We investigate the performance of a one-dimensional dimerized $XY$ chain as a spin quantum battery. Such integrable model shows a rich quantum phase diagram that emerges through a mapping of the spins onto auxiliary fermionic degrees of freedom. We consider a charging protocol relying on the double quench of an internal parameter, namely the strength of the dimerization, and address the energy stored in the systems. We observe three distinct regimes, depending on the timescale characterizing the duration of the charging: a short-time regime related to the dynamics of the single dimers, a long-time regime related to the recurrence time of the system at finite size, and a thermodynamic limit time regime. In the latter, the energy stored is almost unaffected by the charging time and the precise values of the charging parameters, provided the quench crosses a quantum phase transition. Finally, we analytically prove that the three-timescale behavior and the strong dependence of the energy stored on the quantum phase diagram also hold in the quantum Ising chain in a transverse field. Our results can play a relevant role in the design of stable solid-state quantum batteries.

Single-detector 3D dynamic light scattering (3D DLS) emerges as a reliable technique to determine the drift velocity of out-of-equilibrium colloidal particles. In particular, our investigation reveals the appearance of oscillations of a well-defined frequency in the autocorrelation function of the scattered intensity when particles are immersed in a medium exposed to thermally induced convection. These oscillations arise as a consequence of the directed motion of particles due to the convection of the fluid. The experimental results obtained for different colloidal systems are corroborated by a theoretical model and thoroughly validated with fluid dynamics and Brownian dynamics simulations. The excellent agreement between experimental, theoretical and simulation data allows us to provide a solid and comprehensive explanation of the observed physical phenomena. This Letter, using an advanced dynamic light scattering technique, offers insights into the field of nonequilibrium particle dynamics, applicable not only to colloidal suspensions affected by steady-state diffusion-convection but also to other nonequilibrium scenarios, such as systems driven by external fields (e.g., gravitational, electric or magnetic fields).

Fractional killing in response to drugs is a hallmark of nongenetic cellular heterogeneity. Yet how individual lineages evade drug treatment, as observed in bacteria and cancer cells, is not quantitatively understood. We study a stochastic population model with age-dependent division and death rates, allowing for persistence. In periodic drug environments, we discover peaks in the survival probabilities at division or death times that are multiples of the environment duration. The survival resonances are unseen in unstructured populations and are amplified by persistence.

Understanding the behaviors of ecological systems is challenging given their multifaceted complexity. To proceed, theoretical models such as Lotka-Volterra dynamics with random interactions have been investigated by the dynamical mean-field theory to provide insights into underlying principles such as how biodiversity and stability depend on the randomness in interaction strength. Yet the fully connected structures assumed in these previous studies are not realistic, as revealed by a vast amount of empirical data. We derive a generic formula for the abundance distribution under an arbitrary distribution of degree, the number of interacting neighbors, which leads to degree-dependent abundance patterns of species. Notably, in contrast to the fully interacting systems, the number of surviving species can be reduced as the community becomes cooperative in heterogeneous interaction structures. Our study, therefore, demonstrates that properly taking into account heterogeneity in the interspecific interaction structure is indispensable to understanding the diversity in large ecosystems, and our general theoretical framework can apply to a much wider range of interacting many-body systems.

The density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) is widely acknowledged as a highly effective and accurate method for solving one-dimensional quantum many-body systems. However, the direct application of DMRG to the study of two-dimensional systems encounters challenges due to the limited entanglement encoded in the underlying wave-function Ansatz, known as the matrix product state. Conversely, Clifford circuits offer a promising avenue for simulating states with substantial entanglement, albeit confined to stabilizer states. In this work, we present the seamless integration of Clifford circuits within the DMRG algorithm, leveraging the advantages of both Clifford circuits and DMRG. This integration leads to a significant enhancement in simulation accuracy with small additional computational cost. Moreover, this framework is useful not only for its current application but also for its potential to be easily adapted to various other numerical approaches.

We unveil the existence of a two-particle bound state in the continuum (BIC) in a one-dimensional interacting nonreciprocal lattice with a generalized boundary condition. By applying the Bethe-ansatz method, we can exactly solve the wave function and eigenvalue of the bound state in the continuum band, which enable us to precisely determine the phase diagrams of BIC. Our results demonstrate that the nonreciprocal hopping can delocalize the bound state and thus shrink the region of BIC. By analyzing the wave function, we identify the existence of two types of BICs with different spatial distributions and analytically derive the corresponding threshold values for the breakdown of BICs. The BIC with similar properties is also found to exist in another system with an impurity potential.

