We study the radial oscillation spectrum of relativistic stars within Israel-Stewart and Navier-Stokes theories, extending previous analyses to include heat diffusion and a thermodynamically consistent finite-temperature equation of state. The inclusion of heat flux gives rise to a distinct thermal sector in the mode spectrum, whose structure closely mirrors the dispersion relations of an infinite dissipative fluid. Within Israel-Stewart theory, the thermal modes transition from purely damped to propagating behavior above a critical overtone number, providing a finite-size realization of relativistic second sound in compact stars. Remarkably, the finite stellar geometry can push even the fundamental thermal mode into the propagating regime -- a feature with no continuum analogue. For the class of equations of state considered here, where finite-temperature corrections enter as controlled, Sommerfeld-type perturbations of a cold polytrope, the thermal sector couples only weakly to the ordinary fluid oscillation spectrum, with the coupling being of second order in a suitable temperature parameter. We further show that the discrete stellar spectrum is well captured by an analytic ansatz constructed from the flat-spacetime dispersion relations, with the star's finite radius discretizing the continuous mode structure. Our results complete the analysis of radial oscillations of viscous stars by incorporating the last remaining dissipative degree of freedom within the Israel-Stewart framework.

Black-hole area is the geometric variable behind horizon thermodynamics. We introduce a gravitational-wave method to infer a Kerr-equivalent horizon area from direct waves in the near-merger signal, before quasinormal ringing dominates at late times. Applied to GW250114, and interpreting the fitted direct-wave frequency and damping rate as horizon quantities, we find that analyses initiated $3$--$4.5M$ before the peak-amplitude time yield an area consistent with the Kerr remnant. This result gives a first area measurement using direct waves and a new near-merger test of Hawking's area law.

DARK-FLIP I introduced a semi-analytical and Python-based framework for studying a relativistic version of the intermediate-axis instability (IAI) of a coherent non-axisymmetric matter element around rotating black holes dressed by dark matter (DM). In this second paper I test the robustness of that idea. The main question is simple: if the local environment is changed by the DM profile, how does the flip frequency respond? To answer this, I use a controlled effective response model (ERM), not a full accretion or radiative-transfer simulation. The flip frequency is therefore treated as a diagnostic orientation-modulation timescale, not as a direct quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) model. I vary the DM normalization, profile scale radius, intermediate principal moment of inertia, effective tidal coupling, initial perturbation, and initial orientation. Einasto and regularized cored Navarro--Frenk--White (cored-NFW) profiles are used as the main DM models, while Hernquist is kept as a control benchmark. The analysis includes one-dimensional scans, two-dimensional response maps, profile-contrast maps, time-domain flip simulations, a profile timing-response diagnostic, and a local projected-emissivity proxy. The results show a clear perturbative trend: increasing the enclosed DM normalization decreases the flip frequency relative to Kerr, while more extended profiles weaken the local response. DARK-FLIP II therefore strengthens the interpretation of the flip frequency as a controlled DM-sensitive orientation clock.

In this manuscript, we implement the generalized uncertainty principle (GUP) with linear and quadratic moment for Schwarzschild black hole metric in order to study the influence of quantum effect on the thermodynamics and evaporation of black hole. To this end, we first derive the GUP-modified Hawking temperature of a black hole in the semi-classical framework. Due to the existence of the GUP effect, there is a maximum Hawking temperature. We determine the entropy, heat capacity and Helmholtz free energy with heuristic analysis that investigates the particle absorbed by black hole. Furthermore, we also verify that these quantities are modified by the GUP, the influence of quantum effect on the black hole phase transition is discussed in detail. Then, we analyze the black hole evaporation process in the mentioned framework and examine the obtained results by graphical methods and compare them with each other. We likewise explore the behavior of the event horizon radius, photon sphere radius, and shadow silhouette when influenced by the GUP-corrected Schwarzschild black hole (GCSBH) parameters. We intend to establish restrictions for $α$ by utilizing the event horizon telescope (EHT) data for M87* and Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*). Our findings show that Sgr A* provides more robust constraints. As the parameter $β$ grows, the range of constraints for $α$ expands. For Sgr A* one, we find that the shadow radius is close to the observed value at smaller values of $α$.

