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While intense laser irradiation and moir\'e engineering have independently proven powerful for tuning material properties on demand in condensed matter physics, their combination remains unexplored. Here we exploit tilted laser illumination to create spatially modulated light-matter interactions, leading to two striking phenomena in graphene. First, using two lasers tilted along the same axis, we create a quasi-1D supercell hosting a network of Floquet topological states that generate controllable and scalable photocurrents spanning the entire irradiated region. Second, by tilting lasers along orthogonal axes, we establish a 2D polarization moir\'e pattern giving rise to closed orbital propagation of Floquet states, reminiscent of bulk Landau states. These features, imprinted in the bulk of the irradiated region and controlled through laser wavelength and tilt angles, establish a new way for engineering quantum states through spatially modulated light-matter coupling., Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures

We study the electronic band structure and optical response of a hybrid model, a $\alpha-\mathcal{T}_3$ model featuring a $\sqrt{3}\times\sqrt{3}$ Kekul\'e pattern modulation. Such a hybrid system may result from the depositing of adatoms in a hexagonal lattice, where the two sublattices are displaced in the perpendicular direction, like in germanene and silicene. We derive analytical expressions for the energy dispersion and the eigenfunctions using a tight-binding approximation of nearest-neighbor hopping electrons. The energy spectrum consists of a double-cone structure with Dirac points at zero momentum caused by Brillouin zone folding and a doubly degenerate flat band resulting from destructive quantum interference effects. Furthermore, we study the spectrum of intraband and interband transitions through the joint density of states, the optical conductivity, and the Drude spectral weight. We find new conductivity terms resulting from the opening of intervalley channels that are absent in the $\alpha-\mathcal{T}_3$ model and manifest themselves as van Hove singularities in the optical response. In particular, we identify an absorption window related to intervalley transport, which serves as a viable signature for detecting Kekul\'e periodicity in two-dimensional materials., Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures

Global and regional integration has grown significantly in recent decades, boosting intra-African trade and positively impacting national economies through trade diversification and sustainable development. However, existing measures of economic integration often fail to capture the complex interactions among trading partners. This study addresses this gap by using complex network analysis and dynamic panel regression techniques to identify factors driving economic integration in Africa, based on data from 2002 to 2019. The results show that economic development, institutional quality, regional trade agreements, human capital, FDI, and infrastructure positively influence a country's position in the African trade network. Conversely, trade costs, the global financial crisis, and regional overlapping memberships negatively affect network based integration. Our findings suggest that enhancing a country's connectivity in the African trade network involves identifying key economic and institutional factors of trade partners and strategically focusing on continent-wide agreements rather than just regional ones to boost economic growth., Comment: Comments welcome

Modeling the strategic behavior of agents in a real-world multi-agent system using existing state-of-the-art computational game-theoretic tools can be a daunting task, especially when only the actions taken by the agents can be observed. Before attempting such a task, it would be useful to gain insight into whether or not agents are in fact acting strategically at all, from a game-theoretic perspective. In this paper, we present an initial step toward addressing this problem by proposing a general approach based on machine learning fundamentals for detecting potentially strategic behavior. We instantiate the approach by applying state-of-the-art machine learning tools for model selection and performance evaluation of prediction models in the context of detecting the strategic behavior of players for game mode selection in the multiplayer online video game Heroes of the Storm. Specifically, as a baseline, we first train neural networks to predict players' game mode selections using only information about the state of the player themselves. Then, we train a new set of neural networks using the same architectures, this time incorporating "historical co-play" features that encode players' past interactions with other players. We find that including these new features led to statistically significant improvements in game mode prediction accuracy, providing a sufficiently strong signal that players indeed make decisions strategically, which justifies the development of more complex computational game-theoretic tools in the hope of improving modeling and predictive power. We discuss remaining research work about potential approaches to validate the effectiveness of this initial step to detect strategic behavior., Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure, submitted to AAMAS2025

Light-induced phenomena in materials can exhibit exotic behavior that extends beyond equilibrium properties, offering new avenues for understanding and controlling electronic phases. So far, non-equilibrium phenomena in solids have been predominantly explored using femtosecond laser pulses, which generate transient, ultra-fast dynamics. Here, we investigate the steady non-equilibrium regime in graphene induced by a continuous-wave (CW) mid-infrared laser. Our transport measurements reveal signatures of a long-lived Floquet phase, where a non-equilibrium electronic population is stabilized by the interplay between coherent photoexcitation and incoherent phonon cooling. The observation of non-equilibrium steady states using CW lasers opens a new regime for low-temperature Floquet phenomena, paving the way toward Floquet engineering of steady-state phases of matter., Comment: 21 pages + supplemental materials

In this contribution, we introduce the multiplicative Jacobi polynomials that arise as one of the solutions of the multiplicative Sturm-Liouville equation \begin{equation*} \frac{d^*}{dx}\left( e^{(1-x^2)\omega(x)}\odot \frac{d^*y}{dx} \right)\oplus \left(e^{ n(n+\alpha+\beta+1)\omega(x)}\odot y\right)=1, \ x\in[-1,1], \end{equation*} where $\omega(x)=(1-x)^{\alpha}(1+x)^{\beta}$ with $\alpha, \beta >-1$ real numbers and $n$ is a non-negative integer number. We extend some properties of classical Jacobi polynomials to the multiplicative case. In particular, we present several properties of multiplicative Legendre polynomials and multiplicative Chebyshev polynomials of first and second kind. We also prove that every real and positive function can be expressed as a multiplicative Jacobi-Fourier series and show that such functions can be approximated by the corresponding partial products of these series. We illustrate the obtained results with some examples., Comment: 34 pages, 10 figures

