The hexagonal MnTe is a prime material candidate for altermagnets, an emerging class of magnetic compounds characterized by the nontrivial interplay of antiparallel spin arrangements with their underlying crystal structures. Recognizing precise knowledge of crystal symmetry as the cornerstone of the spin-group classification scheme, we report here an inversion-symmetry-breaking structural distortion in this compound that has previously been overlooked. Through electron microscopy, second-harmonic-generation (SHG) polarimetry, and Raman spectroscopy experiments, we show that MnTe consistently exhibits local structural domains belonging to the $D_{3h}$ group, potentially resolving key inconsistencies in the earlier interpretations of Raman spectroscopy data. Our finding refines the symmetry analysis of MnTe within the altermagnetic class and sheds light on the mechanism of its magnetocontrollable Néel order.

Ultrafast birefringence oscillations observed in superfluid helium provide evidence for anisotropic quantum squeezing of quasiparticle pairs. The measured response is a superposition of contributions from all vibrational modes, with dominant contributions from rotons, maxons, and Pitaevskii's plateau. The nonzero initial phase follows naturally from multimode interference.

Non-Hermiticity fundamentally breaks conventional dimensional restrictions on localization and thus allows robust metallic states even in one-dimensional systems. However, the mechanism of Anderson localization in higher-dimensional non-Hermitian systems, especially anisotropic ones, remains largely elusive. Here, we demonstrate that the interplay between the non-Hermitian skin effect and complex disorder in a three-dimensional anisotropic Hatano-Nelson model drives direction-dependent phase transitions, referred to as anisotropic Anderson localization. As disorder increases, the system undergoes four distinct phases, in which the non-Hermitian skin effect emerges along certain spatial directions, while Anderson localization occurs along others. A reentrant localization transition appears near the spectral edge, driven by the imaginary parts of both energy and disorder. The coherent potential approximation analysis confirms the disorder-induced phase boundaries obtained from finite-size conductance calculations and naturally explains the origin of this reentrant behavior. Finally, complex energy-level statistics not only identify the complete localization threshold but also confirm that the system belongs to the symmetry class $\mathrm{A}$, which is associated with broken rotational symmetry.

We generalize the classic Néel diagram and identify another type of ferrimagnetic phase that remains fully magnetically compensated below the Curie temperature, forming a continuous line of compensated points. It exhibits zero net magnetization while retaining nonrelativistic, eV-scale reciprocal spin splitting. We further find a persistently enhanced intrinsic switching field over a broad temperature range near the fully compensated phase. Proximity to the compensated line is achieved by minimizing the net local moment while balancing exchange interactions with respect to the number of equivalent atoms in each sublattice. The resulting extended Néel diagram provides practical design rules for engineering fully compensated ferrimagnetic phases via targeted chemical substitution that combines atoms with robust and weak local moments, as demonstrated through density functional theory and Monte Carlo simulations for ${\mathrm{GdCo}}_5$-type ferrimagnets.

We present measurements demonstrating that copper-oxide high-temperature superconductors can exhibit broken time-reversal symmetry in the absence of external magnetic fields. Using ${\mathrm{Tl}}_2{\mathrm{Ba}}_2{\mathrm{CaCu}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_8$ microbridges, we observe a pronounced superconducting diode effect at 100 K under strictly zero-field conditions. This nonreciprocal response remains unchanged in magnetic fields up to $\pm 100$ Oe. Our results are consistent with recent reports of zero-field diode behavior in ${\mathrm{Bi}}_2{\mathrm{Sr}}_2{\mathrm{CaCu}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_{8+\delta }$ and together they indicate that time-reversal symmetry breaking may be an intrinsic property of the cuprate superconducting state. These findings provide an additional experimental constraint on theoretical descriptions of high-temperature superconductivity and motivate further investigations of possible time-reversal-symmetry-breaking phenomena in cuprates.

