We perform light-scattering numerical simulations for two dust populations: (i) consolidated porous particles computed with the discrete dipole approximation (ADDA) and (ii) highly porous aggregate models, including fractal and hierarchical aggregates, computed with the multiple-sphere T-matrix method (MSTM). Using DSHARP optical constants, we compute scattering matrices, cross sections, and effective albedo omega_eff for a size distribution n(a) proportional to a^q, with q = -3.5, amin = 0.1 micron, and ten wavelengths from 0.87 to 10 mm. We find that increasing porosity strengthens forward scattering and enhances polarization near theta approximately 90 degrees. For compact spheres, P(90 degrees) times omega_eff peaks near amax approximately lambda divided by 2 pi and then declines, whereas porous particles show a broader peak extending to larger sizes, keeping polarization-based constraints compatible with amax approximately 1 mm. Porosity also lowers kappa_abs at fixed dust mass relative to compact spheres, implying larger inferred dust masses for a given continuum flux.

J=1--0 SiO masers at 43 GHz have a well-established distinctive signature in asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. 28SiO transitions typically dominate these spectra with the v=1 and v=2 emission being especially prominent and ubiquitous. Several predictions about enhanced 29SiO abundances in exotic stars prompt us to catalog the cases where 29SiO maser emission is enhanced compared to 28SiO. Our purpose is to catalog the known cases of 43 GHz spectra dominated by emission from isotopologue transitions (iso-dom spectra), to explore the commonalities in these sources, and to explain the cause of such maser signatures. Our catalog is drawn from SiO maser line ratios in the infrared-color-selected BAaDE survey and supplemented with a literature detection. The BAaDE catalog has cemented the typical signature of 43 GHz SiO masers, showing it is dominated by the v=1 and v=2 lines. Thirty-five iso-dom spectra are identified, meaning that this signature is seen in about 0.2% of our SiO maser-bearing stars. Their infrared colors are blue compared to other sources of the same period, similar to all sources displaying isotopologue masers. It is clear that the iso-dom nature of sources is variable, but unclear whether this is tied to stellar phase. A large abundance abnormality among the iso-dom sources is disfavored as the iso-dom sources do not appear significantly different from other stars which host isotopologue masers. Maser pumping, affecting the population inversions of specific transitions, can instead explain the enhanced signatures. We posit that iso-dom spectra appear in AGB stars which have undergone third-dredge up (enhancing the 29SiO and 30SiO abundance slightly) and which, in addition, are experiencing very low turbulence velocity (<1 km/s), creating a line overlap which pumps the maser transitions very efficiently.

Context. Type Ibn supernovae (SNe) are characterized by narrow helium emission lines arising from ejecta-circumstellar medium interaction, yet their progenitors remain debated, with both massive Wolf-Rayet stars and low-mass helium stars in binaries proposed. Aims. We aim to directly identify the progenitor of the Type Ibn SN 2023fyq and to characterize its environment in order to constrain the progenitor's nature and evolutionary channel. Methods. We search for the SN progenitor based on pre-explosion and late-time HST and JWST images and derive its properties by fitting the spectral energy distribution. We investigate the SN environment by probing the stars, dust, ionized gas and molecular gas with a multi-wavelength dataset including HST and JWST imaging, VLT/MUSE integral-field-unit spectroscopy and ALMA CO (2--1) radio interferometry. Results. We discover a pre-explosion source at the SN position, which is consistent with a hot ($T>$15000 K) and luminous (log($L$/$L_\odot$) $\gtrsim$ 5.5) SN progenitor and a possible host star cluster. The progenitor is confirmed to have disappeared after explosion. Analysis of the SN environment implies that the progenitor likely has an age of log($t$/yr) = 7.1--7.2. These phenomena disfavor a very massive single-star progenitor and instead support a binary scenario involving a low-mass helium star and a compact object; the observed progenitor emission likely arises from binary interaction that began at least $\sim$12 yr before the explosion. Conclusions. SN 2023fyq is the first Type Ibn SN with a directly detected progenitor and a possible host star cluster. It adds to the diversity of Type Ibn SNe in terms of their progenitor channels and mass-loss mechanisms.

