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Researchers parse literature on transuranium isotopes in simulations of explosive nucleosynthesis and find that the isotopic relation as a function of synthetic fluence is a practical and sensitive functional. Find out more in Physical Review C: go.aps.org/4yknKCW

A chart plotting the yields of transuraniums in the seven large-scale thermonuclear explosive experiments analyzed in the study. Mass number (A) is on the x-axis, and isotope yield (Y) is on the y-axis. Each experiment is represented with a different R value: R(Anacostia) = .275, R(Mike) = .385, R(Barbel) = .69, R(Par) = .86, R(Kankakee) = 1.06, R(Vulcan) = 1.09, and R(Cyclamen) = 1.49. Various functions represent each experiment, ranging from blue to black to red solid lines, which all tend to decrease with mass number. A dashed rectangle near the top left of the graph highlights the yields Y2 and Y1 with masses A2 = 246 and A1 = 245.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 13h

Denario is a multi-agent AI system for the research pipeline that generates ideas, checks literature, develops research plans, codes, makes plots, and drafts papers — a tool built to assist researchers, not automate them. Read more in PRX Intelligence: go.aps.org/4diZYil

Flow diagram — styled as a hand-drawn diagram — showing the “methods module” of the AI system, which is tasked with outputting a detailed research plan, or methodology, when given an idea and a description of the problem or data. At the center of the diagram is a smiling green robot head labeled “methods agent.” It has two inputs on its left: The first input is a piece of paper with text labeled “input text,” which provides the problem or data description. The second input is labeled “idea” and is depicted by a light bulb. The two inputs are each linked to the robot with an incoming arrow. On the robot’s right, an output arrow points from the robot to a speech bubble containing the words “research methodology.”

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 19h

A proposed many-body phase microscope uses atomic interferometry to reveal quantum properties existing microscopes can’t see. The method could help detect elusive states like d-wave superconductivity and fractional Chern insulators. More in PRX Quantum: go.aps.org/4ytkRjk

A schematic of a proposed measurement protocol using a matter-wave microscope. Raman pulses. Raman pulses place atoms in two spin states and make atoms from separated lattice sites interfere. Measurement snapshots and a graph show how the resulting fringes reveal the strength and phase of long-range quantum coherence. Additional diagrams depict the process in phase space and the transition between spin states.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 22h

When separating plates with a viscoplastic liquid-filled gap, the liquid can deposit unstable patterns. A study in Physical Review Fluids uses plates with mm-sized slots, squares, or triangles to control the patterning — with uses in medical diagnostics. go.aps.org/4xNJHcp

Two side-by-side images of the bottom plate, illustrating a stable (left) and unstable (right) deposited fluid pattern, and its radial dynamics. In both images the plate is circular with a radius R0 (marked with a red arrow on the left image). The left image, labeled “puddle,” shows the yield stress fluid as a single bump on the plate, forming a circle with around three-quarters of the plate’s radius. The right image, labeled “complex branching,” shows finger-like structures on the substrate, with four arms of fluid branching from the center, and each one branching again multiple times.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 30/09/2026

🌏 A new paper in Reviews of Modern #Physics explores how climate physicist Syukuro Manabe predicted key features of global warming decades before they were observed, using a hierarchy of physics-based models that remains relevant to climate science today: go.aps.org/4AGYvwd

Two world maps showing predicted (top) and observed (bottom) surface air temperature change. Below them both is a color scale from blue (−0.6°C) through yellow (0°C) to dark red (1.2°C). The top map, labeled "Model," uses orange shading across most of the globe, with contour lines and numerical labels indicating warming of +1 to +5°C. Warming is strongest, indicated in deep orange from +4 to +5°C, at high northern latitudes and weakest near the Southern Ocean, where a small blue patch indicates near-zero or slight cooling. The bottom map, labeled "Observations," shows similar warming across most land and ocean areas, with cooling (blue) concentrated around the Southern Ocean and parts of Antarctica.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 30/09/2026

Scientists built a quantum reservoir computer with a photonic quantum memristor, combining memory, nonlinearity, and quantum coherence. It could lead to more scalable, energy-efficient machine learning using light and quantum physics. More in PRX Quantum: go.aps.org/4rJUTFS

A graph comparing predictions of f(x)=x4 with memristor feedback (blue dots) and without (orange dots). A black curve shows the true function and a vertical line marks the test region. The memristor predictions stay closer to the true cure. An inset bar chart labeled “Enhancement of MSE with memristor” shows lower error with the memristor for n = 3, 4, 5, and 6.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 30/09/2026

