Bloch oscillation (BO)—the oscillatory electron motion in a field-driven periodic lattice—is a fundamental phenomenon in quantum transport. While well established in Hermitian systems, it remains largely unexplored in non-Hermitian settings (especially in experiments). Here, we report distinctive wave-packet dynamics in anti-Hermitian lattices—the opposite extreme to familiar Hermitian systems. Strikingly, it features a stationary centroid yet temporally oscillating population—a clean duality with respect to the conventional BO in Hermitian lattices. This unconventional phenomenon, which we term “twinkling Bloch oscillation” (TBO), directly arises from the purely imaginary energy spectrum and the vanishing group velocity inherent to anti-Hermitian lattices. To validate this concept, we construct a field-driven anti-Hermitian acoustic lattice and experimentally observe the predicted TBO dynamics in both real and reciprocal spaces. Our work identifies a distinctive BO regime and demonstrates the intrinsic duality between the two spectral extremes.

Hyperbolic lattices extend crystallinity into curved space, where negative curvature and exponentially large boundaries reshape collective excitations beyond Euclidean intuition. In this Letter, we push the study beyond scalar fields by exploring vector fields on hyperbolic lattices. Using phonons as an example, we show that the Goldstone theorem breaks down for vector fields in hyperbolic lattices. In stark contrast to Euclidean crystals, where the Goldstone theorem ensures that acoustic phonon modes are gapless, hyperbolic lattices with coordination number $z>2d$ exhibit a finite bulk phonon gap. We identify the origin of this breakdown: The Goldstone modes here belong to nonunitary representations of the translation group and therefore cannot form gapless excitation branches. We further show that when boundaries are included, this bulk spectrum gap is filled by an extensive number of low-frequency boundary modes.

The recent experimental observations of high-temperature superconductivity in bilayer nickelate have attracted much attention. Previous studies have assumed a mirror symmetry $\mathcal{M}$ between the two layers and focused on uniform and clean superconducting states. Here, we show that breaking this mirror symmetry via an applied displacement field can stabilize a pair-density-wave (PDW) superconductor, which is similar to the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state, but at zero magnetic field. Based on a mean-field analysis of a model of a $d_{x^2-y^2}$ orbital with an effective interlayer attraction, we demonstrate that the PDW phase is robust over a wide range of displacement field, interlayer hopping strengths, and electron fillings. Finally, we analyze disorder effects on interlayer superconductivity within the first Born approximation. Based on symmetry considerations, we show that pairing is weakened by disorders which break the mirror symmetry, even with unbroken time-reversal symmetry. Our results establish bilayer nickelate as a tunable platform for realizing finite-momentum pairing and for exploring generalized disorder effects.

Altermagnets, as an emergent class of quantum magnets, have recently attracted considerable attention, yet an intrinsic transport hallmark of altermagnetic order remains elusive. Here, through spin-group and magnetic Laue-group symmetry analyses, we identify the third-order intrinsic anomalous Hall effect (IAHE) as such a hallmark and show that it is a spin-group-symmetry-breaking response, forbidden without spin-orbit coupling (SOC) but allowed for all ten altermagnetic spin Laue groups once SOC is included. Using the Lieb-lattice altermagnet and the experimentally realized ${\mathrm{V}}_2{\mathrm{Se}}_2\mathrm{O}$ as examples, we demonstrate resonant enhancement of the third-order IAHE near altermagnetic band crossings at generic momenta, leading to an experimentally observable Hall voltage of about $10\mu \mathrm{V}$. We further identify the Berry curvature quadrupole, activated by finite SOC, as the quantum-geometric origin of this enhancement. Our results establish the third-order IAHE as an intrinsic transport hallmark of altermagnets and complete the hierarchy of IAHE across collinear quantum magnets.