Numerical approximations to Ricci-flat Calabi--Yau metrics make it possible to move beyond the topological and holomorphic data that have traditionally dominated explicit string compactifications. This article explains what new physics and mathematics become accessible once the metric, and eventually the associated Hermitian Yang--Mills bundle data, can be computed. In heterotic compactifications, such data are needed to determine matter Kähler metrics, canonically normalized Yukawa couplings, Kaluza--Klein spectra, threshold effects, soft terms, and other non-holomorphic ingredients of the four-dimensional effective action. More broadly, numerical Calabi--Yau geometry provides quantitative input for moduli stabilization, $α'$-corrected backgrounds, de~Sitter model building, axion physics, swampland distance tests, and compactifications in which the internal geometry varies over spacetime. Geometric data permit a computational approach to long-standing mathematical questions involving special Lagrangian submanifolds, SYZ fibrations, mirror symmetry, calibrated geometry, metric degeneration, restrictions of Ricci-flat metrics to fibers, and the search for analytic or semi-analytic structures. We present these directions as a roadmap for future work.

This paper develops a two-branch multiplicative-coset construction for regular Calderbank-Shor-Steane (CSS) quantum low-density parity-check base matrices. For a target column weight \(J\) and an even row weight \(L\), the method reduces regularity, CSS orthogonality, and same-type 4-cycle exclusion to explicit quotient-coset conditions over a finite field. A normalized exhaustive search for these conditions produces base matrices for several \((J,L)\) pairs, so the construction is not tied to a single degree distribution. The construction separates the finite-length design into two stages: the base matrix fixes the degree distribution and the first girth constraints, and a cyclic lift randomizes edge connections subject to exact algebraic checks. As a detailed example, we carry one \((3,10)\)-regular base through the lift and decoding stages. For this example, the selected 64-fold lift gives a code whose same-type Tanner graphs have girth at least eight, and it also excludes a specified weight-16 nondegenerate logical-support orbit. The resulting instance is a \([[10240,4108,\,10\le d\le32]]\) CSS code. For decoding, we use joint log-domain belief propagation together with low-complexity deterministic post-processing rules for small residual syndromes, including repairs for residual patterns with two unsatisfied checks. The frame error rate (FER) measurements provide finite-length decoding data for this detailed example; at depolarizing probability \(p=0.058\), the post-processing FER is \(1.0\times10^{-7}\).

We study orbifold compactifications of heterotic strings on Enriques surfaces. We classify the inequivalent shift vectors for both the E8\times E8 and Spin(32)/Z2 lattices, and analyse the light spectrum of the resulting models. We show that these models can be interpreted as compactifications of ten-dimensional non-supersymmetric heterotic strings on Enriques surfaces. For certain classes of shifts, the moduli-independent tachyons inherited from the parent theories are projected out.

Meyer defined crystalline measures as tempered distributions $μ$ such that both $μ$ and its Fourier transform $\widehatμ$ are pure-point Radon measures of locally finite support. He conjectured that every crystalline measure is almost periodic as a tempered distribution. Favorov constructed a counterexample and asked whether crystalline measures are at least almost periodic as general distributions. To resolve Favorov's question, we first show that the almost periodicity of a crystalline measure is characterised in terms of its translation boundedness, in any class of Radon measures, tempered distributions, or general distributions. We then construct a crystalline Fourier eigenmeasure that fails to be translation bounded even as a distribution. We finally construct a crystalline measure that fails to be a~Fourier quasicrystal (in particular, it fails to be slowly increasing), but it is an almost periodic tempered distribution whose Fourier transform is even a norm almost periodic measure. Our examples fully resolve the questions of Meyer and Favorov and sharply delineate the class boundary of translation boundedness. They also demonstrate the unusual behaviour of crystalline measures beyond the class of Fourier quasicrystals.