An ordinary differential model is proposed to understand the role of egg quiescence on the efficacy of releasing the Wolbachia-carrying mosquito to suppress or diminish the wild mosquito population. The model has up to four steady states, which are: the persistence of the uninfected population and the extinction of the infected one, the persistence of the infected population and the extinction of the uninfected one, the extinction of both populations, and the persistence of both populations. Their stability is given by four thresholds; two are the fitness of infected and uninfected populations when isolated, and the other two are the relative fitness when they are competing. Bifurcation diagrams, phase space, and parameter space are shaped by the sex ratio that can be manipulated by the Wolbachia symbiont. A sensitive analysis indicates that the uninfected population always maximizes its fitness according to the environmental conditions throughout, changing the quiescence rate. Because Wolbachia-infected eggs do not survive quiescence or adults emerging from it are infertile, the risk of arbovirus transmission increases during or after environmental stress that triggers quiescence. This can jeopardize the use of Wolbachia-infected mosquito to control arbovirus transmissions in regions where quiescence occurs at a high rate., Comment: 32 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables and 3 appendices

In this communication we demonstrate that a deep artificial neural network based on a transformer architecture with self-attention layers can predict the long-time population dynamics of a quantum system coupled to a dissipative environment provided that the short-time population dynamics of the system is known. The transformer neural network model developed in this work predicts the long-time dynamics of spin-boson model efficiently and very accurately across different regimes, from weak system-bath coupling to strong coupling non-Markovian regimes. Our model is more accurate than classical forecasting models, such as recurrent neural networks and is comparable to the state-of-the-art models for simulating the dynamics of quantum dissipative systems based on kernel ridge regression.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are cost-effective alternatives to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), but their low energy density remains a challenge. Current electrode designs fail to simultaneously achieve high areal loading, high active content, and superior performance. In response, this work introduces an ideal electrode structure, featuring a continuous conductive network with active particles securely trapped in the absence of binder, fabricated using a universal technique that combines electrospinning and electrospraying (co-ESP). We found that the particle size must be larger than the network's pores for optimised performance, an aspect overlooked in previous research. The free-standing co-ESP Na2V3(PO4)3 (NVP) cathodes demonstrated state-of-the-art 296 mg cm-2 areal loading with 97.5 wt.% active content, as well as remarkable rate-performance and cycling stability. Co-ESP full cells showed uncompromised energy and power densities (231.6 Wh kg-1 and 7152.6 W kg-1), leading among reported SIBs with industry-relevant areal loadings. The structural merit is analysed using multi-scale X-ray computed tomography, providing valuable design insights.Finally, the superior performance is validated in the pouch cells, highlighting the electrode's scalability and potential for commercial application., Comment: Main manuscript 25 pages, 5 figures. Supplementary 47 pages, including 35 figures and 11 tables

The almost unlimited possibilities to customize the logic in an FPGA are one of the main reasons for the versatility of these devices. Partial reconfiguration exploits this capability even further by allowing to replace logic in predefined FPGA regions at runtime. This is especially relevant in heterogeneous SoCs, combining FPGA fabric with conventional processors on a single die. Tight integration and supporting frameworks like the FPGA subsystem in Linux facilitate use, for example, to dynamically load custom hardware accelerators. Although this example is one of the most common use cases for partial reconfiguration, the possible applications go far beyond. We propose to use partial reconfiguration in combination with the AXI C2C cross-chip bus to extend the resources of heterogeneous MPSoC and RFSoC devices by connecting peripheral FPGAs. With AXI C2C it is easily possible to link the programmable logic of the individual devices, but partial reconfiguration on peripheral FPGAs utilising the same channel is not officially supported. By using an AXI ICAP controller in combination with custom Linux drivers, we show that it is possible to enable the PS of the heterogeneous SoC to perform partial reconfiguration on peripheral FPGAs, and thus to seamlessly access and manage the entire multi-device system. As a result, software and FPGA firmware updates can be applied to the entire system at runtime, and peripheral FPGAs can be added and removed during operation., Comment: 8 pages, double-column, 9 figures. Paper submitted as proceeding for the 24rd IEEE Real Time Conference (2024)

Entangled graph states can be used for quantum sensing and computing applications. Error correction in measurement-based quantum computing schemes will require the construction of cluster states in at least 3 dimensions. Here we generate 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-dimensional optical frequency-mode cluster states by sending broadband 2-mode vacuum-squeezed light through an electro-optical modulator (EOM) driven with multiple frequencies. We create the squeezed light using 4-wave mixing in Rb atomic vapor and mix the sideband frequencies (qumodes) using an EOM, as proposed by Zhu et al. (1), producing a pattern of entanglement correlations that constitute continuous-variable graph states containing up to several hundred qumodes. We verify the entanglement structure by using homodyne measurements to construct the covariance matrices and evaluate the nullifiers. This technique enables scaling of optical cluster states to multiple dimensions without increasing loss.