⚛️ A study in Physical Review Accelerators and Beams has derived exact closed-form cooling rates with dispersive redistribution — results that enable the rapid and accurate optimization of high-energy electron coolers. 🔗 go.aps.org/4xZ9Y7P

A 3D graph with Di, m on the x axis towards the front, De, m on the side x axis, and λ, 1/h on the y axis. Two color scale bars on the right show values for λx, with 0.2 in dark blue and 0.7 in yellow, and values for λz, with 0.2 in purple and 0.6 in yellow. The plot for λx decreases from left to right, while the λz plot increases from left to right.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 30/09/2026

Researchers precisely pressed a microscope tip into a specifically oriented tungsten single-crystal and used advanced electron microscopy to characterize a channel-like deformation in the crystal structure. More in Physical Review Materials: go.aps.org/4hSjZyF

A backscatter electron micrograph image showing an X shaped object against a gray background. The two lines that make up the X are labeled channels and the center is labeled imprint. A scale bar in the lower left corner is labeled 2 micrometers.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 29/09/2026

A new study published in PRX Life study uses statistical #physics to show that a discrete three-injection schedule works best to design effective “slow delivery” vaccination strategies. 🔗 go.aps.org/4hz5oqA

The diagram represents a schematic of the affinity maturation model, proceeding through iterative rounds of evolution in the germinal centers (CGs) of the cells. It is divided into three parts. Part (a) shows duplication and proliferation of B cells, as well mutation, resulting in silent, lethal, or affinity-affecting cells. Part (b) is characterized by a two-step selection, in which the cells bind with the antigen and compete for T cell help. Differentiation and random removals regulate the cell population. Part (c) is an inset graph mapping stochastic affinity trajectories of B cells over GC rounds, shown with red and black lines. The red lines in the graph represent the high-affinity states relevant to this study.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 29/09/2026

Quantum computing applications are throttled by limited hardware capabilities. New work in Physical Review Applied presents new hardware-efficient protocols for quantum error correction, and building better quantum processors. 🔗 go.aps.org/4z44Pw9

A diagrammatic representation of the KCQ and transmon, showing the four modes of the architecture employed for the interaction— KCQ (ωa), a transmon mode (ωb), and readout resonator modes associated with the KCQ (ωar) and transmon (ωbr).

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 29/09/2026

A fermionic non-Gaussianity monotone provides a new tool for quantum benchmarking, sharp no-go theorems, and efficient algorithms for quantum resource theories. The results, published in PRX Quantum, are also useful in quantum many-body physics. Learn more: go.aps.org/4rLa15F

Scientific figure shows a t-doped Gaussian protocol. A ket and equals sign leads to six horizontal lines each starting with a ket zero. The lines, which end in a large left facing bracket labeled n, are interrupted by four blue boxes denoting arbitrary Gaussian protocols labeled with ascending numbered epsilonons from εo to εt. Spanning the upper two horizontal lines are three orange boxes between the blue boxes, labeled W1, W2, and Wt. A series of three dots interrupt each horizontal line between the ε2 and Wt boxes.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 29/09/2026

In the 2D Hubbard model, superconductivity coexists with Néel order on the electron-doped side and with stripe order on the hole-doped side, while the gap is spatially modulated with the charge order in the stripe phase. Read the Physical Review B study: go.aps.org/4jtJA2c

A graph showing n on the x axis and T/t on the y axis. It depicts a phase diagram for U = 4t and t′ = −0.2t in the thermodynamic limit. A legend at the top indicates that Neel is shown in yellow, spiral in green, stripe in red, and para in gray. The plots shown in black lines have been computed directly in the thermodynamic limit. The solid line indicates the onset of magnetic order. The dash-dotted lines show the onset of superconductivity, and the shaded areas the superconducting regions. The dotted line indicates the instability of the spiral states. Near the spiral region, the region labeled “stripe” may also contain a non-collinear charge ordered state.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 28/09/2026

A new study in Physical Review Applied suggests a preoptimization step in inverse design to speed up the process and reduce computational load when designing electromagnetic devices. This could help design next-generation wave devices more efficiently. 🔗 go.aps.org/4jiziSw

This figure consists of two parts. Part (a) is a graph representing conventional inverse design, where the x-axis shows design parameters, and the y-axis shows objectives.

