Showing 1–50 of 126 results for author: Xing, Y

Mesh-Based Filtering to Alleviate Time-Step Restrictions in Runge--Kutta Discontinuous Galerkin Methods in Spherical-polar Coordinates: Application to the Euler Equations

Authors: Joseph Hunter, Eirik Endeve, Yulong Xing

Abstract: We propose a mesh-based filtering approach to alleviate the severe timestep restrictions arising in explicit Runge--Kutta discontinuous Galerkin (RKDG) methods formulated in spherical-polar coordinates. The filter enables stable evolution on the original logically Cartesian mesh while using larger time steps associated with an auxiliary merged mesh constructed to eliminate the extreme cell anisotr… ▽ More We propose a mesh-based filtering approach to alleviate the severe timestep restrictions arising in explicit Runge--Kutta discontinuous Galerkin (RKDG) methods formulated in spherical-polar coordinates. The filter enables stable evolution on the original logically Cartesian mesh while using larger time steps associated with an auxiliary merged mesh constructed to eliminate the extreme cell anisotropies produced by converging coordinate lines near coordinate singularities. The filter is implemented as a sequence of post-processing operations applied within an $s$-stage RK time integrator, making it straightforward to incorporate into existing structured-mesh DG frameworks. We analyze the filter in one spatial dimension and prove that the filtered RKDG method is equivalent to evolving the RKDG discretization on a nonuniform mesh obtained by merging selected elements of the underlying uniform mesh. This equivalence implies that the filtered method inherits the accuracy and stability properties of the corresponding RKDG discretization on the merged mesh. We apply the mesh-based filter to an existing RKDG method for the Euler equations in spherical-polar coordinates and demonstrate, through selected two- and three-dimensional examples, its effectiveness in accelerating simulations through significantly larger stable timesteps. △ Less

Submitted 7 August, 2026; originally announced August 2026.

Comments: 28 pages, 12 figures

Intrinsic Spatial Position Resolution of P-type Point-Contact Germanium Detector

Authors: R. M. J. Li, S. K. Liu, S. T. Lin, Q. Y. Li, L. T. Yang, Q. Yue, Q. Wang, H. Y. Li, X. Y. Peng, H. Y. Xing, J. J. Zhu

Abstract: The p-type point-contact germanium detectors have emerged as the ideal detection technology for rare-event experiments such as direct dark matter searches and neutrinoless double beta decay, and have been verified to be capable of single-site spatial position resolution. Accurately characterizing the position-dependent pulse shape responses of the detector is a crucial prerequisite for deepening b… ▽ More The p-type point-contact germanium detectors have emerged as the ideal detection technology for rare-event experiments such as direct dark matter searches and neutrinoless double beta decay, and have been verified to be capable of single-site spatial position resolution. Accurately characterizing the position-dependent pulse shape responses of the detector is a crucial prerequisite for deepening background understanding and achieving background reduction. Relying on an optimized cross-scanning localization method and a full-chain physical framework, this study extracted the pulse shape responses in critical regions of the CDEX detector, quantitatively evaluated its intrinsic spatial position resolution for the first time, and ultimately achieved the position tracing of real environmental backgrounds using the constructed pulse shape database. This study completely establishes a physical analysis closed-loop for spatial position resolution, providing critical theoretical and technical support for background analysis in future ton-scale arrays. △ Less

Submitted 16 July, 2026; originally announced July 2026.

Comments: 13 pages, 15 figures, submitted to Chinese Physics C

Twist Engineering for Reconfigurable Optical and Optoelectronic Devices

Authors: Gang Huang, Annan Helian, Mengting Jiang, Chi Wang, Yu Xing, Mayank Joshi, Jae Yeong Lee, Jiang Wang, Syed M Assad, Ping Koy Lam, Qiushi Liu, Lin Wu, Young-Wook Cho, Yuan Ma, Xuezhi Ma

Abstract: Reconfigurable optical and optoelectronic devices require compact tuning mechanisms capable of reshaping electronic, excitonic, polaritonic, and photonic responses without rebuilding the underlying nanostructure. Against this backdrop, twist has emerged as a powerful geometric degree of freedom that reconfigures interlayer coupling, momentum matching, symmetry, radiation channels, and chiral respo… ▽ More Reconfigurable optical and optoelectronic devices require compact tuning mechanisms capable of reshaping electronic, excitonic, polaritonic, and photonic responses without rebuilding the underlying nanostructure. Against this backdrop, twist has emerged as a powerful geometric degree of freedom that reconfigures interlayer coupling, momentum matching, symmetry, radiation channels, and chiral response by simply rotating adjacent two-dimensional layers or photonic lattices. In this Review, we survey twist-engineered optical and optoelectronic devices spanning van der Waals materials and photonic platforms. We first review the current landscape of twist-angle metrology, classifying existing characterization approaches into three complementary categories: direct structural imaging, methods based on moiré periodicity and morphological features, and techniques that infer the twist angle from spectroscopic or electronic responses. We then survey the principal technological routes for twist-angle control, including deterministic transfer and growth strategies, atomic force microscopy (AFM)-assisted manipulation, quantum twisting microscopy (QTM), microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and emerging non-contact approaches, highlighting their respective capabilities, limitations, and prospects for programmable and scalable moiré photonic platforms. Finally, we discuss the future evolution of twist engineering from the fabrication of individual twisted structures toward dynamically reconfigurable, feedback-controlled, and manufacturable photonic systems. We further highlight MEMS-based rotation, piezoelectric actuation, and micro-LiDAR as representative enabling technologies and emerging applications within this broader landscape. △ Less

Submitted 14 July, 2026; originally announced July 2026.

Near-real-time, meter-scale 3D urban wind modeling for low-altitude micrometeorology: numerical verification of a GPU-accelerated lattice Boltzmann framework

Authors: Shuai Han, Huanxia Wei, Yue Cao, Dalin Liu, Lin Wen, Chao Xia, Shuolin Xiao, Yingying Xing, Qing Jia, Wenguang Liang, Zhigang Yang

Abstract: This study presents a near-real-time, meter-scale three-dimensional urban wind simulation framework for low-altitude flight events in complex urban meteorological environments. It reconstructs high-resolution wind fields by combining sparse observations with efficient microscale flow modeling. The framework integrates lattice Boltzmann method large-eddy simulation (LBM-LES), high-fidelity urban mo… ▽ More This study presents a near-real-time, meter-scale three-dimensional urban wind simulation framework for low-altitude flight events in complex urban meteorological environments. It reconstructs high-resolution wind fields by combining sparse observations with efficient microscale flow modeling. The framework integrates lattice Boltzmann method large-eddy simulation (LBM-LES), high-fidelity urban morphology reconstruction that explicitly resolves real building details, and observation-driven boundary assimilation into a rapid end-to-end pipeline for realistic urban domains. Multi-site Doppler lidar measurements from dense urban Guangzhou, China, are used for evaluation. The system reconstructs three-dimensional wind fields at 5 m resolution over kilometer-scale domains within minutes. Robustness and accuracy are tested through controlled observation reduction, independent validation against withheld lidar stations, and sensitivity analyses of grid resolution and precursor domain extent. Results show stable reproduction of vertical wind structures and key local flow features under complex morphology and limited observations, providing a scalable pathway for near-real-time urban wind reconstruction. △ Less

Submitted 5 July, 2026; originally announced July 2026.

MSC Class: 76G25

U3DWind: A Low Altitude Wind Field Dataset and Benchmark for Urban Air Mobility

Authors: Shixiong Zhou, Huanxia Wei, Chao Xia, Yingying Xing, Changmin Jiang, Hai Yang, Shuai Jia

Abstract: Urban Air Mobility (UAM) requires reliable assessment of low-altitude wind hazards, because winds, gusts, and building-induced turbulence have been recognized as critical factors affecting vehicle stability, route feasibility, vertiport siting, and airspace management. While wind-tunnel experiments, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), multiscale downscaling, reduced-order models, and UAV planning… ▽ More Urban Air Mobility (UAM) requires reliable assessment of low-altitude wind hazards, because winds, gusts, and building-induced turbulence have been recognized as critical factors affecting vehicle stability, route feasibility, vertiport siting, and airspace management. While wind-tunnel experiments, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), multiscale downscaling, reduced-order models, and UAV planning datasets have advanced wind-aware analysis, public resources for data-driven, city-scale UAM planning remain limited in geographic coverage, scenario diversity, vertical extent, building realism, and task-oriented benchmarking. To address this gap, we introduce U3DWind, a building-resolved low-altitude wind-field dataset generated using our GPU-accelerated Lattice Boltzmann Method--Large-Eddy Simulation (LBM-LES) framework for rapid urban flow simulation. U3DWind covers five megacities in China: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. It contains 720 simulations, with 16 inflow directions, three reference wind speeds, and three seasonal atmospheric scenarios (annual, summer, and winter) for each city. At a 10 m grid resolution, the dataset provides three-dimensional three-component (3D3C) velocity, turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), flow density, and fluid--solid masks. To support operationally relevant evaluation, we further define five baseline tasks: wind-field prediction, sparse-sensor wind-field reconstruction, site wind-exposure ranking, airworthiness wind-compliance risk scoring, and noise propagation modeling. As a multi-city, building-resolved 3D urban wind-field dataset, U3DWind enables systematic evaluation of wind-induced impacts in low-altitude traffic scenarios and provides an open benchmark for urban airspace management and data-driven high-fidelity urban flow simulation. △ Less

Submitted 5 July, 2026; originally announced July 2026.

MSC Class: 76G25

Dual-Integrated Low-Latency Single-Lens Infrared Computational Imaging for Object Detection

Authors: Xuquan Wang, Guishuo Yang, Dapeng Yan, Yujie Xing, Xuanyu Qian, Kai Zhang, Xiong Dun, Jiande Sun

Abstract: Computational imaging enables compact infrared systems, but deep-learning pipelines that combine image reconstruction and object detection often introduce substantial inference latency. Most existing acceleration strategies compress the reconstruction network while overlooking physical priors from the optical path, leaving a trade-off between accuracy and speed. We present Physics-aware Dual-Integ… ▽ More Computational imaging enables compact infrared systems, but deep-learning pipelines that combine image reconstruction and object detection often introduce substantial inference latency. Most existing acceleration strategies compress the reconstruction network while overlooking physical priors from the optical path, leaving a trade-off between accuracy and speed. We present Physics-aware Dual-Integrated Network (PDI-Net), a low-latency framework that integrates infrared reconstruction with object detection and further embeds optical priors into the learning process. PDI-Net uses a supervised U-Net during training, while a semi-U-Net encoder shares features directly with a YOLO-based detector during inference, avoiding full image reconstruction. To bridge the gap between fidelity-oriented reconstruction features and detection-oriented semantics, we introduce a physics-aware large-small bridge (PALS-Bridge), which uses field-dependent point spread function priors to adaptively modulate multiscale convolutional branches. A physics-informed optical degradation simulation pipeline is also developed for training and validation. The method is deployed on a single-lens infrared camera, reducing system weight by about 50% compared with traditional multi-lens designs. On the M3FD benchmark under low-SNR conditions, PDI-Net reduces inference time by 84.06% compared with the Rec+Det with pruning strategy while improving mAP@0.5:0.95 by 5.07%. These results demonstrate compact, low-latency computational infrared imaging for real-time object detection on resource-constrained platforms. △ Less

Submitted 30 May, 2026; v1 submitted 20 May, 2026; originally announced May 2026.

