We propose a scalable and noise-resilient protocol for the detection of the entanglement transition in a projective version of the transverse-field Ising model. Entanglement transitions are experimentally difficult to observe due to the inherent randomness of projective measurements and noise in large-scale experimental settings. Our approach combines error correction algorithms with classical shadow tomography to overcome both problems. This allows for experimentally accessible upper and lower bounds on the entanglement transition without postselection or full state tomography. These bounds remain robust under noise and their sharpness is a measure of the noise rate.

The nature of the tetraneutron ($4n$) system remains a pivotal question in nuclear physics. We investigate the $4n$ system using nuclear lattice effective field theory in finite volumes with a lattice size up to $L=30\mathrm{fm}$, employing both a high-precision ${\mathrm{N}}^3\mathrm{LO}$ interaction and a simplified SU(4) symmetric one. The ground-state energy is found to decrease smoothly with increasing box size, showing no plateau characteristic of a resonance. We further compute the dineutron-dineutron scattering phase shift using Lüscher’s finite-volume method. At the smallest relative momenta, the extracted $2n–2n$ $S$-wave phase shift is small, consistent with a weak interaction in the dilute limit. At intermediate momenta, it exhibits a weak attraction with a peak of approximately 10° at relative momentum of 60–84 MeV. While this structure does not constitute a resonance, the corresponding confined $4n$ energy of 1.7–3.3 MeV lies close to the experimentally observed low-energy peak.

We report on measurements of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation from highly charged gold ions in laser-produced plasma to investigate the quantum electrodynamics (QED) effects, Breit interaction, and electron correlation (EC) effects which play a crucial role in determining the energy levels of high-Z, highly charged ions. Specifically, we analyze emission lines from the $4s{{}^{2}S}_{1/2}\text{−}4p{{}^{2}P}_{1/2}$ and $4d{{}^{2}D}_{3/2}\text{−}4f{{}^{2}F}_{5/2}$ transitions in Cu-like Au ions (${\mathrm{Au}}^{50+}$), where the ground state consists of a filled M-shell and a single 4s electron in the outermost shell. Utilizing the multiconfiguration Dirac-Hartree-Fock (MCDHF) method, we systematically calculated the energy levels and transition wavelengths. Our results show that only when QED effects, Breit interaction, finite nuclear size (FNS) corrections, and EC effects with sufficient electron configurations are included do the theoretical predictions align with experimental observations. By combining state-of-the-art experiments with high-precision computations, we resolve the long-standing discrepancies in the spectrum of Cu-like Au ions, providing the first quantitative delineation of QED effects, Breit interaction, FNS corrections, and EC effects on its energy levels. Our methodology is directly applicable to other highly charged ions, which are crucial for modeling astrophysical and laboratory plasmas.

Wavefront distortions are a leading source of systematic uncertainty in light-pulse atom interferometry, limiting absolute measurements of gravitational acceleration at the $30\mathrm{nm}/{\mathrm{s}}^2$ level. Here, we demonstrate in situ spatially resolved measurement of the interferometer phase in a Mach-Zehnder atom interferometer as a tool to characterize and correct wavefront bias. By introducing controllable curvature of the Raman light using an adjustable collimation retro-reflector, we show that the bias due to parabolic wavefront curvature can be measured with 1 mrad uncertainty and that finite-size corrections impact the measured phase curvature. This measurement process could be adopted in optimized atom interferometer gravimeters to reduce wavefront bias uncertainty below the $\mathrm{nm}/{\mathrm{s}}^2$ level.

The electromagnetic field of standing-wave or ring cavities induces a spatially modulated, infinite-range interaction between atoms in an ultracold Fermi gas, with a single wavelength comparable to the Fermi length. This interaction has no analog in other systems of itinerant particles and has so far been studied only in the regime where it is attractive at zero distance. Here, we fully solve the problem of competing instabilities of the Fermi surface induced by single-wavelength interactions. We find that while the density-wave (superradiant) instability dominates on the attractive side, it is absent for repulsive interactions, where the competition is instead won by nonsuperradiant superfluid phases at low temperatures, with fermion pairs forming at both vanishing and finite center-of-mass momentum. Moreover, even in the absence of such symmetry-breaking instabilities, the Fermi surface exhibits a peculiar anisotropic deformation. We estimate this full phenomenology to be within reach of dedicated state-of-the-art experimental setups.