Part (b) represents the new pre-optimization phase comprising an intelligent search that accelerates inverse design. A convex semidefinite program generates an initial guess for the optimal design, including both a choice map and an ambiguity map, which together seed the final optimization.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 28/09/2026

New in Physical Review C: Scientists comprehensively explore the long-debated nature of the upbend resonance and its thermodynamic origin and suggest that it invalidates the Brink-Axel hypothesis in the very low-energy region. 🔗 go.aps.org/4hvPoWw

A series of six graphs (a-f) plotting the RSFs of 56Fe (a), 57Fe (b), 76Ge (c), 97Mo (d), 146Nd (e), and 147Nd (f), from top left proceeding clockwise. Each graph has Eγ in MeV on the x-axis and RSF in MeV-3 on the y-axis. The RSFs were obtained within the extended EP+PDM at different temperatures with experimental data. Each graph contains red and blue curves denoting the GDR+UBR (red dashed line), GDR (black dashed line), and UBR (solid blue line). Underneath, thin lines represent the values of fUBR calculated at different temperatures. Black, blue, and green squares and purple crosses represent experimental data points from previous studies.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 28/09/2026

A new analysis links force peaks and plateaus in membrane extrusion to molecular rearrangements and loading conditions. The findings offer a clearer framework for interpreting membrane force-spectroscopy experiments. More in Physical Review E: go.aps.org/4hg9LYM

A graph showing how an adhesive membrane responds as it is pulled. Force-extension curves show three stages: nucleation, where force peaks; propagation, where membrane units transition and force fluctuates; and coalescence, where the force drops as the transition completes. Softer traps smooth these transitions, showing how setup stiffness affects the force response.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 27/09/2026

A Physical Review C study analyzes true muonium production within the quark-gluon plasma formed in relativistic heavy-ion collisions and finds that the production of this hypothetical atom is enhanced in the presence of the quark-gluon plasma. 🔗 go.aps.org/3T6QIah

On the top is a graph of the true muonium yield as a function of the number of participants Npart. Below is a graph of the true muonium yield as a function of transverse momentum. Both graphs depict results for the central rapidity of Au+Au collisions atRHIC energy √sNN = 200 GeV, shown as dashed curves, and Pb+Pb collisions at LHC energy √ sNN = 5.02 TeV, shown as solid curves. Orange lines show the results from the qq¯ → (µ+µ−) +g channel, while blue lines show the results from the qg →(µ+µ−) + q channels.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 27/09/2026

A novel quantum simulator achieves strong interactions by exciting ions to high-energy states, allowing scientists to study collective quantum processes that are difficult to achieve in experiments. 🔗 go.aps.org/4iPrKqk

A figure in two parts, showing dipole–dipole interaction strength in a planar three-ion crystal. The main graph shows the dipole-dipole interaction strength versus magnetic field strength for different values of the principal quantum number n, where n = 30, 35, 40 and 45. The ratio between axial and radial frequencies is set ωz/ωρ = 1.61 (red) and ωz/ωρ = 3.22 (blue) respectively. An inset graph shows axial frequencies with dashed lines, and radial frequencies with solid lines as a function of the magnetic field strength.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 27/09/2026

New work in Physical Review A demonstrates two ways to achieve a central step in topological indexing toward encoding applications: extracting a lower-dimensional field from a higher-dimensional one using its polarization or its phase. 🔗 go.aps.org/4yVzXOa

A schematic of the work uses an arrow to project points on a high-dimensional parameter space — depicted by a circle intersecting a section of a sphere horizontally with a blue dot indicating a representative point — onto a low-dimensional parameter space — just the circle with the blue dot. Beneath these two images is a representation of the information lost in the projection — which looks similar to the high dimensional space, but with a vertical cut through the sphere instead — along with an arrow pointing back from the low-dimensional to the high-dimensional parameter space, showing what is needed to reconstruct the original point from its projection.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 27/09/2026

New experiments leverage optical spectroscopy to directly image phonon-magnon coupling interactions between spin waves and surface acoustic waves, providing valuable data and addressing an important open question in magnonics. More in Physical Review B: go.aps.org/4xM5jWC

A series of four charts (a-d) visualizing the spin-wave signal extracted in the ROI SW region, with panels (a) and (b) showing the experimental data and (c) and (d) showing the fit according to Eq. 13 in the paper’s supplemental material. The x-axis is labeled μ0Hext in mT, and the y-axis is labeled Pos. x in μm. The left column of graphs (a and c) corresponds to norm. differential Re(S21), while the right column (b and d) corresponds to norm. differential lm(S21). Each graph is shaded with various band-like regions according to a color scale bar on the right, ranging from dark blue for the lowest values to dark red for the highest values.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 26/09/2026