Pristine graphene is potentially an ideal medium to transport spin information. Proximity effects, where a neighbouring material is used to alter the properties of a material in adjacent (or proximitized) regions, can also be used in graphene to generate and detect spins by acquiring spin-orbit coupling or magnetic exchange coupling. However, the development of seamless spintronic devices that are based uniquely on proximity effects remains challenging. Here, we report a two-dimensional graphene spin valve that is enabled by proximity to the van der Waals magnet Cr$_2$Ge$_2$Te$_6$. Spin precession measurements show that graphene acquires both spin-orbit coupling and magnetic exchange coupling when interfaced with the Cr$_2$Ge$_2$Te$_6$. This leads to spin generation by both electrical spin injection and the spin Hall effect, while retaining long-distance spin transport. The simultaneous presence of spin-orbit coupling and magnetic exchange coupling also leads to a sizeable anomalous Hall effect., Comment: 21 pages, 4 figures, and Supplementary information

We present solutions to the Einstein-Klein Gordon system representing boson stars in the slow rotation approximation. By considering slow rotation we are able to reduce the number of equations yielding a system of ordinary differential equations that is conveniently solved numerically without the need of expensive computational resources. We find sequences of solutions and describe some of their physical properties such as, total mass, angular momentum and compactness. We also consider the dynamics of particles (geodesics) in the resulting spacetime. A detailed comparison with fully rotating boson stars (non-linear treatment) is performed by showing the region of validity of the slow-rotation approximation., Comment: 21 pages, 12 figures

We establish a framework for a mechanism steering state vector collapse through time evolution as described by the Schr\"odinger's equation. Under the premise of a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian dynamics, a main outcome is that collapse has to occur when the Hamiltonian completes a closed loop in the parameter space encoding the interaction with the meter. For two-level systems, we put forward the phenomenon of chiral state conversion as a mechanism effectively eliminating superpositions. Our results open a way to simulate quantum measurements in classical systems that up to now were restricted to the Schr\"odinger part of the quantum dynamics., Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure

The design and optimization of laser-Compton x-ray systems based on compact distributed charge accelerator structures can enable micron-scale imaging of disease and the concomitant production of beams of Very High Energy Electrons (VHEEs) capable of producing FLASH-relevant dose rates. The physics of laser-Compton x-ray scattering ensures that the scattered x-rays follow exactly the trajectory of the incident electrons, thus providing a route to image-guided, VHEE FLASH radiotherapy. The keys to a compact architecture capable of producing both laser-Compton x-rays and VHEEs are the use of X-band RF accelerator structures which have been demonstrated to operate with over 100 MeV/m acceleration gradients. The operation of these structures in a distributed charge mode in which each radiofrequency (RF) cycle of the drive RF pulse is filled with a low-charge, high-brightness electron bunch is enabled by the illumination of a high-brightness photogun with a train of UV laser pulses synchronized to the frequency of the underlying accelerator system. The UV pulse trains are created by a patented pulse synthesis approach which utilizes the RF clock of the accelerator to phase and amplitude modulate a narrow band continuous wave (CW) seed laser. In this way it is possible to produce up to 10 {\mu}A of average beam current from the accelerator. Such high current from a compact accelerator enables production of sufficient x-rays via laser-Compton scattering for clinical imaging and does so from a machine of "clinical" footprint. At the same time, the production of 1000 or greater individual micro-bunches per RF pulse enables > 10 nC of charge to be produced in a macrobunch of < 100 ns. The design, construction, and test of the 100-MeV class prototype system in Irvine, CA is also presented., Comment: 28 pages, 13 figures, 2 tables

We developed SaludConectaMX as a comprehensive system to track and understand the determinants of complications throughout chemotherapy treatment for children with cancer in Mexico. SaludConectaMX is unique in that it integrates patient clinical indicators with social determinants and caregiver mental health, forming a social-clinical perspective of the patient's evolving health trajectory. The system is composed of a web application (for hospital staff) and a mobile application (for family caregivers), providing the opportunity for cooperative patient monitoring in both hospital and home settings. This paper presents the system's preliminary design and usability evaluation results from a 1.5-year pilot study. Our findings indicate that while the hospital web app demonstrates high completion rates and user satisfaction, the family mobile app requires additional improvements for optimal accessibility; statistical and qualitative data analysis illuminate pathways for system improvement. Based on this evidence, we formalize suggestions for health system development in LMICs, which HCI researchers may leverage in future work.

