Publications

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• Lecture notes on large deviations in non-equilibrium diffusive systems

  Bernard Derrida

  SciPost Phys. Lect. Notes 106 (2025) · published 29 October 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  These notes are a written version of lectures given in the 2024 Les Houches Summer School on Large deviations and applications. They are are based on a series of works published over the last 25 years on steady properties of non-equilibrium systems in contact with several heat baths at different temperatures or several reservoirs of particles at different densities. After recalling some classical tools to study non-equilibrium steady states, such as the use of tilted matrices, the Fluctuation theorem, the determination of transport coefficients, the Einstein relations or fluctuating hydrodynamics, they describe some of the basic ideas of the macroscopic fluctuation theory allowing to determine the large deviation functions of the density and of the current of diffusive systems.

  1 citation

• Lattice random walks and quantum A-period conjecture

  Li Gan

  SciPost Phys. 19, 053 (2025) · published 21 August 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We derive explicit closed-form expressions for the generating function $C_N(A)$, which enumerates classical closed random walks on square and triangular lattices with $N$ steps and a signed area $A$, characterized by the number of moves in each hopping direction. This enumeration problem is mapped to the trace of powers of anisotropic Hofstadter-like Hamiltonian and is connected to the cluster coefficients of exclusion particles: Exclusion strength parameter $g = 2$ for square lattice walks, and a mixture of $g = 1$ and $g = 2$ for triangular lattice walks. By leveraging the intrinsic link between the Hofstadter model and high energy physics, we propose a conjecture connecting the above signed area enumeration $C_N(A)$ in statistical mechanics to the quantum A-period of associated toric Calabi–Yau threefold in topological string theory: Square lattice walks correspond to local $\mathbb{F}_0$ geometry, while triangular lattice walks are associated with local $\mathcal{B}_3$.

  1 citation

• Scattering theory of higher order topological phases

  R. Johanna Zijderveld, Isidora Araya Day, Anton R. Akhmerov

  SciPost Phys. 19, 058 (2025) · published 27 August 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The surface states of intrinsic higher order topological phases are protected by the spatial symmetries of a finite sample. This property makes the existing scattering theory of topological invariants inapplicable: the scattering geometry is either incompatible with the symmetry or does not probe the bulk topology. We resolve this obstacle by using a symmetric scattering geometry that probes transport from the inside to the outside of the sample. We demonstrate that the intrinsic higher order topology is captured by the flux dependence of the reflection matrix. Our finding follows from identifying the spectral flow of a flux line as a signature of higher order topology. We show how this scattering approach applies to several examples of higher order topological insulators and superconductors. Our theory provides an alternative approach for proving bulk-edge correspondence in intrinsic higher order topological phases, especially in the presence of disorder.

  1 citation

• Geometric constructions of generalized dual-unitary circuits from biunitarity

  Michael A. Rampp, Suhail A. Rather, Pieter W. Claeys

  SciPost Phys. 18, 182 (2025) · published 10 June 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We present a general framework for constructing solvable lattice models of chaotic many-body quantum dynamics with multiple unitary directions using biunitary connections. We show that a network of biunitary connections on the kagome lattice naturally defines a multi-unitary circuit, where three 'arrows of time' directly reflect the lattice symmetry. These models unify various constructions of hierarchical dual-unitary and triunitary gates and present new families of models with solvable correlations and entanglement dynamics. Using multilayer constructions of biunitary connections, we additionally introduce multilayer circuits with monoclinic symmetry and higher level hierarchical dual-unitary solvability and discuss their (non-)ergodicity. Our work demonstrates how different classes of solvable models can be understood as arising from different geometric structures in spacetime.

  1 citation

• The Giant Radio Array for Neutrino Detection (GRAND) Project

  Bruno Lazarotto Lago

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 10, 027 (2022) · published 11 August 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  GRAND is designed to detect ultra-high-energy cosmic particles -- specially neutrinos, cosmic rays and gamma rays using radio antennas. With $\sim$20 mountainous sites around the world it will cover a total area of 200,000 km$^{2}$. The planned sensitivity of 10$^{-10}$ GeV cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ sr$^{-1}$ above $5\times10^{17}$ eV will likely ensure the detection of cosmogenic neutrinos predicted by most common scenarios enabling neutrino astronomy. Furthermore, PeV--EeV neutrinos can test particle interactions at energies above those achieved in accelerators. The pathfinder stage GRANDProto300 is planned to start taking data in 2021. We present the current overall status of the project with emphasis on the neutrino physics.

  1 citation

• Codebase release 1.0 for NuHepMC

  Steven Gardiner, Joshua Isaacson, Luke Pickering

  SciPost Phys. Codebases 57-r1.0 (2025) · published 22 August 2025 | Toggle abstract · src

  Simulations of neutrino interactions are playing an increasingly important role in the pursuit of high-priority measurements for the field of particle physics. A significant technical barrier for efficient development of these simulations is the lack of a standard data format for representing individual neutrino scattering events. We propose and define such a universal format, named NuHepMC, as a common standard for the output of neutrino event generators. The NuHepMC format uses data structures and concepts from the HepMC3 event record library adopted by other subfields of high-energy physics. These are supplemented with an original set of conventions for generically representing neutrino interaction physics within the HepMC3 infrastructure.