High pressure during ion irradiation can alter defect formation, yet its influence on swift heavy ion (SHI) track formation remains an open question, particularly for materials used in environments combining high pressure and intense radiation. Here, we investigate the size and stability of ion tracks under static high pressure in single-crystalline $\alpha$-quartz. Using synchrotron-based small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS), the ion tracks are analyzed in situ while the sample remains under pressure. The measurements reveal a systematic increase in track radius with pressure, from 3.0(1) nm at ambient pressure to 3.3(1) nm at 2.0 GPa, and further to 3.6(1) nm at 6.4 GPa. These findings are consistent with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations indicating that the pressure-induced enlargement of ion tracks is not solely attributable to the increased electronic energy loss associated with densification of compressed $\alpha$-quartz, but also reflects a direct effect of pressure itself. After decompression, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of the recovered samples shows track radii that are consistent with those determined by in situ SAXS and MD simulations performed at 2.0 GPa. In contrast, for the irradiation at 6.4 GPa, the recovered tracks are approximately 1.4 times larger. Both TEM observations and MD simulations confirm that the pressure-induced increase in track size persists after pressure release. These results demonstrate that applied pressure during SHI irradiation can significantly modify the resulting damage profile, highlighting pressure as a key parameter influencing track formation.

Solid-state ionic conductors are pivotal for advancing energy storage technologies, yet their performance is critically governed by mesoscale structural features that influence ionic percolation pathways. In this work, random resistance model is employed to unravel the effects of mesoscopic features, including the size, shape, and alignment of grains and pores, on ionic transport percolation networks in polycrystalline ionic conductors. Our simulations reveal that larger grain sizes and vertically aligned columnar grains significantly enhance ionic conductivity by reducing percolation thresholds. Notably, vertically aligned pores further optimize percolation networks, enabling conductivity exceeding that of fully dense materials in specific configurations. By correlating simulated results with experimental data for garnet-type lithium-ion and oxygen-ion conductors, we demonstrate the model's robustness in predicting structure-property relationships. These insights establish a universal framework for designing high-performance solid electrolytes through mesoscale engineering, with broad implications for batteries, fuel cells, and beyond.

We report magnetization measurements under hydrostatic pressure up to approximately 1.6 GPa in the spin-1 quasi-one-dimensional frustrated antiferromagnets ${\mathrm{CsNiCl}}_3, {\mathrm{RbNiCl}}_3$, and ${\mathrm{CsNiBr}}_3$. Magnetic susceptibilities observed at various pressures are almost completely accounted for by combining the theoretical susceptibility for the spin-1 antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chain, calculated using the quantum Monte Carlo method, with the mean field arising from two interchain exchange interactions, which are an order of magnitude larger than the single interchain exchange interaction used in the conventional model. The antiferromagnetic intrachain $J_0$ exchange interaction increases significantly with pressure in all three. The single-ion anisotropy $D$ of the easy-axis type increases significantly with pressure in ${\mathrm{CsNiCl}}_3$ and ${\mathrm{RbNiCl}}_3$ while not in ${\mathrm{CsNiBr}}_3$. This significant change in magnetic interactions leads to large shifts in phase boundaries. One-dimensionality increases with increasing pressure in ${\mathrm{CsNiCl}}_3$ but not in ${\mathrm{RbNiCl}}_3$ and ${\mathrm{CsNiBr}}_3$.

We present a comparative study of vortex-glass (VG) phase, vortex pinning, and vortex dynamics in superconducting niobium-rhenium (NbRe) films and NbRe/permalloy bilayers fabricated by the dc magnetron sputtering technique, where permalloy (Py) serves as the ferromagnetic layer. Current-voltage characteristics were measured as a function of temperature and magnetic field to investigate the VG transition, analyzed through scaling laws to determine the VG phase line, $H_g\left(T\right)$. NbRe films exhibit systematically higher $H_g\left(T\right)$ magnitude than the NbRe/Py bilayers, indicating stronger vortex pinning in the former. The reduced $H_g\left(T\right)$ trend observed in the NbRe/Py bilayers is attributed to the superconducting proximity effect and the homogeneous magnetic exchange interaction at the NbRe/Py interface. To further elucidate the pinning properties, critical current densities and pinning forces were evaluated, revealing that vortex pinning is strongly influenced by structural inhomogeneities and disorder in both systems, with consistently larger pinning forces in NbRe films. The weaker pinning in NbRe/Py bilayers is reflected in their vortex-instability behavior, characterized significantly by their higher vortex velocities compared to NbRe films.

