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Constriction-induced modulation of charging energy in a quantum Hall cavity
Electronic Fabry-P\'erot interferometers (FPIs) operating in the fractional quantum Hall regime are a key platform for probing anyonic braiding statistics, yet interpreting their interference signals is complicated by Coulomb charging effects, which are commonly treated as parasitic, static properties governed by the cavity's geometry and electrostatics. Here, using a gate-defined quantum Hall cavity tuned to the Coulomb-dominated regime, we demonstrate that the charging energy is in fact strongly and non-monotonically modulated by the magnetic field, varying by up to 60% over a range of only 100 mT. The effect appears exclusively when the quantum point contacts (QPCs) forming the cavity are weakly pinched off, i.e., in the strong cavity-to-lead coupling regime. By correlating the charging energy modulation with the QPC magneto-conductance, we attribute this behavior to field-dependent changes in local compressibility and electrostatic screening between the cavity and the leads, driven by the formation of incompressible fractional quantum Hall states within the constrictions. This result establishes QPC constrictions of quantum Hall cavities as active electrostatic elements rather than passive boundaries, revealing a dynamic screening mechanism, with direct consequences for the interpretation of interference measurements and the extraction of anyonic statistics.
Exclusion Statistics as a Thermodynamic Resource in Quantum Heat Engines
The maximum power extractable from a quantum thermoelectric heat engine operating with free fermion carriers is bounded by the universal Whitney limit, $P_{\text{fermion}}^{\max} \simeq 0.0321\pi^2 k_B^2(T_L-T_R)^2/h$. We demonstrate that this bound is not fundamental to quantum heat engines but is instead an artifact of fermionic statistics. Within the nonlinear Landauer-B\"{u}ttiker framework, a bosonic working medium yields a strictly enhanced universal maximum power, $P_{\text{boson}}^{\max} = (\ln 2)^2\, k_B^2(T_L-T_R)^2/h$, exceeding the fermionic limit by a factor of $(\ln 2)^2/(0.0321\pi^2) \approx 1.52$. We propose magnon transport through a ferromagnetic spin chain as an experimentally viable bosonic realization. Incorporating Haldane fractional exclusion statistics with parameter $g$ provides a continuous interpolation between the bosonic ($g = 0$) and fermionic ($g = 1$) limits, revealing a monotonic enhancement of maximum power for $g < 1$ at reduced bias cost. These results establish quantum statistical exclusion as a previously unrecognized and independently tunable thermodynamic resource, opening performance regimes inaccessible to conventional carrier-engineering approaches.
Thermodynamic-Kinetic Decoupling Enables Stable Excitonic Emission in Defect-Tolerant Cu-Based Quantum Dots
Colloidal quantum dots that simultaneously offer room-temperature single-photon purity and high photoluminescence quantum yield are sought for quantum optics, but remain elusive in environmentally benign materials. We introduce a thermodynamic-kinetic decoupling strategy that transforms defect-tolerant CuInS2 quantum dots into bright, narrowband, and photostable single-photon emitters. Zn2+ alloying strains the lattice, thermodynamically suppressing native copper vacancies and narrowing the emission from a broad defect band of approximately 300 meV to an excitonic line of approximately 120 meV. Ga3+ incorporation then kinetically pins the cation sublattice against Cu+ migration, preventing defect regeneration during ZnS shell growth. The resulting Cd-free core/shell dots achieve near-unity quantum yield of approximately 98% while retaining narrow excitonic emission. Critically, room-temperature single-dot spectroscopy reveals homogeneous linewidths as low as approximately 58 meV, strongly suppressed blinking, and high-purity single-photon emission with g2(0) = 0.06. This stabilized excitonic emission directly reduces reabsorption losses in luminescent solar concentrators, yielding an external optical efficiency of 12.68%. Our work establishes a generalizable framework to unlock intrinsic excitonic photophysics in ion-mobile, defect-prone semiconductors, opening a viable path toward high-performance heavy-metal-free emitters for quantum light sources.
Quantum solitons and their quantum walks in transmon arrays
Superconducting qubits are artificial atoms whose spectra and interactions can be engineered through appropriate circuit design, a versatility that can be exploited for quantum simulation. We theoretically investigate a linear array of capacitively coupled transmons, effectively described by a Bose-Hubbard Hamiltonian with attractive interaction. We revisit the discrete-soliton nature of the lowest-energy band of the spectrum, and identify spatially localized quantum solitons. The solitonic character of these states is revealed through their time evolution, which displays a quantum interference pattern, or quantum walk, highlighting their composite nature. We discuss protocols for preparing spatially localized quantum solitons that are compatible with current state-of-the-art tunable-transmon circuits. Our results demonstrate that superconducting circuits provide a promising and experimentally accessible platform for the investigation of quantum soliton physics.
Dynamics of Quantum Chiral Solitons
We introduce a nonperturbative framework for quantizing chiral solitons in interacting quantum spin chains. This approach provides a direct lattice extension of the well-established $S$-duality between the sine-Gordon and Thirring models, thereby bridging the gap between continuum dualities and their lattice counterparts. By constructing the quantum chiral-soliton operators explicitly, we show how their unconventional dynamics appear in the excitation spectrum and correlation functions across the full Brillouin zone. A key result is that the dominant soliton tunneling amplitude alternates in sign, $\operatorname{sgn}(t_{1+}) = (-1)^{2S+1}$, sharply distinguishing half-odd-integer from integer spin chains. We further identify characteristic signatures of these chiral excitations in the dynamical spin structure factor, demonstrating their visibility in inelastic neutron scattering. Our results open a route to experimentally probing nonperturbative features of dual quantum field theories in condensed-matter settings.
Ultracold atomic lattice systems for simulating topological phases: A review
Owing to rapid recent progress, ultracold atomic lattice systems for simulating topological phases are now at a pivotal stage, evolving from established paradigms into increasingly versatile and programmable quantum simulators. In this review, we survey recent experimental advances across four major classes of platforms: optical lattices, including optical lattices with laser-assisted tunneling and optical Raman lattices; synthetic lattices in momentum or internal-state space; Floquet-engineered lattices; and optical tweezer arrays, all of which offer distinct capabilities for realizing and probing topological matter. For each class, we highlight representative experimental breakthroughs, the topological models that have been realized, and the advanced detection and characterization techniques employed, emphasizing how these complementary approaches collectively expand the frontier of quantum simulation. We also discuss emerging directions in strongly correlated and nonequilibrium topological phases, and conclude with an outlook on future prospects.
Attention-Based Foundation Model for Quantum States
We present an attention-based foundation model architecture for learning and predicting quantum states across Hamiltonian parameters, system sizes, and physical systems. Using only basis configurations and physical parameters as inputs, our trained neural network is able to produce highly accurate ground state wavefunctions. For example, we build the phase diagram for the 2D square-lattice $t-V$ model with $N$ particles, from only 18 parameters $(V/t,N)$. Thus, our architecture provides a basis for building a universal foundation model for quantum matter.
Fluctuation-driven chiral ferromagnetism
Quantum fluctuations are often suppressed in ferromagnetic materials because they admit a simple unfrustrated ground state, greatly limiting the scope of the phenomena that can be observed. In this work, we show how naturally occurring magnetization-non-conserving couplings fundamentally alter this paradigm by demonstrating the existence of a chiral ferromagnet that is stabilized by quantum fluctuations. More specifically, we show how these spin-orbit interactions modify the classical phase diagram; whereas a classical analysis predicts only achiral collinear states, we observe fluctuation-stabilized phases, including a ferromagnet with large orbital chirality and a chiral stripe. We elucidate how such couplings generate a scalar orbital chirality spontaneously, in contrast to conventional mechanisms which rely upon a field-induced canting of vector chiral order. The resultant chiral states exhibit distinct transport signatures, namely an enhanced thermal Hall effect, and are of direct relevance to moir\'e heterostructures, Rydberg-atom arrays, and solid-state materials featuring non-Kramers spins
Holography for bulk-boundary local topological order
In our previous article [arXiv:2307.12552], we introduced local topological order (LTO) axioms for quantum spin systems which allowed us to define a physical boundary (associated to a cut of the lattice) manifested by a net of boundary algebras in one dimension lower. This gives a formal setting for topological holography, where the braided tensor category of DHR bimodules of the physical boundary algebra captures the bulk topological order. In this article, we extend the LTO axioms to quantum spin systems equipped with a topological boundary (domain wall with the trivial phase), again producing a physical boundary algebra for the bulk-boundary system, whose category of (topological) boundary DHR bimodules recovers the topological boundary order. We perform this analysis in explicit detail for Levin-Wen and Walker-Wang bulk-boundary systems. Along the way, we introduce a 2D braided categorical net of algebras built from a unitary braided fusion category (UBFC). Such nets arise as boundary algebras of Walker-Wang models. We consider the canonical state on this braided categorical net corresponding to the standard topological boundary for the Walker-Wang model. Interestingly, in this state, the cone von Neumann algebras are type I with finite dimensional centers, in contrast with the type II and III cone von Neumann algebras from the Levin-Wen models studied in [arXiv:2307.12552]. Their superselection sectors recover the underlying unitary category of our UBFC, and we conjecture the superselection category also captures the fusion and braiding.
Counterintuitive inverse superconducting transition beyond 4He-cooling limit
Thermally driven quantum-orders observed in exceptional instances may redefine the role of thermal-fluctuation from a source of decoherence to a resource for coherent-state engineering. While preliminary signs of counterintuitive temperature-rise-triggered superconductivity manifested in CeCu2Si2, ErRh4B4, Ho1.2Mo6S8 and (La,Ce)Al2, their critical-temperatures (Tc-inv) remain below Kelvin-range, precluding substantial applications. Here, we report field-modulated inverse-superconducting-transitions above 4He-cooling-limit in Eu-based infinite-layer nickelates (EuxNd1-xNiO2 and EuxPr1-xNiO2) grown on a substrate under both overdoped and underdoped regimes. Paradigmatically, superconductivity with zero-resistance is confined between Tc-inv (2.6-5.4 K) and another higher normal-Tc, rising and decreasing with applied magnetic-field, respectively. Starting from the resistive-state below Tc-inv, the inverse-superconducting-transition is driven by not only temperature-rising, but also current-density, while superconductivity further vanishes at higher temperature and current thresholds. The Kelvin-range inverse superconducting transition is plausibly explained by temperature-induced alternating dominance of effective magnetic-fields arising from Eu2+4f7 related compensations relative to the upper-critical-field. Furthermore, an extended-phenomenological-framework is also supported by reemerged superconductivity below 300 mK under magnetic-field, giving rise to an unprecedented temperature-induced reentrant superconductivity. Our findings establish magnetic-interaction-reconfigured high-Tc systems as fertile platforms for exploring quantum phenomena that reverse thermal-decoherence paradigm, also enabling antithetical-designs to unlock untapped application-scenarios for quantum-phase-transition devices.
A 98-qubit trapped-ion quantum computer with all-to-all connectivity
That author's affiliation: Quantinuum, Broomfield, CO, USA Institution (first & last author): Quantinuum, Broomfield, CO, USA
A new quantum computer, Quantinuum Helios, which is a 98-qubit trapped-ion quantum processor built on the QCCD architecture, demonstrates performance well beyond classical capabilities and provides a path for scaling up quantum computing.
Quantum Information Geometry of Multicomponent Superconducting Fluctuation Transport
Quantum geometry underlies many electronic responses, but its transport signatures have so far been established mainly for pure single-particle Bloch states. Whether collective many-body fluctuations possess a measurable quantum geometry remains largely unexplored. Here we show that superconducting fluctuation transport provides a direct probe of quantum information geometry in collective many-body matter. Starting from a multicomponent time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau theory in the Gaussian fluctuation regime, we identify the equilibrium density matrix of fluctuating Cooper pairs as the static pair propagator, which defines a positive mixed-state manifold in momentum space. The geometry of this manifold is directly measurable through paraconductivity: the longitudinal paraconductivity is governed by the quantum Fisher information of superconducting fluctuation modes, while the fluctuational anomalous Hall effect is governed by the mean Uhlmann curvature, the mixed-state counterpart of Berry curvature. This correspondence further yields geometric bounds between these two transport components, with no direct analogue in normal electronic transport. Applied to chiral superconducting fluctuations in quarter-metal systems motivated by rhombohedral multilayer graphene, a symmetry-allowed Lifshitz invariant generates finite mean Uhlmann curvature and logarithmically enhances the anomalous Hall conductivity above the critical temperature. Our results establish collective superconducting fluctuations as an experimentally accessible transport probe of mixed-state quantum information geometry.
Bath memory as a precision resource in quantum transport
Structured baths can reshape transport fluctuations in mesoscopic quantum devices, yet a predictive criterion for when this enhances precision has been lacking. We propose a route towards such precision advantages by utilizing bath memory in coherent fermionic transport through a noninteracting quantum-dot chain. Using the Landauer-B\"uttiker formalism, we derive a dual impedance-matching condition that synchronizes the conductor mode splitting, boundary dissipation, and bath bandwidth, and sustains constructive multimode interference across the transmission window. The analytical predictions for the optimal bath bandwidths show excellent agreement with exact nonequilibrium Green's function calculations of the transport for Lorentzian, Gaussian, and Newns spectral densities. The prescription yields an optimal bath bandwidth at which the current Fano factor is minimized and the thermodynamic and kinetic precision coefficients are simultaneously enhanced beyond their Markovian limits. The alignment of the optimal precision regime with the experimentally accessible current Fano factor minimum thus provides a practical strategy for designing precision-enhanced transport in mesoscopic platforms such as semiconductor quantum-dot arrays and ultracold fermionic channels.
Fast and high-fidelity transfer of edge states via dynamical control of topological phases and effects of dissipation
Topological edge states are robust against symmetry-preserving perturbations and noise, making them promising for quantum information and computation, particularly in topological quantum computation through the braiding operations of Majorana quasiparticles. Realizing these applications requires fast and high-fidelity dynamic control of edge states. In this work, we theoretically propose a high-fidelity protocol for transferring topological edge states by dynamically moving a domain wall between two regions with different topological numbers in one dimension. This protocol fundamentally relies on Lorentz invariance and relativistic effects, because moving the domain wall at a constant speed is described by a mass term with the uniform linear motion in the Dirac equation. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our protocol in transferring edge states with high fidelity using a one-dimensional quantum walk with two internal states, which is feasible with current experimental technology. We also investigate how bit-flip and dephasing dissipation to the environment affect transfer efficiency. Remarkably, bit (dephasing) dissipation does not affect the fidelity at the slow (fast) transfer limit, which can be explained by the relativistic effects on the edge states.
Compact Spin-Charge Separated Neural Quantum States for Valence-Bond States
Neural-network quantum states (NQS) provide a flexible nonlinear representation of quantum many-body wavefunctions, but their efficiency depends sensitively on whether the architecture reflects the sign structure and constrained Hilbert space of the target state. In this work, we propose a solvable-point-guided strategy: design the architecture at an exactly solvable point where the correct local rules can be read off, then refine to the non-exact regime by enlarging only the kernel size and hidden dimension. The strategy is built from four physics-motivated designs: a stride-matched local-rule convolution, geometric pooling, a sign-resolving $\tanh(x^{2k+1})$ activation, and explicit spin-hole sector separation. We test this approach on quasi-one-dimensional valence-bond-solid (VBS) states and their doped soliton variants (sVBS), the exact ground states of a $t$-$J$-like model with a single mobile hole. In finite-size benchmarks, this architecture reaches high fidelity for the exact sVBS state with substantially fewer parameters than generic fully connected, convolutional, and transformer baselines tested under the same setup. For the spin sector, the learned local rule transfers from small to larger systems without retraining. Away from the solvable point, increasing kernel size and hidden dimension systematically improves accuracy, and the model shows approximately $L^2$ parameter scaling in the gapless regime for system size $L$, compared with approximately $L^4$ for matrix-product states in the same regime. Our work establishes a recipe for compact NQS in sign-structured, constrained Hilbert spaces and paves the pathway to physics-informed architectures for the broader $t$-$J$ and Hubbard families.
Vortex-core size and quantum geometry in flat-band superconductors
We investigate the real-space vortex structure of a flat-band superconductor described by the attractive Hubbard model on the Mielke checkerboard lattice. Using a momentum-space mean-field analysis, we derive a closed-form expression for the coherence length in terms of the quantum metric of the Bloch states and a particle-hole-symmetric pair density. Self-consistent Bogoliubov-de Gennes calculations on a finite disk confirm this prediction across a wide range of fillings and interaction strengths. The coherence length is minimized at half filling, diverges toward both band edges as the pair density vanishes, and depends only logarithmically on the interaction strength. These features differ qualitatively from the conventional BCS picture, which relies on a well-defined Fermi surface and a kinetic mechanism for pair transport. Instead, the vortex-core size is governed by a geometric pair mass arising from virtual interband processes encoded in the quantum metric. Our results establish the vortex core as a direct real-space manifestation of flat-band quantum geometry.
Engineering Biquadratic Interactions in Spin-1 Chains by Spin-1/2 Spacers
Low-dimensional quantum systems host a variety of exotic states, such as symmetry-protected topological ground states in spin-1 Haldane chains. Real-world realizations of such states could serve as practical quantum simulators for quantum phases if the interactions can be controlled. However, many proposed models, such as the Affleck-Kennedy-Lieb-Tasaki (AKLT) state, require unconventional forms of spin interactions beyond standard Heisenberg terms, which do not naturally emerge from microscopic (Coulomb) interactions. Here, we demonstrate a general strategy to induce a biquadratic term between two spin-1 sites and to tune its strength $\beta$ by placing pairs of spin-1/2 spacers in between them. $\beta$ is controlled by the ratio of the Heisenberg couplings between the spin-1 sites and the spacer spins, and between the spacer spins themselves. Increasing this ratio increases the magnitude of $|\beta|$ and decreases the correlation length of edge states. Detailed atomistic calculations reveal that chains of nanographene flakes with 22 and 13 atoms, respectively, which could be realized by state-of-the-art bottom-up growth technology, yield precisely the couplings required to approach the AKLT state. These findings deliver a blueprint for engineering unconventional interactions in bottom-up synthesized quantum simulators.
Learning ground state observables from quantum computing experiments
Recent theoretical progress has established conditions under which machine learning models can efficiently predict ground-state properties of gapped local Hamiltonians when trained on quantum-generated data. Previous experimental demonstrations in this paradigm, however, have largely been limited to small systems or highly structured states, due to the difficulty of preparing many-body ground states on quantum processors. In this work, we demonstrate learning from experimental quantum data generated from approximate ground states of the two-dimensional Heisenberg XXZ model with system sizes up to 115 qubits. We construct a dataset of single-site expectation values, two-point correlations, and 12-body loop correlations across the antiferromagnetic phase. We then train neural networks on this data and show that they can accurately predict spatially resolved observables for previously unseen Hamiltonian parameters, both within the training distribution and in an out-of-distribution regime approaching the phase boundary. Our results demonstrate the practical realization of learning from quantum data for an interacting two-dimensional many-body system at scale, motivating a path toward regimes where quantum processors could provide training data beyond the reach of classical approximation methods.
Optical pulse-induced quantum geometric waves in graphene
We show that, under a short optical pulse, the quantum metric of Bloch states in the momentum-time (kx, ky , t) of graphene becomes dynamic and exhibits a wave-like behavior near Dirac points. This quantum metric wave reflects the Floquet-band structure caused by the pulse, as revealed by solving the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation assuming that correlations and out-of-equilibrium effects can be ignored. The momentum and temporal components of the metric have very distinct time dependence that persists even after the pulse has passed. In addition, the pulse also generates a Berry curvature wave that is otherwise absent in static graphene. The time-dependent electron densities in conduction and valence bands also give arise to a Fisher information wave that constitutes part of the quantum metric wave, and is readily measurable by pump-probe experiments.
Role of quantum confinement in semiconductor-superconductor core-shell nanowires
This work is motivated by the experimentally observed coherence of the supercurrent in semiconductor nanowires covered by a half-shell metallic superconductor, which leads to flux dependent supercurrent oscillations with period h/2e, as expected for a tubular superconductor, i.e. Little-Parks oscillations. We perform microscopic model calculations and compare the results for full and half metallic shells. We use an effective Hamiltonian derived from the Green's function of the proximitized semiconductor nanowire, where the presence of the superconductor is represented by a self energy. Furthermore, we incorporate the electrostatic band-bending at the metal-semiconductor interface as a rectangular narrow quantum well on the semiconductor side. The properties of the eigenstates of the effective Hamiltonian are determined by the spatial profile of the corresponding transverse modes in the normal state. For half-shell wires, transverse modes with high-enough energy expand outside the interface quantum well and generate eigenstates with mixed electron-hole character that surround the entire circumference of the nanowire, similar to eigenstates of the full-shell system. We identify these states as being responsible for the observed Little-Parks effect.
Quantum charge pumping in helical systems: A comparative study of short- and long-range hopping
Using the Keldysh non-equilibrium Green's function approach, we investigate charge pumping through a single-stranded helical structure described by a tight-binding model that includes either short-range hopping (SRH) or long-range hopping (LRH). While quantum pumping has been studied in various low-dimensional systems, the detailed behavior of the spectral current and the pumped dc current in helical geometries in the presence of higher-order electron hopping (beyond nearest neighbors) has not yet been systematically explored. Here, we focus on the interplay between helicity and extended hopping ranges, analyzing how they jointly control the energy-resolved and dc pumped currents under time-periodic end potentials. For LRH, the pumped dc current exhibits pronounced plateau-like regions as a function of chemical potential when energy levels are sparsely spaced -- consistent with adiabatic transport -- whereas SRH yields more parameter-sensitive currents without clear plateaus. The plateau stability is controlled by the drive frequency: at higher frequencies, Floquet side-band mixing destroys the plateaus, leading to oscillatory currents. The phase dependence remains nearly sinusoidal, and the current vanishes at zero phase lag, confirming the necessity of out-of-phase potentials. Crucially, in helical systems, the decay exponent $(\ell_c)$ acts as an effective structural parameter that can tune both the magnitude and sign of the pumped current, offering a geometric knob for controlling quantum pumping. Our findings not only fill a gap in the understanding of spectral and pumped currents in helical systems with extended hopping but also provide tools that can be applied to analyze similar phenomena in other chiral or quasi-one-dimensional systems.
Thermoelectric information engine driven by an autonomous Maxwell demon across quantum-to-classical transitions
We study a three-terminal thermoelectric engine, focusing on the role of quantum coherence and information flow. A double-dot connects two reservoirs at different chemical potentials, while a third dot monitors their occupation via Coulomb interaction and can be interpreted as an autonomous Maxwell demon. Within the parameter range where the device operates as an engine, we identify conditions under which this interpretation holds. The system dynamics is described within a Redfield master equation that allows us to identify two distinct dynamical regimes with steady states well captured by suitable Lindblad approximations. These two regimes define a first quantum-to-classical transition controlled by the interdot tunneling strength. We further consider the effect of a phonon bath coupled to the double-dot, which induces a second quantum-to-classical transition by generating incoherent transport and decoherence in the small interdot tunneling regime. We identify a parameter region where phonon-induced decoherence suppresses both the coherent transport contribution and the information flow toward the monitoring dot, suggesting that coherence can enhance the demon mechanism in this regime. By tracking information and transport properties across these crossovers, our model shows how coherent tunneling, decoherence, and incoherent phonon-assisted transport compete in an autonomous information engine, while clarifying which thermodynamic Lindblad description is appropriate in each regime.
Engineering electrically-switchable quantum anomalous Hall states by spin-orbit coupling
Nonvolatile gate-driven switching of quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) states in graphene moir\'e systems provides a promising route toward topological electronics based on chiral edge states. However, deliberate use of this switching mechanism requires control over both the magnetic properties and metastability of QAH states. While previous demonstrations mostly relied on the intrinsic magnetic energy landscape of moir\'e devices, here we show that this landscape can be engineered through proximity coupling to WSe2. We find that proximitizing twisted monolayer-bilayer graphene by WSe2 reshapes the magnetization reversals responsible for nonvolatile electrical switching of QAH states. We attribute this effect to the proximity-induced spin-orbit coupling (SOC), which can lock spin and valley and modify the magnetization of the competing states involved in switching compared with non-proximitized graphene systems. Our findings establish proximity-induced SOC as a new way to engineer magnetic properties and switchable magnetic states in graphene-based systems. We further demonstrate that strong magnetic metastability in tMBG allows the magnetic states to be gate-tuned between QAH and metallic regimes, and between QAH states with Chern numbers |C| = 2 and 1 without resetting the magnetic state. This functionality points toward new device architectures based on QAH chiral edge states.
Spin correlations, low-energy scales, and anisotropy scaling in kagome frustrated magnets
Neutron scattering is central to identifying quantum states of magnetic materials. In the search for quantum spin liquids, broad spectral features of inelastic spectra have been cited as evidence for spinon excitations, but can also arise from magnon excitations excitations in the presence of quenched disorder and strong magnon interactions. We develop a new approach to this problem, based on the adiabatic continuity in the $XXZ$ Heisenberg model on geometrically frustrating (GF) lattices as a function of the model's anisotropy. Using this approach, we identify universal features and energies of finite-temperature spin correlators. Focusing on the kagome lattice, we show that the low-energy spin spectral function contains robust, momentum-independent peaks with frequencies: $\omega_1 \approx 3.4 T^*$ and $\omega_2 \approx 6.3 T^*$, where the ``hidden energy scale'' $T^*$ is the characteristic scale of a low-temperature peak in the heat capacity, at which many GF magnets also display spin-glass freezing. We show that the spectral features at low energies $\omega\lesssim T^*$ arise from single-magnon scattering and identify the magnetizations of the respective excitations. We explore the evolution of the spectral features with temperature and discuss extensions to other GF lattices. Our results provide a sharp spectroscopic criterion for interpreting neutron scattering in kagome and other GF quantum magnets.
Topological phase transitions between bosonic and fermionic quantum Hall states near even-denominator filling factors
We study the quantum critical point between the fermionic $\nu=8$ quantum Hall state and the bosonic $\nu=2$ quantum Hall state of Cooper pairs. Our study is motivated by the composite fermion construction for the daughter states of even-denominator fractional quantum Hall states and the experimentally observed transition between the daughter and the Jain states at the same filling. We show that this transition is equivalent to the transition between a neutral invertible $E_8$ state and a topologically trivial state. These transitions can be described in a partonic framework as a cascade of mass changes of four neutral Dirac fermions coupled to multiple Abelian Chern--Simons $U(1)$ gauge fields. In the absence of fine-tuning, the transition is split into a series of at least eight distinct transitions, with at least seven distinct intermediate topologically ordered phases that host neutral anyons.
Shaping chaos in bilayer graphene cavities
That author's affiliation: Harvard University Institution (first & last author): Harvard University
Bilayer graphene cavities where electrons are confined within finite graphene flakes provide an alluring platform not only for the future nanoelectronic devices owing to the tunable energy gap but also for investigating the quantum nature of chaos due to the trigonal warping of their Fermi surface. Here we demonstrate that rotating the cavity boundary relative to the underlying lattice structure drives a quantum transition from nearly integrable dynamics to chaotic regime, observed as a concomitant crossover of eigenvalue statistics and eigenstate profiles. Complementing the full quantum treatment, we examine the classical backbone of this onset of chaos by employing semiclassical ray dynamics. Our results position bilayer graphene cavities as a promising venue for investigating and engineering quantum-chaotic behavior in graphene-based devices.
