F-theory compactifications with a nontrivial Mordell-Weil group realize abelian gauge symmetry through rational sections, but their consistency is ultimately a statement about the quantum effective action. We show that compactification on a circle makes this statement concrete: the quantized, parity-odd Chern-Simons couplings of the resulting three-dimensional theory provide a one-loop exact and scheme-independent encoding of all local four-dimensional abelian anomalies, including the mixed gauge-gravitational terms, together with their Green-Schwarz cancellation. We determine these Chern-Simons couplings in two logically independent ways, first from flux-induced terms in the M-theory dual description, and second from an explicit one-loop integration over the complete massive spectrum, including Kaluza-Klein towers and Coulomb-branch states. The agreement fixes all normalizations and clarifies how large gauge transformations reorganize the spectrum. We then show compatibility with type IIB modular duality once the known ten-dimensional duality counterterm is included, and we present a fully explicit rank-two example over projective three-space.

We present SubTropica, a Mathematica package that performs symbolic integration of multi-polylogarithmic integrals using recent advances in tropical geometry. It focuses on the class of linearly-reducible Euler integrals, such as Feynman integrals, and expands them using a tropical subtraction scheme. The engine behind it is HyperIntica, a native Mathematica package for hyperlogarithm integration that can be used independently. This paper documents both packages and illustrates their usage on examples from across different physics applications. Additionally, we introduce an AI-driven library of Feynman integrals, which catalogs diagrams discussed in the literature and serves as a database for computed results. Its online version is available at: this https URL and features a graphical user interface for diagram input and retrieval of records.

We conjecture, and show in a plethora of examples, that the sphere partition function of 3d $\mathcal{N}=4$ Chern-Simons-matter theories equals a sum of twisted traces on tensor products of Verma modules over the quantization of the moduli spaces of vacua. This extends a conjecture of Gaiotto-Okazaki to Chern-Simons-matter theories. We also show that the partition function of every Abelian gauge theory with higher charges has such twisted trace decomposition, and uncover new Abelian dualities between theories with and without Chern-Simons couplings.

We present an invariant relational path-integral quantization framework for general-relativistic gauge field theories based on the Dressing Field Method. The construction implements an automatic anomaly-cancellation mechanism that encompasses Bardeen-Wess-Zumino counterterms. The resulting framework unifies invariant schemes across contexts ranging from electroweak theory to cosmology, and is amenable to lattice implementations, key to high-precision tests in both domains.

We present a dual gravity interpretation of the complex reparametrization mode $\psi(u)$ that governs the soft dynamics of double-scaled SYK in the presence of a time-dependent Maldacena-Qi coupling. We find that the dual gravity system takes the form of 2+1-dimensional Einstein-de Sitter gravity with an energy distribution localized on a dS$_2$ slice within dS$_3$. The effective SYK equations of motion take the form of the Israel junction conditions across the dS$_2$ slice. We study the 1D effective action of the SYK soft mode and show that it coincides with the effective action derived from 3D Einstein-de Sitter gravity with conformal boundary conditions on $\mathscr{I}^\pm$. The boundary conditions split $\mathscr{I}^\pm$ into two hyperbolic $k=-1$ slices, and the holographic screen is placed at the intersection. We adapt the Gibbons-Hawking calculation of the Schwarzschild-de Sitter entropy to the case with $k=-1$ boundary conditions and find that it reproduces the semiclassical DSSYK entropy. The boundary-to-boundary Green functions in 3D de Sitter are equal to the square of DSSYK two-point functions. We give an alternative holographic interpretation of our results in terms of 3D AdS gravity with two time directions.

The chiral algebra bootstrap (CAB) is a novel bootstrap program for form factors in quantum-integrable self-dual gauge theories, some of which in turn are helicity amplitudes in the corresponding gauge theories. The singularities that recursively generate a given (loop-level) form factor are holomorphic collinear splitting functions, equivalently celestial chiral algebra OPEs, of the self-dual theory. In this note, we apply the chiral algebra bootstrap to the simple example of self-dual 4d $\mathscr{N}=4$ super Yang-Mills (SDSYM). We use a combination of twistor space input, Koszul duality, supersymmetry, and associativity to obtain the all-loop holomorphic collinear splitting functions for SDSYM. We also use associativity to provide a simple proof of the conjecture that there are no double-poles in the loop-level OPEs for this theory. We conclude by computing several form factors, including both a reproduction of several known results and novel form factors up to two loops involving insertions of powers of the anti-self-dual field strength. These form factors compute a supersymmetric version of Higgs amplitudes in the self-dual sector. Detailed sample computations are provided to familiarize the reader with the CAB method.

We compute the holographic complexity of conformal quantum fields in rigid global de Sitter spacetime (dS$_{d}$) using the volume and action prescriptions. First we consider AdS$_{d+1}$ spacetime in global dS$_{d}$ foliations, and compute the complexity of the CFT supported on the global dS$_{d}$ conformal boundary. Next, we consider CFT supported on a global dS$_d$ (UV) brane embedded in AdS$_{d+1}$ spacetime, and compute the holographic complexity in this brane set up. We compare and contrast the results in the two cases, as well as with related results in the literature obtained in alternative holographic set ups involving patches of de Sitter spacetime covered by static coordinates or conformal (Poincaré) coordinates.

We construct asymptotically AdS$_5$ black brane solutions in a theory of gravity with an infinite series of curvature corrections. The action is based on an $O(d,d)$ symmetric ansatz which has been argued to describe the classical NSNS sector of string theories. We find that, for this general class of theories, the singularity behind the horizon is not resolved by the curvature corrections. The approach to the singularity is however generically modified, being characterized by different Kasner exponents. We also show that, in the presence of a non-trivial dilaton, a slight generalization of these types of curvature corrections can generate dynamically a negative cosmological constant in the region of small coupling. This provides a mechanism through which asymptotic freedom could emerge in the hypothetical string dual of QCD.

Fermion condensate inflation, where inflation emerges from four-fermion interactions induced by spacetime torsion, removes the need for additional scalar fields beyond the Standard Model. In this framework, the fermion field can be decomposed into two distinguished sectors, each giving rise to bound states. After integrating out fermions, the bound fields play the roles of the inflaton and the auxiliary fields, resembling hybrid inflation with a waterfall mechanism. The inclusion of an axial chemical potential naturally introduces a mechanism to end inflation and trigger instant preheating. During the waterfall phase, the effective potential of the fermion condensate supports the formation of non-topological solitons such as Q-balls, which act as seeds of primordial black holes. This model is intrinsically connected to Chern-Simons gravity, which implies a parity-violating universe. Consequently, both the primordial black hole (PBH) dark-matter abundance and parity-violation signatures could provide observational tests of the model.

