Altermagnetism, a recently discovered collinear magnetic order with net zero magnetization but exhibiting spin-splitting band structure, has attracted much research interest due to the rich fundamental physics and possible applications. In this Letter, we investigate the optomagnetic response of $d$-wave altermagnets, focusing on the inverse Cotton-Mouton effect—the induction of static magnetization via linearly polarized light. We find that the direction of the induced magnetization is determined by the Néel vector. Moreover, its magnitude exhibits a periodic dependence on the polarization angle of the incident light, a hallmark of the system’s symmetry. Our findings demonstrate that the inverse Cotton-Mouton effect offers a direct method both for detecting $d$-wave altermagnets and for probing their intrinsic properties.

Multiferroic materials, which simultaneously exhibit ferroelectric and magnetic orders, offer tremendous potential for next-generation electronic and spintronic devices. Here, we propose a novel design strategy toward a new type of multiferroics: the interlayer self-doping multiferroics. We show that, due to the different band filling preferences of antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic orderings, homobilayer systems with intermediate band filling exhibit an intrinsic instability toward interlayer self-doping. This results in an antiferromagnetic order in one layer and ferromagnetic order in the other, accompanied by out-of-plane ferroelectricity. Distinct from conventional type-I and type-II multiferroics, the ferroelectric and magnetic orders in interlayer self-doping multiferroics are intrinsically coupled yet not relying on spin-orbit coupling, enabling potential persistence at elevated temperatures. Using first-principles calculations, we validate this mechanism in two concrete systems: bilayer ${\mathrm{CrTe}}_2$ and bilayer FeTe. Notably, the multiferroicity in bilayer ${\mathrm{CrTe}}_2$ is predicted to operate robustly at room temperature. Our Letter unveils a new type of multiferroics, and it opens a new route for designing 2D ultrathin multiferroics with high transition temperature and robust magnetoelectric response.

Using a nonperturbative approach, the relaxation rate of orbital dipolar and quadrupolar moments is computed analytically for the $t_{2g}$ states. In the presence of short-range impurities and in the absence of spin-orbit coupling, the orbital relaxation emerges from the competition between momentum scattering and the effect of the crystal field. In the case of weak disorder, the orbital relaxation time is proportional to the momentum scattering time: each scattering event contributes to destroying the orbital moment. In the case of strong disorder, the effect of the crystal field is averaged out, and the orbital relaxation time is inversely proportional to the momentum scattering. We finally find that the dipolar and quadrupolar orbital moments are coupled by the crystal field, resulting in a complex dynamical behavior upon orbital injection.

Mechanical systems are pivotal in quantum technologies because of their long coherent time and versatile coupling to qubit systems. So far, the coherent and dynamic control of gigahertz-frequency mechanical modes mostly relies on optomechanical coupling and piezoelectric coupling to superconducting qubits. Here, we demonstrate on-chip cavity electroacoustic dynamics using our microwave-frequency electrically modulated phononic crystal resonators on lithium niobate. Leveraging the high dispersion of phononic crystal, our acoustic modes space unevenly in the frequency spectrum, emulating atomic energy levels. Atomiclike transitions between different acoustic modes are selectively achieved by applying electrical fields to modulate acoustic modes via the nonlinear piezoelectricity of lithium niobate. Among two modes, we demonstrate Autler-Townes splitting, ac Stark shift, and Rabi oscillation with a maximum cooperativity of 4.18. Extending to three modes, we achieve nonreciprocal frequency conversions with an isolation up to 20 dB. Nonreciprocity can be tuned by the time delay between the two modulating pulses. Our cavity electroacoustic platform could find broad applications in sensing, microwave signal processing, acoustic computing, and quantum acoustics.

We provide evidence that dynamical slowdown in glass-forming liquids may follow different microscopic routes under cooling and compression, pointing to a previously unrecognized discrepancy between two dynamical landmarks: the Arrhenius–to–non-Arrhenius crossover associated with cooling and the inflection point emerging under compression. This separation suggests the coexistence of two distinct mechanisms governing dynamical slowdown and naturally supports the dynamic facilitation framework already at small supercoolings. Based on simulations, we further show that it is the inflection point, rather than the Arrhenius–to–non-Arrhenius crossover, that is more directly associated with the growth of dynamical heterogeneity.

