We give a mini-review of scalar field theories with second-derivative Lagrangians, whose field equations are second order. Some of these theories admit solutions violating the Null Energy Condition and having no obvious pathologies. We give a few examples of using these theories in cosmological setting and also in the context of the creation of a universe in the laboratory.

Rydberg atom arrays is a promising platform for programmable quantum simulators and universal quantum processors. A major challenge threatening the scalability of this platform is the limited qubit connectivity due to the finite range of interactions between atoms. We discuss an approach to realize dynamical all-to-all connectivity between qubits with the use of moving atoms, which we referred to as messenger qubits, that interact with the computational qubits of the processor. We propose four specific architectures capitalizing on this idea and compare them one to another, as well as to alternative approaches. We argue that the use of messenger qubits, while posing new technological challenges, promises further development of the Rydberg-atom-based platform.

This chapter describes the discovery and stable generation of temporal dissipative Kerr solitons in continuous-wave (CW) laser driven optical microresonators. The experimental signatures as well as the temporal and spectral characteristics of this class of bright solitons are discussed. Moreover, analytical and numerical descriptions are presented that do not only reproduce qualitative features but can also be used to accurately model and predict the characteristics of experimental systems. Particular emphasis lies on temporal dissipative Kerr solitons with regard to optical frequency comb generation where they are of particular importance. Here, one example is spectral broadening and self-referencing enabled by the ultra-short pulsed nature of the solitons. Another example is dissipative Kerr soliton formation in integrated on-chip microresonators where the emission of a dispersive wave allows for the direct generation of unprecedentedly broadband and coherent soliton spectra with smooth spectral envelope.

Quasicrystals are unique systems that, unlike periodic structures, lack translational symmetry but exhibit long-range order dramatically enriching the system properties. While evolution of light in the bulk of photonic quasicrystals is well studied, experimental evidences of light localization near the edge of truncated photonic quasicrystal structures are practically absent. In this Letter, we observe both linear and nonlinear localization of light at the edges of radially cropped quasicrystal waveguide arrays, forming an aperiodic Penrose tiling. Our theoretical analysis reveals that for certain truncation radii, the system exhibits linear eigenstates localized at the edge of the truncated array, whereas for other radii, this localization does not occur, highlighting the significant influence of truncation on edge light localization. Using single-waveguide excitations, we experimentally confirm the presence of localized states in Penrose arrays inscribed by a femtosecond laser and investigate the effects of nonlinearity on these states. Our theoretical findings identify a family of edge solitons, and experimentally, we observe a transition from linear localized states to edge solitons as the power of the input pulse increases. Our results represent the first experimental demonstration of localization phenomena induced by the selective truncation of quasiperiodic photonic systems.

We consider the Horndeski theory in four-dimensional space-time. We show that this theory does not admit stable, static, spherically symmetric, asymptotically flat, Lorentzian wormholes.

Heralded multi-photon entanglement generation is a central bottleneck for photonic quantum computing, where resource costs typically skyrocket with target size. We explore efficient methods for generating photon states with tunable entanglement, providing a flexible tool for quantum state engineering. We introduce a theoretical framework that has been numerically validated, demonstrating the capacity to generate GHZ-like states incrementally from non-logical intermediate states. We demonstrate that in certain scenarios $-$ such as reducing the resource cost for building large maximally entangled GHZ states $-$ these variable-entanglement states can outperform their fixed-entanglement counterparts. By adjusting intermediate states and optimizing interferometer schemes, we improve photon number cost efficiency of GHZ-like states generation. Our findings indicate that while not a universal solution, non-maximally entangled states offer practical advantages for specific photonic quantum information tasks.

In this work, we proposed a novel cooperative video-based face liveness detection method based on a new user interaction scenario where participants are instructed to slowly move their frontal-oriented face closer to the camera. This controlled approaching face protocol, combined with optical flow analysis, represents the core innovation of our approach. By designing a system where users follow this specific movement pattern, we enable robust extraction of facial volume information through neural optical flow estimation, significantly improving discrimination between genuine faces and various presentation attacks (including printed photos, screen displays, masks, and video replays). Our method processes both the predicted optical flows and RGB frames through a neural classifier, effectively leveraging spatial-temporal features for more reliable liveness detection compared to passive methods.