Gravitational path-integral over $\mathbb{R}\times S^3$ complex metrics with fluctuations is studied in 4D for Einstein-Hilbert gravity in Lorentzian signature, with the aim to investigate the IR properties of complex saddles for various boundary choices. General covariance doesn't allow arbitrary boundary choices for the background and fluctuations. In the ADM-decomposition, while imposing ``no-boundary'' condition at the initial boundary, two scenarios are considered for the final boundary: Dirichlet and fixed extrinsic curvature. Universe undergoes transition from a Euclidean to Lorentzian phase in either scenario, where the dominant saddle in Euclidean phase correspond to a Euclidean metric (imaginary time), while the Lorentzian phase has two complex metrics as dominant saddles which superimpose. One-loop corrected lapse action is computed using Hurwitz-Zeta regularization. UV-divergences canceled by suitable counter terms lead to a renormalized lapse action. One-loop renormalized Hartle-Hawking wave-function is computed using the Picard-Lefschetz and WKB methods, where the contributions coming from the metric-fluctuations show secularly growing infrared divergences as the Universe expands. This is compared with the situation in pure Lorentzian dS, corresponding to a Universe transitioning from an initial state of vanishing conjugate momenta to final state of fixed extrinsic curvature, thereby giving real saddles. Picard-Lefschetz methods alone are not sufficient to overcome the technical hurdles in the one-loop computation, which needs to be supplemented by an $i\epsilon$-prescription, achieved via slight complexification of the cosmological constant $\Lambda$. The UV renormalized one-loop dS wavefunction has the same leading IR divergence as for the Hartle-Hawking no-boundary Universe. Interestingly for all boundary choices considered, the saddles remain KSW-allowed.

We quantize a classically stable system of a harmonic oscillator polynomially coupled to a ghost with negative kinetic energy. We prove that due to an integral of motion with a positive discrete spectrum: i) the Hamiltonian has a pure point spectrum unbounded in both directions, ii) the evolution is manifestly unitary, iii) the vacuum is well-defined, iv) expectation values for squares of canonical variables are bounded. Numerical solutions of the Schrödinger equation confirm these results. We argue that the discrete spectrum of the integral of motion enforces stability for extended interactions.

We quantise integrable point-particle systems with opposite-sign kinetic terms and nontrivial interactions. Using methods from separability theory, we show that previously determined classical stability conditions also imply discrete separated eigenvalue spectra. The resulting energy spectrum is unbounded above and below but not necessarily dense. We establish sufficient conditions for (i) exactly one accumulation point, or (ii) none at all. This dispels the widespread notion that ghostly quantum systems must have a continuous or dense energy spectrum.

The photon hologram of a one-particle density matrix of a photon gas is derived including the case where the energy of a probe photon is above the electron-positron pair creation threshold. The explicit expressions for the holograms of a photon gas with one-particle density matrix in the form of a single Gaussian and of coherent and incoherent lattices of Gaussians are obtained. The conditions for resonant cones of coherent scattering by coherent and incoherent lattices are found. These conditions turn out to be different. The explicit expression for the dielectric susceptibility tensor of a photon gas and of a single photon prepared in arbitrary quantum states are derived on the probe photon mass-shell. It is established that a photon gas and a single photon behave in coherent photon scattering as a medium with linear and circular birefringences that is transparent below the electron-positron creation threshold and is absorbing otherwise. It is shown that, for the probe photon energies of order $1$ GeV and higher, the energies of target photons of order $1$ eV and higher, and the photon gas density such that the classical intensity parameter is of order unity, the hologram of the photon gas can be measured with existing experimental facilities.

Born-Infeld electrogravity is defined through a Lagrangian that couples gravity and electromagnetism within a single determinantal structure. The field equations are derived in Palatini's formalism, where the metric, connection, and vector potential are varied independently in the action. As a result, the gravitational sector reduces to Einstein's equations with a torsion-free, metric-compatible connection. The electrodynamic sector, in turn, admits two equivalent interpretations or $pictures$: it can be seen either as a standard Born-Infeld electrodynamics in an effective background geometry, or as an $anomalous$ Born-Infeld electrodynamics in the physical metric. We illustrate the dynamics by analyzing the horizon structure, the extremality conditions, and the thermodynamics of spherically symmetric dyonic solutions. Remarkably, in the small-charge limit, Born--Infeld electrogravity admits a fundamental extremal black hole whose mass and horizon area are determined exclusively by the Born--Infeld and Newton constants and the speed of light.

We develop a resurgent approach to the problem of unique continuation of mock theta functions across their natural boundary. The starting point is the representation of the associated Mordell-Appell integrals as Laplace transforms of resurgent functions, which serve as the primary analytic objects. By rotating the Laplace contour by $\pi$, i.e. onto the Stokes line, one obtains, in all known cases, the mock-modular relations between the Mordell-Appell integrals and the corresponding unary series in $\hat q=e^{-\pi i \tau}$ and $\hat q_1=e^{-\pi i (-1/\tau)}$. We then prove that these relations admit a unique solution on the $q$-side, expressed in terms of $q=e^{\pi i \tau}$ and $q_1=e^{\pi i (-1/\tau)}$, with coefficients determined by the corresponding Mordell-Appell integrals. This yields a canonical continuation across the natural boundary, given by a resurgent extension of the classical principle of permanence of relations, and singles out a distinguished family of mock theta functions in each group. We present a complete analysis for the order 3 and 5 cases (mf3 and mf5). The method extends naturally to higher orders; a general theory will appear in a separate paper.

Building on recent work introducing the idea of Quasilocal Probability in curved spacetime, we develop its observational implications for black hole ringdown in detail. We show that horizon-induced probability flux leads to an effective non-Hermitian dynamics producing three distinctive signatures, which are correlated multi-mode deviations, weak amplitude dependence and a mismatch between waveform damping and energy accounting. These effects arise from a single boundary-flux mechanism and therefore exhibit a constrained, low-dimensional structure not expected in generic modified gravity scenarios. We demonstrate that while individual deviations may be mimicked, their combined pattern provides a robust discriminator of quasilocal probability. We further argue that upcoming gravitational wave observations can probe these signatures at meaningful precision. We also establish that black hole ringdown is a novel arena to test whether quantum mechanical Hermiticity is really a fundamental property or an emergent symmetry in quantum gravity.