Comments: 15 pages, 11 figures; supplementary material: 3 pages, 2 figures

GMT: A Geometric Multigrid Transformer Solver for Microstructure Homogenization

Authors: Yu Xing, Yang Liu, Tianyang Xue, Lin Lu

Abstract: Lattice metamaterials enable lightweight, multifunctional structures, yet homogenization-based evaluation of their effective properties remains computationally expensive. Neural surrogates offer speed but often lack the accuracy and stability required for engineering-grade simulations. We introduce GMT, a Geometric Multigrid Transformer -- a neural solver with high numerical fidelity for fast and… ▽ More Lattice metamaterials enable lightweight, multifunctional structures, yet homogenization-based evaluation of their effective properties remains computationally expensive. Neural surrogates offer speed but often lack the accuracy and stability required for engineering-grade simulations. We introduce GMT, a Geometric Multigrid Transformer -- a neural solver with high numerical fidelity for fast and reliable lattice homogenization. GMT achieves architectural alignment with Geometric Multigrid (GMG) by restructuring Point Transformer V3 to operate across sparse GMG hierarchies, capturing long-range dependencies and cross-level interactions essential for multigrid convergence. To enforce physical consistency, GMT incorporates physics-aware positional encoding for strict enforcement of periodicity and predicts both the finest-level solution and multi-level residual corrections. These predictions deliver a spectrally-aligned initialization, enabling end-to-end training under physics-informed and solver-aware losses and requiring only a single GMG V-cycle refinement to reach convergence. This fusion of neural prediction and numerical rigor achieves relative residual errors of $10^{-5}$ with a $160\times$ speedup over state-of-the-art GPU-based solvers at equivalent accuracy -- particularly at high resolutions (e.g. $512^3$), where traditional methods become most costly. We validate GMT across mechanical and thermal domains, demonstrate robust generalization to unseen geometries and non-periodic settings, and showcase scalability to high resolutions -- enabling real-time design iteration, multi-scale simulations, high-throughput material discovery, and inverse design. △ Less

Submitted 29 April, 2026; originally announced April 2026.

Comments: SIGGRAPH 2026 journal track

Enhancing Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay Sensitivity of Liquid-Xenon Time Projection Chamber with Augmented Convolutional Neural Network

Authors: E. Aprile, J. Aalbers, K. Abe, M. Adrover, S. Ahmed Maouloud, L. Althueser, B. Andrieu, E. Angelino, D. Antón Martin, S. R. Armbruster, F. Arneodo, L. Baudis, M. Bazyk, L. Bellagamba, R. Biondi, A. Bismark, K. Boese, R. M. Braun, G. Bruni, G. Bruno, R. Budnik, C. Cai, C. Capelli, J. M. R. Cardoso, A. P. Cimental Chávez , et al. (151 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Dual-phase time projection chamber (TPC) that employs a multi-ton-scale liquid xenon (LXe) target mass is a pioneering detector technology to search for dark matter. Beyond its advantage in dark matter direct detection efforts, the natural xenon target allows it to search for the neutrinoless double-beta decay ($0νββ$) process, which would violate lepton number conservation and indicate that neutr… ▽ More Dual-phase time projection chamber (TPC) that employs a multi-ton-scale liquid xenon (LXe) target mass is a pioneering detector technology to search for dark matter. Beyond its advantage in dark matter direct detection efforts, the natural xenon target allows it to search for the neutrinoless double-beta decay ($0νββ$) process, which would violate lepton number conservation and indicate that neutrinos are Majorana particles. However, such $0νββ$ searches have been limited by gamma-ray backgrounds originating from the detector materials. In this work, we designed an augmented convolutional neural network (A-CNN) model to extract additional event-topology information from detector data. Using simulation and calibration data from XENONnT, a leading LXe TPC experiment, our model achieved over 60% background rejection while maintaining 90% signal acceptance. This rejection power improves XENONnT's projected sensitivity of the $^{136}$Xe $0νββ$ search by about 40%. The implementation of A-CNN in the data analysis of future liquid xenon observatories, such as XLZD, will further enhance their sensitivities for $0νββ$ with $^{136}$Xe. △ Less

Submitted 20 March, 2026; originally announced March 2026.

Evidence for Vortex Rings with Multiquantum Circulation in He II

Authors: Yiming Xing, Yousef Alihosseini, Sosuke Inui, Wei Guo

Abstract: Quantized vortex dynamics in superfluid $^4$He (He~II) are widely regarded as well established: circulation is quantized in units of $κ=h/m_4$, vortices carrying more than one quantum are expected to split into singly quantized filaments, and vortex rings shrink while accelerating due to dissipation from thermal-quasiparticle scattering. Using particle tracking velocimetry with frozen deuterium tr… ▽ More Quantized vortex dynamics in superfluid $^4$He (He~II) are widely regarded as well established: circulation is quantized in units of $κ=h/m_4$, vortices carrying more than one quantum are expected to split into singly quantized filaments, and vortex rings shrink while accelerating due to dissipation from thermal-quasiparticle scattering. Using particle tracking velocimetry with frozen deuterium tracers, we uncover rare vortex-bound particle events that disrupt this canonical picture. In a class of events exhibiting the acceleration characteristic of shrinkage driven vortex ring motion, the measured kinematics cannot be reconciled with a singly quantized ring. Instead, they require an effective circulation $nκ$ with $n>1$, directly challenging the standard expectation that multiquantum vortices are short lived. A more prosaic possibility is that the inferred $nκ$ arises from a bundle of closely spaced singly quantized rings, which could generate similar large-scale motion. However, this scenario is disfavored by vortex-filament simulations that show rapid bundle dispersion. Furthermore, the persistence of particle trapping at the observed high speeds suggests a much deeper core trapping potential, consistent only with a truly multiquantum core. Together, these results point to anomalously long-lived multiquantum rings, a striking puzzle that calls for dedicated scrutiny beyond the prevailing paradigm. △ Less

Submitted 5 March, 2026; originally announced March 2026.

Comments: 8 pages, 4 figures

Air-stable bright entangled photon-pair source from graphene-encapsulated van der Waals ferroelectric NbOI2

Authors: Mayank Joshi, Mengting Jiang, Yu Xing, Yuerui Lu, Jie Zhao, Ping Koy Lam, Syed M Assad, Xuezhi Ma, Young-Wook Cho

Abstract: Van der Waals (vdW) ferroelectrics are emerging nonlinear photonic materials that combine large second-order susceptibility \c{hi}(2) with heterostructure compatibility, offering an attractive route toward miniaturized spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) sources. However, vdW SPDC sources operating under continuous irradiation in air remain limited in low brightness and poor operational… ▽ More Van der Waals (vdW) ferroelectrics are emerging nonlinear photonic materials that combine large second-order susceptibility \c{hi}(2) with heterostructure compatibility, offering an attractive route toward miniaturized spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) sources. However, vdW SPDC sources operating under continuous irradiation in air remain limited in low brightness and poor operational stability, as oxygen and moisture exposure, together with pump-induced heating, lead to material degradation and permanent damage. Here we demonstrate an air-stable, bright SPDC source based on ferroelectric NbOI2 enabled by graphene encapsulation. Graphene provides robust environmental protection and can effectively supress pump induced degradation by enhancing heat dissipation. We report a record photon-pair generation absolute rate of 258 Hz and a normalized brightness of 19,900 Hz/(mW.mm). Leveraging this stabilized platform, we further generate polarization entangled photon pairs with 94% fidelity with respect to the maximally entangled Bell states from graphene-encapsulated 90° twisted bilayer NbOI2. Our results establish a practical and air-stable vdW ferroelectric SPDC platform that overcomes key limitations of existing vdW quantum light sources and provides a viable pathway toward scalable, integrated entangled photon sources for on chip quantum photonics. △ Less

Submitted 4 March, 2026; originally announced March 2026.

Electromechanical Switching and Momentum-Selective Transport in Geometry-Defined Blue Phosphorus Homojunctions

Authors: Zewen Wu, Min Zhou, Yanxia Xing, Xianghua Kong

Abstract: Developing intrinsic homojunctions without chemical heterogeneity remains a key challenge in future two - dimensional devices. Here, we report a geometry - defined metal--semiconductor--metal homojunction in bilayer blue phosphorus (BlueP) created by a localized bubble corrugation, without chemical doping or foreign - material interfaces. First - principles calculations show that enlarging the int… ▽ More Developing intrinsic homojunctions without chemical heterogeneity remains a key challenge in future two - dimensional devices. Here, we report a geometry - defined metal--semiconductor--metal homojunction in bilayer blue phosphorus (BlueP) created by a localized bubble corrugation, without chemical doping or foreign - material interfaces. First - principles calculations show that enlarging the interlayer separation in the metallic A\(_1\)B\(_1\) - stacked BlueP bilayer opens a band gap, enabling a semiconducting barrier embedded between metallic segments. First - principles quantum - transport simulations reveal a crossover from ballistic to tunneling transport upon bubble formation. In the tunneling regime, transmission decreases exponentially with bubble width while remaining weakly sensitive to bubble height and bulging direction. The junction acts as an orientation - dependent \(k\) - space filter, producing transport anisotropy and momentum selectivity. Orbital - resolved scattering analysis shows that intralayer - bonding channels persist under deformation whereas interlayer - hybridized channels are quenched, and that σ- type bonding yields higher conductance than π- type bonding. These insights motivate two electromechanical device concepts: a mechanically switchable memory element with ON/OFF ratios up to 30 and a nanoscale sliding rheostat with reproducible exponential resistance tuning for Å- scale displacement sensing. △ Less

Submitted 26 February, 2026; originally announced February 2026.

Journal ref: Appl. Phys. Lett. 128, 243503 (2026)

Light Dark Matter Search with 7.8 Tonne-Year of Ionization-Only Data in XENONnT

Authors: E. Aprile, J. Aalbers, K. Abe, M. Adrover, S. Ahmed Maouloud, L. Althueser, B. Andrieu, E. Angelino, D. Antón Martin, S. R. Armbruster, F. Arneodo, L. Baudis, M. Bazyk, V. Beligotti, L. Bellagamba, R. Biondi, A. Bismark, K. Boese, R. M. Braun, G. Bruni, G. Bruno, R. Budnik, C. Cai, C. Capelli, J. M. R. Cardoso , et al. (152 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We report on a blinded search for dark matter (DM) using ionization-only (S2-only) signals in XENONnT with a total exposure of $7.83\mathrm{tonne}\times\mathrm{year}$ over 579 days in three science runs. Dedicated background suppression techniques and the first complete S2-only background model in XENONnT provide sensitivity to nuclear recoils of [0.5, 5.0] $\mathrm{keV_\mathrm{nr}}$ and electroni… ▽ More We report on a blinded search for dark matter (DM) using ionization-only (S2-only) signals in XENONnT with a total exposure of $7.83\mathrm{tonne}\times\mathrm{year}$ over 579 days in three science runs. Dedicated background suppression techniques and the first complete S2-only background model in XENONnT provide sensitivity to nuclear recoils of [0.5, 5.0] $\mathrm{keV_\mathrm{nr}}$ and electronic recoils of [0.04, 0.7] $\mathrm{keV_\mathrm{ee}}$. No significant excess over the expected background is observed, and we set 90\% confidence level upper limits on spin-independent DM--nucleon and spin-dependent DM--neutron scattering for DM masses between 3 and 8 $\mathrm{GeV}/c^2$, as well as on DM--electron scattering, axion-like particles, and dark photons, improving on previous constraints. For spin-independent DM--nucleon scattering, we exclude cross sections above $6.0\times10^{-45} $cm$^2$ at a DM mass of 5 $\mathrm{GeV}/c^2$, pushing the XENONnT sensitivity closer to the region where coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering ($\text{CE}ν\text{NS}$) becomes an irreducible background. △ Less

Submitted 30 July, 2026; v1 submitted 16 January, 2026; originally announced January 2026.

