Spiking neural networks excel at event-driven sensing. Yet, maintaining task-relevant context over long timescales both algorithmically and in hardware, while respecting both tight energy and memory budgets, remains a core challenge in the field. We address this challenge through an algorithm-hardware co-design effort. At the algorithm level, inspired by the cortical fast-slow organization in the brain, we introduce a neural network with an explicit slow memory pathway that, combined with fast spiking activity, enables a dual memory pathway (DMP) architecture in which each layer maintains a compact low-dimensional state that summarizes recent activity and modulates spiking dynamics. This explicit memory stabilizes learning while preserving event-driven sparsity, achieving competitive accuracy on long-sequence benchmarks with 40-60% fewer parameters than equivalent state-of-the-art spiking neural networks. At the hardware level, we introduce a near-memory-compute architecture that fully leverages the advantages of the DMP architecture by retaining its compact shared state while optimizing dataflow, across heterogeneous sparse-spike and dense-memory pathways. We show experimental results that demonstrate more than a 4X increase in throughput and over a 5X improvement in energy efficiency compared with state-of-the-art implementations. Together, these contributions demonstrate that biological principles can guide functional abstractions that are both algorithmically effective and hardware-efficient, establishing a scalable co-design framework for real-time neuromorphic computation and learning.

Chiral-parity (parity-doublet) effective Lagrangian models provide a compact and symmetry-consistent framework for describing baryons and their negative-parity partners in terms of linearly-realized chiral symmetry. Unlike the conventional, linear, sigma model; the parity-doublet approach accommodates a chirally-invariant mass term, $m_0$, allowing finite baryon-masses even when the chiral condensate melts. This feature enables a unified treatment of hadronic matter across vacuum, nuclear and dense astrophysical regimes. This compact review summarizes the key structures of parity-doublet Lagrangians; outlines the mean-field formulation for nuclear and stellar matter; and highlights recent phenomenological and lattice constraints on the chirally-invariant mass. Emphasis is placed on mirror versus naïve chiral assignments; the role of vector interactions in achieving nuclear saturation; and the implications of parity doubling for the equation-of-state of dense matter and neutron-star cooling. The review concludes with current theoretical challenges and perspectives for extending these models beyond the mean-field approximation.

We demonstrate that, for a quantum Markovian semigroup on a finite-dimensional Hilbert space, if it satisfies the standard quantum detailed balance condition, its generator admits a special representation that yields a vanishing entropy production rate. Conversely, if the generator admits a special representation adhering to the condition of thermodynamic consistency and leading to a vanishing entropy production rate, then the corresponding quantum Markovian semigroup must satisfy the standard quantum detailed balance condition. In this context, we adopt the definition of entropy production rate that is motivated by the physics literature and standard for thermodynamically consistent Lindbladians.

We study the interplay between superconductivity and altermagnetism in disordered systems using recently derived quantum kinetic transport equations. Starting from this framework, we derive the Ginzburg-Landau free energy and identify, in addition to the conventional pair-breaking term, a coupling between the spin and the spatial variation of the superconducting order parameter. Two distinct effects emerge from this coupling. The first is a nonlinear magnetoelectric effect, in which a supercurrent (i.e., a phase gradient) induces a spin texture; this contribution is quadratic in the phase gradient. The second effect arises when the magnitude, rather than the phase, of the superconducting order parameter varies in space, likewise leading to a finite magnetization. We show that these two contributions compete in the case of an Abrikosov vortex, where both the amplitude and phase of the order parameter vary spatially. The effect associated with amplitude variations also gives rise to a proximity-induced magnetization (PIM) in hybrid structures composed of a superconductor (S) and an altermagnet (AM). Using quasiclassical theory, we analyze the PIM in diffusive S/AM bilayers and S/AM/S Josephson junctions, and determine the induced magnetization profiles. In Josephson junctions, where both the PIM and the nonlinear magnetoelectric effect coexist, we further predict the occurrence of $0$-$π$ transitions.