Boundary conformal field theory (BCFT) provides a universal framework for critical phenomena in the presence of boundaries. We determine BCFT data for the normal and ordinary boundary universality classes of the $1+1$-dimensional boundaries of the $2+1$-dimensional $O(2)$ and $O(3)$ Wilson-Fisher fixed points, realized microscopically by a bilayer Heisenberg model on the fuzzy sphere. Using the fuzzy-sphere state-operator correspondence, we obtain boundary operator spectra, identify low-lying boundary primary operators, extract operator-product-expansion (OPE) data, and estimate the boundary central charges for both boundary conditions. For the normal boundary condition, the universal amplitudes $a_\sigma$ and $b_t$ extracted from one- and two-point functions agree quantitatively with Monte Carlo benchmarks where available. For both $N=2$ and $N=3$, we find a positive extraordinary-log exponent $\alpha$, providing independent microscopic evidence for extraordinary-log boundary criticality. Our results extend fuzzy-sphere BCFT spectroscopy beyond the Ising universality class to continuous $O(N)$ symmetry.

Ultra high energy cosmic rays have been see coming from the direction of the local cosmic void. We use this fact to argue that at least some of these these cosmic rays are relatively light magnetic monopoles and that their relative fraction above 1020 eV can be found from full sky observations.

The global topology of spacetime, though invisible to local curvature measurements, leaves signatures on the correlation functions of quantum fields. We study these signatures using an Unruh-DeWitt particle detector operating in four-dimensional Minkowski spacetime with two spatial directions periodically identified, yielding a spatial topology $\mathbb{R}\times T^2$. We compute detector transition rates for three trajectories: uniform inertial motion, uniform proper acceleration directed along one of the compact axes, and uniform proper acceleration along the non-compact axis. Our results show how a local quantum measurement can reveal features of the large-scale spatial topology.

We obtain exact expressions for various factors involved in the Hadamard form of the retarded Green function for the (Bardeen-Press-)Teukolsky equation on Schwarzschild spacetime. We use these to improve on previous results for the calculation of this Green function. We work in a spacetime $\mathcal{M}_2\times\mathbb{S}^2$ conformal to Schwarzschild, in which the metric takes a direct product form. This allows us to derive a separable form for the direct (i.e., singular) part of the Hadamard form of the retarded Green function. The angular factor in this quantity is calculated explicitly. This shows an interesting interplay between geodesics of $\mathbb{S}^2$, spin-weighted spherical harmonics, and Euler angles. The $\mathcal{M}_2$ factor equates to a spin-dependent factor that satisfies a transport equation along geodesics, times the square root of the van Vleck determinant. Both terms are calculated in an exact form for constant radius orbits (which includes the cases of circular timelike geodesics and static worldlines of Schwarzschild spacetime). This separable form also allows us to obtain the multipolar $\ell$-modes of the direct part for electromagnetic and gravitational field perturbations. We then use these $\ell$-modes to calculate, in the gravitational case, the retarded Green function minus its direct part: this is a better representation in practise of the retarded Green function for points near coincidence.

We study the late-time evolution of an anisotropic Bianchi-I universe with radiation in the framework of asymptotically safe gravity. We first discuss the radiation-dominated universe for the perfect fluid with the equation of state $p=\rho/3$, and find that the classical evolution involves logarithmic terms, which lead to a slow approach toward isotropy. The quantum effects introduce subleading corrections that soften the anisotropy in the intermediate stage. Next we discuss the universe with magnetic fields. For a vanishing classical cosmological constant, we find that the universe in general evolves toward a Kasner-type regime with persistent anisotropy while the expansion rate is enhanced by quantum effects, leading to a faster decay of the magnetic field. In contrast, for a nonzero classical cosmological constant, the late-time dynamics are dominated by the cosmological constant, and the universe asymptotically approaches an isotropic de Sitter phase with exponential decay of both anisotropies and the magnetic field. Finally, we employ Hodge duality to demonstrate that these cosmological findings apply equally to environments dominated by electric fields.

We investigate quantum entanglement and Bell-inequality violation in top-antitop pair production at future lepton colliders such as the International Linear Collider (ILC) and multi-TeV muon colliders. Within the Standard Model (SM), the process proceeds through $s$-channel $\gamma$ and $Z$ exchange and exhibits characteristic spin-correlation patterns that encode a non-trivial amount of entanglement. We then examine how these features are modified in several well-motivated extensions of the SM:(i) a neutral scalar mediator that couples to charged leptons and top quarks via Yukawa interactions and contributes as an additional $s$-channel exchange; (ii) the minimal gauged $U(1)_{B-L}$ model, which introduces a new neutral gauge boson $Z'$ coupling vectorially to SM fermions; and (iii) a Randall-Sundrum scenario, in which the exchange of massive Kaluza-Klein gravitons arising from a warped extra dimension induces additional spin-dependent interactions. For all cases, we evaluate quantum-information observables, including the entanglement marker, the concurrence, and the maximal Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt parameter, and study their dependence on the center-of-mass energy, scattering angle, and model parameters. We find that, relative to the SM expectation, the entanglement is typically reduced in the scalar-mediator scenario, while sizable deviations can arise in the $U(1)_{B-L}$ and Randall-Sundrum cases for phenomenologically relevant regions of parameter space. These results demonstrate the potential of quantum-information observables as sensitive probes of new neutral interactions and extra-dimensional dynamics in future lepton colliders.

We prove an exact quantum conservation law for a harmonic oscillator coupled to a ghost degree of freedom: a second classical conserved quantity lifts to a quantum operator that commutes with the Hamiltonian with no hbar corrections, yielding a rigorous, state-independent upper bound on the mean squared phase-space radius for all time and every quantum state with finite initial second moments. The proof uses only canonical commutation relations and the Leibniz rule; it requires no confining potential, no spectral assumptions, and no perturbative expansion. The interaction studied here is bounded and vanishes at large separations, the generic situation in effective field theory, yet this suffices to guarantee quantum stability in the sense of bounded second moments. Three independent numerical frameworks (Heisenberg picture, Schrodinger picture, and Fock-space diagonalization) confirm wavepacket confinement below the analytic bound, a real energy spectrum, and Poisson level statistics numerically consistent with an integrable structure. The absence of a confining potential means the proof is silent on spectral discreteness and the existence of a ground state; those questions, addressed for polynomial confining interactions in concurrent work, remain open for the interaction class studied here and represent the sharpest targets for future work. Ghost quantum instability is therefore not an inevitable consequence of a wrong-sign kinetic term but depends critically on the interaction structure.

