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Learning selection cuts with gradients

Mike Hance, Juan Robles

SciPost Phys. Core 8, 079 (2025) · published 7 November 2025 | · pdf

Many analyses in high-energy physics rely on selection thresholds (cuts) applied to detector, particle, or event properties. Initial cut values can often be guessed from physical intuition, but cut optimization, especially for multiple features, is commonly performed by hand, or skipped entirely in favor of multivariate algorithms like BDTs or neural networks. We revisit this problem, and develop a cut optimization approach based on gradient descent. Cut thresholds are learned as parameters of a network with a simple architecture, and can be tuned to achieve a target signal efficiency through the use of custom loss functions. Contractive terms in the loss can be used to ensure a smooth evolution of cuts as functions of efficiency, particle kinematics, or event features. The method is used to classify events in a search for Supersymmetry, and the performance is compared with common classification tools. An implementation of this approach is available in a public code repository and python package.
Magic phase transition and non-local complexity in generalized W State

Alberto Giuseppe Catalano, Jovan Odavić, Gianpaolo Torre, Alioscia Hamma, Fabio Franchini, Salvatore Marco Giampaolo

SciPost Phys. Core 8, 078 (2025) · published 6 November 2025 | · pdf

We employ the Stabilizer Rényi Entropy (SRE) to characterize a quantum phase transition that has so far eluded any standard description and can thus now be explained in terms of the interplay between its non-stabilizer properties and entanglement. The transition under consideration separates a region with a unique ground state from one with a degenerate ground state manifold spanned by states with finite and opposite (intensive) momenta. We show that SRE has a jump at the crossing points, while the entanglement entropy remains continuous. Moreover, by leveraging a Clifford circuit mapping, we connect the observed jump in SRE to that occurring between standard and generalized $W$-states with finite momenta. This mapping allows us to quantify the SRE discontinuity analytically.
On the generalized Komar charge of Kaluza-Klein theories and higher-form symmetries

Gabriele Barbagallo, José Luis V. Cerdeira, Carmen Gómez-Fayrén, Patrick Meessen, Tomás Ortín

SciPost Phys. Core 8, 077 (2025) · published 4 November 2025 | · pdf

The generalized Komar $(d-2)$-form charge can be modified by the addition of any other on-shell closed (conserved) $(d-2)$-form charge. We show that, with Kaluza–Klein boundary conditions, one has to add a charge related to the higher-form symmetry identified in Ref. [C. Gomez-Fayren et al., SciPost Phys. Core 8, 010 (2025)] to the naive Komar charge of pure 5-dimensional gravity to obtain a conserved charge whose integral at spatial infinity gives the mass. The new term also contains the contribution of the Kaluza–Klein monopole charge leading to electric-magnetic duality invariance.
Polarization-sensitive imaging in magnetic environments

Nejc Blaznik, Dries van Oosten, Peter van der Straten

SciPost Phys. Core 8, 076 (2025) · published 31 October 2025 | · pdf

Nondestructive spin-resolved imaging of ultracold atomic gases requires calculating the differences of the refractive indices seen by two circular probe polarizations. Perfect overlap of the two images, corresponding to two different polarizations, is required well below the feature size of interest. In this paper, we demonstrate that the birefringence of atoms in magnetic field gradients results in polarization-dependent aberrations in the image, which deteriorates the overlap. To that end, we develop a model that couples atomic tensor polarizability with position-dependent spin orientation and yields aberration predictions for accumulated phase shifts in arbitrary field geometries. Applied to data from an ultra-cold atomic cloud trapped in a Ioffe-Pritchard trap, the model quantitatively reproduces the observed distortion across a range of temperatures. A residual offset of $\sim1\;\mu\mathrm{m}$ remains even under uniform field conditions, likely due to optical asymmetries. For images obtained through off-axis holography, the full complex field of the probe enables post-processing removal of all magnetically induced aberrations through a single numerically calculated Fourier-space phase mask.
Freelance holography, part II: Moving boundary in gauge/gravity correspondence

Aliasghar Parvizi, Mohammad M. Sheikh-Jabbari, Vahid Taghiloo

SciPost Phys. Core 8, 075 (2025) · published 31 October 2025 | · pdf

We continue developing the freelance holography program, formulating gauge/gravity correspondence where the gravity side is formulated on a space bounded by a generic timelike codimension-one surface inside AdS and arbitrary boundary conditions are imposed on the gravity fields on the surface. Our analysis is performed within the Covariant Phase Space Formalism (CPSF). We discuss how a given boundary condition on the bulk fields on a generic boundary evolves as we move the boundary to another boundary inside AdS and work out how this evolution is encoded in deformations of the holographic effective boundary theory. Our analyses here extend the extensively studied $\text{T}\bar{\text{T}}$-deformation by relaxing the boundary conditions at asymptotic AdS or at the cutoff surface to be any arbitrary one (besides Dirichlet). We discuss some of the implications of our general freelance holography setting.
Achieving quantum advantage in a search for a violations of the Goldbach conjecture, with driven atoms in tailored potentials