A new study in Physical Review Research demonstrates the first use of reinforcement learning for optimizing ion shuttling, in trapped-ion quantum computing. This approach reduces shuttling operations by up to 36.3%. Learn more: go.aps.org/4yVjud1

Layout of the CIRQLE ion trap chip. The shown sketch has a single storage ring, colored light red, divided into five sections, showing that it has the capacity to hold five qubits. It is connected to two other registers with a junction, depicted by a grey square with a cross. One register, below the junction, colored blue, has two sections, and is labeled “Compute;” the other is to the right of the junction and is colored yellow and has one section, labeled “SPAM.” This ring acts like a carousel with empty or filled spots: it can only transport all stored qubits simultaneously through rotations. Some operations may only move empty spots through the junction. In the example shown, qubits 1 and 4 (shown by blue circles) sit in the storage ring the left of the junction, qubit 3 sits in ‘spam’ to the right of the junction, and qubits 5 and 2 sit in ‘compute’ below the junction. In this configuration, a clockwise rotation of the storage element does not move any qubit through the junction.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 26/09/2026

Scientists directly resolve the winding of magnon spectral weight around the K point in CrI3 crystals — a missing experimental signature of Dirac magnons relevant to quantum magnetism, neutron scattering, and 2D magnets. Read more in Physical Review B: go.aps.org/3V2vqLw

$A black-and-white image showing the Laue diffraction pattern of a representative single crystal of CrI3. The crystal appears as a solid black circle in the middle of the image with various lines of white lines and dots emanating from it amid a black background.$

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 26/09/2026

A single neuron in a fly's brain adjusts how it reads motion based on the recent range of contrast it's been exposed to, not just the instant signal. This adaptation with memory makes the neuron's coding more efficient. More in Physical Review E: go.aps.org/4rsuwUK

Grid of six line-chart panels labeled Fly 1 through Fly 5 and "Average STA," each showing several curves in shades from dark purple to orange representing increasing contrast levels. In every panel the curves rise together then diverge near a peak, with higher-contrast (orange) curves peaking higher and sharper than lower-contrast (purple) curves, showing a consistent pattern of contrast-dependent adaptation across all five flies.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 26/09/2026

🌪️ Using particle image velocimetry of a tornado-like vortex in a large water tank, researchers study the boundary layer beneath a Rankine vortex and obtain measurements that support the approximate laminar model. Get the Physical Review Fluids paper: go.aps.org/4rmKWOn

A schematic of the composite boundary layer, shown on top of a flattened gray sphere. An inner layer is shown as dark blue arrows and shadings along both the left and right sides that represent the inner layer. Above the dark blue shadings are light blue arrows and shadings depicting the outer layer, with the arrows traveling upward through a channel. A red square in the center shows the effusive region. A counterclockwise arrow wraps around the channel.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 25/09/2026

By deriving upper and lower bounds on the number of samples required to estimate the parameters of a quantum system, new research in PRX Quantum establishes a systematic framework for estimating sample complexity. 🔗 go.aps.org/4dFmbqT

Schematic of parameter estimation in two parts.
Top: a compact statistical model for a quantum parameter estimation protocol. A probe state is independently transformed by the same effective parameter-dependent channel and measured over M repetitions. The resulting M measurement outcomes are then collectively processed to construct an estimator of the parameter. The bottom constructs the effective channel Eθ. The effective channel is realized by inserting multiple uses of the elementary parameter-dependent channel Nθ into the slots of a θ-independent strategy specified by the quantum operations Ci. The double dashed line denotes the ancillary system.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 25/09/2026

An overview of quantum geometry published in Reviews of Modern Physics outlines the quantum metric — the real part of the quantum geometrical tensor — and its implications for transport and optics in condensed matter systems. Read more: go.aps.org/4dDRFh3

A two-by-two grid of illustrations that demonstrate the difference between the quantum metric and Berry curvature. Each panel maps a two-dimensional, two-level system onto the Bloch sphere, with the Bloch sphere on the right side, and two mirrored, rounded cones representing the two-level system on the left side. The left panels show a visual representation of how the quantum metric measures the distance between two states on the Bloch sphere, and the right panels show a visual representation of Berry curvature corresponding to a mapped area on the sphere. The top two panels are atomic insulators, and their cones are separated by a small distance; the bottom two panels are topological insulators, and their cones slightly overlap.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 25/09/2026

