We present the first direct numerical simulation of gravitational wave turbulence. General relativity equations are solved numerically in a periodic box with a diagonal metric tensor depending on two space coordinates only, $g_{ij}\equiv g_{ii}(x,y,t){\delta }_{ij}$, and with an additional small-scale dissipative term. We limit ourselves to weak gravitational waves and to a freely decaying turbulence. We find that an initial metric excitation at intermediate wave number leads to a dual cascade of energy and wave action. When the direct energy cascade reaches the dissipative scales, a transition is observed in the temporal evolution of energy from a plateau to a power-law decay, while the inverse cascade front continues to propagate toward low wave numbers. The wave number and frequency-wave-number spectra are found to be compatible with the theory of weak wave turbulence and the characteristic timescale of the dual cascade is that expected for four-wave resonant interactions. The simulation reveals that an initially weak gravitational wave turbulence tends to become strong as the inverse cascade of wave action progresses with a selective amplification of the fluctuations $g_{11}$ and $g_{22}$.

Variational quantum algorithms are proposed to solve relevant computational problems on near term quantum devices. Popular versions are variational quantum eigensolvers and quantum approximate optimization algorithms that solve ground state problems from quantum chemistry and binary optimization problems, respectively. They are based on the idea of using a classical computer to train a parametrized quantum circuit. We show that the corresponding classical optimization problems are NP-hard. Moreover, the hardness is robust in the sense that, for every polynomial time algorithm, there are instances for which the relative error resulting from the classical optimization problem can be arbitrarily large assuming that $\mathrm{P}\ne \mathrm{NP}$. Even for classically tractable systems composed of only logarithmically many qubits or free fermions, we show the optimization to be NP-hard. This elucidates that the classical optimization is intrinsically hard and does not merely inherit the hardness from the ground state problem. Our analysis shows that the training landscape can have many far from optimal persistent local minima This means gradient and higher order descent algorithms will generally converge to far from optimal solutions.

A spin-polarized state is examined under charge current at room temperature without magnetic fields in chiral disilicide crystals ${\mathrm{NbSi}}_2$ and ${\mathrm{TaSi}}_2$. We found that a long-range spin transport occurs over ten micrometers in these inorganic crystals. A distribution of crystalline grains of different handedness is obtained via location-sensitive electrical transport measurements. The sum rule holds in the conversion coefficient in the current-voltage characteristics. A diamagnetic nature of the crystals supports that the spin polarization is not due to localized electron spins but due to itinerant electron spins. A large difference in the strength of antisymmetric spin-orbit interaction associated with $4d$ electrons in Nb and $5d$ ones in Ta is oppositely correlated with that of the spin polarization. A robust protection of the spin polarization occurs over long distances in chiral crystals.

Condensed-matter systems provide alternative “vacua” exhibiting emergent low-energy properties drastically different from those of the standard model. A case in point is the emergent quantum electrodynamics (QED) in the fractionalized topological magnet known as quantum spin ice, whose magnetic monopoles set it apart from the familiar QED of the world we live in. Here, we show that the two greatly differ in their fine structure constant $\alpha$, which parametrizes how strongly matter couples to light: ${\alpha }_{\mathrm{QSI}}$ is more than an order of magnitude greater than ${\alpha }_{\mathrm{QED}}\approx 1/137$. Furthermore, ${\alpha }_{\mathrm{QSI}}$, the emergent speed of light, and all other parameters of the emergent QED, are tunable by engineering the microscopic Hamiltonian. We find that ${\alpha }_{\mathrm{QSI}}$ can be tuned all the way from zero up to what is believed to be the strongest possible coupling beyond which QED confines. In view of the small size of its constrained Hilbert space, this marks out quantum spin ice as an ideal platform for studying exotic quantum field theories and a target for quantum simulation. The large ${\alpha }_{\mathrm{QSI}}$ implies that experiments probing candidate condensed-matter realizations of quantum spin ice should expect to observe phenomena arising due to strong interactions.

Bacterial swarms display intriguing dynamical states like active turbulence. Now, using a hydrodynamic model, we show that such dense active suspensions manifest superdiffusion, via Lévy walks, which masquerades as a crossover from ballistic to diffusive scaling in measurements of mean-squared displacements, and is tied to the emergence of hitherto undetected oscillatory streaks in the flow. Thus, while laying the theoretical framework of an emergent advantageous strategy in the collective behavior of microorganisms, our Letter underlines the essential differences between active and inertial turbulence.

We investigate the saturation of defect density in an atomic Bose gas rapidly cooled into a superfluid phase. The number of quantum vortices, which are spontaneously created in the quenched gas, exhibits a Poissonian distribution not only for a slow quench in the Kibble-Zurek (KZ) scaling regime but also for a fast quench, in which case the mean vortex number is saturated. This shows that the saturation is not caused by destructive vortex collisions, but by the early-time coarsening in an emerging condensate, which is further supported by the observation that the condensate growth lags the quenching in the saturation regime. Our results demonstrate that the defect saturation is an effect beyond the KZ mechanism, opening a path for studying critical phase transition dynamics using the defect number distribution.