The internal low-energy symmetry of the massless Lorentz-invariant Dirac Hamiltonian in $2+1$ dimensions is known to be $O(2N)$, where $N$ is the number of two-component Dirac fermions. Here we point out that there exists an analogous internal symmetry of the single-particle quadratic-band-touching Hamiltonian in two spatial dimensions, and it is the unitary symplectic group, $USp(2N)$. All fermionic bilinears belong to one of the three small irreducible representations of this group. The interacting theory that respects the $USp(2N)$ symmetry and the spatial rotations is constructed and found to allow two independent interaction terms. When these interactions are infrared-relevant the symplectic symmetry either remains preserved or becomes spontaneously broken to $USp(N) \times USp(N)$. The symmetry in the lattices such as honeycomb to infinite order in the dispersion's expansion in powers of local momentum is given by the overlap of the symplectic and the orthogonal groups. We show that this overlap is $O(2N) \bigcap USp(2N) = U(N)$.

The paper develops a model to understand the effective quantum geometry of a black hole horizon and the emission of Hawking spectrum in 2+1 dimensions. We argue that one may view the black hole horizon as formed out of quantised lengths of elementary quanta of value $8\pi \ell_{P}\, n$, where $n\in \mathbb{N}$, and $\ell_{P}$ is the Planck length. To an observer near the black hole horizon, the entropy (or length of horizon cross-section) is related to the black hole energy. Hence, one may develop a formulation of length ensemble (similar to the area canonical ensemble of Krasnov) from which the black body spectrum may be obtained directly. To this local observer, the temperature of the Hawking spectrum is modified due to the Tolman factor.

We have considered the problem of the influence of inhomogeneity of gravitational field on transport effects predicted by the field theory describing massless Dirac fermions in the Maxwell and dark matter background. As a model of dark sector one takes into account dark photon model, where the hidden sector is described by the auxiliary U(1)-gauge field coupled to the visible sector. Elaborating the model we restrict our considerations to the case when Weyl type conformal transformation slightly differs from the Minkowski spacetime. This assumption simplifies the calculations and enables us not to use complicated methods of the quantum field theory in the curved background. The resulting currents stemming both from visible and dark sectors are proportional to the adequate beta functions appearing in the elaborated systems. For charge-less dark sector we predict corrections to the scale conductivities in both sectors: linear in {\alpha} in the dark sector and quadratic in the visible one.

In this work, we systematically investigate the quantum-information diagnostics of cosmological perturbations with a nontrivial sound speed, utilizing a normalized open two-mode squeezed-state framework. Rather than introducing new observables, our analysis focuses on how a modified sound speed dynamically reshapes the Schrödinger evolution of the squeezing parameters ($r_k$ and $\phi_k$). We demonstrate how these dynamical changes are inherited by the reduced density matrix of the observable sector. By employing a sound-speed-resonance parametrization, we derive and evaluate the purity, von Neumann entropy, Rényi entropies, and logarithmic negativity. To overcome the intrinsic multiscale stiffness of the post-inflationary equations, we introduce a bounded variable $x = \tanh r_k$ as a partial regularization, which enables reliable numerical simulations exclusively within the inflationary regime. Our numerical results reveal that a nontrivial sound speed significantly suppresses the purity of the reduced state, indicating enhanced effective mixedness. Simultaneously, it strongly amplifies and modulates both the entropic and entanglement diagnostics. More precisely, a nontrivial sound speed postpones the onset of classicality by modulating the decoherence process. Ultimately, we show that a nontrivial sound speed leaves distinct and identifiable quantum-information signatures within the entanglement structure of the early universe.

We present the RLL-realization of extended orthosymplectic quantum supergroups for any parity sequence, with R-matrices evaluated in the earlier work arXiv:2408.16720. Our isomorphism is compatible with the internal structure of generalized doubles. We also relate different sign conventions through 2-cocycle twists. Furthermore, we establish a factorization of the reduced R-matrix within the RLL-realization.

While spin polarization from synchrotron radiation is well established, the polarization of orbital angular momentum (OAM) in such radiative processes remains elusive. We study radiation and polarization of relativistic electrons in a uniform magnetic field, focusing on OAM polarization radiation for vortex electrons which carry intrinsic OAM. The results illustrate that transition rates are asymmetric in the low-photon-energy regime, favoring OAM decrease, analogous to the spin-flip asymmetry in the Sokolov-Ternov effect. Under these conditions, synchrotron radiation can polarize the OAM. The characteristic relaxation time and stationary-state OAM distribution are obtained analytically. The polarization of spin about \(\mathcal{P}_{\text{spin}}\) reaches \(92.38\%\), while that of \(\mathcal{P}_{\text{OAM}}\) can even approach almost unity for a large OAM; however, their polarization behaviors are different. For typical storage ring parameters, the OAM polarization time is orders of magnitude shorter than the spin polarization time. Thus, synchrotron radiation offers a mechanism for controlling vortex electron beams which carry OAM for high-energy accelerator applications.

We find that heavy quark transport beyond leading logarithm at weak coupling is intrinsically non-Gaussian: the longitudinal momentum transfer distribution has asymmetric exponential tails that are crucial for equilibration dynamics. We show this by computing the leading-order momentum transfer kernel for relativistic heavy quarks in weakly coupled non-Abelian plasmas, matching perturbative momentum transfer on the thermal scale to hard-thermal-loop-resummed soft physics. This is the same structure previously found in strongly coupled holographic plasmas, showing that it is not peculiar to weak or strong coupling, conformality, or supersymmetry. We therefore expect that this is a robust feature that physical quark-gluon plasma should also exhibit.

We study the construction of a manifestly covariant worldline action from a coadjoint orbit. A coadjoint orbit is a submanifold in the dual vector space of a Lie algebra, generated by coadjoint actions. Since a coadjoint orbit is a symplectic space, we derive the worldline particle action from the symplectic two-form. One subtlety in formulating worldline particle actions from coadjoint orbits is the choice of a coordinate system that clearly illustrates physical properties of the particles. We introduce Hamiltonian constraints derived from the defining conditions of the isometry. This allows us to write a manifestly covariant worldline action. We demonstrate our method for both massive and massless particles in Minkowski and AdS spacetime.

We revisit the gravitational boundary action at null infinity of asymptotically flat spacetimes. We fix the corner ambiguities in the boundary action by using the constraint that (exponential of) the on-shell action leads to tree-level 5-point amplitude in eikonal approximation in a generic supertranslated vacuum. The subleading soft graviton theorem follows naturally from the on-shell action when the BMS group is extended to include superrotations. An infinite tower of Goldstone modes is proposed by `generalizing' the Geroch tensor to incorporate a set of divergence-free symmetric traceless tensors on the sphere. This generalization leads to $\text{sub}^{n}$-leading soft insertions in the tree-level $\mathcal{S}$ matrix, thus paving the way to understanding the infinite tower of tree-level symmetries within this framework.

