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1. Quantum Algorithm for Estimating Volumes of Convex Bodies

   https://doi.org/10.1145/3588579  

   Chakrabarti, Shouvanik ; Childs, Andrew M. ; Hung, Shih-Han ; Li, Tongyang ; Wang, Chunhao ; Wu, Xiaodi ( September 2023 , ACM Transactions on Quantum Computing)

   Estimating the volume of a convex body is a central problem in convex geometry and can be viewed as a continuous version of counting. We present a quantum algorithm that estimates the volume of ann-dimensional convex body within multiplicative error ε usingÕ(n³+ n^2.5/ε) queries to a membership oracle andÕ(n⁵+n^4.5/ε)additional arithmetic operations. For comparison, the best known classical algorithm usesÕ(n^3.5+n³/ε²)queries andÕ(n^5.5+n⁵/ε²)additional arithmetic operations. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first quantum speedup for volume estimation. Our algorithm is based on a refined framework for speeding up simulated annealing algorithms that might be of independent interest. This framework applies in the setting of “Chebyshev cooling,” where the solution is expressed as a telescoping product of ratios, each having bounded variance. We develop several novel techniques when implementing our framework, including a theory of continuous-space quantum walks with rigorous bounds on discretization error. To complement our quantum algorithms, we also prove that volume estimation requiresΩ (√ n+1/ε)quantum membership queries, which rules out the possibility of exponential quantum speedup innand shows optimality of our algorithm in 1/ε up to poly-logarithmic factors.

    

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2. In Situ Controlled Growth of Strongly Quantum Confined CsPbBr 3 /FAPbBr 3 Core/Crown Nanoplatelets for Blue Light Emitting Diodes

   https://doi.org/10.1002/adom.202301343  

   Kshirsagar, Anuraj S. ; Gangishetty, Mahesh K. ( August 2023 , Advanced Optical Materials)

   A few unit cells of thick colloidal CsPbBr₃nanoplatelets (NPLs) exhibit strong quantum confinement. However, due to the increased surface‐to‐volume ratio, they show poor photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) resulting from surface traps. Here, a unique, quantum‐confined core/crown perovskite is reported for the first time, where the CsPbBr₃NPL surface is passivated by laterally grown thin FAPbBr₃crown layers. Unlike regular core/shells, the FAPbBr₃is coated around the core NPLs resulting in blue emission. Careful control of the growth kinetics while monitoring growth using in situ PL led to the formation of core/crown perovskites with nearly two times improvement in thin film PLQYs. HR‐TEM analyses show that the interplanar distances of the core match with CsPbBr₃and the crown match with FAPbBr₃. The XRD and TEM analyses revealed that their thickness remains the same even if Cs⁺to FA⁺ratios are varied, indicating lateral growth of FAPbBr₃around the CsPbBr₃core. Further, FA⁺ions in the crown lattice are confirmed by FTIR and¹HNMR. Finally, considering their high PLQYs and narrow linewidths, the core/crown NPLs are employed as blue emitters in light‐emitting diodes, and a maximum external quantum efficiency of 0.4% at 2.71 eV (457 nm) with a luminance of 513 cd m⁻²is achieved.

    

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3. Realization of Quantum Hall Effect in Chemically Synthesized InSe

   https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.201904032  

   Yuan, Kai ; Yin, Ruoyu ; Li, Xinqi ; Han, Yimo ; Wu, Meng ; Chen, Shulin ; Liu, Shuai ; Xu, Xiaolong ; Watanabe, Kenji ; Taniguchi, Takashi ; et al ( August 2019 , Advanced Functional Materials)

   Recently, 2D electron gases have been observed in atomically thin semiconducting crystals, enabling the observation of rich physical phenomena at the quantum level within the ultimate thickness limit. However, the observation of 2D electron gases and subsequent quantum Hall effect require exceptionally high crystalline quality, rendering mechanical exfoliation as the only method to produce high‐quality 2D semiconductors of black phosphorus and indium selenide (InSe), which hinder large‐scale device applications. Here, the controlled one‐step synthesis of high‐quality 2D InSe thin films via chemical vapor transport method is reported. The carrier Hall mobility of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) encapsulated InSe flakes can be up to 5000 cm²V⁻¹s⁻¹at 1.5 K, enabling to observe the quantum Hall effect in a synthesized van der Waals semiconductor. The existence of the quantum Hall effect in directly synthesized 2D semiconductors indicates a high quality of the chemically synthesized 2D semiconductors, which hold promise in quantum devices and applications with high mobility.