We study odd-parity gravitational perturbations of static black holes in trace-quadratic $f(R,T)=R+αT^2$ gravity supported by an anisotropic effective fluid with constant closure parameters $(w_r,w_t)$. From the unreduced axial system and its principal symbol, we identify the sector of parameter space that supports a regular horizon, asymptotic flatness, and hyperbolic odd-sector evolution. Within this closure the admissible branch lies at negative $w_r$, while the commonly used positive-$w_r$ family fails the background regularity test and is kept only as a numerical comparison branch. On static admissible backgrounds the odd sector is exactly equivalent to Einstein gravity coupled to a frozen effective anisotropic fluid, so the physical axial spectrum is governed by a single gauge-invariant master equation. For the anchored branch $(w_r,w_t)=(-0.2,0.15)$ we compute the fundamental axial $\ell=2$ quasinormal mode with an exact Chebyshev solve. The mass-normalized spectrum differs from Schwarzschild by about $22\%$, whereas no statistically resolved direct $α$-dependence appears within the conservative spectral envelope over $0\le α/M^2\le 0.3$. We also construct a coupled physics-informed neural network for the unreduced two-field eigenproblem and use it to benchmark the inadmissible comparison branch. A closure-level audit of the anchored family shows positive diagnostic combinations associated with the null, weak, and dominant energy conditions, denominator safety in the modified balance law, and an effective exterior mass fraction of about $20\%$, while indicating that the constant-$(w_r,w_t)$ model should be read as an effective anisotropic stress rather than as a microphysical fluid. Within this closure, the main observable imprint in axial ringdown comes from the existence of the matter-supported branch itself, not from direct variation of the trace coupling.

We propose a method of realizing non-Abelian braiding of fractionalized quasiholes in the Laughlin fractional quantum Hall phase at $ν=1/3$ with realistic two-body interactions within the lowest Landau level. It is numerically shown that low-lying gapped excitations near $ν=1/3$ 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 ``$ψ$-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.

The unconventional superconductor 4Hb-TaS$_2$ is a natural heterostructure that can be broadly understood as interleaving Mott-like and metallic layers. We study the properties of this material as a function of quenched disorder in the form of Se/S substitution and find that while disordered samples show bulk superconductivity, clean samples do not. We show that a disorder-driven delocalization of carriers in the Mott-like ($1T$-) layer forms a new Fermi surface that is absent in the cleanest samples. This suggests that one of the primary drivers for superconductivity is the fragility of the Mott state, whose delocalization brings to life a sea of strongly correlated electrons.

We investigate, through numerical simulations, the rheology of a dry suspension of deformable droplets under pressure-driven flow. The system exhibits two force-driven dynamical transitions. At low forcing, the suspension behaves as a yield-stress material: below a critical force, droplets remain arrested in an amorphous solid-like state. Our simulations suggest that yielding is controlled by droplet contacts and predict that the critical force strongly depends on deformability. Above yielding, the suspension does not flow steadily but rather enters an intermittent, stick-slip regime characterised by long-lived caging and non-Gaussian velocity fluctuations. This state can be interpreted as a "self-pinned'' glass, in which slowly evolving droplet overlaps generate an effective rugged energy landscape that dynamically traps droplets and produces intermittent rearrangements reminiscent of near-critical dynamics in depinning models. At larger forcing, droplets deform sufficiently to continuously exchange neighbours, progressively annealing the overlap structure and driving a dynamic transition to a string-like, flowing state. Our results identify the restructuring of overlap networks as a generic mechanism which controls flow in driven suspensions of deformable particles.

Beyond the analysis of the Lee-Yang (LY) zero of $ξ$ at $0$ K presented by our previous work [He et. al. Phys. Rev. E 113, 24115 (2026)], it is important but intricate to understand how these zeros evolve with temperature ($T$). Here, we use an analytically solvable noninteracting one-dimensional particle-on-a-ring model to address this. We determine the trajectories of these zeros and analyze how their evolution with $T$ reshapes the analytic structure of the partition function. In particular, the zero originating from $ξ=-1$ at $T=0$ remains close to $-1$ at low $T$, where it governs the sign factor and strongly constrains continuation along the real $ξ$ axis. This explains why both direct extrapolation and implicit schemes such as contour-based fitting can fail in the low-$T$ regime, even at high fitting order, while becoming reasonable again once the relevant zeros move away at higher $T$s. Furthermore, based on the polynomial structure of the partition function, we propose a new fitting strategy for low-$T$ fermionic properties. The key is to first obtain reliable high-$T$ fermionic properties by continuing sign-problem-free data in $ξ\in[0,1]$ to $ξ=-1$, and then extend this information toward lower $T$ through $T$-fitting of the $ξ$-independent remainder $ϕ(β)=Z_{\text{F}}$. These results provide a solvable benchmark for diagnosing the validity of analytic continuation and suggest a possible route toward treating more realistic interacting fermionic systems.