The Talbot effect describes the emergence of periodic patterns in perturbed propagating wave fields. The effect is well studied for perturbations from structurally coherent optics such as diffraction gratings. The emergence of freeform and metaoptical designs raises the question of whether comparable behavior can also be observed from complex, non-periodic structures. Here we demonstrate that stochastic structures inspired by recent metamaterial designs, display a strong Talbot-like behavior. Re-emergence of projected wavefronts through stochastic spinodal architectures at distinct propagation distances are proven theoretically and experimentally in the visible and hard X-ray regimes. A direct application of this phenomenon is X-ray dark-field imaging for characterizing artificial and natural meso-structured materials. Our work shows that spinodal X-ray optics effectively bridge the gap between the two opposing approaches in dark-field X-ray imaging that advocate for either spatially fully coherent (i.e gratings) or incoherent (i.e diffusers) optics. This opens opportunities for exploring a new dimension in the implementation of X-ray imaging methods. Given the impact and universality of the classical Talbot effect, we expect our work to enable new opportunities for characterizing and manipulating matter.

The understanding of light-induced dynamical states continues to be a challenging and fruitful pursuit of science. This pursuit is supported by quantum simulation of dynamical phenomena, e.g., in ultracold atom systems. Typically, ultracold atom dynamics are read out destructively, via time-of-flight imaging, limiting a detailed analysis. However, atom-cavity systems provide a real-time readout of the photonic state via photon emission from the cavity, making the system ideally suited for the simulation of dynamical phenomena. Here, we review three distinct time crystalline states, predicted and realized in a cavity-BEC system. We give an example for each of them, based on minimal few-mode models. We characterize the time crystalline states via correlation functions of the cavity mode, and characteristic momentum modes of the condensate. This supports a clear distinction between these time crystals. More generally, the sequence of studies reviewed here, serves as a blueprint for setting up minimal models and their characterization, for dynamical phenomena.

We study the decoherence induced by near-extremal charged black holes on quantum systems in their exterior. Specifically, we analyze a thought experiment recently discussed in the literature, where the quantum system is a charged particle prepared in a spatial superposition. Near-extremal black holes are known to exhibit large quantum metric fluctuations of the near-horizon geometry at low temperatures. We show that, at late times, if the black hole is sufficiently close to extremality, these quantum gravity effects make the decoherence rate vanish. This phenomenon is due to a spin-induced energy gap in the quantum black hole spectrum. For energies above the gap, the decoherence rate becomes nonzero, but is still suppressed relative to semiclassical expectations, so these quantum gravity effects always enhance the coherence of the superposition.

Altered hemodynamics play a key role in cerebrovascular diseases such as aneurysms and stenosis. However, in vivo imaging lacks the spatial resolution required to resolve flow dynamics in small vessels. This study presents an experimental framework to investigate microscale hemodynamics using transparent 3D printed vascular models and particle image velocimetry (PIV). Optically transparent microfluidic models with straight and pathological (aneurysmal and stenotic) geometries were fabricated via additive manufacturing up to a minimum diameter size of 500 microns and characterized using optical microscopy. Flow experiments were conducted under steady laminar conditions, and local velocity fields and wall shear stress (WSS) were measured using microPIV. Measured velocities have been compared with analytical Hagen Poiseuille predictions, obtaining mean relative errors of 5 to 17 percent. The platform reliably captured key flow features and spatial variations in velocity. Overall, the results demonstrate that transparent 3D printed vascular models combined with microPIV provide a robust experimental approach for studying microscale cerebrovascular hemodynamics.