We consider Genesis in the Horndeski theory as an alternative to or completion of the inflationary scenario. One of the options free of instabilities at all cosmological epochs is the one in which the early Genesis is naively plagued with strong coupling. We address this issue to see whether classical field theory description of the background evolution at this early stage is consistent, nevertheless. We argue that, indeed, despite the fact that the effective Plank mass tends to zero at early time asymptotics, the classical analysis is legitimate in a certain range of Lagrangian parameters.

Probability Shaping (PS) is a method to improve a Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) in order to increase reliability of data transmission. It is already implemented in some modern radio broadcasting and optic systems, but not yet in wireless communication systems. Here we adapt PS for the 5G wireless protocol, namely, for relatively small transport block size, strict complexity requirements and actual low-density parity-check codes (LDPC). We support our proposal by a numerical experiment results in Sionna simulator, showing 0.6 dB gain of PS based MCS versus commonly used MCS.

Planet formation models suggest that the formation of giant planets is significantly harder around low-mass stars, due to the scaling of protoplanetary disc masses with stellar mass. The discovery of giant planets orbiting such low-mass stars thus imposes strong constraints on giant planet formation processes. Here, we report the discovery of a transiting giant planet orbiting a $0.207 \pm 0.011 M_{\odot}$ star. The planet, TOI-6894 b, has a mass and radius of $M_P = 0.168 \pm 0.022 M_J (53.4 \pm 7.1 M_{\oplus})$ and $R_P = 0.855 \pm 0.022 R_J$, and likely includes$12 \pm 2 M_{\oplus}$ of metals. The discovery of TOI-6894 b highlights the need for a better understanding of giant planet formation mechanisms and the protoplanetary disc environments in which they occur. The extremely deep transits (17% depth) make TOI-6894 b one of the most accessible exoplanetary giants for atmospheric characterisation observations, which will be key for fully interpreting the formation history of this remarkable system and for the study of atmospheric methane chemistry.

Modern wireless cellular networks use massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology. This technology involves operations with an antenna array at a base station that simultaneously serves multiple mobile devices which also use multiple antennas on their side. For this, various precoding and detection techniques are used, allowing each user to receive the signal intended for him from the base station. There is an important class of linear precoding called Regularized Zero-Forcing (RZF). In this work, we propose Adaptive RZF (ARZF) with a special kind of regularization matrix with different coefficients for each layer of multi-antenna users. These regularization coefficients are defined by explicit formulas based on Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) of user channel matrices. We study the optimization problem, which is solved by the proposed algorithm, with the connection to other possible problem statements. We prove theoretical estimates of the number of conditionality of the inverse covariance matrix of the ARZF method and the standard RZF method, which is important for systems with fixed computational accuracy. Finally, We compare the proposed algorithm with state-of-the-art linear precoding algorithms on simulations with the Quadriga channel model. The proposed approach provides a significant increase in quality with the same computation time as in the reference methods.

We consider a supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model with low-scale supersymmetry breaking. Besides usual superpartners it contains additional chiral goldstino supermultiplet whose scalar components - sgoldstinos can mix with scalars from the Higgs sector of the model. We show that this mixing can have considerable impact on phenomenology of the lightest Higgs boson and scalar sgoldstino. In particular, the latter can be a good candidate for explanation of 2-sigma LEP excess with mass around 98 GeV.

Bell state measurements (BSM) play a significant role in quantum information and quantum computing, in particular, in fusion-based quantum computing (FBQC). The FBQC model is a framework for universal quantum computing provided that we are able to perform entangling measurements, called fusions, on qubits within small entangled resource states. Here we analyse the usage of different linear-optical BSM circuits as fusions in the FBQC schemes and numerically evaluate hardware requirements for fault-tolerance in this framework. We examine and compare the performance of several BSM circuits with varying additional resources and estimate the requirements on losses for every component of the linear-optical realization of fusions under which errors in fusion networks caused by these losses can be corrected. Our results show that fault-tolerant quantum computing in the FBQC model is possible with currently achievable levels of optical losses in an integrated photonic implementation, provided that we can create and detect single photons of the resource states with a total marginal efficiency higher than 0.973.

We predict the existence of a novel type of the flat-top dissipative solitonic pulses, "platicons", in microresonators with normal group velocity dispersion (GVD). We propose methods to generate these platicons from cw pump. Their duration may be altered significantly by tuning the pump frequency. The transformation of a discrete energy spectrum of dark solitons of the Lugiato-Lefever equation into a quasicontinuous spectrum of platicons is demonstrated. Generation of similar structures is also possible with bi-harmonic, phase/amplitude modulated pump or via laser injection locking.

