Domain walls in magnets, vortex lattices in superconductors, contact lines at depinning, and many other systems can be modeled as an elastic system subject to quenched disorder. The ensuing field theory possesses a well-controlled perturbative expansion around its upper critical dimension. Contrary to standard field theory, the renormalization group (RG) flow involves a function, the disorder correlator

The growth and evolution of microbial populations is often subjected to advection by fluid flows in spatially extended environments, with immediate consequences for questions of spatial population genetics in marine ecology, planktonic diversity and origin of life scenarios. Here, we review recent progress made in understanding this rich problem in the simplified setting of two competing genetic microbial

By far the most prescient insights into the interior structure of the planet have been provided on the basis of elastic wave seismology. Analysis of the travel times of shear or compression wave phases excited by individual Earthquakes, or through analysis of the elastic gravitational free oscillations that individual Earthquakes of sufficiently large magnitude may excite, has been the central focus

Metal halide perovskites are widely used in optoelectronic devices, including solar cells, photodetectors, and light-emitting diodes. Defects in this class of low-temperature and solution-processed semiconductors play significant roles in the optoelectronic properties and performance of devices based on these semiconductors. Investigating the defect properties provides not only insight into the origin

Cells convey information about their extracellular environment to their core functional machineries. Studying the capacity of intracellular signaling pathways to transmit information addresses fundamental questions about living systems. Here, we review how information-theoretic approaches have been used to quantify information transmission by signaling pathways that are functionally pleiotropic and

Proteins are the workhorse of life. They are the building infrastructure of living systems; they are the most efficient molecular machines known, and their enzymatic activity is still unmatched in versatility by any artificial system. Perhaps proteins' most remarkable feature is their modularity. The large amount of information required to specify each protein's function is analogically encoded with

The discovery of quantum many-body scars (QMBS) both in Rydberg atom simulators and in the Affleck-Kennedy-Lieb-Tasaki spin-1 chain model, have shown that a weak violation of ergodicity can still lead to rich experimental and theoretical physics. In this review, we provide a pedagogical introduction to and an overview of the exact results on weak ergodicity breaking via QMBS in isolated quantum systems

The chopped random basis (CRAB) ansatz for quantum optimal control has been proven to be a versatile tool to enable quantum technology applications such as quantum computing, quantum simulation, quantum sensing, and quantum communication. Its capability to encompass experimental constraints-while maintaining an access to the usually trap-free control landscape-and to switch from open-loop to closed-loop

Quantum guessing games form a versatile framework for studying different tasks of information processing. A quantum guessing game with posterior information uses quantum systems to encode messages and classical communication to give partial information after a quantum measurement has been performed. We present a general framework for quantum guessing games with posterior information and derive structure

Since the first demonstration of the generation of attosecond pulses (1 as = 10−18 s) in the extreme-ultraviolet spectral region, several measurement techniques have been introduced, at the beginning for the temporal characterization of the pulses, and immediately after for the investigation of electronic and nuclear ultrafast dynamics in atoms, molecules and solids with unprecedented temporal resolution

Physical theories that depend on many parameters or are tested against data from many different experiments pose unique challenges to statistical inference. Many models in particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology fall into one or both of these categories. These issues are often sidestepped with statistically unsound ad hoc methods, involving intersection of parameter intervals estimated by multiple

This report provides an extensive review of the experimental programme of direct detection searches of particle dark matter. It focuses mostly on European efforts, both current and planned, but does it within a broader context of a worldwide activity in the field. It aims at identifying the virtues, opportunities and challenges associated with the different experimental approaches and search techniques

We present an overview of the High-Luminosity (HL-LHC) program at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), its scientific potential and technological challenges for both the accelerator and detectors. The HL-LHC program is expected to start circa 2027 and aims to increase the integrated luminosity delivered by the LHC by an order of magnitude at the collision energy of 14 TeV. This requires upgrades to the

Bell’s theorem proves that quantum theory is inconsistent with local physical models. It has propelled research in the foundations of quantum theory and quantum information science. As a fundamental feature of quantum theory, it impacts predictions far beyond the traditional scenario of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox. In the last decade, the investigation of nonlocality has moved beyond Bell's

The recent discovery of the superconductivity in the doped infinite layer nickelates RNiO2 (R = La, Pr, Nd) is of great interest since the nickelates are isostructural to doped (Ca, Sr)CuO2 having superconducting transition temperature (T c) of about 110 K. Verifying the commonalities and differences between these oxides will certainly give a new insight into the mechanism of high T c superconductivity