Flux-driven delocalization transition in disordered topological insulator nanowires
Topological insulator nanowires provide a tunable platform for studying the interplay between disorder, quantum interference, and symmetry-protected transport. Here we investigate quantum transport in disordered topological insulator nanowires threaded by an axial magnetic flux. By computing the conductance as a function of wire length, magnetic flux, chemical potential, and disorder strength, we extract the localization length to characterize the flux-driven delocalization transition near half-integer flux quanta. We find that the localization length diverges with a robust critical exponent $\nu=2$, independent of the chemical potential and disorder strength considered here. This exponent differs from that of the integer quantum Hall transition, pointing to distinct scaling behavior. Near integer flux quanta, we further find that the conductance evolves from a weak-localization dip at low chemical potential to a weak anti-localization peak at higher chemical potential, which splits and is eventually suppressed as the system crosses over to the strongly localized regime.
Robust Spin Logic Enabled by Generalized $\mathrm{SU}(2)$ Symmetry in $p$-Wave Magnets
Unconventional magnets combine the vanishing stray fields of antiferromagnets with the strong spin-splitting of ferromagnets, offering a unique material platform for spintronics. However, a critical challenge in realizing functional spin-logic devices lies in preserving long-range spin coherence against momentum-degrading scattering and gate-induced dephasing. Here, we demonstrate that the intrinsic momentum-dependent exchange field of a three-dimensional $p$-wave magnet can be precisely tuned against gate-induced Rashba spin-orbit coupling to establish a \textit{generalized} $\mathrm{SU}(2)$ spin-rotation symmetry. This emergent conservation law generates a symmetry-protected Persistent Spin Helix (PSH), effectively integrating the high energy scales of 3D bulk magnetic exchange with the macroscopic coherence of symmetry protection. By modeling a synergistic $p$-wave magnetic spin field-effect transistor (spin-FET), we reveal high-visibility Datta-Das conductance oscillations controlled purely by electrical gating. Crucially, our quantum transport simulations confirm that this symmetry-engineered transport regime exhibits exceptional resilience against strong non-magnetic Anderson disorder and geometric variations. These results establish a synergistic paradigm for non-magnetized spintronics, demonstrating how the active integration of spin-orbit coupling and unconventional magnetism can yield disorder-resilient spintronic logic.
Cyclotron mass-selective de Haas-van Alphen measurements using temperature modulation
We present a temperature-modulated de Haas-van Alphen measurement technique that allows selective addressing of quantum oscillations with different effective masses $m^{\ast}$ using a non-monotonic amplitude evolution with temperature and magnetic field, governed by the temperature derivative of the Lifshitz-Kosevich factor. The technique relies on harmonic modulation of the sample temperature and phase-sensitive detection of quantum oscillations in the voltage induced in a pick-up coil. We use a set of frequencies with strong Zeeman-driven harmonic content in the compensated topological semimetal MoSi$_{2}$ as a natural linear mass comb ranging from 1$m^{\ast}$ to 13$m^{\ast}$ to demonstrate the tunability of the mass-dependent quantum oscillation amplitudes experimentally. The technique allows to reliably isolate weak contributions of heavy orbits that are inaccessible in conventional de Haas-van Alphen frequency spectra because their frequency peaks overlap with much stronger frequency peaks of lighter orbits.
Hall conductivity reveals the nature of quantum coherence in strongly correlated metals
Linear-in-temperature resistivity is a hallmark for strange metallic transport, and appears universally in many strongly correlated electron systems. However, the focus on the longitudinal channel often overshadows the profound microscopic insights contained within the transverse response. Here, we utilize numerically exact determinantal quantum Monte Carlo simulations of the doped Hubbard model in a magnetic field to calculate longitudinal and transverse transport. We demonstrate that while the resistivity is robustly $T$-linear across parameter sets, the Hall response is highly sensitive to particle-hole asymmetry, Fermi surface topology, and many-body correlation effects. Specifically, the combination of these effects determine a crossover scale in which the system becomes quantum-coherent, and is reflected in the Hall conductivity. Our results demonstrate that while the $T$-linearity in resistivity appears universal, the Hall response reveals a crossover from semi-classical to quantum-coherent transport otherwise masked in the longitudinal channel.
Phase diagram of the Kitaev-Heisenberg-$\Gamma$ model: Classical and quantum magnetism, frustration, and subdominant interactions
The Kitaev spin liquid provides a rare example of exactly solvable quantum spin liquid states. Intensive research over the past two decades has identified a variety of its candidate materials. In real materials, however, the Kitaev interaction is inevitably accompanied by additional magnetic interactions such as the Heisenberg and $\Gamma$ interactions. These interactions often induce magnetic ordering at low temperatures, making it essential to clarify their effects in the search for and design of Kitaev spin liquid candidate materials. In this study, we revisit the ground-state phase diagram of the Kitaev-Heisenberg-$\Gamma$ model from both classical and quantum perspectives, using state-of-the-art numerical techniques. In the classical case, we reveal a $zoo$ $of$ $noncollinear$ $orders$, where a variety of noncollinear multiple-$Q$ magnetic orders with and without incommensurate modulations emerge. In the quantum case, we unravel that quantum fluctuations suppress many of the competing orders found in the classical case, resulting in a reduced number of dominant incommensurate orders. We further identify $highly$ $frustrated$ regions, where spiral spin liquid states as well as new magnetically ordered states are potentially stabilized by other additional magnetic interactions. Our results provide a comprehensive perspective on the Kitaev-Heisenberg-$\Gamma$ model for both classical and quantum spins and offer a valuable guide not only for interpreting experimental results on candidate materials, but also for searching and designing new materials to realize the Kitaev spin liquid.
Frustration effects on the magnetization plateau physics in a trimerized quantum spin-1/2 chain
We investigate frustration-induced instabilities in a trimerized quantum spin chain motivated by recent experimental findings for the compound Na$_2$Cu$_3$Ge$_4$O$_{12}$. Employing a cluster mean-field approach combined with Lanczos exact diagonalization, we analyze the ground-state and quantum-information properties of a Heisenberg model with competing interactions in a magnetic field. In the weakly frustrated regime, the system exhibits a robust $1/3$ magnetization plateau associated with a collective ferrimagnetic-like trimer state. Increasing the next-nearest-neighbor intratrimer coupling drives a pronounced reorganization of spin correlations, leading to a crossover toward a doublon-like correlation regime and providing a static ground-state picture consistent with the composite excitations observed dynamically in trimerized chains. The resulting low-energy behavior can be interpreted in terms of weakly interacting emergent spins, offering a microscopic explanation for the extended stability of the magnetization plateau. Furthermore, through finite-size scaling analyses of the energy gap, von Neumann entanglement entropy, and fidelity susceptibility, we characterize the zero-field criticality of the model. Ultimately, our results suggest that frustration gives rise to qualitatively distinct quantum states and provide a microscopic framework for understanding the emergence of fractionalized excitations in trimerized quantum spin systems.
Statistical Mechanics and Symmetries of Non-Abelian Anyon Proliferation: From Deformation to Decoherence
Topological quantum computation relies on braiding non-Abelian anyons, but requires the underlying topological order to survive imperfect state preparation and environmental noise. We show that the instability of topological order to wavefunction deformations and to decoherence, with the latter probed by syndrome distributions, are generically captured by stat-mech models whose symmetries naturally expose the corrupting anyonic excitations. As an example, we combine this framework with Monte-Carlo simulations to resolve the stability of $D_4$ topological order under deformations and quantum channels that proliferate multiple non-Abelian anyon species that individually are unable to condense. We show that beyond a finite threshold, proliferation of two non-Abelian anyon species parasitically condenses a shared Abelian-anyon fusion outcome, destroying the topological order. Our symmetry-based approach sharply differentiates the resulting trivial phase from that obtained by condensing all Abelian charges; in other words, the trivial phase "remembers" which anyons condensed. This framework provides a first step into identifying the relevant symmetry for optimal decoders, conditioned on syndrome measurements, of non-Abelian topological order.
Multiple Topological Haldane Phases for Symmetry-Protected Quantum Information Processing
Symmetry-protected topological phases have attracted significant interest at the fundamental level and as a potential platform for quantum information processing, owing to their protected edge states and resilience to perturbations. Applying these features for practical and efficient quantum computation is highly desirable, but remains an open challenge. Here, we demonstrate the partitioning into multiple independent Haldane phase subsystems of a single spin-1/2 ladder system and propose this as a scalable architecture for gate-based quantum computation, which takes advantage of the symmetry-protected topological order. We encode qubits in the two topological states of the $S^{z}=0$ sector of each subsystem. Finite-size effects, typically viewed as detrimental, instead provide a controllable energy splitting that enables single-qubit rotations using only local magnetic fields. An Ising-type interaction between neighboring subsystem edges generates entangling gates, enabling universal quantum computation driven by two control parameters that are easily accessible experimentally. Our results demonstrate how symmetry-protected topological phases can be directly harnessed for circuit-model quantum computation in realistic systems.
Physically Constrained Ensemble Gaussian Process Modelling for Expensive Quantum Systems with Heteroskedastic Noise
Accurate modeling of quantum many-body systems often requires computationally expensive simulations such as Density Matrix Renormalization Group (DMRG) or Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) calculations. These methods, while precise, impose significant time and resource constraints, limiting their use in exhaustive parameter exploration. Moreover, these expensive simulations can contain variable errors over the large unknown parameter space, which needs to be quantified and propagated. Thus, predictive modelling is required to estimate the functional space accurately over scarcely sampled data with heteroskedastic noise, while preserving the physical relevance of the estimation. Therefore, we present a Physically Constrained Ensemble Gaussian Process (pc-EGP) framework designed to efficiently model complex and noisy quantum systems under physical consistency constraints. The proposed method first enforces physical constraints as a user controlled weighted penalty to the data-driven loss function of the Gaussian Process (GP) surrogates. Then an ensemble of such GP models is trained with variable noisy simulations via numerical quadrature method where these multiple GP(s) at different nodes is integrated as a quadrature weighted average. We first demonstrate the framework on synthetically generated data before applying to quantum systems. In the first case study, we leverage DMRG simulations of the Bose-Hubbard Model to predict the critical interaction parameter Uc governing the superfluid-to-Mott-insulator transition. In the second case study, we demonstrate our method on QMC simulations, of a quantum liquid confined inside a nanoporous silicate with the goal of optimizing a chemical environment to realize a one-dimensional superfluid. Compared to conventional GP, pc-EGP achieves a better balance of accuracy and physically meaningful predictions.
Charting the emergent low-dimensional manifold of quantum materials
The periodic table of elements transformed chemistry by revealing simple organizing principles underlying atomic behavior. Despite decades of effort, no analogous framework has emerged for crystalline materials -- their microscopic complexity and vast configurational space have defied reduction to fundamental organizing principles. Current databases catalog thousands of synthesized materials, but extracting predictive, interpretable models from this wealth of data remains a formidable challenge. Here we demonstrate that the materials landscape possesses a hidden geometric organization that can be unveiled through unsupervised nonlinear dimensionality reduction. Applying differential geometry techniques to the Inorganic Crystal Structure Database (ICSD), we reveal that just a few combinations of microscopic descriptors capture the vast majority of variance in material properties. This low-dimensional embedding autonomously segregates superconductors from ordinary materials and further distinguishes superconducting families in ways that transcend chemical similarity alone. Remarkably, the discovered geometric organization directly governs critical temperatures ($T_c$) across diverse superconducting families, enabling accurate $T_c$ predictions without any knowledge of the pairing mechanism. Our approach uncovers emergent organizing principles that control macroscopic quantum behavior, offering a new paradigm in how we build models of complex quantum materials directly from experimental data.
Quantum geometric anomalous Hall response in orbitally nonunitary superconductors
We investigate the anomalous Hall response (AHR) in a multiband superconductor at optical frequencies, a phenomenon intimately related to the polar Kerr effect, a key probe of time-reversal symmetry breaking in superconductors. In translationally invariant multiband systems with purely intraband pairing, Galilean invariance decouples center-of-mass and relative motion of Cooper pairs, leading to the widespread expectation that a finite AHR requires either disorder or finite interband pairing amplitudes. However, this restriction can be lifted by the quantum geometric effects inherent to multiband Bloch states. Using a honeycomb lattice tight-binding model with Kane-Mele spin-orbit coupling, we analyze the AHR for the time-reversal symmetry broken chiral $d$-wave spin-singlet and chiral $p$-wave equal-spin-triplet pairing states with intraband pairing only. We demonstrate, through both analytical and numerical calculations, that the spin-singlet state yields a vanishing AHR, even with its broken time-reversal symmetry, whereas the equal-spin triplet state exhibits a finite AHR, even when it is spin-unitary. We attribute the latter to orbital nonunitarity, which, in the presence of spin-orbit coupling, generates the spin-polarized Bogoliubov quasiparticle states required for a finite AHR. The response is mediated by interband velocity matrix elements governed by the quantum geometry. This finding establishes that spin-unitary, but orbitally nonunitary pairing, can generate a finite AHR even without interband pairing and thereby revises the criteria for Kerr signals in superconductors.
Fabry-Perot Interference, g-factor Anisotropy, and Gate-Tunable Quantum dot in Chiral Tellurium Nanowires
Chiral materials with strong spin-orbit coupling offer a unique platform for exploring the interplay between topology, chirality, and quantum transport yet the quantum coherent regime in elemental tellurium nanostructures remains largely unexplored. Here we demonstrate phase-coherent quasi-ballistic transport, anisotropic Zeeman spectroscopy, and gate-tunable quantum dot formation in hydrothermally grown t-tellurium nanowires. Single nanowire field-effect transistors exhibit p-type transport with hole mobilities rising from approx. 80 cm2 V-1 s-1 at 210 K to approx. 190 cm2 V-1 s-1 at 1 K, consistent with a crossover from phonon-limited to Coulomb scattering dominated regimes near 50 K. Notably, devices segregate into two distinct regimes based on their room temperature two-terminal resistance : low-resistance devices (< 30 kOhm) exhibit Fabry-Perot interference, whereas high resistance devices (> 30 kOhm) display Coulomb-blockade behavior revealing a two-terminal resistance-driven transition between quasi-ballistic and strongly localized transport regimes. Zeeman spectroscopy in in-plane and out-of-plane magnetic fields yields highly anisotropic Lande g-factors (an in-plane gparallel = 1.18 and an out-of-plane gperp = 18.41) and directly resolves a spin-orbit energy gap DeltaSO = 0.864 meV from an avoided crossing. These results establish chiral tellurium nanowires as a versatile platform for gate-defined spin qubits exploiting large, tunable g-factors and for hybrid tellurium-superconductor architectures targeting Majorana zero modes in an elemental vdW system.
Spin polarisation signatures of Fractionally Charged Skyrmions in Fractional Quantum Hall states
We investigate spin polarisation and low-energy excitations in fractional quantum Hall (FQH) states using cavity-polariton spectroscopy of high-mobility GaAs quantum wells. By measuring the optical coupling strength of interband Landau-level excitations over the range $1/3 \le \nu \le 1$, we extract the spin polarisation of the electron system as a function of filling factor. Complete suppression of the oscillator strength of the lowest energy excitation, characteristic of singlet trion formation in fully polarised systems, is reported for the first time in this regime. At large magnetic fields, fully polarised FQH states exhibit symmetric depolarisation away from their quantised fillings, analogous to Skyrmionic behaviour near $\nu=1$. The depolarisation follows an empirical law $S=\nu^*$, where $S$ is the number of spin flips per added magnetic flux quantum and $\nu^*$ the effective Composite Fermion filling factor. We interpret this behaviour as evidence for Minimal Fractionally Charged Skyrmions (MFCS) formed from bound spin-flip and quasiparticle excitations.
Quantum statistics in an extended collider coupled to a qubit
Mesoscopic colliders provide an effective platform for probing the mutual statistics of quantum particles. Recent experiments have successfully extracted the mutual statistics of fermions, and more exotic anyons using quantum point contacts (QPCs). Coupling a point-like collider, such as a quantum point contact, to a two-level impurity or qubit can induce statistical transmutation of fermions, causing them to display boson-like bunching tendencies. Here, we extend the analysis to an extended collider. We investigate the scattering of two incoming fermionic and bosonic wave packets in the presence of post-selection on the impurity state, and systematically analyze the possible benchmarks used to characterize bunching and infer the underlying mutual statistics. We show that only a specific benchmark faithfully captures the mutual statistics of the colliding particles, while alternative choices can produce spurious statistical signatures. Hence, the correct benchmark for probing the quantum statistics depends on the intricate details of the mesoscopic collider.
Jittery Quantum Boomerang Effect
We study the dynamics of a spin-polarized wave packet in a disordered Rashba two-dimensional electron gas and identify a jittery quantum boomerang effect in which longitudinal and transverse motion return to the origin through fundamentally distinct mechanisms. Starting from an initial state with finite momentum along $x$ and spin polarized along $z$, we calculate the time evolution by combining a Chebyshev expansion of the time-evolution operator with a disorder ensemble average. In the weak-scattering regime, equations of motion derived from the quantum kinetic equation reproduce the numerical trends and show that impurity scattering acts as a viscous damping mechanism that suppresses the transient Zitterbewegung and drives the transverse displacement back to $y=0$ at long times. In contrast, the longitudinal dynamics show a Drude-like saturation at weak disorder. These results are consistent with the vanishing intrinsic spin Hall conductivity in the disordered Rashba model and with experimental observations of a transient intrinsic spin Hall effect in the time-domain. As disorder increases, the longitudinal dynamics evolve to a partial return toward the origin, which signals a transition from weak antilocalization to Anderson localization in 2D.
Observation of a Mott quantum spin Hall insulator in twisted WSe2
Quantum spin Hall (QSH) insulators and Mott insulators are conventionally regarded as distinct insulating phases, arising from band topology and strong Coulomb interactions, respectively. Here, we report the observation of QSH edge transport in a magnetic-field-stabilized Mott insulating state at half filling of the second moire band in a 2.29 degree twisted WSe2 device. This state exhibits a resistance plateau identical to that of the single-particle QSH state at full filling of the first moire valence band, indicating the same number of helical edge channels. Electrical transport measurements reveal nearly quantized resistance that is insensitive to vertical electric field, out-of-plane magnetic field, and temperature below 5 K. Pronounced nonlocal transport and strong negative in-plane magnetoconductance further support helical edge conduction, establishing robust edge transport in the strongly correlated regime. Temperature-dependent Hall measurements reveal a characteristic temperature scale of approximately 10 K, corresponding to an energy scale of about 1 meV. Our results demonstrate that spin-conserved QSH edge states can persist in a half filled, strongly correlated insulating phase and under external magnetic field, opening a route toward interaction-resilient topological transport in moire quantum materials.
All optical excitation of spin polarization in d-wave altermagnets
The recently discovered altermagnets exhibit collinear magnetic order with zero net magnetization but with unconventional spin-polarized d/g/i-wave band structures, expanding the known paradigms of ferromagnets and antiferromagnets. In addition to novel current-driven electronic transport effects, the unconventional time-reversal symmetry breaking in these systems also makes it possible to obtain a spin response to \emph{linearly polarized} fields in the optical frequency domain. We show through ab-initio calculations of the prototypical d-wave altermagnet RuO$_2$, with a symmetry combining twofold spin rotation with fourfold lattice rotation, $[C_2\|C_{4z}]$, that there is an optical analogue of a spin splitter effect, as the coupling to a linearly polarized exciting laser field makes the d-wave character of the altermagnet directly visible. By magneto-optical measurements on RuO$_2$ films of different thicknesses ranging from $2$ to $8\,$nanometers, we demonstrate the predicted connection of the linear polarization of an ultrashort pump pulse to the sign and magnitude of the optically excited electronic spin polarization in the ultrathin RuO$_2$ films. The possibility of exciting and controlling an electronic spin polarization by linearly polarized optical pulses in a compensated system is a unique consequence of the altermagnetic material properties. Our experimental results therefore establish an optical pump-probe based protocol for detection of altermagnetic characteristics in ultrathin RuO$_2$ films, but our all-optical approach should apply more generally to materials in this altermagnetic symmetry class.
Exactly solvable non-planar $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$ dimer liquids on checkerboard and ruby lattices
We generalize an influential framework for exactly solvable quantum dimer models with dual Ising gauge theory descriptions realizing the $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$ topological phase from trivalent to tetravalent parent lattices. The resulting quantum dimer models live on crossed-medial lattices and possess the remarkable feature of having crossed plaquettes, leading to transition graphs with generically intersecting loops. This non-planar structure runs counter to established templates for analytically tractable dimer liquids. As the simplest realization of the construction, we introduce an exactly solvable quantum dimer model on the checkerboard lattice that allows an exact mapping to the toric code, thus providing a particularly direct connection between the latter and Anderson's short range resonating valence bond paradigm. We further show that a corresponding crossed ruby lattice construction, dual to an Ising gauge theory on the kagome lattice, naturally falls within the same framework. More generally, the construction gives rise to a broad class of exactly solvable crossed-medial quantum dimer models and admits natural iteration, generating cascades of solvable $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$ topological dimer liquids beyond the standard planar setting. We furthermore extend Kasteleyn methods to the relevant non-planar graphs, enabling controlled wave-function deformations away from the commuting-projector points while retaining efficient evaluation of correlation functions.
Microscopic evidence for a Zhang-Rice triplet state in the van der Waals antiferromagnet, NiPS$_3$
Quantum-entangled states underpin many emergent phenomena in quantum materials, yet their direct experimental identification remains a challenge. NiPS$_3$, a van der Waals antiferromagnet exhibiting a resolution-limited magnetic exciton in its ordered phase, has been proposed to host a many-body entangled Zhang-Rice triplet state. Here, using $^{33}$S nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) on $^{33}$S-enriched NiPS$_3$ single crystals, we provide microscopic evidence for this charge-transfer state. The $^{33}$S and $^{31}$P Knight shifts as a function of temperature reveal a unified spin-triplet configuration arising from strong hybridization between a self-doped hole in the S $3p$ orbitals and a hole in Ni $3d$ orbitals. Furthermore, the $^{33}$S nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate exhibits a power-law divergence as it approaches the N\'eel temperature $T_N=155$ K, indicating critical slowing down of collective charge fluctuations consistent with spin-nematic correlations. These results reveal a spin-charge-intertwined ground state and establish the microscopic foundation for the exceptional coherence of the magnetic exciton in NiPS$_3$.
Nonequilibrium Green Functions Simulations for Large Correlated Systems
Correlated real-time dynamics in large, spatially inhomogeneous quantum systems remain difficult to access with nonequilibrium many-body methods. Two-time nonequilibrium Green functions (NEGF) retain dynamical correlations but their computational runtime grows cubically with the number of time steps $N_\mathrm{t}$. This scaling bottleneck could recently be overcome by introducing the G1--G2 scheme that is linear in $N_\mathrm{t}$, but requires propagation of a two-particle correlation function and may suffer from numerical instabilities. This has restricted simulations to small systems with $N_\mathrm{b} \sim 10^2$ basis states. Here we introduce a quantum-fluctuation formulation of nonequilibrium Green functions, denoted $\delta$NEGF, that represents dynamical two-particle correlations through fluctuations of field-operator products, $\delta \hat G$. This guarantees stable dynamics by preserving the positivity of the reduced density matrices, avoids the explicit storage of the two-particle Green function, and reduces the propagation to a finite ensemble of Hartree-Fock-like trajectories. Combined with a stochastic low-rank decomposition of the correlation functions, the method retains time-linear scaling while extending dynamical $GW$ and particle-particle and particle-hole $T$-matrix simulations to basis sizes of order $N_\mathrm{b}\sim 10^4$. We benchmark $\delta$NEGF against exact and HF-GKBA results for lattice systems, finding stable correlated dynamics also at strong coupling. We further demonstrate large-scale simulations of diffusion in two-dimensional Hubbard lattices and ultrafast relaxation in graphene nanoribbon heterostructures with long-range Coulomb interactions. These results establish $\delta$NEGF as a scalable route to dynamical self-energy simulations of large, spatially inhomogeneous correlated quantum systems beyond the reach of existing NEGF implementations.
Field-Induced Up-Up-Down State and Frustrated Magnetism in a Non-Kramers Triangular Antiferromagnet
A previously unreported triangular lattice (TL) antiferromagnet, TmZnGaO4, was synthesized as single crystals, and its crystal structure, magnetic susceptibilities, and specific heat were reported. Its crystal structure is isomorphic to that of the transverse-field Ising antiferromagnet TmMgGaO4, with Tm3+ ions located in the TLs, separated by a nonmagnetic bilayer composed mainly of Ga3+ and Zn2+ ions. The magnetic susceptibilities indicate the dominating antiferromagnetic interactions. The magnetization curves (M-H) exhibit strong easy-c-axis anisotropy, with a clear one-third magnetic plateau emerging, consistent with a field-induced up-up-down spin configuration. Instead of forming a conventional long-range magnetic order, the system exhibits two broad anomalies at 0.11 K and 2.81 K in zero-field specific heat measurements, highlighting the persistence of strong spin fluctuations and the potential for exotic quantum spin states. The above results reveal its future interest in exploring exotic quantum spin states in TmZnGaO4.
Hybrid Hamiltonian-diagrammatic quantum impurity solver
That author's affiliation: University of Michigan Institution (first & last author): University of Michigan
Quantum impurity models, which describe the coupling between interacting orbitals and a non-interacting bath, play a central role in the physics of strongly correlated electron systems. Solving a quantum impurity model in general requires the use of non-perturbative numerical methods. Hamiltonian-based approaches, which rely on an explicit bath discretization, are typically limited to a small number of bath sites or small entanglement, and diagrammatic methods suffer from sign problems, slow convergence, or diagram truncation approximations. Here we show that these two classes of methods can be combined: augmenting diagrammatic methods with a small auxiliary bath can reduce the residual problem to a regime where low-order perturbation theory is highly accurate and rapidly converging. In a simple benchmark, the precision of the hybrid approach surpasses bold-line calculations by several orders of magnitude; for a strongly interacting two-orbital model with a severe sign problem, convergence is achieved at three orders of magnitude lower computational cost than competing methods; and convergence to the unknown exact result is rapidly accelerated in a difficult realistic problem. Our results establish a practical route to high-precision quantum impurity solutions in correlated quantum systems.
Exact many-body wavefunction of the Kondo model with time-dependent interaction strength
Quantum integrabilty has been applied to a large variety of low dimesional Hamiltonians in Quantum Field Theory, Condensed Matter Physics, and Statistical Mechanics to obtain exact expressions for the spectrum and thermodynamics of these systems. In most of these studies the coupling constants are constant in time. Here we present an exact solution of the nonstationary Schr\"odinger equation for the Kondo Hamiltonian with a time-dependent spin-exchange coupling $J(t)$ of the form $\lambda t + p(t) \pm \sqrt{(\lambda t + p(t))^2 + 4/3}$, where $p(t)$ is an arbitrary periodic function, under periodic boundary conditions. Unlike previously studied time-dependent integrable models, which are rooted in the classical Yang--Baxter structure and associated Knizhnik--Zamolodchikov equations, our approach is based on the quantum Knizhnik--Zamolodchikov framework and the quantum Yang--Baxter algebra. Our results broaden the domain of time-dependent integrability to a genuinely quantum class of models and provide a new tools for exploring coherent nonequilibrium dynamics in strongly correlated systems.