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. Lett. 137, 051003 (2026)

Search for Cosmic Ray Electron Boosted Dark Matter with the CDEX-10 Experiment

Authors: R. Xu, L. T. Yang, Q. Yue, K. J. Kang, Y. J. Li, H. P. An, Greeshma C., J. P. Chang, H. Chen, Y. H. Chen, J. P. Cheng, J. Y. Cui, W. H. Dai, Z. Deng, Y. X. Dong, C. H. Fang, H. Gong, Q. J. Guo, T. Guo, X. Y. Guo, L. He, J. R. He, H. X. Huang, T. C. Huang, S. Karmakar , et al. (63 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We present new constraints on the cosmic ray electron boosted light dark matter (CReDM) using the 205.4 kg$\cdot$day data of the CDEX-10 experiment located at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory. The cosmic ray electron spectrum and distribution in the Galaxy are generated by the $\tt GALPROP$ code package. In the calculation process of DM-electron scattering process in the Galaxy, we conside… ▽ More We present new constraints on the cosmic ray electron boosted light dark matter (CReDM) using the 205.4 kg$\cdot$day data of the CDEX-10 experiment located at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory. The cosmic ray electron spectrum and distribution in the Galaxy are generated by the $\tt GALPROP$ code package. In the calculation process of DM-electron scattering process in the Galaxy, we consider the energy-dependency of the DM-electron scattering cross section. The constraints on CReDM are set for both heavy and light mediator scenarios using the CDEX-10 dataset. The result exceeds previous Standard Halo Model (SHM) limits for DM mass lower than 0.6 MeV in heavy mediator case and corresponds to the best sensitivity among all direct detection experiments from 1 keV to 0.5 MeV in the light mediator scenario. △ Less

Submitted 13 January, 2026; originally announced January 2026.

Comments: 7 pages, 5 figures

Clarifying NH2 + O(3P) Reaction Dynamics: A Full-Dimensional MRCI, Machine-Learned PES Unravels High-Temperature Kinetics

Authors: Ying Xing, Weijie Hua, Junxiang Zuo

Abstract: The NH2 + O reaction represents a critical oxidation pathway in ammonia and hydrazine combustion, yet significant discrepancies persist in reported kinetics. Here, we generate a full-dimensional ground-state potential energy surface (PES) for NH2O using high-level internally contracted multi-reference configuration interaction (ic-MRCI) calculations and the permutation invariant polynomial-neural… ▽ More The NH2 + O reaction represents a critical oxidation pathway in ammonia and hydrazine combustion, yet significant discrepancies persist in reported kinetics. Here, we generate a full-dimensional ground-state potential energy surface (PES) for NH2O using high-level internally contracted multi-reference configuration interaction (ic-MRCI) calculations and the permutation invariant polynomial-neural network (PIP-NN) method. The PES encompasses all energetically accessible channels, including HNO + H, NH + OH, NO + H2, and HON + H. Quasi-classical trajectory calculations on this surface yield thermal rate coefficients and branching ratios over a wide temperature range, particularly extending into the high-temperature regime relevant to combustion. The results provide accurate first principles kinetic data essential for refining combustion models of nitrogen containing fuels. △ Less

Submitted 20 March, 2026; v1 submitted 2 January, 2026; originally announced January 2026.

Constraints on ultraheavy dark matter from the CDEX-10 experiment at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory

Authors: Y. F. Wang, L. T. Yang, Q. Yue, K. J. Kang, Y. J. Li, H. P. An, Greeshma C., J. P. Chang, H. Chen, Y. H. Chen, J. P. Cheng, J. Y. Cui, W. H. Dai, Z. Deng, Y. X. Dong, C. H. Fang, H. Gong, Q. J. Guo, T. Guo, X. Y. Guo, L. He, J. R. He, H. X. Huang, T. C. Huang, S. Karmakar , et al. (63 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We report a search for ultraheavy dark matter (UHDM) with the CDEX-10 experiment at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory. Using a Monte Carlo framework that incorporates Earth shielding effects, we simulated UHDM propagation and energy deposition in p-type point-contact germanium detectors. Analysis of 205.4 kg$\cdot$day exposure in the 0.16--4.16 keVee range showed no excess above background.… ▽ More We report a search for ultraheavy dark matter (UHDM) with the CDEX-10 experiment at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory. Using a Monte Carlo framework that incorporates Earth shielding effects, we simulated UHDM propagation and energy deposition in p-type point-contact germanium detectors. Analysis of 205.4 kg$\cdot$day exposure in the 0.16--4.16 keVee range showed no excess above background. Our results exclude the spin-independent UHDM-nucleon scattering with two cross section scales, with the UHDM mass from $10^6$ to $10^{11}$ GeV, and provide the most stringent constraints with solid-state detectors below $10^8$ GeV. △ Less

Submitted 28 March, 2026; v1 submitted 24 October, 2025; originally announced October 2025.

Comments: 8 pages, 5 figures. Version updated to match PRD version

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. D 113, 052011 (2026)

Constraints on inelastic dark matter from the CDEX-1B experiment

Authors: Y. F. Liang, L. T. Yang, Q. Yue, K. J. Kang, Y. J. Li, H. P. An, Greeshma C., J. P. Chang, H. Chen, Y. H. Chen, J. P. Cheng, J. Y. Cui, W. H. Dai, Z. Deng, Y. X. Dong, C. H. Fang, H. Gong, Q. J. Guo, T. Guo, X. Y. Guo, L. He, J. R. He, H. X. Huang, T. C. Huang, S. Karmakar , et al. (63 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We present limits on spin-independent inelastic weakly interacting massive particles (WIMP)-nucleus scattering using the 737.1 kg$\cdot$day dataset from the CDEX-1B experiment. Expected nuclear recoil spectra for various inelastic WIMP masses $m_χ$ and mass splittings $δ$ are calculated under the standard halo model. An accurate background model of CDEX-1B is constructed by simulating all major ba… ▽ More We present limits on spin-independent inelastic weakly interacting massive particles (WIMP)-nucleus scattering using the 737.1 kg$\cdot$day dataset from the CDEX-1B experiment. Expected nuclear recoil spectra for various inelastic WIMP masses $m_χ$ and mass splittings $δ$ are calculated under the standard halo model. An accurate background model of CDEX-1B is constructed by simulating all major background sources. The model parameters are then determined through maximum likelihood estimation and Markov chain Monte Carlo fitting. The resulting 90\% confidence level upper limits on the WIMP-nucleon cross section $σ_{\mathrm{n}}$ exclude certain DAMA/LIBRA allowed regions: the $χ^2 < 4$ regions for $δ< 30$ keV at $m_χ= 250$ GeV and the $χ^2 < 9$ region for $δ< 50$ keV at $m_χ= 500$ GeV. The method is applicable to other inelastic dark matter scenarios, and the upcoming CDEX-50 experiment is expected to improve sensitivity by four orders of magnitude. △ Less

Submitted 31 December, 2025; v1 submitted 9 October, 2025; originally announced October 2025.

Comments: 10 pages, 8 figures. Version updated to match PRD version

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. D 112, 112025 (2025)

Contact line friction of bubbles

Authors: Xicheng Bao, Aaron D. Ratschow, Xiaoteng Zhou, Chirag Hinduja, Xiaomei Li, Qinshan Liu, Dandan Gao, Xiahui Gui, Ruediger Berger, Yaowen Xing, Hans-Juergen Butt, Michael Kappl

Abstract: Contact line friction (CLF) of bubbles is ubiquitous, from bubbles on a beer glass to H2 bubbles sliding over electrodes in electrolysis. However, a fundamental understanding of CLF of bubbles is still missing, mainly due to the challenge of precisely controlling bubble sliding. For example, it is not clear how bubbles start sliding and how CLF of bubbles depends on velocity. We therefore develope… ▽ More Contact line friction (CLF) of bubbles is ubiquitous, from bubbles on a beer glass to H2 bubbles sliding over electrodes in electrolysis. However, a fundamental understanding of CLF of bubbles is still missing, mainly due to the challenge of precisely controlling bubble sliding. For example, it is not clear how bubbles start sliding and how CLF of bubbles depends on velocity. We therefore developed a bubble friction force instrument to directly measure bubble CLF. This force develops from a static regime, through a transition, to a kinetic regime. This entire process is quantitatively described by a modified Kawasaki-Furmidge equation. Bubble CLF was measured for velocities from 0.2 micron/s to 2 mm/s, revealing a transition from a constant CLF regime below about 60 micron/s to a velocity-dependent CLF regime on surfaces with various wettability. The velocity dependence stems from interfacial adaptation governed by the liquid ionic environment with a relaxation time of around 10 microsecond. Moreover, CLF of bubbles can be measured on hydrophilic surfaces and under a challenging H2 atmosphere, overcoming the limitations of current droplet-based methods. Our results provide a quantitative basis for understanding CLF of bubbles with relevance to many applications, including bubble manipulation and electrochemistry. △ Less

Submitted 19 September, 2025; originally announced September 2025.

Sunlight-Excited Spontaneous Parametric Down-Conversion for Quantum Imaging

Authors: Ye Xing, Deifei Xu, Yuan Li, Wuhong Zhang, Lixiang Chen

Abstract: Quantum imaging, which harnesses quantum correlations to achieve imaging with multiple advantages over classical optics, has been in development for several years. Here, we explore sunlight, serving as the pump beam, to excite spontaneous parametric down-conversion to get the quantum correlation of two photons. Remarkably, our investigations disclose that the photon pairs produced from sunlight ar… ▽ More Quantum imaging, which harnesses quantum correlations to achieve imaging with multiple advantages over classical optics, has been in development for several years. Here, we explore sunlight, serving as the pump beam, to excite spontaneous parametric down-conversion to get the quantum correlation of two photons. Remarkably, our investigations disclose that the photon pairs produced from sunlight are well correlated in position such that they can be used for quantum imaging. Consequently, this demonstrates a latent application scenario in which the incoherent beam is harnessed as the pump source for quantum imaging. Our research is of substantial significance as it broadens the scope of available illumination options, such as using scattering light or non-traditional artificial incoherent light sources, for quantum information, a prime potential application being a space-based quantum information mechanism where this approach allows the system to operate independently of a laser. △ Less

Submitted 15 August, 2025; originally announced August 2025.

Comments: 7 pages,4 figures,V1

Journal ref: Adv. Photon. 8(3), 036011 (2026)

PCG-Informed Neural Solvers for High-Resolution Homogenization of Periodic Microstructures

Authors: Yu Xing, Yang Liu, Lipeng Chen, Huiping Tang, Lin Lu

Abstract: The mechanical properties of periodic microstructures are pivotal in various engineering applications. Homogenization theory is a powerful tool for predicting these properties by averaging the behavior of complex microstructures over a representative volume element. However, traditional numerical solvers for homogenization problems can be computationally expensive, especially for high-resolution a… ▽ More The mechanical properties of periodic microstructures are pivotal in various engineering applications. Homogenization theory is a powerful tool for predicting these properties by averaging the behavior of complex microstructures over a representative volume element. However, traditional numerical solvers for homogenization problems can be computationally expensive, especially for high-resolution and complicated topology and geometry. Existing learning-based methods, while promising, often struggle with accuracy and generalization in such scenarios. To address these challenges, we present CGINS, a preconditioned-conjugate-gradient-solver-informed neural network for solving homogenization problems. CGINS leverages sparse and periodic 3D convolution to enable high-resolution learning while ensuring structural periodicity. It features a multi-level network architecture that facilitates effective learning across different scales and employs minimum potential energy as label-free loss functions for self-supervised learning. The integrated preconditioned conjugate gradient iterations ensure that the network provides PCG-friendly initial solutions for fast convergence and high accuracy. Additionally, CGINS imposes a global displacement constraint to ensure physical consistency, addressing a key limitation in prior methods that rely on Dirichlet anchors. Evaluated on large-scale datasets with diverse topologies and material configurations, CGINS achieves state-of-the-art accuracy (relative error below 1%) and outperforms both learning-based baselines and GPU-accelerated numerical solvers. Notably, it delivers 2 times to 10 times speedups over traditional methods while maintaining physically reliable predictions at resolutions up to $512^3$. △ Less

Submitted 2 October, 2025; v1 submitted 20 June, 2025; originally announced June 2025.

Adding links wisely: how an influencer seeks for leadership in opinion dynamics?