Multilayer network science has emerged as a central framework for analysing interconnected and interdependent complex systems. Its relevance has grown substantially with the increasing availability of rich, heterogeneous data, which makes it possible to uncover and exploit the inherently multilayered organisation of many real-world networks. In this review, we summarise recent developments in the field. On the theoretical and methodological front, we outline core concepts and survey advances in community detection, dynamical processes, temporal networks, higher-order interactions, and machine-learning-based approaches. On the application side, we discuss progress across diverse domains, including interdependent infrastructures, spreading dynamics, computational social science, economic and financial systems, ecological and climate networks, science-of-science studies, network medicine, and network neuroscience. We conclude with a forward-looking perspective, emphasizing the need for standardised datasets and software, deeper integration of temporal and higher-order structures, and a transition toward genuinely predictive models of complex systems.

Emerging sixth-generation wireless systems are increasingly heterogeneous, with compatibility across diverse configurations, ubiquitous coverage, and expanded functionalities. Although deep learning has substantially benefited wireless system design, existing approaches are typically trained for specific system settings and scenarios with limited generalizability. Here we present WiFo-2, a space-time-frequency foundation model for unified wireless communications and sensing system design. Pretrained on a heterogeneous dataset of 11.6 billion channel state information (CSI) points, WiFo-2 learns generalized wireless representations across scenarios, configurations, and tasks, and exhibits scaling-law behavior. WiFo-2 achieves reliable and accurate zero-shot channel reconstruction, outperforming fully supervised task-specific models. With only 1% of the training samples required by supervised AI models, WiFo-2 achieves state-of-the-art performance across 9 distinct wireless tasks. A functional hardware prototype further demonstrates its real-world deployability and superior capability across diverse wireless tasks. This work provides a versatile wireless design framework and advances understanding of wireless channels.

We study the spin-1/2 Kitaev honeycomb gapless spin liquid in the presence of Stone-Wales-type local lattice defects with odd-sided plaquettes. While the clean Kitaev model has no finite-temperature phase transitions, we find that introducing a finite defect density $n_d\approx 10^{-4}$--$10^{-2}$ produces a true phase transition with a sizeable $T_c \approx 2 n_d$ in units of the Kitaev exchange. The resulting non-Abelian chiral quantum spin liquid exhibits scalar spin chirality and electron orbital magnetization which peak near lattice defects. This disorder-driven instability relies on an emergent long range ferromagnetic interaction $r^{-γ}$ ($γ\approx 2.7$) between defect chiralities, mediated by the nearly-gapless fermions, with implications for topology generation in Dirac cones with fluctuating mass terms.

Noble gases are powerful probes of the Earth's early history, as they are chemically inert. Neon isotopic ratios in deep mantle plumes suggest that nebular gases were incorporated into the Earth's interior. This evidence implies the Earth's formation began when there was still gas around, with Earth embryos accreting primordial gas and a fraction of that gas dissolved into molten magma. In this work, we examine these implications, simulating the growth of primordial envelopes using modern gas accretion schemes, and computing the dissolution of nebular Ne into magma oceans following chemical equilibrium. We find that the embryo mass that reproduces the deep mantle concentration of primordial Ne is tightly constrained to $\sim 0.3 M_\oplus$, within a solar nebula depleted by $\geq 100 \times$ in gas density. Embryos of smaller masses cannot accrete enough gas to allow the mantle to reach the melting temperature of basalt. Embryos of larger masses accrete way too much gas, producing excessive Ne concentrations in the deep mantle. Based on our calculations, we suggest that the Earth's formation began with the assembly of $\sim 0.3 M_\oplus$ embryos during the dispersal of the solar nebula. Light noble gases (He, Ne) in the deep mantle reflect the primordial gas accretion history of the Earth, while heavy noble gases (Ar, Kr, Xe) probe early solid accretion processes. Our results are consistent with the final assembly of the Earth through at least two giant impacts after the dispersal of the nebula.

