It is widely assumed that extinction occurs when environmental change outpaces a species’ capacity to adapt. However, this hypothesis lacks support at the scale of global change, in part because the distribution of adaptation rates is unknown. Here, we test this idea by formulating a general model that predicts the distribution of adaptation rates across species. By assuming that species go extinct when they adapt too slowly, we derive a precise sigmoidal relationship between the rate of extinction and the rate of environmental change. We then show that above-background extinction rates in the fossil record follow the same sigmoidal response to global carbon-cycle change, indicating that the adaptation-rate distribution is effectively a distribution of critical thresholds. The inferred range of adaptation rates is similar to the spread of extreme rates of environmental change. This suggests that macroevolution may align the diversity of adaptation rates with environmental forcing, thereby setting the biosphere’s sensitivity to global change. When rescaled to the slow rates of the geologic past, modern rates of environmental change appear to be below, but near, the point of maximal extinction susceptibility.

Ion-driven plasma instability thresholds, derived from linear theory, constrain the distribution of solar observations in parameter space, defining boundaries of stable plasma parameters. Excursions beyond these thresholds result in the emission of energy, transferred from particles to coherent electromagnetic waves, acting to adjust the system toward a more stable configuration. In this Letter, we use linear Vlasov-Maxwell theory to define parametric limits for a low-$\beta$ plasma that contains a drifting proton beam or helium ($\alpha$-particle) population. A sufficiently fast and dense drifting population triggers an oblique drift instability (ODI). This instability decreases the velocity drift between the thermal core proton and secondary populations and prevents the ratio of core thermal to magnetic pressure ${\beta }_c$ from decreasing below a minimum value by increasing the temperatures—i.e., heating—of both the core and drifting populations. Our theoretical results are of interest for Parker Solar Probe observations, as they provide an additional mechanism for perpendicular heating of ions active in the sub-Alfvénic solar wind. The ODI may explain the discrepancy between long-standing expectations of measurements of very low-$\beta$ plasmas with very large ion temperature anisotropies in the near-Sun environment and in situ observations, where $\beta$ is consistently measured above a few percentages and the secondary ion populations drift faster than the bulk of the proton population by no more than approximately the local Alfvén speed.

The superconducting transition temperature $T_c$ at ${\text{KTaO}}_3$-based oxide interfaces exhibits a dramatic dependence on crystallographic orientation, yet a unifying mechanism remains elusive. Here, we report a linear scaling between $T_c$ and a single geometric parameter—the angle $\theta$ between the ($hkl$) plane and the (100) plane—across ten different orientations of amorphous-${\text{LaAlO}}_3/{\text{KTaO}}_3$ interfaces. Except for (100), all orientations exhibit two-dimensional superconductivity, with transition temperatures $T_c$ ranging from $\sim 0.12$ to 2.1 K. This linear $\theta -T_c$ scaling is robust against variations in growth temperature, device geometry, and transport configuration. By establishing the geometric orientation angle as a robust empirical scaling parameter for the superconducting transition, our results set a critical phenomenological benchmark for future microscopic theories of superconductivity in ${\text{KTaO}}_3$-based systems.

While experimental evidence for spacetime supersymmetry (SUSY) in particle physics remains elusive, condensed matter systems offer a promising arena for its emergence at quantum critical points (QCPs). Although there have been a variety of proposals for emergent SUSY at symmetry-breaking QCPs, the emergence of SUSY at fractionalized QCPs remains largely unexplored. Here, we demonstrate emergent spacetime SUSY at a fractionalized QCP in the Kitaev honeycomb model with Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) spin-phonon coupling. Specifically, through numerical computations and analytical analysis, we show that the anisotropic SSH-Kitaev model hosts a fractionalized QCP between a Dirac spin liquid and an incommensurate or commensurate valence-bond-solid phase coexisting with ${\mathbb{Z}}_2$ topological order. A low-energy field theory incorporating phonon quantum fluctuations reveals that this fractionalized QCP features an emergent $\mathcal{N}=2$ spacetime SUSY. We further discuss their universal experimental signatures in thermal transport and viscosity, highlighting the concrete lattice realization of emergent SUSY at a fractionalized QCP in 2D.