Observation of Dipolar Spin-ice--like Correlations in the Quantum Spin Ice Candidate Ce$_2$Sn$_2$O$_7$
Ce-pyrochlores, Ce$_2$X$_2$O$_7$ (X = Sn, Hf, Zr), have gained much recent attention as new quantum spin ice (QSI) ground state candidates. Although the nearest-neighbor (NN) XYZ model has been the prevailing theoretical framework, its adequacy has been questioned by bulk measurements on Ce$_2$Hf$_2$O$_7$ and Ce$_2$Zr$_2$O$_7$, suggesting the relevance of further-neighbor interactions at low temperatures. However, clearly disentangling their effects from structural disorder has been challenging with samples grown by conventional methods. Here, we overcome this limitation and report diffuse neutron scattering measurements on Ce$_2$Sn$_2$O$_7$ single crystals synthesized by hydrothermal methods, with substantially reduced structural disorder compared to our previous floating-zone-grown samples. Our results unambiguously demonstrate the inadequacy of the NN model by falsifying its central prediction for Ce$_2$Sn$_2$O$_7$ -- a transition to an all-in-all-out (AIAO) magnetic order. Importantly, we observe neither long-range nor short-range AIAO order near the predicted $\mathrm{T_N}$, indicating that further neighbor interactions must play a non-perturbative role in determining the low-temperature spin correlations in Ce$_2$Sn$_2$O$_7$. Notably, we find that the diffuse scattering in Ce$_2$Sn$_2$O$_7$ is nearly identical to that of the classical dipolar spin ice Dy$_2$Ti$_2$O$_7$, which provides key insights into the organizing principles of the low-energy manifold in the presence of such interactions.
Exploring Variational Entanglement Hamiltonians
That author's affiliation: TU Dortmund University Institution (first & last author): TU Dortmund University
Recent advances in analog and digital quantum-simulation platforms have enabled exploration of the spectrum of entanglement Hamiltonians via variational algorithms. In this work we analyze the convergence properties of the variationally obtained solutions and compare them to numerically exact calculations in quantum critical systems. We demonstrate that interpreting the cost functional as an integral permits the deployment of iterative quadrature schemes, thereby reducing the required number of measurements by more than an order of magnitude even in the presence of noise. We further show that a modified ansatz captures deviations from the Bisognano-Wichmann form in lattice models, improves convergence, improves trainability and provides a cost-function-level diagnostic for quantum phase transitions. Finally, we establish that a low cost value does not by itself guarantee convergence in trace distance. Nevertheless, it faithfully reproduces degeneracies and spectral gaps, which are essential for applications to topological phases.
Quantum solver for single-impurity Anderson models with particle-hole symmetry
Quantum embedding methods, such as dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT), provide a powerful framework for investigating strongly correlated materials. A central computational bottleneck in DMFT is in solving the Anderson impurity model (AIM), whose exact solution is classically intractable for large bath sizes. In this work, we develop and benchmark a quantum-classical hybrid solver tailored for DMFT applications, using the variational quantum eigensolver (VQE) to prepare the ground state of the AIM with shallow quantum circuits. The solver uses a unified ansatz framework to prepare the particle and hole excitations of the ground-state from parameter-shifted circuits, enabling the reconstruction of the impurity Green's function through a continued-fraction expansion. We evaluate the performance of this approach across a few bath sizes and interaction strengths under noisy, shot-limited conditions. We compare three optimization routines (COBYLA, Adam, and L-BFGS-B) in terms of convergence and fidelity, assess the benefits of estimating a quantum-computed moment (QCM) correction to the variational energies, and benchmark the approach by comparing the reconstructed density of states (DOS) against that obtained using a classical pipeline. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of Green's function reconstruction on near-term devices and establish practical benchmarks for quantum impurity solvers embedded within self-consistent DMFT loops.
Quantum-geometric origin of superfluid weight in quasicrystals with critical states
A distinctive feature of many quasiperiodic systems is the presence of critical states that are neither extended nor exponentially localized. We investigate the geometric effect on the superfluid weight in quasiperiodic systems with critical states at zero temperature. We employ both real-space and momentum-space approaches to superfluid weight in quasicrystals, which allows us to separate the conventional and quantum geometric contributions. We find that the superfluid weight is dominated by the geometric contribution in quasiperiodic systems with critical states. This finding reveals a fundamental interplay between superconductivity and critical states in quasicrystals.
Self-organized Floquet band geometry in cavity-driven quantum materials
Floquet engineering has emerged as a powerful route to dynamically control band structure and topology in quantum materials, but most implementations rely on externally imposed laser fields that are power intensive, difficult to integrate into devices, and weakly coupled to the electronic system. We propose and analyze an alternative paradigm in which a self-generated cavity field Floquet-dresses the electronic bands and produces a geometric Hall response in an electrically driven cavity material system. We consider a semiconductor layer embedded in a cavity and coupled to external leads and a bath of acoustic phonons, where dc pumping leads to the buildup of a coherent intracavity field through light-matter coupling. We determine the resulting nonequilibrium steady state self-consistently and show that, above threshold, the coupled system settles into a stable time-periodic limit cycle with a field amplitude set by the cavity quality factor and dissipation. This emergent periodic field Floquet-dresses the electronic bands and modifies the anomalous Hall response of a material with broken time-reversal symmetry. We demonstrate that the resulting Hall conductivity can be directly probed via in-plane dc transport measurements. Our work establishes a route to self organized Floquet band reconstruction and geometric transport without external laser illumination, highlighting cavity driven steady states as a platform for electrically controlled nonequilibrium phases.
Layer-Polarization-Driven Metal-Insulator Transition in multi-band Graphene Moire' Superlattices
Graphene/hBN moir\'e superlattices provide a highly tunable platform for exploring emergent quantum phases in low-dimensional systems. Here, we investigate the moir\'e superlattice formed between hBN and ABA-stacked trilayer graphene (TLG), an inherently multi-band system. We demonstrate that the moir\'e potential is not merely a perturbation but a tool to hybridize the distinct massless and massive electronic sectors of TLG. By applying a perpendicular displacement field to tune layer polarization, we drive a fundamental reconstruction of the electronic band structure. Specifically, increasing the displacement field evolves the system from a multi-band regime to an effectively single-band regime at low energies, accompanied by a metal--insulator transition at the hole-doped secondary Dirac point. This transition originates from a redistribution of carriers across graphene layers that selectively enhances their coupling to the extrinsic moir\'e potential. Quantum capacitance measurements provide direct evidence for the suppression of the density of states at the hole-side secondary Dirac point, consistent with gap opening and the emergence of a displacement-field-tuned band gap. Theoretical calculations reproduce these observations and identify layer-selective coupling to the moir\'e potential as the underlying mechanism. These results demonstrate electrical control of an emergent insulating phase in a low-dimensional moir\'e system, and highlight that layer polarization and layer-selective coupling in multi-band moir\'e heterostructures provide a powerful route for engineering topological and correlated phases through band structure reconstruction and electron interactions.
Light-tunable quantum metric non-linear Hall response in Berry dipole semimetals
We investigate the effect of light on quantum metric-mediated intrinsic nonlinear Hall conductivity in Berry dipole semimetals. We discover that light induces a tunable asymmetry in the off-diagonal part of the quantum metric, which is manifested by an asymmetry in the quantum metric dipole. We show that the nonlinear response can be tuned directly by the light amplitude. In particular, we note that the direction of the nonlinear Hall signal changes when the light amplitude is increased beyond a threshold value. Light thus emerges as a promising stimulus to control the quantum geometric response in topological semimetals.
Polar and quadratic magneto-optical Kerr effects in nonmagnetic/ferromagnet bilayers for spin-orbit torque measurements
That author's affiliation: Tohoku University First author institution: Tohoku University Last author institution: The University of Tokyo
Recent studies have revealed that spin Hall magnetoresistance (SMR) contributes to both the anomalous and planar Hall resistances in nonmagnetic metal (NM)/ferromagnetic metal (FM) bilayers. This effect becomes pronounced when the NM layer exhibits a large spin Hall angle, as in W/CoFeB bilayers. In such systems, the ratio of planar to anomalous Hall resistances, normally small in single CoFeB layers, can approach unity. This unusually large ratio complicates the determination of spin-torque efficiency using harmonic Hall voltage measurements. To overcome this limitation, magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) measurements have been proposed as an alternative approach. Here, we investigate the polar and quadratic MOKE components, which correspond to, respectively, the anomalous and planar Hall resistances in the low-frequency limit to clarify whether the MOKE measurements are suitable for characterizing the spin-torque efficiency. We find that the ratio of quadratic to polar MOKE signals in NM/FM bilayers is significantly smaller than the corresponding Hall resistance ratio, indicating that SMR contributes negligibly to the MOKE response in the visible range. Consequently, the spin-torque efficiency extracted from MOKE measurements agree well with those expected from the spin Hall angle of the NM layer. These results clarify the reason why MOKE measurements provide reliable determination of the spin-torque efficiency.
Persistent currents in signed directed networks
Network theory can be fruitfully used to describe quantum coherence in physical systems. To that purpose we introduce persistent currents in signed directed networks by interpreting the signed magnetic Laplacian as an effective Hamiltonian and the associated edge phases as a discrete gauge field. In a canonical ensemble, persistent currents arise as thermodynamic responses to variations of gauge-invariant fluxes. We show that these fluxes are naturally defined on the cycle space of the network, and that the resulting currents are constrained to the divergence-free subspace and decompose onto independent cycles. This formulation provides a direct generalization of persistent currents from rings and lattices to arbitrary topologies. Detection of persistent currents provides a signature of the quantum phase coherence supported by the network, and a direct signature of the geometry of its cycle space. Such a mapping, not only allows a practical way to deal with quantum coherence for a variety of situations in the field of quantum technologies, but it also allows a physical interpretation of the importance of the Laplacian operator in graph theory, linking its role to the one of Hamiltonian (i.e. a tight-binding one) in physical systems. To test the power of the method, we construct a signed directed network that reproduces the Hofstadter butterfly spectrum.
How Similar Can Fractional Chern Insulators Be to Fractional Quantum Hall States? Moir\'e-Enhanced Gaps and Excitation-Spectrum Correspondence
Fractional Chern insulators (FCIs) realize fractional quantum Hall topology in lattice bands, but their excitation spectra remain far less understood than their ground states. Here we establish a theoretical principle relating the periodic electron-density modulations of flat Chern bands to the many-body gap and excitation spectrum of FCIs. Contrary to the conventional view that such density modulations are detrimental to fractional topology, we show that different reciprocal-lattice Fourier components play sharply distinct roles: components at smaller reciprocal lattice vectors suppress the FCI gap, whereas components at larger reciprocal lattice vectors enhance it. By suppressing the harmful small-wave-vector components and amplifying the beneficial large-wave-vector components, the gap enhancement can, in principle, be made arbitrarily large within the projected flat-band theory. Moreover, the same enhancement factor rescales the full low-energy spectrum, making the FCI excitation spectrum predictable from the corresponding Landau-level problem. We further generalize this correspondence to non-Abelian states. Applying this principle to moir\'e Chern bands, we identify these reciprocal-lattice density components as practical diagnostics for robust FCIs.
Ferroelectrical Switching as a Probe of Quantum Damping in Magnetic Spin Systems
While damped spin dynamics is important for the understanding of magnetic materials, clear signatures of \emph{quantum corrections} to the Gilbert damping mechanism remain elusive. We propose a route to distinguish quantum and classical Gilbert spin damping using ferroelectric control of a magnetic dimer. Ab initio calculations for dimers on ferroelectric substrates show that polarization reversal switches the inter-spin exchange between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic regimes. We formulate a magnetization-based diagnostic that relates magnetization traces to entanglement dynamics, which enables ferroelectrical on/off control of dimer entanglement. Material-informed quantum Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert simulations illustrate how the signature of magnetization dynamics can, in principle, be used to infer the existence of quantum Gilbert spin damping. This minimal and non-volatile platform connects first-principles modeling to experimentally accessible observables and provides a starting point for voltage-controlled quantum entanglement in magnetic spin networks.
Non-Abelian braiding in Abelian Fractional Quantum Hall Phases from realistic interactions
We propose a method of realizing non-Abelian braiding of fractionalized quasiholes in the Laughlin fractional quantum Hall phase at $\nu=1/3$ with realistic two-body interactions within the lowest Landau level. It is numerically shown that low-lying gapped excitations near $\nu=1/3$ are contained almost entirely within the null space of the three-body Moore-Read model Hamiltonian. They are thus quantum fluids of non-Abelian quasiholes that are in principle physically accessible. In particular, Laughlin ground state can be described as a fluid of ``$\psi$-type" quasiholes formed by binding a magnetic flux with a Majorana fermion (MF), and the Laughlin quasiholes are described by the ``$1$-type'' quasiholes, which are magnetic fluxes without a MF attached. Within the Laughlin phase, Laughlin quasiholes can be locally fractionalized into non-Abelian quasiholes, when the strong attraction between them is overcome by properly designed one-body electronstatic trapping potentials. Extensive numerics with proper finite-size scaling corroborate this physical picture, and our study points to the possibility of realizing non-Abelian braiding within an Abelian topological phase in experiment without the need for fine-tuning realistic electron-electron interaction.
Spin Dependence of Charge Dynamics and Group Velocity in Chiral Molecules
Chiral molecules are known to preferentially select electrons with a particular spin state, an effect termed chirality-induced spin selectivity (CISS). In this work, the transient CISS dynamics in a chiral molecule are investigated through time-dependent quantum-transport simulations, an important step toward further understanding CISS and its application in devices such as magnetoresistive random access memories and spin-based quantum computers. We show that the spin-dependent group velocity of electrons is a possible contributor to a nonzero occupancy-based spin polarization throughout the chiral molecule. Contrary to the case which a chiral molecule is connected to a single lead, this spin polarization persists into the steady state when two leads are connected. We show that the simulated spin polarization qualitatively agrees with a reference experiment, as evidenced by the distinct magnetic-field signatures calculated from the spin polarization within a monolayer of chiral molecules.
Photon counting beyond the rotating-wave approximation
Open quantum systems are often described by a Lindblad master equation, which relies on a set of approximations, most importantly the rotating-wave approximation which is only valid for weak damping. In the Lindblad setting, dissipative processes are described through jump operators, distinguishing between absorption and emission of photons. This enables the simple identification of emitted photons which provides a straightforward way to obtain the radiation statistics. Outside the rotating-wave limit, the Lindblad approach does not work. Open quantum systems can then be described by, e.g., the quantum Langevin equation. However, in this framework the number of emitted photons is not easily accessible. In this work, we point out how to obtain the photon counting statistics from a quantum Langevin equation and provide an expression for the photon current operator, for arbitrary systems coupled to linear environments. As an example, we employ the method to study the radiation statistics of a damped harmonic oscillator at finite temperature beyond the rotating-wave approximation. We show that even outside the rotating-wave limit, the most important contribution to the radiation statistics can be captured by an effective Lindblad equation, thus extending the range of possible applications of the Lindblad framework.
Tensor network study of deconfined quantum criticality in a one-dimensional spin-phonon model
That author's affiliation: Technical University of Munich Institution (first & last author): Technical University of Munich
Deconfined quantum critical points (DQCPs) describe continuous transitions between ordered phases beyond the Landau paradigm. A simple example is the N\'eel antiferromagnet (AFM) to valence bond solid (VBS) transition in a 1D antiferromagnetic $J_1-J_2$ model. In analogy to the spin-Peierls instability of critical spin chains, DQCPs are predicted to be unstable towards lattice distortions below a critical phonon frequency. In this work, we use tensor network simulations to investigate this instability in the antiferromagnetic $J_1-J_2$ model coupled to lattice vibrations. We confirm the stability of DQCP for large phonon frequencies and demonstrate that the transition turns strongly first-order below a critical frequency. The instability is caused by a reduction of the Luttinger parameter due to spin-phonon interactions and we identify the effective theory of the behavior as the double sine-Gordon model. The same effective theory is known to describe the classical Ashkin-Teller model, which enables us to show that the critical endpoint is in the four-state Potts universality class. Furthermore, we provide quantitative numerical scaling results for the phonon spectral function, offering an experimental signature to probe DQCP-phonon coupling in low-dimensional materials.
1/3 Fractional and Gapless Integer Quantum Anomalous Hall States in Rhombohedral Graphene
The fractional quantum anomalous Hall (FQAH) effect occurs in moir\'e superlattices in both twisted bilayer MoTe$_2$ and rhombohedral $n$-layer graphene aligned to hexagonal boron nitride (R$n$G/hBN) as a novel quantum phase driven by intertwined electron correlation and topology. Although several fractional states in the Jain sequence have been identified, the $1/3$ state, the most robust and fundamental state in conventional fractional quantum Hall (FQH) systems, was missing in either FQAH system. Determining whether it exists would have a major impact on understanding the mechanism of FQAH, especially in the theoretically still-debated R$n$G/hBN system. Here we report the FQAH effect at moir\'e filling factor $\nu = 1/3$ in R$5$G/hBN moir\'e superlattice devices, through a combination of quantum capacitance and transport measurements. By tuning the displacement field, we observed a topological phase transition from a $1/3$ fractional Chern insulator (FCI) to a trivial charge density wave state. With the inclusion of the $1/3$ state, the FQAH states in R$5$G/hBN now exhibit a surprising level of particle-hole symmetry about half-filling, closely resembling the behavior of FQH states in the lowest Landau level. Additionally, we perform compressibility and transport measurements at a filling of one electron per moir\'e unit cell, $\nu =1$, and also for $\nu \lesssim 1$, where previous transport measurements displayed the extended quantum anomalous Hall (EQAH) effect. While our transport measurements show no change between the integer quantum anomalous Hall state (IQAH) and the EQAH region, compressibility measurements reveal a distinct transition from a gapped IQAH state to a gapless and highly compressible EQAH state. Our direct thermodynamic characterization of the rich phase diagram paves the way to engineering of anyon braiding and non-Abelian quasiparticles at zero magnetic field.
Quantum Fisher Information as a Thermal Probe in Frustrated Magnets through Insights from Quantum Spin Ice
Quantum Fisher information (QFI) is a measure of multipartite entanglement accessible via inelastic neutron scattering. Here we demonstrate that QFI reveals thermal and dynamical properties of quantum spin ice (QSI), a three-dimensional quantum spin liquid with fractionalized excitations. By developing a multi-directed loop update quantum Monte Carlo algorithm, along with exact diagonalization and gauge mean-field theory, we compute the QFI for the pyrochlore lattice. The temperature and momentum dependence of QFI maps the phase diagram, distinguishing the ferromagnetic ordered phase, its critical region, the zero-flux QSI, and the $\pi$-flux QSI. QFI also captures two crossover scales: from trivial paramagnet to classical spin ice, then to QSI. We discuss the $\pi$-flux QSI in light of experiments on cerium-based pyrochlores. Our results suggest that QFI not only detects entanglement but also serves as a sensitive thermal and dynamical probe for frustrated quantum magnets.
Spin-Chain Incipient Magnetocaloric Effect and Rare-Earth Controlled Switching in the Haldane-Chain System, R2BaNiO5
We have experimentally investigated the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) of a prototype spin-frustrated one-dimensional spin-chain system, the famous Haldane-chain system, R2BaNiO5 (R = Nd, Gd, Er, Dy). The significant MCE is observed far above long-range ordering, even in the paramagnetic region, which is attributed to the change in magnetic entropy due to short-range spin correlation arising from (low-dimensional) magnetic frustration. Such a spin-chain incipient MCE above long-range ordering is rarely reported. Interestingly, multiple magnetocaloric switching from conventional to inverse MCE (and vice versa) are observed below long-range magnetic ordering, as a function of temperature and magnetic field, for the R = Nd, Dy, and Er members. However, such MCE switching is absent in the Gd member, which is an S-state atom (orbital moment L = 0). Our systematic investigation of this series demonstrates that the interplay between crystal-electric field (CEF), strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) and rare earth anisotropy of R-ions play an important role in spin reorientation, leading to multiple MCE switching due to intriguing changes in magnetic and lattice entropy. The maximum change of entropy for Er, Gd, Dy and Nd is 7.8, 6.8, 4.0 and 1.0 J Kg-1 K-1 respectively. Our study presents a pathway for tuning MCE switching and the MCE effect over large temperature regions in d-f coupled spin-frustrated and spin-chain oxide systems.
Impact of strain on electron-phonon coupling of quantum emitters
Defects in semiconductors acting as optically active spin qubits are intriguing objects of fundamental study and future technological developments. These defect-based color centers are of particular interest for detection and response to physical variations such as pressure and strain, or conversely -- as we demonstrate the possibility of herein -- pressure and strain can be utilized to manipulate quantum emitter properties. To investigate how strain can alter the fundamental electron-phonon interaction of quantum defects, we employ the negatively charged silicon vacancy ($\mathrm{V_{Si}^{-}}$) in 4H-SiC as a use-case and study its vibrational structure under applied tensile and compressive uniaxial strain using first-principles calculations. We show that the strain variations of the emission spectrum can be explained by differing responses of bulk-like and quasi-localized vibrational modes. Importantly, the $\mathrm{V_{Si}^{-}}$ defect exhibits a strain-induced enhancement of the Debye-Waller factor under uniaxial tensile strain applied along the $a$-axis of 4H-SiC, thereby improving its performance as a quantum emitter. The strain-dependent changes in the phonon sideband enable distinguishing between compressive and tensile strain, opening up the possibility of magnetic-field-free strain detection using only spin-conserving transitions of solid-state quantum emitters.
Superconductivity on two surfaces
In rhombohedral multilayer graphene, superconductivity emerges from an unusual normal state in which electrons and holes reside on opposite surfaces of the crystal.
Superconductivity from dual-surface carriers in rhombohedral graphene
Two different types of medium-thickness rhombohedral graphene are shown to exhibit multiple superconducting states. These states arise from wavefunctions that are localized mainly on their two outer layers.
Moir\'e enabled spin pumping and preservation in MoSe2/WS2 heterobilayers
The spin degree of freedom is a fundamental quantum mechanical attribute with implications spanning from magnetism to quantum computing. Consequently, the relaxation of spin states for extended, Bloch electrons in solids has been studied for decades as it defines many of their properties and applications. We show that moir\'e patterns in layered materials can extend spin relaxation times by two orders of magnitude to 1 millisecond and beyond. This is achieved by suppressing spin mixing for electrons in 2D semiconductor heterostructures, particularly in the MoSe2/WS2 system, as we elucidate both experimentally and theoretically. The extended longitudinal lifetime facilitates spin alignment over 50% using only nanowatt levels of optical power. Our findings highlight the potential of moir\'e engineering for future quantum sensing and information processing.
Efficient Magnetic Spin-Filtering and Persistent Spin-Currents in Lifshitz-Transitioned Altermagnets: A Route to Open-Orbit Spintronics
Altermagnets offer a unique venue for spin transport due to their vanishing net magnetization and momentum-dependent spin splitting. We demonstrate that a homotopic Lifshitz transition in two-dimensional altermagnets creates a regime where carriers are confined to geometrically protected, spin-selective open channels. These channels originate from non-contractible Fermi contours and act as metallic analogues of topological edge modes: they are sharply directional, spin-pure, and protected by Fermi-surface winding rather than an energy gap or boundary confinement. We predict three striking magneto-transport signatures of such topologically reconfigured altermagnets: open-orbit focusing with perfect lensing and retroreflection, high-efficiency magnetic spin filtering, and chirality-tunable spin persistent currents in altermagnetic nanotubes. Our results establish altermagnets as a platform where Fermi-surface winding directly engineers spin transport, bypassing the requirements for ferromagnetism or strong spin-orbit coupling. These findings identify Lifshitz-transitioned altermagnets as a route to topology-enabled spintronics that transcends the limitations of conventional edge-state paradigms.
Quantum Hall effect in vacancy-engineered $\beta$-Ag$_2$Te
Accessing surface quantum transport in topological insulators is hampered by residual bulk conduction arising from lattice defects. Here, we demonstrate a novel synthesis pathway for realizing high mobility $\beta$-Ag$_2$Te thin films where surface transport is dominant. An \textit{in-situ} vacancy engineering step as part of the molecular beam epitaxy growth process acts to modify the stoichiometry and suppress donor-type defects, enabling continuous tuning of the sheet carrier density over more than an order of magnitude through the charge-neutrality point without an external gate electrode. In the lower-carrier-density films, a fully developed $\nu=1$ quantum Hall state is observed, and Landau-level energies extracted across samples collapse onto the $E_N=v_\mathrm{F}\sqrt{2e\hbar NB}$ relation, providing evidence for the massless Dirac dispersion of the top and bottom surface states. These results establish stoichiometry-driven vacancy engineering as a versatile lithography- and gate-free approach to accessing quantum Hall transport in epitaxial topological-insulator thin films.
Emergence of Macroscopic Quantum Order via Translational Zero Modes
Macroscopic quantum coherence in solids, such as in superfluids, superconductors, and condensates, is generally limited to low temperatures because order forms within a fixed excitation spectrum whose competing states become thermally populated as temperature rises. Here, we show that strong coupling between electronic excitations and a deformable lattice enables a different route. Above a critical density, this coupling nucleates self generated confining potentials that trap the very excitations generating them. Unlike rigid external traps, these potentials can translate through the host lattice without changing their internal structure, defining a translational zero mode. Coupling to this zero mode provides a shared dynamical coordinate that lowers and isolates a single collective many body configuration, opening a density dependent gap that suppresses thermal occupation of competing states and supports off diagonal long range order at elevated temperatures. As a concrete realization, we identify high-temperature superfluorescence in lead halide perovskites as the radiative instability of this zero mode dressed ordered excitonic state. More broadly, this establishes a general route to macroscopic quantum order: not cooling within a fixed spectrum, nor pairing instabilities, but a self generated mobile confining structure whose translational zero mode reconstructs the many-body spectrum to protect coherence.
Quantum String Interactions Revealed by Full Counting Statistics
How quantum strings interact is a basic question for extended objects in quantum many-body physics. Even the simplest hard-core constraint (no crossing), can generate a nontrivial effective potential, whose microscopic form is difficult to determine because the relative distance between the strings is intrinsically nonlocal. Here we show that this nonlocality is naturally captured by full counting statistics (FCS). For two hard-core quantum strings, we derive an analytic FCS expression for the emergent interaction by identifying the virtual process in which the two strings touch and hop back. Using the FCS--entanglement relation, we find the effective potential has the entanglement-controlled asymptotic form $\ln\Delta E(r)\sim -\pi^2 r^2/(12 S_\ell)$ up to subleading terms, where $S_\ell$ is the entanglement entropy between the two halves of a quantum string. We confirm the theory using high-precision numerical calculations and finite-size FCS estimates. Our results reveal FCS as a direct route to effective interactions between quantum topological line-defects, which may also be extended to higher-form charge.
High-density, high-mobility ultrathin spin-polarized two-dimensional electron gas at the polar/polar LaVO$_3$/KTaO$_3$ interface: Insights from first-principles calculations
The emergence of high-mobility two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) at oxide interfaces provides a fertile platform for exploring emergent quantum phenomena and next-generation oxide electronics. Here, using first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we investigate the microscopic origin of the 2DEG formed at the interface between the band insulator KTaO$_3$ (KTO) and the Mott insulator LaVO$_3$ (LVO). Although both constituents are insulating in bulk, the LVO/KTO heterostructure develops robust metallicity at the interface, consistent with experimental observations. Our calculations show that this metallic state originates from an electronic reconstruction driven by the polar discontinuity across the interface. To avoid the polar catastrophe on both the polar LVO film and the polar KTO substrate, electrons are transferred from the outer surfaces toward the interface, leading to hole accumulation in the surface VO$_2$ layer and electron accumulation in the interfacial TaO$_2$ layer. This charge redistribution stabilizes a highly confined and spin-polarized 2DEG localized at the interface. The electronic states forming the 2DEG are predominantly derived from interfacial Ta $5d_{xy}$ orbitals, confining carrier motion to the interfacial plane. Remarkably, the spin-up parabolic band hosting the 2DEG exhibits an exceptionally small effective mass, substantially lower than that of the prototypical LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ interface, indicating the potential for enhanced carrier mobility. Furthermore, the calculated interfacial electron density is nearly an order of magnitude larger than that of LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$, consistent with experiment. These findings identify the LVO/KTO heterostructure as a promising platform for realizing high-density, high-mobility spin-polarized 2DEGs and for engineering correlated oxide interfaces for quantum electronic applications.