We apply the numerical linked cluster expansion (NLCE) to study thermodynamic properties of the proximate Kitaev magnet $α$-RuCl$_3$ on the honeycomb lattice in the presence of a magnetic field. Using the extended spin-1/2 $J$-$K$-$Γ$ model and based on documented exchange and magnetoelastic coupling parameters, we present results for the internal energy, the specific heat, and the magnetization. Moreover, the linear magnetostriction coefficient perpendicular to the plane is calculated, which is sensitive to changes of the in-plane spin-spin correlations. We find the magnetostriction to display a dip-like feature, in line with the temperature dependent and field-driven suppression of magnetic order in $α$-RuCl$_3$. Our results are consistent with previous findings, establishing NLCE also as a tool to study magnetoelastic features of quantum magnets.

Recently, many new excited states of heavy mesons have been discovered in recent experiments, including radially excited states. The production processes of these states from the $B_{(s)}$ meson have drawn significant interest. In this paper, we use the covariant light-front approach to study the nonleptonic $B_{(s)}$ meson decays to the first radially excited states $D_{(s)}(2S)$ and $D^{*}_{(s)}(2S)$. Our results reveal that many channels exhibit large branching ratios in the range $10^{-5}\sim 10^{-4}$, even up to $10^{-3}$ for individual channels, which are detectable by current experiments. Our predictions for the decays $B_{(s)}\to D^{(*)}_{(s)}(2S)(π,ρ,K^{(*)})$ are larger than those given by the Bethe-Salpeter (BS) equation method, but agree well with the relativistic quark mode (RQM) and the relativistic independent quark model (RIQM) calculations. For comparison, we also present the branching ratios of the decays $B_{(s)}\to D^{(*)}_{(s)}(1S)(π,ρ,K^{(*)})$, which are comparable with other theoretical results and the data. Although the branching ratios of the decays $B_{(s)} \to D^{*}_{(s)}(1S)(ρ,K^*)$ are much larger than those of the decays $B_{(s)} \to D^{*}_{(s)}(2S)(ρ,K^*)$, the polarization properties between them are similar, that is, the longitudinal polarization fractions are dominant and can amount roughly to $90\%$.

We give a polynomial improvement to the cycle-complete Ramsey numbers \[ r(C_{\ell},K_k) \geq k^{1+1/(\ell- 2) + \varepsilon_{\ell} + o(1)}, \] for all fixed odd $\ell > 7$ with $k \rightarrow \infty$, for some $\varepsilon_{\ell} > 0$.

In this paper we provide an easy proof of Barmpalias--Lewis-Pye result saying that all computable increasing sequences converging to random reals converge with the same speed (up to a $c+o(1)$ factor) by noting that it immediately follows from Bishop's upcrossing inequality. We also provide a simple derivation of this inequality.

The physical mechanisms driving neutrino and electromagnetic flares in blazars remain poorly understood. We investigate a prominent multi-messenger flare in the quasar PKS 1424+240 to identify the processes responsible for its high-energy emission. We analyze the IceCube-240105A high-energy neutrino event together with contemporaneous observations in the gamma-ray, X-ray, optical, and radio bands. The on- and off-flare spectral energy distributions (SEDs) are modeled within a single-zone leptohadronic framework. Multi-epoch VLBA observations from the MOJAVE program provide parsec-scale polarization data that complement the multi-wavelength light curves. No significant time delay is detected between the neutrino arrival and the flares in different energy bands. This is consistent with an extremely small jet viewing angle below 1 deg, inferred from the parsec-scale polarization structure. The flare can be reproduced by the injection of a proton population and an increase of the Doppler factor from 18 to 24. We also detect an approximately 90 deg rotation of the EVPA in the parsec-scale core during the initial phase of the flare, indicating the emergence of a shock formed by the change in the bulk plasma speed. Our comprehensive multi-messenger analysis demonstrates that the extreme beaming and sub-degree viewing angle of this distant blazar can account for the observed neutrino and electromagnetic activity. These findings strengthen the case for blazars as efficient accelerators of hadrons and as significant contributors to the observed high-energy neutrino flux.