Systematic strategies to design properties such as ferroelectricity or magnetoelectric coupling are well established in simple perovskite materials, but they remain scarce in more complex framework structures. Using a hexagonal polytype of the ternary manganite AMnO3 (A = Ba, Sr, Ca) as a model system, we introduce a symmetry-guided design principle in which an inversion-breaking rigid-unit mode (RUM) serves as a single structural instability generating both polar and ferromagnetic orders within a bulk material. Symmetry analysis and first-principles calculations reveal that co-operative tilts of the Mn2O9 bioctahedral dimers generate both a spontaneous polarization and a ferromagnetic moment. High-resolution diffraction and magnetic susceptibility measurements show the structural and magnetic orders persist as high as 450 K and 280 K, respectively, highlighting the untapped potential of framework structures which deviate from simple perovskite motifs to be designed to host useful ferroic properties. Our approach establishes a transferable symmetry-based framework to engineer ferroelectric and magnetoelectric states across chemically diverse framework architectures.

The dynamic structural evolution of catalyst surfaces under operating conditions dictates catalytic performance, yet capturing these reconstructions atomically remains challenging. Global optimization based on machine learning interatomic potentials (MLIPs) is promising, but scaling to large-scale, low-symmetry operando systems is hindered by expansive search spaces and potential energy surface (PES) inaccuracies. Herein, we present Harmony-search-based Atomic Structural Global Optimization (HASGO), a framework integrating universal MLIPs with a harmony search algorithm. HASGO overcomes the problem of PES softening by incorporating a multi-head replay fine-tuning protocol. Moreover, the stochastic structural perturbation step in its algorithm offers a fault-tolerant strategy to enhance the robustness of global convergence. These enable HASGO to identify intricate surface oxide overlayers that align with atomic-resolution microscopy, thereby resolving the square-pyramidal subsurface O5 motif on Ag(100) during ethylene epoxidation. This scalable framework provides a robust approach for uncovering operando structures, accelerating the rational design of industrial catalysts.

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.

Hydrogels are versatile materials due to their softness and ability to undergo large changes in water content. Their mechanics, however, are complex, being a tight coupling between fluid flow and elastic deformations. We use experiments and theory to show that this coupling simplifies when hydrogels are not fully swollen. In this regime, polymer-water affinity controls local hydration, while the much weaker polymer network elasticity plays a secondary role, setting the resulting elastic shape. This observation enables a simplified model that accurately predicts stresses and deformations.

Recent advances have revealed that topology can further enrich the universality classes of quantum phase transitions, thereby extending beyond the traditional paradigms of statistical and condensed matter physics. However, multicriticality between topologically distinct quantum critical lines remains insufficiently explored. In this Letter, we systematically construct and investigate a novel class of topologically enforced Lifshitz multicritical points in one dimensional chiral symmetric fermionic systems. Such multicriticality is driven solely by changes in the topology of neighboring critical lines, beyond previously recognized multicritical points that are typically induced by changes in critical exponents. More importantly, the topologically enforced multicriticality identified here can host robust topological degeneracies while surprisingly exhibiting a breakdown of the Li Haldane bulk boundary correspondence-a phenomenon we elucidate through a simple physical picture.

Optically-responsive microgels offer a versatile platform for designing adaptive soft materials with coupled light and thermal responsiveness. Control over the crosslinking degree is particularly appealing as it can regulate not only particle size but also stiffness, thereby enabling remote tuning of key material functionalities. However, the internal structural changes that couple molecular photoresponsive mechanisms to mesoscopic properties remain poorly resolved. Here, we investigate different light-responsive microgels containing covalently incorporated coumarin moieties, which impart optical sensitivity through UV-induced cycloaddition, by combining dynamic light scattering, small-angle neutron scattering, and molecular dynamics simulations. We show that light irradiation alters not only particle size but also the internal polymer density distribution and subsequent thermal response. Before irradiation, the microgels exhibit a star-like architecture with a dense core and extended polymeric arms. After irradiation, the network evolves toward a markedly more compact structure. This transformation cannot be rationalized simply as an equivalent to an increase in crosslinking density during synthesis, as observed in the thermal response, revealing light as a powerful tool to regulate microgel architecture and multifunctional responsiveness.

