We measured negative grain-boundary triple line tension within bulk hard-sphere colloidal polycrystals. Compared to the grain boundaries, the tension is predominantly distributed in the grain lattices. The negative tension drives finite premelting at triple junctions and leads to a marginally denser lattice nearby.

The interplay between protein folding and native dynamics remains a central question in biophysics. Analyzing an extensive set of AlphaFold-predicted structures, we uncover a robust relationship between folding topology (contact order) and native dynamics (fluctuation entropy), showing that long-range contacts that slow folding also restrict conformational flexibility across protein sizes and taxonomic groups. Scaling analysis reveals that this relationship, together with its chain-length dependence, is consistent with power-law–like trends, reflecting common organizing constraints of protein architecture. Across species, increasing organismal complexity is associated with proteome-wide shifts toward lower contact order and higher fluctuation entropy. Together, evidence from folding, stability, and functional dynamics converges on unifying constraints, revealing an intrinsic physical organizing principle captured by AI models.

Catalysis refers to the possibility of enabling otherwise inaccessible quantum state transitions by supplying an auxiliary system, provided that the auxiliary is returned to its initial state at the end of the protocol. We show that previous studies on catalysis are largely impractical, because even small errors in the system’s initial state can irreversibly degrade the catalyst. To overcome this limitation, we introduce “robust catalytic transformations” and explore the fundamental extent of their capabilities. We demonstrate that robust catalysis is closely tied to the property of resource broadcasting. In particular, in completely resource nongenerating theories, robust catalysis is possible if and only if resource broadcasting is possible. We develop a no-go theorem under a set of general axioms, demonstrating that robust catalysis is unattainable for a broad class of quantum resource theories. However, surprisingly, we also identify thermodynamical scenarios where maximal robust catalytic advantage can be achieved. Our approach clarifies the practical prospects of catalytic advantage for a wide range of quantum resources, including entanglement, coherence, thermodynamics, nonstabilizerness, and imaginarity.

Constructing a quantum memory node with the ability of long-distance atom-photon distribution is the essential task for future quantum networks, enabling distributed quantum computing, quantum cryptography, and remote sensing. Here we report the demonstration of a quantum-network node with a simple cavity-free cold atomic ensemble. This node gives an initial retrieval efficiency of approximately 55% and memory lifetime of $160\mathrm{\mu }\mathrm{s}$ for atomic qubits. With the aid of a high-efficiency and polarization-independent quantum frequency conversion (QFC) module, the generated entangled photon in the node at 780-nm wavelength is converted to telecom S band at 1522 nm, enabling atom-photon distribution over long distance. We observe an entanglement fidelity between the atoms and telecom photon exceeding 80% after photon transmission over 20-km fiber with an end excitation probability of 0.2% and repetition of 1.7 kHz, the remaining infidelity being dominated by atomic decoherence. The low-noise QFC with an external efficiency up to 48.5% gives a signal-to-noise ratio of 6.9 for transmitted photons with fiber length up to 100 km, laying the cornerstone for entanglement distribution at a hundred-km level. This result provides a new platform toward the realization of a long-distance quantum network.

The so-called state-carving protocol generates high-fidelity entangled states at an atom-cavity interface without requiring high cavity cooperativity. However, this protocol is limited to 50% efficiency, which restricts its applicability. We propose a simple modification to the state-carving protocol to achieve efficient entanglement generation, with unit probability in principle. Unlike previous two-photon schemes, ours employs only one photon which interacts with the atoms twice—avoiding separate photon detections which causes irrecoverable probability loss. We present a detailed description and performance evaluation of our protocol under nonideal conditions. High fidelity of 0.999 can be achieved with cavity cooperativity of only 34. Efficient state carving paves the way for large-scale entanglement generation at cavity interfaces for modular quantum computing, quantum repeaters, and creating arbitrary shaped atomic graph states, essential for one-way quantum computing.

The first observation of the decay $B^{+}\to p\overline{\mathrm{\Lambda }}$ is presented using proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb experiment between 2016 and 2018 at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $5.4{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$. The signal significance exceeds seven standard deviations. Using the $B^{+}\to K_{\mathrm{S}}^0{\pi }^{+}$ decay as a normalization channel, the branching fraction is measured and combined with previous LHCb results based on data collected at 7 and 8 TeV in 2011 and 2012, yielding $\mathcal{B}(B^{+}\to p\overline{\mathrm{\Lambda }})=(1.24\pm 0.17\pm 0.05\pm 0.03)\times {10}^{-7},$ where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third comes from the uncertainty on the branching fraction of the normalization channel. The $B^{+}\to p\overline{\mathrm{\Lambda }}$ weak decay parameter is measured to be ${\alpha }_B=0.87_{-0.29}^{+0.26}\pm 0.09$, indicating the presence of comparable S-wave and P-wave decay amplitudes.