Researchers identified neutron capture rates with the most leverage on r-process element production, offering a roadmap to help guide experimental and theoretical efforts to constrain key nuclear reaction rates. Read the paper in Physical Review C: go.aps.org/4AnOynd

A line plot showing the relative change in elementary abundance, labeled as ΔY±1𝛔/Ybase — which goes from -0.04 to 0.04 on the y-axis — against atomic number Z, which goes from 36 to 55. It compares two overlapping shaded confidence bands in red and dark brown, which display fluctuating deviations around abundance of ΔY±1𝛔/Ybase = 0. A noticeable maximum in red and minimum in brown appear at Z = 42 and Z = 49.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 25/09/2026

Magnetic quantum oscillations give insights into the Fermi surface properties of altermagnetic chromium antimonide. In Physical Review B, researchers confirm its predicted electronic band structure using pulsed magnetic fields — up to 68 T. Learn more: go.aps.org/4xIFHuO

A plot of longitudinal resistance versus magnetic field strength up to nearly 70 teslas shows a blue and a black line curving upward. An inset at the bottom right shows a close-up of the line, revealing four vertically offset lines (blue, purple, pink, and black) of measurements taken at different temperatures: 16, 10, 6, and 2, respectively. A second inset at the top left shows a scanning electron microscope image of a blocky and channeled 3D surface of the microstructure of the tested material. A false color overlay shows gold areas indicating contacts (labeled V1, V2, V3, and V4) and purple regions where the chromium antimonide is located. A white arrow labeled a’ indicates the direction of current application. A scale bar at the bottom, roughly the size of a single contact, measures 10 micrometers.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 24/09/2026

It’s hard to interpret molecular images from tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Now, a new deep-learning framework successfully predicts structures from simulated TERS data, making machine learning-driven discovery more viable. Read more in PRX Intelligence: go.aps.org/4hneKFR

Visualization of a tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy scan overlaid with a ball-and-stick diagram of a molecule. The ball-and-stick model sits in the center, with nine atoms–four carbon atoms, three oxygen atoms and two hydrogen atoms–represented by differently-colored circles that are joined by grey lines representing single molecular bonds. The four carbon atoms (black and labeled C), are joined together with one oxygen atom (red and labeled O) to form a pentagonal ring. Two of the carbon atoms on the left of the pentagon each have a single bond to one of the two hydrogen atoms (grey and labeled H). One additional oxygen atom (red and labeled O) is bonded to each of the two other carbon atoms.

The background of the scan image is dark blue, with increasing intensity–ranging through cyan, green, yellow, orange and red–roughly around the positions of the atoms in the ball-and-stick diagram. The highest (red) intensity is in the middle, below the two C atoms bonded to the two H atoms.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 24/09/2026

Gravitational waves are distorted by massive objects like galaxies and stellar-mass objects acting as microlenses. A study in Physical Review D presents a new method for describing this microlensing, enabling new probes of small astronomical objects. 🔗 go.aps.org/4ApoNTL 📷 NASA/ESA

An image taken by the Hubble Space Telescope of a galaxy cluster shows bluish and yellowish smudges, swirls, and twinkles of light over a black background. Some of the specks of light toward the middle appear to be smeared in a circle, illustrating an example of gravitational lensing.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 24/09/2026

New work in Physical Review Applied proposes a strategy of disorder-independent spin manipulation by hopping between intentionally squeezed quantum dots. This retains reliable spin manipulation, improving prospects for scalable quantum architectures. 🔗 go.aps.org/4h3KGAh

This image depicts a proposed scalable gate layout with reduced overhead. A two-dimensional array of elliptical plunger gates (C) are rotated by 90º from one site to the other. These are surrounded by a common shared gate (B). The quantum dots (QDs) are geometrically squeezed by the asymmetric shape of the C and B gates.

There is also an inset diagram showing the QDs being squeezed by the asymmetric gates, which locks the magnetic axes and shapes the principal g-factors.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 24/09/2026

New in Physical Review E: Researchers studied the local mechanical response of dense colloidal suspensions near the colloidal glass transition and found that they behave as a continuum down to particle scale. Read more: go.aps.org/4h3zHXu

Scientific Illustration. Schematic of inverted microscope. Starting at the top of the illustration, a grey disc labeled “stepper motor.” Just under the motor, on the right side, is a light blue tube, then a long, thin rectangle labeled “Vernier Caliper.” Just beneath the caliper is a dark blue cylinder labeled “permanent magnet.” Under the motor on the left side, is a yellow ball, labeled “LED.” Beneath the yellow ball is a rectangle labeled “photogate.” Continuing down to the middle of the image, there is a large blue square with a magenta rectangle inside, labeled “glass chamber with sample.” Finally, at the bottom, a long bottle shaped tube labeled “microscope objective.”