  1 citation

• Visions in quantum gravity

  Luca Buoninfante, Benjamin Knorr, K. Sravan Kumar, Alessia Platania, Damiano Anselmi, Ivano Basile, N. Emil J. Bjerrum-Bohr, Robert Brandenberger, Mariana Carrillo González, Anne-Christine Davis, Bianca Dittrich, Paolo Di Vecchia, John F. Donoghue, Fay Dowker, Gia Dvali, Astrid Eichhorn, Steven B. Giddings, Alessandra Gnecchi, Giulia Gubitosi, Lavinia Heisenberg, Renata Kallosh, Alexey S. Koshelev, Stefano Liberati, Renate Loll, Leonardo Modesto, Paulo Moniz, Daniele Oriti, Olga Papadoulaki, Jan M. Pawlowski, Roberto Percacci, Lesław Rachwał, Mairi Sakellariadou, Alberto Salvio, Kellogg Stelle, Sumati Surya, Arkady Tseytlin, Neil Turok, Thomas Van Riet, Richard P. Woodard

  SciPost Phys. Comm. Rep. 11 (2025) · published 25 August 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  To deepen our understanding of Quantum Gravity and its connections with black holes and cosmology, building a common language and exchanging ideas across different approaches is crucial. The Nordita Program "Quantum Gravity: from gravitational effective field theories to ultraviolet complete approaches" created a platform for extensive discussions, aimed at pinpointing both common grounds and sources of disagreements, with the hope of generating ideas and driving progress in the field. This contribution summarizes the twelve topical discussions held during the program and collects individual thoughts of speakers and panelists on the future of the field in light of these discussions.

  1 citation

• Local density of states correlations in the Lévy-Rosenzweig-Porter random matrix ensemble

  Aleksey Lunkin, Konstantin Tikhonov

  SciPost Phys. 19, 015 (2025) · published 16 July 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We present an analytical calculation of the local density of states correlation function $ \beta(\omega) $ in the Lévy-Rosenzweig-Porter random matrix ensemble at energy scales larger than the level spacing but smaller than the bandwidth. The only relevant energy scale in this limit is the typical level width $\Gamma_0$. We show that $\beta(\omega \ll \Gamma_0) \sim W/\Gamma_0$ (here $W$ is width of the band) whereas $\beta(\omega \gg \Gamma_0) \sim (W/\Gamma_0) (\omega/\Gamma_0)^{-\mu} $ where $\mu$ is an index characterising the distribution of the matrix elements. We also provide an expression for the average return probability at long times: $\ln [R(t\gg\Gamma_0^{-1})] \sim -(\Gamma_0 t)^{\mu/2}$. Numerical results based on the pool method and exact diagonalization are also provided and are in agreement with the analytical theory.

  1 citation

• A proposal to extract and enhance four-Majorana interactions in hybrid nanowires

  Tasnum Reza, Sergey M. Frolov, David Pekker

  SciPost Phys. 13, 120 (2022) · published 7 December 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We simulate the smallest building block of the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model, a system of four interacting Majorana modes. We propose a 1D Kitaev chain that has been split into three segments, i.e., two topological segments separated by a non-topological segment in the middle, hosting four Majorana Zero Modes at the ends of the topological segments. We add a non-local interaction term to this Hamiltonian which produces both bilinear (two-body) interactions and a quartic (four-body) interaction between the Majorana modes. We further tune the parameters in the Hamiltonian to reach the regime with a finite quartic interaction strength and close to zero bilinear interaction strength, as required by the SYK model. To achieve this, we map the Hamiltonian from Majorana basis to a complex fermion basis, and extract the interaction strengths using a method of characterization of low-lying energy levels and then finding the differences in energies between odd and even parity levels. We show that the interaction strengths can be tuned using two methods - (i) an approximate method of tuning overlapping Majorana wave functions (without non-local interactions) to a zero energy point followed by addition of a non-local interaction, and (ii) a direct parameter space optimization method using a genetic algorithm. We propose that this model could be further extended to more Majorana modes, and show a 6-Majorana model as an example. Since eigenspectral characterization of one-dimensional nanowire devices can be done via tunneling spectroscopy in quantum transport measurements, this study could be performed in experiment.

  1 citation

• Quasi-equilibrium polariton condensates in the non-linear regime and beyond

  Ned Goodman, Brendan C. Mulkerin, Jesper Levinsen, Meera M. Parish

  SciPost Phys. 15, 116 (2023) · published 26 September 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We investigate the many-body behavior of polaritons formed from electron-hole pairs strongly coupled to photons in a two-dimensional semiconductor microcavity. We use a microscopic mean-field BCS theory that describes polariton condensation in quasi-equilibrium across the full range of excitation densities. In the limit of vanishing density, we show that our theory recovers the exact single-particle properties of polaritons, while at low densities it captures non-linear polariton-polariton interactions within the Born approximation. For the case of highly screened contact interactions between charge carriers, we obtain analytic expressions for the equation of state of the many-body system. This allows us to show that there is a photon resonance at a chemical potential higher than the photon cavity energy, where the electron-hole pair correlations in the polariton condensate become universal and independent of the details of the carrier interactions. Comparing the effect of different ranged interactions between charge carriers, we find that the Rytova-Keldysh potential (relevant to transition metal dichalcogenides) offers the best prospect of reaching the BCS regime, where pairs strongly overlap and the minimum pairing gap occurs at finite momentum. Finally, going beyond thermal equilibrium, we argue that there are generically two polariton branches in the driven-dissipative system and we discuss the possibility of a density-driven exceptional point within our model.

  1 citation