The frequency structure of the superconducting correlations in cuprates gives insights on the pairing mechanism. Here we present an exhaustive study of this problem in the two-dimensional Hubbard model with cellular dynamical mean-field theory. To this end, we systematically quantify the dependence on doping $\delta$ and interaction strength $U$ of the superconducting gap, of the frequency scales where $d$-wave pairing occurs, and of their relative contribution to pairing. For all values of $U$ and $\delta$, we find pair-forming processes confined to frequencies set by the superexchange interaction and followed by pair-breaking processes, ruling out both pair-forming and pair-breaking processes on the scale of $U$. This suggests that at high frequencies, the effect of $U$ is eliminated by the $d$-wave paring, and that at small frequencies, $U$ generates the superexchange interaction that leads to low-frequency pair-forming processes providing the net contribution to pairing.

We study interaction-driven edge reconstruction in a quantum spin Hall insulator described by the Bernevig-Hughes-Zhang model with Kanamori-Hubbard interactions using the real-space density matrix renormalization group method in both the grand-canonical and canonical ensembles. For a two-dimensional cylinder with a smooth edge, we identify discrete particle-number transitions that lead to a spin-polarized edge state stabilized by an emergent ferromagnetic exchange interaction. The reconstruction is orbital-selective, occurring predominantly in the $s$-orbital channel. Our results reveal a microscopic mechanism for emergent fluctuating moments at the edge that could compromise the topological protection of helical edge states by time-reversal symmetry.

Protected states are promising for quantum technologies due to their intrinsic resilience against noise. However, such states often emerge at discrete points or small regions in parameter space and are, thus, difficult to find in experiments. In this Letter, we present a machine-learning method for tuning to protected regimes based on injecting noise into the system and searching directly for the most noise-resilient configuration. We illustrate this method by considering short quantum dot-based Kitaev chains, which we subject to random parameter fluctuations. Using the covariance matrix adaptation evolutionary strategy, we minimize the typical resulting ground state splitting, which makes the system converge to a protected configuration with well-separated Majorana bound states. We verify the robustness of our method by considering finite Zeeman fields, electron-electron repulsion, and asymmetric couplings and by varying the length of the Kitaev chain. Our Letter provides a reliable method for tuning to protected states including, but not limited to, isolated Majorana bound states.

Recently identified altermagnets exhibit a distinctive dual-space nature: they possess spin-split electronic bands akin to ferromagnets in momentum space while maintaining the fully compensated magnetization of antiferromagnets in real space. This inherent duality, originating from the same crystal symmetry, gives rise to various intriguing physical phenomena unique to altermagnets. Consequently, a robust and efficient experimental signature capable of revealing this dual character is critically needed. The magneto-optical Kerr and Voigt effects, given their high sensitivity to ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism, respectively, are ideally suited to probe this duality. Here, using time-resolved pump-probe magneto-optical measurements, we report the coexistence of pronounced Kerr and Voigt effects in the altermagnet MnTe. Combining the magnetization measurement and first-principles calculations, we demonstrate that the Kerr effect originates from the intrinsic Berry curvature of altermagnetism distribution in momentum space, while the Voigt effect arises from an anisotropic permittivity induced by the in-plane Néel order in real space, directly revealing the dual-space nature of altermagnets. Furthermore, the transient Kerr signal exhibits faster relaxation dynamics than the transient Voigt signal, underscoring their distinct origins in Berry curvature and Néel order, respectively. These findings establish transient magneto-optical responses as distinctive fingerprints of altermagnetism and position altermagnets as promising platforms for manipulating magneto-optical phenomena in ultrafast spin-optoelectronics.

Decisive experimental confirmation of the U(1) quantum spin liquid phase in quantum spin ice remains an outstanding challenge. In this Letter, we propose stray-field magnetometry as a direct probe of the emergent photons—the gapless excitation of the emergent electrodynamics in quantum spin ice. The emergent photons are transverse magnetization waves, which, in a finite sample, form discrete modes governed by one of two sets of natural boundary conditions: “insulating” or “superconducting.” Considering cavity and thin film geometries, we find that the spectrum and spatial structure of the stray magnetic noise provide a sharp qualitative signature of the underlying electrodynamics. The predicted stray-field noise power lies comfortably within the detection range of present-day solid-state defect magnetometry.