In this study, we report the synthesis and characterization of a novel tetragonal polymorph of Tb-doped Pb2P2O7. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction confirms the stabilization of the P41 and P43 enantiomorphs at room temperature due to the incorporation of Tb3+ ions. Optical investigations reveal green photoluminescence from the characteristic 5D4 -> 7Fj (J = 1-5) transitions of Tb3+, with each emission split due to the crystal field effect, indicating the presence of Tb3+ in multiple coordination environments. The power dependence of the PL intensity follows a linear power-law behavior, suggesting a one-photon excitation process. Temperature-dependent PL measurements show an initial increase in intensity up to 125C, attributed to energy transfer from structural defects, followed by thermal quenching above this temperature. Structural stability at elevated temperatures is confirmed via high-temperature X-ray diffraction (XRD), showing no phase transitions before melting at approximately 800C. These findings highlight the potential of tetragonal Tb-doped Pb2P2O7 as a new class of photoluminescent material.

Earth's atmosphere operates a steam cycle in which water vapor evaporates from the surface, expands, condenses, and returns as precipitation. The Clausius-Clapeyron law relates the incremental expansion work of saturated water vapor to latent heat converted at a Carnot efficiency corresponding to the temperature difference between evaporation and condensation. We generalize this relation to an atmospheric column with condensation occurring over a range of heights and derive the expansion work per mole of precipitated water. This includes the gravitational work associated with lifting moist air to the mean condensation height, the expansion work generated by condensation, and a correction for incomplete condensation. Using GPCP v3.3 precipitation and observational constraints on condensation height, we estimate the global steam-engine power as $W_v=4.4\pm0.9$ W/m2, close to an independent estimate of total atmospheric power, $W=W_P+W_K\simeq4.3\pm0.6$ W/m2, obtained from the gravitational power of precipitation and kinetic energy generation by horizontal pressure gradients diagnosed from MERRA-2. Kinetic energy generation is $W_K\simeq3.2\pm0.3$ W/m2, of which at least two thirds is generated in the lower atmosphere. The smaller upper-atmospheric contribution, dominated by temperature-related pressure gradients, is comparable to Lorenz available potential energy generation. The agreement between steam-engine and atmospheric power is linked to condensation and precipitation fallout. By removing water from the atmospheric gas phase and enabling column-mass redistribution, precipitation maintains surface pressure gradients that drive cross-isobaric flow in the frictional lower atmosphere. The steam-engine framework thus provides a thermodynamic basis for condensation-induced atmospheric dynamics and identifies a major lower-atmospheric power pathway associated with water phase transitions.

Generic quantum many-body systems are expected to thermalize, scrambling initial coherence while local observables relax to equilibrium values. Weak ergodicity breaking, often associated with quantum many-body scarring of homogeneous states, provides rare exceptions with long-lived coherence. We introduce a family of local spin-1/2 chains with a structured subspace that hosts a much broader range of nonthermal phenomena, such as scars, chirally propagating quasiparticles or approximate topological edge modes. These nonthermal phenomena happening at high energy densities can be understood via structured subspaces that are protected by destructive interference. We develop a quantitative leakage theory predicting which states retain coherence and suggest ways to improve the stability by inducing fast oscillations in the complement subspace. Our framework connects asymptotic scars, quantum cages, and parent-Hamiltonian constructions, and shows that weak ergodicity breaking in chaotic systems extends well beyond revivals of homogeneous initial states.

Electromagnetic scattering effects of a vapor cell on electric-field measurements using Rydberg atom-based sensors are analyzed with the aid of the volume integral equation method. In a manner similar to measurement, this computational approach determines the electric field over grid points within the vapor cell. Its relatively high computational efficiency makes it suitable for use in optimization routines and statistical uncertainty studies. We apply this method to compare uncertainty contributions arising due to the presence of the vapor cell, such as uncertainty in the glass relative permittivity or standing wave formation inside the cell, to those arising from the atomic spectroscopic measurement, such as uncertainty in the atomic dipole moment. For vapor cell dimensions less than half a wavelength, the dominant uncertainty source arises from uncertainty in the glass relative permittivity, resulting in a total uncertainty of $\sim$3.5\% -- comparable to the best uncertainties obtained with traditional field generation methods at national metrology institutes. Precise permittivity measurements have the potential to further reduce measurement uncertainty to $<1$\%.