Self-sustained oscillators play a central role in the stabilization and synchronization of complex dynamical systems. A number of different physical systems are currently being investigated to clarify the importance of such active components in the quantum realm. Here we explore the properties of a driven dissipative electron-photon hybrid system based on superconducting microwave resonators coupled resonantly to a voltage-biased double quantum dot (DQD). First, we establish a Hopf bifurcation at a critical value of the electron-photon coupling, beyond which an effective negative friction sustains steady limit-cycle oscillations of individual resonators. Second, we show that two such limit-cycle resonators coupled via the same voltage-biased DQD synchronize for small enough frequency detuning. A nonlinear photon Keldysh action is derived by perturbation theory in the effective circuit fine-structure constant, and the limit-cycle dynamics is analyzed in terms of resulting saddle-point, and Fokker-Planck equations. In the Markovian limit of infinite bias voltage, these results are shown to agree well with the solution of a corresponding Lindblad master equation for the DQD resonator system.

The mean transmission efficiency of the EMMA recoil mass spectrometer at TRIUMF has been measured with 6 different angular apertures at 17 kinetic energy/charge deviations with respect to the central, reference trajectory. Measurements performed using a 148Gd alpha source installed at the target position of the spectrometer are compared to ion-optical calculations and Monte Carlo simulations. The transmission efficiency as a function of angle and kinetic energy/charge is described empirically using piecewise Gaussian functions whose parameters are fit to the data.

Qubit mapping/routing is a critical stage in compilation for both near-term and fault-tolerant quantum computers, yet existing scalable methods typically impose several times the routing overhead in terms of circuit depth or duration. This inefficiency stems from a fundamental disconnect: compilers rely on an abstract routing model (e.g., three-CX-unrolled SWAP insertion) that completely ignores the idiosyncrasies of native gates supported by physical devices. Recent hardware breakthroughs have enabled high-precision implementations of diverse instruction set architectures (ISAs) beyond standard CX-based gates. Advanced ISAs involving gates such as $\mathrm{\sqrt{iSWAP}}$ and $\mathrm{ZZ}(θ)$ gates offer superior circuit synthesis capabilities and can be realized with higher fidelities. However, systematic compiler optimization strategies tailored to these advanced ISAs are lacking. To address this, we propose Canopus, a unified qubit mapping/routing framework applicable to diverse quantum ISAs. Built upon the canonical representation of two-qubit gates, Canopus centers on qubit routing to perform deep co-optimization in an ISA-aware approach. Canopus leverages the two-qubit canonical representation and the monodromy polytope theory to model the synthesis cost for more intelligent SWAP insertion during qubit routing. We also formalize the commutation relations between two-qubit gates through the canonical form, providing a generalized approach to commutativity-based optimization. Experiments show that Canopus consistently reduces routing overhead by 15%-35% compared to state-of-the-art methods across various backend ISAs and device topologies. More broadly, this work establishes a coherent method for co-exploration of program patterns, quantum ISAs, and hardware topologies, yielding concrete guidelines for hardware-software co-design.

Designing effective score functions in Conformal Prediction (CP) for time-series data remains challenging due to conservativeness and/or computational inefficiency. We propose Optimal Selection Conformal Prediction (OSCP), which parameterizes the score function via offset terms. To determine these parameters, we formulate a mixed-integer linear program (MILP) that minimizes an empirical proxy of the region size. We further reformulate this optimization problem into a smaller form (fewer constraints) to improve computational efficiency. We provide theoretical guarantees on both validity and CP-efficiency of OSCP. Numerical experiments demonstrate that OSCP reduces uncertainty-set size and has much lower computational requirements compared to the state-of-the-art method.