One-dimensional (1D) structures provide a unique platform to study the correlated quantum interactions and phase transitions such as unconventional magnetism and superconducting states. Here, we report that iron chalcogenide ${\mathrm{K}}_3{\mathrm{Fe}}_2{\mathrm{Se}}_4$ exhibits an unusual block-type canted antiferromagnetic (AFM) order with a clear single chain quasi-1D structure, which is structurally different from the two-leg ladder ${\mathrm{BaFe}}_2{\mathrm{Se}}_3$, through both experimental measurements and density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) calculations. The narrow bandgap semiconductor ${\mathrm{K}}_3{\mathrm{Fe}}_2{\mathrm{Se}}_4$ has a quasi-1D edge-shared ${\mathrm{FeSe}}_4$ tetrahedra chain structure and orders antiferromagnetically below 110 K. The magnetic moments couple antiferromagnetically along the quasi-1D chain direction of the $b$ axis and form an up-down-down-up ($\uparrow \text{−}\downarrow \text{−}\downarrow \text{−}\uparrow$)–like spin structure with a commensurate propagation vector $\mathit{k}=(0,0,0)$, where block-type spin $\uparrow \text{−}\uparrow$ or $\downarrow \text{−}\downarrow$ coupling are between the longer Fe-Fe bonds of the quasi-1D chain. DMRG results show that block antiferromagnetic state is stable in ${\mathrm{K}}_3{\mathrm{Fe}}_2{\mathrm{Se}}_4$ and reveal that the block-ordered arrangement of ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{2.5+}$ ions spins arise from the competition between ferromagnetic and AFM interaction in the presence of strong electronic correlation. Our research results not only report the discovery of a clear block-type canted antiferromagnetic structure in a real quasi-1D chain material but also provide a theoretical approach to understand the block-type antiferromagnetism in quasi-1D iron chalcogenides.

${\mathrm{TmZn}}_2{\mathrm{GaO}}_5$ is a newly synthesized triangular lattice magnet that exhibits a unique quantum phase characterized by strong Ising anisotropy, a pseudodoublet crystal electric field ground state, and a low-energy gapped excitation at the $K$ point. Unlike its well-known counterparts, $\mathrm{TmMgGa}{\mathrm{O}}_4$ and $\mathrm{YbMgGa}{\mathrm{O}}_4$, this material crystallizes in a distinct hexagonal structure, leading to a platform for investigating frustrated magnetism. Magnetic susceptibility, heat capacity, and inelastic neutron scattering measurements confirm the absence of long-range magnetic order down to 50 mK, placing ${\mathrm{TmZn}}_2{\mathrm{GaO}}_5$ in a distinct region of the transverse-field Ising model phase diagram. Theoretical calculations based on spin-wave theory and mean-field modeling reproduce key experimental observations, reinforcing the material’s placement in a quantum disordered or multipolar state near a quantum critical point that separates it from the low-energy phase of $\mathrm{TmMgGa}{\mathrm{O}}_4$. These results highlight its potential for exploring quantum disordered states, anisotropic excitations, and exotic quantum phases in frustrated spin systems.

Quantum thermometry aims at determining temperature with ultimate precision in the quantum regime. Standard equilibrium approaches, limited by the quantum Fisher information given by static energy fluctuations, lose sensitivity outside a fixed temperature window. Nonequilibrium strategies have therefore been recently proposed to overcome these limits, but their advantages are typically model dependent or tailored for a specific purpose. This Letter establishes a general, model-independent result showing that any temperature-dependent unitary driving applied to a thermalized probe enhances its quantum Fisher information with respect to its equilibrium value. Such information gain is expressed analytically through a positive semidefinite kernel of information currents that quantify the flow of statistical distinguishability. Our results, together with an analysis of the relation between information gain and control cost, are benchmarked on a driven spin-$1/2$ thermometer, furthermore showing that resonant modulations remarkably restore the quadratic-in-time scaling of the Fisher information and allow the sensitivity peak to be shifted across arbitrary temperature ranges.

Pushing the boundaries of measurement precision is central for sensing and metrology, pursued by nonclassical resources such as squeezing, as well as non-Hermitian degeneracies with distinct spectral response. Their convergence, however, remains challenging. We find extraordinary enhancement of sensitivity by unifying both effects in a general framework for quantum sensing in open systems. At the parametric oscillation threshold and an exceptional point, the sensing precision exhibits a unique quartic scaling with the perturbation strength. The result generalizes to multimode squeezed-state sensors with higher-order exceptional points catered to various quantum sensing platforms.