Identifying the nature of dark matter (DM) has long been a pressing question for particle physics. In the face of ever-more-powerful exclusions and null results from large-exposure searches for TeV-scale DM interacting with nuclei, a significant amount of attention has shifted to lighter (sub-GeV) DM candidates. Direct detection of the light DM in our galaxy by observing DM scattering off a target

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) materials, such as MoS2, WS2, MoSe2, and WSe2, have received extensive attention in the past decade due to their extraordinary electronic, optical and thermal properties. They evolve from indirect bandgap semiconductors to direct bandgap semiconductors while their layer number is reduced from a few layers to a monolayer limit. Consequently

We give a pedagogical review of how concepts from quantum information theory build up the gravitational side of the anti-de Sitter/conformal field theory correspondence. The review is self-contained in that it only presupposes knowledge of quantum mechanics and general relativity; other tools—including holographic duality itself—are introduced in the text. We have aimed to give researchers interested

Optical metasurfaces with subwavelength thickness hold considerable promise for future advances in fundamental optics and novel optical applications due to their unprecedented ability to control the phase, amplitude, and polarization of transmitted, reflected, and diffracted light. Introducing active functionalities to optical metasurfaces is an essential step to the development of next-generation

Advances in isolating, controlling and entangling quantum systems are transforming what was once a curious feature of quantum mechanics into a vehicle for disruptive scientific and technological progress. Pursuing the vision articulated by Feynman, a concerted effort across many areas of research and development is introducing prototypical digital quantum devices into the computing ecosystem available

The general aspects of polymer crystallization under external flow, i.e., flow-induced crystallization (FIC) from fundamental theoretical background to multi-scale characterization and modeling results are presented. FIC is crucial for modern polymer processing, such as blowing, casting, and injection modeling, as two-third of daily-used polymers is crystalline, and nearly all of them need to be processed

In methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3), a slow recombination process of photogenerated carriers has often been considered to be the most intriguing property of the material resulting in high-efficiency perovskite solar cells. In spite of intense research over a decade or so, a complete understanding of carrier recombination dynamics in MAPbI3 has remained inconclusive. In this regard, several microscopic

In this paper, we describe the potential of the LHCb experiment to detect stealth physics. This refers to dynamics beyond the standard model that would elude searches that focus on energetic objects or precision measurements of known processes. Stealth signatures include long-lived particles and light resonances that are produced very rarely or together with overwhelming backgrounds. We will discuss

Photocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is believed to be a promising remedy to simultaneously lessen CO2 emission and obtain high value-added products, but suffers from the thwarted activity of photocatalyst and poor selectivity of product. Over the past decade, aided by the significant advances in nanotechnology, the atom manufacturing of photocatalyst, including vacancies, dopants, single-atom

Advanced manufacturing technologies, led by additive manufacturing, have undergone significant growth in recent years. These technologies enable engineers to design parts with reduced weight while maintaining structural and functional integrity. In particular, metal additive manufacturing parts are increasingly used in application areas such as aerospace, where a failure of a mission-critical part

Empty liquids represent a wide class of materials whose constituents arrange in a random network through reversible bonds. Many key insights on the physical properties of empty liquids have originated almost independently from the study of colloidal patchy particles on one side, and a large body of theoretical and experimental research on water on the other side. Patchy particles represent a family

Positron emission particle tracking (PEPT) is a technique which allows the high-resolution, three-dimensional imaging of particulate and multiphase systems, including systems which are large, dense, and/or optically opaque, and thus difficult to study using other methodologies. In this work, we bring together researchers from the world’s foremost PEPT facilities not only to give a balanced and detailed

Biomolecular recognition usually leads to the formation of binding complexes, often accompanied by large-scale conformational changes. This process is fundamental to biological functions at the molecular and cellular levels. Uncovering the physical mechanisms of biomolecular recognition and quantifying the key biomolecular interactions are vital to understand these functions. The recently developed

Lattice simulations of the QCD correlation functions in the Landau gauge have established two remarkable facts. First, the coupling constant in the gauge sector—defined, e.g., in the Taylor scheme—remains finite and moderate at all scales, suggesting that some kind of perturbative description should be valid down to infrared momenta. Second, the gluon propagator reaches a finite nonzero value at vanishing