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 23/09/2026

Ellipsoids often form disordered structures, but a new study in Physical Review E shows concave ellipsoids synthesized to reduce capillary interactions can assemble into crystal structures, enabling applications in lithography and more. Read the paper: go.aps.org/4yXrSZC

Four grayscale images of microstructures created with ellipsoids of various aspect ratios. At the top left is a smooth, isotropic material with an aspect ratio of 5.5 that looks like long-grained rice; the top right, with an aspect ratio of 4, is a nematic structure comprised of concave rough particles that look like short-grained rice; the bottom left is a plastic crystal structure of concave rough particles with an aspect ratio of 1.36, resembling peas; the bottom right is a concave rough nematic structure with an aspect ratio of 2.1, which looks like a reptile’s scales.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 23/09/2026

Using a compact, self-locking Mach-Zehnder interferometer, a study in Physical Review Applied introduces a technique for generating reliable, high-purity topological features in entangled photon pairs for scalable quantum applications. 🔗 go.aps.org/4j3J4bh

A set of icons over a light pink background illustrate the work. On the left, a red photon on top is correlated with a blue photon below, exhibiting tunable topology. The tunable topology is illustrated to the right with four sets of concentric circles of blue arrows in various orientations. Above the topology illustration are three teal circles — cut into three, two, and one slices, respectively — representing different states.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 23/09/2026

“The beauty of biological physics lies in this richness and diversity.” Incoming PRX Life chief editor Ariel Amir talks bacteria, immune-cell swarms, interdisciplinary research, and his vision for the journal in #APSNews: go.aps.org/4iBy5FJ

Amir stands at a blackboard covered with equations.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 23/09/2026

A new microscopic framework models superheavy nuclei formation during cold fusion reactions with fewer uncertainties and less arbitrary tuning by combining the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov approach with the fusion by diffusion model. Read the paper: go.aps.org/4y4IbDW

2D contour maps showing nucleonic densities (in nucleons per femtometer cubed; top row) for 208Pb + 48Ca obtained from Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov calculations for three configurations along the hyper-asymmetric fusion-cluster decay path. From left to right, two rainbow-colored nuclei with red centers are shown touching, merging, then fusing into a single nucleus. Below, corresponding proton (middle row) and neutron (bottom row) nucleon localization function profiles are plotted along the z-axis for 208Pb + 48Ca (or 256No) in blue, 208Pb in red, and 48Ca in green, displaying wavy profiles with rough peaks at the centers of nuclei.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 22/09/2026

A new paper in PRX Intelligence introduces near-equilibrium propagation, where a nonlinear medium uses its own steady-state response as feedback. It identifies an experimental route towards in-situ learning in optical and polaritonic systems. Read more: go.aps.org/4cZi1da

Scheme of near-equilibrium propagation implementation in a continuous wave system, depicted by a light blue surface. On the left is a peak labeled “input” surrounded by ripples On the right is a vertical green spring-like spiraling structure labeled "output and nudging” emanating from the surface and surrounded by ripples. This surface is positioned above a red surface with many peaks of different heights, labeled “trainable weights.”

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 22/09/2026

Is an experimenter’s measurement choice absolute? Maybe not. New work shows that, under locality, quantum mechanics challenges the idea that choices are objective, extending the Wigner’s friend puzzle from outcomes to free choices. More in Physical Review A: go.aps.org/4AmdOdu

A diagram with three people labeled Charlie, Wigner, and Debbie at the top and Alice and Bob in separate labs in the center below them. Alice and Bob choose bits and send qubits to Charlie and Debbie. Above them, superobserver Wigner chooses whether to ask Alice or Bob for their choices or perform a joint PBR measurement on their labs. Charlie and Debbie each choose how to measure their received qubit. The diagram highlights Alice and Bob’s choices as the only information unavailable afterward.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 22/09/2026

A physical framework reveals how substrate curvature and cell-substrate adhesion are jointly regulated, providing insights for understanding a range of physiological processes that involve collective cell dynamics. More in Physical Review E: go.aps.org/4hgArrh

On the left is an image of typical migration of distal visceral endoderm, abbreviated DVE, cells from the distal end along the basement membrane in the mouse embryo. To the right is an illustration showing how cells on a curved substrate are driven by external driving forces and active forces while being arrested by resistance at the destination. The substrate is shown to have a uniform curvature radius R.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 21/09/2026