Authors: Lingfei Wang, Yu Xing, Yuhao Yi, Ming Cao, Karl H. Johansson

Abstract: This paper investigates the problem of leadership development for an external influencer using the Friedkin-Johnsen (FJ) opinion dynamics model, where the influencer is modeled as a fully stubborn agent and leadership is quantified by social power. The influencer seeks to maximize her social power by strategically adding a limited number of links to regular agents. This optimization problem is sho… ▽ More This paper investigates the problem of leadership development for an external influencer using the Friedkin-Johnsen (FJ) opinion dynamics model, where the influencer is modeled as a fully stubborn agent and leadership is quantified by social power. The influencer seeks to maximize her social power by strategically adding a limited number of links to regular agents. This optimization problem is shown to be equivalent to maximizing the absorbing probability to the influencer in an augmented Markov chain. The resulting objective function is both monotone and submodular, enabling the use of a greedy algorithm to compute an approximate solution. To handle large-scale networks efficiently, a random walk sampling over the Markov chain is employed to reduce computational complexity. Analytical characterizations of the solution are provided for both low and high stubbornness of regular agents. Specific network topologies are also examined: for complete graphs with rank-one weight matrices, the problem reduces to a hyperbolic 0-1 programmming problem, which is solvable in polynomial time; for symmetric ring graphs with circulant weight matrices and uniform agent stubbornness, the optimal strategy involves selecting agents that are sufficiently dispersed across the network. Numerical simulations are presented for illustration. △ Less

Submitted 14 June, 2025; originally announced June 2025.

Enhanced ammonia electro-oxidation reaction on platinum-iron oxide catalyst assisted by MagnetoElectroCatalysis

Authors: Caio Machado Fernandes, Eduardo M. Rodrigues, Odivaldo C. Alves, Flavio Garcia, Yutao Xing, Mauro C. Santos, Julio Cesar M. Silva

Abstract: Ammonia poses significant environmental challenges due to its role in water pollution, contributing to eutrophication and several detrimental environmental and ecological issues. Addressing the efficient removal or conversion of ammonia is, therefore, critical. Among various methods, the ammonia electro-oxidation reaction stands out due to its potential for direct energy conversion and environment… ▽ More Ammonia poses significant environmental challenges due to its role in water pollution, contributing to eutrophication and several detrimental environmental and ecological issues. Addressing the efficient removal or conversion of ammonia is, therefore, critical. Among various methods, the ammonia electro-oxidation reaction stands out due to its potential for direct energy conversion and environment remediation. Here, we synthesize platinum-iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (Pt-MNP) as electrocatalysts and apply an alternating magnetic field (AMF) to enhance their activity.. The AMF generates localized heat via Néel relaxation, accelerating ammonia oxidation kinetics at the catalytic surface.. Compared to conventional electro-oxidation methods, this technique demonstrates superior efficiency and stability, offering a promising alternative for ammonia treatment. This work uses the concept of MagnetoElectroCatalysis, showcasing the synergy between magnetic fields and the electrochemical process, leveraging the AMF to induce localized heating within the nanocatalyst, thereby improving its catalytic activity as shown in cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry experiments. By combining nanocatalyst design with innovative AMF application, this study provides a new avenue for enhancing electrochemical reactions, with broad implications for environmental remediation and sustainable energy solutions. △ Less

Submitted 19 May, 2025; originally announced May 2025.

Magnetic field-enhanced two-electron oxygen reduction reaction using CeMnCo nanoparticles supported on different carbonaceous matrices

Authors: Caio Machado Fernandes, Joao Paulo C. Moura, Aline B. Trench, Odivaldo C. Alves, Yutao Xing, Marcos R. V. Lanza, Julio Cesar M. Silva, Mauro C. Santos

Abstract: The current study illustrates the successful synthesis of Ce$_{1.0}$Mn$_{0.9}$Co$_{0.1}$ nanoparticles, characterized through XRD, EPR, magnetization curves, and TEM/HRTEM/EDX analyses. These nanoparticles were then loaded into the carbon Vulcan XC72 and the carbon Printex L6 matrices in varying amounts (1, 3, 5, and 10% w/w) via wet impregnation method to fabricate electrocatalysts for the 2-elec… ▽ More The current study illustrates the successful synthesis of Ce$_{1.0}$Mn$_{0.9}$Co$_{0.1}$ nanoparticles, characterized through XRD, EPR, magnetization curves, and TEM/HRTEM/EDX analyses. These nanoparticles were then loaded into the carbon Vulcan XC72 and the carbon Printex L6 matrices in varying amounts (1, 3, 5, and 10% w/w) via wet impregnation method to fabricate electrocatalysts for the 2-electron ORR. Before experimentation, the material was characterized via XPS and contact angle measurements. The electrochemical results produced significant findings, indicating that the electrocatalysts with the nanostructures modifying both carbon blacks notably augmented currents in rotating ring-disk electrode measurements, signifying enhanced selectivity for H$_2$O$_2$ production. Moreover, our research underscored the significant impact of Magnetic Field-Enhanced Electrochemistry, employing a constant magnetic field strength of 2000 Oe, on 2-electron ORR experiments. Particularly noteworthy were the observed results surpassing the ones without the magnetic field, demonstrating heightened currents and improved selectivity for H$_2$O$_2$ production (more than 90 %) facilitated by CeMnCo nanoparticles. These significant findings in electrocatalytic efficiency have practical implications, suggesting the potential for developing more efficient and selective catalysts for the 2-electron ORR. △ Less

Submitted 19 May, 2025; originally announced May 2025.

Magnetic field-enhanced oxygen reduction reaction for electrochemical hydrogen peroxide production with different cerium oxide nanostructures

Authors: Caio Machado Fernandes, Aila O. Santos, Vanessa S. Antonin, Joao Paulo C. Moura, Aline B. Trench, Odivaldo C. Alves, Yutao Xing, Julio Cesar M. Silva, Mauro C. Santos

Abstract: We investigated cerium oxide nanoparticles of various morphologies (nanosheets, nanocubes, and nanoparticles) supported on carbon Vulcan XC-72 for the two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). It was used a continuous magnetic field (2000 Oe) for the first time in the literature. The best results were for 5% (w/w) CeO2 for all three different morphologies, more than doubling the ring current,… ▽ More We investigated cerium oxide nanoparticles of various morphologies (nanosheets, nanocubes, and nanoparticles) supported on carbon Vulcan XC-72 for the two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). It was used a continuous magnetic field (2000 Oe) for the first time in the literature. The best results were for 5% (w/w) CeO2 for all three different morphologies, more than doubling the ring current, enhancing the hydrogen peroxide selectivity from 51% (Vulcan XC-72) to 84-89%, and modifying the onset potential to lesser negative values. The presence of the magnetic field led to even higher ring currents with 5% (w/w) CeO$_2$, H$_2$O$_2$ selectivity from 54% (Vulcan XC-72) to 88-96% and changing even more the onset potential. Those results were correlated with the Zeeman effect, the Lorentz force, generating magnetohydrodynamic effects, the Kelvin force, and the formation of Bound Magnetic Polarons. This pioneering research introduces an innovative approach, highlighting the potential of an external continuous magnetic field. △ Less

Submitted 19 May, 2025; originally announced May 2025.

Nonperiodic dynamic CT reconstruction using backward-warping INR with regularization of diffeomorphism (BIRD)

Authors: Muge Du, Zhuozhao Zheng, Wenying Wang, Guotao Quan, Wuliang Shi, Le Shen, Li Zhang, Liang Li, Yinong Liu, Yuxiang Xing

Abstract: Dynamic computed tomography (CT) reconstruction faces significant challenges in addressing motion artifacts, particularly for nonperiodic rapid movements such as cardiac imaging with fast heart rates. Traditional methods struggle with the extreme limited-angle problems inherent in nonperiodic cases. Deep learning methods have improved performance but face generalization challenges. Recent implicit… ▽ More Dynamic computed tomography (CT) reconstruction faces significant challenges in addressing motion artifacts, particularly for nonperiodic rapid movements such as cardiac imaging with fast heart rates. Traditional methods struggle with the extreme limited-angle problems inherent in nonperiodic cases. Deep learning methods have improved performance but face generalization challenges. Recent implicit neural representation (INR) techniques show promise through self-supervised deep learning, but have critical limitations: computational inefficiency due to forward-warping modeling, difficulty balancing DVF complexity with anatomical plausibility, and challenges in preserving fine details without additional patient-specific pre-scans. This paper presents a novel INR-based framework, BIRD, for nonperiodic dynamic CT reconstruction. It addresses these challenges through four key contributions: (1) backward-warping deformation that enables direct computation of each dynamic voxel with significantly reduced computational cost, (2) diffeomorphism-based DVF regularization that ensures anatomically plausible deformations while maintaining representational capacity, (3) motion-compensated analytical reconstruction that enhances fine details without requiring additional pre-scans, and (4) dimensional-reduction design for efficient 4D coordinate encoding. Through various simulations and practical studies, including digital and physical phantoms and retrospective patient data, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach for nonperiodic dynamic CT reconstruction with enhanced details and reduced motion artifacts. The proposed framework enables more accurate dynamic CT reconstruction with potential clinical applications, such as one-beat cardiac reconstruction, cinematic image sequences for functional imaging, and motion artifact reduction in conventional CT scans. △ Less

Submitted 6 May, 2025; originally announced May 2025.

Characterisation of Hamamatsu R11065-20 PMTs for use in the SABRE South NaI(Tl) Crystal Detectors

Authors: O. Stanley, W. J. D. Melbourne, P. Urquijo, E. Barberio, V. U. Bashu, L. J. Bignell, I. Bolognino, G. Brooks, S. S. Chhun, F. Dastgiri, M. B. Froehlich, T. Fruth, G. Fu, G. C. Hill, R. S. James, K. Janssens, S. Kapoor, G. J. Lane, K. T. Leaver, P. McGee, P. C. McNamara, J. McKenzie, L. J. McKie, M. Mews, L. J. Milligan , et al. (9 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The SABRE Experiment is a direct detection dark matter experiment using a target composed of multiple NaI(Tl) crystals. The experiment aims to be an independent check of the DAMA/LIBRA results with a detector in the Northern (Laboratori Nazionali Del Gran Sasso, LNGS) and Southern (Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory, SUPL) hemispheres. The SABRE South photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) will be used… ▽ More The SABRE Experiment is a direct detection dark matter experiment using a target composed of multiple NaI(Tl) crystals. The experiment aims to be an independent check of the DAMA/LIBRA results with a detector in the Northern (Laboratori Nazionali Del Gran Sasso, LNGS) and Southern (Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory, SUPL) hemispheres. The SABRE South photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) will be used near the low energy noise threshold and require a detailed calibration of their performance and contributions to the background in the NaI(Tl) dark matter search, prior to installation. We present the development of the pre-calibration procedures for the R11065-20 Hamamatsu PMTs. These PMTs are directly coupled to the NaI(Tl) crystals within the SABRE South experiment. In this paper we present methodologies to characterise the gain, dark rate, and timing properties of the PMTs. We develop a method for in-situ calibration without a light injection source. Additionally we explore the application of machine learning techniques using a Boosted Decision Tree (BDT) trained on the response of single PMTs to understand the information available for background rejection. Finally, we briefly present the simulation tool used to generate digitised PMT data from optical Monte Carlo simulations. △ Less

Submitted 15 June, 2025; v1 submitted 23 April, 2025; originally announced April 2025.

Journal ref: JINST 20 P07052 (2025)

Constraints on dark matter boosted by supernova shock within the effective field theory framework from the CDEX-10 experiment

Authors: J. Z. Wang, L. T. Yang, Q. Yue, K. J. Kang, Y. J. Li, H. P. An, Greeshma C., J. P. Chang, H. Chen, Y. H. Chen, J. P. Cheng, W. H. Dai, Z. Deng, C. H. Fang, X. P. Geng, H. Gong, Q. J. Guo, T. Guo, X. Y. Guo, L. He, J. R. He, H. X. Huang, T. C. Huang, S. Karmakar, H. B. Li , et al. (62 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Supernova shocks can boost dark matter (DM) particles to high, yet nonrelativistic, velocities, providing a suitable mechanism for analysis within the framework of the nonrelativistic effective field theory (NREFT). These accelerated DM sources extend the experimental ability to scan the parameter space of light DM into the sub-GeV region. In this study, we specifically analyze DM accelerated by t… ▽ More Supernova shocks can boost dark matter (DM) particles to high, yet nonrelativistic, velocities, providing a suitable mechanism for analysis within the framework of the nonrelativistic effective field theory (NREFT). These accelerated DM sources extend the experimental ability to scan the parameter space of light DM into the sub-GeV region. In this study, we specifically analyze DM accelerated by the Monogem Ring supernova remnant, whose age ($\sim 68000$ yr) and distance to Earth ($\sim 300$ parsec) are strategically matched to enable detection with current terrestrial detectors. Utilizing the 205.4 kg$\cdot$day data obtained from the CDEX-10 experiment at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory, we derive new constraints on boosted DM within the NREFT framework. The NREFT coupling constant exclusion regions now penetrate the sub-GeV mass range, with optimal sensitivity achieved for operators $\mathcal{O}_{3}$, $\mathcal{O}_{6}$, $\mathcal{O}_{15}$ in the 0.4--0.6 GeV mass range. △ Less

Submitted 18 November, 2025; v1 submitted 4 April, 2025; originally announced April 2025.