Extremely slow scaling of minimal Hamming distance in quantum sampling data
Quantum data can be obtained from a diverse range of sources, including direct measurements from noisy quantum processors, cold-atom simulators, and classical approximations such as variational neural-network states. However, our ability to characterize these systems is fundamentally limited, as the available measurement data is often sparse compared to the exponentially large Hilbert space of the system. To address this, we propose using the average minimal Hamming distance calculated for a set of unique bitstrings as a robust metric revealing a universal power-law behaviour. Through various examples of real experiments and simulations, we show that the power-law parameters reliably capture the complexity of quantum states and identify quantum phase transitions from limited quantum information, without the need for accumulating extensive statistics or explicitly calculating physical observables. This enables the analysis of completely different quantum experiments within a single framework.
Antiferromagnetic Quantum Criticality in Infinite-Layer Cuprates Sr1-xNdxCuO2
The interplay between quantum criticality and Fermi surface reconstruction is central to elucidating the phase diagram of high-temperature cuprate superconductors. While studies on electron-doped T'-structure cuprates suggest an antiferromagnetic origin of this reconstruction, quantitative consensus has been hindered by apical oxygen instabilities and uncontrolled oxygen vacancies. Here, we overcome these limitations by utilizing ozone-assisted molecular beam epitaxy to synthesize high-quality, oxygen-stoichiometric thin films of infinite-layer cuprate Sr1-xNdxCuO2 across its entire superconducting dome. Hall transport measurements reveal a sharp carrier-type transition signaling a Fermi surface reconstruction at a critical doping xc ~ 0.155. We show that a spin-density-wave tight-binding model quantitatively reproduces the transport evolution, supporting an antiferromagnetic origin of this quantum phase transition. Furthermore, upon suppressing superconductivity with magnetic fields, the normal-state resistivity exhibits a pristine strange metal behavior that persists down to 2 K in the vicinity of xc. Our findings establish an intrinsic, universal antiferromagnetic quantum criticality in electron-doped cuprates, positioning the structurally simplest infinite-layer cuprates as a clean benchmark platform for theories of unconventional superconductivity.
Pushing the Classical Frontier of 1D Fermi-Hubbard Quench Dynamics Beyond Current Quantum Simulations
Establishing quantum advantage requires comparison against the best achievable classical simulation. The Q-CTRL team recently simulated quench dynamics of the one-dimensional Fermi-Hubbard model on an IBM processor, completing a $L=60$ evolution to time $t=6$ in under three minutes and claiming a $3000\times$ speedup over classical Time-Dependent Variational Principle (TDVP) simulation at bond dimension $\chi=4096$. Their classical benchmark required over 160 hours on a CPU cluster, failed to converge in the high-entanglement regime $t\in[5.2,6]$, and left the most challenging window of the experiment unverified. Here, we push the boundaries of classical simulation by exploiting the full $\mathrm{U}(1)\times\mathrm{SU}(2)$ symmetry of the Fermi-Hubbard Hamiltonian combined with GPU-accelerated tensor contractions. Reaching bond dimensions up to $\chi\approx62{,}000$ on four NVIDIA H200 GPUs -- among the largest ever achieved in TDVP simulations and fifteen times larger than Q-CTRL's classical baseline -- we achieve fully converged results across the entire simulation window, including rigorous certification of the previously unresolved high-entanglement regime $t\in[5.2,6]$. We further advance the classical frontier to $t=7$, which lies beyond the quantum hardware experiment and any previously verified classical evolution of the full wavefunction. At the bond dimension comparable to Q-CTRL's best classical run, our GPU implementation completes in $\sim\!100$ minutes, directly reducing the claimed $3000\times$ quantum advantage to $\sim\!36\times$. These results substantially narrow the quantum-classical performance gap and establish a new standard for tensor-network benchmarking of large-scale quantum simulations.
Comparing Symmetrized Determinant Neural Quantum States for the Hubbard Model
That author's affiliation: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Institution (first & last author): Collège de France
Accurate simulations of the Hubbard model are crucial to understanding strongly correlated phenomena, where small energy differences between competing orders demand high numerical precision. In this work, Neural Quantum States are used to probe the strongly coupled and underdoped regime of the square-lattice Hubbard model. We systematically compare the Hidden Fermion Determinant State and the Jastrow-Backflow ansatz, parametrized by a Vision Transformer, finding that in practice, their accuracy is similar. We also test different symmetrization strategies, finding that output averaging yields the lowest energies, though it becomes costly for larger system sizes. On cylindrical systems, we consistently observe filled stripes. On the torus, our calculations display features consistent with a doped Mott insulator, including antiferromagnetic correlations and suppressed density fluctuations. Our results demonstrate both the promise and current challenges of neural quantum states for correlated fermions.
Altermagnetism and Superconductivity: A Short Historical Review
This review is organized into three parts. In the first part, we explore the deep interconnections among three seemingly unrelated concepts in condensed matter physics: electronic liquid crystal phases, multipole expansions, and altermagnetism. At the heart of these phenomena lies a shared foundation: spin-momentum locking in the nonrelativistic regime. Originally proposed in the context of electronic liquid crystal phases, nonrelativistic spin-momentum locking was later elegantly incorporated into the formalism of multipole expansions. This framework can be further extended across multiple atomic sites, making it particularly effective for describing altermagnets, which host localized magnetic moments with anisotropic magnetization densities distributed over sublattices. In the second part, we examine superconducting phenomena associated with altermagnetism from three complementary perspectives. First, we investigate superconductivity associated with nonrelativistic spin-momentum locked Fermi surfaces, the unifying theme of the first part, highlighting a rich variety of unconventional superconducting states. These include finite-momentum pairing, $d$-wave and spin-triplet superconductivity, and topological Bogoliubov Fermi surfaces, among others. We then review superconductivity emerging from either static altermagnetic order or altermagnetic fluctuations. Finally, we discuss the possible competition and intertwining between altermagnetic order and superconductivity, illustrated using the repulsive Hubbard model. Additional related topics are addressed in the concluding part. Overall, this work offers both an accessible introduction to the newly identified magnetic order known as altermagnetism and a conceptual guide for researchers aiming to harness the ensuing unconventional superconductivity in the development of future quantum technologies.
Constant-Depth Clifford-Hierarchy Gates via Non-Abelian Surface Codes
We present an entirely 2D constant-depth realization of topologically protected phase gates at any level of the Clifford hierarchy, and beyond, using non-Abelian surface codes. Our construction encodes a logical qubit in the quantum double $D(G)$ of a non-Abelian group $G$ on a triangular spatial patch. The logical gate is implemented by a constant-depth circuit constructed from stacking on the spatial region a symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phase specified by a group 2-cocycle and boundary counter-terms. The Bravyi--K\"onig theorem limits the unitary gates implementable by constant-depth quantum circuits on Pauli stabilizer codes in $D$ dimensions to the $D$-th level of the Clifford hierarchy. We bypass this limitation, by constructing constant-depth unitary gates at arbitrary levels of the Clifford hierarchy purely in 2D, without sacrificing locality or fault tolerance, at the cost of using the quantum double of a non-Abelian group $G$. Specifically, for $G = D_{4N}$, the dihedral group of order $8N$, we realize the phase gate $T^{1/N} = \mathrm{diag}(1, e^{i\pi/(4N)})$ in the logical $\overline{Z}$ basis. In this context, we propose a non-abelian stabilizer group formalism, which we work out for dihedral groups. For $8N = 2^n$, the logical gate lies at the $n$-th level of the Clifford hierarchy and, importantly, has a qubit-only realization: we show that it can be constructed in terms of Clifford-hierarchy stabilizers for a code with $n$ physical qubits on each edge of the lattice. We also discuss code-switching to the double surface-code $D(\mathbb{Z}_2\times\mathbb{Z}_2)$, to complete a universal gate-set in this setup.
Berry-Curvature Activation by Orbital Flux in a Kagome Altermagnet
We investigate topological electronic responses in a kagome altermagnetic metal hosting a compensated coplanar $120^\circ$ magnetic texture. Using a minimal tight-binding model incorporating nearest-neighbor hopping, noncollinear exchange coupling, intrinsic spin--orbit coupling, and an emergent orbital chiral flux, we demonstrate that frustrated kagome altermagnets provide a natural platform for realizing momentum-dependent spin splitting and Berry-curvature engineering without net magnetization. The noncollinear exchange field alone generates pronounced altermagnetic spin splitting and spin-polarized Fermi surfaces despite the absence of relativistic effects. However, for a strictly coplanar magnetic state, the system preserves a hidden antiunitary symmetry $\mathcal{T}C_{2z}$, which enforces identically vanishing Berry curvature even in the presence of sizeable spin--orbit coupling. We show that finite Berry curvature emerges only after introducing an orbital chiral flux term that breaks the hidden symmetry and generates effective momentum-space gauge fields analogous to a Haldane-type orbital flux. Remarkably, this mechanism produces local Berry curvature hot spots even in the complete absence of spin--orbit coupling and scalar spin chirality, establishing a purely orbital route toward topological altermagnetism. By systematically analyzing the anomalous Hall conductivity as a function of exchange coupling, spin--orbit interaction, and chiral flux, we identify a hierarchy of competing energy scales governing the transition from a symmetry-protected altermagnetic metal to a topological altermagnetic phase with strong Hall response. Our results demonstrate that frustrated kagome altermagnets constitute a versatile platform for engineering topological transport, Berry curvature, and spin-selective electronic structure in compensated magnetic systems.
Probing pairing symmetries through quasiparticle interference in chiral Bloch bands
Recent experiments in van der Waals multi-layer systems have demonstrated that superconductivity can emerge from symmetry-reduced, chiral normal states. We here provide a theory for quasiparticle interference (QPI) of superconductors with chiral Bloch bands. Our analysis reveals how the non-trivial quantum geometry of the Bloch states crucially affects the interference pattern even in the normal state, inducing significant sublattice dependence. In the superconducting state, the behavior becomes more complex due to the interplay of the quantum geometry of the Bogoliubov quasiparticles with the momentum-dependent phase of the order parameter. We reveal how the spatial dependence of the local spectral function around impurities can be used to distinguish between different candidate pairing states, both with zero and finite center-of-mass momentum. Our work thus provides guidance to interpreting QPI patterns in materials with chiral bands, which may be useful when probing the rich physics of pairing in such systems.
Individually tunable Si/SiGe quantum dot operating voltages via gate-biased illumination
Semiconductor quantum dot qubits often require very different voltages on each gate to bring them to a correct operating point. Here, we present a method by which one can controllably and repeatably alter the nanoscale trapped charge distribution at an oxide-semiconductor interface. We demonstrate this method on a Si/SiGe quantum dot device, and we find that the operating voltages can be controlled and made much more uniform. The method relies on illumination with near-infrared light in the presence of applied gate voltages, and it enables the tuning of the device operating point on a gate-by-gate basis. We present an explanation of the underlying physics using self-consistent Schr\"odinger-Poisson simulations. As an application of this method, we tune a triple quantum dot to have uniform and small operating voltages in the (1,1,1) charge configuration. Importantly, we show that shifting the operating voltages in this way does not change the measured charge noise.
Quantized orbital and spin Hall transport: interplay between $sp$-hybridization, altermagnetism and spin-orbit coupling
We here explore the emergence of orbital and spin Hall effects, originating beyond the $L$-$S$ coupling, and investigate the interplay between inter-orbit hybridization, relativistic Rashba spin-orbit coupling (SOC), and non-relativistic SOC, namely altermagnetic (AM) order, in a two-dimensional model Hamiltonian. The orbital (spin) Hall responses are remarkably found to be quantized within a window of Fermi energy when the strength of AM order (Rashba SOC) exceeds (falls below) the scale set by $sp$-hybridization. Importantly, orbital and spin Hall quantizations are independent of Rashba SOC and AM order, respectively, while the uniform profiles of finite orbital and vanishingly small spin moments of bands around the Fermi energy. The microscopic origin of such quantization comes from the Fermi surface-activated orbital and spin Berry curvatures. The extent of the quantized regime is strongly controlled by the intra-orbital coupling strength. As the temperature increases, the quantization is significantly compromised in the spin Hall case. We extend our analysis to the orbital and spin Nernst coefficients where the pronounced dip-peak structures signal the existence of the quantization leading to experimental relevance.
Quantum Statistics and Structural Topology Govern Thermal Transport in Two-Dimensional Monolayer Amorphous Carbon
We investigate the quantum thermal conductivity (TC) of two-dimensional monolayer amorphous carbon (MAC). We employ three distinct amorphization algorithms to generate various possible MAC configurations, ranging from Zachariasen-type continuous random networks to nanocrystallites embedded in random networks. The local bond order parameter, q3, is used to quantify the amorphousness of the structures, and TC is computed as functions of q3 and temperature. This framework enables us to assess how structural topology, degree of amorphization, and quantum statistics contribute to heat conduction in a two-dimensional amorphous solid. At room temperature, TC values are predicted to range between 3.5 to 10 W/m/K, in agreement with recent experiments. Analysis of vibrational modes reveals that, while the modes of these 2D amorphous structures fall into the usual categories, namely, propagons, diffusons, and locons, their polarization characteristics display distinct behavior. Owing to the fully quantum mechanical framework, we examine both low- and high-temperature characteristics of this 2D amorphous system. By examining the classical limit, we show that classical treatments substantially overestimate the TC of MAC; namely, the quantum TC is less than half of the classical value at room temperature and up to nearly an order of magnitude lower at low temperatures.
Integer quantum Hall effect
That author's affiliation: Bogolyubov Institute for Theoretical Physics First author institution: Bogolyubov Institute for Theoretical Physics Last author institution: McMaster University
Integer quantum Hall effect, which is the Hall effect quantized into integer times $e^2/h$ ($e$: elementary charge, $h$: Planck's constant) observed first in two-dimensional electron gases in strong magnetic fields, is reviewed from both theoretical and experimental standpoints. Basic physics underlying the phenomenon is explained. Specifically in this new edition we have a fresh look at how the quantum Hall effect is captured in a perspective of topological systems, since, while the quantum Hall effect is historically the first realization of the topological systems, the field has been delved into a much wider realm of physics of topological systems. We also mention diverse advances such as the quantum Hall effect (QHE) in various materials and contexts that include graphene, oxides and narrow-gap semiconductors, a relation with the fractional quantum Hall effect, and the quantum Hall effect as the resistance standard and further roles in the new SI system. We also expound the Floquet topological insulator (a light-matter coupled system) as a new paradigm in nonequilibrium topological systems, where an anomalous quantum Hall effect in zero magnetic field is realized as theoretically predicted to occur in graphene illuminated by a circularly-polarized laser and experimentally verified recently.
Symmetry-Protected Quantum Computing using Metamaterials
We propose a new architecture for practical quantum computing that combines three established principles: symmetry protection of relative-motion qubits via the generalized Kohn theorem, control via twisted-light orbital angular momentum, and metamaterial nanofocusing (e.g. using Weyl-semimetal plasmonics). Crucially, the core mechanism is generic: it applies to any current or future quantum computing system involving parabolic confinement, including cold atoms, ions, and semiconductor dots.
Geometric Instability and Self-Limitation in Driven Quantum Systems
We develop a unified geometric framework for local non-adiabaticity in driven quantum systems. We show that the previously introduced AMT non adiabaticity parameter arises as a special realization of a more general geometric instability criterion governed by the normalized Fubini Study distinguishability speed. The local geometric evolution speed is identified as the physically relevant quantity controlling the onset of non-adiabatic instability. We introduce a universal dimensionless instability parameter measuring the competition between quantum-state evolution speed and spectral-gap protection. This quantity provides a local, gauge-invariant, and basis-independent criterion for arbitrary driven Hamiltonians. Near quantum critical points, the instability parameter diverges through inverse gap amplification, recovering the Kibble Zurek freeze-out condition directly from local geometric data. We prove that monotonic occupation-dependent nonlinear regulators geometrically compress the quantum metric, establishing a self-limitation theorem in which nonlinear spectral deformation confines the accessible region of projective Hilbert space under strong driving. The multimode extension yields a matrix-valued instability criterion that identifies collective instability channels invisible to scalar descriptions. The framework naturally extends to open quantum systems through the Bures metric and quantum Fisher geometry, where thermal mixing and Lindblad decay increase the instability threshold through geometric suppression of state distinguishability. The instability threshold further implies a universal geometric lower bound on coherent control time and quantum gate duration.
Enhanced Spin-to-Charge Conversion in Bi2Se3/NiFe via Interface Engineering with a Ti Spacer Layer
Topological insulators have attracted significant attention in spintronics due to their topological surface states and spin-momentum-locking-driven spin-to-charge conversion. Among these, Bi2Se3 has been extensively investigated because of its large bulk bandgap and single Dirac cone band structure. However, spin-to-charge conversion strongly depends on the quality of the topological insulator/ferromagnet interface. Here, we investigate spin-to-charge conversion in a sputter-deposited heterostructure comprising a topological insulator (Bi2Se3) and a ferromagnetic NiFe thin film separated by a titanium spacer layer. The Bi2Se3 layer is deposited on a silicon substrate for industrial compatibility. Pure spin current is injected into the Bi2Se3 layer through the titanium spacer via spin pumping induced by spin precession during microwave-driven ferromagnetic resonance of the ferromagnetic film. Spin pumping studies are performed by varying the Bi2Se3 thickness. The Gilbert damping parameter exhibits a significant 55% increase at a Bi2Se3 thickness of 4 nm, indicating a pure surface-state contribution. The spin Hall angle, which quantifies the spin-to-charge conversion efficiency, increases by an order of magnitude upon insertion of the titanium spacer layer. This enhancement is attributed to the suppression of interdiffusion between the Bi2Se3 and NiFe layers by titanium, thereby preserving the topological surface states. These findings highlight the important role of titanium spacer layers in spintronic devices based on topological materials.
Smooth velocity shuttling for suppressing valley excitations in disordered Si/SiGe quantum dots
Coherent electron shuttling is a key requirement for realizing scalable silicon quantum computing architectures. However, in silicon qubits, the existence of nearly degenerate conduction-band valleys poses a significant challenge because non-adiabatic transitions to excited valley states cause spin dephasing via spin-valley mixing. In this paper, we propose a smooth velocity shuttling protocol to suppress these valley excitations. By mapping the time-domain design of the shuttling velocity profile onto the design problem of window functions in signal processing, we establish an analytical and intuitive design guideline that does not require computationally expensive numerical optimization. We demonstrate that the high-frequency sidelobes of the shuttling velocity spectrum can be effectively suppressed by applying a frequency-modulated gate voltage based on the Tukey window. Through statistical numerical simulations incorporating realistic spatial randomness of the valley landscape, we show that the proposed smooth velocity control significantly reduces the average spin infidelity in the moderate-to-low disorder regime ($|\Delta_0|/\sigma_\Delta \simeq \mathcal{O}(1)$). Our results underscore that this simple, control-level velocity shaping provides a robust pathway toward high-fidelity spin transport in large-scale silicon quantum processors.
Andreev spin qubits based on the helical edge states of magnetically doped two-dimensional topological insulators
We show that Andreev spin qubits can be realized in a Josephson junction based on the helical edge states of a two-dimensional topological insulator (quantum spin Hall system) proximized by superconducting films, in the presence of magnetic doping. We demonstrate that the electric dipole transitions between the Andreev spin states induced by the magnetic doping can be harnessed to manipulate the Andreev spin qubit by microwave radiation pulses, without applying an external Zeeman field or invoking ancillary states. We numerically simulate the realization of NOT and Hadamard quantum logic gates, and discuss implementations in realistic setups.
Tailoring Germanium Heterostructures for Quantum Devices with Machine Learning
Germanium (Ge) quantum wells are emerging as versatile platforms for quantum devices, supporting high-quality spin qubits and integration with superconducting leads. These applications benefit from strong intrinsic spin-orbit interaction (SOI), enabling efficient electrical control and engineering of spin degrees of freedom. The most advanced Ge/SiGe heterostructures to date, based on compressively strained Ge channels within strain-relaxed silicon-germanium (SiGe) barriers, exhibit weak SOI due to the heavy-hole character of the wave function, posing challenges for spin-based quantum devices and requiring complex device designs for fast qubit manipulation. In this work, we demonstrate that concrete heterostructure modifications can overcome these limitations, enhancing SOI by up to three orders of magnitude. Specifically, we propose to enrich unstrained Ge channels by localized, strained silicon spikes. Leveraging a multi-objective Bayesian optimization, we optimize the spike profile to maximize SOI, while ensuring compatibility with current epitaxial growth processes and robustness against realistic variations of growth parameters. Our heterostructure substantially enhances device performance, yielding up to two orders of magnitude higher quantum-dot spin qubit quality factors than state-of-the-art materials. We also predict GHz-scale spin splittings for hybrid superconducting Andreev spin qubits. These novel Ge heterostructures with engineered Si concentration profiles can open pathways to scalable quantum and spintronic applications.
Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction as a coherence diagnostic for chirality-induced spin selectivity
Whether chirality-induced spin selectivity (CISS) reflects coherent SU(2) spin rotation or incoherent spin-dependent filtering is a central unresolved question in molecular spintronics, with implications ranging from asymmetric chemistry to quantum information. We show that these two scenarios are distinguishable by a sharp symmetry criterion on the superexchange interaction mediated by a chiral molecular bridge. Coherent CISS, implemented as a unitary spin rotation of the tunneling electron, generates a giant Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interaction with ratio |D|/JH up to 3, which is two orders of magnitude beyond intrinsic Rashba spin-orbit coupling in Si/SiGe. Incoherent CISS, represented by any Hermitian (non-unitary but spin-diagonal) tunneling matrix, produces D = 0 identically; we prove this as a structural theorem, reinforced by a Lindblad argument that dissipative spin filtering cannot modify virtual-tunneling-mediated superexchange. The DM interaction thus serves as a coherence order parameter, nonzero only when quantum amplitudes for opposite-spin transmission maintain a fixed relative phase. We derive closed-form angular, enantiomeric, and sensitivity signatures and show that the critical coherent rotation angle lies two orders of magnitude below current transport-inferred values and is accessible to existing 10 kHz exchange spectroscopy in gate-defined quantum dots. Five candidate molecules are predicted to exceed this threshold by one to two orders of magnitude even in a conservative interface-amplification scenario. The proposed measurement converts a long-standing transport controversy into a binary spin-qubit experiment with quantum-amplitude resolution.
Vestigial Nematic Order at Zero Temperature in Two-Dimensional Frustrated Quantum Antiferromagnets
The phase diagram of the two-dimensional quantum $J_1$-$J_3$ Heisenberg antiferromagnet on a square lattice is a long-standing open problem. Despite recent advances in numerical techniques for quantum spin models, a detailed analytical theory is still lacking. We address this problem using a semiclassical approach based on a continuum nonlinear sigma model effective field theory, applying the nonperturbative large-$N$ technique to map out the phase diagram and determine the magnetic correlations. We show that previously-overlooked interactions are crucial for stabilizing a vestigial nematic phase, both at finite and zero temperature. Our results reveal that the spontaneous breaking of global symmetries in the $J_1$-$J_3$ model is controlled by the strength of infrared quantum fluctuations which are enhanced by proximity to the classical Lifshitz point.
Evolution of the intertwining correlated topological phases in iron-based superconductor Fe(Te,Se)
That author's affiliation: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology First author institution: Key Laboratory of Quantum Materials and Devices of Ministry of Education, School of Physics Last author institution: Laboratoire de physique des Solides
Multiple topological electronic phases can coexist within a single quantum material and induce different topological superconducting states, offering deeper insights into interplay of topological superconducting states and Majorana modes, which may also be influenced and modified by correlation effect. Iron-based superconductors, with both topological states and correlation effect, is an ideal platform to study these phenomena. Here, with high resolution angle resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, we directly resolve two distinct intertwining topological states in iron-based superconductor Co-doped Fe(Te,Se), and study their evolution with electron doping. We identify a region where both topological insulator surface states and topological Dirac semimetal states intersect the Fermi level. The topological states are affected by the strong correlation effect and are isolated from trivial bulk states. The evolution between distinct topological phases offers a good opportunity to study various Majorana modes from different superconducting phases according to theoretical analysis. Our findings establish an ideal platform for exploring the interaction between multiple topological superconducting states and the related Majorana modes.
Coherent Exchange and Decoherence in Dirac-Spin-Liquid Quantum Interconnects
We develop a susceptibility-based open-system theory for two localized qubits coupled through a candidate two-dimensional $\mathrm{U}(1)$ Dirac-spin-liquid-like bath. The central input is the gauge-invariant retarded physical spin susceptibility $\Chi^R(q,\omega)$ of the bath. We show that this single response kernel controls both coherent and dissipative qubit dynamics: its real part generates the nonlocal mediated exchange, while its absorptive part determines relaxation and dephasing through the equilibrium noise spectrum. This gives a unified reduced two-qubit description in which the usefulness of the bath as an entanglement bus is governed by the competition between susceptibility-mediated exchange and bath-induced decoherence. As an analytically transparent benchmark, we evaluate the spinon mean-field Dirac susceptibility and recover the static algebraic exchange $J_{\mathrm{eff}}(R)\propto J_{\rm local}^2/(v_F R^3)$, together with pseudogap-suppressed relaxation $\Gamma_1\propto J_{\rm local}^2\omega_0^3/v_F^4$. We then formulate a beyond-mean-field extension in which gauge-field dressing and other interaction effects are absorbed into a dressed physical susceptibility, without changing the reduced qubit-sector mapping. The resulting framework provides a direct route from the many-body spin response of a correlated two-dimensional bath to reduced-dynamics simulations of entanglement generation, coherence loss, and the operational phase space of a candidate Dirac spin-liquid quantum interconnect.
Anisotropic Kitaev Spin Glass in Li$_{2}$Ru$_{x}$Ir$_{1-x}$O$_{3}$
Kitaev iridates have emerged as an important class of spin-orbit-entangled quantum materials in which bond-directional exchange interactions generate strong magnetic frustration and unconventional correlated states. Rather than realizing simple ordered magnets, members of the alpha,beta,gamma-Li2IrO3 family exhibit fragile and highly anisotropic magnetic behavior, including incommensurate counter-rotating order, strong field sensitivity, and pressure-driven electronic reconstruction. These phenomena place the iridates in close proximity to the Kitaev quantum spin liquid (QSL) regime, while simultaneously revealing the importance of competing interactions, lattice distortions, and spin-orbit-assisted hopping processes beyond the ideal Kitaev limit. Understanding how chemical substitution perturbs these competing interactions provides a route toward probing the underlying frustrated magnetic state. Here, we study single crystals of beta-Li2RuxIr1-xO3 with dilute Ru substitution, x<~10%. Through a combination of magnetometry, resonant elastic X-ray scattering, ac-heat capacity, and muon spin relaxation/rotation, we show that weak magnetic disorder continuously suppresses the incommensurate antiferromagnetic ground state without stabilizing an alternative long-range ordered phase. Instead, the system evolves into a bulk static spin glass characterized by slow relaxation, aging behavior, and frozen local magnetic fields. Despite the loss of long-range magnetic order, the glassy state retains substantial directional anisotropy without significant distortion to the honeycomb lattice, suggesting that disorder freezes spins within a still-active bond-directional exchange environment. In this picture, dilute Ru substitution provides a controlled pathway into an anisotropic Kitaev spin glass regime that preserves essential fingerprints of the underlying Kitaev exchange network.