Non-reciprocal interactions are ubiquitous in nature, and in Physics this realization has started to push boundaries by making non-hermiticity a fundamental rather than exceptional property. Despite the prevalence of evanescent coupling in physics, little attention has been paid to wavefunction profiles, with reciprocity often assumed for practical reasons. Our work challenges this assumption by demonstrating the origin of non-reciprocity in a photonic platform. We experimentally validate non-reciprocal dynamics on directional couplers fabricated via femtosecond laser writing, and corroborate our findings through continuous simulations. Extending these insights, we observe the topological Non-Hermitian Skin Effect in a Rice-Mele lattice model. Our findings open new avenues of research using simple and scalable configurations, and potentially guiding future developments in Physics and beyond., Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures

Potentials in cosmological inflation often involve scalars with trans-Planckian ranges. As a result, towers of states become massless and their presence pushes the fundamental scale not to coincide with $M_{\rm P}$ but rather with the $species\, scale$, $\Lambda$. This scale transforms as an automorphic form of the theory's duality symmetries. We propose that the inflaton potential should be 1) an automorphic invariant form, non-singular over all moduli space, 2) depending only on $\Lambda$ and its field derivatives, and 3) approaching constant values in the large moduli to ensure a long period of inflation. These conditions lead to the proposal $V \sim \lambda(\phi, \phi^*)$, with $\lambda = G^{i\bar{j}} (\partial_i \Lambda)(\partial_{\bar{j}} \Lambda) / \Lambda^2$, determining the 'species scale convex hull'. For a single elliptic complex modulus with $SL(2, Z)$ symmetry, this results in an inflaton potential $V \simeq (\text{Im} \tau)^2 |\tilde{G}_2|^2 / N^2$, with $N \simeq -\log(\text{Im} \tau |\eta(\tau)|^4)$, where $\eta$ is the Dedekind function and $\tilde{G}_2$ the Eisenstein modular form of weight 2. Surprisingly, this potential at large modulus resembles that of the Starobinsky model. We compute inflation parameters yielding results similar to Starobinsky's, but extended to modular invariant expressions. Interestingly, the number of e-folds is proportional to the number of species in the tower, $N_e \simeq N$, and $\epsilon \simeq \Lambda^4$ at large moduli, suggesting that the tower of states plays an important role in the inflation process., Comment: 21 pages + appendices, 3 figures. v2: references added, minor changes

We investigate Lorentz invariance breaking in quantum wires due to Rashba spin-orbit interaction and transverse phonons. Using bosonization, we derive an effective action coupling electronic and mechanical degrees of freedom. Stikingly, at a quantum phase transition between straight and bent wire states, we find a gapped phonon mode and a gapless mode with quadratic dispersion, signaling the breaking of Lorentz invariance. We explore stability conditions for general potentials and propose nano-mechanical back-action as a sensitive tool for detecting this transition, with implications for Sliding Luttinger Liquids and dimensional crossover studies., Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures

Air transportation is undergoing a rapid evolution globally with the introduction of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and with it comes novel challenges and opportunities for transforming aviation. As AAM operations introduce increasing heterogeneity in vehicle capabilities and density, increased levels of automation are likely necessary to achieve operational safety and efficiency goals. This paper focuses on one example where increased automation has been suggested. Autonomous operations will need contingency management systems that can monitor evolving risk across a span of interrelated (or interdependent) hazards and, if necessary, execute appropriate control interventions via supervised or automated decision making. Accommodating this complex environment may require automated functions (autonomy) that apply artificial intelligence (AI) techniques that can adapt and respond to a quickly changing environment. This paper explores the use of Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) which has shown promising performance in complex and high-dimensional environments where the objective can be constructed as a sequential decision-making problem. An extension of a prior formulation of the contingency management problem as a Markov Decision Process (MDP) is presented and uses a DRL framework to train agents that mitigate hazards present in the simulation environment. A comparison of these learning-based agents and classical techniques is presented in terms of their performance, verification difficulties, and development process.

Non-linear transport effects in response to external magnetic fields, i.e. electrical magnetochiral anisotropy (eMChA), have attracted much attention for their importance to study quantum and spin-related phenomena. Indeed, they have permitted the exploration of topological surface states and charge-to-spin conversion processes in low-symmetry systems. Nevertheless, despite the inherent correlation between the symmetry of the material under examination and its non-linear transport characteristics, there is a lack of experimental demonstration to delve into this relationship and to unveil their microscopic mechanisms. Here, we study eMChA in chiral elemental Tellurium (Te) along different crystallographic directions, establishing the connection between the different eMChA components and the crystal symmetry of Te. We observed different longitudinal eMChA components with collinear current and magnetic field, demonstrating experimentally the radial angular momentum texture of Te. We also measured a transverse non-linear resistance which, as the longitudinal counterpart, scales bilinearly with current and magnetic fields, illustrating that they are different manifestations of the same effect. Finally, we study the scaling law of the eMChA, evidencing that extrinsic scattering from dynamic sources is the dominant microscopic mechanism. These findings underscore the efficacy of symmetry-based investigations in understanding and predicting non-linear transport phenomena, with potential applications in spintronics and energy harvesting., Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, and Supplemental Material