Experimental observations of the low-lying states in ${}^{12}\mathrm{Be}$ and their accurate modeling play an essential role in understanding the disappearance of the $N=8$ magic number. Long-standing experimental ambiguities have been clarified using an one-neutron adding ($d$, $p$) reaction on ${}^{11}\mathrm{Be}$ using the ISOLDE Solenoidal Spectrometer at CERN’s HIE-ISOLDE facility. The single-particle energies of $1s_{1/2}$, $0d_{5/2}$, and $0p_{1/2}$ orbitals in ${}^{12}\mathrm{Be}$ have been determined from the extracted spectroscopic factors. A significant reduction between the separation of $1s_{1/2}$ and $0p_{1/2}$ orbitals is found in comparison with the carbon isotones, highlighting the breakdown of the $N=8$ shell. These observations serve as an important test of different effects incorporated in theoretical models. It is found that two synergistic mechanisms, core deformation and weak binding, are responsible for the $N=8$ shell breaking and the exotic near-threshold phenomena observed in ${}^{12}\mathrm{Be}$, including the narrow unnatural-parity resonance $0_1^{-}$ and the possible halolike nature of the $0_2^{+}$ isomer.

Photodetachment spectroscopy of ${\mathrm{C}}_2^{-}$ anions across the thresholds to the two lowest electronic states of neutral ${\mathrm{C}}_2$ was carried out using rotationally cold trapped ions. The electron detachment was observed to follow $p$- and $s$-wave threshold behavior for transitions to the ${\mathrm{C}}_2{X}^1{\mathrm{\Sigma }}_g^{+}(v^{\prime }=0)$ and ${\mathrm{C}}_2{a}^3{\mathrm{\Pi }}_u(v^{\prime }=0)$ states, respectively, in agreement with the threshold laws derived by Wigner [Phys. Rev. 73, 1002 (1948)]. The ions were prepared at two different rotational temperatures, using a temperature-variable cryogenic 16-pole wire trap at 8 and 142 K, respectively. By fitting the two thresholds, an accurate value of the adiabatic electron affinity of ${\mathrm{C}}_2$ was determined as $26364.2\pm 0.5{\mathrm{cm}}^{-1}$. The energy of the $p$-wave threshold was found to be particularly insensitive to rotational excitation, due to the absence of $P$- and $R$-branch excitations. The new electron affinity deviates significantly from a recent measurement using photoelectron spectroscopy [Laws et al. Nat. Commun. 10, 5199 (2019)].

Mie scattering describes the linear interaction of electromagnetic waves with spheres of arbitrary composition and size. Here, we introduce and experimentally validate an analog circuit emulator of Mie scattering by temporally dispersive spheres. The emulator reconstructs the full scattering response using a modular lumped-element network, in which excitation conditions are set by generators and filters, while distinct resistor-inductor-capacitor networks encode material dispersion and radiation properties of the supported resonant modes. We demonstrate a one-to-one correspondence between the time-averaged powers scattered, absorbed, and extinguished by a dispersive sphere, and the power absorbed or supplied within distinct circuit stages, yielding a circuit-level realization of optical power conservation. Our results establish an experimentally accessible platform for exploring and designing dispersion-engineered scatterers.

Conventional one-dimensional (1D) Brownian motion on surfaces relies on physical tracks such as prefabricated channels or grooves. Here, we demonstrate through molecular dynamics simulations that a monolayer polymeric ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ nanoflake can undergo persistent 1D Brownian motion on unpatterned, atomically flat crystalline surfaces including graphene, hexagonal boron nitride, and molybdenum disulfide. Initially placed at an arbitrary angle, the flake spontaneously rotates into a low-energy stacking configuration with the substrate and then slides along a specific crystallographic axis. This directional behavior stems from a symmetry-broken interfacial potential featuring groovelike energy minima, which act as intrinsic, energetic tracks. Moreover, the sliding direction can be deliberately switched by rotating the nanoflake at predetermined locations, enabling programmable, angstrom-precision transport of adsorbed nanoscale cargos.

