Publications

Order by: publication date number of citations

• Generalized hydrodynamics of integrable quantum circuits

  Friedrich Hübner, Eric Vernier, Lorenzo Piroli

  SciPost Phys. 18, 135 (2025) · published 24 April 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Quantum circuits make it possible to simulate the continuous-time dynamics of a many-body Hamiltonian by implementing discrete Trotter steps of duration $\tau$. However, when $\tau$ is sufficiently large, the discrete dynamics exhibit qualitative differences compared to the original evolution, potentially displaying novel features and many-body effects. We study an interesting example of this phenomenon, by considering the integrable Trotterization of a prototypical integrable model, the XXZ Heisenberg spin chain. We focus on the well-known bipartition protocol, where two halves of a large system are prepared in different macrostates and suddenly joined together, yielding non-trivial nonequilibrium dynamics. Building upon recent results and adapting the generalized hydrodynamics (GHD) of integrable models, we develop an exact large-scale description of an explicit one-dimensional quantum-circuit setting, where the input left and right qubits are initialized in two distinct product states. We explore the phenomenology predicted by the GHD equations, which depend on the Trotter step and the gate parameters. In some phases of the parameter space, we show that the quantum-circuit large-scale dynamics is qualitatively different compared to the continuous-time evolution. In particular, we find that a single microscopic defect at the junction, such as the addition of a single qubit, may change the nonequilibrium macrostate appearing at late time.

  3 citations

• Generalized Komar charges and Smarr formulas for black holes and boson stars

  Romina Ballesteros, Tomás Ortín

  SciPost Phys. Core 8, 038 (2025) · published 24 April 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The standard Komar charge is a $(d-2)$-form that can be defined in spacetimes admitting a Killing vector and which is closed when the vacuum Einstein equations are satisfied. Its integral at spatial infinity (the Komar integral) gives the conserved charge associated to the Killing vector, and, due to its on-shell closedness, the same value (expressed in terms of other physical variables) is obtained integrating over the event horizon (if any). This equality is the basis of the Smarr formula. This charge can be generalized so that it still is closed on-shell in presence of matter and its integrals give generalizations of the Smarr formula. We show how the Komar charge and other closed $(d-2)$-form charges can be used to prove non-existence theorems for gravitational solitons and boson stars. In particular, we show how one can deal with generalized symmetric fields (invariant under a combination of isometries and other global symmetries) and how the generalized symmetric Ansatz permits to evade the non-existence theorems.

  2 citations

• Dynamics of polar-core spin vortices in inhomogeneous spin-1 Bose-Einstein condensates

  Zachary L. Stevens-Hough, Matthew J. Davis, Lewis A. Williamson

  SciPost Phys. 18, 134 (2025) · published 23 April 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  In the easy-plane phase, a ferromagnetic spin-1 Bose-Einstein condensate is magnetized in a plane transverse to the applied Zeeman field. This phase supports polar-core spin vortices (PCVs), which consist of phase windings of transverse magnetization. Here we show that spin-changing collisions cause a PCV to accelerate down density gradients in an inhomogeneous condensate. The dynamics is well-described by a simplified model adapted from scalar systems, which predicts the dependence of the dynamics on trap tightness and quadratic Zeeman energy. In a harmonic trap, a PCV accelerates radially to the condensate boundary, in stark contrast to the azimuthal motion of vortices in a scalar condensate. In a trap that has a local potential maximum at the centre, the PCV exhibits oscillations around the trap centre, which persist for a remarkably long time. The oscillations coincide with the emission and reabsorption of axial spin waves, which reflect off the condensate boundary.

• Direct production of fermionic superfluids in a cavity-enhanced optical dipole trap

  Tabea N. C. Bühler, Timo Zwettler, Gaia S. Bolognini, Aurélien H. Fabre, Victor Y. Helson, Giulia Del Pace, Jean-Philippe Brantut

  SciPost Phys. 18, 133 (2025) · published 23 April 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We present the production of quantum degenerate, superfluid gases of $^6$Li through direct evaporative cooling in a cavity-enhanced optical dipole trap. The entire evaporative cooling process is performed in a trap created by the TEM$_{00}$ mode of a Fabry-Pérot cavity, simultaneously driven on several successive longitudinal modes. This leads to near-complete cancellation of the inherent lattice structure along the axial direction of the cavity, as evidenced by the observation of long-lived dipole oscillations of the atomic cloud. We demonstrate the production of molecular Bose-Einstein condensates upon adiabatic conversion of a unitary Fermi gas evaporatively cooled in this trap. The lifetime and heating in the cavity trap are similar to those in a running wave dipole trap. Our system enables the optical production of ultracold samples using a total trap-laser power below $1W$, leveraging the benefits of optical resonators as dipole traps in quantum gas research while maintaining a simple resonator design and minimizing additional experimental complexity.

  2 citations

• Coupled minimal models revisited II: Constraints from permutation symmetry

  António Antunes, Connor Behan

  SciPost Phys. 18, 132 (2025) · published 23 April 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Coupling $N$ large $m$ minimal models and flowing to IR fixed points is a systematic way to build new classes of compact unitary 2d CFTs which are likely to be irrational, and potentially have a positive Virasoro twist gap above the vacuum. In this paper, we build on the construction of [A. Antunes and C. Behan, Phys. Rev. Lett. 130, 071602 (2023)], establishing that, for spins less than 10, additional currents transforming in non-trivial irreducible representations of the permutation symmetry $S_N$ are not conserved at the IR fixed points. Along the way, we develop a finer understanding of the spectrum of these theories, of the special properties of the $N=4$ case and of non-invertible symmetries that constrain them. We also discuss variations of the original setup of [A. Antunes and C. Behan, Phys. Rev. Lett. 130, 071602 (2023)], some of which can exist for smaller values of the UV central charge.