Predicting how a deformable body moves and deforms in a viscous flow underlies problems ranging from microorganism locomotion to soft microrobotics, yet existing frameworks are either problem-specific or ill-suited to inverse design. We propose the soft mobility theory: applying the principle of virtual power and the Lorentz reciprocal theorem to a hyperelastic body in a background Stokes flow yields a configuration-dependent ordinary differential equation for the generalized coordinates of the body. This soft mobility equation extends classical rigid-body mobility theory in that the mobility, elastic, body-force, and flow-coupling tensors all depend explicitly on the instantaneous deformation. We specialize the framework to assemblies of hydrodynamically interacting spheres connected by elastic springs, using the Rotne-Prager-Yamakawa approximation to compute the mobility, and validate it on canonical problems spanning rigid and flexible bodies in quiescent and shear flows. An open-source JAX implementation makes entire simulations end-to-end differentiable. This allows efficient gradient-based inverse design: as proofs of concept, we recover the asymptotic optimum of a three-sphere swimmer and design a soft gyrotactic "surfer" that exploits passive deformation to ascend faster than its rigid counterpart in a Taylor-Green flow.

In this work, a hybrid simulation framework combining TCAD and Allpi$\text{x}^2$ is presented to investigate the sensor properties of MALTA2, a depleted monolithic active pixel sensor designed for future tracking. The study starts from 3D modeling and transient simulations in TCAD, with generic doping profiles and simple well structures. The resulting doping profiles and electric field are extracted and fed into Allpi$\text{x}^2$ for high-statistics Monte Carlo simulations in both DUT-only and full-telescope mode. Simulations reveal a strong dependence of sensor performance, specifically the detection efficiency and cluster size, on the doping concentration of the N-type blanket at the sensor surface. The doping concentration is then optimized by comparing simulations with measurement data. The active depth of the depleted region of the MALTA2 sensor is estimated in both simulations and measurements using a grazing angle method, in which the sensor is positioned at various inclinations relative to the beam, covering angles from 0 to 60 degrees. Excellent agreement on active depth is obtained with the optimal doping concentration, showing a deviation of 2\% from the measured value at a threshold of 450\,$\text{e}^-$. Consequently, the framework offers a generic toolkit for sensor studies without requiring proprietary information.

Intercalation at the graphene/SiC interface provides a controlled route to stabilize atomically thin layers with properties distinct from their bulk counterparts. In this platform, the structure and stability of the intercalated phase depend sensitively on the defect landscape of the starting substrate. For intercalated two-dimensional silver at the graphene/SiC interface, two phases have been observed: a phase epitaxial to the SiC lattice, Ag$_{(1)}$, readily obtained following the conventional intercalation method under ultra-high-vacuum conditions and extensively characterized, and a more densely packed phase, called Ag$_{(2)}$, which has remained largely unexplored. Here we report an in situ ultra-high-vacuum preparation method of the second phase intercalated at the graphene/SiC interface; this phase previously was prepared via high-pressure confinement heteroepitaxy. Low-energy electron diffraction shows that Ag$_{(2)}$ is rotated by 30 degree relative to the SiC lattice and forms supercells, in contrast to the $(1\times 1)$ epitaxial relation of Ag$_{(1)}$ with SiC. High-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy reveals a more rich Ag$_{(2)}$ band dispersion compared to the Ag$_{(1)}$. In density functional theory calculations, by defining the unfolding entropy which, in a quantified way, finds that the band structure of Ag$_{(2)}$ is more suitable to be unfolded to the SiC primitive cell, and the resulting unfolded band dispersion is in great agreement with the experimental data. We further show that the different intercalated Ag phases tune the electronic properties of the overlying quasi-free-standing graphene layer differently: compared with Ag$_{(1)}$, Ag$_{(2)}$ yields an $\sim$1.75 times higher charge carrier density and modifies the charge-plasmon interaction of the graphene layer, indicating a change in effective screening at the interface.