Comments: 9 pages, 5 figures. Version updated to match PRD version

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. D 112, 092011 (2025)

WIMP Dark Matter Search using a 3.1 Tonne-Year Exposure of the XENONnT Experiment

Authors: E. Aprile, J. Aalbers, K. Abe, S. Ahmed Maouloud, L. Althueser, B. Andrieu, E. Angelino, D. Antón Martin, S. R. Armbruster, F. Arneodo, L. Baudis, M. Bazyk, L. Bellagamba, R. Biondi, A. Bismark, K. Boese, A. Brown, G. Bruno, R. Budnik, C. Cai, C. Capelli, J. M. R. Cardoso, A. P. Cimental Chávez, A. P. Colijn, J. Conrad , et al. (153 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We report on a search for weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter (DM) via elastic DM-xenon-nucleus interactions in the XENONnT experiment. We combine datasets from the first and second science campaigns resulting in a total exposure of 3.1 tonne-years. In a blind analysis of nuclear recoil events with energies above $3.8\,\mathrm{keV_{NR}}$, we find no significant excess above back… ▽ More We report on a search for weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter (DM) via elastic DM-xenon-nucleus interactions in the XENONnT experiment. We combine datasets from the first and second science campaigns resulting in a total exposure of 3.1 tonne-years. In a blind analysis of nuclear recoil events with energies above $3.8\,\mathrm{keV_{NR}}$, we find no significant excess above background. We set new upper limits on the spin-independent WIMP-nucleon scattering cross section for WIMP masses above $10\,\mathrm{GeV}/c^2$ with a minimum of $1.7\,\times\,10^{-47}\,\mathrm{cm^2}$ at $90\,\%$ confidence level for a WIMP mass of $30\,\mathrm{GeV}/c^2$. We achieve a best median sensitivity of $1.4\,\times\,10^{-47}\,\mathrm{cm^2}$ for a $41\,\mathrm{GeV}/c^2$ WIMP. Compared to the result from the first XENONnT science dataset, we improve our sensitivity by a factor of up to 1.8. △ Less

Submitted 16 December, 2025; v1 submitted 25 February, 2025; originally announced February 2025.

Comments: Limits are included in the submission file

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 221003 (2025)

DLBayesian: An Alternative Bayesian Reconstruction of Limited-view CT by Optimizing Deep Learning Parameters

Authors: Changyu Chen, Li Zhang, Yuxiang Xing, Zhiqiang Chen

Abstract: Limited-view computed tomography (CT) presents significant potential for reducing radiation exposure and expediting the scanning process. While deep learning (DL) methods have exhibited promising results in mitigating streaking artifacts caused by a reduced number of projection views, their generalization remains challenging. In this work, we proposed a DL-driven alternative Bayesian reconstructio… ▽ More Limited-view computed tomography (CT) presents significant potential for reducing radiation exposure and expediting the scanning process. While deep learning (DL) methods have exhibited promising results in mitigating streaking artifacts caused by a reduced number of projection views, their generalization remains challenging. In this work, we proposed a DL-driven alternative Bayesian reconstruction method (DLBayesian) that efficiently integrates data-driven priors and data consistency constraints. DLBayesian comprises three stages: group-level embedding, significance evaluation, and individual-level consistency adaptation. Firstly, DL network parameters are optimized to learn how to eliminate the general limited-view artifacts on a large-scale paired dataset. Then, we introduced a significance score to quantitatively evaluate the contribution of parameters in DL models as a guide for the subsequent individual-level adaptation. Finally, in the Bayesian adaptation stage, an alternative Bayesian reconstruction further optimizes the DL network parameters precisely according to the projection data of the target case. We validated DLBayesian with sparse-view (90 views) projections from a circular trajectory CT and a special data missing case from a multi-segment linear trajectory CT. The results underscore DLBayesian's superior generalization capabilities across variations in patients, anatomic structures, and data distribution, as well as excelling in contextual structure recovery compared to networks solely trained via supervised loss. Real experiments on a dead rat demonstrate its capability in practical CT scans. △ Less

Submitted 16 February, 2025; originally announced February 2025.

Radon Removal in XENONnT down to the Solar Neutrino Level

Authors: E. Aprile, J. Aalbers, K. Abe, S. Ahmed Maouloud, L. Althueser, B. Andrieu, E. Angelino, D. Antón Martin, F. Arneodo, L. Baudis, M. Bazyk, L. Bellagamba, R. Biondi, A. Bismark, K. Boese, A. Brown, G. Bruno, R. Budnik, C. Cai, C. Capelli, J. M. R. Cardoso, A. P. Cimental Chávez, A. P. Colijn, J. Conrad, J. J. Cuenca-García , et al. (147 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The XENONnT experiment has achieved an exceptionally low $^\text{222}$Rn activity concentration within its inner 5.9$\,$tonne liquid xenon detector of (0.90$\,\pm\,$0.01$\,$stat.$\,\pm\,$0.07 sys.)$\,μ$Bq/kg, equivalent to about 430 $^\text{222}$Rn atoms per tonne of xenon. This was achieved by active online radon removal via cryogenic distillation after stringent material selection. The achieved… ▽ More The XENONnT experiment has achieved an exceptionally low $^\text{222}$Rn activity concentration within its inner 5.9$\,$tonne liquid xenon detector of (0.90$\,\pm\,$0.01$\,$stat.$\,\pm\,$0.07 sys.)$\,μ$Bq/kg, equivalent to about 430 $^\text{222}$Rn atoms per tonne of xenon. This was achieved by active online radon removal via cryogenic distillation after stringent material selection. The achieved $^\text{222}$Rn activity concentration is five times lower than that in other currently operational multi-tonne liquid xenon detectors engaged in dark matter searches. This breakthrough enables the pursuit of various rare event searches that lie beyond the confines of the standard model of particle physics, with world-leading sensitivity. The ultra-low $^\text{222}$Rn levels have diminished the radon-induced background rate in the detector to a point where it is for the first time comparable to the solar neutrino-induced background, which is poised to become the primary irreducible background in liquid xenon-based detectors. △ Less

Submitted 25 April, 2025; v1 submitted 6 February, 2025; originally announced February 2025.

Energy-Threshold Bias Calculator: A Physics-Model Based Adaptive Correction Scheme for Photon-Counting CT

Authors: Yuting Chen, Yuxiang Xing, Li Zhang, Zhi Deng, Hewei Gao

Abstract: Photon-counting detector based computed tomography (PCCT) has greatly advanced in recent years. However, spectral inconsistency, referring to inter-pixel variations in detected counts per energy bin, can easily leads to ring or band artifacts and inaccuracies in CT reconstructed images. This work proposes a novel physics-model based method to correct for spectral inconsistency by modeling it throu… ▽ More Photon-counting detector based computed tomography (PCCT) has greatly advanced in recent years. However, spectral inconsistency, referring to inter-pixel variations in detected counts per energy bin, can easily leads to ring or band artifacts and inaccuracies in CT reconstructed images. This work proposes a novel physics-model based method to correct for spectral inconsistency by modeling it through two terms: (1) a fixed spectral skew term (energy threshold-independent filtration function) determined at a given energy threshold, and (2) a variable energy-threshold bias term that can be directly calculated by using our spectral model as the threshold changes. After the two terms being computed out in the calibration stage, they will be incorporated into our spectral model to adaptively generate the spectral correction vectors as well as the material decomposition vectors if needed, pixel-by-pixel for PCCT projection data. Using a minimum set of parameters with explicit physics meaning, such an energy-threshold bias calculator (ETB-Cal) has advantages of computational efficiency, robustness in implementation, and convenience with no need of X-ray fluorescence materials in calibration. To validate our method, both numerical simulations and physical experiments using multiple phantoms were carried out on a tabletop PCCT system, with preliminary results showing a significant reduction in non-uniformity, from 29.3 to 5.8 HU for Gammex multi-energy phantom versus no correction (comparatively, 8.3 HU was achieved by a polynomial-involving model-based approach with no explicit modeling and calculating of energy threshold bias but more calibration data required), and from 27.9 to 3.2 HU for the Kyoto head phantom. △ Less

Submitted 28 January, 2026; v1 submitted 18 January, 2025; originally announced January 2025.

Comments: 18 pages, 14 figures

Journal ref: IEEE Trans. Med. Imaging, early access, 2026

ComptoNet: An End-to-End Deep Learning Framework for Scatter Estimation in Multi-Source Stationary CT

Authors: Yingxian Xia, Zhiqiang Chen, Li Zhang, Yuxiang Xing, Hewei Gao

Abstract: Multi-source stationary computed tomography (MSS-CT) offers significant advantages in medical and industrial applications due to its gantry-less scan architecture and/or capability of simultaneous multi-source emission. However, the lack of anti-scatter grid deployment in MSS-CT results in severe forward and/or cross scatter contamination, presenting a critical challenge that necessitates an accur… ▽ More Multi-source stationary computed tomography (MSS-CT) offers significant advantages in medical and industrial applications due to its gantry-less scan architecture and/or capability of simultaneous multi-source emission. However, the lack of anti-scatter grid deployment in MSS-CT results in severe forward and/or cross scatter contamination, presenting a critical challenge that necessitates an accurate and efficient scatter correction. In this work, ComptoNet, an innovative end-to-end deep learning framework for scatter estimation in MSS-CT, is proposed, which integrates Compton-scattering physics with deep learning techniques to address the challenges of scatter estimation effectively. Central to ComptoNet is the Compton-map, a novel concept that captures the distribution of scatter signals outside the scan field of view, primarily consisting of large-angle Compton scatter. In ComptoNet, a reference Compton-map and/or spare detector data are used to guide the physics-driven deep estimation of scatter from simultaneous emissions by multiple sources. Additionally, a frequency attention module is employed for enhancing the low-frequency smoothness. Such a multi-source deep scatter estimation framework decouples the cross and forward scatter. It reduces network complexity and ensures a consistent low-frequency signature with different photon numbers of simulations, as evidenced by mean absolute percentage errors (MAPEs) that are less than $1.26\%$. Conducted by using data generated from Monte Carlo simulations with various phantoms, experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of ComptoNet, with significant improvements in scatter estimation accuracy (a MAPE of $0.84\%$). After scatter correction, nearly artifact-free CT images are obtained, further validating the capability of our proposed ComptoNet in mitigating scatter-induced errors. △ Less

Submitted 17 January, 2025; originally announced January 2025.

Realizability-Preserving Discontinuous Galerkin Method for Spectral Two-Moment Radiation Transport in Special Relativity

Authors: Joseph Hunter, Eirik Endeve, M. Paul Laiu, Yulong Xing

Abstract: We present a realizability-preserving numerical method for solving a spectral two-moment model to simulate the transport of massless, neutral particles interacting with a steady background material moving with relativistic velocities. The model is obtained as the special relativistic limit of a four-momentum-conservative general relativistic two-moment model. Using a maximum-entropy closure, we so… ▽ More We present a realizability-preserving numerical method for solving a spectral two-moment model to simulate the transport of massless, neutral particles interacting with a steady background material moving with relativistic velocities. The model is obtained as the special relativistic limit of a four-momentum-conservative general relativistic two-moment model. Using a maximum-entropy closure, we solve for the Eulerian-frame energy and momentum. The proposed numerical method is designed to preserve moment realizability, which corresponds to moments defined by a nonnegative phase-space density. The realizability-preserving method is achieved with the following key components: (i) a discontinuous Galerkin (DG) phase-space discretization with specially constructed numerical fluxes in the spatial and energy dimensions; (ii) a strong stability-preserving implicit-explicit (IMEX) time-integration method; (iii) a realizability-preserving conserved to primitive moment solver; (iv) a realizability-preserving implicit collision solver; and (v) a realizability-enforcing limiter. Component (iii) is necessitated by the closure procedure, which closes higher order moments nonlinearly in terms of primitive moments. The nonlinear conserved to primitive and the implicit collision solves are formulated as fixed-point problems, which are solved with custom iterative solvers designed to preserve the realizability of each iterate. With a series of numerical tests, we demonstrate the accuracy and robustness of this DG-IMEX method. △ Less

Submitted 10 January, 2025; originally announced January 2025.