We propose a fast and general predecision scheme for Metropolis Monte Carlo simulation of $d$-dimensional long-range interacting lattice models with $N$ constituents. For potentials of the form $V(r)=r^{-d-\sigma }$, this reduces the computational complexity from $O(N^2)$ to $O(N^{2-\sigma /d})$ for $\sigma <d$ and to $O(N)$ for $\sigma >d$, respectively. The algorithm is implemented and tested for several $\mathrm{O}(n)$ spin models ranging from the Ising over the $XY$ to the Edwards-Anderson spin-glass model. With the same random-number sequence it produces exactly the same Markov chain as a simulation with explicit summation of all terms in the Hamiltonian. Because of its generality, its simplicity, and its reduced computational complexity it has the potential to find broad application and thus lead to a deeper understanding of the role of long-range interactions in the physics of lattice models, especially in nonequilibrium settings.

We investigate how structural ordering, i.e., crystallization, affects the flow of bidisperse granular materials in a quasi-two-dimensional silo. By systematically varying the mass fraction of two particle sizes, we finely tune the degree of local order. Using high-speed imaging and kinematic modeling, we show that crystallization significantly enhances the diffusion length $b$, a key parameter controlling the velocity profiles within the flowing medium. We reveal a strong correlation between $b$, the hexatic order parameter ${\psi }_6$, and the cluster size $\xi$, highlighting the role of local structural organization in governing macroscopic flow. Furthermore, pressure gradients within the silo stabilize orientational order even without crystallization, thus intrinsically increasing $b$ with height. These results highlight a direct link between microstructural order, pressure, and transport properties in granular silo flows and suggest that similar mechanisms may operate in other particulate systems, such as colloids, foams, or emulsions, where local structural ordering and confinement affect flow and transport.

Discrete dynamics arise naturally in systems with broken temporal translation symmetry and are typically described by first-order recurrence relations representing classical or quantum Markov chains. When memory effects induced by hidden degrees of freedom are relevant, however, higher-order discrete evolution equations are generally required. Focusing on linear dynamics, we identify a well-delineated weak-memory regime where such equations can, on an intermediate timescale, be systematically reduced to a unique first-order counterpart acting on the same state space. We formulate our results as a mathematical theorem and work out two examples showing how they can be applied to stochastic Floquet dynamics under coarse-grained and quantum collisional models.

We develop an effective field theory characterizing the impact of decoherence on states with Abelian topological order and on their capacity to protect quantum information. The decoherence appears as a temporal defect in the double topological quantum field theory that describes the pure density matrix of the uncorrupted state, and it drives a boundary phase transition involving anyon condensation at a critical coupling strength. The ensuing decoherence-induced phases and the loss of quantum information are classified by the Lagrangian subgroups of the double topological order. Our framework generalizes the error recovery transitions, previously derived for certain stabilizer codes, to generic topologically ordered states and shows that they stem from phase transitions in the intrinsic topological order characterizing the mixed state.

In this Letter, we provide a novel test of general relativity based on ringdown analysis. The test is performed on agnostic models, where the postmerger signal is fitted with a superposition of damped sinusoids. If at least two modes are detected, one has to compute the ratio of the frequencies and of the damping times and compare them against the predictions of general relativity. By considering ratios, the dependency on the black hole’s mass is scaled away. Most notably, we find that the ratios vary very little with the spin, the real part depends mostly on the angular momentum of the mode $\ell$ and the imaginary part depends mostly on the overtone number $n$: different combinations create specific mode islands. We provide a qualitative explanation of these islands through a semianalytical argument. We discuss the application of the method to future detectors. Finally, we show that ratios in alternative theories of gravity or between different field content drastically differ from those of general relativity.

The three-dimensional classical $\mathrm{O}(N)$ model with a boundary has received renewed interest due to the discovery of the extraordinary-log boundary universality class for $2\le N<N_c$. The critical value $N_c$ and the exponent of the boundary correlation function are related to certain amplitudes in the normal universality class. To determine their precise values, we revisit the 3D $\mathrm{O}(N)$ boundary conformal field theory for $N=1$, 2, 3, 4, 5. After substantially improving the accuracy of the boundary bootstrap, our determinations are in excellent agreement with the Monte Carlo results, resolving the previous discrepancies due to low truncation orders. We also use the recent bulk bootstrap results to deduce highly accurate Ising data. Many bulk and boundary predictions are obtained for the first time. Our results demonstrate the great potential of the $\eta$ minimization method for many unexplored bootstrap problems in which positivity constraints are absent.