The enigmatic puzzle of the Verwey transition in magnetite ${\mathrm{Fe}}_3{\mathrm{O}}_4$ has been unresolved for almost a century. We present an ab initio-based model of the polaron transport combining kinetic Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics calculations to directly describe the coupling of polarons with lattice vibrations. Contrary to the Ihle-Lorenz small-polaron model, we find no significant change in the band structure across the Verwey transition, however, trimeron hopping is observed. The proposed model provides dc conductivity in agreement with experimental data across the Verwey transition.

In this work, we introduce a broad class of circuits, or quantum cellular automata, which we call pairwise difference conserving (PDC) circuits. These models are characterized by local gates that preserve the pairwise difference of local operators (e.g., particle number). Such circuits can be defined on arbitrary graphs in arbitrary dimensions for both quantum and classical degrees of freedom. A key consequence of PDC construction is the emergence of an extensive set of loop charges associated with closed walks of even length on the graph. These charges exhibit a one-dimensional character reminiscent of 1-form symmetries and lead to strong Hilbert space fragmentation. As a case study, we analyze a quasi-one-dimensional ladder geometry, where we characterize all dynamically disconnected sectors by the loop-charge symmetries, providing a complete decomposition of the Hilbert space. For the ladder geometry, we observe clear signatures of nonergodic dynamics even within the largest symmetry sector.

Ferroelectric higher-order topological insulators (HOTIs) exhibit versatile physical properties arising from the interplay between ferroelectric polarization and band topology. This work investigates the topological origin of two classes of two-dimensional (2D) ferroelectric HOTIs with out-of-plane or in-plane polarization, revealing their orbital transport behaviors and the distinct mechanism for engineering orbital Hall conductivity (OHC) via polarization control. Our results demonstrate the unique role of polarization in modulating both the higher-order band topology and orbital transport. A strong coupling between in-plane polarization and higher-order topology is identified, establishing in-plane polarization as an intrinsic means to modulate the OHC plateau within the band gap. Using ${\mathrm{Tl}}_2\mathrm{S}$ and SnS as representative models of the two HOTI types, we demonstrate persistent and electrically tunable orbital transport, respectively. Our study advances the understanding of the coupling among ferroelectricity, higher-order topology, and orbital transport, offering alternative avenues for controllable orbitronics.

As key building blocks for nanoelectronics, graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) have attracted considerable interest over the past two decades. Atomically precise GNRs can be synthesized on Au(111) via on-surface reactions of 10, 10′-9, 9′-bianthryl (DBBA) in two sequential steps: (i) debromination and (ii) cyclodehydrogenation. Despite extensive efforts, the catalytic role of the gold substrate and the physical origin of the adatom effect remain debated, largely due to a lack of electronic-structure-level understanding. Here, we present a comprehensive DFT-D3 study of GNRs on the Au(111) surface by evaluating the energy profiles under four different conditions [vacuum, isolated Au atom, Au(111) surface, and Au adatom on Au(111)]. By combining barrier calculations with electronic-structure analyses, we find that the catalytic effect originates from charge transfer from the C–H (or C–Br) σ bond to the Au adatom, which weakens the bond and lowers the barrier. At 470 K, debromination (barrier 0.753 eV) is kinetically favored, leading to surface-stabilized biradical intermediates that readily couple. Upon heating to 670 K, a thermally activated Au adatom originating from the Au(111) surface lowers the energy barrier of dehydrogenation from 2.650 eV (bare surface) to 2.295 eV. Quantitative transition state theory estimates give half-lives consistent with experimental reaction times (microseconds for debromination at 470 K; hours for cyclodehydrogenation at 670 K). Consequently, we propose that the gold adatom plays a crucial catalytic role in the dehydrogenation process during GNR formation on the Au(111) surface.