Boosting quantum efficiency by reducing complexity
In the context of energy storage at the nanoscale, exploring the notion of \textit{quantum advantage} implies walking on the thin line at the boundary between quantum mechanics and thermodynamics, which underpins our conventional understanding of battery devices. With no classical analogue, the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model has emerged in the last years as a promising platform to boost charging and storage efficiency thanks to its highly-entangling dynamics. Here, we explore how the robustness of this setup by considering the sparse version of the SYK model, showing that, as long as chaos is not completely broken, reducing its complexity may lead to more efficient quantum batteries.
Process-tensor approach to full counting statistics of charge transport in quantum many-body circuits
We introduce a numerical tensor-network method to compute the statistics of the charge transferred across an interface partitioning an interacting one-dimensional many-body lattice system with $U(1)$ symmetry. Our approach is based on a matrix-product state representation of the process tensor (also known as influence functional or influence matrix) describing the effect of the bulk system on the degrees of freedom at the interface, allowing us to evaluate a multi-time correlation function that yields the moment-generating function of charge transfer. We develop a scheme to truncate non-Markovian correlations which preserves the proper normalization of the process tensor and ensures the correct physical properties of the generating function. We benchmark our approach by simulating magnetization transport within the Heisenberg spin-$1/2$ XXZ brickwork circuit model at infinite temperature. Our results recover the correct transport exponent describing ballistic, superdiffusive, and diffusive transport in different regimes of the model. We also demonstrate anomalous transport encoded by a self-similar scaling form of the moment-generating function outside of the ballistic regime. In particular, we confirm the breakdown of Kardar-Parisi-Zhang universality in higher-order transport cumulants at the isotropic point. Our work paves the way for process-tensor descriptions of non-Markovian open quantum systems to address current fluctuations in strongly interacting systems far from equilibrium.
Identifying quantum resources in encoded computations
That author's affiliation: École Normale Supérieure - PSL Institution (first & last author): École Normale Supérieure - PSL
Identifying quantum resources in encoded computations
Gold keeps glittering courtesy of surface chemistry
Hexagonal patterns on the surface of gold crystals are an unfavourable environment for reactions.
MATBG Josephson diode as an universal thermal machine
Magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene Josephson junctions (MATBG-JJ) with a gate-tunable valley-polarized weak link exhibit an intrinsic Josephson diode effect originating from broken symmetries associated with valley polarization and band-structure anisotropy. Exploiting this nonreciprocal superconducting platform, we construct quantum Stirling (QSC), Otto (QOC), and Carnot (QCC) thermodynamic cycles, where the valley-polarization potential $\Delta_v$ acts as the principal control parameter, in contrast to conventional Josephson thermal machines driven by superconducting phase bias. We systematically compare the performance of MATBG-based Josephson diode thermal machines (MATBG-JDTM) with MATBG-based Josephson junction thermal machines (MATBG-JJTM) and AA-stacked bilayer graphene Josephson junction thermal machines (AABLG-JJTM). Owing to the flat-band-enhanced density of states and electrically tunable nonreciprocal transport in MATBG, both MATBG-JDTM and MATBG-JJTM exhibit significantly enhanced work output and efficiency over a broad operating regime compared to AABLG-JJTM. In particular, the gate-controlled MATBG-JDTM provides a flux-free alternative to conventional phase-driven architectures, mitigating limitations associated with magnetic-flux control and flux-noise effects. Our results establish MATBG Josephson diode platforms as a promising route toward electrically tunable quantum thermal machines and nonreciprocal superconducting caloritronics.
Spin-Hall-Like Magnon Transport in a Synthetic Antiferromagnetic Skyrmion Lattice
We investigate spin-Hall-like magnon edge transport in a synthetic antiferromagnetic skyrmion lattice composed of two antiferromagnetically coupled skyrmion lattice layers with opposite magnetic textures. Based on a relaxed bilayer texture from micromagnetic simulations, we construct the bosonic Bogoliubov-de Gennes Hamiltonian within linear spin-wave theory and calculate the bulk and strip magnon spectrum. We find counterpropagating in-gap edge modes with opposite layer polarization, whose layer-resolved propagation is further confirmed by dynamical micromagnetic simulations. A symmetry analysis shows that the fully coupled system lacks the pseudo-time-reversal symmetry required for a genuine bosonic Z2 topological phase. Thus, the observed edge modes are not Z2-protected helical magnon edge states, but layer-polarized, spin-Hall-like modes originating from the opposite Hall tendencies of the two skyrmion lattice layers. These results establish synthetic antiferromagnetic skyrmion lattices as a platform for spin-Hall-like magnon transport beyond a strict bosonic Z2 classification.
Quantum anomalous Hall effect in chiral semimetals
The quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect is conventionally understood to exist only in Chern insulators, while a recent study has shown that ferromagnetic metals can also host the QAH effect. Between insulators and metals, we demonstrate that QAH can persist even in a chiral semimetal, where conduction and valence bands touch at zero energy. Transport calculations demonstrate that the Hall conductivity of such a system can be quantized in the presence of dephasing. Interestingly, its longitudinal conductivity remains finite and exhibits semimetallic behavior, in contrast to Chern insulators. This unusual transport behavior originates from the quantization of the Berry curvature integral over occupied states and the semimetallic band structure. This chiral semimetal can transition into a Chern insulator, accompanied by the vanishing of longitudinal conductivity and a reduction of the intrinsic length scale of the Hall response. Our results extend the concept of QAH and uncover the semimetallic QAH transport signatures.
Photon correlation microscopy of quantum matter
Light and matter share fundamental statistical properties, yet the experimental probes of quantum optics and many-body physics have largely evolved along separate trajectories. While many-body physics explores emergent collective phenomena, quantum optics has refined the measurement of correlations between individual photons. Here, we introduce photon correlation microscopy (PCM) - which bridges the two domains by leveraging correlations of emitted light to probe the correlations in quantum matter at mesoscopic scales. We demonstrate this approach using a one-dimensional (1D) ensemble of dipolar excitons confined at a lateral monolayer MoSe$_2$-WSe$_2$ heterojunction. We use gate-defined potentials to confine the 1D excitons to a mesoscopic lengthscale to enhance the visibility of matter correlations in the emitted photon field. Power-dependent spectroscopy reveals a transition from a compressible to an incompressible phase, signaled by the simultaneous saturation of the emission intensity and energy blueshift, which is supported by numerical simulations. Through this crossover, photon correlation measurements show a striking evolution from bunching at low densities to antibunching at high densities. This constitutes a many-body blockade of photon emission emerging directly from a number-stabilized state, driven by collective dipolar repulsion. Our results establish PCM as a powerful probe of many-body physics through the lens of quantum optics, extensible to a broad class of correlated electronic phases, while pointing toward a route to generating non-classical light through many-body correlations.
Zero modes of non-abelian Dirac operator in topologically non-trivial band insulator
We show that the local gauge-invariance of the quantum geometric tensor (QGT) defined in the Block-momentum space of a generic $N$-level (sublattice degrees of freedom) band insulator implies the existence of zero modes of non-abelian Dirac operator in such momentum space. Solutions of these zero modes equations in the two-dimensional Brillouin zone torus, in terms of Jacobi Theta function determine the probability amplitudes associated with the $N$-component ground state wave-function under adiabatic approximation in this Hilbert space. These solutions subjected to normalization, defines a complex projective ($CP$) space of $N-1$ dimension ($CP^{N-1}$ space) when one or more degeneracy points exist in the dispersion spectrum of such band-isulator. We show how the non-abelian generalization of the vortexability criterion of Chern bands automatically follows from these zero-mode equations, and also demonstrate their connection with momentum space-version of Lowest landau level algebra. Subsequently we write an Euclidean action from which these zero mode equations follow. We point out that the non-interacting part of different paradigms used to understand fractional Chern insulator(FCI) like phases in a host of two-dimensional material can be understood within this approach. We analyse two effective hamiltonian : lattice Dirac (QZW) model and two-band model for rhombohedral $N$-layer graphene in our propsoed framework and obtain important conclusions.
Full Quantum and Mixed Quantum--Classical Dynamics of Hot Exciton Cooling in Semiconductor Nanocrystals
Hot-exciton relaxation in semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) is often described using perturbative theories, but their accuracy is difficult to assess for realistic exciton--phonon Hamiltonians. Here, we benchmark the perturbative quantum master equation (QME) and several mixed quantum--classical (MQC) methods against fully quantum mechanical dynamics. Using atomistically parameterized models for CdSe core and CdSe/CdS core--shell NCs, we find that bare CdSe exhibits an ultrafast initial decay followed by slower cooling, whereas the core--shell system is dominated by the slower component. Analysis of reduced models shows that the ultrafast component arises from rapid diabatic state mixing driven by thermal fluctuations of low-frequency phonons, rather than from nuclear-assisted energy relaxation. The QME captures the initial fast decay but can fail for the slower relaxation in the diabatic representation, while the mapping approach to surface hopping (MASH) gives the most consistent agreement with both benchmark dynamics and equilibrium populations. These results establish a benchmark for exciton-cooling dynamics in NCs and clarify the physical regimes in which widely used approximate methods are reliable.
Deterministic Electrical Switching in Altermagnets via Surface Antisymmetry Groups
A surface antisymmetry group framework is developed to establish design rules for deterministic electrical switching of the N\'eel vector in a film of a collinear bipartite antiferromagnet. In centrosymmetric altermagnets, where current-induced spin-orbit torques vanish in the bulk, staggered effective fields can nevertheless exist as a macroscopic interfacial response, whose allowed tensor form is determined by the surface antisymmetry point group for the given surface orientation. Separately, the structure of the spin conductivity tensor determines which surface orientations allow transverse spin current generation via the nonrelativistic spin-splitter effect. Taken together, these symmetry-enforced properties establish which surface orientations of $d$-wave altermagnets can serve as deterministically switchable spin current sources in spin-torque heterostructures. Because the design rules are based solely on the surface antisymmetry point group, the symmetry-allowed staggered effective fields are robust against averaging over equilibrium surface roughness.
Inelastic Neutron Scattering of the layered Kitaev ferromagnet Li$_3$Co$_2$SbO$_6$
Cobalt-based quantum magnets forming layered honeycomb arrangements have attracted much attention recently, as they are considered as a potential platform for materials with exotic Kitaev spin exchange. Amongst the discussed candidate materials are Na$_3$Co$_2$SbO$_6$ and Na$_2$Co$_2$TeO$_6$, both possessing a low-temperature ground state with magnetic zigzag ordering, similar to Na$_2$IrO$_3$ and $\alpha$-RuCl$_3$. Here we report inelastic neutron scattering experiments on the quantum magnet Li$_3$Co$_2$SbO$_6$, which features ferromagnetic honeycomb planes with opposite magnetizations in neighboring planes. By comparing with linear spin wave theory, we show that the magnetic properties of Li$_3$Co$_2$SbO$_6$ can be well-modelled by an extended Kitaev--Heisenberg model, establishing it as a Kitaev-ferromagnet, or more specifically, as a Kitaev A-type antiferromagnet. Our analysis is complemented by magnetic field measurements and simulations.
Direction-selective intertwined charge, orbital, and lattice orders under uniaxial strain in hole-doped manganite: La0.75Ca0.25MnO3
The complex interplay of charge, spin, orbital, and lattice degrees of freedom governs emergent phases in quantum materials, making strain a powerful control parameter. Recent advances in free-standing layer techniques have enabled extreme strains of nearly 8%, opening access to novel and often unexpected electronic and magnetic phases. Here, using a density functional theory approach, we investigate the effect of direction-selective uniaxial strain on the prototypical Jahn-Teller system La1-xCaxMnO3 (x = 0.25). We find that different strain directions stabilize qualitatively distinct structural, charge, and orbital responses, rather than merely different strengths of the same phase. In particular, extreme uniaxial strain selectively induces cooperative Jahn-Teller, breathing-like, and site-selective modulations, thereby enabling previously inaccessible intertwined orders in manganites. These results establish direction-selective uniaxial strain as a powerful and selective route for engineering emergent phases in quantum materials.
Cascade of magnetic-field-induced quantum spin states in a spin-1 honeycomb magnet
That author's affiliation: University of Science and Technology of China Institution (first & last author): University of Science and Technology of China
Quantum fluctuations endow spin systems with surprisingly enriched magnetic phase diagrams. In frustrated magnets, strong quantum fluctuations boosted by either geometrical incompatibility or competitive exchange interactions stabilize cascades of unusual phases of matter. Here we reveal the presence of multiple quantum phases in the honeycomb antiferromagnet Na$_{3}$Ni$_{2}$BiO$_{6}$, both inside and beyond its field-induced one-third magnetization plateau. Comprehensive measurements of thermodynamic quantities demonstrate that the one-third plateau comprises at least three distinct spin states with nearly-degenerate net magnetization, separated by first-order transitions that likely involve sequential spin reconfiguration. Upon further increasing the magnetic field, the system evolves across a myriad of peculiar phases before reaching full polarization; these intermediate phases possess copious low-energy excitations, manifested by anomalous upturns of specific heat at ultralow temperatures -- probably hinting at the development of "hidden" ordered ground states. The complex magnetic phase diagram of Na$_{3}$Ni$_{2}$BiO$_{6}$ underlines the preponderant impact of quantum fluctuations on a honeycomb spin lattice with strong exchange frustration.
Topological lattice gauge theory enriched by non-invertible symmetry
We use finite group topological lattice gauge theory, also known as the quantum double model, as a lens to explore a notion of topological order enriched by a non-invertible symmetry. For invertible symmetry enriched topological order, there is an established axiomatisation in terms of a G-crossed braided fusion category. We lay the foundations for a generalisation of this notion. By condensing an arbitrary algebra of charges in a quantum double model, we demonstrate that the category of localised excitations in the resulting theory forms a hypergroup-graded extension of the category of deconfined excitations. For every element in the hypergroup, the associated domain wall acts in a typically non-invertible way on these localised excitations. Both this action and the monoidal structure are compatible with the hypergroup grading. The actual categorical action is encoded in a Hopf monad on the category of localised excitations, and gauging the non-invertible symmetry amounts to computing the category of modules over this Hopf monad. Finally, we outline how this framework naturally extends to theories obtained by condensing algebras in a generic string-net model.
Odd spin symmetry and anisotropy switching in p-wave magnet CeNiAsO
Odd-parity magnets, complementary to altermagnets, exhibit unique properties such as high efficiency in charge-spin conversion and compatibility with conventional superconductivity, of critical importance in the pursuit of energy-efficient spintronics and topological superconductors for quantum computation. For even-parity d-wave and g-wave altermagnets, the magnetic structure, spin-split band structure and physical properties are currently under intensive study. On the contrary, while hundreds of odd-parity magnets and the promising properties have been predicted in theory, experimental studies are scarce. Specifically, the magnetic structure and transport properties of candidates NiI2 and Ga3Ru4Al12 have been reported, yet the characteristic band structure and particularly the odd-parity spin symmetry remain elusive. Here we demonstrate experimentally the deterministic p-wave spin symmetry and resistance anisotropy switching for the prototype odd-parity magnet, CeNiAsO. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) reveals two cleaved terminations with distinct surface band structure. By compensating the polar surface, we achieve intrinsic bulk band structure, for which the spin splitting can be well described by the p-wave magnetic structure through first-principles calculation. The bulk spin polarization measured by spin-resolved ARPES exhibits symmetry with only one degenerate plane, fingerprint of p-wave magnetism. We further demonstrate giant resistance anisotropy and switching between high-resistance and low-resistance states through modest field-induced domain selection, highlighting its potential for antiferromagnetic spin memory devices. The structural similarity between CeNiAsO and 1111-type Fe-based superconductors stimulates further exploration on the interplay between p-wave magnetism, superconductivity and band topology.
Thermodynamic-limit dispersion relations on trapped-ion quantum hardware
We run a numerical linked-cluster expansion with a quantum algorithm (NLCE+QA), computing ground-state energies and one quasi-particle dispersions in the thermodynamic limit using a 20-qubit trapped-ion quantum processing unit (QPU). The NLCE+QA framework extracts thermodynamic-limit properties from small-cluster calculations, making it naturally suited for near-term quantum devices. Projector-based block-diagonalization schemes such as projective cluster-additive transformation (PCAT) are essential to NLCE+QA, and they involve matrix inversion and square root operations that amplify measurement noise. A central question is therefore whether current hardware can provide expectation values that are accurate enough to withstand non-linear classical post-processing. We explore this challenge for the transverse-field Ising model (TFIM) in one dimension, on a ladder geometry, as well as in a longitudinal field in one dimension. For the quantum algorithm, we consider adiabatic state preparation (ASP), as well as a variational quantum eigensolver (VQE) trained on a classical device. The final expectation values are obtained from the QPU, using a novel alternative to the Hadamard test that we name the CX-test. We explore the regimes currently attainable on quantum devices and comment on the improvements needed for quantum computers to achieve results beyond classical reach.
Disorder-induced proximate quantum spin ice phase in Pr2Sn2O7
Magnetic pyrochlores with non-Kramers rare-earth ions provide a platform for exploring emergent gauge physics and quantum spin-ice behavior, yet the influence of structural disorder on their ground states remains insufficiently understood. Here we combine bulk characterization and single-crystal neutron-scattering measurements to investigate the non-Kramers pyrochlore Pr2Sn2O7. At temperatures below ~1 K, the system exhibits key hallmarks of quantum spin-ice physics, including anisotropic spin-ice correlations and two distinct dynamical timescales. Upon further cooling, however, we observe a complete spin-freezing transition at T_f ~ 0.15 K, accompanied by recovery of the full nuclear Schottky anomaly, the emergence of a gapped magnetic excitation, and the development of incipient (100) magnetic correlations. Comparison with related Pr-based pyrochlores places Pr2Sn2O7 near the spin-frozen boundary of a disorder-perturbed phase diagram. These results establish a disorder-driven framework for how quantum spin-ice behavior evolves into frozen ground states, demonstrating that proximity to a quantum spin liquid can coexist with disorder-induced spin freezing in non-Kramers pyrochlores.
Quantum Cellular Automata on Symmetric Subalgebras
We investigate quantum cellular automata (QCA) on one-dimensional spin systems defined over a subalgebra of the full local operator algebra - the symmetric subalgebra under a finite Abelian group symmetry $G$. For systems where each site carries a regular representation of $G$, we establish a complete classification of such subalgebra QCAs based on two topological invariants: (1) a surjective homomorphism from the group of subalgebra QCAs to the group of anyon permutation symmetries in a $(2+1)d$ $G$ gauge theory; and (2) a generalization of the Gross-Nesme-Vogts-Werner (GNVW) index that characterizes the flow of the symmetric subalgebra. Specifically, two subalgebra QCAs correspond to the same anyon permutation and share the same index if and only if they differ by a finite-depth unitary circuit composed of $G$-symmetric local gates. We also identify a set of operations that generate all subalgebra QCAs through finite compositions. As an example, we examine the Kramers-Wannier duality on a $\mathbb{Z}_2$ symmetric subalgebra, demonstrating that it maps to the $e$-$m$ permutation in the two-dimensional toric code and has an irrational index of $\sqrt{2}$. Therefore, it cannot be extended to a QCA over the full local operator algebra and mixes nontrivially with lattice translations.
Atomic-Scale Observation of Symmetry Breaking in Altermagnetic MnTe
The recent discovery of altermagnetism has sparked growing interest in compensated magnetic systems as promising platforms for highly scalable spintronics. Altermagnetism is a distinct magnetic order where opposite spin sublattices are connected by rotation, yielding zero net magnetization but momentum-dependent spin splitting. To date, experimental verification of altermagnetic order has been achieved predominantly through bulk-sensitive techniques, including spin-dependent electronic spectra and transport responses. However, direct atomic-scale evidence that explicitly correlates crystal symmetry, local structural distortions, and magnetic ordering has remained unexplored. Here, we report the direct atomic-scale observation of coexisting polar distortions and altermagnetic order in MnTe, combining atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) imaging with electron magnetic chiral dichroism (EMCD) measurements. We reveal that MnTe is not an ideal uniform P63/mmc g-wave altermagnet at the atomic scale. Instead, it hosts ubiquitous inversion-symmetry-breaking distortions that lower the spin-space-group (SSG) symmetry, admits d-wave altermagnetic components, and in lower-symmetry regimes, even allow s-wave spin splitting (net magnetization). The coexistence of ferroelectric signatures and altermagnetic order establishes local lattice symmetry in MnTe as a control knob for altermagnetic spin splitting, spin current generation, and multiferroic memory applications.
Quantum Printing: Laguerre-Gaussian Beam Induced Topological Magnetic Textures
Structured light has become a practical tool for controlling matter by applying tailored, space- and time-dependent electromagnetic fields. We show that Laguerre-Gaussian pulses imprint non-collinear magnetic textures via the spatial structure of optical magnetic field. Our route offers a direct spatial selectivity determined by the optical features without relying on material anisotropic interactions. The proposed printing approach does not require interfacial anisotropy or bulk chirality, current-driven torques, or thermal quenching. We use micromagnetic simulations to demonstrate the potential to create topological charge density emerging during the pulse and reveal control through the optical topological properties and polarization. These results suggest structured-light quantum printing as a viable approach for magnonics and motivate studies toward reconfigurable topological textures enabled by ultrafast THz optics and non-thermal control.
Tuning quantum tunneling in WSe$_2$ via strain engineering
We present a comprehensive theoretical study of strain-engineered quantum transport in monolayer tungsten diselenide (WSe$_2$) in the presence of an electrostatic scalar potential. By incorporating strain effects within a low-energy Dirac framework, we analyze their impact on spin- and valley-resolved transmission, conductance, and polarization. The applied potential barrier partitions the system into three distinct regions, allowing for an analytical derivation of the wave functions in each domain. Enforcing continuity conditions at the interfaces yields exact expressions for the transmission and reflection amplitudes. The transmission probability is evaluated from the corresponding current densities, while the conductance is obtained using the Landauer-B\"uttiker formalism, enabling a quantitative determination of spin and valley polarizations. Our numerical analysis reveals that strain acts as a powerful tuning parameter that reshapes the electronic dispersion and strongly modifies transport characteristics. In particular, the transmission and conductance exhibit pronounced oscillatory behavior driven by quantum interference and resonant tunneling mechanisms. More importantly, both spin and valley polarizations display substantial and highly controllable variations as functions of strain, barrier height, and incident energy. These results demonstrate that strain and electrostatic engineering provide an efficient and versatile platform for manipulating spin-valley degrees of freedom in WSe$_2$. The ability to tailor polarization and interference effects suggests promising opportunities for the design of next-generation spintronic, valleytronic, and optoelectronic devices based on two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides.
Non-magnetic spin splitting driven by spin-valley-layer coupling in multilayer WSe2
Transition metal dichalcogenides provide a platform for exploring spin-valley physics, offering a promising approach to electric-field-driven spin control for low-power spintronic and quantum devices. Here, we demonstrate electric-field-induced spin splitting in the Q and Q' valleys of multilayer n-type WSe2 using quantum-point-contact spectroscopy. Systematic modulations in four distinct conductance quantization steps, providing direct evidence of spin-valley-layer coupling-driven spin-resolved density of states, are achieved by tuning the out-of-plane gate voltage. Notably, the electric-field-induced spin splitting significantly dominate the magnetic-field-induced valley-Zeeman effect (i.e., ~7 meV for a displacement field change of ~0.08 V/nm vs. ~2 meV for a magnetic field of B = 9 T), demonstrating a powerful, non-magnetic manipulation of spin states. This ability to manipulate spin states by gate voltage is crucial for advancing next-generation low-power spintronic and quantum information technologies.
Time reversal reserved spin valve and spin transistor based on unconventional $p$-wave magnets
The anisotropic spin splitting in unconventional magnets opens new opportunities for realizing spintronic functionalities without relying on net magnetization or relativistic spin-orbit coupling. Here, we propose a spin valve and a spin transistor based on unconventional $p$-wave magnets (UPMs). The spin valve is realized in a junction where a normal metal is sandwiched between two UPMs whose exchange-field strength vectors are oriented transverse to the junction direction. The conductance of such a device is governed by the spin alignment between two UPMs: when their strength vectors are parallel, the spin-state alignment enables efficient electron transmission, leading to a high-conductance state; in contrast, the antiparallel configuration suppresses the conductance owing to the opposite spin orientations. Furthermore, the spin-valve can be extended to a spin transistor by replacing the central normal metal with another UPM with a longitudinally oriented strength vector and a perpendicular spin polarization axis. The central UPM enables uniform spin precession with the same precession frequency for all transverse modes. Both devices can be electrically controlled by modulating the strength vectors of UPMs. These findings establish UPMs as a promising platform for developing spintronic devices without net magnetization or relativistic spin-orbit coupling.
Breakdown of Topological Inheritance and Twist-Induced Quantum Geometry Reconfiguration in Moir\'e Flat Bands
Since the inception of moir\'e quantum matter, a foundational tenet of the field has been that the quantum geometry of emergent flat bands is faithfully inherited from the low-energy valleys of the constituent monolayers. Here, we demonstrate a breakdown of this longstanding tenet in twisted bilayers of loop-current-ordered kagome lattices (tb-LCK). Using microscopic tight-binding modeling, we reveal a twist-induced reconfiguration of quantum geometry where realistic interlayer hybridization quenches topological inheritance from the monolayer. By tuning the loop-current phase, we identify distinct regimes in which the monolayer Berry curvature is either substantially redistributed or entirely suppressed in the moir\'e flat bands. We further show that this quantum geometric collapse is expected to be readily accessible in vanadium-based kagome metals such as AV$_{\text{3}}$Sb$_{\text{5}}$, and that Floquet engineering via waveguide laser illumination offers a practical route to turn topological inheritance on and off. Our findings uncover a universal mechanism for quantum geometric reconstruction, establishing interlayer coupling strength as an independent parameter for tuning band topology beyond the weakly coupled van der Waals heterostructure paradigm.
Quantum jumps in open cavity optomechanics and Liouvillian versus Hamiltonian exceptional points
Exceptional points, where two or more eigenstates of a non-Hermitian system coalesce, are now of interest across many fields of physics, from the perspective of open-system dynamics, sensing, nonreciprocal transport, and topological phase transitions. In this work, we investigate exceptional points in cavity optomechanics, a platform of interest to diverse communities working on gravitational-wave detection, macroscopic quantum mechanics, quantum transduction, etc. Specifically, we clarify the role of quantum jumps in making a clear distinction between Liouvillian and Hamiltonian exceptional points in optomechanical systems. While the Liouvillian exceptional point arises from the unconditional Lindblad dynamics and is independent of the phonon-bath temperature, the Hamiltonian exceptional point emerges from the conditional no-jump evolution and acquires a thermal shift due to an enhanced conditional damping. Employing the thermofield formalism, we derive a unified spectral framework that interpolates between these regimes via an analytical hybrid-Liouvillian description. Remarkably, in the weak-quantum-jump regime, the exceptional point is perturbed only at the second order, highlighting the robustness of the Hamiltonian exceptional point under small hybrid perturbations. Our work reveals a continuous family of hybrid exceptional points, clarifies the operational and physical differences between the conditional and unconditional dissipative dynamics in optomechanical systems, and provides a probe for thermal baths.