Superconductivity in cuprates emerges out of a complex normal state that hosts density waves, pseudogap physics, and strange metal properties. Here, we access this normal state by synchronizing free-electron laser x-rays with high-magnetic-field pulses up to 44 T. We observe a linear increase in charge order amplitude and correlation length that persists far above the vortex melting transition. This behavior is incompatible with standard phase competition between charge order and superconductivity. By means of conventional hard x-ray diffraction and magnetostriction, we show that applied fields also enhance monoclinic lattice distortions. However, this magnetoelastic response is weaker and an epiphenomenon of the stripe order enhancement. Combined with recent observations of field-linear spin freezing, our results point to a direct coupling between magnetic field and the spin component of stripe order in the high-field normal state -- a mechanism independent of superconductivity suppression that has so far remained hidden from scattering probes.

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 moiré Chern bands, we identify these reciprocal-lattice density components as practical diagnostics for robust FCIs.

The development of multifunctional electronic skin (e-skin) requires materials that combine mechanical flexibility with responsiveness to multiple stimuli. In this work, a flexible PDMS/La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO)/MWCNT composite thin film was fabricated via solution casting, using LSMO powder synthesized by a solid-state reaction method. Structural and spectroscopic analyses confirm the formation of single-phase rhombohedral LSMO and successful incorporation of PDMS, LSMO, and MWCNT components. The composite exhibits a smooth and uniform surface morphology, along with significantly enhanced thermal stability, retaining ~70% mass at elevated temperatures. Electrical measurements reveal thermally activated resistivity behavior, enabling temperature sensing functionality. Additionally, the composite shows a notable decrease in resistance under an applied magnetic field, exhibiting magnetoresistance due to spin-dependent transport in the LSMO phase. Mechanical testing indicates elastomeric behavior with a maximum load of ~0.49 N and stretchability of ~26%, along with ductile deformation characteristics. The multifunctional sensing properties arise from the synergistic interaction between the conductive MWCNT network and magnetically active LSMO within the flexible PDMS matrix. Overall, the composite demonstrates a unique combination of thermal stability, mechanical flexibility, and dual sensing capability, making it a promising material for next-generation e-skin applications.

We consider a generic case of neutrally wetting microswimmers in symmetric mixtures of two phase separating fluids, using hydrodynamic simulations. The swimmers spontaneously emulsify the two fluids into bicontinuous foam-like state. The two principal activity components: source dipole (self-propulsion) and force dipole (active mixing), create a twofold mechanism to stabilise the structures. When the self-propulsion is too strong, the swimmers cross the interfaces rapidly and the two fluids will phase separate. Below this threshold, the active stresses from the force dipoles, stabilise a dynamic and bicontinuous foam-like state. When the activity is turned off, the system relaxes into a kinetically trapped bicontinuous state, with particles permanently trapped at the interfaces. Our results provide a microscopic route to tunable active emulsions, with implications for bacterial suspensions and synthetic active matter.

We investigate the problem of the time reversal symmetry of fluctuations, as witnessed by the average shape of avalanches. This quantity has been measured in a variety of systems, ranging from magnetic materials to earthquakes. Although an asymmetric shape is often observed, which is a signature of a non-equilibrium dynamics, there is no general theoretical control of this feature. In this paper, we propose a non equilibrium extension of a paradigmatic model for ``crackling-noise'', the so called ABBM model. Our model is strictly related to the Brownian Gyrator, which has been previously introduced in stochastic thermodynamics as the simplest model for thermal anisotropy, but it can also be framed in the context of rate-and-state models. It reproduces the phenomenology observed in experiments on granular friction, and allows for a systematic theoretical study of the asymmetry. We manage to correlate a measure of asymmetry, that can be easily computed in experiments, with the entropy production rates of the dynamics.

