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Hawking's seminal work on black hole radiation highlights a critical issue in our understanding of quantum field theory in curved spacetime (QFTCS), specifically the problem of unitarity loss (where pure states evolve into mixed states). In this paper, we examine a recent proposal for a direct-sum QFTCS, which maintains unitarity through a novel quantization method that employs superselection rules based on discrete spacetime transformations. This approach describes a quantum state as components that evolve within superselection sectors of the complete Hilbert space, adhering to the discrete symmetries of a Schwarzschild black hole. Consequently, it represents a maximally entangled pure state as a direct-sum of two components in the interior and exterior regions of the black hole, thereby preserving the unitarity of Hawking radiation by keeping it in the form of pure states., Comment: 17 pages, 2 figures, work presented at the Spanish and Portuguese Relativity Meeting - EREP 2023

Neutrinoless double beta decay is one of the most sensitive probes for new physics beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. One of the isotopes under investigation is $^{136}$Xe, which would double beta decay into $^{136}$Ba. Detecting the single $^{136}$Ba daughter provides a sort of ultimate tool in the discrimination against backgrounds. Previous work demonstrated the ability to perform single atom imaging of Ba atoms in a single-vacancy site of a solid xenon matrix. In this paper, the effort to identify signal from individual barium atoms is extended to Ba atoms in a hexa-vacancy site in the matrix and is achieved despite increased photobleaching in this site. Abrupt fluorescence turn-off of a single Ba atom is also observed. Significant recovery of fluorescence signal lost through photobleaching is demonstrated upon annealing of Ba deposits in the Xe ice. Following annealing, it is observed that Ba atoms in the hexa-vacancy site exhibit antibleaching while Ba atoms in the tetra-vacancy site exhibit bleaching. This may be evidence for a matrix site transfer upon laser excitation. Our findings offer a path of continued research toward tagging of Ba daughters in all significant sites in solid xenon., Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures

Quantum field theory (QFT) in Rindler spacetime is a gateway to understanding unitarity and information loss paradoxes in curved spacetime. Rindler coordinates map Minkowski spacetime onto regions with horizons, effectively dividing accelerated observers into causally disconnected sectors. Employing standard quantum field theory techniques and Bogoliubov transformations between Minkowski and Rindler coordinates yields entanglement between states across these causally separated regions of spacetime. This results in a breakdown of unitarity, implying that information regarding the entangled partner may be irretrievably lost beyond the Rindler horizon. As a consequence, one has a situation of pure states evolving into mixed states. In this paper, we introduce a novel framework for comprehending this phenomenon using a recently proposed formulation of direct-sum quantum field theory (DQFT), which is grounded in superselection rules formulated by the parity and time reversal ($\mathcal{P}\mathcal{T}$) symmetry of Minkowski spacetime. In the context of DQFT applied to Rindler spacetime, we demonstrate that each Rindler observer can, in principle, access pure states within the horizon, thereby restoring unitarity. However, our analysis also reveals the emergence of a thermal spectrum of Unruh radiation. This prompts a reevaluation of entanglement in Rindler spacetime, where we propose a novel perspective on how Rindler observers may reconstruct complementary information beyond the horizon. Furthermore, we revisit the implications of the Reeh-Schlieder theorem within the framework of DQFT. Lastly, we underscore how our findings contribute to ongoing efforts aimed at elucidating the role of unitarity in quantum field theory within the context of de Sitter and black hole spacetimes., Comment: 21 pages, 4 figures. Matches with the version published in Universe

Electron-neutrino charged-current interactions with xenon nuclei were modeled in the nEXO neutrinoless double-beta decay detector (~5-tonne, 90% ${}^{136}$Xe, 10% ${}^{134}$Xe) to evaluate its sensitivity to supernova neutrinos. Predictions for event rates and detectable signatures were modeled using the MARLEY event generator. We find good agreement between MARLEY's predictions and existing theoretical calculations of the inclusive cross sections at supernova neutrino energies. The interactions modeled by MARLEY were simulated within the nEXO simulation framework and were run through an example reconstruction algorithm to determine the detector's efficiency for reconstructing these events. The simulated data, incorporating the detector response, were used to study the ability of nEXO to reconstruct the incident electron-neutrino spectrum and these results were extended to a larger xenon detector of the same isotope enrichment. We estimate that nEXO will be able to observe electron-neutrino interactions with xenon from supernovae as far as 5 to 8 kpc from earth, while the ability to reconstruct incident electron-neutrino spectrum parameters from observed interactions in nEXO is limited to closer supernovae., Comment: 17 pages, 16 figures

Herein, $\mathrm{MoS_{2}}$ quantum dot (QDs) with controlled optical, structural, and electronic properties are synthesized using the femtosecond pulsed laser ablation in liquid (fs-PLAL) technique by varying pulse-width, ablation power, and ablation time to harness the potential for next-generation optoelectronics and quantum technology. Furthermore, this work elucidates key aspects of the mechanisms underlying the near-UV and blue emission, the accompanying large Stokes-shift, and the consequent change in sample color with laser exposure parameters pertaining to $\mathrm{MoS_{2}}$ QDs. Through spectroscopic analysis, including UV-visible absorption, photoluminescence, and Raman spectroscopy, we successfully unravelled the mechanisms for the change in optoelectronic properties of $\mathrm{MoS_{2}}$ QDs with laser parameters. We realize that the occurrence of a secondary phase, specifically $\mathrm{MoO_{3-x}}$, is responsible for the significant Stokes-shift and blue emission observed in this QDs system. The primary factor influencing these activities is the electron transfer observed between these two phases, as validated by excitation dependent photoluminescence, XPS and Raman spectroscopies.

Using small noise limit approach, we study degenerate stochastic ergodic control problems and as a byproduct obtain error bounds for the $\varepsilon$-optimal controls. We also establish tunneling for a special ergodic control problem and give a representation of the ergodic value using the tunneled Markov chain.

Federated Learning (FL) is a collaborative learning paradigm enabling participants to collectively train a shared machine learning model while preserving the privacy of their sensitive data. Nevertheless, the inherent decentralized and data-opaque characteristics of FL render its susceptibility to data poisoning attacks. These attacks introduce malformed or malicious inputs during local model training, subsequently influencing the global model and resulting in erroneous predictions. Current FL defense strategies against data poisoning attacks either involve a trade-off between accuracy and robustness or necessitate the presence of a uniformly distributed root dataset at the server. To overcome these limitations, we present FedZZ, which harnesses a zone-based deviating update (ZBDU) mechanism to effectively counter data poisoning attacks in FL. Further, we introduce a precision-guided methodology that actively characterizes these client clusters (zones), which in turn aids in recognizing and discarding malicious updates at the server. Our evaluation of FedZZ across two widely recognized datasets: CIFAR10 and EMNIST, demonstrate its efficacy in mitigating data poisoning attacks, surpassing the performance of prevailing state-of-the-art methodologies in both single and multi-client attack scenarios and varying attack volumes. Notably, FedZZ also functions as a robust client selection strategy, even in highly non-IID and attack-free scenarios. Moreover, in the face of escalating poisoning rates, the model accuracy attained by FedZZ displays superior resilience compared to existing techniques. For instance, when confronted with a 50% presence of malicious clients, FedZZ sustains an accuracy of 67.43%, while the accuracy of the second-best solution, FL-Defender, diminishes to 43.36%., Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures, 5 tables, Accepted in ACM CODASPY 2024