We suggest a somewhat non-standard view on a set of curious, paradoxical from the standpoint of simple classical physics and everyday experience phenomena. There are the quantisation (discrete set of values) of the observables (e.g., energy, momentum, angular momentum); forbidden simultaneous measurements of the observables in the most cases (e.g., of a coordinate and momentum, of angular momentum projections on difference axis); counter-intuitive relations on the simultaneously measurable quantities (e.g., the famous expression for the square momentum $l(l+1)$ with the maximal projection $l$). These and other paradoxes are traditionally related to "purely quantum" phenomenon, i.e., having no analogue in the "classical world" ones. However, there are deep analogies between classical and "quantum" worlds, as soon as the quantum technique is applied to the classical phenomenon. We follow these analogies with the examples of relatively simple and well known models of classical physics, such as a simplified model of light transition through the media, a system of electric charges close to each other and far from the observer; the specific of motion in the Coulomb/Newtonian field. This text can be considered as a mini-course addressed to higher school and undergraduate students who are interested in basics of quantum mechanics, but are not yet ready for systematic study of standard courses. The text may be also useful to those who supervise such students.

The Standard Model is one of the main intellectual achievements for about the last 50 years, a result of many theoretical and experimental studies. In this lecture a brief introduction to the electroweak part of the Standard Model is given. Since the Standard Model is a quantum field theory, some aspects for understanding of quantization of abelian and non-abelian gauge theories are also briefly discussed. It is demonstrated how well the electroweak Standard Model works in describing a large variety of precise experimental measure- ments at lepton and hadron colliders.

Ultrashort high-energy pulses at wavelengths longer than 1 $\mu$m are nowadays desired for a vast variety of applications in ultrafast and strong-field physics. To date, the main answer to the wavelength tunability for energetic, broadband pulses still relies on optical parametric amplification (OPA), which often requires multiple and complex stages, may feature imperfect beam quality and has limited conversion efficiency into one of the amplified waves. In this work, we present a completely different strategy to realize an energy-efficient and scalable laser frequency shifter. This relies on the continuous red shift provided by stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) over a long propagation distance in nitrogen-filled hollow core fibers (HCF). We show a continuous tunability of the laser wavelength from 1030 nm up to 1730 nm with conversion efficiency higher than 70% and high beam quality. The highly asymmetric spectral broadening, arising from the spatiotemporal nonlinear interplay between high-order modes of the HCF, can be readily employed to generate pulses (~20 fs) significantly shorter than the pump ones (~200 fs) with high beam quality, and the pulse energy can further be scaled up to tens of millijoules. We envision that this technique, coupled with the emerging high-power Yb laser technology, has the potential to answer the increasing demand for energetic multi-TW few-cycle sources tunable in the near-IR.

We consider two charged semipermeable membranes, which bound bulk electrolyte solutions and are separated by a thin film of salt-free liquid. Small counter-ions permeate into the gap, which leads to a steric charge separation in the system. To quantify the problem, we define an effective surface charge density of imaginary impermeable surface, which mimics an actual semipermeable membrane and greatly simplify analysis. The effective charge depends on separation, generally differ from the real one, and could even be of the opposite sign. From the exact and asymptotic solutions of the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation, we obtain the distribution of the potential and of counter-ions in the system. We then derive explicit formulae for the disjoining pressure in the gap and electro-osmotic velocity, and show that both are controlled by the effective surface charge.

We investigate theoretically the polarization properties of the quantum dot's optical emission from chiral photonic crystal structures made of achiral materials in the absence of external magnetic field at room temperature. The mirror symmetry of the local electromagnetic field is broken in this system due to the decreased symmetry of the chiral modulated layer. As a result, the radiation of randomly polarized quantum dots normal to the structure becomes partially circularly polarized. The sign and degree of circular polarization are determined by the geometry of the chiral modulated structure and depend on the radiation frequency. A degree of circular polarization up to 99% can be achieved for randomly distributed quantum dots, and can be close to 100% for some single quantum dots.

We demonstrate that flat-topped dissipative solitonic pulses, platicons, and corresponding frequency combs can be excited in optical microresonators with normal group velocity dispersion using either amplitude modulation of the pump or bichromatic pump. Soft excitation may occur in particular frequency range if modulation depth is large enough and modulation frequency is close to the free spectral range of the microresonator.