The Richtmyer-Meshkov instability (RMI) poses a major challenge in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) due to its role in mixing and performance degradation. We report the first experimental observation of passive freeze-out of RMI in a low-pressure surrogate regime, an instability stagnation effect induced without modifying the driving pressure pulse or the target surface geometry. Using additively manufactured subsurface voids in a sinusoidal target, we convert a single shock into a sequence of weaker shocks that suppress instability growth upstream of the surface by over 70%. High-speed x-ray imaging and hydrodynamic simulations suggest that this suppression arises primarily from temporal shaping, with lesser contributions from spatial curvature and shock weakening. Our results demonstrate a driver-independent pathway for controlling shock-driven hydrodynamic instabilities relevant to ICF and other high energy density systems.

Understanding and controlling the seeding of hydrodynamic perturbations are crucial for achieving ignition and high gain in inertial confinement fusion (ICF). In this Letter, we present face-on radiography of planar foil with preimposed sinusoidal ripples, revealing a novel phenomenon that the perturbation inverts its phase during the acceleration of the ablation front. With radiation-hydrodynamic simulations and a simple model, we can identify a secular (nonexponential) growth dominated regime before the quasisteady acceleration of the foil is fully established. Further evaluation reveals another novel freeze-out-like phenomenon, in which the growth of the ablation front perturbation ceases for a substantial duration relative to the acceleration phase. Our results advance the understanding of the Rayleigh-Taylor seeding in ICF implosions and inspire new designs for high-gain ICF targets.

Selectively realizing metastable phases is challenging, despite their vast number, due to the interplay of kinetics and thermodynamics, which has to be realized through processing conditions. Here, we demonstrate selective and controlled realization of metastable phases through size confinement effects. This is realized during diffusion-controlled filling of nanocavities. By nanomolding AuSi alloy and performing crystal structure and elemental analysis of molded alloy nanowires, we observe three different phase states, i.e., hybrid nanophase, bamboo-shaped, and uniform alloy phases, corresponding to different nanowire sizes. The surprising uniform alloy phase for nanowires with diameter below $\sim 20\mathrm{nm}$ exhibits perfect single crystalline structure with uniform distribution of Au and Si compositions. A phase state-energy map is constructed to rationalize the findings by considering the competition between mixing enthalpy, configuration entropy, strain energy and interfacial energy. Our Letter demonstrates the universal applicability of nanomolding in fabricating metal-metal and metal-nonmetal metastable phases. In contrast to state-of-the-art rapid cooling techniques, this strategy is simple and practical, thereby enabling precise selection of novel materials with tailored functionalities.

The enhancement and attenuation of near-field radiative heat transfer between polaritonic SiC, SiN, and ${\mathrm{SiO}}_2$ subwavelength membranes is analyzed. Fluctuational electrodynamics simulations combined with a modal analysis show that all membranes support corner and edge modes, which can induce a large 5.1-fold enhancement for SiC and a 2.1-fold attenuation for ${\mathrm{SiO}}_2$ of the heat transfer coefficient with respect to that between infinite surfaces. The enhancement or attenuation is directly related to material losses, which reduce the density of available electromagnetic states between the membranes.

Self-intercalation in transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) offers a unique strategy for doping and spin ordering that preserves structural integrity, minimizing lattice distortions. This modification introduces additional electron density, spin states, and potentially spontaneous superlattice formation. Combining with further high-pressure modulation, more quantum phenomena could be induced for new physics exploration. Here, we present a high-pressure study of the self-intercalated compound ${\mathrm{V}}_{1/4}{\mathrm{VS}}_2$, where antiferromagnetic order arises from $3d$ electrons localized on the vanadium atoms intercalated between the layers. Under pressure, these localized electrons progressively delocalize, leading to the suppression of the antiferromagnetic order and the emergence of non-Fermi liquid behavior near 9 GPa, signaling an antiferromagnetic quantum critical point. Under higher pressure, a Lifshitz transition-induced superconductivity is observed, while the crystalline symmetry remains preserved up to 104.4 GPa. Notably, this marks the first observation of superconductivity in a self-intercalated TMD under pressure. These findings highlight ${\mathrm{V}}_{1/4}{\mathrm{VS}}_2$ as a model two-dimensional system for exploring pressure-induced quantum criticality, electronic topological transitions, and related nontrivial superconductivity, paving the way to new physics by fully exploring the potential of self-intercalated TMDs.