Robust spin-squeezing with random interaction graphs: the lesson from universality
We establish the conditions under which scalable spin squeezing can be achieved in interacting spin ensembles embedded in arbitrary, inhomogeneous graph geometries. We identify two different forms of squeezing: OAT-like scalable squeezing is governed solely by the universal properties of the interaction graph and is controlled by its spectral dimension. In critical squeezing, on the other hand, the value of the spectral dimension only furnishes the necessary condition for scalable metrological gain, while the sufficient condition requires the model to lie below the symmetry breaking transition. Therefore, in systems with random interaction graphs, the scaling of the spin-squeezing critical point emerges from a nontrivial interplay between xy-ferromagnetic universality and percolation universality. We apply this general theoretical framework to several experimental scenarios and discuss sharp and experimentally relevant conditions for achieving robust metrological gain on generic inhomogeneous structures, giving a unifying perspective for designing scalable quantum sensors across diverse quantum simulation platforms.
Dynamical susceptibility and quantum Fisher information in the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model with Hatsugai-Kohmoto interactions
We investigate the dynamical spin and charge susceptibilities and the associated quantum Fisher information in a class of interacting lattice models, with a primary focus on the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model in the presence of Hatsugai-Kohmoto interactions. To provide a rigorous analytical benchmark, we contrast the response properties of the SSH-HK system with those of the single-band Hubbard and SSH-Hubbard models, treated within the random-phase approximation. While standard Hubbard-type interactions typically suppress excitation strength, we demonstrate that the SSH-HK model displays qualitatively distinct physical behavior arising from the interplay between SSH dimerization and the momentum-diagonal nature of the HK interaction. Leveraging the exact solvability of the HK term, we derive closed-form expressions for the dynamical susceptibility, revealing unique filling-controlled characteristics such as a finite response at zero wave vector and a pronounced restructuring of spectral weight across integer and fractional filling sectors. We show that the quantum Fisher information, defined as the frequency integral of the imaginary part of the susceptibility, serves as an efficient probe of these filling sectors, exhibiting distinct piecewise behavior that distinguishes integer from fractional fillings. Notably, our results indicate that the quantum Fisher information remains insensitive to topological transitions within uniform-density regimes, highlighting the limitations of standard dynamical response functions in characterizing band topology. These findings establish the SSH-HK model as a powerful analytical platform for exploring the competition between topology and strong correlations, demonstrating how dynamical susceptibilities and the quantum Fisher information provide complementary, experimentally accessible probes of many-body physics.
On the Relation Between String Order Parameters, Entanglement, and Dynamical Quantum Phase Transitions in Topological Dynamics
That author's affiliation: Maria Curie-Skłodowska University First author institution: Raja Rammohun Roy Mahavidyalaya Last author institution: Maria Curie-Skłodowska University
Topological order is defined by topological invariants, rather than symmetries and local order parameters. Nonetheless some topological phases can be characterized by string order parameters and entanglement. In this article we study how string order parameters and entanglement spectra behave out-of-equilibrium following quenches in one dimensional topological models with $\mathbb{Z}$ invariants. Previously it has been suggested that string order parameters could serve as an experimental probe of dynamical quantum phase transitions. Despite the existence of clear zeroes in the order parameters at critical times, we show that in general there is no exact quantitative or qualitative connection with the critical times of dynamical quantum phase transitions. Another possible connection is of dynamical string order parameter zeroes and dynamical crossings at the center of entanglement spectra. Here we see that there can sometimes be a connection, but it is not typical. Again there is no general quantitative or qualitative connection. Each dynamical form of criticality behaves independently, though we do see that critical times tend to be of the same order of magnitude and give an argument for why this is the case. We also find that a string order parameter which labels one topological phase can undergo non-trivial dynamics even following a quench between \emph{other} topological phases. We elucidate where connections can be made, and where they result from a consideration of insufficiently general models. These results cast doubt on the idea of genuine dynamical phases following quenches in such models.
Native topological readout on qubit hardware: a Fibonacci-chain benchmark of measurement-compilation trade-offs
Recent demonstrations of non-Abelian braiding of graph vertices on noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) superconducting processor, and the experimental realization of topological order in general on various quantum hardware platforms necessitate an important question: when does a native (topological) fusion readout genuinely help for topological anyonic Hamiltonians implemented on NISQ hardware? We use the Fibonacci anyons chain as a concrete model for understanding the trade-off between measurement cost and compilation cost in that setting. The comparison is made against a simple grouped-Pauli baseline, and is scored by a covariance-aware mean-squared-error (MSE) of the full energy estimator. We based our benchmark on two different important classes of quantum circuits, namely Floquet time-evolved and variational quantum eigensolver quantum circuits, with the underlying Hamiltonian consisting of both braiding and fusion interaction. Our analysis found that there is not a uniform best method across both problems: the fusion readout method performed better on Floquet-type circuits on both the MSE and covariance-aware sampling variance, while the grouped Pauli method performed better on VQE on the MSE but worse on sampling variance. We derive scaling laws, and compute shot-budget crossover points, where one method is operationally favored above the other. The relevance of this work extends beyond Fibonacci chains to two-dimensional topological models compiled on superconducting and other qubit-native platforms, and can be used as a guide in answering the question of when one should measure in the native operator basis of the target physics, or when it is better to fall back on Pauli-basis reconstruction.
Raman Circular Dichroism and Quantum Geometry of Chiral Quantum Spin Liquids
We show that the quantum geometry of fractionalized spin excitations in Mott-insulating quantum spin liquids (QSL) gives rise to a finite Raman circular dichroism (RCD) signal. We demonstrate the equivalence between the Loudon-Fleury framework and the light-matter coupling approach for effective spinon bands. Using the latter, we derive an analytical decomposition of the RCD into different contributions of the quantum geometry. This reveals the sensitivity of the RCD to the underlying structure of the wave functions and the handedness of the excitations, rather than a nonzero Chern number of spinon excitations. To illustrate this, we apply our approach to two examples, the Kitaev honeycomb model in a magnetic field and a chiral $U(1)$ QSL on the triangular lattice, and discuss its experimental relevance for candidate materials.
A sine-square deformation approach to quantum critical points in one-dimensional systems
We propose a method to determine the quantum phase boundaries of one-dimensional systems using sine-square deformation (SSD). Based on the proposition, supported by several exactly solved cases though not proven in full generality, that "if a one-dimensional system is gapless, then the expectation value of any local observable in the ground state of the Hamiltonian with SSD exhibits translational symmetry in the thermodynamic limit," we determine the quantum critical point as the location where a local observable becomes site-independent, identified through finite-size scaling analysis. As case studies, we consider two models: the antiferromagnetic Ising chain in mixed transverse and longitudinal magnetic fields with nearest-neighbor and long-range interactions. We calculate the ground state of these Hamiltonians with SSD using the density-matrix renormalization-group algorithm and evaluate the local transverse magnetization. For the nearest-neighbor model, we show that the quantum critical point can be accurately estimated by our procedure with systems of up to 84 sites, or even smaller, in good agreement with results from the literature. For the long-range model, we find that the phase boundary between the antiferromagnetic and paramagnetic phases is slightly shifted relative to the nearest-neighbor case, leading to a reduced region of antiferromagnetic order. Moreover, we propose an experimental procedure to implement the antiferromagnetic $J_1$-$J_2$ Ising couplings with SSD using Rydberg atom arrays in optical tweezers, which can be achieved within a very good approximation. Because multiple independent scaling conditions naturally emerge, our approach enables precise determination of quantum critical points and possibly even the extraction of additional critical phenomena, such as critical exponents, from relatively small system sizes.
Emergent Spin Supersolids in Frustrated Quantum Materials
Recent years have witnessed the emergence of spin supersolids in frustrated quantum magnets, establishing a material-based platform for supersolidity beyond its original context in solid helium. A spin supersolid is characterized by the coexistence of longitudinal spin order that breaks lattice translational symmetry and transverse spin order associated with the spontaneous breaking of the spin U(1) symmetry. Extensive experimental investigations, together with advanced numerical studies, have now revealed a coherent and internally consistent picture of these phases, substantially deepening our understanding of supersolidity in quantum magnetic materials. Beyond their fundamental interest as exotic quantum states, potential applications in highly efficient demagnetization cooling have been supported by a giant magnetocaloric effect observed in candidate materials. Moreover, the possible dissipationless spin supercurrents could open promising perspectives for spin transport and spintronic applications. This review summarizes recent progress on emergent spin supersolids in frustrated triangular-lattice quantum antiferromagnets, surveys experimental evidence from thermodynamic and spectroscopic measurements, and compares these results with theoretical studies of minimal models addressing global phase diagrams, ground state properties, and collective excitations. In addition, this review discusses characteristic spin-transport phenomena and outlines future directions for exploring spin supersolids as functional quantum materials.
Emergent relativistic symmetry from interacting fermions on the honeycomb bilayer
We study the phase diagram of interacting spinless fermions on the honeycomb bilayer at charge neutrality using large-scale quantum Monte Carlo simulations. In the noninteracting limit, the low-energy spectrum features quadratically dispersing bands that touch at the corners of the hexagonal Brillouin zone. Weak to intermediate interactions induce a splitting of each of the quadratic band touching points into four Dirac points, located along high-symmetry directions of the reciprocal lattice. Strong interactions lead to the formation of a layer-polarized charge density wave, which spontaneously breaks the $\mathbb Z_2$ layer inversion symmetry and opens an insulating gap in the spectrum. We show that the semimetal-to-insulator quantum phase transition as a function of interaction is continuous and characterized by emergent relativistic symmetry. Our results for the values of the correlation-length exponent $\nu$, the order-parameter anomalous dimension $\eta_\phi$, and the fermion anomalous dimension $\eta_\psi$ agree with those of the theoretically predicted 2+1D Gross-Neveu-Ising universality class with eight two-component Dirac fermions within less than 5\%\ deviation. We also determine the crossover scale as a function of interaction strength between the nonrelativistic semimetal state at high temperatures, characterized by dynamical critical exponent $z = 2$, and the Dirac semimetal state at intermediates temperatures, characterized by $z=1$. Further reducing the temperature below the crossover scale at a fixed value of the interaction strength above the quantum critical point results in a classical ordering transition in the 2D Ising universality class.
Colossal Type-II Multiferroic Polarization Driven by Collinear Spin Orders
Achieving strong magnetoelectric coupling (MEC) together with large ferroelectric polarization remains a central challenge in type-II multiferroics. In conventional spin-driven multiferroics, the induced polarization is usually mediated by spin-orbit coupling (SOC) or spin-lattice coupling (SLC). Since many representative systems are based on 3d transition-metal ions, where SOC is relatively weak and SLC-induced lattice distortions are often limited, their polarizations are typically much smaller than those of proper ferroelectrics. Moreover, electric polarizations in type-II multiferroics are generally induced by spiral spin orders stabilized by competing magnetic interactions, which often leads to relatively low magnetic transition temperatures. In this Letter, using spin-group symmetry, we propose an SOC- and SLC-independent route to MEC in collinear 3d magnetic systems. We show that, even for a noncentrosymmetric lattice structure, different collinear magnetic configurations can either forbid or allow electric polarization, indicating direct magnetic control of polarization and hence strong MEC. The first-principles calculations excluding SOC on monolayer 2H-VS2 support this picture: a collinear stripy antiferromagnetic order induces an in-plane ferroelectric polarization up to 25.00 {\mu}C/cm2, about two orders of magnitude larger than that of typical type-II multiferroics. Furthermore, our microscopic model suggests that the induced polarization originates from SOC-independent p-d hybridization governed by electronic hopping. Our results suggest a possible route toward type-II multiferroics combining strong MEC with large electronic polarization in collinear 3d magnetic systems.
Effects of Band Symmetry on Spin-Dependent Transport in Noncollinear Antiferromagnetic Tunnel Junctions
Antiferromagnetic tunnel junctions (AFMTJs) can exhibit large tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR), making them promising candidates for ultrafast and field-robust spintronic devices. Here, we elucidate the role of band symmetry in governing spin-dependent transport in AFMTJs. Using first-principles density-functional theory combined with quantum-transport calculations, we investigate Mn3NiN/LaAlO3/Mn3NiN (001) junctions based on the noncollinear $\Gamma_{4g}$ antiferromagnetic phase of Mn3NiN. Although Mn3NiN exhibits a large momentum-dependent spin polarization due to broken $PT$ symmetry, we show that the tunneling conductance is critically controlled by band symmetry of the electrode Bloch states and their symmetry-selective coupling to evanescent states in the LaAlO3 barrier. Orbital-symmetry selection rules suppress interband transmission in the parallel configuration, whereas the antiparallel configuration enables symmetry-compatible interband tunneling along the diagonal directions of the two-dimensional Brillouin zone. These additional transmission channels enhance the antiparallel conductance and reduce the TMR relative to predictions based solely on spin polarization. Nevertheless, the TMR remains exceptionally large, exceeding 2000%, while band symmetry controls the attainable magnitude of TMR in AFMTJs. Our results establish band-symmetry filtering as an essential ingredient of spin-dependent tunneling in AFMTJs.
Electrically Controllable Flat Band in Two-Dimensional Electron Gases under Nonuniform Magnetic Fields
Flat bands underlie a diverse range of quantum phenomena, from strongly correlated phases to superconductivity. We theoretically establish that a two-dimensional electron gas under a linear magnetic-field gradient and a transverse electric field exhibits electrically tunable flat bands. At specific field values, these bands become strictly dispersionless. By providing exact classical and quantum solutions, we demonstrate that these states are high-order Landau levels associated with drift-compensated cyclotron orbits of carriers arising from the synergy between the magnetic-field gradient and the electric field. These electrically controllable Landau levels exhibit quantized Hall conductance and a strongly enhanced density of states. Our results provide a new route for flat-band creation, magnetoelectric band engineering, and quantized Hall currents controlled via source-drain voltage.
Emergence of Triplet Superconductivity from Cavity Vacuum Fluctuations
Engineering quantum materials with cavity fields has emerged as a powerful route to manipulate phases of quantum matter in solids. Here we demonstrate that cavity vacuum fluctuations alone can drive the emergence of triplet superconductivity in an otherwise singlet superconductor. The vacuum field renormalizes the electronic band structure in a polarization dependent manner, reshaping the Fermi surface and altering the competition among symmetry allowed pairing channels. As a result, multiple superconducting phases arise from the cavity vacuum fluctuations. Above a critical light matter coupling, the leading instability switches from singlet to triplet pairing, yielding a superconducting state absent in the bare material. This vacuum induced symmetry transition produces distinct modifications of the gap structure and low energy quasiparticle spectrum. Our results establish cavity vacuum engineering as a mechanism for generating unconventional superconducting phases and stabilizing triplet states of potential relevance for topological superconductivity.
Quasinormal mode quantization of bound and propagating photons in complex lightguiding nanostructures for integrated devices
Open optical or plasmonic resonators are placed on and connected through surfaces or via waveguides, forming complex lightguiding nanostructures, e.g. for integrated photonic quantum devices. We derive general boundary conditions for quasinormal modes that account for the structure's specific geometry. We then present a general quantization scheme for multiple, interacting quasinormal-mode cavities coupled to quantum emitters and to a non-bosonic bath of propagating photons on waveguides or a surface. We derive a system-bath Hamiltonian with rigorously defined coupling elements that can be computed using Maxwell solvers, including light-matter coupling between the electromagnetic field and quantum emitters. We define system-bath correlation functions for an effective, bath-mediated, and time-delayed interaction between the quasinormal modes and quantum emitters, which is a main ingredient commonly used to simulate open quantum system dynamics.
Topologically Driven Giant Effective Spin Mixing Conductance in Antiferromagnetic FeSn/Py Heterostructures
The topological semimetal FeSn antiferromagnet, characterized by its kagome lattice, two-dimensional flat bands, and Dirac-like surface states, holds immense promise for spintronic applications. In this work, for the first time, we investigate the spin pumping behavior in epitaxial-FeSn/Py (Ni$_{80}$Fe$_{20}$) heterostructures. We report a giant effective spin mixing conductance (g$^{\uparrow \downarrow}_{\mathrm{eff}}$) of $(116\pm 7)$~nm$^{-2}$, which is nearly one order of magnitude higher than that of standard Pt/Py heterostructures. The insertion of a 3 nm Al spacer layer results in a two-fold reduction in the effective damping, confirming the interfacial origin of the large g$^{\uparrow\downarrow}_{\mathrm{eff}}$. Consistently, we observe an order-of-magnitude higher inverse spin Hall effect voltage in the FeSn/Py system compared to a reference Pt/Py film stack. We attribute the giant g$^{\uparrow\downarrow}_{\mathrm{eff}}$ to the direct interfacing of the Py layer with the topologically active [001]-kagome surface of epitaxial-FeSn. These findings establish the critical role of topologically active interfaces for advanced quantum-material-based spintronic devices.
Quantum-metric Bloch oscillations in weakly inhomogeneous electric fields
Geometric analogs of Bloch oscillations studied so far have relied on Berry curvature. We show that a weakly inhomogeneous electric field adds a distinct quantum-metric term to semiclassical wavepacket dynamics, generating an oscillatory real-space contribution even when the Berry curvature vanishes. The associated transport response comprises an intrinsic and a scattering-time-dependent part. In the regime studied, the latter can dominate and approach finite saturation at high field when the relative field inhomogeneity is held fixed. A tilted Dirac model illustrates the mechanism. Realistic platforms will likely require synthetically engineered superlattices, with a finite quantum metric and an adequate band gap.
Topological semimetals: surface transport and spin effects
That author's affiliation: Osipyan Institute of Solid State Physics RAS Institution (first & last author): Osipyan Institute of Solid State Physics RAS
For the solid state physics, recent interest to topological systems is mostly connected with topological semimetals, in particular, to Weyl ones as the most representative semimetal type. Like other topological materials, e.g. topological and Chern insulators, topological semimetals acquire topologically protected surface states with linear dispersion. In contrast to helical surface states in topological insulators, the surface states are chiral for Weyl semimetals, similarly to Chern insulators, which allows to consider Weyl semimetals as the three-dimensional analog of the quantum Hall effect regime. Weyl semimetals are also interesting for spin-dependent effects, due to the spin-momentum locking in the topological surface states. For topological semimetals, the main problem of transport investigations is to reveal the surface states contribution in the material with gapless bulk spectrum. Here, we present review of experimental results on charge and spin transport in topological semimetals: charge transport in different superconducting proximity devices; spin-dependent transport; magnetic response of the topological surface states; non-linear anomalous Hall effect as the direct manifestation of the non-zero Berry curvature in topological semimetals. Possible applications are also considered for this new class of topological materials.
Signatures of the Quantum Geometric Dipole of Interlayer Excitons in Counterflow Conductivity
Collective excitations of many-body electron systems can carry internal structure, supporting novel quantum geometric and topological properties. Among these are a quantum geometric dipole (QGD), which for excitons have direct significance as an internal polarization. For interlayer excitons of a bilayer system, this represents an in-plane dipole moment, which can be used to drive them with in-plane electric fields. In this work, we consider counterflow electric currents associated with driven excitons in such a bilayer system as a probe of their QGD structure. As a simple but non-trivial example, we analyze a structure with a one-dimensional periodic potential in a strong perpendicular magnetic field. The resulting magnetoexciton bands host QGD structure that distinguishes it from the exciton QGD of a uniform system. To model exciton transport we adopt a Boltzmann approach that includes inter-band tunneling, allowing us to consider non-equilibrium momentum distributions that result from strong layer-antisymmetric driving fields. We show how linear response to a layer-symmetric component of the driving fields provide information about the QGD, and that the broad QGD structure of the exciton bands can be probed by the varying the layer-antisymmetric field. Our results demonstrate that counterflow conductivity serves as a tunable probe of the internal quantum geometric structure carried by the interlayer excitons, connecting transport to the quantum geometry of many-body excitations.
Exact and mean-field analysis of the role of Hubbard interactions on flux driven circular current in a quantum ring
We investigate circular current in both ordered and disordered Hubbard quantum rings threaded by magnetic flux, employing exact diagonalization and the Hartree-Fock mean-field approach within the tight-binding framework. The influence of on-site and extended Hubbard interactions, disorder, and electron filling on the persistent current is systematically analyzed. To construct the full many-body Hamiltonian, we introduce a linear table formalism, which, to our knowledge, has been rarely used in this context. In ordered rings, the current decreases monotonically with increasing on-site repulsion, while the impact of the extended interaction depends strongly on the filling factor. At low filling, stronger extended interaction suppresses the current, whereas near half-filling, it enhances the current up to a critical ratio, half of the on-site strength, before reducing it. Disorder significantly modifies these behaviors, notably enhancing the current at less than quarter-filling with increasing extended interaction. The localization properties of eigenstates, examined via the inverse participation ratio, further support the crucial roles of filling and the interplay between on-site and extended interactions in governing persistent current.
Coupled-wire descriptions of unconventional quantum states in twisted nanostructures
Coupled-wire description has been developed as a powerful framework for providing bosonic descriptions of strongly correlated quantum matter, with early applications to systems such as the cuprates and the integer and fractional quantum Hall states. In this topical review, we discuss recent developments of coupled-wire description in nanoscale systems, where it emerges not only as a theoretical tool but also as a highly tunable physical platform. In these nanoscale realizations, coupled-wire networks are formed by one-dimensional channels embedded in two-dimensional materials, most prominently in moir\'e and twisted structures. Such networks host a broad range of unconventional states of matter, including superconductivity, charge density waves, spin density waves, Mott insulating phases, Anderson insulating phases, quantum spin Hall states, quantum anomalous Hall states, and their fractionalized counterparts. The ability to electrically control interaction strength, confinement, and coupling between wires makes these systems qualitatively different from earlier realizations and allows continuous tuning between competing phases. Notably, recent work has demonstrated that the coupled-wire framework in moir\'e networks completes the trio of quantum Hall phenomena, encompassing quantum Hall, quantum spin Hall, and quantum anomalous Hall states, together with their fractional analogues. This development highlights coupled-wire networks in nanoscale materials as a versatile and experimentally relevant setting for exploring the interplay of topology, strong correlations, and low-dimensional physics.
Probing persistent spin textures through nonlinear magnetotransport
Persistent spin textures (PST) are special spin configurations in spin-orbit-coupled systems in which the spin polarization acquires a symmetry-enforced momentum-independent orientation, leading to exceptionally long spin lifetimes and persistent spin helices. Identifying direct experimental probes of PST, however, remains challenging because conventional quantum-geometric responses are strongly suppressed in this regime. Here, we show that PST systems isolate spin-rotation quantum geometry, which manifests through distinctive nonlinear magnetotransport responses. Using both a fine-tuned Rashba-Dresselhaus two-dimensional electron gas and a symmetry-enforced cubic spin-splitting model realizing PST, we demonstrate that PST suppresses conventional and Zeeman quantum-geometric contributions, leaving the spin-rotation quantum geometric tensor as the sole source of nonlinear magnetic-current and spin-magnetization responses. Remarkably, the nonvanishing response components exhibit identical direction-independent behavior as a function of chemical potential, providing a distinctive signature of PST. We further show that, in the Rashba-Dresselhaus two-dimensional electron gas at the PST point, these qualitative signatures remain robust even in the presence of a cubic Dresselhaus term that breaks the exact SU(2) symmetry. Our results establish nonlinear magnetotransport as an experimentally accessible probe of PST and their underlying spin-rotation quantum geometry.
A textured polar phase in strained SrTiO3
Quantum materials can harbour hidden phases whose microscopic structures differ from conventional ordered states while reproducing their macroscopic signatures, making them easy to miss. Strontium titanate is a longstanding puzzle of this kind: on cooling it shows every hallmark of an incipient ferroelectric, yet never orders, and is usually described as a quantum paraelectric in which fluctuations suppress ferroelectricity. Here we combine uniaxial strain, single-cycle terahertz excitation and femtosecond x-ray scattering to measure the polar collective modes of strontium titanate as a function of momentum and strain. Under modest tensile strain, we observe a new vibrational mode that emerges not at the Brillouin zone centre, as a ferroelectric transition would require, but at finite wavevector, identifying the ordered state as a polar texture on nanometre length scales rather than a uniform ferroelectric. Unstrained quantum paraelectric strontium titanate is then naturally understood as the disordered precursor of this textured phase, offering a resolution to a decades-old puzzle and illustrating how finite-momentum collective excitations can unmask hidden phases in quantum materials.
Large-flavor route to a stable U(1) Dirac spin liquid on the maple-leaf lattice
The $\mathrm{U}(1)$ Dirac spin liquid provides a useful organizing framework for frustrated magnets: it offers an algebraic parent state from which competing orders, confinement patterns, and low-energy spectral features can be understood. Whether such a state can occur as a stable ground state of a two-dimensional spin Hamiltonian remains an open question, because monopole events of the compact gauge field can proliferate and confine the spinons. Here, we show that the maple-leaf lattice provides a distinct route to this problem. Its Dirac spin liquid realizes QED$_3$ with $N_f=12$ Dirac fermions, substantially more than the $N_f=4$ theories of the triangular and kagome lattices. We classify the fundamental monopoles under the full microscopic symmetry group and find five charge-one spin-singlet monopoles that are trivial under lattice symmetries, time reversal, and spin rotation. The phase is therefore not protected by symmetry in the usual sense: its stability depends on whether these allowed monopoles are dynamically irrelevant. Available large-$N_f$ and Monte Carlo estimates place the charge-one monopole dimension close to the relevance threshold in $(2+1)$ dimensions, making the maple-leaf lattice a concrete large-flavor platform for testing the stability of compact QED$_3$ in a quantum magnet. The same monopole classification gives direct numerical predictions, identifying the symmetry sectors in which singlet, triplet, and quintet monopole excitations should appear. This provides a route to testing the $N_f=12$ Dirac spin liquid through symmetry-resolved exact diagonalization and variational studies of maple-leaf spin Hamiltonians.
Observation of magnetically switchable quantum geometric photocurrents
In non-centrosymmetric materials, light can be rectified into two types of DC photocurrents, known as injection and shift currents, through the bulk photovoltaic effect. Recent theory has uncovered their deep relation with the two-state quantum geometry of resonant transitions: In non-magnetic crystals, where these currents have been routinely observed, the injection current responds to circular light and probes the Berry curvature, while the shift current responds to linear light and probes the geometric connection. Magnetic crystals have been predicted to show a new set of hitherto unobserved magnetically switchable photocurrents, with the roles of linear and circular light interchanged: A linear injection current, which probes the quantum metric, and a circular shift current, which probes the geometric torsion. In this work, we demonstrate the existence of such currents for the first time, demonstrating the switching of the current by flipping the N\'eel vector in a van der Waals antiferromagnet. Furthermore, their specific frequency and temperature dependence confirm the assignment of circular shift and linear injection currents. Our work demonstrates a new way to control photocurrents in magnets that are directly tied to geometry and have promising applications in antiferromagnetic spintronics and light harvesting.