We predict that the spin-polarized electrons in a two-dimensional triangular lattice with strong electron-electron repulsion give rise to $f$-wave pairing. The key point is that the first-order interaction, which is usually pair breaking, vanishes or nearly vanishes in certain $f$-wave channels due to symmetry constraints. As a result, these $f$-wave pairing channels are governed by the subleading-order processes which enable pairing when the perturbation theory is controlled. We illustrate this point using the Hubbard model on the triangular lattice with on-site and nearest-neighbor repulsion, where we find a transition temperature $T_c\sim 0.2\%$ of the Fermi energy. For a general screened interaction, the same idea works asymptotically, but a third-order calculation is needed to fully determine the strength of $f$-wave pairing.

Hugoniot (peak states achieved in single shock compression) and longitudinal sound speed measurements were obtained for [100]- and [111]-oriented silver (Ag) single crystals shock compressed to $\sim 170\mathrm{GPa}$. The high pressure Hugoniot response shows no measurable dependence on the crystal orientation and matches the published polycrystalline Ag results, showing that the Ag Hugoniot response is isotropic. In contrast, sound speed measurements up to $\sim 150\mathrm{GPa}$ exhibit significant anisotropy: when compared to polycrystalline Ag results, the sound speeds for the [111] orientation are higher and the sound speeds for the [100] orientation are lower. Above $\sim 150\mathrm{GPa}$, the sound speeds for both crystal orientations converge to the polycrystalline response, suggesting the development of a polycrystalline structure due to the face-centered-cubic (fcc) to body-centered-cubic (bcc) phase transformation determined using x-ray diffraction measurements [S. M. Sharma et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 235701 (2020)]. The single crystal results show that sound speed measurements in the shock compressed state are a sensitive indicator of both elastic anisotropy and microstructural changes due to the solid-solid phase transformations. These findings point to the need to incorporate the role of crystalline anisotropy when modeling the high stress shock compression response of noble metal single crystals.

The broken inversion symmetry inherent in two-dimensional (2D) magnetic heterostructures makes them promising candidates for realizing topological spin textures. However, most experimentally fabricated magnetic heterostructures exhibit weak interlayer coupling, resulting in inadequate Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) and consequently precluding the stabilization of robust topological spin textures. Using first-principles calculations, we construct thermodynamically stable and experimentally feasible ${\mathrm{MnGeTe}}_3$/germanene and ${\mathrm{MnSiTe}}_3$/silicene heterostructures, where strong interfacial DMI arises to enable the stabilization of topological spin textures. Detailed micromagnetic simulations reveal that considering only the nearest-neighboring magnetic interactions leads to bimeron/meron states in both heterostructures, whereas the inclusion of the next-nearest-neighboring (NNN) magnetic interactions enables the stabilization of skyrmion states. Further investigations show that the magnetic phase transition from bimeron/meron to skyrmion states originates from a significant enhancement of the DMI-to-Heisenberg exchange ratio (|$D/J$|) between the NNN Mn-Mn pairs in ${\mathrm{MnGeTe}}_3$ and ${\mathrm{MnSiTe}}_3$ layers. This study highlights strong interfacial coupling as a viable route for inducing substantial DMI in 2D magnetic heterostructures, paving the way for the rational design of skyrmion-based logic and memory devices.

Recently, it was predicted that nonreciprocal magnetoelectric effect in antiferromagnetic multilayered metamaterials occurs in two distinct versions. One is the conventional axion response, while another one is dual axion response captured by electrodynamics with magnetic charge. Here we investigate a model condensed matter system of spins coupled through antiferromagnetic exchange interaction and derive its effective electromagnetic properties. We predict that this system gives rise to the emergent dual axion field, support our conclusion by numerical simulations, and put forward candidate materials.

