordered Systems and Neural Networks (cond-mat.dis-nn), Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft)
Angular momentum splitter effect of $d$-wave axial phonons in orbital altermagnets
New Submission | Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Dimos Chatzichrysafis, Alexander Mook
We theoretically demonstrate that axial phonons, lattice vibration quanta carrying finite angular momentum, can host a $ d$ -wave angular momentum texture in orbital altermagnets in the absence of spin-orbit coupling. We consider a minimal electronic tight-binding model with $ d$ -wave loop-current order that breaks time-reversal symmetry. Within the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, we incorporate electron-phonon coupling via the molecular Berry curvature and show that the underlying $ d$ -wave orbital magnetic moment texture of the electronic state is transferred to the phonons without requiring the relativistic spin-orbit coupling. Our results expand the range of platforms available for engineering axial phonons and point to functionality unique to $ d$ -wave textures, including angular-momentum Seebeck and splitter effects, corresponding to longitudinal and transverse angular-momentum currents driven by a temperature gradient.
Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
30 pages, 5 figures
Lecture Notes: The two-dimensional electron Wigner crystal – What’s old and what’s new?
New Submission | Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
These are lecture notes created for a short lecture series at the 2026 CTEQ Summer School at Penn State. They are written in a conversational and informal style. The goal of these notes is to introduce and review a smattering of old and new ideas about the Wigner crystal (the solid phase of the two-dimensional electron system) in the context of recent experiments. Particular emphasis is given to the semiclassical description of the Wigner crystal, its quantum melting transition, its spin order, and the ways in which the Wigner crystal can be modified by Berry curvature.
Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el), Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)
27 pages, 12 figures, ~12 jokes. Thanks to Sandeep Joy for proofreading
Dolomite Mineral-Inspired Equilateral Triangular-Lattice Magnets for Quantum Magnetism
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Yang Zhao, Zhaoyi Li, Zhibin Qiu, Jianqiao Wang, Bo Wen, Shu Guo
Equilateral triangular lattice magnets provide a versatile materials platform for exploring exotic quantum spin phenomena, while their field-tunable magnetic entropy offers opportunities for low-temperature adiabatic demagnetization refrigeration. Inspired by the natural mineral, we proposed a chemical strategy to achieve equilateral TL magnets, leveraging the high crystal symmetry of a large family of dolomite-type materials. As typical examples, the dolomite-type materials SnM(BO3)2 (M = Co, Mn) were synthesized, and structural analysis reveals that Co2+ and Mn2+ ions form equilateral triangular lattices with an A-B-C stacking fashion. The magnetic susceptibilities and specific heat measurements reveal dominant antiferromagnetic interactions, with Neel temperatures of 0.49K for SnCo(BO3)2 and 0.96K for SnMn(BO3)2, respectively. Our results establish the dolomite-type M’M(X)2 (M’and M sites allow various valence states, e.g., +4/+2 or +3/+3; X = CO32- or BO33-) system as a chemically flexible and structurally perfect material platform for exploring frustrated magnetism and low-temperature magnetocaloric applications.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
Using superpixels for interpretable feature reduction in large 2D diffraction datasets
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Andreas Werbrouck, Nikhila C. Paranamana, Andrew C. Meng, Xiaoqing He, Matthias J. Young
Large 2D diffraction datasets, consisting of hundreds or thousands of measurements, are commonly acquired with 4D-STEM electron diffraction or at synchrotron X-ray beamlines. Machine learning and artificial intelligence offer great promise for analyzing these datasets. However, the sheer volume of data presents a significant data processing bottleneck. Cropping the detector and pixel binning are standard ways to reduce data size. Here we propose grouping and averaging pixels into superpixels of variable area. High-information regions are sampled densely, while low-information areas are collected into larger superpixels. In the process, symmetries in the data are captured and exploited, making this approach suitable for preprocessing 2D diffraction data. We compare two variance-minimizing methods: K-means clustering (top-down) and agglomerative clustering (bottom-up) and demonstrate superior scaling and interpretability for the bottom-up method. As these methods are distance-based, we demonstrate that the construction of superpixels can be accelerated using Gaussian random projection. Finally we show over 100-fold acceleration for phase mapping with Non-negative matrix factorization on a 4D-STEM dataset when superpixels are used as a preprocessing step.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
Dipolar mixtures in checker-board optical bilayers
New Submission | Quantum Gases (cond-mat.quant-gas) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Ultra-cold dipolar mixtures in component-dependent optical potentials constitute an interesting platform for the study of the interplay between intra- and inter-component anisotropic long-range interactions. We study the particular case of binary dipolar mixtures placed in separated bilayers which are displaced in an anti-magic wavelength configuration. Using a combination of second-order perturbation theory and cluster-Gutzwiller calculations, we unveil a rich landscape of possible crystalline phases for the two components, showing that, interestingly, inter-site hopping may result, via super-exchange, in solid-into-solid transitions between different crystalline phases. These crystalline phases and the corresponding transitions can be experimentally realized using e.g. lanthanide mixtures in optical lattices.