Ion implantation is a powerful tool to modify material chemistry and structure. The implantation process was considered to result in a net-neutral material, due to implanted ionic charge being compensated by the host materials lattice. Here, we show ion implantation into polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) results in an uncompensated “space charge” region—requiring a reconsideration of ion implantation into polymers. This is demonstrated via electromechanical testing of Cu implanted PTFE as a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). Previously, ion implantation into polymers has been shown to increase TENG performance, attributed to increasing the prevalence of electron transfer during contact-separation testing. This attribution to electron transfer is incorrect, with significant electromechanical conversion being observed in $1\times {10}^{16}\text{at}.{\mathrm{cm}}^{-2}$ ${\mathrm{Cu}}^{+}$ implanted polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) in both piezoelectric mode testing and in noncontact induction measurements—where electron transfer cannot occur. These results indicate that the implantation of Cu ions creates a space charge effect in the PTFE matrix, and the subsequent charge asymmetry creates an electric field enhancing TENG performance, analogous to hybrid piezoelectric TENGs. These results demonstrate that ion implanted polymers possess space charge and can be used directly for sensing, creating a new pathway for electromechanical conversion materials.

Recent experiments have provided compelling and renewed interest in phonon hydrodynamics. At variance with ordinary diffusive heat transport, this regime is primarily governed by momentum-conserving phonon collisions. At the mesoscopic scale it can be described by the viscous heat equations (VHEs), that resemble the Navier-Stokes equations (NSEs) in the laminar regime. Here, we show that the VHEs can be separated and recast as modified biharmonic equations in the velocity potential and stream function—solvable analytically. These two can be merged into a complex potential defining the flow streamlines, and give rise to two distinct temperature contributions, ultimately related to thermal compressibility and vorticity. The irrotational and incompressible limits of the phonon VHEs are analyzed, showing how the latter mirror the NSEs for the electron fluid. This Letter also extends to the electron compressible regime that arises when drift velocities can be higher than plasmonic velocities. Finally, by examining thermal flow within a 2D graphite strip device, we explore the boundary conditions and transport coefficients needed to observe thermal vortices and negative thermal resistance, or heat backflow from cooler to warmer regions. This Letter provides analytical tools to design hydrodynamic phonon and electron flows, offering a foundational framework to understand and guide experiments on nonstandard transport, plasmonics, and collective excitations in microscale systems.

Free theories are landmarks in the landscape of quantum field theories: their exact solvability serves as a pillar for perturbative constructions of interacting theories. Fuzzy sphere regularization, which combines quantum Hall physics with state-operator correspondence, has recently been proposed as a promising framework for simulating three-dimensional conformal field theories (CFTs), but so far it has not provided access to free theories. We overcome this limitation by designing a bilayer quantum Hall system that hosts an Ising tricritical point—a nontrivial fixed point where first-order and second-order transitions meet—which flows to the conformally coupled scalar theory in the infrared. The critical energy spectrum and operator structure match those at the Gaussian fixed point, providing nonperturbative evidence for the emergence of a free scalar CFT. Our results expand the landscape of CFTs realizable on the fuzzy sphere and demonstrate that even free bosonic theories—previously inaccessible—can emerge from interacting electrons in this framework.

We investigate the propagation of electromagnetic waves through materials displaying a nonlinear Hall effect. The coupled Maxwell-Boltzmann equations for traveling waves can be mapped onto ordinary differential equations that resemble those for the motion of a pendulum. In the weakly nonlinear regime relevant for most experiments, we find that the polarization of light displays a Faraday-like rotation when it propagates inside a metal above its plasma frequency. In contrast to the conventional Faraday effect, however, the polarization direction swings back and forth around the direction of Berry dipole vector as the light beam traverses the material. This occurs concomitantly with an oscillation of its degree of polarization, with a characteristic frequency that increases linearly with the intensity of the traveling wave. These effects could be observed by measuring thickness-dependent Faraday rotations in materials displaying the nonlinear Hall effect.