We theoretically investigate the anomalous Hall and Nernst effects (AHE and ANE) in a two-dimensional kagome lattice to uncover the distinct roles of static and fluctuating scalar spin chiralities. Employing Monte Carlo simulations incorporating with a tight-binding Hamiltonian via the $s\text{−}d$ exchange interaction, we explicitly evaluate the anomalous transport coefficients. A key finding is the systematic disentanglement of the macroscopic responses into an intrinsic contribution, governed by momentum-space Berry curvature induced by static chirality, and an extrinsic skew scattering contribution driven by real-space dynamical spin fluctuations. We demonstrate a pronounced mechanistic crossover: deep in magnetically ordered phases like the skyrmion crystal, the intrinsic Berry curvature dictates the transport behavior. However, approaching the magnetic order-disorder critical regime, strong thermal fluctuations disrupt static noncoplanar spin configurations, drastically suppressing intrinsic responses. Here, dynamical chiral fluctuations emerge as the dominant driving force. By delineating the phase regimes governed by static versus fluctuating chiralities, this work elucidates the distinct microscopic mechanisms dictating anomalous transport in frustrated magnetic systems.

Soliton-based computing architectures have recently emerged as a promising avenue to overcome fundamental limitations of conventional information technologies, the von Neumann bottleneck. In this context, magnetic skyrmions have been widely considered for in-situ processing devices due to their mobility and enhanced lifetime in materials with broken inversion symmetry. However, modern applications in nonvolatile reservoir or neuromorphic computing raise the additional demand for nonlinear intersoliton interactions. Here we report that solitons in easy-plane magnets, such as bimerons and antibimerons, show greater versatility and potential for nonlinear interactions than skyrmions and antiskyrmions, making them superior candidates for this class of applications. Using first-principles and transition state theory, we predict the coexistence of degenerate bimerons and antibimerons at zero field in a van der Waals heterostructure ${\mathrm{Fe}}_3{\mathrm{GeTe}}_2/{\mathrm{Cr}}_2{\mathrm{Ge}}_2{\mathrm{Te}}_6$—an experimentally feasible system. We demonstrate that, owing to their distinct structural symmetry, bimerons exhibit fundamentally different behavior from skyrmions and cannot be regarded as their in-plane counterparts, as is often assumed. This distinction leads to unique properties of bimerons and antibimerons, which arise from the unbroken rotational symmetry in easy-plane magnets. These range from anisotropic soliton-soliton interactions to strong entropic effects on their lifetime, driven by the nonlocal nature of thermal excitations. Our findings reveal a broader richness of solitons in easy-plane magnets and underline their unique potential for spintronic devices.

Since the discovery of superconductivity in infinite-layer nickelates, extensive research has been devoted to uncovering the underlying mechanisms of this phenomenon. Here, combining density functional theory and Wannier function calculations, we show that increasing the interlayer spacing of Nd-${\mathrm{NiO}}_2$ enhances the Ni $e_g$ orbital polarization and effective Ni $d_{x^2-y^2}$ nearest-neighboring hopping while suppressing the hybridization between Ni $d_{x^2-y^2}$ and interstitial $s$ orbitals. The pronounced two-dimensional character of the electronic structure and resultant conduction pathways may be favorable for superconductivity. Furthermore, the interlayer spacing strongly affects Fermi surface topology and pocket size around the A point in the first Brillouin zone, i.e., the self-doping effect. Given that the self-doping effect is considered a key feature distinguishing nickelates from cuprates, this may help explain why the superconducting transition temperature of cuprates is higher. Our results highlight the critical role of interlayer spacing in tuning the electronic structure of infinite-layer nickelates and suggest a feasible route to optimizing superconductivity through structural engineering.

Amorphous silicon ($a\text{-Si}$) is understood to be a canonical continuous random network material, ideally defined by fully fourfold coordination. Here, we show that a defect-free (‘‘ideal’’) model of $a\text{-Si}$ from machine-learning-driven molecular-dynamics simulations [Rosset et al., Nat. Commun. 16, 2360 (2025)], subsequently evaluated with hybrid-level density-functional theory computations, can accurately reproduce the experimentally observed electronic band gap. We compare this model with one resulting from the Wooten-Winer-Weaire bond-switching approach and with other recent approximants to ideal $a\text{-Si}$. More broadly, our work provides a platform for studies of band tails, optical properties, and transport in $a\text{-Si}$.