The tight-binding (TB) model is a widely adopted approximation scheme for describing light propagation in waveguide arrays. Despite its success, its validity in $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric systems characterized by strong longitudinal modulation has not been rigorously benchmarked against exact analytical solutions. In this work, we address this gap by performing a comparative analysis between exact continuous solutions derived from $z$-dependent supersymmetric (SUSY) transformations and their corresponding discrete TB approximations. To achieve this, we develop a theoretical model for two PT-symmetric coupled waveguides subject to longitudinal modulation. We then evaluate the performance of the TB framework against the exact SUSY benchmark. Our results delineate the specific validity range of the TB approximation, demonstrating its proficiency in reproducing spatial intensity distributions. However, we also identify its limitations in accurately capturing the complex oscillatory phase dynamics inherent to this non-Hermitian evolution.

We investigate the emergence of non-Markovian dynamics in finite-dimensional open quantum systems governed by Weyl dynamical maps and their convex combinations. Using the Hermite normal form, we provide a complete classification of the subgroups of the discrete phase space $\mathbb{Z}_d \times \mathbb{Z}_d$, establishing the algebraic framework underlying the Weyl maps. We characterize isotropic Weyl dynamical maps that generate Markovian semigroups and show that anisotropic Weyl maps with nonuniform weight distributions cannot possess the semigroup property. Furthermore, we analyze the role of convexity in the generation and suppression of memory effects. Remarkably, we prove that convex combinations of eternally non-Markovian Weyl dephasing maps can generate Markovian semigroups, demonstrating that non-Markovianity is not additive under mixing. Conversely, we establish a general condition under which convex mixtures of $N$ distinct Weyl semigroups exhibit eternal non-Markovianity. In contrast to the qubit Pauli setting, we further identify the existence of irreducible eternally non-Markovian Weyl dephasing maps, namely, individual dynamical maps that display eternal memory effects without requiring any mixing mechanism. Finally, explicit qutrit examples illustrate the transition among Markovian, non-Markovian and eternally non-Markovian regimes. Our results uncover a fundamental connection among finite phase-space algebra, convex structures, and quantum memory effects, thereby extending the theory of non-Markovian dynamics beyond the Pauli framework.

We consider interfaces between critical spin-chains in different universality classes, described in the continuum limit by defect/interface conformal field theory (DCFT/ICFT). We find a new conformal interface between the Tricritical Ising (TIM) and the Ising CFT. We also explore the possibility of its experimental realizations in the context of Rydberg atom arrays. Our analysis emphasizes non-invertible symmetries and consistency under modular transformations, and uses defect couplings and the defect spectrum -- including in the case of mixed boundary conditions -- to make sharp experimental predictions. The structure of the observables hinges on a newly discovered pattern of emergent ${W}_3$ chiral symmetry for the Tricritical-Ising/Ising interface.

We construct a $d$-dimensional dissipative colored fluid by Scherk--Schwarz reduction of a neutral viscous conformal fluid in $D=d+n$ dimensions on an $n$-dimensional unimodular group manifold. The off-diagonal components of the higher-dimensional stress tensor become non-Abelian color currents, while the higher-dimensional shear tensor induces shear, bulk-like and vector-dissipative structures in the reduced theory. We derive the map for the equation of state, sound speed, color current, entropy current and first-order transport coefficients. In particular, \[ η=\ee^{αφ}\coshξ\,\heta,\qquad τ=η\,\frac{n}{(D-1)(d-1)},\qquad κ=η\sinh^2ξ. \] We also spell out the hydrodynamic-frame issue induced by dimensional reduction, discuss the status of the internal rapidity field $ξ$, and give a detailed account of how the second law descends from the parent theory, including the roles of temperature-dependent viscosity, non-unimodular groups and possible choices for $ξ$. The construction should be regarded as a toy model for non-Abelian dissipative hydrodynamics with the potential of paving the way to direct phenomenological model of, for example, quark--gluon plasma.