We study how tiny Dirac neutrino masses consistent with experimental constraints can arise in string theory SM-like vacua. We use as a laboratory 4d ${\cal N}=1$ type IIA Calabi--Yau orientifold compactifications, and in particular recent results on Yukawa couplings at infinite field-space distance. In this regime we find Dirac neutrino masses of the form $m_\nu \simeq g_\nu\langle H\rangle$, with $g_{\nu}$ the gauge coupling of the massive $U(1)$ under which the right-handed neutrinos $\nu_R$ are charged, and which should be in the range $g_{\nu}\simeq 10^{-14}-10^{-12}$ to reproduce neutrino data. The neutrino mass suppression occurs because the right-handed neutrino kinetic term behaves as $K_{\nu\nu} \simeq 1 /g_{\nu}^2 $. At the same time a tower of $\nu_R$-like states appears with characteristic scale $m_0\simeq g_{\nu}^2M_{\rm P}\simeq 0.1-500$ eV, in agreement with Swampland expectations. Two large hidden dimensions only felt by the $\nu_R$ sector arise at the same scale, while the string scale is around $M_s\simeq g_\nu M_{\rm P}\simeq 10-700$ TeV. Some phenomenological implications and model building challenges are described. As a byproduct, independently of the neutrino issue, we argue that a single large dimension in the context of SM-like type IIA Calabi--Yau orientifolds leads to too small Yukawa couplings for quarks and charged leptons., Comment: 31 pages + appendices, 4 figures, 4 tables. v2: references added; Appendix updated

We theoretically investigate topological features of a one-dimensional Su-Schrieffer-Heeger lattice with modulating non-Hermitian on-site potentials containing four sublattices per unit cell. The lattice can be either commensurate or incommensurate. In the former case, the entire lattice can be mapped by supercells completely. While in the latter case, there are two extra lattice points, thereby making the last cell incomplete. We find that an anti-PT transition occurs at exceptional points of edge states at certain parameters, which does not coincide with the conventional topological phase transition characterized by the Berry phase, provided the imaginary on-site potential is large enough. Interestingly, when the potential exceeds a critical value, edge states appear even in the regime with a trivial Berry phase. To characterize these novel edge states we present topological invariants associated with the system's parity. Finally, we analyze the dynamics for initial states with different spatial distributions, which exhibit distinct dynamics for the commensurate and incommensurate cases, depending on the imaginary part of edge state energy., Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures

We study homogeneous instantons on the seven dimensional Stiefel manifold V in the context of G2 and Sasakian geometry. According to the reductive decomposition of V we provide an explicit description of all invariant G2 and Sasakian structures. In particular, we characterise the invariant G2- structures inducing a Sasakian metric, among which the well known nearly parallel G2-structure (Sasaki- Einstein) is included. As a consequence, we classify the invariant connections on homogeneous principal bundles over V with gauge group U(1) and SO(3), satisfying either the G2 or the Sasakian instanton condition. Finally, we analyse the Yang Mills condition for those invariant connections.

After primordial inflation, the universe may have experienced a prolonged reheating epoch, potentially leading to a phase of matter domination supported by the oscillating inflaton field. During such an epoch, perturbations in the inflaton virialize upon reentering the cosmological horizon, forming inflaton structures. If the primordial overdensities are sufficiently large, these structures collapse to form primordial black holes (PBHs). To occur at a significant rate, this process requires an enhanced primordial power spectrum (PPS) at small scales. The enhancement of the PPS, as well as the formation and tidal interaction of the primordial structures, will in turn source a stochastic gravitational wave background(SGWB) that could be detected by current and/or future gravitational wave detectors. In this paper, we study the SGWB arising from these different sources during slow-reheating, focusing on a PPS that satisfies the requirements necessary for the formation of PBHs with a mass of $M_{\rm PBH}\simeq 10^{21}$ and that constitute the entirety of dark matter in the universe., Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures. Comments are welcome!

We study smooth varieties of Picard number one admitting a special dominating family of rational curves and an equalized $\mathbb{C}^*$-action. In particular we show that $X$ is a smooth variety of Picard number one with nef tangent bundle admitting an equalized $\mathbb{C}^*$-action with an isolated extremal fixed point if and only if $X$ is an irreducible Hermitian symmetric space., Comment: 32 pages

Understanding the high-frequency transport characteristics of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) is crucial for the development of fast-operating spintronics memories and radio frequency devices. Here, we present the study of frequency-dependent capacitive current effect in CoFeB/MgO-based MTJs and its influence on magnetization dynamics using time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect technique. In our device operating at gigahertz frequencies, we find a large displacement current of the order of mA's, which does not break the tunnel barrier of the MTJ. Importantly, this current generates an Oersted field and spin-orbit torque, inducing magnetization dynamics. Our discovery holds promise for building robust MTJ devices operating under high current conditions, also highlighting the significance of capacitive impedance in high frequency magnetotransport techniques.

Graph randomization techniques play a crucial role in network analysis, allowing researchers to assess the statistical significance of observed network properties and distinguish meaningful patterns from random fluctuations. In this survey we provide an overview of the graph randomization methods available in the most popular software tools for network analysis. We propose a comparative analysis of popular software tools to highlight their functionalities and limitations. Through case studies involving diverse graph types, we demonstrate how different randomization methods can lead to divergent conclusions, emphasizing the importance of careful method selection based on the characteristics of the observed network and the research question at hand. This survey proposes some guidelines for researchers and practitioners seeking to understand and utilize graph randomization techniques effectively in their network analysis projects., Comment: 32 pages, 11 figures, 1 annex