The formation of topological defects in continuous phase transitions is driven by the Kibble-Zurek mechanism. Here we study the formation of single- and half-quantum vortices during transition to the polar phase of ${}^3\mathrm{He}$ in the presence of a symmetry-breaking bias provided by the applied magnetic field. We find that vortex formation is suppressed exponentially when the length scale associated with the bias field becomes smaller than the Kibble-Zurek length. We thus demonstrate an experimentally feasible shortcut to adiabaticity—an important aspect for further understanding of phase transitions as well as for engineering applications such as quantum computers or simulators.

A measurement of mixing and $CP$ violation in neutral charm mesons is performed using data reconstructed in proton-proton collisions collected by the LHCb experiment from 2016 to 2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $5.4{\text{fb}}^{-1}$. A total of 30.6 million $D^0\to K_{\mathrm{S}}^0{\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{-}$ decays are analyzed using a method optimized for the measurement of the mass difference between neutral charm-meson eigenstates. Allowing for $CP$ violation in mixing and in the interference between mixing and decay, the mass and decay-width differences are measured to be $x_{CP}=[3.97\pm 0.46(\text{stat})\pm 0.29(\text{syst})]\times 10^{-3}$ and $y_{CP}=[4.59\pm 1.20(\text{stat})\pm 0.85(\text{syst})]\times 10^{-3}$, respectively. The $CP$-violating parameters are measured as $\mathrm{\Delta }x=[-0.27\pm 0.18(\text{stat})\pm 0.01(\text{syst})]\times 10^{-3}$ and $\mathrm{\Delta }y=[0.20\pm 0.36(\text{stat})\pm 0.13(\text{syst})]\times 10^{-3}$. This is the first observation of a nonzero mass difference in the $D^0$ meson system, with a significance exceeding seven standard deviations. The data are consistent with $CP$ symmetry and improve existing constraints on the associated parameters.

A glacier table consists of a rock supported by a slender column of ice and form naturally on glaciers. We investigate the onset of their formation at a smaller scale in a controlled environment. Depending on the size and thermal conductivity of a cap, it can either form of a table standing on an ice foot, or sink into the ice block. A one-dimension conduction model shows that the differential ice melting is controlled by a competition between two effects: a geometrical amplification, and a heat flux reduction due to the higher temperature of the cap as compared to the ice. Our model captures the transition between the two regimes and identifies a dimensionless number which controls the onset of glacier tables formation.

There has been a growing interest in realizing quantum simulators for physical systems where perturbative methods are ineffective. The scalability and flexibility of circuit quantum electrodynamics make it a promising platform for implementing various types of simulators, including lattice models of strongly coupled field theories. Here, we use a multimode superconducting parametric cavity as a hardware-efficient analog quantum simulator, realizing a lattice in synthetic dimensions with complex hopping interactions. The coupling graph, i.e., the realized model, can be programmed in situ. The complex-valued hopping interaction further allows us to simulate, for instance, gauge potentials and topological models. As a demonstration, we simulate a plaquette of the bosonic Creutz ladder. We characterize the lattice with scattering measurements, reconstructing the experimental Hamiltonian and observing important precursors of topological features including nonreciprocal transport and Aharonov-Bohm caging. This platform can be easily extended to larger lattices and different models involving other interactions.

We report on a joint experimental and theoretical study of photoelectron circular dichroism (PECD) in methyloxirane. By detecting O 1s photoelectrons in coincidence with fragment ions, we deduce the molecule’s orientation and photoelectron emission direction in the laboratory frame. Thereby, we retrieve a fourfold differential PECD clearly beyond 50%. This strong chiral asymmetry is reproduced by ab initio electronic structure calculations. Providing such a pronounced contrast makes PECD of fixed-in-space chiral molecules an even more sensitive tool for chiral recognition in the gas phase.

During the Leidenfrost effect, a thin insulating vapor layer separates an evaporating liquid from a hot solid. Here we demonstrate that Leidenfrost vapor layers can be sustained at much lower temperatures than those required for formation. Using a high-speed electrical technique to measure the thickness of water vapor layers over smooth, metallic surfaces, we find that the explosive failure point is nearly independent of material and fluid properties, suggesting a purely hydrodynamic mechanism determines this threshold. For water vapor layers of several millimeters in size, the minimum temperature for stability is $\approx 140°\mathrm{C}$, corresponding to an average vapor layer thickness of $10–20\mu \mathrm{m}$.

We present a unifying approach that describes both surface bending and fracture in the same geometrical framework. An immediate outcome of this view is a prediction for a new mechanical transition: the buckling-fracture transition. Using responsive gel strips that are subjected to nonuniform osmotic stress, we show the existence of the transition: Thin plates do not fracture. Instead, they release energy via buckling, even at strains that can be orders of magnitude larger than the Griffith fracture criterion. The analysis of the system reveals the dependence of the transition on system’s parameters and agrees well with experimental results. Finally, we suggest a new description of a mode I crack as a line distribution of Gaussian curvature. It is thus exchangeable with extrinsic generation of curvature via buckling. The work opens the way for the study of mechanical problems within a single nonlinear framework. It suggests that fracture driven by internal stresses can be completely avoided by a proper geometrical design.