This research presents a framework for describing the average velocity magnitude of an accelerated, self-propelled Brownian particle diffusing in a thermal fluid and confined by a harmonic external potential. The system is immersed in a thermal bath of harmonic oscillators at a constant temperature, where the bath constituents also interact with the external field. The dynamics are investigated for both a sphere and a disk, partitioned into two distinct stochastic processes. The first process describes the coarse-grained, time-dependent internal self-velocity generated by a set of independent Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes, independent of the external field. This internal mechanism provides the initial velocity for the particle to diffuse within the fluid, which is modeled via a modified generalized Langevin equation as the second process. We find that the system exhibits spontaneous fluctuations in the diffusive velocity magnitude due to the internal mechanism; however, as expected, these momentary fluctuations decay at long times. Finally, the internal propulsion velocity magnitude in spherical coordinates is derived, accompanied by simulations of the different magnitudes for both the sphere and the disk, the latter following established equations in polar coordinates.

The distributed coloring problem is arguably one of the key problems studied in the area of distributed graph algorithms. The most standard variant of the problem asks for a proper vertex coloring of a graph with $Δ+1$ colors, where $Δ$ is the maximum degree of the graph. Despite an immense amount of work on distributed coloring problems in the distributed setting, determining the deterministic complexity of $(Δ+1)$-coloring in the standard message passing model remains one of the most important open questions of the area. In this paper, we aim to improve our understanding of the deterministic complexity of $(Δ+1)$-coloring as a function of $Δ$ in a special family of graphs for which significantly faster algorithms are already known. The neighborhood independence $θ$ of a graph is the maximum number of pairwise non-adjacent neighbors of some node of the graph. In general, in graphs of neighborhood independence $θ=O(1)$ (e.g., line graphs), it is known that $(Δ+1)$-coloring can be solved in $2^{O(\sqrt{\logΔ})}+O(\log^* n)$ rounds. In the present paper, we significantly improve this result, and we show that in graphs of neighborhood independence $θ$, a $(Δ+1)$-coloring can be computed in $(θ\cdot\logΔ)^{O(\log\logΔ/ \log\log\logΔ)}+O(\log^* n)$ rounds and thus in quasipolylogarithmic time in $Δ$ as long as $θ$ is at most polylogarithmic in $Δ$. We also show that the known approach that leads to a polylogarithmic in $Δ$ algorithm for $(2Δ-1)$-edge coloring already fails for edge colorings of hypergraphs of rank at least $3$.

We study two related quantities which generalize the concept of upper Banach density of a set to two measurable subsets of the plane. The first of them allows us to generalize a classic result on sufficiently large distances realized in a set of positive upper density, to distances between points of two sets satisfying an appropriate density condition. The second one allows us to show that for all sufficiently large scales $t>0$ and for a smooth, closed, centrally symmetric, planar curve $Γ$ which bounds a convex and compact region in the plane and is of non-vanishing curvature, the family consisting of portions of translates of $tΓ$ has the maximal possible Vapnik--Chervonenkis dimension.

Building on the first-ever application of neural networks in TMD phenomenology: "Extraction of the Sivers function with deep neural networks", we now present a momentum space, physics-informed deep learning framework for the direct extraction of unpolarized transverse momentum dependent parton distributions (TMDs) from fixed target Drell-Yan data (E288, E605). Rather than transforming to impact-parameter space, we remain in k and embed a normalized integrand s(x, k; Q) whose auto-convolution produces the observed qT spectra. The extraction proceeds in two steps. Stage I learns the structure kernel S(qT , x1, x2; QM ) by regressing the cross-section with known kinematic prefactors and charge-weighted PDF combinations factored out; experimental and PDF uncertainties are propagated with Monte Carlo replicas. Stage II reconstructs s(x, k; Q) with an end-to-end differentiable k quadrature layer. Applied to Fermilab cross-section data from experiments E288 and E605, the method reproduces the measured qT spectra across Q and yields x and Q dependent TMDs that broaden with Q, with uncertainty bands that consistently propagate experimental, PDF, algorithmic and methodological components. The approach is minimally biased (no factorized Ansatze and no bT transform) and provides a transferable template for polarized TMDs and related QCD inverse problems.