    

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4. Improved effective dynamics of loop-quantum-gravity black hole and Nariai limit

   https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6382/ac44a0  

   Han, Muxin ; Liu, Hongguang ( January 2022 , Classical and Quantum Gravity)

   We propose a new model of the spherical symmetric quantum black hole in the reduced phase space formulation. We deparametrize gravity by coupling to the Gaussian dust which provides the material coordinates. The foliation by dust coordinates covers both the interior and exterior of the black hole. After the spherical symmetry reduction, our model is a 1 + 1 dimensional field theory containing infinitely many degrees of freedom. The effective dynamics of the quantum black hole is generated by an improved physical HamiltonianH_Δ. The holonomy correction inH_Δis implemented by the$\overline{\mu }$-scheme regularization with a Planckian area scale Δ (which often chosen as the minimal area gap in loop quantum gravity). The effective dynamics recovers the semiclassical Schwarzschild geometry at low curvature regime and resolves the black hole singularity with Planckian curvature, e.g.R_μνρσR^μνρσ∼ 1/Δ². Our model predicts that the evolution of the black hole at late time reaches the charged Nariai geometry dS₂×S²with Planckian radii$\sim \sqrt{\mathrm{\Delta }}$. The Nariai geometry is stable under linear perturbations but may be unstable by nonperturbative quantum effects. Our model suggests the existence of quantum tunneling of the Nariai geometry and a scenario of black-hole-to-white-hole transition.

    

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5. Quantum liquid from strange frustration in the trimer magnet Ba4Ir3O10

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41535-020-0232-6  

   Cao, Gang ; Zheng, Hao ; Zhao, Hengdi ; Ni, Yifei ; Pocs, Christopher A. ; Zhang, Yu ; Ye, Feng ; Hoffmann, Christina ; Wang, Xiaoping ; Lee, Minhyea ; et al ( May 2020 , npj Quantum Materials)

   Quantum spin systems such as magnetic insulators usually show magnetic order, but such classical states can give way toquantum liquids with exotic entanglementthrough two known mechanisms of frustration: geometric frustration in lattices with triangle motifs, and spin-orbit-coupling frustration in the exactly solvable quantum liquid of Kitaev’s honeycomb lattice. Here we present the experimental observation of a new kind of frustrated quantum liquid arising in an unlikely place: the magnetic insulator Ba₄Ir₃O₁₀where Ir₃O₁₂trimers form an unfrustrated square lattice. The crystal structure shows no apparent spin chains. Experimentally we find a quantum liquid state persisting down to 0.2 K that is stabilized by strong antiferromagnetic interaction with Curie–Weiss temperature ranging from −766 to −169 K due to magnetic anisotropy. The anisotropy-averaged frustration parameter is 2000, seldom seen in iridates. Heat capacity and thermal conductivity are both linear at low temperatures, a familiar feature in metals but here in an insulator pointing to an exotic quantum liquid state; a mere 2% Sr substitution for Ba produces long-range order at 130 K and destroys the linear-T features. Although the Ir⁴⁺(5d⁵) ions in Ba₄Ir₃O₁₀appear to form Ir₃O₁₂trimers of face-sharing IrO₆octahedra, we propose that intra-trimer exchange is reduced and the lattice recombines into an array of coupled 1D chains with additional spins. An extreme limit of decoupled 1D chains can explain most but not all of the striking experimental observations, indicating that the inter-chain coupling plays an important role in the frustration mechanism leading to this quantum liquid.

    

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