The interplay between unconventional superconductivity and altermagnetic order has attracted much attention. In particular, whether spin-triplet superconductivity can be achieved by suppressing altermagnetism remains an open issue. We investigate this issue using a minimal single-orbital Hubbard model on a square lattice with a vacancy superstructure, in which both conventional antiferromagnetic and altermagnetic orders can emerge on an equal footing. We illustrate the existence of a metallic normal phase with altermagnetism even at half-filling due to geometric frustration and Coulomb interaction. Suppressing the altermagnetic long-range order using charge doping can lead to both conventional antiferromagnetic and altermagnetic spin fluctuations. Spin-singlet pairing is always favored when conventional antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations dominate. However, when altermagnetic spin fluctuations dominate, spin-triplet pairing will be induced. Implications of our results for possible material candidates are also briefly discussed.

Atomic orbitals generally exhibit crystal field effect and orbital hybridization arising from the anisotropic environment in matter. Artificial atom, quantum dot with discrete energy levels, offers a unique platform for simulating the electronic features of real atoms. Very recently, the orbital hybridization was proposed and realized in artificial atoms, achieving the reorganization of orbitals of different types. However, the crystal field effect in artificial atoms—namely, the reorganization among orbitals of the same type—has so far remained unexplored. Here, we develop the theory of crystal field effect, based on graphene artificial atoms. We find that in monolayer graphene, the pseudo-time-reversal symmetry prohibits the crystal field effect. But such symmetry is broken in Bernal bilayer graphene, allowing the crystal field effect. Specifically, we propose that the elliptical anisotropy leads to reorganization between a pair of $p$ orbitals. Our numerical calculations and analytical derivations demonstrate the corresponding energy splitting and spatial distributions, confirming the crystal field effect. Our study marks a critical step towards designing quantum matter.

The Mpemba effect, a system farther from equilibrium relaxing faster, has been demonstrated for thermodynamic and symmetry-based quantities in classical, open-quantum, and isolated many-body systems. Whether the same phenomenology extends to quantum resources connected to computational complexity remains unexplored. Here, we investigate the relaxation of coherence, imaginarity, fermionic non-Gaussianity, and magic in subsystems of closed quantum systems evolved under random circuits composed of free gates. We find that coherence and imaginarity display the quantum Mpemba effect (QME) for tilted product states, while non-Gaussianity and magic do not. All four resources exhibit the quantum Pontus-Mpemba effect: a resourceful preheating stage accelerates the subsequent free relaxation. A spectral analysis reveals that the QME is controlled by the overlap of the initial state with the slowest decay mode of the effective Liouvillian, and that generic preheating suppresses this overlap. These results demonstrate that Mpemba physics is not restricted to thermodynamic or symmetry observables, but constitutes a general feature of quantum resource dissipation in complexity-relevant settings.

Physical observables of a macrosystem are functions of state variables that uniquely define the macroscopic state. However, the explicit impact of these variables on the behaviors of magnetoresistance (MR) has not been fully explored. Here, angular-dependent MR of textured cobalt (002) films, which possess a uniaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy (MCA) with the easy axis ($z$ axis) perpendicular to the isotropic film plane ($xy$ plane), is investigated experimentally and theoretically with two vector state variables: magnetization $\mathbf{m}$ and easy axis $\mathbf{n}$ of the MCA. When the current is applied along the $x$ direction, we found that the angular-dependent MR in different measurement planes shows these distinct scattering mechanisms: it is governed solely by scattering related to m—the conventional anisotropic MR (AMR)—in the $xy$ plane, by the electron scattering related to n in the $yz$ plane (crystalline AMR), and by a combination of both in the $xz$ plane. Notably, the crystalline AMR in the $yz$ plane exhibits a form similar to that of the uniaxial MCA energy. Both the twofold and fourfold terms are independent of the film thickness, and the amplitude of the twofold term is proportional to the twofold constant of MCA. Our results provide a framework for understanding and engineering MR by harnessing the MCA constant.