X-ray binary accretion disk winds can carry away a significant fraction of the matter transferred from the companion and hence strongly affect the accretion flow and the long-term evolution of the binary. However, accurate mass outflow rate measurements are challenging due to uncertainties in our understanding of the 3D wind structure. Most studies employ absorption line spectroscopy that only gives us a single sightline through the wind streamlines. Hercules X-1 is a peculiar X-ray binary which allows us to avoid this issue, as its warped, precessing accretion disk naturally presents a range of sightlines through the vertical structure of its disk wind. Here we present the first results from a large, coordinated campaign on Her X-1 led by the new XRISM observatory (with an exposure of 210 ks) and supported by XMM-Newton, NuSTAR and Chandra. We perform a time-resolved analysis and constrain the wind properties. With XRISM/Resolve, we directly detect the Her X-1 orbital motion with an amplitude of 170 km/s in the evolution of the wind velocity. After correcting for this effect, we observe an increase in wind velocity from 250 km/s to 600 km/s as the wind rises to greater heights above the disk. The wind column density decreases with increasing height, as expected, but its ionization parameter log($ξ$/erg cm s$^{-1}$) evolves only weakly from 3.65 to 3.9 as the wind expands away. Additionally, we detect a new orbital dependence of the wind properties, revealing a likely second component that appears only briefly after the eclipse by the secondary star.

Modular architectures offer a scalable path toward fault-tolerant quantum computing by interconnecting smaller quantum processing units (QPUs) provided that high-rate, fault-tolerant interfaces can be realized across modules. We present a comprehensive analysis and comparison of known and new methods for establishing such interfaces, including lattice surgery, transversal gates, and novel grow-and-distil protocols based on code growing and logical distillation. Using the surface code, we identify optimal interface strategies across a wide range of hardware parameters, such as gate fidelities, entangling rates, and memory resources, and estimate the requirements to achieve logical error rates of $10^{-6}$ and $10^{-12}$. Our results establish when the interface become a bottleneck in the computation and provide guidance for experimental implementations with superconducting, atomic, and solid-state hardware.

We investigate the geometric evolution of elastic domain-wall loops in two dimensions. Assuming an instantaneous, isotropic, and homogeneous arc-velocity response of the domain wall to external pressure and local signed curvature, we derive closed dynamical equations linking the enclosed area and loop perimeter for both linear and nonlinear arc-velocity response functions. This reduced description enables predictions for the dynamics of both spontaneous and externally driven domains-subjected to constant or alternating fields-within the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau scalar $ϕ^4$ model. In the linear response regime, where a non-crossing principle holds in the absence of external driving, we obtain exact results. In particular, we demonstrate that the relaxation rate of the total spontaneous magnetization becomes quantized for arbitrary initial conditions involving multiple, possibly nested, loops, with discrete jumps corresponding to individual loop collapse events. Under external driving, the avoidance principle breaks down due to sparse interactions between interfaces-either within a single loop or between multiple loops-leading to coalescence or splitting events that change the number of loops. A quantized geometrical observable involving the total area and perimeter is identified in this case as well, exhibiting discrete jumps both at interface interaction events and at individual loop collapses. We further use approximate area-perimeter relations to estimate the spontaneous collapse lifetimes of compact magnetic domains, as well as their dynamics under alternating-field-assisted collapse in disordered ultrathin magnetic films. Our predictions are compared with experimental observations in such systems.

We characterise the bounded left $K$-invariant normalized Eisenstein integrals on split rank one semisimple symmetric spaces. As a consequence we prove Hausdorff-Young inequality on these spaces. We also prove similar result for $K$-finite Eisenstein integrals on pseudo-Riemannian real hyperbolic spaces.