Star formation estimates based on the counting of YSOs is commonly applied to nearby star-forming regions in the Galaxy. With this method, the SFRs are measured using the counts of YSOs in a particular protostellar Class, a typical protostellar mass, and the lifetime associated with this Class. However, the assumptions underlying the validity of the method such as that of a constant star formation history (SFH) and whether the method is valid for all protostellar Classes has never been fully tested. In this work, we use Monte Carlo models to test the validity of the method. We build synthetic clusters in which stars form at times that are randomly drawn from a specified SFH. The latter is either constant or time-dependent with a burst like behavior. The masses of the protostars are randomly drawn from an IMF which can be either similar to that of the Milky Way field or be variable . For each star in every cluster, the lifetimes associated with the different protostellar classes are also randomly drawn from Gaussian distribution functions centered around their most likely value as suggested by the observations. We find that only the SFR derived using the Class 0 population can reproduce the true SFR at all epochs, and this is true irrespective of the shape of the SFH. For a constant SFH, the SFR derived using the more evolved populations of protostars (Classes I, F, II, and III) reproduce the real SFR only at later epochs which correspond to epochs at which their numbers have reached a steady state. For a time-dependent burst-like SFH, all SFR estimates based on the number counts of the evolved populations fail to reproduce the true SFR. We also show how the offsets between Class I and Class II based SFRs and the true SFR plotted as a function of the number ratios of Class I and Class II versus Class III YSOs can be used in order to constrain the SFH of observed molecular clouds., Comment: Submitted. Comments are welcome

Peptide surfactants (PEPS) are studied to capture and retain rare earth elements (REEs) at air-water interfaces to enable REE separations. Peptide sequences, designed to selectively bind REEs, depend crucially on the position of ligands within their binding loop domain. These ligands form a coordination sphere that wraps and retains the cation. We study variants of lanthanide binding tags (LBTs) designed to complex strongly with Tb$^{3+}$. The peptide LBT$^{5-}$ (with net charge -5) is known to bind Tb$^{3+}$ and adsorb with more REE cations than peptide molecules, suggesting that undesired non-specific Coulombic interactions occur. Rheological characterization of interfaces of LBT$^{5-}$ and Tb$^{3+}$ solutions reveal the formation of an interfacial gel. To probe whether this gelation reflects chelation among intact adsorbed LBT$^{5-}$:Tb$^{3+}$ complexes or destruction of the binding loop, we study a variant, LBT$^{3-}$, designed to form net neutral LBT$^{3-}$:Tb$^{3+}$ complexes. Solutions of LBT$^{3-}$ and Tb$^{3+}$ form purely viscous layers in the presence of excess Tb$^{3+}$, indicating that each peptide binds a single REE in an intact coordination sphere. We introduce the variant RR-LBT$^{3-}$ with net charge -3 and anionic ligands outside of the coordination sphere. We find that such exposed ligands promote interfacial gelation. Thus, a nuanced requirement for interfacial selectivity of PEPS is proposed: that anionic ligands outside of the coordination sphere must be avoided to prevent the non-selective recruitment of REE cations. This view is supported by simulation, including interfacial molecular dynamics simulations, and interfacial metadynamics simulations of the free energy landscape of the binding loop conformational space.

The course of an epidemic is not only shaped by infection transmission over face-to-face contacts, but also by preventive behaviour caused by risk perception and social interactions. This study explores the dynamics of coupled awareness and biological infection spread within a two-layer multiplex network framework. One layer embodies face-to-face contacts, with a biological infection transmission following a simple contagion model, the SIR process. Awareness, modelled by the linear threshold model, a complex contagion, spreads over a social layer and induces behaviour that lowers the chance of a biological infection occurring. It may be provoked by the presence of either aware or infectious neighbours. We introduce a novel model combining these influences through a convex combination, creating a continuum between pure social contagion and local risk perception. Simulation of the model shows distinct effects arising from the awareness sources. Also, for convex combinations where both input sources are of importance, awareness cascades that are not attributable to only one of these sources, emerge. Under these conditions, the combination of a small-world face-to-face and a scale-free social layer, but not vice versa, make that the extent of the infections decreases with increasing transmission probability., Comment: 15 pages, 25 subfigures in 8 figures

In the context of the measurement problem, we propose to model the interaction between a quantum particle and an "apparatus" through a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian term. We simulate the time evolution of a normalized quantum state split into two spin components (via a Stern-Gerlach experiment) and that undergoes a wave-function collapse driven by a non-Hermitian Hatano-Nelson Hamiltonian. We further analyze how the strength and other parameters of the non-Hermitian perturbation influence the time-to-collapse of the wave function obtained under a Schr\"{o}dinger-type evolution. We finally discuss a thought experiment where manipulation of the apparatus could challenge standard quantum mechanics predictions., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures

Spintronic terahertz emitters (STEs) are powerful sources of ultra-broadband single-cycle terahertz (THz) field transients. They work with any pump wavelength, and their polarity and polarization direction are easily adjustable. However, at high pump powers and high repetition rates, STE operation is hampered by a significant increase in the local temperature. Here, we resolve this issue by rotating the STE at a few 100 Hz, thereby distributing the absorbed pump power over a larger area. Our approach permits stable STE operation at a fluence of ~1 mJ/cm$^2$ with up to 18 W pump power at megahertz repetition rates, corresponding to pump-pulse energies of a few 10 $\mu$J and a power density far above the melting threshold of metallic films. The rotating STE is of interest for all ultra-broadband high-power THz applications requiring high repetition rates. As an example, we show that THz pulses with peak fields of 10 kV/cm can be coupled to a THz-lightwave-driven scanning tunneling microscope at 1 MHz repetition rate, demonstrating that the rotating STE can compete with standard THz sources such as LiNbO$_3$., Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, supplementary material included