We analyze the particle spectrum of a second-order (in derivatives) theory based on a rank-2 tensor field with both symmetric and antisymmetric components. By demanding the existence of a propagating massless spin-2 particle and invariance under linearized transverse diffeomorphisms, we derive a new class of stable models with two massless scalars and a single massless spin-2 particle. A natural non linear completion is proposed in terms of a dynamical metric field. The identification of the spectrum is carried out using a fully Lagrangian, gauge-invariant approach which makes use of Bardeen variables in a constructive manner. The approach significantly reduces the number of steps in the spectrum determination in some cases.

We propose a construction of fiducial observers in the throat region of near-extremal black holes within the framework of JT quantum gravity, leading to a notion of local observers in a highly quantum regime of the gravitational field. The construction is based on an earlier proposal for light-ray anchoring to the asymptotic boundary and is uniquely fixed at the semiclassical level by demanding that the notion of time translations for an observer at the asymptotic boundary of JT gravity should be extended into the bulk as the flow of a conformal isometry. Since conformal isometries are a necessary condition for geometric modular flow, our construction is amenable as a candidate geometric gravitational dressing that may be interpreted via the modular crossed product, potentially connecting our choice of dressing with recent developments on the literature on local observables in quantum gravity. Taking this definition beyond the semiclassical regime, we compute quantum gravitational wormhole contributions to the black hole thermal atmosphere, directly producing a finite thermal entropy and leading to a quantum description of the stretched horizon in this model.

Multi-invariants are local-unitary invariants of state replicas introduced as potential probes of multipartite entanglement and correlations in quantum many-body systems. In this paper, we investigate two multi-invariants for tripartite pure states, namely multientropy and dihedral invariant. We compute the (genuine) multientropy for Lifshitz groundstates, and obtain its analytical continuation to noninteger values of Rényi index. We show that the genuine multientropy can be expressed in terms of mutual information and logarithmic negativity, a relation that also holds for stabilizer states. For general tripartite pure states, we demonstrate that dihedral invariants are related to Rényi reflected entropies. In particular, we show that the dihedral permutations of replicas are equivalent to the reflected construction, or alternatively to the realignment of density matrices.

We consider single-particle excitations of the massive Chern-Simons field of mass $M$ in $AdS_3$ and evaluate their contribution at the first sub-leading order in $G_N$ to the entanglement entropy across the Ryu-Takayanagi surface. Quantizing the Chern-Simons field in $AdS_3$, we evaluate the corrections to the holographic entanglement entropy using the Faulkner-Lewkowycz-Maldacena formula. The massive Chern-Simons field also obeys the equations of motion of a massive vector in $AdS_3$. The lowest-energy single-particle excitation of this field is dual to the primary operator of conformal dimension $M+1$ with spin one in the dual CFT; all other single-particle excitations are dual to its global descendants. We compare the entanglement entropy result from the FLM formula to the single-interval entanglement entropy in large-charge holographic CFT obtained using the replica trick for the primary and its tower of holomorphic descendants. The two results agree precisely in the leading and sub-leading terms of the short interval expansion. We evaluate the contribution of the edge mode to the vacuum-subtracted entanglement and show that it vanishes, which is crucial for the FLM formula to agree with the CFT result. On taking the massless limit, the result coincides with the contribution of a $U(1)$ current to the single interval entanglement entropy. This is surprising since an earlier calculation in the literature reproduced the CFT result entirely from the edge $U(1)$ degrees of freedom on the RT surface.

We introduce a non-unitary-compatible numerical bootstrap strategy based on the statistical stability of OPE data inferred from crossing at multiple cross-ratios. For a trial spectrum, crossing determines OPE coefficients whose residual cross-ratio dependence directly measures the truncation error. This defines a scalar objective on the space of spectra, allowing bootstrap searches without imposing unitarity. Applied to two-dimensional Virasoro blocks, the method reproduces known A-series minimal models, including non-unitary examples, and yields candidate truncated solutions for c>1 with crossing violation comparable to that of minimal models. More generally, our framework provides a practical route to solving bootstrap constraints beyond the convex, unitary setting.

In this work, we construct a new family of exact five-dimensional charged and rotating asymptotically Lifshitz black holes. The spacetime solves Einstein equations coupled to a dilaton, two Abelian gauge fields, and axionic scalars supplemented by two generalized Chern-Simons terms. This configuration is characterized by a range of the free dynamical exponent $z$ and possesses nontrivial thermodynamical parameters, where we verify the first law of black hole thermodynamics and derive the corresponding Smarr relation. As an application of this new gravitational background, we then investigate a holographic superconductor in the rotating Lifshitz background. We study the condensation of the scalar operator and the AC conductivity of the dual system. These results show that increasing the rotation parameter suppresses the condensate and weakens the superconducting phase, while increasing the dynamical critical exponent enhances the superconducting order. To the best of our knowledge, these solutions provide the first explicit family of five-dimensional rotating Lifshitz black holes supported simultaneously by electric and axionic charges.

We review three well known inconsistencies in the standard mathematical formulation of semiclassical gravity: the factorization problem, the information problem, and the closed universe problem. Building upon recent work, we explore how modifying the semiclassical holographic dictionary may provide the necessary freedom to resolve these three problems in a unified manner while maintaining more well established aspects of the standard correspondence. Using the modified semiclassical holographic dictionary as a scaffolding, we propose a program for constructing an `extended' semiclassical gravitational path integral which (i) is manifestly factorizing, (ii) computes a von Neumann entropy which satisfies the Page curve, and (iii) incorporates new operators that create closed baby universe states. Our construction may be interpreted as imposing a semiclassical version of background independence/a no global symmetry condition, defining a modified large N limit, preparing an ensemble of dual theories, or enforcing observer rules using gravitational degrees of freedom.

We show that the self-dual classical double copy can be straightforwardly extended to the higher-spin case when formulated in terms of light-cone gauge prepotentials. This allows us to construct a higher-spin extension for any self-dual spacetime that admits Kerr-Schild form. We also discuss the counterpart of this procedure at the level of Weyl tensors. We find that depending on the class of the original gravitational background higher-spin Weyl tensors may follow various multicopy patterns.