Recently, the 1.4 feV ultranarrow nuclear transition at 12.4 keV energy in ${}^{45}\mathrm{Sc}$ was resonantly excited for the first time using radiation from the self-seeded EuXFEL laser [Y. Shvyd’ko et al., Resonant x-ray excitation of the nuclear clock isomer ${}^{45}\mathrm{Sc}$, Nature (London) 622, 471 (2023)], establishing ${}^{45}\mathrm{Sc}$ as a promising candidate for a future Mössbauer nuclear clock. While this experiment demonstrated a high potential of x-ray free-electron laser sources for resonantly exciting nuclear isomers in the hard x-ray range, it also highlighted a severe limitation in the achievable excitation level caused by their extremely large spectral bandwidth $\sim 1\mathrm{eV}$. In this Letter, we propose a method to enhance the spectral flux of x-ray free-electron laser radiation using a resonant absorber with a longitudinal gradient in the nuclear transition frequency. A portion of the incident pulse can be absorbed into a nuclear collective excitation, and converted back into x-ray radiation by reversing the sign of the frequency gradient. Spectral narrowing and flux enhancement of this re-emitted x-ray field is achieved by using a reversed frequency gradient with a smaller magnitude than the initial one. About a hundredfold of such spectral flux enhancement is feasible in ${{}^{45}\mathrm{Sc}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_3$ single crystal, rendering a more efficient source for nuclear excitation and facilitating the experimental observation of resonant fluorescence and coherent forward scattering at the 12.4 keV transition, both of which are essential for realizing a nuclear clock.

First of a kind 6D-Vlasov computer simulations of high frequency ion Bernstein wave turbulence for parameters relevant to the tokamak edge show transport comparable to sub-Larmor-frequency gyrokinetic turbulence. The customary restriction of magnetized plasma turbulence studies to the gyrokinetic approximation may not be based on physics but only on a practical constraint due to computational cost. Deciphering turbulent transport is crucial since edge turbulence significantly influences the confinement properties of magnetically confined plasmas. Despite the high computational costs, performing 6D kinetic simulations is essential for understanding the limitations of our current models.

An experimental investigation of collisionless shock ion acceleration is presented using a multicomponent plasma and a high-intensity picosecond duration laser pulse. Protons are the only accelerated ions when a near-critical-density plasma is driven by a laser with a modest normalized vector potential. The results of particle-in-cell simulations imply that collisionless shock may accelerate protons alone selectively, which can be an important tool for understanding the physics of inaccessible collisionless shocks in space and astrophysical plasma.

The effects of frustration on extended supersolid states is a largely unexplored subject in the realm of cold-atom systems. In this work, we explore the impact of quasicrystalline lattices on the supersolid phases of dipolar bosons. Our findings reveal that weak quasicrystalline lattices can induce a variety of modulated phases, merging the inherent solid pattern with a quasiperiodic decoration induced by the external potential. As the lattice becomes stronger, we observe a superquasicrystal phase and a Bose glass phase. Our results, supported by a detailed discussion on experimental feasibility using dysprosium atoms and quasicrystalline optical lattice potentials, open a new avenue in the exploration of long-range interacting quantum systems in aperiodic environments. We provide a solid foundation for future experimental investigations, potentially confirming our theoretical predictions and contributing profoundly to the field of quantum gases in complex external potentials.

We propose the strongly tilted Bose-Hubbard model as a natural platform to explore Hilbert-space fragmentation (HSF) and fracton dynamics in two dimensions in a setup and regime readily accessible in optical lattice experiments. Using a perturbative ansatz, we find HSF when the model is tuned to the resonant limit of on-site interaction and tilted potential. First, we investigate the quench dynamics of this system and observe numerically that the relaxation dynamics strongly depends on the chosen initial state—one of the key signatures of HSF. Second, we identify fractonic excitations with restricted mobility leading to anomalous transport properties. Specifically, we find excitations that show one-dimensional diffusion ($z=1/2$) as well as excitations that show subdiffusive behavior in two dimensions ($z=3/4$). Using a cellular automaton, we analyze their dynamics and compare it to an effective hydrodynamic description.