The structural characteristics of n2o-co2 alloys have been studied using transmission electron diffraction (THEED) across the entire range of their mutual concentrations at temperatures of 5 K and 65 K. The ranges in which regular solutions exist and intervals of alloy phase separation have been identified using the dependence of lattice parameters on composition and profile analysis of the diffraction pattern intensity distribution. It was found that maximum solubility values are up to 11 mol.% CO2 in the N2O matrix and up to 30 mol.% n2o in solid co2 at 65 K. The solubility limits for the components at 5 K are less 20 mol.% co2 in crystalline n2o and less than 35 mol.% n2o in a co2 crystal lattice. It was established that the character of n2o-co2 alloy separation corresponds to the mechanism of spinodal decomposition. The relative excess volumes that pertain to the admixture were determined for the CO2 impurity in solid n2o and for n2o impurity in co2 crystal. Conclusions regarding the character of n2o-co2 phase diagram have been made.

We investigate vortex nucleation and transport in a rotating dipolar supersolid arranged in a triangular droplet lattice, exploiting its description as an array of weakly linked condensates. By considering both Josephson and macroscopic self-trapping dynamics, we show that local phase differences between droplets provide a compact and highly predictive framework to explore a wide range of vortex behaviors. In particular, Josephson oscillations can be devised to induce vortex nucleation and motion near the vertices of the low-density hexagonal lattice (between droplets), while self-trapping dynamics induce running phases that enable directed vortex transport, which may be accompanied by vortex-antivortex pair creation and annihilation over finite time scales. Comparison with simulations based on the extended Gross-Pitaevskii equation demonstrates that a three-droplet description is essential to capture vortex motion near hexagon vertices. Together, Josephson and self-trapping dynamics provide a tunable protocol to trigger and track vortex nucleation, transport, and vortex-antivortex pair annihilation, revealing the microscopic topological mechanisms underlying phase slips in rotating dipolar supersolids.

We provide a decomposition of the steady-state entropy production rate associated with an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process into two contributions: one associated with oscillatory behavior and one associated with nonnormality. We also show that each contribution is associated with a different fundamental trade-off. The oscillatory contribution leads to the dissipation-coherence trade-off for noise-induced oscillations, which bounds the entropy production per oscillatory period by the number of oscillations within one correlation time. Notably, the trade-off is twice as strict as those conjectured or derived for other systems. The nonnormal contribution leads to a trade-off between entropy production and acceleration of relaxation. We also demonstrate the decomposition using a simple bead-spring model.

Structures that capture functionality in the form of animate or intelligent machines have the potential to transform modern engineering applications. Animation and embedded intelligence are typically realised by integrating advanced capabilities such as reversibility, adaptive responses and learning directly into the materials themselves. Currently, the majority of adaptive material systems rely on predefined adaptive designs combined with in-service, electronics-based computing to dynamically modify the structural behaviour. However, structural configurations with interconnected adaptable nodes are able to approximate continuous functions, providing new possibilities and opportunities than classical metamaterials and computational materials. We discuss here the potential to design load-bearing engineering materials with trainable physical parameters and neural network-inspired morphologies, embedding intelligence directly into their structure, a concept we define as Engineering Material Neural Networks (EMNNs) as a subcategory of Physical Neural Networks. In this perspective, we first establish the foundational concept of EMNNs; we then detail the mechanical and multifunctional properties required for such structural configurations. Finally, we evaluate existing and emerging engineering materials that hold promise for enabling this innovative approach. Key material candidates for realising EMNNs include composites, architected, biological and engineering living materials. We also outline future directions in materials science and structural engineering for developing EMNNs.

In this paper, the class of randomised mixed labyrinth fractals is introduced. It is a class of finitely ramified Sierpinski carpets that generalize mixed labyrinth fractals. The structures are generated by randomly selected labyrinth patterns with fixed selection probabilities at each iteration level, offering a flexible framework to study fractal topology, arc dimensions, and shortest path properties. Here, the focus lies on analysing how the randomised mixing of patterns - specifically their shape, symmetry, and path geometry - effects arc dimensions, path lengths, and isotropy restoration. The study reveals that isotropy, previously shown for self-similar fractals, extends to the randomised mixed class. Various scaling behaviours of shortest path dimensions with respect to the mixing probability are identified, including linear and nonlinear monotonic trends, as well as transitions with maxima. The approximated path matrix is proposed as an efficient alternative to extensive iterative simulations, reliably reproducing statistical results. The findings highlight the relevance of pattern properties in determining fractal structures and dynamics and suggest applications in physical systems such as diffusion, signal processing, and antenna design.