We analytically study the effect of backreaction from analog Hawking radiation on its entanglement entropy in the Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). The backreaction is expected to play an essential role in the decrease of the entanglement entropy and in realizing the Page curve. Since the BEC theory has microscopic Hamiltonian and thus exhibits unitarity, it is desirable to reproduce the Page curve explicitly by using the Hamiltonian. In order to analyze this in a concrete example, we study the BEC with a step-like configuration that has been extensively studied in the literature. By using the microscopic theory, we derive an explicit form of backreaction from analog Hawking radiation. Combining it with the known results of the Bogoliubov coefficients, we analytically compute the entanglement entropy of the Hawking radiation, and show that it decreases as expected due to the backreaction for sufficiently low energy modes over a wide range of the parameter characterizing the step-like configuration.

In quadratic gravity, with a positive Weyl squared coefficient, the extra spin-2 sector is shown to correspond to a dual inverted harmonic oscillator, instead of a ghost. Using the Wightman spectrum condition, we prove that the associated Källén--Lehmann spectral density vanishes, reflecting the absence of a normalizable ground state and the spacelike nature of the propagator pole. This uniquely fixes the propagator to a principal value form as a theorem, not a prescription. The optical theorem is satisfied, the dual IHO spin-2 is not an asymptotic state, and gives only virtual contributions at all loop orders. As a result, unitarity is preserved consistently with renormalizability.

Non-locality is one of the hallmarks of quantum mechanics and is responsible for paradigmatic features such as entanglement and the Aharonov-Bohm effect. Non-locality comes in two flavours: a \emph{kinematic} non-locality -- arising from the structure of the Hilbert space -- and a \emph{dynamical} non-locality -- arising from the quantum equations of motion. Recently, the origin of kinematic non-locality was traced to the uncertainty principle; here we rigorously trace the origin of dynamical non-locality to the superposition principle. We prove, via deformation quantization and Marinov's phase-space path integrals, that the exact Wigner propagator reduces to the classical Liouville propagator if and only if the Hamiltonian has at-most-quadratic Weyl symbol. This unified theorem covers both continuous-variable and finite-dimensional Hilbert spaces, aligning the Gaussian (CV) and Clifford (finite-$d$) boundaries of classical simulability into a single algebraic criterion. We introduce a macroscopic, experimentally accessible measure of dynamical non-locality -- the signed divergence $\mathcal{D}(t)$ -- and show that it governs five phenomena: (i) the dynamical penalty incurred by quantum non-local games under post-measurement evolution; (ii) the quantum corrections to out-of-time-order correlators; (iii) the metrological gain beyond the shot-noise limit; (iv) the generation of non-Gaussian entanglement from product states; and (v) the non-Clifford / magic-state content of finite-dimensional dynamics. A concrete experimental protocol in circuit QED is proposed and complemented by a three-qubit CCZ protocol accessible on current qubit platforms.

We present a microscopic derivation from a nonequilibrium spin-boson model to a $\PT$-symmetric non-Hermitian sine-Gordon (SG) effective theory, via the Keldysh functional-integral formalism, a Lang-Firsov polaron transformation, bosonization, and a Grassmann coherent-state spin this http URL spin trace yields the generic reduced vertex $g_r\cos(\lambda\Phi_1)+ig_i\sin(\lambda\Phi_1)$, where the imaginary part originates from the nonequilibrium Keldysh distribution asymmetry $\delta n(\omega)=n_+(\omega)-n_-(\omega)$. We provide an explicit dictionary between the spin-boson microscopic parameters and the NH-SG couplings: $K=v_f/\tilde{J}_\parallel^2$ (Luttinger parameter from $J_\parallel$), $g_r\propto J_\perp^2/\Gamma$ (from the transverse coupling and impurity width), and $\mathcal{I}=g_i/g_r\propto\mu/v_f$ (bias ratio, an exact RG invariant).One-loop Wilson momentum-shell RG on the NH-SG action gives the closed equations $\diff K/\diff l=-g_r^2(1-\mathcal{I}^2)K^2$ and $\diff g_r/\diff l=(2-K)g_r$, identical to those of Ashida \textit{et al.}\ for the $\PT$-symmetric SG; the present work supplies the microscopic initial conditions from the spin-boson Keldysh reduction. The BKT separatrix $K=2$ (Toulouse line), the EP fixed manifold $\mathcal{I}=1$ ($\mu=\mu_c$), and the mass gap $m\sim\Lambda e^{-c/\sqrt{K_0-2}}$ all follow from this closed this http URL the non-relativistic soliton sector near the EP, the effective coupling $\tilde{g}=g_r\sqrt{1-\mathcal{I}^2}$ reduces the S-matrix to the Lieb-Liniger rational form and the Bethe ansatz becomes exact for that auxiliary this http URL this sector we derive $n$-string bound states with$E_n^{\rm bind}=-n(n^2-1)\tilde{g}^2/12$, identify the EP as the many-body bound-state threshold, and construct the Jordan-partner state from the $\epsilon$-regularised dimer.

In this research, we generalize the transformation of the vacuum state that generated gravitational waves in the early universe which is usually transformed using a two-mode into a three-mode Bogoliubov transformation. Based on the calculation of quantum discord this transformation allows the universe to be classical when the squeezed parameter is large if only of the three possible modes, only two are considered. We also studied the quantum characteristics of those gravitational waves by calculating an observable quantity named the quantum Poincare sphere. The result will be the same as the two-mode transformation, where quantum characteristics appear if the squeezed parameter is greater than zero. However, if the initial state is coherent, different results will be obtained, the quantum Poincare sphere will not depend on the squeezed parameter and will be non-classical if $\cos\theta$ or $\sin\theta$ is not zero.

We present a formula for trigonometric orthosymplectic $R$-matrices associated with any parity sequence, and establish their factorization into the ordered product of $q$-exponents parametrized by positive roots in the corresponding reduced root systems. The latter is crucially based on the construction of orthogonal bases of the positive subalgebra through $q$-bracketings and combinatorics of dominant Lyndon words, as developed in [Clark, Hill, Wang, "Quantum shuffles and quantum supergroups of basic type", Quantum Topol. 7 (2016), no.3, 553-638]. We further evaluate the affine orthosymplectic $R$-matrices, establishing their intertwining property as well as matching them with those obtained through the Yang-Baxterization technique of [Ge, Wu, Xue, "Explicit trigonometric Yang-Baxterization", Internat. J. Modern Phys. A 6 (1991), no.21, 3735-3779]. This reproduces the celebrated formulas of [Jimbo, "Quantum $R$ matrix for the generalized Toda system", Comm. Math. Phys. 102 (1986), no.4, 537-547] for classical BCD types and the formula of [Mehta, Dancer, Gould, Links, "Generalized Perk-Schultz models: solutions of the Yang-Baxter equation associated with quantized orthosymplectic superalgebras", J. Phys. A 39 (2006), no.1, 17-26] for the standard parity sequence.