Strain is an effective strategy to modulate the optoelectronic properties of 2D materials, but it has been almost unexplored in layered hybrid organic-inorganic metal halide perovskites (HOIPs) due to their complex band structure and mechanical properties. Here, we investigate the temperature-dependent microphotoluminescence (PL) of 2D $(C_6H_5CH_2CH_2NH_3)_2Cs_3Pb_4Br_{13}$ HOIP subject to biaxial strain induced by a $SiO_2$ ring platform on which flakes are placed by viscoelastic stamping. At 80 K, we found that a strain of <1% can change the PL emission from a single peak (unstrained) to three well-resolved peaks. Supported by micro-Raman spectroscopy, we show that the thermomechanically generated strain modulates the bandgap due to changes in the octahedral tilting and lattice expansion. Mechanical simulations demonstrate the coexistence of tensile and compressive strain along the flake. The observed PL peaks add an interesting feature to the rich phenomenology of photoluminescence in 2D HOIPs, which can be exploited in tailored sensing and optoelectronic devices., Comment: 4 figures

Understanding the structural and magnetic properties in layered hybrid organic-inorganic metal halide perovskites (HOIPs) is key for their design and integration in spin-electronic devices. Here, we have conducted a systematic study on ten compounds to understand the effect of the transition metal (Cu$^{2+}$, Mn$^{2+}$, Co$^{2+}$), organic spacer (alkyl- and aryl-ammonium) and perovskite phase (Ruddlesden-Popper and Dion-Jacobson) on the properties of these materials. Temperature-dependent Raman measurements show that the crystals' structural phase transitions are triggered by the motional freedom of the organic cations as well as by the flexibility of the inorganic metal-halide lattice. In the case of Cu$^{2+}$ HOIPs, an increase of the in-plane anisotropy and a reduction of the octahedra interlayer distance is found to change the behavior of the HOIP from that of a 2D ferromagnet to that of a quasi-3D antiferromagnet. Mn$^{2+}$ HOIPs show inherent antiferromagnetic octahedra intralayer interactions and a phenomenologically rich magnetism, presenting spin-canting, spin-flop transitions and metamagnetism controlled by the crystal anisotropy. Co$^{2+}$ crystals with non-linked tetrahedra show a dominant paramagnetic behavior irrespective of the organic spacer and the perovskite phase. This work demonstrates that the chemical flexibility of HOIPs can be exploited to develop novel layered magnetic materials with tailored magnetic properties., Comment: 5 figures

A Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) formed on a curved surface with a distinct topology has been a hot topic of intense research, in search of new phenomena in quantum physics as well as for its possible application in quantum computing. In addition to the study of a spherical-shell-shaped BEC, we studied the formation of a cylindrical-shell-shaped harmonically-trapped dipolar BEC of $^{164}$Dy atoms theoretically using an improved mean-field model including a Lee-Huang-Yang-type interaction, meant to stop a collapse at high atom density. To test the robustness of the cylindrical-shell-shaped BEC, here we study its expansion in the same model. We find that as the harmonic trap in the $x$ and $y$ directions are removed, maintaining the axial trap, the cylindrical-shell-shaped BEC expands in the $x$-$y$ plane without deformation, maintaining its shell-shaped structure. After an adequate radial expansion, the axial trap can be relaxed for a desired axial expansion of the cylindrical-shell-shaped BEC allowing its observation.

This work seeks to advance the understanding of the smooth structure of the moduli space of self-dual contact instantons (SDCI) on Sasakian 7-manifolds M. A neighborhood of a smooth point of M is locally modeled on the first cohomological group of an elliptic complex (1.4). There is a cohomological obstruction to the smoothness for the moduli space, in terms of a second basic cohomological group, in this paper we study conditions under which this obstruction disappears, by computing a Weitzenb\"ock formula and using a Bochner-type method to obtain a vanishing theorem. Given an SDCI on a Sasakian bundle E, we find sufficient conditions for the vanishing of the obstruction in the positivity of a couple of operators R and F depending on the curvatures of the connection and the Riemann curvature of the Sasakian metric g. In particular, we find that if M is transversely Ricci positive and F positive, the moduli space of SDCI must be smooth. However, in general, the operator F is not positive definite and we describe bundles over the Stiefel manifold for which it is the case. Finally, we show that when the energy of the curvature is less than the first non-zero eigenvalue of RicT the obstruction vanishes.

Public opinion is subject to peer interaction via social networks and external pressure from the media, advertising, and other actors. In this paper, we study the interaction between external and peer influence on the stochastic opinion dynamics of a majority vote model. We introduce a model where agents update their opinions based on the combined influence of their local neighbourhood (peers) and an external actor in the transition rates. In the first model, the external influence is only felt by agents non-aligned with the external actor ("push strategy"). In the second model, agents are affected by external influence, independently of their opinions ("nudging strategy"). In both cases, the external influence increases the possible macroscopic outcomes. These outcomes are determined by the chosen influence strategy. We also find that the social network structure affects the opinion dynamics, with social clustering positively reinforcing the external influence whereas degree heterogeneity weakens the external forces. These findings are relevant to businesses and policy making, helping to understand how groups of individuals collectively react to external actors.