Oleksandr V. Marchukov, Andrea Trombettoni, Giuseppe Mussardo, Maxim Olshanii

SciPost Phys. Core 8, 074 (2025) · published 28 October 2025 | · pdf

The famous Goldbach conjecture states that any even natural number $N$ greater than $2$ can be written as the sum of two prime numbers $p^{\text{(I)}}$ and $p^{\text{(II)}}$. In this article we propose a quantum analogue device that solves the following problem: given a small prime $p^{\text{(I)}}$, identify a member $N$ of a $\mathcal{N}$-strong set even numbers for which $N-p^{\text{(I)}}$ is also a prime. A table of suitable large primes $p^{\text{(II)}}$ is assumed to be known a priori. The device realizes the Grover quantum search protocol and as such ensures a $\sqrt{\mathcal{N}}$ quantum advantage. Our numerical example involves a set of 51 even numbers just above the highest even classical-numerically explored so far [T. O. e Silva, S. Herzog, and S. Pardi, Mathematics of Computation 83, 2033 (2013)]. For a given small prime number $p^{\text{(I)}}=223$, it took our quantum algorithm 5 steps to identify the number $N=4× 10^{18}+14$ as featuring a Goldbach partition involving $223$ and another prime, namely $p^{\text{(II)}}=4× 10^{18}-239$. Currently, our algorithm limits the number of evens to be tested simultaneously to $\mathcal{N} \sim \ln(N)$: larger samples will typically contain more than one even that can be partitioned with the help of a given $p^{\text{(I)}}$, thus leading to a departure from the Grover paradigm.
Accurate surrogate amplitudes with calibrated uncertainties

Henning Bahl, Nina Elmer, Luigi Favaro, Manuel Haußmann, Tilman Plehn, Ramon Winterhalder

SciPost Phys. Core 8, 073 (2025) · published 24 October 2025 | · pdf

Neural networks for LHC physics have to be accurate, reliable, and controlled. Using neural surrogates for the prediction of loop amplitudes as a use case, we first show how activation functions are systematically tested with Kolmogorov-Arnold Networks. Then, we train neural surrogates to simultaneously predict the target amplitude and an uncertainty for the prediction. We disentangle systematic uncertainties, learned by a well-defined likelihood loss, from statistical uncertainties, which require the introduction of Bayesian neural networks or repulsive ensembles. We test the coverage of the learned uncertainties using pull distributions to quantify the calibration of cutting-edge neural surrogates.
Anyon condensation in mixed-state topological order

Ken Kikuchi, Kah-Sen Kam, Fu-Hsiang Huang

SciPost Phys. Core 8, 072 (2025) · published 20 October 2025 | · pdf

We discuss anyon condensation in mixed-state topological order. The phases were recently conjectured to be classified by pre-modular fusion categories. Just like anyon condensation in pure-state topological order, a bootstrap analysis shows condensable anyons are given by connected étale algebras. We explain how to perform generic anyon condensation including non-invertible anyons and successive condensations. Interestingly, some condensations lead to pure-state topological orders. We clarify when this happens. We also compute topological invariants of equivalence classes.
Phase space compression of a positive muon beam in two spatial dimensions

A. Antognini, N. J. Ayres, I. Belosevic, V. Bondar, A. Eggenberger, M. Hildebrandt, R. Iwai, K. Kirch, A. Knecht, G. Lospalluto, J. Nuber, A. Papa, M. Sakurai, I. Solovyev, D. Taqqu, T. Yan

SciPost Phys. Core 8, 071 (2025) · published 20 October 2025 | · pdf

We present the first demonstration of simultaneous phase space compression in two spatial dimensions of a positive muon beam, the first stage of the novel high-brightness muon beam under development by the muCool collaboration at the Paul Scherrer Institute. The keV-energy, sub-mm size beam would enable a factor $10^5$ improvement in brightness for precision $\mu$SR, and atomic and particle physics measurements with positive muons. This compression is achieved within a cryogenic helium gas target with a strong density gradient, placed in a homogeneous magnetic field, under the influence of a complex electric field. In the next phase, the muon beam will be extracted into vacuum.
Global symmetries of quantum lattice models under non-invertible dualities

Weiguang Cao, Yuan Miao, Masahito Yamazaki

SciPost Phys. Core 8, 070 (2025) · published 14 October 2025 | · pdf

Non-invertible dualities/symmetries have become an important tool in the study of quantum field theories and quantum lattice models in recent years. One of the most studied examples is non-invertible dualities obtained by gauging a discrete group. When the physical system has more global symmetries than the gauged symmetry, it has not been thoroughly investigated how those global symmetries transform under non-invertible duality. In this paper, we study the change of global symmetries under non-invertible duality of gauging a discrete group $G$ in the context of (1+1)-dimensional quantum lattice models. We obtain the global symmetries of the dual model by focusing on different Hilbert space sectors determined by the $\mathrm{Rep}(G)$ symmetry. We provide general conjectures of global symmetries of the dual model forming an algebraic ring of the double cosets. We present concrete examples of the XXZ models and the duals, providing strong evidence for the conjectures.

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Publications

3 citations