In this paper, it is shown that $N$naturalness scenarios share the intrinsic mechanism to suppress neutrino masses with other infrared neutrino mass models. In such models like extra-dimensional theories or many species theories, the large number of mixing partners is responsible for the neutrino mass suppression. It is shown how neutrino mass matrices arise in $N$naturalness models and the resulting neutrino mixing is analyzed. The first result is that a totally democratic coupling among the different sectors like in the original models is already ruled out by the fact that neutrinos are not massless. In the case where the sector couplings deviate from the intersector ones a tower of additional neutrino mass eigenstates appears whose difference between the squared masses, $\Delta m_{ij}^2$, is determined fully by the theory. The resulting phenomenology of such a tower is investigated and the unique signals in neutrino oscillation experiments, neutrino mass measurements, and neutrinoless double beta decay experiments are discussed. This opens the door for terrestrial tests of $N$naturalness whose phenomenology was so far focused on Cosmology.

We construct new sets of log-canonical coordinates on the $SL(2, \mathbb{C})$ character variety of compact Riemann surfaces. These are labelled by families of $1\leq m\leq 3g-3$ non-intersecting simple loops on the Riemann surface and are obtained by combining the complexified shear-type with length/twist-type coordinates. In the case $m=3g-3$ the loops define a trinion decomposition of the Riemann surface, and our coordinates are closely related to the (complexified) Fenchel-Nielsen ones.

We present new exact charged black hole solutions in (2+1) dimensions within the framework of $f({Q})$ gravity, where ${Q}$ denotes the non-metricity scalar. By considering a cubic $f({Q})$ form we derive classes of charged and uncharged spherically symmetric solutions, and we identify conditions under which these reduce to the well-known Banados-Teitelboim-Zanelli (BTZ) black hole. Notably, our analysis reveals a novel charged solution that is asymptotically Anti-de Sitter (AdS) but cannot be continuously deformed into a GR counterpart, and thus arising purely from the higher-order nature of the non-metricity corrections. Furthermore, we explore the geometrical properties of the solutions, demonstrating the existence of multiple horizons and a softer central singularity compared to GR. Additionally, we calculate various thermodynamic quantities, such as Hawking temperature, entropy, and heat capacity, with results confirming thermal stability. Finally, a detailed study of the geodesic motion and the effective potentials unveils stable photon orbits, as well as the effect of cubic non-metricity corrections on orbital dynamics.

We initiate the study of the dynamics of spherically symmetric spacetimes beyond general relativity through exact solutions of the field equations of second-order effective gravitational theories defined solely in terms of the symmetries of the problem in four or more dimensions. We prove the existence of regular Vaidya solutions that represent the formation or change in mass of regular black holes (or black hole mimickers) due to the gravitational collapse or accretion of radiation, with the time reverse of these processes being also included as solutions. Our treatment and results are remarkable in their simplicity and the breadth of possibilities they provide for novel theoretical applications and discoveries in the context of regular gravitational collapse. For instance, we illustrate how modifications of the gravitational dynamics can cure curvature singularities through what can be interpreted as an energy transfer between matter and gravitational degrees of freedom. As another application, we show how to incorporate spacetimes frequently used in the literature, designed geometrically to represent the formation and disappearance of regular black holes, as fully dynamical solutions within this formalism.

Exploring potential empirical manifestations of quantum gravity is a challenging pursuit. In this study, we utilise a lattice representation of a (2+1)D massive gravity toy model interacting with Dirac fermions that can support specific spacetime fluctuations. We focus on the evolution of the fermion's spin due to its coupling to spacetime fluctuations. To monitor these dynamics, a minimal model is required that comprises two bosonic modes describing spacetime geometry fluctuations coupled to the spin of the fermion. A possible emulation of this system involves encoding spin degrees of freedom in the electronic states of an atom coupled to a bimodal optical cavity that provides the two bosonic modes. Our proposal introduces a novel approach for modelling the effect of interactions between quantum gravity and matter that can be probed with current technology.

We explore the thermodynamic and optical properties of Einstein-Dyonic-ModMax (EDM) black holes (BHs), incorporating quantum gravity corrections and plasma effects. The ModMax theory promotes the classical Maxwell theory to a non-linear electrodynamics with a larger symmetry structure (electromagnetic duality plus conformal invariance), and provides dyonic BH solutions characterized by both electric and magnetic charges modulated by the nonlinearity parameter $\gamma$. Using the Hamilton-Jacobi tunneling formalism, we derive the Hawking radiation spectrum and demonstrate how the Generalized Uncertainty Principle (GUP) modifies the thermal emission, potentially leading to stable remnants. Our analysis of gravitational lensing employs the Gauss-Bonnet theorem to compute light deflection angles in both vacuum and plasma environments, revealing strong dependencies on the ModMax parameter and plasma density. We extend this to axion-plasmon environments, uncovering frequency-dependent modifications that could serve as dark matter signatures. The photon motion analysis in plasma media shows how the exponential damping term $e^{-\gamma}$ affects electromagnetic backreaction on spacetime geometry. We compute quantum-corrected thermodynamic quantities, including internal energy, Helmholtz free energy, pressure, and heat capacity, using exponentially modified entropy models. The heat capacity exhibits second-order phase transitions with critical points shifting as functions of $\gamma$, indicating rich thermodynamic phase structures. The energy condition analysis shows that classical ModMax electrodynamics satisfies the null and weak energy conditions, while the observed near-horizon violations arise only after incorporating quantum-corrected entropy effects.

We generalize the framework of spurion analysis to a class of selection rules arising from non-invertible fusion algebras in perturbation theory. As a first step toward systematic applications to particle physics, we analyze the near-group fusion algebras, defined by fusion rules built from a finite Abelian group $G$ extended by a single non-invertible element. Notable examples include the Fibonacci and Ising fusion rules. We introduce a systematic scheme for labeling coupling constants at the level of the non-invertible fusion algebra, enabling consistent tracking of couplings when constructing composite amplitudes from simpler building blocks. Our labeling provides a clear interpretation of why the tree-level exact non-invertible selection rules are violated through radiative corrections, a unique phenomenon essential to ``loop-induced groupification''. We also identify the limit where the near-group fusion algebra is lifted to a $G\times \mathbb{Z}_2$ group, which provides an alternative scheme of spurion analysis consistent with the original one based on the near-group algebra. Meanwhile, we highlight the distinctions between the selection rules imposed by the near-group fusion algebra and those from breaking the $G\times \mathbb{Z}_2$ group.