While a spin-dependent band splitting is one of the characteristic features of altermagnets, the conventional band picture itself breaks down in the many altermagnets that are correlated Mott materials. We employ two numerical many-body methods, the self-consistent Born approximation and a variational cluster approach, to explore this strongly correlated regime and investigate hole motion in Mott altermagnets. Our results reveal that spin-dependent spectral-weight transfer is the dominant signature of Mott altermagnetism. This pronounced spin–momentum locking of the quasiparticle spectral weight arises from the formation of altermagnetic polarons, whose dynamics are governed by the interplay between free hole motion and the coupling of the hole to magnon excitations in the altermagnet. We demonstrate this effect by calculating angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy spectra for three canonical altermagnetic systems: the checkerboard $J–J^{\prime }$ model, a variant describing the transition-metal–ion sites of the inverse Lieb lattice, and the Kugel-Khomskii spin-orbital altermagnet based on cubic vanadates ${\mathrm{RVO}}_3$ ($\mathrm{R}=\mathrm{La}$, Pr, Nd, Y).

We develop a self-consistent phase-transition theory of charge density waves (CDWs), starting from a purely microscopic model. Specifically, we derive a microscopic CDW gap equation $|{\mathrm{\Delta }}_0(T)|$, taking into account the thermal phase fluctuations (i.e., thermal excitation of phason) and their influence on CDW pinning (i.e., the phason mass) and the CDW gap. We demonstrate that, as the temperature increases from zero, the phason gradually softens, leading to a thermal depinning crossover (where the phason becomes gapless) at $T_d$ and a subsequent first-order CDW phase transition at $T_c>T_d$. The predicted values of $T_d$, $T_c$ as well as the large ratio of $|{\mathrm{\Delta }}_0(T=0)|/(k_B{T}_c)$ for the quasi-1D CDW material $({\mathrm{TaSe}}_4{)}_2\mathrm{I}$ show quantitative agreements with experimental measurements and explain many of the previously observed key thermodynamic features and unresolved issues in the literature. To further validate the theory, we calculate the energy gap of CDW amplitudon and its lifetime and reveal a crossover of amplitudon from a lightly damped to a heavily damped excitation during pinning-depinning crossover while its energy gap is nearly unchanged throughout the entire CDW phase. This finding quantitatively captures and explains the recently observed coherent signal in ultrafast THz emission spectroscopy on $({\mathrm{TaSe}}_4{)}_2\mathrm{I}$.

Recent experiments on the Kagome spin liquid candidate material ${\mathrm{YCu}}_3(\mathrm{OH}{)}_6{\mathrm{Br}}_2[{\mathrm{Br}}_{1-y}(\mathrm{OH}{)}_y]$ suggest the presence of Dirac fermionic spinons near the magnetization plateau at $1/9$. Theories suggest that the spinons are charge neutral spin-$1/2$ excitations, in a $2\pi /3$ flux, which triples the unit cell. Generally a gap is expected, and there is no symmetry protection for the Dirac nodes in this system. The question arises as to what causes the nodes and stabilizes them. In this work, we propose a node-creation and node-pinning mechanism driven by Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interactions. Employing Gutzwiller-projected variational Monte Carlo calculations, we demonstrate that DM interactions induce a band closing phase transition in the spinon spectrum. There is a change in the Chern number when the bands are inverted. Together with the DM-generated internal gauge flux, the coupling to the spinon orbital magnetization counteracts the band reopening. This interplay energetically pins the Dirac nodes over a range of parameters, resulting in a pinning mechanism distinct from the usual one from symmetry protection.