A new study in Physical Review E shows that particle size distribution-insensitivity of critical-state shear strength collapses when particle shape is size-dependent, suggesting that this heterogeneity should be incorporated in DEM. Read the paper: go.aps.org/4hGMRJh

Figure with two parts. Part 1 is a drawing featuring six different particle shapes, labeled P1 to P6. P1 is an octahedron, P2 a cube, P3 an icosahedron, P4 and P5 look like archimedean solids; that is, icosahedrons with many more faces; and P6 is a simple sphere. Part 2 is a photograph - the same shapes shown in part 1, also labeled P1 to P6. Now the shapes are made of white plastic, displayed on a table in six rows. Each row is labeled by size - 7.5mm, 10mm, 12.5mm and finally 15mm.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 21/09/2026

Using NMR and muon spin spectroscopy, a Physical Review B study presents evidence for pairing correlations that appear well above the superconducting critical temperature in the Ba1-xKxFe2As2 system with broken time-reversal symmetry. Read the study: go.aps.org/4xGfkFO

On the left is a vertical scale bar labeled temperature, colored blue on the bottom and red toward the top. There are three temperatures labeled on the line with corresponding dashed lines that stretch out into the rest of the image: T* on top, TcZ2 in the center, and TcU(1) on the bottom. The main section on the right includes four images separated by dashed lines. On top is multiband metal, depicting a square lattice structure next to green, blue, and red balls with the letter e in the center. Below are pairing correlations, with similarly colored balls connected by lines and sets of arrows in green, blue, and red pointing in different directions. Below is Quadrupling BTRS condensate, with pairs of balls connected to other pairs and the arrow sets arranged in a more organized manner. At the bottom are BTRS superconductors, with all of the pairs of balls and arrows more neatly arranged than in the preceding illustrations.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 21/09/2026

New in Physical Review E: An open-source framework lowers the barrier for reproducible simulations of self-assembly of charged colloidal particles in aqueous solutions and has applications like dialysis protocols and studying crystal stability. 🔗 go.aps.org/4iCrSta

Scientific figure shows the generation of the initial colloidal configuration in a PACSim simulation. In the top row, A, one box shows a blue dot and a second box shows two white dots and a semicircle string of red dots that together look like a smiley face. An arrow labeled ClusterGenerator leads to a 3D box with the colored dots spread throughout. A second arrow labeled substrate leads to another 3D box that matches the other with the addition of an array of yellow dots covering the bottom. In the bottom row, B, a small red circle adjoins a large white circle. An arrow, labeled LatticeBuilder, points to a six by six array of the red and white dots. Another arrow, labeled seeding points to a 3D box with the crystal array resized to fit the box, with a denser cube of red and white dots at the center.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 21/09/2026

For quantum computers to speed up fluid dynamics calculations, the nonlinear fluid equations need to be transformed into linear systems. A new algorithm presented in PRX Quantum helps to overcome challenges with this transformation. Read more: go.aps.org/4cV4EL7

The velocity field magnitude for a 2D vortex looks like a yellow and purple checkerboard with the colors — which represent high and low magnitudes, respectively — fading into each other. Arrows that represent the velocity field encircle the five purple regions, going clockwise in the top left and bottom right and counterclockwise in the top right and bottom left.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 20/09/2026

A Physical Review D study details a comprehensive effective field theory framework for coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering that can account for new physics effects from energies above 100 gigaelectronvolts down to nuclear scales. Get the paper: go.aps.org/3SRiuYb

A flowchart showing a comprehensive effective field theory framework for evaluating the cross section of CEνNS. On the left is a vertical downward arrow labeled energy. From top to bottom, it shows lambda, ~100 GeV, ~1 GeV, and ~100 MeV. At the top, a purple box labeled UV models branches into two columns labeled LNC and LNV. The flow passes through four stacked regions that transition from purple at the top to red at the bottom and are separated by horizontal dashed lines. The top box is labeled SMEFT and displays Dimension-6, 8 vs. Dimension-5, 7 operators, with RG Running annotations. Below is LEFT with Dimension-6, 7, 8 vs. Dimension-3, 6, 7 neutrino-quark interactions. Below is X PT with nucleon and pion processes. On the bottom is the nuclear response, where both paths combine into a box with operators MJ, delta J, Sigma’ J, Sigma’’ J, Phi’ J, and Phi’’ J. An arrow leads to the cross section region at the bottom, featuring the formula dσ/dT_nr = (m_A / 8πE_ν²) |M|².