Along the last ten years, a general relativistic method has been developed to generate analytical expressions for the black hole (BH) parameters in terms of observables, namely the frequency shift of photons emitted by orbiting test particles and their positions on the sky. Applications of the method to astrophysical systems such as Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs), in particular to megamaser systems orbiting the central BH on their flat accretion disks, showed a coupling behavior in the mass-to-distance ratio $M/D$. Estimates for the ratio $M/D$ of a sample of BHs hosted at the core of several AGNs have been performed in recent years with the help of this method. However, both analytical expressions and statistical estimations depend only on the $M/D$ ratio rather than on independent parameters. It is of current general interest to work with decoupled parameters in order to safeguard the intrinsic physical information encoded in each of them, given their high scientific relevance in understanding the structure of our Universe. The purpose of this work is to find analytical expressions for the mass and distance of a Schwarzschild BH in terms of astrophysical observables by introducing a slight warping in the accretion disk of the orbiting megamasers. As a result, independent analytical formulas for the mass and distance of AGN supermassive BHs are presented in terms of astrophysical observables: maser frequency shifts, disk parameters, and the galaxy's peculiar redshift.

We construct $F(R)$ gravity models with scalar fields to describe cosmological inflation and formation of primordial black holes (PBHs). By adding the induced gravity term and the fourth-order polynomial potential for the scalar field to the known $F(R)$ gravity model, and using a conformal transformation of the metric, we obtain a two-field chiral cosmological model. For some values of the model parameters, we get that the inflationary parameters of this model are in good agreement with the observations of the cosmic microwave background radiation obtained by the Atacama Cosmology Telescope. The estimation of PBH masses suggests that PBHs could be dark matter candidates.

Phonon sensitive superconducting qubits promise to provide sub-eV energy deposit thresholds, useful for future rare-event experiments looking for interactions from dark matter and neutrinos. We detail here engineering results from a Quantum Parity Detector (QPDs), one of a class of phonon sensitive qubits, and, as a first measurement, show that this device has a quiescent quasiparticle density of $1.8 \pm 0.8 μ\mathrm{m}^{-3}$, in line with expectation. We also outline an argon ion-mill process for multi-step Josephson Junction fabrication, expanding the sparse literature on this topic, which proves useful in avoiding secondary parasitic junctions.

Acetic acid, an important industrial chemical, is a key target product for CO2 reduction due to its dual role in carbon utilization and chemical feedstock supply. Although photocatalytic CO2 reduction (PCCR) can generate acetic acid alongside other multicarbon products, its yield is typically low, limited by competing reactions and inefficient C-C coupling. Herein, we report a chiral mesostructured ZnIn2S4 (CMZI) photocatalyst that achieves a remarkable acetic acid yield of 962 {umol g-1 h-1 with a high selectivity of 97.3 %. This yield is ten times higher than the current highest reported value, while attaining state-of-the-art selectivity10. The remarkable productivity arises from synergistic effect between chiral structure and sulfur (S) sites of CMZI. Chirality-induced spin polarization in CMZI stabilizes the key triplet OCCO intermediate, significantly promoting C-C coupling efficiency. Theoretical calculations reveal that the S sites on {102} crystal facets of ZnIn2S4 exhibit thermodynamic and kinetic preferences for acetic acid formation. This work offers critical insights into catalytic strategies for CO2 reduction toward the efficient and scalable synthesis of various multicarbon products.

A novel experiment is introduced to detect photon-axion conversion independent of the dark-matter hypothesis in a broad mass-range called WISP Interferometer (WINTER). The setup consists of a free-space Mach-Zehnder-type interferometer incorporating an external magnetic field and vacuum in one of the arms, where photon-axion mixing occurs via the Primakoff effect and is detected through changes in amplitude. The expected axion-induced signal is then modulated by polarization changes. The experiment is designed to integrate a Fabry-Pérot cavity with a finesse of $10^{5}$ that will be operated in a vacuum environment, significantly enhancing the sensitivity. It is projected to reach the DFSZ theoretical line with photon-axion coupling sensitivities down to $g_{aγγ}\simeq 3.7\times10^{-14}$ $\text{GeV}^{-1}$ for axion masses up to 380 $μ$eV.