Quantum Gases (cond-mat.quant-gas)
5 pages, 5 figures
$\texttt{iNORG}$: An open-source quantum impurity solver package based on the natural orbitals renormalization group
New Submission | Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Jia-Ming Wang, Yi-Heng Tian, Yin Chen, Ru Zheng, Rong-Qiang He, Zhong-Yi Lu
In the context of dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT) calculations for strongly correlated electron systems, quantum impurity solvers play a central computational role in treating correlated lattice models and realistic materials. Consequently, developing efficient and robust quantum impurity solvers remains a key challenge. In this paper, we present an open-source quantum impurity solver package based on the natural orbitals renormalization group (NORG) method, dubbed $ \texttt{iNORG}$ . This software delivers high accuracy with reduced computational cost by optimizing the bath representation using natural orbitals and incorporating advanced features such as efficient Hilbert space selection and efficient algorithms for computing Green’s functions. We first introduce the basic principle of the NORG method and then discuss the implementation details. The software framework, major features, and installation procedure for $ \texttt{iNORG}$ are explained as well. Finally, several simple examples are presented to demonstrate the usage of $ \texttt{iNORG}$ .
Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el), Computational Physics (physics.comp-ph)
27 pages, 6 figures
Driven Odd Elasticity in Passive Mechanical Metamaterials
New Submission | Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
We present a mechanical mechanism leveraging passive mechanical components, i.e. chiral gears and a square lattice metamaterial, to demonstrate driven odd elasticity in a mechanical metamaterial. The mechanism couples tension and shear in a non-reciprocal way, resulting in an odd shear modulus. The emergence of this odd shear modulus enables non-conservative work in a standard quasistatic strain cycle, and further enables the non-Hermitian skin effect in dynamics. Our results demonstrate that odd elasticity can be achieved in mechanical structures using passive elements without electronic components coupled with feedback or robotic control systems.
Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft)
6 pages, 4 figures
Thermodynamic and electrical transport properties of the half-Heusler plumbide TbAuPb
New Submission | Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Abhinav Agarwal, Snehashish Chatterjee, Maciej J. Winiarski, Orest Pavlosiuk, Dorota A. Kowalska, Piotr Wisniewski, Dariusz Kaczorowski
Structural, thermodynamic and electrical transport properties of TbAuPb were investigated on single crystals. The compound was found to crystallize with the cubic MgAgAs-type structure characteristic of half-Heusler materials. It orders antiferromagnetically at TN = 5 K and undergoes a transition into a different antiferromagnetic phase emerging in high magnetic fields. Electrical transport in TbAuPb exhibits a multiband character, with a predominance of hole-like carriers. Angular magnetoresistance evolves systematically with applied magnetic field and changes its symmetry near the spin-reorientation transition, highlighting strong coupling between the charge transport and the magnetic order. The results of first-principles calculations indicate that TbAuPb is a band inverted semimetal in the non-magnetic state, which becomes topologically trivial in the field-induced ferromagnetic state.
Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el), Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
9 Pages, 6 figures, 2 Pages supplementary information, Published in Physical Review Materials
Phys. Rev. Materials 10, 064407 (2026)
The WEST code for large-scale excited-state materials simulations
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Victor Wen-zhe Yu, Siyuan Chen, Yu Jin, Vrindaa Somjit, Stefano Paolo Villani, Jiawei Zhan, Marco Govoni, Giulia Galli
We present WEST, an open-source plane-wave pseudopotential code for large-scale excited-state materials simulations, and describe its theoretical foundations, software architecture, and capabilities. WEST implements full-frequency GW, quantum defect embedding theory, the Bethe-Salpeter equation, and time-dependent density functional theory within a common algorithmic framework that avoids the explicit computation of virtual electronic states. By combining density functional and density matrix perturbation theory, low-rank representations of the dielectric screening and exact exchange, and localization techniques, WEST achieves favorable computational scaling with system size. The code supports the calculation of quasi-particle and neutral excitation energies, optical and photoluminescence spectra, excited-state forces, and non-adiabatic couplings, with interoperable workflows connecting to quantum chemistry, vibronic coupling, and quantum computing packages. A hierarchical parallelization strategy and GPU acceleration deliver near-ideal strong scaling to thousands of GPUs, enabling accurate excited-state simulations of systems with more than a thousand atoms. Representative applications, spanning the full optical cycle of solid-state spin defects, self-trapped excitons in metal-halide perovskites, and the optical response of liquid water and ice, demonstrate the accuracy and versatility of the code across diverse material classes. The capabilities implemented in WEST establish the code as a scalable platform for predictive excited-state simulations, high-throughput materials discovery, and the generation of high-fidelity datasets for machine learning in computational materials science.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
Unified Terahertz Framework for Magnetic and Lattice Responses Reveals an Elusive Ordering Transition in Gd$_2$Ru$_2$O$_7$
New Submission | Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Nicolas M. Kawahala, Rafael L. Sabainsk, Esteban Marulanda, Rafael S. Freitas, Felix G. G. Hernandez
Magnetic order in materials combining localized rare-earth moments with itinerant transition-metal sublattices generates internal fields whose lattice imprint is rarely accessed directly. In Gd pyrochlore ruthenate, we find that a single terahertz spectrum resolves an exchange-split Gd$ ^{3+}$ mode and an optical phonon. Their coupled evolution quantifies the internal field, oriented as predicted for cluster-multipolar order, and reveals a Gd-ordering transition elusive to bulk thermodynamic probes, establishing a unified framework for accessing magnetic and lattice responses in correlated quantum materials.
Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el), Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
9 pages including supplemental material
Electric field controlled spin transport in a topological insulator interfaced with a ferroelectric antiferromagnet
New Submission | Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Yogesh Kumar, Pushpendra Gupta, Xinyan Li, Richa Mudgal, Ashish Omar, Ryan Chen, Mito Funatsu, Maya Ramesh, Nicholas Reiterer, Yuanqi Lyu, Yiping Zeng, Darrell G. Schlom, Alessandra Lanzara, Robert J. Birgeneau, James G. Analytis, Ramamoorthy Ramesh, Sajid Husain
Topological insulators have been explored extensively for spin-charge interconversion via magnetic interfaces, yet the true response of their spin-charge conversion, particularly in the absence of an external magnetic field, remains to be studied. Here, we report electric-field control of spin-charge conversion in the topological insulator Bi$ _2$ Te$ _3$ with the antiferromagnetic multiferroic BiFeO$ _3$ , employing a nonlocal spin transport device. A systematic thickness dependence of the spin transport across the interface between Bi$ _2$ Te$ _3$ and BiFeO$ _3$ reveals a signature of topological surface-state-dominated spin transport in the bilayer system. The spin-charge conversion remains robust for thicknesses above 10 nm but falls rapidly with reducing thickness and vanishes at 5 nm. This is consistent with the hybridization-induced emergence of a trivial insulating phase, which is supported by the coherency factor estimated from the magnetoconductance of Bi$ _2$ Te$ _3$ . These results establish that spin-momentum-locked surface states dominate interfacial spin transport in the decoupled regime. Beyond presenting efficient spin-charge interconversion at an entirely insulating magnetic interface, this work also highlights sputter-deposited Bi$ _2$ Te$ _3$ as a high-quality and scalable platform for integrating quantum materials into devices. The nonlocal spin transport approach presented here provides a simple and direct evidence of spin-charge conversion and opens an efficient and practical pathway toward designing energy-efficient spin-based devices.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall), Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
23 pages, 4 Figures
Gelation of functional peptides by trivalent cations at the air-water interface
New Submission | Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Stephen A. Crane, Felipe Jimenez Angeles, Monica Olvera de la Cruz, Ivan J. Dmochowski, Kathleen J. Stebe
We report a mechanism for gelation at fluid interfaces driven by multivalent-cation-mediated bridging. At the air-water interface, peptides with bound lanthanide cations undergo a coordination-geometry transition that converts the metal from a single-peptide bound state to a multi-peptide bridging state, driving charge inversion and gel formation. Surface adsorption and non-ideal interfacial electrostatics are implicated in this transition. The gel is stabilized by reversible metal-ligand coordination bonds that resist bulk salt screening, fundamentally distinct from electrostatic charge-inversion gelation in proteins. This reveals the breakdown of the peptide’s coordinating sphere as a distinct pathway for interfacial gelation, independent of the diffuse electrostatic mechanisms governing bulk protein aggregation.
Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft)
Orbital Hybridization Induces Giant Cubic Rashba Effect at Cu/WO$_{3}$ Interface
New Submission | Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Harnessing Rashba spin-orbit interaction and related spintronic functionalities has traditionally relied on metallic surfaces or interfaces containing elemental heavy metals. Here, using first-principles calculations and Cu(001)/WO$ _3$ (001) as a model heterostructure, we show that interfacing a light metal, Cu, with a band insulator, WO$ _3$ , yields an interface state that exhibits a robust Rashba spin splitting arising from the interplay between linear and cubic Rashba effects. The spin splitting is driven by the strong spin-orbit coupling of W atoms and enabled by W-Cu orbital hybridization at the interface. The cubic Rashba contribution asymptotically grows with Cu thickness and can be explained in terms of cross-coupling between the vacuum/Cu and Cu/WO$ _3$ interfaces. This interfacial cross-coupling, however, diminishes at larger Cu thicknesses, allowing us to extract the intrinsic cubic Rashba parameter, which has a giant value of approximately -1.93 eV $ Å^3$ . In contrast, the linear Rashba parameter is only weakly affected by this cross-coupling and varies from approximately 0.30 to 0.49 eV Å. We further show that sizable linear and cubic Rashba effects persist across several interface geometries and Cu surface orientations, including (110) and (111). Our work identifies the Cu/WO$ _3$ interface as a novel light-metal/heavy-element-based oxide platform for exploring the rich spectrum of Rashba physics, including linear and nonlinear spin-orbit phenomena.
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci), Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)
Phys. Rev. B 113, 235149 (2026)
An exactly solvable macroscopic fluctuation theory of single-file diffusion
New Submission | Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
Sandeep Jangid, Soumyabrata Saha, Kapil Sharma, Jitendra Kethepalli, Benjamin Guiselin, Jacopo De Nardis, Tridib Sadhu
Single-file diffusion is a ubiquitous phenomenon in low-dimensional systems, arising in transport inside narrow channels. Its natural continuum model is a one-dimensional gas of extended Brownian hard rods (BHR). Perhaps owing to the perceived intractability of this problem, much of the literature has traditionally focused on lattice exclusion models, where integrability methods have yielded remarkable, albeit limited, exact results. A major recent advance comes from a formal solution of macroscopic fluctuation theory (MFT) for the exclusion process. Yet, despite the formal solution, only a handful of properties have been made explicit. We show that the corresponding MFT of the extended BHR gas is in fact exactly solvable through a canonical transformation. We demonstrate this by explicit computation of the large-deviation statistics of the tracer-position and integrated-current in both annealed and quenched ensembles. We further show that an analogous canonical transformation applies to the MFT of lattice gases with finite-volume exclusion, yielding corresponding tracer and current statistics. We validate our results using rare-event simulations for both the continuum and the lattice models.
Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech), Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft), Mathematical Physics (math-ph)
8 pages, 3 figures + 8 pages of supplement
Quantum Transport and Apparent Work Function Distributions of Atomic Contacts via a 3D-Printed High-Vacuum Platform
New Submission | Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) | 2026-07-16 20:00 EDT
We present a low-cost, 3D-printed high-vacuum platform integrating a mechanically controllable break-junction system and a custom logarithmic amplifier for room-temperature quantum transport measurements. Using copper as a highly reactive test case, we successfully resolve the $ 1G_0$ conductance quantum under both high vacuum and anhydrous glycerol, demonstrating the effectiveness of these environments against rapid atmospheric oxidation. In parallel, utilizing gold as a robust benchmark, we systematically extract the apparent work function ($ \phi$ ) from thousands of tunneling traces across ambient air, vacuum, and glycerol. Our analysis demonstrates that the statistical distribution of $ \phi$ rigorously follows a non-central chi-square distribution. The obtained gold work functions match existing literature across all environments. Although lower than bulk values, they perfectly align with theoretical models accounting for atomic-scale roughness, apex geometry, and environmental adsorbates. Ultimately, this methodology establishes an accessible and reproducible framework for systematic nanoscale research on reactive materials.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)
8 pages, 4 figures, supplementary material