The self-propulsion of $+1/2$ topological defects is a hallmark of active nematic fluids, where the defects are advected by the flow field that they themselves generate. In this Letter, we propose a minimal model for defect self-propulsion in a nematic active solid: a linear elastic medium with an embedded nematic texture that generates active stress and associated elastic strains. We show that such coupling gives rise to self-propelled $+1/2$ defects that move relative to the elastic medium by local remodeling of the nematic texture without advection. This mechanism is fundamentally different from the fluid case and can lead to unbinding of defect pairs and stabilization of $+1$ defects. Our findings might help explain how orientational order, of, for example, muscle fibers, is reconfigured during morphogenesis in solidlike tissues. The proposed mechanism may, for instance, control motility and merging of $+1/2$ defects, which play a crucial role in setting up the body axis during Hydra regeneration.

The second law of thermodynamics dictates that heat flows spontaneously from a high-temperature entity to a lower-temperature one. Yet, recent advances have demonstrated that quantum correlations between a system and its thermal environment can induce a reversal of heat flow, challenging classical thermodynamic expectations. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that internal quantum coherence in a multipartite spin system can also reverse heat flow, without relying on initial correlations with the environment. Under the collision model with cascade interaction, we verify that both the strength and the phase of the coherence term determine the direction and magnitude of energy transfer. These results enable precise control of heat flow using only local quantum properties.

Preparing highly entangled quantum states on quantum platforms remains a central challenge in quantum information science and condensed matter physics. While previous studies have primarily focused on measurement-based preparation using local observables, we introduce a novel approach that leverages global observables to efficiently generate entanglement across an entire quantum system. Specifically, our log-depth protocol employs quantum phase estimation to measure global observables such as total magnetization and momentum through local measurements, enabling the preparation of structured excited states from area-law entangled states. This method facilitates the preparation of quantum many-body scar states in diverse models, including the Affleck-Kennedy-Lieb-Tasaki model, constrained domain-wall models, and spin-$1/2$ and spin-1 XX chains, and it is also applicable for generating high-weight Dicke states. Moreover, our nondestructive momentum measurement enables the preparation of states such as the Arovas A state. By integrating theoretical insights with experimental feasibility—where all operations involve only few-bit gates and limited postselection—we propose measurement-based approaches as powerful tools for accessing highly excited states, with applications in quantum metrology, error correction, and the study of nonequilibrium quantum dynamics.

Rydberg atoms, with their large transition dipole moments and extreme sensitivity to electric fields, have attracted widespread attention as promising candidates for next-generation quantum precision electrometry. Meanwhile, exceptional points (EPs) in non-Hermitian systems have opened new avenues for ultrasensitive metrology. Despite increasing interest in non-Hermitian physics, EP-enhanced sensitivity has rarely been explored in Rydberg atomic platforms. Here, we provide a new theoretical understanding of Autler-Townes effect-based Rydberg electrometry under non-Hermitian conditions, showing that dissipation fundamentally modifies the spectral response and enables sensitivity enhancement via EP-induced nonlinearity. Experimentally, we realize a second-order EP in a passive thermal Rydberg system without requiring gain media or cryogenics, and demonstrate the first EP-enhanced atomic electrometer. The EP can be tuned in real time by adjusting laser and microwave parameters, forming a flexible and scalable platform. Near the EP, the system exhibits a square-root response, yielding a nearly 20-fold enhancement in responsivity. Using amplitude-based detection, we achieve a sensitivity of $22.68(3)\mathrm{nV}{\mathrm{cm}}^{-1}{\mathrm{Hz}}^{-1/2}$ under realistic conditions. Our Letter establishes a practical, tunable platform for EP-enhanced sensing and real-time control, with broad implications for quantum metrology in open systems.

We present a general theoretical framework for helical dichroism (HD), establishing an explicit link between chiral resolution and orbital angular momentum (OAM) exchange in light–matter interaction. Tracing microscopic mechanisms of the OAM transfer, we derive rotational selection rules, which establish that HD emerges only from the spin–orbit coupling of light, even for beams without the far-field OAM. Our findings refine the conditions for observing HD, provide a tool to re-examine the outcome of prior experiments, and guide future designs for chiral sensing with structured light.

We propose and theoretically characterize three-dimensional spatiotemporal thermalization of a continuous-wave classical light beam propagating along a multimode optical waveguide. By combining a nonequilibrium kinetic approach based on the wave turbulence theory and numerical simulations of the field equations, we anticipate that thermalizing scattering events are dramatically accelerated by the combination of strong transverse confinement with the continuous nature of the temporal degrees of freedom. In connection with the blackbody catastrophe, the thermalization of the classical field in the continuous temporal direction provides a novel intrinsic mechanism for adiabatic cooling and spatial beam condensation. This process of adiabatic cooling is distinct from other mechanisms of thermalization and provides new insights into the dynamics of far-from-equilibrium closed systems and their route to thermalization.