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Unconventional superconductivity often emerges in complex materials in which competing orders and complicated band structure obscure its origin. Quasi-two-dimensional organic Mott spin liquids, in contrast, provide a simple, single-band platform in the absence of other orders. Here we show that in chemically substituted κ-organics, superconductivity never achieves global coherence, even as temperature T →0. Instead, we reveal the presence of superconducting domains embedded in a percolating metallic background that undergo a magnetic field-tuned quantum superconductor-to-metal transition, followed by the surprising emergence of universal conductance fluctuations in macroscopic samples. Our findings demonstrate that failed superconductivity arises from the interplay of intrinsic inhomogeneity and quantum phase fluctuations, providing a new perspective on anomalous metallic states observed in cuprates, disordered thin films, and oxide interfaces. 

The Noisy Max mechanism and its variations are fundamental private selection algorithms that are used to select items from a set of candidates (such as the most common diseases in a population), while controlling the privacy leakage in the underlying data. A recently proposed extension, Noisy Top-k with Gap, provides numerical information about how much better the selected items are compared to the non-selected items (e.g., how much more common are the selected diseases). This extra information comes at no privacy cost but crucially relies on infinite precision for the privacy guarantees. In this paper, we provide a finite-precision secure implementation of this algorithm that takes advantage of integer arithmetic. 

Drinking water sources can be downstream of pollution sources that affect their treatability. One example is the formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) when chemical disinfectants react with precursors such as organic matter, bromine (Br), and iodine (I) in drinking water treatment. There are currently no regulated iodine-containing DBPs (I-DBPs) in the U.S., although six iodinated trihalomethanes were on a draft list for potential future regulation. Iodine species and I-DBPs are not routinely monitored in surface waters or in wastewater discharges, making it difficult to assess drinking water risk associated with I-DBPs. The objective of this study was to investigate iodine-containing point source discharges across nine categories that are upstream of surface drinking water sources at the hydrologic unit code subbasin (8-digit HUC, or HUC8) level through the establishment of a discharge-intake flow index (DIFI). A DIFI score was calculated for each HUC8 in the contiguous U.S. based on the count of wastewater discharges potentially containing iodine (representing potential hazard) upstream of surface drinking water facility subwatersheds (HUC12) (representing potential exposure). Statistical differences in DIFI were evaluated at the hydrologic region (HUC2) level. Of the 1,154 HUC8 subbasins containing surface water facilities in the contiguous U.S., 651 (56%) contain upstream potential iodine discharges. While DIFI scores were geographically widespread, the highest overall scores were primarily located in the eastern U.S.: HUC02, HUC05, and HUC03. The methodology presented here enables identification of high-priority watersheds for further investigation, and results can inform water utility decision-making and future DBP research. 

The research presented in this study aims to tackle a pivotal challenge in solar energy technologies: how to sustain energy production when direct sunlight is not readily available. By introducing a novel photothermal radiator that effectively harnesses diffused light through plasmonic Fe₃O₄@Cu2-xS nanoparticles, we seek to offer a sustainable solution for maintaining comfortable indoor temperatures without heavy reliance on traditional solar sources. Our approach involves the use of UV and IR lights to photothermally activate transparent Fe₃O₄@Cu2-xS thin films, showcasing a proactive strategy to optimize energy capture even in low-light scenarios such as cloudy days or nighttime hours. This innovative technology carries immense potential for energy-neutral buildings, paving the way to reduce dependence on external energy grids and promoting a more sustainable future for indoor heating and comfort control. The developed photothermal radiator incorporates multiple transparent thin films infused with plasmonic Fe₃O₄@Cu2-xS nanoparticles, known for their robust UV and IR absorptions driven by Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR). Through the application of UV and IR lights, these thin films efficiently convert incident photons into thermal energy. Our experiments within a specially constructed Diffused Light Photothermal Box (DLPB), designed to simulate indoor environments, demonstrate the system's capability to raise temperatures above 50°C effectively. This pioneering photothermal radiator offers a promising pathway for sustainable heat generation in indoor spaces, harnessing ubiquitous diffused light sources to enhance energy efficiency. 

Among major energy conversion methods, photovoltaic (PV) solar cells have been the most popular and widely employed for a variety of applications. Although a PV solar panel has been shown as one of the most efficient green energy sources, its 2D surface solar light harvesting has reached great limitations as it requires large surface areas. There is, therefore, an increasing need to seek solar harvest in a three-dimensional fashion for enhanced energy density. In addition to a conventional 2D solar panel in the x-y area, we extend another dimension of solar harvesting in the z-axis through multiple CdTe solar panels arranged in parallel. The high transparency allows sunlight to partially penetrate multiple solar panels, resulting in significantly increased solar harvesting surface area in a 3D fashion. The advantages of the 3D multi-panel solar harvesting system include: i) enlarged solar light collecting surface area, therefore increased energy density, ii) the total output power from multiple panels can exceed that of the single panel, and iii) significantly reduced surface area needed for densely populated cities. With five CdTe solar panels of different transparencies in parallel, the multilayer system can produce collective output power 233% higher than that of the single solar panel under the same surface area when arranged in descending (i.e., PV panel with the highest transparency on top and lowest at bottom). The PCE of the multi-panel system has also increased 233% in descending order indicating the viability of 3D solar harvesting. The multi-panel system will dimensionally transform solar harvesting from 2D to 3D for more efficient energy generation.