Accurate modeling of the temporal evolution of asset prices is crucial for understanding financial markets. We explore the potential of discrete-time quantum walks to model the evolution of asset prices. Return distributions obtained from a model based on the quantum walk algorithm are compared with those obtained from classical methodologies. We focus on specific limitations of the classical models, and illustrate that the quantum walk model possesses great flexibility in overcoming these. This includes the potential to generate asymmetric return distributions with complex market tendencies and higher probabilities for extreme events than in some of the classical models. Furthermore, the temporal evolution in the quantum walk possesses the potential to provide asset price dynamics., Comment: 23 pages, 8 figures, 2 tables

Advanced Air Mobility encompasses emerging aviation technologies that transport people and cargo between local, regional, or urban locations that are currently underserved by aviation and other transportation modalities. The disruptive nature of these technologies has pushed industry, academia, and governments to devote significant investments to understand their impact on airspace risk, operational procedures, and passengers. A flexible framework was designed to assess the operational viability of these technologies and the sensitivity to a variety of assumptions. This framework is used to simulate air taxi traffic within New York City by replacing a portion of the city's taxi requests with trips taken with electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles and evaluate the sensitivity of passenger trip time to a variety of system wide assumptions. In particular, the paper focuses on the impact of the passenger capacity, landing site vehicle capacity, and fleet size. The operation density is then compared with the current air traffic to assess operation constraints that will challenge the network UAM operations.

This paper introduces a methodology to conduct robust inference in bipartite networks under local misspecification. We focus on a class of dyadic network models with misspecified conditional moment restrictions. The framework of misspecification is local, as the effect of misspecification varies with the sample size. We utilize this local asymptotic approach to construct a robust estimator that is minimax optimal for the mean square error within a neighborhood of misspecification. Additionally, we introduce bias-aware confidence intervals that account for the effect of the local misspecification. These confidence intervals have the correct asymptotic coverage for the true parameter of interest under sparse network asymptotics. Monte Carlo experiments demonstrate that the robust estimator performs well in finite samples and sparse networks. As an empirical illustration, we study the formation of a scientific collaboration network among economists.

Parametric bivariate copula families have been known to flexibly capture various dependence patterns, e.g., either positive or negative dependence in either the lower or upper tails of bivariate distributions. In this paper, our objective is to construct a model that is adaptable enough to capture several of these features simultaneously. We propose a mixture of 4-way rotations of a parametric copula that can achieve this goal. We illustrate the construction using the Clayton family but the concept is general and can be applied to other families. In order to include dynamic dependence regimes, the approach is extended to a time-dependent sequence of mixture copulas in which the mixture probabilities are allowed to evolve in time via a moving average and seasonal types of relationship. The properties of the proposed model and its performance are examined using simulated and real data sets.

Advancements in photonics technologies have significantly enhanced their capability to facilitate experiments involving quantum light, even at room temperature. Nevertheless, fully integrating photonic chips that include quantum light sources, effective manipulation and transport of light minimizing losses, and appropriate detection systems remains an ongoing challenge. Topological photonic systems have emerged as promising platforms to protect quantum light properties during propagation, beyond merely preserving light intensity. In this work, we delve into the dynamics of non-classical light traversing a Su-Schrieffer-Heeger photonic lattice with topological domain walls. Our focus centers on how topology influences the quantum properties of light as it moves across the array. By precisely adjusting the spacing between waveguides, we achieve dynamic repositioning and interaction of domain walls, facilitating effective beam-splitting operations. Our findings demonstrate high-fidelity transport of non-classical light across the lattice, replicating known results that are now safeguarded by the topology of the system. This protection is especially beneficial for quantum communication protocols with continuous variable states. Our study enhances the understanding of light dynamics in topological photonic systems and paves the way for high-fidelity, topology-protected quantum communication., Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures

We study limits of vanishing Yukawa couplings of 4d chiral matter fields in Quantum Gravity, using as a laboratory type IIA orientifolds with D6-branes. In these theories chiral fermions arise at brane intersections, where an infinite tower of charged particles dubbed gonions are localised. We show that in the limit $Y\rightarrow 0$ some of these towers become asymptotically massless, while at the same time the kinetic term of some chiral fields becomes singular and at least two extra dimensions decompactify. For limits parametrised by a large complex structure saxion $u$, Yukawa couplings have a behaviour of the form $Y \, \sim \, {1}/{u^r}$, with $r$ some positive rational number. Moreover, in this limit some of the gauge couplings associated to the Yukawa vanish. The lightest gonion scales are of order $m_{\rm gon} \sim g^s M_{\rm P}$ with $s>1$, verifying the magnetic WGC with room to spare and with no need of its tower/sublattice versions. We also show how this behaviour can be understood in the context of the emergence of kinetic terms in Quantum Gravity. All these results may be very relevant for phenomenology, given the fact that some of the Yukawa couplings in the Standard Model are very small., Comment: 56 pages + appendices, 9 figures, 7 tables. v4: JHEP version