Comments: 39 pages, 19 figures

Low-Energy Nuclear Recoil Calibration of XENONnT with a $^{88}$YBe Photoneutron Source

Authors: XENON Collaboration, E. Aprile, J. Aalbers, K. Abe, S. Ahmed Maouloud, L. Althueser, B. Andrieu, E. Angelino, D. Antón Martin, F. Arneodo, L. Baudis, M. Bazyk, L. Bellagamba, R. Biondi, A. Bismark, K. Boese, A. Brown, G. Bruno, R. Budnik, C. Cai, C. Capelli, J. M. R. Cardoso, A. P. Cimental Chávez, A. P. Colijn, J. Conrad , et al. (147 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Characterizing low-energy, keV-range nuclear recoils near the detector threshold is one of the major challenges for large direct dark matter detectors. To that end, we have successfully used a Yttrium-Beryllium photoneutron source that emits 152 keV neutrons for the calibration of the light and charge yields of the XENONnT experiment for the first time. After data selection, we accumulated 474 eve… ▽ More Characterizing low-energy, keV-range nuclear recoils near the detector threshold is one of the major challenges for large direct dark matter detectors. To that end, we have successfully used a Yttrium-Beryllium photoneutron source that emits 152 keV neutrons for the calibration of the light and charge yields of the XENONnT experiment for the first time. After data selection, we accumulated 474 events from 183 hours of exposure with this source. The expected background was $55 \pm 12$ accidental coincidence events, estimated using a dedicated 152 hour background calibration run with a Yttrium-PVC gamma-only source and data-driven modeling. From these calibrations, we extracted the light (charge) yield for liquid xenon at our field strength of 23 V/cm between 0.3 (0.7) keV$_{\rm NR}$ and 5.0 keV$_{\rm NR}$. This calibration is crucial for accurately measuring the solar $^8$B neutrino coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering and searching for light dark matter particles with masses below 12 GeV/c$^2$. △ Less

Submitted 30 April, 2026; v1 submitted 11 December, 2024; originally announced December 2024.

Sorting light's radial momentum and orbital angular momentum with a parabola-like lens

Authors: Yuan Li, Ye Xing, Wuhong Zhang, Lixiang Chen

Abstract: The orbital angular momentum and radial momentum both describe the transverse momentum of a light field. Efficient discriminating and sorting the two kinds of momentum lies at the heart of further application. Here, we propose a parabola-like lens that can transform the orbital angular momentum and the radial momentum into different positions in the parabolas. We experimentally characterize the pe… ▽ More The orbital angular momentum and radial momentum both describe the transverse momentum of a light field. Efficient discriminating and sorting the two kinds of momentum lies at the heart of further application. Here, we propose a parabola-like lens that can transform the orbital angular momentum and the radial momentum into different positions in the parabolas. We experimentally characterize the performance of our implementation by separating individual angular and radial momentum as well as the multiple superposition states. The reported scheme can achieve two kinds of transverse momentum identification and thus provide a possible way to complete the characterization of the full transverse momentum of an optical field. The proposed device can readily be used in multiplexing and demultiplexing of optical information, and in principle, achieve unit efficiency, and thus can be suitable for applications that involve quantum states of light. △ Less

Submitted 12 December, 2024; originally announced December 2024.

Comments: 5 figures

Journal ref: Physical Review APPLIED 23, 024056 (2025)

Diff5T: Benchmarking Human Brain Diffusion MRI with an Extensive 5.0 Tesla K-Space and Spatial Dataset

Authors: Shanshan Wang, Shoujun Yu, Jian Cheng, Sen Jia, Changjun Tie, Jiayu Zhu, Haohao Peng, Yijing Dong, Jianzhong He, Fan Zhang, Yaowen Xing, Xiuqin Jia, Qi Yang, Qiyuan Tian, Hua Guo, Guobin Li, Hairong Zheng

Abstract: Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) provides critical insights into the microstructural and connectional organization of the human brain. However, the availability of high-field, open-access datasets that include raw k-space data for advanced research remains limited. To address this gap, we introduce Diff5T, a first comprehensive 5.0 Tesla diffusion MRI dataset focusing on the human brain… ▽ More Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) provides critical insights into the microstructural and connectional organization of the human brain. However, the availability of high-field, open-access datasets that include raw k-space data for advanced research remains limited. To address this gap, we introduce Diff5T, a first comprehensive 5.0 Tesla diffusion MRI dataset focusing on the human brain. This dataset includes raw k-space data and reconstructed diffusion images, acquired using a variety of imaging protocols. Diff5T is designed to support the development and benchmarking of innovative methods in artifact correction, image reconstruction, image preprocessing, diffusion modelling and tractography. The dataset features a wide range of diffusion parameters, including multiple b-values and gradient directions, allowing extensive research applications in studying human brain microstructure and connectivity. With its emphasis on open accessibility and detailed benchmarks, Diff5T serves as a valuable resource for advancing human brain mapping research using diffusion MRI, fostering reproducibility, and enabling collaboration across the neuroscience and medical imaging communities. △ Less

Submitted 9 December, 2024; originally announced December 2024.

Comments: 19 pages, 4 figures, 1 table

The neutron veto of the XENONnT experiment: Results with demineralized water

Authors: XENON Collaboration, E. Aprile, J. Aalbers, K. Abe, S. Ahmed Maouloud, L. Althueser, B. Andrieu, E. Angelino, D. Antón Martin, F. Arneodo, L. Baudis, M. Bazyk, L. Bellagamba, R. Biondi, A. Bismark, K. Boese, A. Brown, G. Bruno, R. Budnik, C. Cai, C. Capelli, J. M. R. Cardoso, A. P. Cimental Chávez, A. P. Colijn, J. Conrad , et al. (145 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Radiogenic neutrons emitted by detector materials are one of the most challenging backgrounds for the direct search of dark matter in the form of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). To mitigate this background, the XENONnT experiment is equipped with a novel gadolinium-doped water Cherenkov detector, which encloses the xenon dual-phase time projection chamber (TPC). The neutron veto (NV)… ▽ More Radiogenic neutrons emitted by detector materials are one of the most challenging backgrounds for the direct search of dark matter in the form of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). To mitigate this background, the XENONnT experiment is equipped with a novel gadolinium-doped water Cherenkov detector, which encloses the xenon dual-phase time projection chamber (TPC). The neutron veto (NV) tags neutrons via their capture on gadolinium or hydrogen, which release $γ$-rays that are subsequently detected as Cherenkov light. In this work, we present the key features and the first results of the XENONnT NV when operated with demineralized water in the initial phase of the experiment. Its efficiency for detecting neutrons is $(82\pm 1)\,\%$, the highest neutron detection efficiency achieved in a water Cherenkov detector. This enables a high efficiency of $(53\pm 3)\,\%$ for the tagging of WIMP-like neutron signals, inside a tagging time window of $250\,\mathrm{μs}$ between TPC and NV, leading to a livetime loss of $1.6\,\%$ during the first science run of XENONnT. △ Less

Submitted 18 December, 2024; v1 submitted 6 December, 2024; originally announced December 2024.

Journal ref: Eur. Phys. J. C 85, 695 (2025)

The SABRE South Technical Design Report Executive Summary

Authors: E. Barberio, T. Baroncelli, V. U. Bashu, L. J. Bignell, I. Bolognino, G. Brooks, S. S. Chhun, F. Dastgiri, A. Di Giacinto, G. D'Imperio, A. R. Duffy, M. B. Froehlich, T. Fruth, G. Fu, G. C. Hill, R. S. James, K. Janssens, S. Kapoor, G. J. Lane, K. T. Leaver, A. Mariani, P. McGee, L. J. McKie, P. C. McNamara, J. McKenzie , et al. (20 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: In this technical design report (TDR) executive summary we describe the SABRE South detector to be built at the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory (SUPL). The SABRE South detector is designed to test the long-standing DAMA/LIBRA signal of an annually modulating rate consistent with dark matter by using the same target material. Located in the Southern Hemisphere, the detector is uniquely posit… ▽ More In this technical design report (TDR) executive summary we describe the SABRE South detector to be built at the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory (SUPL). The SABRE South detector is designed to test the long-standing DAMA/LIBRA signal of an annually modulating rate consistent with dark matter by using the same target material. Located in the Southern Hemisphere, the detector is uniquely positioned to disentangle modulating seasonal effects. SABRE South uses seven ultra-high purity NaI(Tl) crystals (with a total target mass of either 35 kg or 50 kg), hermetically sealed in copper enclosures that are suspended within a liquid scintillator active veto. High quantum efficiency and low background Hamamatsu R11065 photomultiplier tubes are directly coupled to both ends of the crystal, and enclosed with the crystal in an oxygen free copper enclosure. The active veto system consists of 11.6 kL of linear alkylbenzene (LAB) doped with a mixture of fluorophores and contained in a steel vessel, which is instrumented with at least 18 Hamamatsu R5912 photomultipliers. The active veto tags key radiogenic backgrounds intrinsic to the crystals, such as ${^{40}}$K, and is expected to suppress the total background by 27% in the 1-6 keV region of interest. In addition to the liquid scintillator veto, a muon veto is positioned above the detector shielding. This muon veto consists of eight EJ-200 scintillator modules, with Hamamatsu R13089 photomultipliers coupled to both ends. With an expected total background of 0.72 cpd/kg/keV, SABRE South can test the DAMA/LIBRA signal with 5$σ$ discovery or 3$σ$ exclusion after two years of data taking. △ Less

Submitted 9 April, 2025; v1 submitted 21 November, 2024; originally announced November 2024.

Journal ref: JINST 20 T04001 (2025)

Experimental and theoretical evidence of universality in superfluid vortex reconnections

Authors: Piotr Z. Stasiak, Yiming Xing, Yousef Alihosseini, Carlo F. Barenghi, Andrew Baggaley, Wei Guo, Luca Galantucci, Giorgio Krstulovic

Abstract: The minimum separation between reconnecting vortices in fluids and superfluids obeys a universal scaling law with respect to time. The pre-reconnection and the post-reconnection prefactors of this scaling law are different, a property related to irreversibility and to energy transfer and dissipation mechanisms. In the present work, we determine the temperature dependence of these prefactors in sup… ▽ More The minimum separation between reconnecting vortices in fluids and superfluids obeys a universal scaling law with respect to time. The pre-reconnection and the post-reconnection prefactors of this scaling law are different, a property related to irreversibility and to energy transfer and dissipation mechanisms. In the present work, we determine the temperature dependence of these prefactors in superfluid helium from experiments and a numeric model which fully accounts for the coupled dynamics of the superfluid vortex lines and the thermal normal fluid component. At all temperatures, we observe a pre- and post-reconnection asymmetry similar to that observed in other superfluids and in classical viscous fluids, indicating that vortex reconnections display a universal behaviour independent of the small-scale regularising dynamics. We also numerically show that each vortex reconnection event represents a sudden injection of energy in the normal fluid. Finally we argue that in a turbulent flow, these punctuated energy injections can sustain the normal fluid in a perturbed state, provided that the density of superfluid vortices is large enough. △ Less

Submitted 25 July, 2025; v1 submitted 13 November, 2024; originally announced November 2024.