Optical control of conductivity type and valley polarization via persistent photoconductivity in (Pb,Sn)Se quantum wells
That author's affiliation: Johannes Kepler University of Linz Institution (first & last author): Institute of Physics
The ability to tune the Fermi level of semiconductors is at the heart of modern electronics. Here, we demonstrate that persistent photoconductivity (PPC) enables tuning of carrier density, conductivity type, and, consequently, the valley polarization in (Pb,Sn)Se/(Pb,Eu)Se quantum wells. Illumination of these samples induces Fermi level shifts that convert the system from a threefold-degenerate $\bar{M}$-valley two-dimensional hole gas to a single $\bar{\Gamma}$-valley-polarized electron gas with similar values of mobility. The optically induced state persists for more than $10^{3}$ minutes at cryogenic temperatures and enables stepwise optical gating without the need for device processing. These transitions are confirmed by the sign inversion of the Hall slope and the modification of quantum Hall plateau degeneracies measured in magnetic fields up to 35 T. Landau level $k\cdot p$ model calculations quantitatively reproduce the experimental data. Furthermore, studies of weak-field magnetoresistance demonstrate the significance of quantum localization phenomena at the transition between the weakly and strongly localized regimes in compensated narrow-gap semiconductors. Spectral studies allow us to identify the critical role of the barrier material and determine the photon energies that can reverse the PPC effect. The persistent light-induced upward shift of the Fermi level in the $p$-type quantum well is explained in terms of specific energy positions of donor and acceptor defect states in the studied system. Our results demonstrate that PPC is a powerful optical gating tool for the IV-VI quantum wells, a versatile platform for reconfigurable valleytronic architectures.
Harnessing hidden quantum metric response in a 2D magnet via nonlocal photovoltaic effect
The quantum geometry of Bloch wavefunctions underpins a wealth of emergent phenomena in quantum materials. Its imaginary part, the Berry curvature, has long been recognized as a key source for hallmark effects such as quantum Hall and topological phenomena, etc. The real part of quantum geometry, the quantum metric, has recently garnered considerable attention due to predictions of a range of unconventional nonlinear and nonequilibrium responses. Such responses usually vanish in centrosymmetric systems, largely restricting relevant studies to non-centrosymmetric materials. Here we challenge this convention by revealing that the vanished quantum metric response can survive in a hidden form. Using a non-local photovoltaic scheme in a layered magnetic semiconductor, we spatially separate mutually compensating photocurrents and thereby detect such hidden quantum metric response. We demonstrate this effect across distinct magnetic states and down to the ultrathin limit. Moreover, we realize reconfigurable, nonvolatile and probabilistic photodetection enabled by the quantum metric response. These results not only fundamentally expand the material landscape for quantum geometric physics, but also open new gateway to harvest the quantum geometric contributions for state-of-the-art nonvolatile reprogrammable sensing and computing applications.
Non-Bloch Quantum Geometry of Non-Hermitian Systems
We formulate quantum geometry for non-Hermitian systems under open boundary conditions. By defining quantum-geometric quantities in both real-space and non-Bloch representations, we establish a unified framework beyond conventional Bloch band theory. Our central result is an exact equivalence between the real-space integrated quantum metric and a non-Bloch integrated quantum metric defined on the generalized Brillouin zone. We further introduce localized non-Bloch Wannier functions in the presence of the non-Hermitian skin effect and show that the non-Bloch integrated quantum metric gives the gauge-invariant part of their spread functional. These results establish quantum geometry as a natural framework for characterizing open-boundary non-Hermitian band structures and the localization properties encoded in skin modes.
Twisted light generates robust many-body states for practical quantum computing
That author's affiliation: Universidad de Los Andes First author institution: Universidad de Los Andes Last author institution: George Washington University
Twisted light carries orbital angular momentum (OAM) and can drive excitations of confined, interacting electrons that are dark to uniform dipolar probes. Here we show how this ``beyond-Kohn's-Theorem'' optical channel can become a concrete control primitive for quantum computing. Correlation sectors in few-electron quantum dots -- characterized by the relative angular momentum quantum number -- form a tunable ladder of many-body states that are robust in the limited sense of symmetry-protected selection rules and persistent chiral spectroscopic fingerprints; full topological gap protection requires three or more electrons. A twisted-light pulse with prescribed OAM index and polarization provides fast optical write, read, and scalable addressing of these sectors via the selection rule $\Delta|m|=\pm(l+\sigma)$. In the analytically solvable Calogero ($1/r^2$) interaction limit, both the energy spectrum and the twisted-light matrix elements are closed-form functions of the interaction strength, allowing gate parameters (Rabi frequency, qubit frequency, anharmonicity, and leakage rates) to be written down explicitly. We map these results onto a universal single-qubit gate set, propose a concrete two-qubit entangling mechanism via state-dependent Coulomb coupling between adjacent dots, and identify the dominant decoherence channel (quadrupolar charge noise). A semi-analytic $N=3$ extension using the $1/N$ expansion provides a design-level scaffold for the topological roadmap, including quasihole sector addressing. The central operational message is that twisted light enables WRITE (pulse-create a correlation sector), READ (spectroscopically diagnose correlations), and SCALE (optical addressing via spatial light modulator) in a unified photonic control layer. Throughout, screened and Coulomb interactions preserve the same qualitative chiral fingerprints established in the solvable limit.
Spectral and transmission properties of multiple correlated quantum dots made simple
That author's affiliation: University of the Basque Country First author institution: The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) Last author institution: University of the Basque Country
Steady-state density functional theory, called i-DFT, is employed to compute spectral and transmission properties of general interacting nanoscale regions coupled to electronic reservoirs. Exchange-correlation functionals are constructed for different interactions and coupling geometries. The potential of the method is illustrated by applications to various multiple quantum dots from the Coulomb blockade to the Kondo regime, capturing phenomena such as quantum phase transitions. The results are in excellent agreement with many-body approaches at a fraction of the computational cost.
Towards complete characterization of topological insulators and superconductors: A systematic construction of topological invariants based on Atiyah-Hirzebruch spectral sequence
The past decade has witnessed significant progress in topological materials investigation. Symmetry-indicator theory and topological quantum chemistry provide an efficient scheme to diagnose topological phases from only partial information of wave functions without full knowledge of topological invariants, which has resulted in a recent comprehensive materials search. However, not all topological phases can be captured by this framework, and topological invariants are needed for a more refined diagnosis of topological phases. In this study, we present a systematic framework to construct topological invariants for a large part of symmetry classes, which should be contrasted with the existing invariants discovered through one-by-one approaches. Our method is based on the recently developed Atiyah-Hirzebruch spectral sequence in momentum space. As a demonstration, we construct topological invariants for time-reversal symmetric spinful superconductors with conventional pairing symmetries of all space groups, for which symmetry indicators are silent. We also validate that the obtained quantities work as topological invariants by computing them for randomly generated symmetric Hamiltonians. Remarkably, the constructed topological invariants completely characterize $K$-groups in 159 space groups. Our topological invariants for normal conducting phases are defined under some gauge conditions. To facilitate efficient numerical simulations, we discuss how to derive gauge-independent topological invariants from the gauge-fixed topological invariants through some examples. Combined with first-principles calculations, our results will help us discover topological materials that could be used in next-generation devices and pave the way for a more comprehensive topological materials database.
Single excitation swap in a modified Jaynes-Cummings-Hubbard lattice
Controlling the transport and nature of quantum excitations in low-dimensional systems is a key requirement for scalable quantum devices, including communication networks and quantum simulators. We propose a one-dimensional hybrid quantum lattice model, in which each lattice unit integrates a single-mode resonator that interacts with a two-level system (TLS), featuring direct coupling between adjacent TLSs. This configuration enables the coherent propagation of excitations with tunable atomic, photonic, or polaritonic character. Beyond conventional single-excitation transport, we demonstrate that appropriate impedance-matching and resonance conditions allow for the controlled swapping of excitation type as the excitation propagates along the lattice. We analyze the resulting dynamics using local observables and pairwise concurrence to track both transport and quantum correlations. Our results establish a minimal platform for controlled single-excitation conversion, with direct relevance to hybrid quantum networks, on-chip quantum interconnects, and engineered quantum simulators.
$d$-wave Surface Altermagnetism in Centrosymmetric Collinear Antiferromagnets
Broken inversion symmetry at the surfaces of centrosymmetric collinear antiferromagnets lifts combined inversion and time-reversal symmetry ($PT$) and can, in principle, enable nonrelativistic d-wave spin splitting, termed surface altermagnetism. Combining symmetry analysis with first-principles calculations, we show that surface inversion breaking, while necessary, is not sufficient for this effect. Surface altermagnetism emerges only when no antiunitary symmetry survives at the surface that exchanges the two antiferromagnetically coupled surface sublattices and enforces spin degeneracy. We demonstrate this mechanism explicitly for the centrosymmetric G-type antiferromagnets V$_3$Al and BaMn$_2$Sb$_2$, and contrast it with MnPt, where a sublattice-exchanging symmetry survives at the surface in the form of translation-time-reversal symmetry ($tT$), thereby preserving spin degeneracy despite broken inversion symmetry. The mechanism is shown to apply across multiple classes of centrosymmetric antiferromagnets and remains robust against spin-orbit coupling, although relativistic spin mixing in heavier-element compounds may reduce the observable spin polarization. These results establish a symmetry-based route toward realizing robust nonrelativistic momentum-dependent spin polarization at antiferromagnetic surfaces and interfaces.
Deconfined Boundary Phase Transition of a Quantum Critical Heisenberg Model
We investigate the boundary phases of a (2+1)-dimensional quantum critical Heisenberg model with a dangling spin chain. By introducing a multispin $Q$-term along the boundary, we drive a continuous boundary transition from an antiferromagnetic (AF) order to a valence-bond solid (VBS) order. Using large-scale quantum Monte Carlo simulations, we locate the critical point at $Q_{c}=0.310(11)$, and obtain the critical exponents at $Q_{c}$, including $y_{s}=0.81(4)$ and the scaling dimensions of AF and VBS order parameters $\Delta_{s}=0.660(15)$ and $\Delta_{v}=0.204(14)$. The weak long-range AF order for $Q<Q_{c}$ is stabilized by quasi-long-range effective interactions mediated by the critical bulk state, while the VBS phase restores the ordinary critical behavior. Our findings highlight the synergy between topological terms and quasi-long-range interactions in low-dimensional quantum many-body systems.
Geometric curvature driven by many-body collective fluctuations
Quantum geometry characterizes the variation of wavefunctions in momentum space through their overlaps and relative phases, providing a general framework for understanding many transport and optical properties. It is generally formulated in terms of interband matrix elements, which, entering the response functions, allow obtaining experimental access to the quantum geometric tensor. Recently, it has been emphasized that quantum geometry can also be interpreted in terms of quantum dipole fluctuations in the ground state driven by interband mixing. Here, we extend this picture to include contributions from many-body collective fluctuations, in which propagators and response vertices are dressed dynamically by the interaction with collective modes. Focusing on the Berry curvature, we show that contributions from collective fluctuations can be experimentally distinguished from bare band-geometric contributions, via specific antisymmetric channels in inelastic scattering spectra. We further identify the non-commutative properties of transverse quantum fluctuations as well as non-local-time interactions as the generators of this dynamical curvature in the susceptibility response.
Finite-temperature spin diffusion in the two-dimensional XY model
We present a combined theory-experiment study to quantify spin diffusion in the square lattice quantum spin-1/2 XY model at finite temperature. On the theory side, we leverage a recently developed dynamical high-temperature expansion method to faithfully capture the long spatiotemporal scales of the hydrodynamic regime. Experimental results are obtained from an optical lattice hard-core boson quantum simulator. The excellent agreement of spin diffusion constants marks a breakthrough in spin-transport beyond one dimension and for the quantitative validation of state-of-the-art quantum simulation platforms. We also provide theory predictions for future experiments on dynamic spin conductivity or anisotropy-induced integrability breaking.
Quantum-Critical, Spin-Fluctuation-driven Residual Resistivity and Emergent Universal Correlations in the Fermi-Liquid Regime of Heavy-Fermion Superconductors
We investigate correlations within the unconventional Fermi-liquid (FL) regime of quantum-critical (QC) heavy-fermion superconductors (HFSs) by tracking the pressure dependence of three quantities: the temperature-independent, SF-driven residual resistivity, $\rho^{ sf}_{0}(P)$; the FL scattering coefficient, $A(P)$; and the superconducting transition temperature, $T_c(P)$. The first two define the spin-fluctuation contribution to the resistivity, $\rho(T)=\rho^{sf}_0+AT^2$. Using experimental data from archetypal heavy-fermion systems, we identify three robust empirical correlations: $\ln(\frac{T_c}{\theta}) \propto A^{-1/2}$, $A \propto (\rho^{sf}_0)^2$, and $\ln(\frac{T_c}{\theta}) \propto \big(\rho^{sf}_0\big)^{-1}$ ($\theta$ is a characteristic temperature scale). Absent in conventional FL superconductors, these relationships indicate that QC fluctuations not only mediate inelastic scattering and Cooper pairing, but also generate an effective elastic channel responsible for $\rho^{sf}_0$. We explicitly calculate $\rho^{sf}_0$ on the high-pressure side of the quantum critical point (QCP) and introduce a characteristic length scale, $\ell \sim \big(\rho^{sf}_0\big)^{-1}$, that captures the spatial extent of fluctuation-induced scattering. Within this regime, and within the Migdal--Eliashberg framework combined with Boltzmann transport theory, we derive analytic expressions for $T_c(\ell)$ and $A(\ell)$, together with their interrelations, which are consistent with the observed empirical trends. These findings highlight the quantum-critical FL regime in HFSs as an intrinsically correlated phase, governed by fluctuations and marked by unconventional transport and pairing mechanisms.
Topology of the Fermi surface and universality of the metal-metal and metal-insulator transitions: $d$-dimensional Hatsugai-Kohmoto model as an example
The earlier theory [1] of the quantum phase transitions related to the change of the Fermi Surface Topology (FST) is advanced. For such transitions the Fermi surface as a quantum critical manifold determined by the Lee-Yang zeros, the order parameter $\mathcal{P}$ as the $d$-volume of the Fermi sea, and the special FST universality class were introduced in [1]. The exactly solvable Hatsugai-Kohmoto (HK) $d$-dimensional ($d=1,2,3$) model of interacting fermions is analyzed. We explore the relation between the Lee-Yang zeros, the Luttinger and the plateau (Oshikawa) theorems. The validity of the Luttinger theorem in the HK model is confirmed. It is shown that the order parameter $\mathcal{P}$ and the FST universality class describe the transitions between metal and band/Mott insulators, as well as the Lifshitz and van Hove gapless-to-gapless transitions. The gapless phases are established to be the Landau Fermi liquids (metals). In addition to the conventional paradigm with a continuous order parameter, we apply the homology theory to analyze the FST transitions. They are critical points of the Morse function. To quantify FST we use the Euler characteristic, which is calculated for each phase of the HK model. We claim that the FST universality class is robust with respect to interactions and other model details, under the condition that the critical points are non-degenerate.
Quantum-Coherent Regime of Programmable Dipolar Spin Ice
Frustrated spin-ice systems support emergent gauge fields and fractionalized quasiparticles that act as magnetic monopoles. Although artificial platforms have enabled their direct visualization, access to their quantum-coherent dynamics has remained limited. Here we realize a programmable dipolar square spin-ice model using a superconducting-qubit quantum annealer, providing access to a previously unexplored quantum-coherent regime of artificial spin ice. By implementing a direct one-to-one mapping between lattice spins and physical qubits, together with engineered extended couplings, we realize effective dipolar interactions on frustrated lattices comprising more than 400 vertices. Tuning transverse-field fluctuations enables us to probe the real-time dynamics of Dirac-string defects and interacting monopole plasmas. We observe super-diffusive monopole transport, with scaling exponents intermediate between classical diffusion and ballistic motion, indicating dynamics beyond classical stochastic relaxation and consistent with coherent propagation within an emergent gauge manifold. These results establish programmable quantum spin ice as a scalable platform for investigating fractionalized excitations and emergent gauge dynamics in engineered quantum matter.
Staggered spin susceptibility at a two-dimensional antiferromagnetic quantum critical point
We report on the finite temperature staggered spin susceptibility $\chi(Q)$ as a function of the mode-mode coupling constant $y_1$ in the self-consistent renormalization theory of two-dimensional antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations with zero-point quantum fluctuations just at the quantum critical point ($y_0$ = 0). We find that the value $y_1$ = 0.1 is a criterion to classify the effect of the zero-point spin fluctuations on the temperature dependence of $\chi(Q)$ into a Curie law for weak $y_1 < $ 0.1 and a Curie-Weiss type or a power law type for strong $y_1 > $ 0.1.
Efficient Quantum Implementation of Dynamical Mean Field Theory for Correlated Materials
That author's affiliation: CRD - Computational Research Division [LBNL Berkeley] (United States) Institution (first & last author): North Carolina State University
The accurate theoretical description of materials with strongly correlated electrons is a formidable challenge in condensed matter physics and computational chemistry. Dynamical Mean Field Theory (DMFT) is a successful approach that predicts behaviors of such systems by incorporating some of the correlated behavior using an impurity model, but it is limited by the need to calculate the impurity Green's function. This work proposes a framework for DMFT calculations on quantum computers, focusing on near-term applications. It leverages the structure of the impurity problem, combining a low-rank Gaussian subspace representation of the ground state and a compressed, short-depth quantum circuit that joins state preparation with time evolution to compute Green's functions. We demonstrate the convergence of the DMFT algorithm using the Gaussian subspace in a noise-free setting, and show the hardware viability of circuit compression by extracting the impurity Green's function on IBM quantum processors for a single impurity coupled to three bath orbitals (8 qubits, 1 ancilla). We discuss potential paths toward realizing this quantum computing use case in materials science.
Deep Spin Defects in Zinc Oxide for High-Fidelity Single-Shot Readout
Wide-bandgap oxides such as ZnO are favorable hosts for spin defect qubits due to their dilute nuclear spin background and potential for ultra-high purity. Yet, a deep-level defect qubit with robust optical and spin properties has not been identified in this material. Here, using first-principles calculations, we predict that the molybdenum-vacancy complex, Mo_Zn-V_O, exhibits the essential characteristics of an optically addressable spin qubit: a spin-triplet ground state, visible-range optical transitions with high quantum yield, and an unusually small Huang-Rhys factor (~5, compared to 10-30 in known ZnO defects). We further find long spin coherence times (T_2 ~ 4 ms) when both nuclear and impurity spin baths are considered, with paramagnetic impurities setting a threshold concentration of 0.035 ppm. Importantly, the combination of strong spin-orbit coupling and the absence of Jahn-Teller distortion supports spin-selective intersystem crossing and high-fidelity single-shot readout at elevated temperatures and across wide magnetic field ranges. By identifying ZnO as a host for deep-level defect qubits, our work points toward a pathway to scalable, integrable oxide-based quantum technologies and broadens the material foundation for solid-state quantum information science.
Quantum effective action for dissipative semiclassical dynamics
Using the quantum effective action in the Schwinger-Keldysh formalism, we derive quantum corrections to the semiclassical Langevin dynamics of a dissipative system governed by a macroscopic degree of freedom. We discuss the connection with the Ehrenfest theorem and show that, in the low-temperature and weak-damping regime, quantum corrections are determined by the zero-point energy of fluctuations evaluated at the classical underdamped frequency, closely paralleling the conservative case. We apply these general results to the resistively and capacitively shunted superconducting Josephson junction and to an elongated bosonic junction, where quantum corrections can reach the percent level under realistic conditions.
Entropy Production from Spin--Vibrational Coupling in Endohedral-Fullerene Qubits Encapsulated in Suspended Carbon Nanotubes
Hybrid carbon nanotube-fullerene architectures provide a controllable platform for studying irreversibility and information flow in structured quantum environments. We analyze entropy generation in a system where paramagnetic endohedral fullerenes, such as N@C$_{60}$ and P@C$_{60}$, are encapsulated inside a suspended carbon nanotube (CNT) resonator, with selected multi-level fullerene spin states forming an effective qubit coupled to quantized CNT flexural modes. Building on prior work on fullerene-filled CNTs, spin-phonon control in suspended nanotubes, and phase-space propagators for damped driven oscillators, we develop a hybrid open-system model combining driven quantum Brownian motion of the CNT with an effective Jaynes-Cummings spin-vibrational interaction. The resonator dynamics are represented by a Wigner function whose evolution is written analytically in terms of the initial Wigner distribution and a Gaussian propagator. This phase-space description separates drive-induced displacement, diffusion, and damping, and connects these processes directly to entropy flow. The coupled spin-mechanical dynamics are embedded in a Lindblad master equation including mechanical damping, spin relaxation, pure dephasing, and thermally activated excitation. Within this framework we derive the entropy balance, identify entropy flux and non-negative entropy production, and examine how spin-vibrational hybridization redistributes irreversibility between coherent exchange and dissipative channels. We show that magnetic-gradient-enhanced spin-phonon coupling, resonant driving, and moderate thermal occupation produce crossovers between oscillator-dominated and spin-dominated entropy-production regimes. The framework provides a basis for using CNT-PEF hybrids as nanoscale platforms to study nonequilibrium quantum thermodynamics, decoherence, and information loss in vibrational environments.
Quantum Geometry-Driven Nonlinear Spin Currents in Floquet Non-Hermitian Altermagnets
Altermagnets are rapidly emerging as a highly promising platform for spintronics, yet dynamically controlling their spin responses remains a fundamental challenge. In this work, we demonstrate that introducing periodic optical driving and non-Hermiticity provides a powerful route to achieve tunable control over these systems. We derive a general analytical expression for nonlinear spin currents in non-Hermitian phases with a spectral line gap, revealing that the intrinsic response cleanly separates into quantum metric, Berry curvature, and Berry connection dipole contributions. Applying this formalism to a Floquet non-Hermitian $d$-wave altermagnet, we uncover that the nonlinear spin conductivity is overwhelmingly dominated by the bare quantum metric. Furthermore, we show that the optical field's polarization can actively tune -- and even strictly reverse -- the direction of both longitudinal and transverse spin currents. Our work establishes a quantum geometric framework for the optical manipulation of nonlinear spin transport in advanced magnetic materials.
Tunable Crossed Andreev Reflection in Bipolar Magnetic Semiconductors
Crossed Andreev reflection (CAR) is a nonlocal quantum transport phenomenon that arises at the interface between a superconductor and two spatially separated metals. In this process, an electron incident from one metal combines with another electron originating from the other metal to form a Cooper pair in the superconductor. As a consequence, a hole is emitted into the second metal, establishing a nonlocal electron-hole conversion process. In contrast to local Andreev reflection -- where electron-to-hole conversion occurs within the same region -- CAR intrinsically links two spatially separated carriers, giving rise to nonlocal correlations and quantum entanglement. In bipolar magnetic semiconductors (BMSs), the conduction and valence bands possess opposite spin polarizations. We propose to achieve tunable control of CAR by independently adjusting the chemical potentials of the two regions. By engineering the alignment of spin-polarized bands in the two BMS leads, CAR can be selectively enhanced or suppressed. This tunability enables precise manipulation of nonlocal transport, and correlated electron dynamics, offering promising prospects for spintronic and superconducting device applications.
Orbital Angular Momentum Textures and Currents in a Discrete Helix: Equilibrium and Linear Response
Recently, nonequilibrium orbital angular momentum in low-dimensional systems has attracted renewed attention. Here we introduce a minimal three-orbital tight-binding model for a single helical chain and show that chirality alone generates a momentum-dependent orbital-angular-momentum texture through Slater--Koster hybridization in the local basis $(p_r,p_\phi,p_z)$, without requiring atomic spin--orbit coupling. In the single-helix geometry, the radial orbital texture vanishes identically, while the azimuthal and longitudinal components remain finite and arise from the odd-in-momentum $(p_z,p_r)$ and $(p_r,p_\phi)$ sectors. As a result, the equilibrium average orbital texture vanishes by parity, although persistent-like orbital angular momentum currents may still exist and imply chirality-dependent end magnetization in a finite helix. Under an applied longitudinal electric field, the system develops a finite orbital Edelstein response, whereas the projected longitudinal orbital-current conductivity vanishes in the linear regime by parity. When spin degrees of freedom are included, the orbital texture acts as a source of spin polarization through orbital-to-spin transduction. The resulting spin response is controlled by orbital overlap scales much larger than the bare relativistic spin--orbit scale, making it a stronger candidate for spin injection than the conventional spin Edelstein mechanism. These results identify chirality as the minimal microscopic ingredient for generating orbital angular momentum response in one-dimensional systems and support an orbital route to spin selectivity in chiral conductors.
Reversible nanoscale patterning of WTe$_2$ with a scanning tunneling microscope
Manipulating the lattice structure of ferroelectric quantum materials enables their use in low-power electronic devices, including field-effect transistors. WTe$_2$ is a Weyl-semimetal candidate and ferroelectric, both properties arising from the reduced crystal symmetry of its T$_\mathrm{d}$ ground state. The T$_\mathrm{d}$ crystal phase results from a Peierls distortion of the 1T parent structure and an interlayer shift. While experiments in WTe$_2$ have established ferroelectric switching and transient control of the predicted topological phase via ultrafast excitations, persistent electronic changes on the nanometer scale remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate that current pulses applied via scanning tunneling microscopy can both write and erase persistent nanometer-scale patterns on the surface of WTe$_2$. These patterns consist of apparent picometer in-plane and out-of-plane atomic displacements, accompanied by changes to the local density of states. The out-of-plane displacements further modulate the Peierls-like distortion present in WTe$_2$, while the in-plane displacements are indicative of ferroelectric switching. The induced patterns can be repositioned and erased, suggesting a nanoscale handle on the ferroelectric properties of WTe$_2$.
Interface Piezoelectric Loss in Superconducting Qubits
That author's affiliation: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Institution (first & last author): Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Dissipation remains a central obstacle to improving superconducting quantum circuits, yet the microscopic origins of loss in widely used materials platforms are not fully understood. Here, we report the observation of interface piezoelectricity-induced dissipation in superconducting qubits fabricated on high-resistivity silicon. Our devices use a transmon qubit with a shunt capacitor that simultaneously serves as an interdigital transducer embedded in a surface acoustic wave resonator. By tuning the qubit transition into resonance with discrete mechanical modes, we observe up to a factor-of-two reduction in qubit lifetime, consistent with energy exchange between the qubit and mechanical modes mediated by piezoelectric coupling at the aluminum-silicon interface. Our findings provide direct evidence for interface piezoelectricity as a distinct loss channel in superconducting qubits. Combined with multiphysics simulations, these findings suggest that interface piezoelectric loss can dominate over loss from two-level systems at sufficiently high frequencies.
Lieb-Schultz-Mattis constraints for hyperbolic lattices
The Lieb-Schultz-Mattis (LSM) theorem and its higher-dimensional extensions forbid the existence of a unique, symmetric, and gapped ground state at fractional fillings in quantum many-body systems with a conserved particle number (or spin angular momentum) and the conventional translation symmetry of Euclidean lattices. In this work, we propose a generalization of the LSM theorem to quantum many-body systems on hyperbolic lattices, i.e., regular tessellations of two-dimensional negatively curved space. By leveraging concepts from hyperbolic band theory in a many-body setting, we adapt Oshikawa's flux-threading argument to periodic hyperbolic lattices with a non-Euclidean (Fuchsian) translation symmetry and compute a lower-bound to the ground-state degeneracy as a function of filling and lattice geometry. We explore the consequences of LSM constraints for gapped phases of hyperbolic quantum matter and suggest frustrated spin models on hyperbolic analogs of the square and triangular lattices as promising platforms for realizing symmetric spin liquids in hyperbolic space.