Altermagnetic multiferroics represent an emerging class of materials that exhibit unique symmetry-protected spin splitting in the absence of net magnetization, holding great promise for spintronic applications. However, achieving deterministic and nonvolatile electric control over their spin-splitting properties remains both a fundamental challenge and a technologically pivotal goal. Here, using first-principles calculations on a $\mathrm{MnPS}{\mathrm{e}}_3/\mathrm{TiGe}{\mathrm{S}}_3$ heterostructure, we demonstrate that sliding ferroelectricity acts as a powerful symmetry knob, enabling reversible switching between $d$-wave and $i$-wave altermagnetic states. This interwave transition is driven by interlayer sliding, which breaks the threefold rotational symmetry and leads to pronounced changes in spin-splitting anisotropy, spin transport behavior, and magneto-optical Kerr signals. Furthermore, we uncover a triple coupling mechanism among intrinsic ferroelectric polarization, sliding ferroelectricity, and altermagnetic symmetry, providing enhanced control over the altermagnetic phase landscape. Our work establishes sliding ferroelectricity as a generic and efficient approach for symmetry engineering in altermagnets and paves the way toward electrically reconfigurable altermagnetic devices.

X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) enables direct access to atomic-scale dynamics in disordered materials, revealing both spontaneous and x-ray-induced relaxation processes. Here, we study two compositionally similar alloy glasses near their glass transition temperatures: the phase-change material (PCM) ${\mathrm{Ge}}_{15}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{85}$ and the non-PCM alloy ${\mathrm{Ge}}_{15}{\mathrm{Te}}_{85}$. Both exhibit an x-ray-induced atomic motion, yet with markedly different responses. ${\mathrm{Ge}}_{15}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{85}$ undergoes an immediate transition to an x-ray-induced yielding state, characterized by stationary dynamics governed solely by the absorbed dose. In contrast, ${\mathrm{Ge}}_{15}{\mathrm{Te}}_{85}$ shows a progressive slowing down of the x-ray-induced dynamics, accompanied by a crossover from compressed to stretched exponential decay in the density autocorrelation functions. This behavior is consistent with the emergence of liquidlike collective motion as supported by de Gennes narrowing in the wave-vector dependence of the dynamics at length scales comparable with the first sharp diffraction peak. Unlike ${\mathrm{Ge}}_{15}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{85}$, this alloy does not reach a stationary regime within experimental timescales, implying that the yielding transition occurs only after thousands of seconds with the available dose rate. Its response is also temperature-dependent: at lower temperatures, the dynamics reflects intrinsic stress relaxation processes, whereas at higher temperatures, it becomes dose-controlled. These findings demonstrate that the dynamical response to x-ray excitation is not determined solely by chemical composition or bonding character, but results from the interplay between irradiation effects and internal stress relaxation pathways.

In fully compensated ferrimagnets (FCFs), the coexistence of vanishing net magnetization and spin polarization provides a unique platform for spintronics. However, their realization remains hindered by the stringent sublattice constraints and electron-counting requirements. Here, we propose a design strategy for FCFs in disordered, off-stoichiometry Heusler-like compounds, using ${\mathrm{TiCo}}_x{\mathrm{Cu}}_y\mathrm{Sn}$ ($1<x+y<2$) as a prototype. We show that the vanishing magnetization is rooted in local orbital-driven exchange between partially occupied Co-$3d$ $e$ orbitals ($d_{x^2-y^2},d_{z^2}$) in inequivalent Co environments, while ${\mathrm{Cu}}^{+}$ provides the charge-compensation degree of freedom. This mechanism manifests as short-range, self-compensated magnetic clusters associated with off-stoichiometric Co/Cu/vacancy configurations within an ordered cubic framework, enabling a zero-net-moment state across a broad, continuously tunable compositional window. Experimental measurements support a compensated ferrimagnetic state with vanishing macroscopic magnetization, together with a low-temperature logarithmic magnetic-scattering contribution that is progressively suppressed by magnetic field. Our findings demonstrate that local orbital-driven clusters enable fully compensated ferrimagnetism beyond the rigid integer-valence-electron-count Slater-Pauling constraint, providing a powerful pathway for engineering functional FCFs.