Comments: 7 pages and 4 figures. Appendix 2 pages and 1 figure

Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay Sensitivity of the XLZD Rare Event Observatory

Authors: XLZD Collaboration, J. Aalbers, K. Abe, M. Adrover, S. Ahmed Maouloud, D. S. Akerib, A. K. Al Musalhi, F. Alder, L. Althueser, D. W. P. Amaral, C. S. Amarasinghe, A. Ames, B. Andrieu, N. Angelides, E. Angelino, B. Antunovic, E. Aprile, H. M. Araújo, J. E. Armstrong, M. Arthurs, M. Babicz, D. Bajpai, A. Baker, M. Balzer, J. Bang , et al. (419 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The XLZD collaboration is developing a two-phase xenon time projection chamber with an active mass of 60 to 80 t capable of probing the remaining WIMP-nucleon interaction parameter space down to the so-called neutrino fog. In this work we show that, based on the performance of currently operating detectors using the same technology and a realistic reduction of radioactivity in detector materials,… ▽ More The XLZD collaboration is developing a two-phase xenon time projection chamber with an active mass of 60 to 80 t capable of probing the remaining WIMP-nucleon interaction parameter space down to the so-called neutrino fog. In this work we show that, based on the performance of currently operating detectors using the same technology and a realistic reduction of radioactivity in detector materials, such an experiment will also be able to competitively search for neutrinoless double beta decay in $^{136}$Xe using a natural-abundance xenon target. XLZD can reach a 3$σ$ discovery potential half-life of 5.7$\times$10$^{27}$ yr (and a 90% CL exclusion of 1.3$\times$10$^{28}$ yr) with 10 years of data taking, corresponding to a Majorana mass range of 7.3-31.3 meV (4.8-20.5 meV). XLZD will thus exclude the inverted neutrino mass ordering parameter space and will start to probe the normal ordering region for most of the nuclear matrix elements commonly considered by the community. △ Less

Submitted 30 April, 2025; v1 submitted 23 October, 2024; originally announced October 2024.

Comments: 29 pages, 7 figures

Journal ref: J. Phys. G: Nucl. Part. Phys. 52 (2025) 045102

The XLZD Design Book: Towards the Next-Generation Liquid Xenon Observatory for Dark Matter and Neutrino Physics

Authors: XLZD Collaboration, J. Aalbers, K. Abe, M. Adrover, S. Ahmed Maouloud, D. S. Akerib, A. K. Al Musalhi, F. Alder, L. Althueser, D. W. P. Amaral, C. S. Amarasinghe, A. Ames, B. Andrieu, N. Angelides, E. Angelino, B. Antunovic, E. Aprile, H. M. Araújo, J. E. Armstrong, M. Arthurs, M. Babicz, A. Baker, M. Balzer, J. Bang, E. Barberio , et al. (419 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: This report describes the experimental strategy and technologies for XLZD, the next-generation xenon observatory sensitive to dark matter and neutrino physics. In the baseline design, the detector will have an active liquid xenon target of 60 tonnes, which could be increased to 80 tonnes if the market conditions for xenon are favorable. It is based on the mature liquid xenon time projection chambe… ▽ More This report describes the experimental strategy and technologies for XLZD, the next-generation xenon observatory sensitive to dark matter and neutrino physics. In the baseline design, the detector will have an active liquid xenon target of 60 tonnes, which could be increased to 80 tonnes if the market conditions for xenon are favorable. It is based on the mature liquid xenon time projection chamber technology used in current-generation experiments, LZ and XENONnT. The report discusses the baseline design and opportunities for further optimization of the individual detector components. The experiment envisaged here has the capability to explore parameter space for Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) dark matter down to the neutrino fog, with a 3$σ$ evidence potential for WIMP-nucleon cross sections as low as $3\times10^{-49}\rm\,cm^2$ (at 40 GeV/c$^2$ WIMP mass). The observatory will also have leading sensitivity to a wide range of alternative dark matter models. It is projected to have a 3$σ$ observation potential of neutrinoless double beta decay of $^{136}$Xe at a half-life of up to $5.7\times 10^{27}$ years. Additionally, it is sensitive to astrophysical neutrinos from the sun and galactic supernovae. △ Less

Submitted 28 October, 2025; v1 submitted 22 October, 2024; originally announced October 2024.

Comments: 33 pages, 14 figures

Journal ref: Eur. Phys. J. C (2025) 85: 1192

Model-independent searches of new physics in DARWIN with a semi-supervised deep learning pipeline

Authors: J. Aalbers, K. Abe, M. Adrover, S. Ahmed Maouloud, L. Althueser, D. W. P. Amaral, B. Andrieu, E. Angelino, D. Antón Martin, B. Antunovic, E. Aprile, M. Babicz, D. Bajpai, M. Balzer, E. Barberio, L. Baudis, M. Bazyk, N. F. Bell, L. Bellagamba, R. Biondi, Y. Biondi, A. Bismark, C. Boehm, K. Boese, R. Braun , et al. (209 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We present a novel deep learning pipeline to perform a model-independent, likelihood-free search for anomalous (i.e., non-background) events in the proposed next generation multi-ton scale liquid Xenon-based direct detection experiment, DARWIN. We train an anomaly detector comprising a variational autoencoder and a classifier on extensive, high-dimensional simulated detector response data and cons… ▽ More We present a novel deep learning pipeline to perform a model-independent, likelihood-free search for anomalous (i.e., non-background) events in the proposed next generation multi-ton scale liquid Xenon-based direct detection experiment, DARWIN. We train an anomaly detector comprising a variational autoencoder and a classifier on extensive, high-dimensional simulated detector response data and construct a one-dimensional anomaly score optimised to reject the background only hypothesis in the presence of an excess of non-background-like events. We benchmark the procedure with a sensitivity study that determines its power to reject the background-only hypothesis in the presence of an injected WIMP dark matter signal, outperforming the classical, likelihood-based background rejection test. We show that our neural networks learn relevant energy features of the events from low-level, high-dimensional detector outputs, without the need to compress this data into lower-dimensional observables, thus reducing computational effort and information loss. For the future, our approach lays the foundation for an efficient end-to-end pipeline that eliminates the need for many of the corrections and cuts that are traditionally part of the analysis chain, with the potential of achieving higher accuracy and significant reduction of analysis time. △ Less

Submitted 9 May, 2026; v1 submitted 1 October, 2024; originally announced October 2024.

Comments: 10 Figures, 3 Tables, 23 Pages (incl. references. V2 Matching published version in EPJC

XENONnT Analysis: Signal Reconstruction, Calibration and Event Selection

Authors: XENON Collaboration, E. Aprile, J. Aalbers, K. Abe, S. Ahmed Maouloud, L. Althueser, B. Andrieu, E. Angelino, J. R. Angevaare, D. Antón Martin, F. Arneodo, L. Baudis, M. Bazyk, L. Bellagamba, R. Biondi, A. Bismark, K. Boese, A. Brown, G. Bruno, R. Budnik, J. M. R. Cardoso, A. P. Cimental Chávez, A. P. Colijn, J. Conrad, J. J. Cuenca-García , et al. (143 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The XENONnT experiment, located at the INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy, features a 5.9 tonne liquid xenon time projection chamber surrounded by an instrumented neutron veto, all of which is housed within a muon veto water tank. Due to extensive shielding and advanced purification to mitigate natural radioactivity, an exceptionally low background level of (15.8 $\pm$ 1.3) events/(to… ▽ More The XENONnT experiment, located at the INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy, features a 5.9 tonne liquid xenon time projection chamber surrounded by an instrumented neutron veto, all of which is housed within a muon veto water tank. Due to extensive shielding and advanced purification to mitigate natural radioactivity, an exceptionally low background level of (15.8 $\pm$ 1.3) events/(tonne$\cdot$year$\cdot$keV) in the (1, 30) keV region is reached in the inner part of the TPC. XENONnT is thus sensitive to a wide range of rare phenomena related to Dark Matter and Neutrino interactions, both within and beyond the Standard Model of particle physics, with a focus on the direct detection of Dark Matter in the form of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). From May 2021 to December 2021, XENONnT accumulated data in rare-event search mode with a total exposure of one tonne $\cdot$ year. This paper provides a detailed description of the signal reconstruction methods, event selection procedure, and detector response calibration, as well as an overview of the detector performance in this time frame. This work establishes the foundational framework for the `blind analysis' methodology we are using when reporting XENONnT physics results. △ Less

Submitted 13 September, 2024; originally announced September 2024.

Comments: 27 pages, 23 figures

The independence paradox in scientific careers

Authors: Yanmeng Xing, Ye Sun, Tongxin Pan, Giacomo Livan, Yifang Ma

Abstract: Establishing an independent academic identity is a central yet insufficiently understood challenge for early-career researchers. However, limited resources and mentor-driven research agendas often constrain early efforts toward autonomy. To provide large-scale quantitative evidence on how junior researchers develop independence, we introduce a framework that traces how mentees diverge from their m… ▽ More Establishing an independent academic identity is a central yet insufficiently understood challenge for early-career researchers. However, limited resources and mentor-driven research agendas often constrain early efforts toward autonomy. To provide large-scale quantitative evidence on how junior researchers develop independence, we introduce a framework that traces how mentees diverge from their mentors in both research topics and collaboration networks, and how these divergences relate to long-term scientific impact. Analyzing over 500,000 mentee-mentor pairs in Chemistry, Neuroscience, and Physics across six decades, we find that high-impact scientists often initiate work in secondary areas of their mentors' expertise while adaptively establishing distinct research trajectories. This pattern is most pronounced among mentees who eventually surpass their mentors' impact. We identify an inverted U-shaped relationship between topic divergence and mentees' enduring impact, with moderate divergence yielding the highest scientific impact, revealing an independence paradox in scientific careers. This pattern holds whether topic divergence is measured by citation network or semantic thematic distance. We further reveal that excessive direct mentor-mentee collaborations correlate with lower mentee impact, whereas expanding professional networks to include mentors' collaborators is beneficial. These findings not only offer actionable guidance for early-career researchers navigating independence but also inform institutional policies that promote mentorship structures supporting intellectual innovation and recognizing original contributions in promotion evaluations. △ Less

Submitted 25 March, 2026; v1 submitted 29 August, 2024; originally announced August 2024.

Comments: 18 pages, 6 figures

MSC Class: 94-00

First Indication of Solar $^8$B Neutrinos via Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering with XENONnT

Authors: E. Aprile, J. Aalbers, K. Abe, S. Ahmed Maouloud, L. Althueser, B. Andrieu, E. Angelino, D. Antón Martin, F. Arneodo, L. Baudis, M. Bazyk, L. Bellagamba, R. Biondi, A. Bismark, K. Boese, A. Brown, G. Bruno, R. Budnik, C. Cai, C. Capelli, J. M. R. Cardoso, A. P. Cimental Chávez, A. P. Colijn, J. Conrad, J. J. Cuenca-García , et al. (142 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We present the first measurement of nuclear recoils from solar $^8$B neutrinos via coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering with the XENONnT dark matter experiment. The central detector of XENONnT is a low-background, two-phase time projection chamber with a 5.9 t sensitive liquid xenon target. A blind analysis with an exposure of 3.51 t$\times$yr resulted in 37 observed events above 0.5 keV,… ▽ More We present the first measurement of nuclear recoils from solar $^8$B neutrinos via coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering with the XENONnT dark matter experiment. The central detector of XENONnT is a low-background, two-phase time projection chamber with a 5.9 t sensitive liquid xenon target. A blind analysis with an exposure of 3.51 t$\times$yr resulted in 37 observed events above 0.5 keV, with ($26.4^{+1.4}_{-1.3}$) events expected from backgrounds. The background-only hypothesis is rejected with a statistical significance of 2.73 $σ$. The measured $^8$B solar neutrino flux of $(4.7_{-2.3}^{+3.6})\times 10^6 \mathrm{cm}^{-2}\mathrm{s}^{-1}$ is consistent with results from the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory. The measured neutrino flux-weighted CE$ν$NS cross section on Xe of $(1.1^{+0.8}_{-0.5})\times10^{-39} \mathrm{cm}^2$ is consistent with the Standard Model prediction. This is the first direct measurement of nuclear recoils from solar neutrinos with a dark matter detector. △ Less

Submitted 23 November, 2024; v1 submitted 5 August, 2024; originally announced August 2024.