Triaxial weaving is a handicraft technique that has long been used to create curved structures using initially straight and flat ribbons. Weavers typically introduce discrete topological defects to produce nonzero Gaussian curvature, albeit with faceted surfaces. We demonstrate that, by tuning the in-plane curvature of the ribbons, the integrated Gaussian curvature of the weave can be varied continuously, which is not feasible using traditional techniques. Further, we reveal that the shape of the physical unit cells is dictated solely by the in-plane geometry of the ribbons, not elasticity. Finally, we leverage the geometry-driven nature of triaxial weaving to design a set of ribbon profiles to weave smooth spherical, ellipsoidal, and toroidal structures.

In contrast to light, matter-wave optics of quantum gases deals with interactions even in free space and for ensembles comprising millions of atoms. We exploit these interactions in a quantum degenerate gas as an adjustable lens for coherent atom optics. By combining an interaction-driven quadrupole-mode excitation of a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) with a magnetic lens, we form a time-domain matter-wave lens system. The focus is tuned by the strength of the lensing potential and the oscillatory phase of the quadrupole mode. By placing the focus at infinity, we lower the total internal kinetic energy of a BEC comprising 101(37) thousand atoms in three dimensions to $3/2k_B·38_{-7}^{+6}\mathrm{pK}$. Our method paves the way for free-fall experiments lasting ten or more seconds as envisioned for tests of fundamental physics and high-precision BEC interferometry, as well as opens up a new kinetic energy regime.

We study the propagation of waves in a medium in which the wave velocity fluctuates randomly in time. We prove that at long times, the statistical distribution of the wave energy is log-normal, with the average energy growing exponentially. For weak disorder, another regime preexists at shorter times, in which the energy follows a negative exponential distribution, with an average value growing linearly with time. The theory is in perfect agreement with numerical simulations, and applies to different kinds of waves. The existence of such universal statistics bridges the fields of wave propagation in time-disordered and space-disordered media.

The existence of classical nonradiating electromagnetic sources is one of the puzzling questions to date. Here, we investigate radiation properties of physical systems composed of a single ultrahigh permittivity dielectric hollow disk excited by electric or magnetic pointlike dipole antennas, placed inside the inner bore. Using analytical and numerical methods, we demonstrate that such systems can support anapole states with total suppression of far-field radiation and thereby exhibit the properties of electric or magnetic nonradiating sources. It is shown that the suppression of the far-field radiated power is a result of the destructive interference between radiative contributions of the pointlike dipole antennas and the corresponding induced dipole moments of the hollow disk. The experimental investigation of the nonradiating electric source has been performed to confirm our theoretical predictions. Our results pave the way to create and realize compact nonradiative sources for applications in modern wireless power transfer systems, sensors, RFID tags, and medical technologies.

We show that minimal-surface non-Euclidean elastic plates share the same low-energy effective theory as Haldane’s dimerized quantum spin chain. As a result, such elastic plates support fractional excitations, which take the form of charge-$1/2$ solitons between degenerate states of the plate, in strong analogy to their quantum counterpart. These fractional excitations exhibit properties similar to fractional excitations in quantum fractional topological states and in Haldane’s dimerized quantum spin chain, including deconfinement and braiding, as well as unique new features such as holographic properties and diodelike nonlinear response, demonstrating great potentials for applications as mechanical metamaterials.

Temperature sensing is a ubiquitous cell behavior, but the fundamental limits to the precision of temperature sensing are poorly understood. Unlike in chemical concentration sensing, the precision of temperature sensing is not limited by extrinsic fluctuations in the temperature field itself. Instead, we find that precision is limited by the intrinsic copy number, turnover, and binding kinetics of temperature-sensitive proteins. Developing a model based on the canonical TlpA protein, we find that a cell can estimate temperature to within 2%. We compare this prediction with in vivo data on temperature sensing in bacteria.

Turbulent puffs are ubiquitous in everyday life phenomena. Understanding their dynamics is important in a variety of situations ranging from industrial processes to pure and applied science. In all these fields, a deep knowledge of the statistical structure of temperature and velocity space-time fluctuations is of paramount importance to construct models of chemical reaction (in chemistry) and of condensation of virus-containing droplets (in virology and/or biophysics) and optimal mixing strategies in industrial applications. As a matter of fact, results of turbulence in a puff are confined to bulk properties (i.e., average puff velocity and typical decay or growth time) and date back to the second half of the 20th century. There is, thus, a huge gap to fill to pass from bulk properties to two-point statistical observables. Here, we fill this gap by exploiting theory and numerics in concert to predict and validate the space-time scaling behaviors of both velocity and temperature structure functions including intermittency corrections. Excellent agreement between theory and simulations is found. Our results are expected to have a profound impact on developing evaporation models for virus-containing droplets carried by a turbulent puff, with benefits to the comprehension of the airborne route of virus contagion.