cloelike is a Python package providing modular, composable Gaussian likelihood classes for the main cosmological large-scale structure observables targeted by the ESA Euclid space mission. It is a core component of the CLOE (Cosmology Likelihood for Observables in Euclid) ecosystem and interfaces directly with cloelib for theoretical predictions and euclidlib for reading official Euclid data products. The package implements Gaussian likelihoods covering harmonic angular power spectra and real-space two-point correlation functions for weak lensing (WL), photometric galaxy clustering (GCph), and Galaxy-Galaxy Lensing (GGL) in all joint probe combinations (3x2pt, 2x2pt), as well as spectroscopic full-shape power spectrum multipoles, and baryonic Acoustic oscillations (BAO). cloelike is actively used in internal Euclid Consortium analyses and is openly released to support community validation and reproducibility.

cloelib is a Python library developed to compute cosmological observables within the Cosmology Likelihood for Observables in Euclid (CLOE) ecosystem (cloe-org). As cosmology enters a precision era driven by galaxy survey missions such as Euclid, there is a growing need for flexible, efficient, and differentiable software capable of supporting next-generation inference pipelines. cloelib addresses these demands through a modular architecture that interfaces seamlessly with established Boltzmann solvers whilst incorporating JAX-based automatic differentiation to enable gradient-based methods. The library defines consistent protocols for background evolution, perturbations, and non-linear structure formation, and supports a wide range of observables, including photometric and spectroscopic large-scale structure probes, as well as cross-correlations with the Cosmic Microwave Background and galaxy clusters. In its finalised form, cloelib is intended to serve as the reference theory computation infrastructure for Euclid's first cosmological release, bridging traditional numerical cosmology with modern optimisation techniques and emerging machine learning approaches to inference.

The interplay between disorder and vortex--vortex interactions in strongly disordered superconductors in a magnetic field can stabilize a vortex-glass state, characterized by strong pinning and the absence of positional order. Yet its role in the destruction of superconductivity at the field-driven superconductor--insulator transition has remained unresolved. Here we use plasmonic microwave spectroscopy of superconducting resonators patterned from amorphous indium oxide thin films to directly track the superfluid density up to the critical field $B_c$. We find an unexpected resilience of the superfluid density, which decreases only logarithmically over nearly three orders of magnitude in field, in stark contrast to the rapid power-law suppression expected for vortex lattices. We attribute this anomalously slow decay to a collective vortex-pinning mechanism counterintuitively enhanced by vortex--vortex interactions. The superfluid density then vanishes linearly at $B_c$, where independent magnetoresistance measurements identify a continuous quantum critical point, unlike the abrupt transition observed at zero field. We further uncover an exceptionally large nonlinear electromagnetic response of the vortex glass, manifested as a pronounced positive-Kerr effect with potential for quantum sensing. These results show how disorder controls the critical magnetic field and identify the vortex glass as the key intermediate state governing the magnetic-field-induced superconductor--insulator transition.

Magnetic topological semimetals provide a promising platform for emergent quantum phenomena driven by the interplay between magnetism and relativistic fermions, including anomalous transport effects and tunable topological phases. Here, we investigate the electronic structure and orbital character of EuAgAs, a magnetic topological Dirac semimetal candidate, using density functional theory (DFT) and polarization dependent angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). Fermi surface mapping and constant energy contours measured at 9 eV reveal ring like features that systematically expand with increasing binding energy, consistent with nearly linear low energy Dirac like dispersion. ARPES measurements at different photon energies hint at the presence of a van Hove singularity predicted by DFT calculations. Furthermore, this indicates that the photoemission matrix elements are highly sensitive to the excitation energy, allowing different photon energies to selectively probe distinct orbital characters. Polarization dependent ARPES measurements performed in s- and p-polarized geometries exhibit pronounced variations in spectral intensity, indicating symmetry selective orbital contributions to electronic states. These matrix element driven intensity modulations are well reproduced by DFT calculations. Furthermore, the observed Dirac like states remain nearly unchanged over the temperature range from 9 K to 30 K, suggesting that the magnetic ordering has minimal influence on the electronic structure. Our combined experimental and theoretical results provide detailed insight into the orbital selective electronic structure of EuAgAs and its implications for magnetic topological quantum states.