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. Lett. 133, 191002 (2024)

Study of the decay and production properties of $D_{s1}(2536)$ and $D_{s2}^*(2573)$

Authors: M. Ablikim, M. N. Achasov, P. Adlarson, O. Afedulidis, X. C. Ai, R. Aliberti, A. Amoroso, Q. An, Y. Bai, O. Bakina, I. Balossino, Y. Ban, H. -R. Bao, V. Batozskaya, K. Begzsuren, N. Berger, M. Berlowski, M. Bertani, D. Bettoni, F. Bianchi, E. Bianco, A. Bortone, I. Boyko, R. A. Briere, A. Brueggemann , et al. (645 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The $e^+e^-\rightarrow D_s^+D_{s1}(2536)^-$ and $e^+e^-\rightarrow D_s^+D^*_{s2}(2573)^-$ processes are studied using data samples collected with the BESIII detector at center-of-mass energies from 4.530 to 4.946~GeV. The absolute branching fractions of $D_{s1}(2536)^- \rightarrow \bar{D}^{*0}K^-$ and $D_{s2}^*(2573)^- \rightarrow \bar{D}^0K^-$ are measured for the first time to be… ▽ More The $e^+e^-\rightarrow D_s^+D_{s1}(2536)^-$ and $e^+e^-\rightarrow D_s^+D^*_{s2}(2573)^-$ processes are studied using data samples collected with the BESIII detector at center-of-mass energies from 4.530 to 4.946~GeV. The absolute branching fractions of $D_{s1}(2536)^- \rightarrow \bar{D}^{*0}K^-$ and $D_{s2}^*(2573)^- \rightarrow \bar{D}^0K^-$ are measured for the first time to be $(35.9\pm 4.8\pm 3.5)\%$ and $(37.4\pm 3.1\pm 4.6)\%$, respectively. The measurements are in tension with predictions based on the assumption that the $D_{s1}(2536)$ and $D_{s2}^*(2573)$ are dominated by a bare $c\bar{s}$ component. The $e^+e^-\rightarrow D_s^+D_{s1}(2536)^-$ and $e^+e^-\rightarrow D_s^+D^*_{s2}(2573)^-$ cross sections are measured, and a resonant structure at around 4.6~GeV with a width of 50~MeV is observed for the first time with a statistical significance of $15σ$ in the $e^+e^-\rightarrow D_s^+D^*_{s2}(2573)^-$ process. It could be the $Y(4626)$ found by the Belle collaboration in the $D_s^+D_{s1}(2536)^{-}$ final state, since they have similar masses and widths. There is also evidence for a structure at around 4.75~GeV in both processes. △ Less

Submitted 10 July, 2024; originally announced July 2024.

XENONnT WIMP Search: Signal & Background Modeling and Statistical Inference

Authors: XENON Collaboration, E. Aprile, J. Aalbers, K. Abe, S. Ahmed Maouloud, L. Althueser, B. Andrieu, E. Angelino, D. Antón Martin, F. Arneodo, L. Baudis, M. Bazyk, L. Bellagamba, R. Biondi, A. Bismark, K. Boese, A. Brown, G. Bruno, R. Budnik, J. M. R. Cardoso, A. P. Cimental Chávez, A. P. Colijn, J. Conrad, J. J. Cuenca-García, V. D'Andrea , et al. (139 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The XENONnT experiment searches for weakly-interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter scattering off a xenon nucleus. In particular, XENONnT uses a dual-phase time projection chamber with a 5.9-tonne liquid xenon target, detecting both scintillation and ionization signals to reconstruct the energy, position, and type of recoil. A blind search for nuclear recoil WIMPs with an exposure of 1.1 t… ▽ More The XENONnT experiment searches for weakly-interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter scattering off a xenon nucleus. In particular, XENONnT uses a dual-phase time projection chamber with a 5.9-tonne liquid xenon target, detecting both scintillation and ionization signals to reconstruct the energy, position, and type of recoil. A blind search for nuclear recoil WIMPs with an exposure of 1.1 tonne-years (4.18 t fiducial mass) yielded no signal excess over background expectations, from which competitive exclusion limits were derived on WIMP-nucleon elastic scatter cross sections, for WIMP masses ranging from 6 GeV/$c^2$ up to the TeV/$c^2$ scale. This work details the modeling and statistical methods employed in this search. By means of calibration data, we model the detector response, which is then used to derive background and signal models. The construction and validation of these models is discussed, alongside additional purely data-driven backgrounds. We also describe the statistical inference framework, including the definition of the likelihood function and the construction of confidence intervals. △ Less

Submitted 3 June, 2025; v1 submitted 19 June, 2024; originally announced June 2024.

Comments: 21 pages, 11 figures

Data quality control system and long-term performance monitor of the LHAASO-KM2A

Authors: Zhen Cao, F. Aharonian, Axikegu, Y. X. Bai, Y. W. Bao, D. Bastieri, X. J. Bi, Y. J. Bi, W. Bian, A. V. Bukevich, Q. Cao, W. Y. Cao, Zhe Cao, J. Chang, J. F. Chang, A. M. Chen, E. S. Chen, H. X. Chen, Liang Chen, Lin Chen, Long Chen, M. J. Chen, M. L. Chen, Q. H. Chen, S. Chen , et al. (263 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The KM2A is the largest sub-array of the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO). It consists of 5216 electromagnetic particle detectors (EDs) and 1188 muon detectors (MDs). The data recorded by the EDs and MDs are used to reconstruct primary information of cosmic ray and gamma-ray showers. This information is used for physical analysis in gamma-ray astronomy and cosmic ray physics. To… ▽ More The KM2A is the largest sub-array of the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO). It consists of 5216 electromagnetic particle detectors (EDs) and 1188 muon detectors (MDs). The data recorded by the EDs and MDs are used to reconstruct primary information of cosmic ray and gamma-ray showers. This information is used for physical analysis in gamma-ray astronomy and cosmic ray physics. To ensure the reliability of the LHAASO-KM2A data, a three-level quality control system has been established. It is used to monitor the status of detector units, stability of reconstructed parameters and the performance of the array based on observations of the Crab Nebula and Moon shadow. This paper will introduce the control system and its application on the LHAASO-KM2A data collected from August 2021 to July 2023. During this period, the pointing and angular resolution of the array were stable. From the observations of the Moon shadow and Crab Nebula, the results achieved using the two methods are consistent with each other. According to the observation of the Crab Nebula at energies from 25 TeV to 100 TeV, the time averaged pointing errors are estimated to be $-0.003^{\circ} \pm 0.005^{\circ}$ and $0.001^{\circ} \pm 0.006^{\circ}$ in the R.A. and Dec directions, respectively. △ Less

Submitted 13 June, 2024; v1 submitted 20 May, 2024; originally announced May 2024.

Comments: 15 pages, 9 figures

Search for solar axions by Primakoff effect with the full dataset of the CDEX-1B Experiment

Authors: L. T. Yang, S. K. Liu, Q. Yue, K. J. Kang, Y. J. Li, H. P. An, Greeshma C., J. P. Chang, Y. H. Chen, J. P. Cheng, W. H. Dai, Z. Deng, C. H. Fang, X. P. Geng, H. Gong, Q. J. Guo, T. Guo, X. Y. Guo, L. He, J. R. He, J. W. Hu, H. X. Huang, T. C. Huang, L. Jiang, S. Karmakar , et al. (61 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We present the first limit on $g_{Aγ}$ coupling constant using the Bragg-Primakoff conversion based on an exposure of 1107.5 kg days of data from the CDEX-1B experiment at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory. The data are consistent with the null signal hypothesis, and no excess signals are observed. Limits of the coupling $g_{Aγ}<2.08\times10^{-9}$ GeV$^{-1}$ (95\% C.L.) are derived for axio… ▽ More We present the first limit on $g_{Aγ}$ coupling constant using the Bragg-Primakoff conversion based on an exposure of 1107.5 kg days of data from the CDEX-1B experiment at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory. The data are consistent with the null signal hypothesis, and no excess signals are observed. Limits of the coupling $g_{Aγ}<2.08\times10^{-9}$ GeV$^{-1}$ (95\% C.L.) are derived for axions with mass up to 100 eV/$c^2$. Within the hadronic model of KSVZ, our results exclude axion mass $>5.3~\rm{eV}/c^2$ at 95\% C.L. △ Less

Submitted 12 May, 2024; originally announced May 2024.

Comments: 7 pages, 5 figures

Enhanced second harmonic generation in high-$Q$ all-dielectric metasurfaces with backward frequency conversion

Authors: Xu Tu, Siqi Feng, Jiajun Li, Yangguang Xing, Feng Wu, Tingting Liu, Shuyuan Xiao

Abstract: Here we employ the quasi-bound state in the continuum (quasi-BIC) resonance in all-dielectric metasurfaces for efficient nonlinear processes in consideration of the backward frequency conversion. We theoretically study the second-harmonic generation (SHG) from symmetry-broken AlGaAs metasurfaces and reveal the efficiency enhancement empowered by high-$Q$ quasi-BIC resonances. By introducing the co… ▽ More Here we employ the quasi-bound state in the continuum (quasi-BIC) resonance in all-dielectric metasurfaces for efficient nonlinear processes in consideration of the backward frequency conversion. We theoretically study the second-harmonic generation (SHG) from symmetry-broken AlGaAs metasurfaces and reveal the efficiency enhancement empowered by high-$Q$ quasi-BIC resonances. By introducing the correction term of nonlinear polarization at the fundamental wave field to the conventional undepleted approximation, we uncover the effect of backward frequency conversion on the nonlinear conversation efficiency. The SHG efficiency as $2.45\times10^{-2}$ with the developed depleted model, shows a $14.3\%$ decrease compared with $2.86\times10^{-2}$ in conventional undepleted approximation, under the incident intensity of 10 MW/cm$^{2}$. Our results are of significant importance for designing efficient nonlinear metasurfaces supporting high-$Q$ resonances. △ Less

Submitted 11 June, 2024; v1 submitted 29 April, 2024; originally announced April 2024.

Journal ref: Physical Review A 109 (6), 063522 (2024)

First search for light fermionic dark matter absorption on electrons using germanium detector in CDEX-10 experiment

Authors: J. X. Liu, L. T. Yang, Q. Yue, K. J. Kang, Y. J. Li, H. P. An, Greeshma C., J. P. Chang, Y. H. Chen, J. P. Cheng, W. H. Dai, Z. Deng, C. H. Fang, X. P. Geng, H. Gong, Q. J. Guo, T. Guo, X. Y. Guo, L. He, J. R. He, J. W. Hu, H. X. Huang, T. C. Huang, L. Jiang, S. Karmakar , et al. (61 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We present the first results of the search for sub-MeV fermionic dark matter absorbed by electron targets of germanium using the 205.4~kg$\cdot$day data collected by the CDEX-10 experiment, with the analysis threshold of 160~eVee. No significant dark matter (DM) signals over the background are observed. Results are presented as limits on the cross section of DM--electron interaction. We present ne… ▽ More We present the first results of the search for sub-MeV fermionic dark matter absorbed by electron targets of germanium using the 205.4~kg$\cdot$day data collected by the CDEX-10 experiment, with the analysis threshold of 160~eVee. No significant dark matter (DM) signals over the background are observed. Results are presented as limits on the cross section of DM--electron interaction. We present new constraints of cross section in the DM range of 0.1--10 keV/$c^2$ for vector and axial-vector interaction. The upper limit on the cross section is set to be $\rm 6.8\times10^{-46}~cm^2$ for vector interaction, and $\rm 2.3\times10^{-46}~cm^2$ for axial-vector interaction at DM mass of 5 keV/$c^2$. △ Less

Submitted 17 February, 2026; v1 submitted 15 April, 2024; originally announced April 2024.

Comments: 6 pages, 4 figures. Version updated to match PRD version

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. D 113, 032011 (2026)