  2 citations

• A microscopic realization of dS$_3$

  Scott Collier, Lorenz Eberhardt, Beatrix Mühlmann

  SciPost Phys. 18, 131 (2025) · published 17 April 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We propose a precise duality between pure de Sitter quantum gravity in $2+1$ dimensions and a double-scaled matrix integral. This duality unfolds in two distinct aspects. First, by carefully quantizing the gravitational phase space, we arrive at a novel proposal for the quantum state of the universe at future infinity. We compute cosmological correlators of massive particles in the universe specified by this wavefunction. Integrating these correlators over the metric at future infinity yields gauge-invariant observables, which are identified with the string amplitudes of the complex Liouville string [S. Collier et al., arXiv: 2409.17246]. This establishes a direct connection between integrated cosmological correlators and the resolvents of the matrix integral dual to the complex Liouville string, thereby demonstrating one aspect of the dS$_3$/matrix integral duality. The second aspect concerns the cosmological horizon of the dS static patch and the Gibbons-Hawking entropy it is conjectured to encode. We show that this entropy can be reproduced exactly by counting the entries of the matrix.

  9 citations

• Systematically constructing the likelihood for boosted $H\to gg$ decays

  Andrew J. Larkoski

  SciPost Phys. 18, 130 (2025) · published 17 April 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We study the binary discrimination problem of identification of boosted $H\to gg$ decays from massive QCD jets in a systematic expansion in the strong coupling. Though this decay mode of the Higgs is unlikely to be discovered at the LHC, we analytically demonstrate several features of the likelihood ratio for this problem through explicit analysis of signal and background matrix elements. Through leading-order, we prove that by imposing a constraint on the jet mass and measuring the energy fraction of the softer subjet an improvement of signal to background ratio that is independent of the kinematics of the jets at high boosts can be obtained, and is approximately equal to the inverse of the strong coupling evaluated at the Higgs mass. At next-to-leading order, we construct a powerful discrimination observable through a sort of anomaly detection approach by simply inverting the next-to-leading order $H\to gg$ matrix element with soft gluon emission, which is naturally infrared and collinear safe. Our analytic conclusions are validated in simulated data from all-purpose event generators and subsequent parton showering and demonstrate that the signal-to-background ratio can be improved by a factor of several hundred at high, but accessible, jet energies at the LHC.

• Phases and dynamics of quantum droplets in the crossover to two-dimensions

  Jose Carlos Pelayo, George Bougas, Thomás Fogarty, Thomas Busch, Simeon I. Mistakidis

  SciPost Phys. 18, 129 (2025) · published 17 April 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We explore the ground states and dynamics of ultracold atomic droplets in the crossover region from three to two dimensions by solving the two-dimensional and the quasi two-dimensional extended Gross-Pitaevskii equations numerically and with a variational approach. By systematically comparing the droplet properties, we determine the validity regions of the pure two-dimensional description, and therefore the dominance of the logarithmic nonlinear coupling, as a function of the sign of the averaged mean-field interactions and the size of the transverse confinement. One of our main findings is that droplets become substantially extended upon transitioning from negative-to-positive averaged mean-field interactions. This is accompanied by a significant reduction of their binding energies which are approximately inversely proportional to the square of their size. To explore fundamental dynamical properties in the crossover region, we study interaction quenches and show that the droplets perform a periodic breathing motion for modest quench strengths, while larger quench amplitudes lead to continuous expansion exhibiting density ring structures. We also showcase that it is possible to form complex bulk and surface density patterns in anisotropic geometries following the quench. Since we are working with realistic parameters, our results can directly facilitate future experimental realizations.

  5 citations

• Introducing the Journal of Robustness Reports

  František Bartoš, Alexandra Sarafoglou, Balazs Aczel, Suzanne Hoogeveen, Christopher D. Chambers, Eric-Jan Wagenmakers

  J. Robust. Rep. 0-Editorial (2025) · published 16 April 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The vast majority of empirical research articles report a single primary analysis outcome that is the result of a single analysis plan, executed by a single analysis team (usually the team that also designed the experiment and collected the data). However, recent many-analyst projects have demonstrated that different analysis teams generally adopt a unique approach and that there exists considerable variability in the associated conclusions. There appears to be no single optimal statistical analysis plan, and different plausible plans need not lead to the same conclusion. A high variability in outcomes signals that the conclusions are relatively fragile and dependent on the specifics of the analysis plan. Crucially, without multiple teams analyzing the data, it is difficult to gauge the extent to which the conclusions are robust. We have recently proposed that empirical articles of particular scientific interest or societal importance are accompanied by two or three short reports that summarize the results of alternative analyses conducted by independent experts [F. Bartoš et al., Nat. Hum. Behav. (2025)]. In order to showcase the practical feasibility and epistemic benefits of this approach we have founded the Journal of Robustness Reports, which is dedicated to publishing short reanalyses of empirical findings. This editorial describes the scope and the workflow of the Journal of Robustness Reports including the type and format of the published articles. We hope that the Journal of Robustness Reports will help make reanalyses of published findings the norm across the empirical sciences.

  2 citations

• Preference for Chaudfontaine or bias towards the preferred option?

  Alexandra Sarafoglou

  J. Robust. Rep. 0-Ex2 (2025) · published 16 April 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Although participants' taste scores were influenced by their preferences, they still generally favored Chaudfontaine over tap water, which confirms the original claim.

  1 citation