Twisted van der Waals systems have emerged as intriguing arenas for exploring exotic strongly correlated and topological physics, with structural reconstruction and strain playing essential roles in determining their electronic properties. In twisted bilayer graphene aligned with hexagonal boron nitride ($\mathrm{TBG}/h\text{−}\mathrm{BN}$), the interplay between the two sets of moiré patterns from graphene-graphene ($G\text{−}G$) and graphene–$h\text{−}\mathrm{BN}$ ($G-h\text{−}\mathrm{BN}$) interfaces can trigger notable moiré pattern reconstruction (MPR). Here, we present the quasiperiodic MPR in the $\mathrm{TBG}/h\text{−}\mathrm{BN}$ with two similar moiré wavelengths, wherein the MPR results from the incommensurate mismatch between the wavelengths of the $G\text{−}G$ and $G-h\text{−}\mathrm{BN}$ moiré patterns. The short-range, nearly ordered moiré super-superstructures deviate from moiré quasicrystal and are accompanied by inhomogeneous strain, thereby inducing spatially variable energy separations between the Van Hove singularities (VHs) in the band structures of the TBG near the magic angle. By tuning the carrier densities in our sample, correlated gaps at specific $AA$ sites are observed, uncovering the quantum-dot-like behavior and incoherent characteristics of the $AA$ sites in the TBG. Our findings would give new hints on the microscopic mechanisms underlying the abundant novel quantum phases in the $\mathrm{TBG}/h\text{−}\mathrm{BN}$.

We theoretically study the transport signatures of unpaired Floquet Majorana fermions in the Josephson current of weakly linked, periodically driven topological superconductors. We obtain analytical expressions for the occupation of the Floquet Majorana fermions in the presence of weak coupling to thermal reservoirs, and show that, similar to undriven topological superconductors, for sufficiently low temperatures and large systems the Josephson current involving Floquet Majorana fermions is $4\pi$-periodic in the phase difference across the junction and depends linearly on the coupling between superconductors. Moreover, unlike the static case, the amplitude of the Josephson current can be tuned by setting the unbiased chemical potential of the driven superconductors at multiple harmonics of the drive frequency. As a result, we uncover a “Josephson Floquet sum rule” for driven superconductors. We confirm our analytical expressions for Josephson current, the occupation of Floquet bands, and a perturbative analysis of the quasienergies with numerically exact results.

Changes in the number of Weyl nodes in Weyl semimetals occur through merging processes, usually involving a pair of oppositely charged nodes. More complicated processes involving multiple Weyl nodes are also possible, but they typically require fine tuning and are thus less stable. In this Letter, we study how symmetries affect the allowed merging processes and their stability, focusing on the combination of a twofold rotation and time-reversal ($C_2\mathcal{T}$) symmetry. We find that, counterintuitively, processes involving a merging of three nodes are more generic than processes involving only two nodes. Our Letter suggests that multi-Weyl merging may be observed in a large variety of quantum materials, and we discuss ${\mathrm{SrSi}}_2$ and bilayer graphene as potential candidates.

Efficient characterization of higher dimensional many-body physical states presents significant challenges. In this Letter, we propose a new class of projected entangled pair states (PEPS) that incorporates two isometric conditions. This new class facilitates the efficient calculation of general local observables and certain two-point correlation functions, which have been previously shown to be intractable for general PEPS, or PEPS with only a single isometric constraint. Despite incorporating two isometric conditions, our class preserves the rich physical structure while enhancing the analytical capabilities. It features a large set of tunable parameters, with only a subleading correction compared to that of general PEPS. Furthermore, we analytically demonstrate that this class can encode universal quantum computation and can represent a transition from topological to trivial order.

Coherent control of ultrafast molecule making from colliding reactants is crucial for realizing coherent control of binary photoreactions (CCBP). To handle diverse excitation scenarios, feasibility with both weak and strong fields is essential. We experimentally demonstrate here the weak-field feasibility, achieving it even under thermally hot conditions typical of chemical reactions. The making of KAr complexes from hot pairs of colliding K and Ar atoms via resonance-mediated two-photon excitation is controlled by weak linearly chirped femtosecond pulses. Negative chirps enhance the yield. Our experimental and ab initio theoretical results are in excellent agreement. New routes to CCBP are opened.