A new paradigm for data-driven, model-agnostic new physics searches at colliders is emerging, and aims to leverage recent breakthroughs in anomaly detection and machine learning. In order to develop and benchmark new anomaly detection methods within this framework, it is essential to have standard datasets. To this end, we have created the LHC Olympics 2020, a community challenge accompanied by a set

We update the constraints on the fraction of the Universe that may have gone into primordial black holes (PBHs) over the mass range 10−5 to 1050 g. Those smaller than ∼1015 g would have evaporated by now due to Hawking radiation, so their abundance at formation is constrained by the effects of evaporated particles on big bang nucleosynthesis, the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the Galactic and

This article will review quantum particle creation in expanding universes. The emphasis will be on the basic physical principles and on selected applications to cosmological models. The needed formalism of quantum field theory in curved spacetime will be summarized, and applied to the example of scalar particle creation in a spatially flat Universe. Estimates for the creation rate will be given and

Viruses have established relationships with almost every other living organism on Earth and at all levels of biological organization: from other viruses up to entire ecosystems. In most cases, they peacefully coexist with their hosts, but in most relevant cases, they parasitize them and induce diseases and pandemics, such as the AIDS and the most recent avian influenza and COVID-19 pandemic events

The observation that phenotypic variability is ubiquitous in isogenic populations has led to a multitude of experimental and theoretical studies seeking to probe the causes and consequences of this variability. Whether it be in the context of antibiotic treatments or exponential growth in constant environments, non-genetic variability has significant effects on population dynamics. Here, we review

This report summarises progress made in estimating the local density of dark matter (ρ DM,⊙), a quantity that is especially important for dark matter direct detection experiments. We outline and compare the most common methods to estimate ρ DM,⊙ and the results from recent studies, including those that have benefited from the observations of the ESA/Gaia satellite. The result of most local analyses

Materials with thickness ranging from a few nanometers to a single atomic layer present unprecedented opportunities to investigate new phases of matter constrained to the two-dimensional plane. Particle–particle Coulomb interaction is dramatically affected and shaped by the dimensionality reduction, driving well-established solid state theoretical approaches to their limit of applicability. Methodological

This paper is a review on the combination between Helium Ion Microscopy (HIM) and Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS), which is a recently developed technique that is of particular relevance in the context of the quest for high-resolution high-sensitivity nano-analytical solutions. We start by giving an overview on the HIM-SIMS concept and the underlying fundamental principles of both HIM and SIMS

Although the contact electrification (CE) (or usually called ‘triboelectrification’) effect has been known for over 2600 years, its scientific mechanism still remains debated after decades. Interest in studying CE has been recently revisited due to the invention of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), which are the most effective approach for converting random, low-frequency mechanical energy (called

Thermoelectric (TE) materials have great potential for waste-energyrecycling and solid-state cooling. Their conversion efficiency has attracted huge attention to the development of TE devices, and largely depends on the thermal and electrical transport properties. Magnetically enhanced thermoelectrics open up the possibility of making thermoelectricity a future leader in sustainable energy development

The introduction of engineered resonance phenomena on surfaces has opened a new frontier in surface science and technology. Pillared phononic crystals, metamaterials, and metasurfaces are an emerging class of artificial structured media, featuring surfaces that consist of pillars—or branching substructures—standing on a plate or a substrate. A pillared phononic crystal exhibits Bragg band gaps, while

High energy heavy ion collisions create quark gluon plasmas that behave like almost perfect fluids. Very similar features to those that led to this insight have also been observed in experimental data from collisions of small systems, involving protons or other light nuclei. We describe recent developments aimed at understanding whether, and if so how, systems that produce relatively few particles

As third-generation semiconductors, group-III nitrides are promising for high power electronic and optoelectronic devices because of their wide bandgap, high electron saturation mobility, and other unique properties. Inspired by the thickness-dependent properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials represented by graphene, it is predicted that the 2D counterparts of group-III nitrides would have similar

Quasiparticles with fractional charge and fractional statistics are key features of the fractional quantum Hall effect. We discuss in detail the definitions of fractional charge and statistics and the ways in which these properties may be observed. In addition to theoretical foundations, we review the present status of the experiments in the area. We also discuss the notions of non-Abelian statistics

A variety of observations impose upper limits at the nano Gauss level on magnetic fields that are coherent on inter-galactic scales while blazar observations indicate a lower bound ∼10−16 G. Such magnetic fields can play an important astrophysical role, for example at cosmic recombination and during structure formation, and also provide crucial information for particle physics in the early Universe