A fundamental problem in fault-tolerant quantum computation is the tradeoff between universality and dimensionality, exemplified by the Bravyi-König bound for $n$-dimensional topological stabilizer codes. In this Letter, we extend topological Pauli stabilizer codes to a broad class of $n$-dimensional Clifford hierarchy stabilizer codes. These codes correspond to the $(n+1)\mathrm{D}$ Dijkgraaf-Witten gauge theories with non-Abelian topological order. We construct transversal non-Clifford gates through automorphism symmetries represented by cup products. In 2D, we obtain the first transversal non-Clifford logical gates including t and cs for Clifford stabilizer codes, using the automorphism of the twisted ${\mathbb{Z}}_2^3$ gauge theory (equivalent to ${\mathbb{D}}_4$ topological order). We also combine it with the just-in-time decoder to fault-tolerantly prepare the logical t magic state in $O(d)$ rounds via code switching. In 3D, we construct a transversal logical $\sqrt{\mathrm{T}}$ gate in a non-Clifford stabilizer code at the third level of the Clifford hierarchy, located on a tetrahedron corresponding to a twisted ${\mathbb{Z}}_2^4$ gauge theory. Our constructions surpass the Bravyi-König bound by achieving the logical gates in the ($n+1$)th level of Clifford hierarchy in $n$ spatial dimension.

Gravitational-wave data analysis relies on accurate and efficient methods to extract physical information from noisy detector signals, yet the increasing rate and complexity of observations represent a growing challenge. Deep learning provides a powerful alternative to traditional inference, but existing neural models typically lack the flexibility to handle variations in data analysis settings. Such variations accommodate imperfect observations or are required for specialized tests, and could include changes in detector configurations, overall frequency ranges, or localized cuts. We introduce a flexible transformer-based architecture paired with a training strategy that enables adaptation to diverse analysis settings at inference time. Applied to parameter estimation, we demonstrate that a single flexible model—called dingo-t1—can (i) analyze 48 binary black holes from the third LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Observing Run under a wide range of analysis configurations, (ii) enable systematic studies of how detector and frequency configurations impact inferred posteriors, and (iii) perform inspiral-merger-ringdown consistency tests probing general relativity. dingo-t1 also improves median sample efficiency on real events from a baseline of 1.4% to 4.2%. Our approach thus demonstrates flexible and scalable inference with a principled framework for handling missing or incomplete data—key capabilities for current and next-generation observatories.

We study the nonlinear interior dynamics of spontaneously scalarized black holes in Einstein-Maxwell-scalar theory with zero cosmological constant, revealing novel critical phenomena. We demonstrate that, for a wide range of scalar-electromagnetic couplings, scalarized black holes possess no smooth inner Cauchy horizon and instead evolve into a spacelike Kasner singularity. The scalar hair triggers a rapid collapse of the Einstein-Rosen bridge at the would-be Cauchy horizon. Near the critical point where scalarized black holes bifurcate from the Reissner-Nordström solution, we establish a robust scaling relation between the Kasner exponent and the charge-to-mass ratio of the hairy black hole, opening a new window into the remarkable simplicity underlying black hole interiors.

We consider the string-theory-inspired Einstein-Maxwell-Maxwell-dilaton theory and show that we can derive the complete set of thermodynamic quantities of charged black holes without having to construct the black hole solutions. We argue that the technique can be applied more broadly to string theories, providing an accessible method for determining the thermodynamic properties of large classes of black holes for which exact solutions are typically unavailable.

We study the dynamics of the Bianchi I universe in modified loop quantum cosmology (mLQC-I) and uncover a robust mechanism for isotropization: the shear is dynamically suppressed after the bounce and decays rapidly in the quantum postbounce regime, independently of the equation of state of standard matter sources. This naturally drives the Universe toward a homogeneous and isotropic expanding phase without fine-tuning. Our results show that mLQC-I provides a new quantum-gravitational mechanism for suppressing anisotropies, absent in other bounce models.

We propose a dark matter direct-detection strategy using charged particle decays at accelerator-based experiments. If ultralight $(m_{\varphi }\ll \mathrm{eV})$ dark matter has a misalignment abundance, its local field oscillates in time at a frequency set by its mass. If it also couples to flavor-changing neutral currents, rare exotic decays such as $\mu \to e{\varphi }^{\prime }$ and $\tau \to e(\mu ){\varphi }^{\prime }$ inherit this modulation. Focusing on such charged lepton flavor-violating decays, we show that sufficient event samples can enable detection of ultralight dark matter candidates at Mu3e, Belle-II, and FCC-ee.