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 20/09/2026

Dispersive readout couples qubits to environmental defects, causing lifetime degradation. A study in PRX Quantum develops a way to predict the strength of this coupling and mitigate the degradation. Read the study: go.aps.org/3TDCnlE

A schematic shows how the readout resonator couples to a qubit in an environmental bath. The environmental bath is connected to a qubit — represented by a blue rectangle — on the left. The qubit is then connected to the resonator — a purple oval — and a readout pulse.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 20/09/2026

A new method may enable better, more powerful Boltzmann machines. Researchers used LSB and CEM to efficiently estimate sampling temperature, enabling scalable training of more expressive models. Get more from PRX Intelligence: go.aps.org/4AdTF9H

A figure that presents an overview of the model structures and proposed methods in the paper. (a) shows a fully visible Boltzmann machine; (b) restricted Boltzmann machine; (c) semi-restricted Boltzmann machine; (d) energy-based model with higher-order interactions; (e) SAL training framework combining Langevin Simulated Bifurcation sampling with conditional expectation matching; and (f) applications to image generation, classification, and reconstruction.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 20/09/2026

Using a multi-scale validation strategy to probe nuclear octupole deformation and its quantum fluctuations, researchers show that event-by-event fluctuation directly correlates with octupole quantum-shape fluctuation. Read the paper in Physical Review C: go.aps.org/4hdFDfn

A schematic illustration of a heavy-ion collision involving nuclei with octupole deformation. Three images on the left side depict representative reaction snapshots viewed along the y axis; from top to bottom these are 0 fm/c, 3 fm/c, and 10 fm/c. The image on the right shows the emission pattern at T = 10 fm/c viewed along the beam axis. An inset image in the lower right corner is labeled initial overlap and shows the initial transverse density overlap. It depicts the z-integrated baryon density of participant matter at T = 0 fm/c.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 19/09/2026

A method lets scientists characterize a quantum system using the fewest measurements possible. Tested on a silicon chip for a 6D system, it works without special measurement tools and could make quantum experiments more efficient. More in Physical Review A: go.aps.org/3URgtfd

A schematic of a silicon photonic chip used for quantum state tomography. At the top, laser light passes through optical components into the chip, where the quantum states are prepared and measured. At the bottom, an enlarged view of the chip shows three sections: a single-photon generation in a spiral waveguide, preparation of six-dimensional quantum states using interconnected Mach-Zehnder interferometers, and measurement in seven different bases. The setup collects the measurement data and processes it to reconstruct the quantum state. The seven bases are the minimum number needed to fully characterize a six-dimensional quantum state.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 19/09/2026

Know an early-career researcher whose astronomy or astrophysics paper stands out? Nominate them by Nov. 15 for the Emerging Astrophysicist Award. The recipient gets $2,000 and support to attend and a speaking opportunity at #APSSummit27. Learn more: go.aps.org/4hd5jsB

A detailed image of the Milky Way galaxy, showcasing a bright, luminous center and a dense band of stars and cosmic dust stretched across the dark expanse of space. The surrounding area is dotted with numerous stars and faint celestial bodies.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 19/09/2026

New in PRX Energy: A comparison of common fast cycling test protocols with four EV battery chemistries reveal that performance, operational range, and degradation during cycling was highly dependent on the protocols used. Read the paper: go.aps.org/4hxns5F

A graph shows the voltage profiles of a battery cell during a 10C symmetric cycling protocol. Lines showing anode (blue), cathode (red) and cell (black) energies are plotted as voltage versus capacity. The lines for a right-facing horseshoe shape with blue at the bottom and red and black mirrored at the top. An inset image in the top right shows an image of the anode from the cell in a charged state.

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APS journals @apsjournals.aps.org · 19/09/2026

Quantum batteries suffer from fluctuations that limit their ability to meet the energy needs of quantum technology. A study in PRX Quantum identifies a tradeoff between work and power that prevents them from being simultaneously enhanced. Read the paper: go.aps.org/4ht4ux1

A schematic that demonstrates the inverse relationship between power and work in quantum batteries. An arrow at the top indicates charging power increases from the left to the right of the image. A green battery with an atom icon is at the center. On either side of the battery, there is a green dial representing delivered power, and a red dial representing work. On the left, the power meter is reliable, while the work meter shows significant fluctuation. On the right, both dials are higher, but the power meter shows significant variability while the work meter is more stable.

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