This article is an introduction to two research programs that are currently very active, the conformal bootstrap and scattering amplitudes. Rather than attempting full surveys, the emphasis is on common ideas and methods shared by these two seemingly very different programs. In both fields, mathematical and physical constraints are placed directly on the physical observables in order to explore the

The description of strong interaction physics of low-lying resonances is out of the valid range of perturbative QCD. Chiral effective field theories (EFTs) have been developed to tackle the issue. Partial wave dynamics is the systematic tool to decode the underlying physics and reveal the properties of those resonances. It is extremely powerful and helpful for our understanding of the non-perturbative

Aggregation of molecules is a multi-molecular phenomenon occurring when two or more molecules behave differently from discrete molecules due to their intermolecular interactions. Moving beyond single molecules, aggregation usually demonstrates evolutive or wholly emerging new functionalities relative to the molecular components. Conjugated small molecules and polymers interact with each other, resulting

Charles Richter’s observation that ‘only fools and charlatans predict earthquakes,’ reflects the fact that despite more than 100 years of effort, seismologists remain unable to do so with reliable and accurate results. Meaningful prediction involves specifying the location, time, and size of an earthquake before it occurs to greater precision than expected purely by chance from the known statistics

Electron capture on nuclei plays an essential role in the dynamics of several astrophysical objects, including core-collapse and thermonuclear supernovae, the crust of accreting neutron stars in binary systems and the final core evolution of intermediate-mass stars. In these astrophysical objects, the capture occurs at finite temperatures and densities, at which the electrons form a degenerate relativistic

Fluids exhibit remarkable variation in their structural and dynamic properties when they are confined at the nanoscopic scale. Various factors, including geometric restriction, the size and shape of the guest molecules, the topology of the host, and guest–host interactions, are responsible for the alterations in these properties. Due to their porous structures, aluminosilicates provide a suitable host

Given its briefness and predictability, the minimal seesaw—a simplified version of the canonical seesaw mechanism with only two right-handed neutrino fields—has been studied in depth and from many perspectives, and now it is being pushed close to a position of directly facing experimental tests. This article is intended to provide an up-to-date review of various phenomenological aspects of the minimal

Given its briefness and predictability, the minimal seesaw-a simplified version of the canonical seesaw mechanism with only two right-handed neutrino fields-has been studied in depth and from many perspectives, and now it is being pushed close to a position of directly facing experimental tests. This article is intended to provide an up-to-date review of various phenomenological aspects of the minimal

Over the past decade, two-dimensional semiconductors (2DSCs) have aroused wide interest due to their extraordinary electronic, magnetic, optical, mechanical, and thermal properties, which hold potential in electronic, optoelectronic, thermoelectric applications, and so forth. The field-effect transistor (FET), a semiconductor gated with at least three terminals, is pervasively exploited as the device

I review the four mechanisms of bound states in the continuum (BICs) in the application of microwave and acoustic cavities open to directional waveguides. The most simple are symmetry-protected BICs, which are localized inside the cavity because of the orthogonality of the eigenmodes to the propagating modes of waveguides. However, the most general and interesting is the Friedrich–Wintgen mechanism

I review the four mechanisms of bound states in the continuum (BICs) in the application of microwave and acoustic cavities open to directional waveguides. The most simple are symmetry-protected BICs, which are localized inside the cavity because of the orthogonality of the eigenmodes to the propagating modes of waveguides. However, the most general and interesting is the Friedrich-Wintgen mechanism

We review the theoretical aspects relevant in the description of high-energy heavy ion collisions, with an emphasis on the learnings about the underlying quantum chromodynamics phenomena that have emerged from these collisions.

Aggregation of molecules is a multi-molecular phenomenon occurring when two or more molecules behave differently from discrete molecules due to their intermolecular interactions. Moving beyond single molecules, aggregation usually demonstrates evolutive or wholly emerging new functionalities relative to the molecular components. Conjugated small molecules and polymers interact with each other, resulting

The description of strong interaction physics of low-lying resonances is out of the valid range of perturbative QCD. Chiral effective field theories have been developed to tackle the issue. Partial wave dynamics is the systematic tool to decode the underlying physics and reveal the properties of those resonances. It is extremely powerful and helpful for our understanding of the non-perturbative regime

Charles Richter's observation that "only fools and charlatans predict earthquakes," reflects the fact that despite more than 100 years of effort, seismologists remain unable to do so with reliable and accurate results. Meaningful prediction involves specifying the location, time, and size of an earthquake before it occurs to greater precision than expected purely by chance from the known statistics