Laser-induced ultrafast skyrmion nucleation has been experimentally demonstrated in several materials. So far, atomistic models have been used to corroborate experimental results. However, such simulations do not provide a simple intuitive understanding of the underlying physics. Here, we propose a coarse-grained effective theory where skyrmions can be nucleated or annihilated by thermal activation over energy barriers. Evaluating these two processes during a heat pulse shows good agreement with atomistic spin dynamics simulations and experiments while drastically reducing computational complexity. Furthermore, the effective theory provides a direct guide for experimentally optimizing the number of nucleated skyrmions. Interestingly, the model also predicts a novel pathway for ultrafast annihilation of skyrmions. Our results pave the way for a deeper understanding of ultrafast strongly nonequilibrium dynamics in magnetism and can generalize to ultrafast phase transitions in other long-range ordered systems.

The interaction of light with rotating bodies has been historically limited to rotation frequencies much smaller than optical frequencies. Here, we investigate synthetic crystal rotations, i.e., spatiotemporal modulations mimicking the rotation of an anisotropic crystal, which grant access to large rotation frequencies. Spatiotemporal modulations change the fundamental symmetries of the electromagnetic field, breaking temporal and rotation symmetries but preserving a spatiotemporal rotation symmetry that enforces the conservation of a combination of energy and spin angular momentum (SAM). The scattering of optical pulses by synthetically rotating crystals results in spatiotemporal light with intrapulse SAM changes. The frequency-domain response reveals sidebands with frequency-SAM locking, and negative frequency sideband transitions for large enough rotation frequencies. Our results highlight the qualitatively different light-matter interaction regimes accessed by synthetic rotations.

Altermagnets feature antiparallel spin sublattices with $d$-, $g$-, or $i$-wave spin order, yielding nonrelativistic spin splitting without net magnetization. In this Letter, we embed a two-dimensional $d$-wave altermagnet in a driven terahertz cavity. Because the intrinsic altermagnetic texture renders the electronic sublattices locally inequivalent, coherent cavity driving then couples to them asymmetrically, breaking the spin-sublattice transposing symmetries (such as [$C_2\parallel C_4$] or [$C_2\parallel M$]), generating a nonequilibrium sublattice population imbalance that produces a steady-state magnetization—a response absent in conventional antiferromagnets with the same lattice geometry. A mean-field Lindblad analysis reveals the dominance of quadratic over linear couplings. In the strong-coupling regime, distinct polariton signatures emerge in the steady state of induced magnetization. This Letter demonstrates cavity control of altermagnets for spintronic applications.

Colloidal fluids can exhibit complex phase behavior and determining phase diagrams via experiments or computer simulations can be laborious. We demonstrate that the dispersion relation $\omega (k)$, obtained from dynamical density functional theory for the uniform density system, is a highly versatile tool for predicting where in the phase diagram complex crystals form. The sign of $\omega (k)$ determines whether density modes with wave number $k$ grow or decay over time. We demonstrate the predictive power by investigating the complex phase behavior of particles interacting via core-shoulder pair potentials. With complementary Monte Carlo simulations, we show that regions of the phase diagram where $\omega (k)$ has one or several unstable (growing) wave numbers are also where crystalline phases occur. Going further, by tuning these unstable wave numbers via the interaction-potential and state-point parameters, we design systems with quasicrystals in the phase diagram. We identify a system with a certain shoulder range exhibiting at least ten different phases. Our general approach accelerates considerably the mapping of complex phase diagrams, crucial for the design of new materials.

We show that core-collapsed self-interacting dark matter halos of mass $\sim {10}^6{M}_{\odot }$, originally simulated to explain the dense perturber of the GD-1 stellar stream, also reproduce the structural properties inferred for the dense perturber detected in the strong lensing system JVAS $\mathrm{B}1938+666$ from radio observations. Furthermore, these halos are sufficiently compact and dense to gravitationally capture field stars in satellite galaxies of the Milky Way, providing a natural explanation for the origin of Fornax 6, a stellar cluster in the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy. Our results demonstrate that observations of halos with similar masses but residing in different cosmic environments offer a powerful and complementary probe of self-interacting dark matter.