In Momentum-resolved Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (4D STEM), a convergent electron beam is raster-scanned across a think specimen in 2D in real space. The corresponding 2D diffraction pattern, in momentum space, to each point is recorded, forming a 4D data set. Information decoding process can follow thereafter to produce an image of the specimen in real space. Ptychography is reconstruction algorithm that allow the extraction of the probe wavefunction and the multiplicative object transmission function of the specimen. Ptychography is implemented through direct and iterative schemes. Some of which are the extended Ptychographic Iterative Engine (ePIE), the Wigner Distribution Deconvolution (WDD) and the simpler version of WDD, the Single Side-Band (SSB). This thesis gives an overview of STEM ptychography giving examples of its experimental and simulated implementations. The different ptychographic reconstruction methods are explored in a mathematical framework when applicable. Finally, an SSB reconstruction was made using an original script for simulated data of MoS2 monolayer. Moreover, four-dimensional data was recorded using a STEM instrument. A natural step following this research would be the implementation of the WDD algorithm.

We present realistic calculations within the density functional plus cluster dynamical mean-field formalism indicating that the physics of the the bilayer Ruddlesden-Popper nickelates is to a significant extent controlled by interlayer "dynamical singlets'' which are formed from the $3z^{2}-r^{2}$ orbitals singly occupied by electrons and are hybridized with itinerant planar $x^{2}-y^{2}$ orbitals. The hybridization is found to respond differently to hydrostatic pressure and to epitaxial strain, capturing the experimentally observed dichotomy between bulk single crystals and epitaxial thin films and reproducing several experimental results including angle-resolved photoemission and transport measurements.

We study the low-energy excitations of the three dimensional spin glass through a large-scale Monte Carlo simulation on lattices up to $L=18$. We find smooth extrapolations down to zero temperature, which, in the case of the energy and of the link overlap, can be directly -- and favourably -- compared with previous investigations featuring ground states (i.e., at zero temperature). The best fit for the fractal dimension of the excitations is provided by Replica-Symmetry Breaking theory, but we also consider the alternative TNT description. The $P(q)$ is found to verify the Parisi-Toulouse temperature scaling. Our data provides a spectacular confirmation of the overlap-equivalence hypothesis.

In classical settings, the Mpemba effect occurs when a hotter system cools faster than an initially colder one. In quantum systems, this effect can be reinterpreted exploiting the concept of symmetries, with the asymmetry of a subsystem playing the role of temperature. A quantum Mpemba effect arises when a more asymmetric state restores the symmetry faster than a less asymmetric one. Previous work mainly focuses on closed systems characterized by thermal equilibration and Hamiltonian symmetries. In this paper, we analyze the dynamics of asymmetry in an open quantum many-body system featuring symmetry breaking and uncover dynamical behavior that appears to be unique to these settings. In the symmetric phase, we demonstrate the existence of a quantum Mpemba effect, which emerges as a direct consequence of a non-monotonic evolution of the asymmetry. In the broken-symmetry phase, we analyze the imbalance between the system's ability to increase or to decrease its asymmetry. Our results extend the notion of quantum Mpemba effects to open quantum many-body systems exhibiting symmetry-breaking phase transitions and establish them as a platform for observing and controlling anomalous relaxation phenomena.

We present a first-principles investigation of the electronic structure, lattice dynamics, electron-phonon coupling, and superconducting properties of the hexagonal kagome-lattice compound Re$_2$Zr, in which time-reversal symmetry breaking and unconventional pairing have recently been proposed. We examine whether superconductivity in Re$_2$Zr can be explained within a conventional phonon-mediated framework by performing fully ab initio calculations within the density functional theory for superconductors. The electronic structure is characterized by a mixture of seven two- and three-dimensional Fermi surface sheets, giving rise to multiband superconductivity with many overlapping superconducting gaps. A spin-orbit-induced van Hove singularity is identified in the density of states near $E_F$. The electron-phonon interaction is moderately strong, with a coupling constant $λ\simeq 0.88$. Superconducting gap calculations reveal significant anisotropy and a broad distribution of gap values across different Fermi surface sheets. Spin fluctuations introduce additional depairing effects and reduce the critical temperature from 7.7 K to 6.4 K, in excellent agreement with the experimental value of 6.65 K. Taken together, our results show that the superconducting energy scale in Re$_2$Zr can be quantitatively reproduced within a conventional phonon-mediated framework, while the resulting state exhibits pronounced multiband and anisotropic gap structure. The origin of the experimentally suggested time-reversal symmetry breaking, however, remains an open question.