We study a class of quantum phase transitions between featureless bosonic atomic insulators in $(2+1)$ dimensions, where each phase exhibits neither topological order nor protected edge modes. Despite their lack of topology, these insulators may be ``obstructed'' in the sense that their Wannier centers are not pinned to the physical atomic sites. These insulators represent distinct phases, as no symmetry-preserving adiabatic path connects them. Surprisingly, we find that for certain lattices, the critical point between these insulators can host a conformally invariant state described by quantum electrodynamics in $(2+1)$ dimensions (QED$_3$). The emergent electrodynamics at the critical point can be stabilized if the embedding of the microscopic lattice symmetries suppresses the proliferation of monopoles, suggesting that even transitions between trivial phases can harbor rich and unexpected physics. We analyze the mechanism behind this phenomenon, discuss its stability against perturbations, and explore the embedding of lattice symmetries into the continuum through anomaly matching. In all the models we analyze, we confirm that the QED$_3$ is indeed emergeable, in the sense that it is realizable from a local lattice Hamiltonian.

The hallmark of two-dimensional chiral topological phases is the existence of anomalous gapless modes at the spatial boundary. Yet, the manifestation of this edge anomaly within the bulk ground-state wavefunction itself remains only partially understood. In this work, we introduce a family of multipartite entanglement measures that probe chirality directly from the bulk wavefunction. Our construction involves applying different permutations between replicas of the ground state wavefunction in neighboring spatial regions, creating "permutation defects" at the boundaries between these regions. We provide general arguments for the robustness of these measures and develop a field-theoretical framework to compute them systematically. While the standard topological field theory prescription misses the chiral contribution, our method correctly identifies it as the chiral conformal field theory partition function on high-genus Riemann surfaces. This feature is a consequence of the bulk-edge correspondence, which dictates that any regularization of the theory at the permutation defects must introduce gapless boundary modes. We numerically verify our results with both free-fermion and strongly-interacting chiral topological states and find excellent agreement. Our results enable the extraction of the chiral central charge and the Hall conductance using a finite number of wavefunction replicas, making these quantities accessible to Monte-Carlo numerical techniques and noisy intermediate-scale quantum devices.

The final equilibrium stage of stellar evolution can result in either a black hole or a compact object such as a white dwarf or neutron star. In general relativity, both stationary black holes and stationary stellar configurations are known to be axisymmetric, and black hole rigidity has been extended to several higher curvature modifications of gravity. In contrast, no comparable result had previously been established for stationary stars beyond general relativity. In this work we extend the stellar axisymmetry theorem to a broad class of diffeomorphism invariant metric theories. Assuming asymptotic flatness and standard smoothness requirements, we show that the Killing symmetry implied by thermodynamic equilibrium inside the star uniquely extends to the exterior region, thereby enforcing rotational invariance. This demonstrates that axisymmetry of stationary stellar configurations is not a feature peculiar to Einstein gravity but a universal property of generally covariant gravitational theories, persisting even in the presence of higher curvature corrections.

We investigate the cosmological inflation for the Einstein-Hilbert action plus the Higgs potential function and the Gauss-Bonnet term coupled with the Higgs scalar field through a dilaton-like coupling. Then, using the Friedmann-Lemaıtre-Robertson-Walker metric and considering the appropriate slow-roll parameters, we derive the necessary equations of motion. In the proposed model, since the e-folding integral cannot be easily solved analytically, we first utilize a well-known Taylor expansion. Then, with a certain range of values derived for the model parameters, utilizing several plots and numerical analysis methods, we obtain results for the tensor-to-scalar ratio and the scalar spectral index that are in good agreement with the latest observational data, particularly from ACT DR6, within the acceptable range of the e-folding values. Meanwhile, a key aspect of this work, crucial for achieving reliable values of the inflationary observables, lies in the adopted functional forms for the potential and coupling functions. Also, in the absence of the Gauss-Bonnet term, we find that the inflationary observables are roughly the same as the predictions of the chaotic inflation model.

We formulate within Palatini Supergravity a model of induced-gravity inflation excellently consistent with ACT DR6. The inflaton belongs in the decomposition of a conjugate pair of Higgs superfields which lead to the spontaneous breaking of a U(1)B-L symmetry at a scale close to the range (0.102-5.85)x10^16 GeV. The inflaton field is canonically normalized thanks to a real and shift-symmetric contribution into the Kaehler potential. It also includes two separate holomorphic and antiholomorphic logarithmic terms, the argument of which can be interpreted as the coupling of the inflaton to the Ricci scalar. The attainment of inflation allows for subplanckian inflaton values and energy scales below the cut-off scale of the corresponding effective theory. Embedding the model in a B-L extension of the MSSM we show how the mu parameter can be generated and non-thermal leptogenesis can be successfully realized. An outcome of our scheme is split SUSY with gravitino mass in the range (40-60) PeV, which is consistent with the results of LHC on the Higgs boson mass.

We establish an exact information-geometric inequality that remains valid regardless of the underlying dynamics, encompassing both Markovian and non-Markovian evolutions within the mixed-state domain. This inequality can be viewed as an extension of thermodynamic speed limits, which are typically formulated as inequalities. For single qubits, we show that this inequality saturates into a strict equality because the density matrix belongs to the quantum exponential family with the Pauli matrices serving as sufficient statistics. From a practical perspective, this identity enables a non-iterative linear regression approach to continuous-time quantum process tomography, bypassing the local minima issues common in non-linear optimization. We demonstrate the efficiency of this method by estimating the Hamiltonian and dissipation parameters of the Gorini-Kossakowski-Sudarshan-Lindblad (GKSL) master equation. Numerical simulations confirm the validity of this geometric estimator and highlight the necessity of error mitigation near the pure-state boundary where the inverse metric becomes singular.

In General Relativity, constructing exact traversable wormholes coupled to electromagnetic fields typically requires complex Non-Linear Electrodynamics (NED). We demonstrate that Unimodular Gravity (UG) elegantly resolves this limitation. By relaxing energy-momentum conservation, UG introduces a dynamical cosmological term, $\Lambda(x)$, enabling a semi-classical energy exchange between matter and the vacuum. Exploiting this mechanism, we construct exact Scalar-Maxwell-$\Lambda(x)$ wormholes. We show that, provided the shape function $b(r)$ satisfies specific geometric conditions, these exact spacetimes can be fully supported by a phantom scalar field and standard linear Maxwell electrodynamics. This approach entirely bypasses NED, highlighting UG as a powerful framework for modeling non-trivial topologies with simplified, well-understood classical fields.