Thermodynamics and transport are investigated in a holographic QCD model that extends the Einstein--Maxwell--Dilaton framework by incorporating Gauss--Bonnet corrections. Model parameters are fixed using state-of-the-art lattice QCD thermodynamics. The analysis then examines the equation of state at zero and finite baryon chemical potential, the phase structure in the temperature and chemical potential plane, as well as the shear and bulk viscosity to entropy ratios, $η/s$ and $ζ/s$, via the corresponding fluctuation equations. For a constant Gauss--Bonnet coupling, the model preserves a reasonable description of the equation of state and generates a temperature-dependent $η/s$, although the resulting profile remains monotonic near the crossover region, which does not satisfy the phenomenological expectation. When the Gauss--Bonnet coupling is allowed to depend on the dilaton, a non-monotonic $η/s$ and a peaked $ζ/s$ are obtained while maintaining agreement with thermodynamic constraints. The resulting phase diagram contains a critical end point in a phenomenologically relevant region.

We revisit natural inflation within the framework of metric-affine gravity, considering the impact of a periodic non-minimal coupling between the inflaton and the Nieh-Yan term. Such a term, alone, leads to linear inflation predictions in the strong coupling limit and cannot help to rescue the natural inflation scenario. However, once an analogous non-minimal coupling with the Ricci scalar is added, agreement with data can be easily achieved. Remarkably, the scenario remains viable even with a sub-Planckian periodicity scale and relatively small (order of one) non-minimal couplings.

Vacuum entanglement is a fundamental feature of quantum field theory exhibiting rich structure that is not completely understood. Here, we provide a complete characterization of the entanglement between two bounded spacelike-separated regions in a (1+1)-dimensional free massless real scalar field. Employing Gaussian state methods, we analytically compute the logarithmic negativity and construct closed-form solutions for the localized modes carrying it, called negativity cores. These results deepen our understanding of quantum fields and suggest extensions to higher dimensions and fermionic fields.

We present a multi-wavelength study of GRB 260310A, a nearby long-duration gamma-ray burst at $z\simeq0.153$ associated with a broad-lined Type Ic supernova. Despite its modest prompt gamma-ray output, $E_{γ,\rm iso}\simeq3.5\times10^{50}$ erg, GRB\,260310A exhibits one of the brightest afterglows ever observed in the X-ray, optical, and radio bands. Its apparent brightness is not its only remarkable feature. The optical afterglow displays a delayed onset, characterized by a slow rising phase, with slope $α\approx-1$, and a late peak at $\approx$0.1 d. We argue that the combination of weak prompt emission, hard peak energy, and late afterglow onset is naturally explained by a GRB jet viewed off-axis. The radio spectral energy distributions are consistent with synchrotron radiation and indicate the presence of both reverse- and forward-shock components, thus providing a first test of reverse-shock models in an off-axis geometry. The X-ray afterglow displays a prominent rebrightening, monitored for up to $\approx$68 d with no evidence of spectral evolution. A low level of linear polarization, $Π\approx1.7\%$, is measured at 15 GHz at $T_0+55$ d and suggests that, at these late times, the forward-shock is the dominant emission component from radio to X-rays. This late-time rebrightening represents a critical test for the two-component jet model. If interpreted as the emergence of a narrow jet core viewed further off-axis, it would imply extreme luminosities and energetics for an on-axis observer.