The effects of alloy disorder on strongly-driven flopping mode qubits in Si/SiGe
In Si quantum dot systems, large magnetic field gradients are needed to implement spin rotations via electric dipole spin resonance (EDSR). By increasing the effective electron dipole, flopping mode qubits can provide faster gates with smaller field gradients. Moreover, operating in the strong-driving limit can reduce their sensitivity to charge noise. However, alloy disorder in Si/SiGe heterostructures randomizes the valley energy splitting and the valley phase difference between dots, enhancing the probably of valley excitations while tunneling between the dots, and opening a leakage channel. In this work, we analyze the performance of flopping mode spin qubits in the presence of charge noise and alloy disorder, and we optimize these qubits for a variety of valley configurations, in both weak and strong charge-noise regimes. When the charge noise is weak, high fidelity qubits can be implemented across a wide range of valley parameters, provided the electronic pulse is fine-tuned for a given valley configuration. When the charge noise is strong, high-fidelity pulses can still be engineered, provided the valley splittings in each dot are relatively large and the valley phase difference is relatively small. We analyze how charge noise-induced fluctuations of the inter-dot detuning, as well as small shifts in other qubit parameters, impact qubit fidelities. We find that strongly driven pulses are less sensitive to detuning fluctuations but more sensitive to small shifts in the valley parameters, which can actually dominate the qubit infidelities in some regimes. Finally, we discuss schemes to tune devices away from poor-performing configurations, enhancing the scalability of flopping-mode-based qubit architectures.
Itinerant antiferromagnetism in the antagonistic pair compound Y$_4$Co$_3$Ag
Low dimensional crystallographic motifs have long been associated with desirable physical properties. The confinement of electrons to low dimensions is thought to enhance quantum fluctuations and may promote correlated phenomena. Here, using the antagonistic pair concept, we add Y to the immiscible Co-Ag pair to discover Y$_4$Co$_3$Ag. This compound adopts a monoclinic $I$2/$m$ structure consisting of Y channels that are filled by one-dimensional zigzag and hexagonal Co chains, which extend along the crystallographic $b$-axis with no nearest neighbor contacts between Co and Ag atoms. Transport, magnetic, and specific heat measurements reveal that Y$_4$Co$_3$Ag orders antiferromagnetically at $T_N=14.9$ K with an effective magnetic moment $\mu_{\text{eff}}$ = 1.4 $\mu_{\text{B}}$/Co. Specific heat measurements show only a small entropy loss on the order of $0.1\,R\ln2$ associated with magnetic order, and magnetization isotherms, in DC fields up to 70 kOe at 1.8 K and in pulsed fields up to 600 kOe at 500 mK, indicate a small ordered moment of less than 0.2 $\mu_B$/Co. Taken together, our results imply the presence of small, itinerant moments and strong fluctuations in Y$_4$Co$_3$Ag, suggesting that Y$_4$Co$_3$Ag may be a promising candidate material to investigate itinerant magnetic interactions in a quasi-one dimensional system.
Charge-sensitive vibrational modes in BEDT-TTF salts: Signatures of charge ordering and site charge
BEDT-TTF-based organic conductors host a number of ground states, tuned by electron repulsion from Mott and charge ordered insulators to superconductors. Knowing charge distribution on the molecular sites in the insulating state of these materials is a key to understanding the origin of these ground states. We survey and discuss the C=C stretching modes in BEDT-TTF based molecular conductors. These molecular vibrations are extremely crucial in characterization of charge-ordered insulators, and are recently linked to superconductivity in some compounds. Focusing on the known examples of BEDT-TTF$^{+0.5}$ salts, we analyse the reliability of the C=C stretching modes for the determination of charge ordering and absolute site charge. Considering the charge-ordered states, a prominent shift in frequency of 141 cm$^{-1}$ per elementary charge $e$ for $\nu_{27}(b_{1u})$ and 98 cm$^{-1}$$e$ for $\nu_2$($a_g$) can be clearly realised, however, the distribution resulting from different compounds span over 20 cm$^{-1}$. For nominal BEDT-TTF$^{+0.5}$ compounds, the distribution of the resonance also extends around 20 cm$^{-1}$, yielding an unexpected large uncertainty of $\Delta\rho~\approx~(~\pm~0.045)e$, which is presumably due to the influence of small differences in the structure. This highlights the limitations of charge-frequency relations to detect small deviations in absolute charge values on molecular lattice sites, and emphasises on the use of the relations to estimate charge-ordering, rather than absolute site charge.
Beyond Commutativity: Redesigning Trotter Decomposition via Local Symmetry
The product formula, commonly known as Trotter decomposition, is a central tool for digital quantum simulation, whose performance depends critically on how the Hamiltonian is partitioned into tractable blocks. Standard decompositions typically rely on direct commutativity among Hamiltonian terms in a chosen operator representation, which can lead to large residual errors and deep circuits for complex, practically relevant many-body quantum systems. We address this fundamental bottleneck by introducing a new decomposition principle that goes beyond commutativity, grouping Hamiltonian terms into local three-site clusters according to the underlying SU(2) symmetry of the local dynamics. We show that three-site generators fall into at most four SU(2)-symmetry classes, each admitting an effective two-qubit SU(4) representation with exact and efficient implementations. By reducing the number of clusters, this decomposition principle substantially suppresses commutator-induced errors and circuit overhead while preserving underlying physical structures that commutativity-based decompositions may violate. We demonstrate the proposed method on several physically relevant spin-lattice models, where the reduced cluster structure can even realise the second-order product formula without doubling the circuit depth, as would be required by conventional decompositions. Numerical simulations of a Kagome Heisenberg model with triangular spin-chirality interactions show that the proposed method reduces both state infidelity and average spin-chirality bias by more than three orders of magnitude compared with conventional decompositions, while using substantially fewer gates. These results establish local symmetry as a flexible and practical design principle for product-formula simulation, opening a route to more accurate and hardware-efficient simulations of broader classes of many-body systems.
Born-rule statistical dynamical quantum phase transitions under measurement
Dynamical quantum phase transitions (DQPTs) occur at times when a quantum state exhibits a nonanalytic change in its return probability. This can be viewed as the probability of collapsing the evolved state to the initial state by quantum measurement. However, the initial wave function usually has exponentially small amplitude in the late time evolved state. Here we perform statistical characterization for all the possible post-measurement states distributed according to the Born's rule, by sampling a one-dimensional quantum Ising chain after a quantum quench dynamics. The statistical ensemble can also be viewed as a mixed state when the time evolved state is subjected to maximally dephasing noise in a certain basis. We map the distribution to a statistical model and characterize its effective "energy" spectrum, and introduce the average dynamical free energy, establishing a framework for the statistical DQPTs. We show the recovering of DQPT under high-moment average and a delocalized level distribution following critical times. Through analytic continuation into the complex time plane, we demonstrate the vanishing of Yang-Lee-Fisher zeros and the emergent level crossing near critical times. Finally, we propose a measurement-based quantum computation protocol to simulate the unitary evolution via single-qubit measurements on a two-dimensional cluster state. Our results provide a way for experimentally investigating statistical DQPTs in quantum devices, shedding light on the structured circuit sampling with insights from DQPT and generalizing the understanding of mixed state due to decoherence beyond equilibrium.
Deconfined quantum criticality with internal supersymmetry
Deconfined quantum critical point (DQCP) describes direct, non-fine-tuned quantum phase transition between two ordered phases that break distinct and seemingly unrelated symmetries, providing a route to continuous phase transition beyond the conventional Ginzburg--Landau paradigm. In this work we extend the DQCP paradigm to systems with internal supersymmetry (SUSY), where the on-site Hilbert space furnishes a representation of a Lie superalgebra, and the Hamiltonian is invariant under the corresponding Lie supergroup. Focusing on the minimal supersymmetric generalization of spin $SU(2)$, namely $OSp(1|2)$, we propose a supersymmetric deconfined quantum critical point (sDQCP) between a phase that breaks internal $OSp(1|2)$ and a phase that instead breaks lattice rotation symmetry. We formulate a non-linear sigma model on the supersphere target space that captures the symmetry intertwinement characteristic of the sDQCP, and we further develop a gauge theory description to address its dynamical properties, including a heuristic argument for 3D XY critical behavior. Finally, we show that explicitly breaking $OSp(1|2)$ down to $SU(2)$ continuously connects our sDQCP to the conventional DQCP scenario.
Local Topological Quantum Order and Spectral Gap Stability for the AKLT Models on the Hexagonal and Lieb Lattices
We prove that the ground state of the AKLT models on the hexagonal lattice and the Lieb lattice satisfy the local topological quantum order (LTQO) condition. This will be a consequence of proving that the finite volume ground states are indistinguishable from a unique infinite volume ground state. Concretely, we identify a sequence of increasing and absorbing finite volumes for which any finite volume ground state expectation is well approximated by the infinite volume state with error decaying at a uniform exponential rate in the distance between the support of the observable and boundary of the finite volume. As a corollary to the LTQO property, we obtain that the spectral gap above the ground state in these models is stable under general small perturbations of sufficient decay. We prove these results by a detailed analysis of the polymer representation of the ground states state derived by Kennedy, Lieb and Tasaki (1988) with the necessary modifications required for proving the strong form of ground state indistinguishability needed for LTQO.
Chemical Origins of Non-Bonded Interactions Within and Between Solids
Non-bonded interactions govern structure, stability, and function across a wide range of solid-state materials, yet their chemical origins are often difficult to resolve from total energies alone. Here we generalize absolutely localized molecular orbital energy decomposition analysis to quantify and interpret non-bonded interactions within and between solids at the density functional theory level. Across molecular crystals, moir\'e heterobilayers, and layered perovskite heterostructures, this framework separates lattice-formation energies, interlayer binding energies, and band-structure changes into chemically intuitive contributions from frozen interactions, polarization, and charge transfer. The analysis reveals how dispersion controls polymorph stability in pharmaceutical crystals, how local stacking modulates interlayer coupling in MoS2/WSe2, and how alkali-cation substitution switches the quantum-well character of layered perovskite heterostructures. By connecting emergent solid-state properties to microscopic interaction mechanisms, this framework provides a chemically transparent basis for understanding and designing complex materials.
Interfacial Reconstructions and Engineering in III-V@II-VI Core-Shell Quantum Dots
In core/shell quantum dots (QDs), the interface between semiconductors of different chemical character largely determines their optoelectronic properties. In III-V/II-VI systems, this boundary involves pronounced chemical and electronic discontinuities that can generate trap states even under complete surface passivation. Using density functional theory on atomistic models of InAs/CdSe QDs, we systematically reconstruct atomic arrangements at the surface and interface to evaluate how local coordination and interfacial dipoles influence the electronic structure. Abrupt interfaces induce charge imbalance and band-gap collapse, whereas introducing an alloyed interlayer that mixes core and shell atoms and vacancies restores energetic alignment and yields delocalized band-edge states, consistent with experimental findings. We also introduce a charge-flow analysis that quantifies charge redistribution across the QD, providing a framework for realistic modeling of interlayer formation and predictive design of defect-free interfaces in core@shell architectures.
Charge Transfer from Perovskite Quantum Dots to Multifunctional Ligands with Tethered Molecular Species
That author's affiliation: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Institution (first & last author): Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Perovskite quantum dots (pQDs) are promising materials for optoelectronic and photocatalytic applications due to their unique optical properties. To enhance charge carrier extraction or injection donor/acceptor molecules can be tethered to the pQD. These molecules must strongly bind to the ionic surfaces of pQDs without compromising colloidal stability. These we achieve by using multifunctional ligands containing a quaternary ammonium binding group for strong pQDs surface attachment, a long tail group for colloidal stability, and a functional group near the pQD surface. Such pQDs with ferrocene-functionalized ligands show fast photoexcited hole transfer with near-unity efficiency. Density functional theory calculations reveal how ferrocene's molecular structure reorganizes following hole transfer, affecting its charge separation efficiency. This approach can also be extended to in photoexcited electron and energy transfer processes with pQDs. Therefore, this strategy offers a blueprint for creating efficient QD-molecular hybrids for applications like photocatalysis.
Non-Relativistic Spin-Orbit Interaction in Triplet Superconductors: Edelstein Effect and Spin Pumping by Electric Fields
Non-relativistic momentum-dependent spin splitting, as observed in collinear altermagnets and non-collinear $p$-wave magnets, provides exciting avenues for controlling spin dynamics. Here, we reveal a distinct form of non-relativistic ``spin-orbit coupling" in triplet superconductors by demonstrating that the triplet order parameter induces a wave-vector-dependent spin texture of Bogoliubov quasiparticles, thereby entangling their orbital and spin motions. Even in the absence of relativistic spin-orbit coupling, this intertwining of spin and orbital motion allows an electric field to generate spin polarization in a $p$-wave superconductor -- that is, an Edelstein effect. Building on this mechanism, we propose an efficient scheme for the nonlinear generation of a DC spin current via electric near fields, driven by AC spin polarization and electron velocity. This general principle offers a powerful route for generating and manipulating spin currents in unconventional superconductors.
Inherent momentum-dependent gap structure of altermagnetic superconductors
Altermagnetic metals break time-reversal symmetry and feature spin-split Fermi surfaces generated by compensated N\'eel-ordered collinear magnetic moments. Being metallic, such altermagnets may undergo a further instability at low temperatures to a superconducting state, and it is an interesting open question what the salient features are of such altermagnetic superconductors. We address this question on the basis of realistic microscopic models that capture the altermagnetic sublattice degrees of freedom. We find that the sublattice structure can strongly affect the superconducting gap structure in altermagnetic superconductors. In particular, it imposes nodes in the gap on the Brillouin zone edges for superconductors stabilized by momentum-independent bare attraction channels. We contrast this to the case of superconductivity generated by extended range interactions where pairing is allowed on the Brillouin zone edges and both spin-singlet and equal-spin-pairing triplet states can be stabilized. Equal-spin-pairing triplet superconductivity is generically favored in the limit of large altermagnetic spin splitting of the bands compared to the superconducting gap scale, and features characteristic nonunitary properties arising from the altermagnetic order.
Reentrant Superconductivity from Competing Spin-Triplet Instabilities
Reentrant superconductivity in strong magnetic fields challenges the conventional expectation that magnetic fields necessarily suppress superconductivity. We show that reentrant superconducting instability can arise from the competition between spin-unpolarized and spin-polarized superconducting channels. Using a minimal Ginzburg--Landau theory with two coupled spin-triplet order parameters, we demonstrate that a magnetic field can reorganize the hierarchy of superconducting instabilities, yielding a characteristic reentrant instability curve over a broad parameter range.
Generalized Toffoli gates with customizable single-step multiple-qubit control
That author's affiliation: National Taiwan University Institution (first & last author): National Taiwan University
Generalized Toffoli gates with customizable single-step multiple-qubit control
Bounding the computational power of bosonic systems
Bounding the computational power of bosonic systems
Controllable hydro-thermoelastic heat transport in ultrathin semiconductors at room temperature
That author's affiliation: Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia First author institution: Eindhoven University of Technology Last author institution: Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia
The combination of viscous heat flow and thermoelastic effects leads to a non-diffusive heat transport regime in MoSe2 and MoS2. Moreover, it can be controlled through the variation in sample thickness and by choosing between continuous and pulsed heating.
Spatially anisotropic Kondo resonance coupled with the superconducting gap in a kagome metal
How magnetic impurities influence superconductivity and electronic order in kagome metals remains unclear. Now anisotropic Kondo resonances intertwined with the superconducting gap are observed in a magnetically doped kagome superconductor.
Cryogenic microwave frequency combs based on quantum paraelectric superconducting resonators
A frequency comb, known for its precision as an "optical ruler", features an evenly spaced spectral pattern. While these combs are vital in photonic quantum technologies, their microwave counterparts are now highly sought after for cryogenic quantum technologies, including semiconducting and superconducting qubits and quantum electrical metrology, which mainly operate in the microwave regime. However, microwave combs are still largely underexplored, and typically rely on complex, high-power optical systems incompatible with the low-power, cryogenic on-chip quantum technologies. In this manuscript, we present an all-electrical, on-chip, cryogenic microwave frequency comb on Strontium Titanate (SrTiO$_3$), exploiting its Pockels-like effect in its quantum paraelectric phase. Our device, utilizing a superconducting microwave cavity, generating the frequency comb via cavity phase modulation enabled by the field-induced effective $\chi(2)$ of SrTiO$_3$. The ability to continuously vary the dielectric constant of SrTiO$_3$ by the application of electric field, in its quantum paraelectric phase, makes it possible to control the comb's operating frequency range. The exceptionally high dielectric constant of SrTiO$_3$, > 20,000 in its quantum paraelectric state, enables an ultra-miniature design and on-chip integration with cryogenic quantum technologies.
Shubnikov-de Haas Characterization of Superconductor-Semiconductor Heterostructures
Hybrid superconductor-semiconductor nanostructures are a central component for research spanning condensed matter physics and quantum information processing. Continued progress relies critically on the ability to characterize, control, and optimize several intrinsic material properties including spin-orbit coupling, band offsets, and disorder in a device-relevant stack that necessarily couples the electronic states of a superconducting metal film and a semiconductor. Here we report a new method to extract fundamental material parameters utilizing simple Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) oscillation measurements in heterostructures in which metallic electronic states are coupled to a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) residing in an InAs quantum well beneath an aluminum thin film. Proper analysis of the full magnetoresistance data facilitates extraction of the quantum well carrier density, spin-orbit coupling strength, and both transport and quantum scattering times. Most importantly, the extracted scattering times in the 2DEG are impacted by the metal-semiconductor coupling strength allowing us to quickly gain information on proximity-induced superconducting gap without any fabrication or mK measurements. The wealth of information that is accessed with these simple measurements positions this methodology as an important tool for hybrid materials optimization.
Interface controlled spin filtering and nonreciprocal transport in Altermagnet/Ising superconductor junctions
We investigate theoretically spin-resolved transport, spin filtering, and nonreciprocal effects in an Altermagnet/Ising superconductor (AM/ISC) junction with a spin-active interface. Using a modified Bogoliubov-de Gennes framework within the scattering formalism, we demonstrate that the interplay among intrinsic spin-orbit coupling (ISOC), anisotropic AM spin texture and spin-dependent interfacial scattering gives rise to strongly anisotropic charge and spin conductance. In the weak spin-mixing regime, transport remains predominantly helicity conserving and exhibits pronounced angular dependence governed by the relative orientation between the AM spin texture and interface magnetization. Increasing ISOC enhances spin conductance and leads to spin-selective Andreev reflection resulting in finite spin filtering. In contrast, the strong spin-mixing regime exhibits enhanced angular anisotropy and robust spin-polarized transport over a broad energy range. Conventional Andreev reflection becomes strongly suppressed, accompanied by substantial spectral redistribution. We further show that nonreciprocal transport persists throughout the single-band, intermediate and double-band ISC regime. The spin polarization and spin-filter efficiency exhibit nonmonotonic dependence on system parameters, reaching values up to $\sim 86\%$, with characteristic angular modulation determined by the AM spin texture. Finite-energy analysis reveals enhanced spin selectivity at low energies and suppression near the superconducting gap. Furthermore, strong spin mixing at the AM/ISC junction produces asymmetric conductance patterns, indicating nonreciprocal transport. Our results establish AM/ISC junctions as a versatile platform for tunable superconducting spintronics and directional spin transport.
Negative Spin $\Delta_T$ noise Induced by Spin-Flip Scattering and Andreev Reflection
We study charge $\Delta_T$ noise, followed by an examination of spin $\Delta_T$ noise, in the normal metal-spin flipper-normal metal-insulator-superconductor (N-sf-N-I-S) junction. Our analysis reveals a key contrast: while charge $\Delta_T$ noise remains strictly positive, spin $\Delta_T$ noise undergoes a sign reversal from positive to negative, driven by the interplay between spin-flip scattering as well as Andreev reflection. In contrast, charge quantum shot noise remains positive and sign-definite, which is also valid for spin quantum shot noise. The emergence of negative spin $\Delta_T$ noise has two major implications. First, it establishes a clear distinction between spin-resolved $\Delta_T$ noise and quantum shot noise: the former is dominated by opposite-spin correlations, whereas the latter is led by same-spin correlations. Second, it provides access to scattering mechanisms that are not captured by quantum shot noise alone. Thus, negative spin $\Delta_T$ noise serves as a unique probe of the cooperative effects of Andreev reflection and spin flipping. We further place our results in context by comparing them with earlier reports of negative $\Delta_T$ noise in strongly correlated systems, such as fractional quantum Hall states, and in multiterminal hybrid superconducting junctions. Overall, this work offers new insights into the mechanisms governing sign reversals in $\Delta_T$ noise and highlights their role as distinctive fingerprints of spin-dependent scattering in superconducting hybrid devices.
Vestigial Gapless Boson Density Wave Emerging between $\nu = 1/2$ Fractional Chern Insulator and Finite-Momentum Supersolid
The roton-triggered charge-density-wave (CDW)is widely studied in fractional quantum Hall (FQH) and fractional Chern insulator (FCI) systems, and there also exist field theoretical and numerical realizations of continuous transition from FCI to superfluid (SF). However, the theory and numerical explorations of the transition between FCI and supersolid (SS) are still lacking. In this work, we study the topological flat-band lattice models with $\nu$ = 1/2 hard-core bosons, where the previous studies have discovered the existence of FCI states and possible direct FCI-SS transitions. While the FCI is robust, we find the direct FCI-SS transition is absent, and there exist more intriguing scenarios. In the case of checkerboard lattice, we find an intermediate gapless CDW state without SF, sandwiched between FCI and SS. This novel state is triggered by the roton instability in FCI and it further continuously brings about the intertwined finite-momentum SF fluctuation when the CDW order is strong enough, eventually transiting into an unconventional finite-momentum SS state. The intermediate gapless CDW state is a vestige from the SS state, since the increasing quantum fluctuation melts only the Larkin-Ovchinnikov-type SF order in SS but its (secondary) product -- the CDW order -- survives. On honeycomb lattice, we find no evidence of SS, but discover an interesting sequence of FCI-Solid I-Solid II transitions, with both solids incompressible. Moreover, in contrast to previous single-roton condensation, this sequence of FCI-Solid I-Solid II transitions is triggered by the softening of multi-roton modes in FCI. Considering the intertwined wave vectors of the CDW orders, Solid I is a vestige of Solid II. Our work provides new horizon not only for the quantum phase transitions in FCI but also for the intertwined orders and gapless states in bosonic systems, which will inspire future studies.
Slave-spin approach to the Anderson-Josephson quantum dot
That author's affiliation: Institut de Physique Institution (first & last author): Institut de Physique
We study a strongly interacting quantum dot connected to two superconducting leads using a slave-spin representation of the dot. At the mean-field level, the problem maps to a resonant level model with superconducting leads, coupled to an auxiliary spin-1/2 variable accounting for the parity of the dot. We obtain the mean-field phase diagram, showing a transition between a Kondo (singlet) and a local moment (doublet) regime, corresponding to the $0-\pi$ transition of the junction. The mean-field theory qualitatively captures the Kondo singlet phase and its competition with superconductivity for weak values of the BCS gap, including the non-trivial dependence of the Andreev bound states on the interaction, but fails in the doublet regime where it predicts a dot decoupled from the bath. Using diagrammatic techniques and a random phase approximation, we include fluctuations on top of the mean-field theory to describe finite-frequency dynamics of the effective spin variable. This leads to the formation of high-energy Hubbard bands in the spectral function and a coherent Kondo peak with a BCS gap at low energies. We compute the Josephson current and the induced superconducting correlations on the dot. Finally, we evaluate the microwave response in the strongly interacting Kondo regime.
Ballistic-to-diffusive transition in engineered counter-propagating quantum Hall channels
Exotic quantum Hall systems hosting counter-propagating edge states can show seemingly non-universal transport regimes, usually depending on the size of the sample. We experimentally probe transport in a quantum Hall sample engineered to host a tunable number of counter-propagating edge states. The latter are coupled by Landauer reservoirs, which force charge equilibration over a tunable effective length. We show that charge transport is determined by the balance of up- and downstream channels, with a ballistic regime emerging for unequal numbers of channels. For equal numbers, we observe a transition to a critical diffusive regime, characterized by a diverging equilibration length. Our approach allows simulating the equilibration of hole-conjugate states and other exotic quantum Hall effects with fully controlled parameters using well-understood quantum Hall states.
Quantum-Limited Acoustoelectric Amplification in a Piezoelectric-2DEG Heterostructure
We provide a quantum mechanical description of phonon amplification in a heterostructure consisting of a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) stacked on top of a piezoelectric material. An applied drift voltage effectively creates a population inversion in the momentum states of the 2DEG electrons, giving rise to spontaneous emission of phonons. Once an acoustic wave is launched, the pumped electrons release phonons via stimulated emission, returning to depleted ground states before being pumped back to the excited states. We show that whereas efficient amplification using a 1D electron gas requires the acoustic wavelength to roughly equal the average electron-electron spacing, a 2DEG enables efficient amplification for any wavelength greater than the average electron-electron spacing. We derive the imaginary and real parts of the 2DEG first-order acoustic susceptibility as functions of electronic drift velocity in specific limits and derive the gain per unit length for the signal and the quantum noise, with the gain matching the classical result in the short-electronic-lifetime (low-mobility) regime. Moreover, we analyze the gain clamping due to pump depletion and calculate the maximum achievable intensity. Our results provide a framework for designing novel acoustic devices including a quantum phononic laser and phase-insensitive quantum phononic amplifiers.
Correlated Quantum Phenomena in Confined Two-Dimensional Hexagonal Crystals
Low-energy fermionic excitations in two-dimensional materials deviate from the conventional Schr\"odinger description and are instead governed by Dirac equations. Such Dirac fermions give rise to a variety of unconventional quantum phenomena that have no direct analogues in traditional condensed matter systems. Among these materials, graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) represent two prototypical platforms, hosting massless and massive Dirac particles, respectively, and exhibiting rich electronic, optical, and valley dependent properties. Here we review the effect of the quantum confinement in these two-dimensional hexagonal materials that provides a powerful route to enhance Coulomb interactions and stabilizing correlated quantum states. In graphene- and TMD-based quantum dots, externally imposed confinement leads to discrete electronic and excitonic spectra, where interaction effects are strongly amplified. In twisted van der Waals heterostructures, the moir\'e superlattices generate emergent confinement and induce nontrivial band topology, giving rise to a wealth of novel phenomena. More generally, reduced dimensionality and spatial localization in two-dimensional materials promote a diverse range of correlated states. Recent experimental and theoretical advances highlight the central role of confinement in shaping quantum behavior and reveal new opportunities for applications based on these states. In this review, we provide an overview of recent progress in confinement-induced correlated phenomena in two-dimensional materials from both theoretical and experimental perspectives.
Universal quantum melting of quasiperiodic attractors in driven-dissipative cavities
That author's affiliation: Universität Hamburg First author institution: Universität Hamburg Last author institution: University of Konstanz
Nonlinear classical mechanics has established rich phenomena. These include limit tori defined by toroidal attractors supporting quasiperiodic motion with incommensurate frequencies. We study the fate of such structures in open quantum systems using two coupled driven-dissipative Kerr cavities modeled via the Lindblad master equation. Combining Liouvillian spectral theory with the truncated Wigner approximation, we characterize the quantum-to-classical crossover. In the classical limit, two pairs of purely imaginary Liouvillian eigenvalues signal persistent quasiperiodic modes. Quantum fluctuations induce small negative real parts to these eigenvalues, giving rise to finite lifetimes and leading to the quantum melting of the torus. The associated Liouvillian gaps vanish algebraically in the classical limit, indicating a dynamical critical crossover with spontaneous breaking of time-translational symmetry. Quantum trajectory analysis reveals that this melting is driven by fluctuation-induced dephasing. Using a circular-variance-based order parameter, we uncover universal scaling in system size and time. These results establish quantum melting of limit tori as a distinct and robust non-equilibrium critical phenomenon, with clear experimental signatures in trapped ions and superconducting circuits.