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The article discusses a paper by physicists William B. Shockley and Hans-Joachim Queisser that was published in the "Journal of Applied Physics" in 1961. The paper discussed a fundamental limit on the conversion of sunlight into electrical current. It mentions that the "Shockley-Queisser limit" describes the limited efficiency of solar cells based on absorption and reemission processes.

The editor asks its readers to submit call for paper.

From the perspective of resource theory, it is interesting to achieve the same quantum task using as few quantum resources as possible. Semiquantum key distribution (SQKD), which allows a quantum user to share a confidential key with a classical user who prepares and operates qubits on only one basis, is an important example for studying this issue. To further limit the quantum resources used by users, in this paper, the first SQKD protocol is constructed, which restricts the quantum user to prepare quantum states on only one basis and removes the classical user's measurement capability. Furthermore, it is proven that the constructed protocol is secure against the restricted attack by deriving a key rate expression of the error rate in the asymptotic scenario. The work in this paper provides inspiration for achieving quantum superiority with minimal quantum resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent analysis of two handwritten sheets of paper by Henry Cavendish (1731–1810) reveals the details of his calculation of the deflection of light induced by the gravitational field of isolated celestial bodies. Except for a few lines from one of these pages, where Cavendish communicated the result, the two documents have never been published. This gave rise to speculations about how, if at all, Cavendish derived his formula for the deflection angle by his own calculations. Such doubts are dispelled and it is demonstrated how Cavendish, in these documents, applied Newtonian mechanics to the corpuscles of light. A recent analysis of two handwritten sheets of paper by Henry Cavendish (1731–1810) reveals the details of his calculation of the deflection of light induced by the gravitational field of isolated celestial bodies. Except for a few lines from one of these pages, where Cavendish communicated the result, the two documents have never been published. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rudolph Clausius is well known as a pioneer of the mechanical theory of heat (1857) and as the creator of the concept of entropy (1865). Oftentimes, he is also called the discoverer of the second law of thermodynamics although some argue that this law was already established by Sadi Carnot in 1824 (while still based on the caloric theory). But beyond any doubt, it was Clausius who gave in 1850 the first mathematically correct formulation of the first law (in its differential form that is still valid today, dQ = dU + pdV) and a particularly stringent exposition of both the necessity and independence of the two laws, indeed a logical masterpiece. This paper focuses on his concept of mathematical physics for the development of theoretical physics, contributions that have changed physics well beyond the field of thermodynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the groundbreaking contributions of Hermann von Helmholtz and Erwin Schrödinger to the geometry of color space ‐a 3D space that correlates color distances with perceptual differences. Drawing upon his expertise in non‐Euclidean geometry, physics, and psychophysics, Helmholtz introduced the first Riemannian line element in color space between 1891 and 1892, inaugurating a new line of research known as higher color metric, a term coined by Schrödinger in 1920. During his tenure at the University of Vienna, Schrödinger extensively worked on color theory and rediscovered Helmholtz's forgotten line element. In his 1920 papers titled "Grundlinien einer Theorie der Farbmetrik im Tagessehen," published in the Annalen der Physik, Schrödinger elucidated certain shortcomings in Helmholtz's model and proposed his refined version of the Riemannian line element. This study delves into this captivating chapter in the history of color science, emphasizing the profound impact of Helmholtz's and Schrödinger's work on subsequent research in color metrics up to the present day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the higher energy levels of the transmon qubit are taken into consideration to investigate the continuous variable entanglement generation between the transmon qubit and the single‐mode cavity. Based on the framework of cavity Quantum Electrodynamics (QED), the authors show the entanglement generation depends on the driving field intensity, coupling strength, cavity field frequency, and qubit frequency. The numerical results show that strong entanglement can be generated by properly tuning these parameters. It is hoped that the results presented in this paper may lead to a better understanding of quantum entanglement generation in cavity QED systems and provide new perspectives for further research in quantum information processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a 32‐tupling frequency millimeter‐wave (MMW) filter‐free system based on four Mach‐Zehnder Modulators (MZM) connected in parallel and cascaded with a simple radio‐fiber (RoF) link structure. The four MZMs are all at the maximum transmission point (MATP), and the radio frequency (RF) driving voltage phase difference between MZMs is π /2. The center carrier is suppressed by using an optical attenuator (OATT) and an optical phase shifter (OPS). Two parallel MZMs can generate ±8th order and ±12th order optical sidebands, and the ±4th order optical sidebands can be suppressed by adjusting the modulation index m of the MZM, using cascaded two dual‐parallel MZMS(DPMZM) and the phase difference of the RF signal source is π/4 to generate ±16th order optical sidebands. The theoretical analysis and simulation experiments are performed for the scheme proposed in this paper. The results show that the simulated and theoretical values of the optical sideband suppression ratio (OSSR) for ±16th order optical sideband signals are 60.02 and 59.96 dB, respectively, and the simulated and theoretical values of the RF sideband suppression ratio (RFSSR) for the 32‐tupling MMW signal are 56.34 and 53.94 dB, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article calls for papers to be submitted to the journal "Annals of Physics."

The article invites authors to send their papers for publication in the periodical "Annalen der Physik."

A call for papers on several topics including video abstracts, online articles, and comments on abstracts is presented.

The energy conditions in general relativity are introduced to establish powerful theorems without having to restrict their applicability to specific choices of the stress‐energy tensor. They are famously invoked, e.g., to prove the singularity theorems of Penrose and Hawking, but have also been applied elsewhere, including various tests of certain cosmological theories. These conditions have become somewhat controversial, however, because they appear to be violated by commonly accepted scenarios, such as inflation shortly after the Big Bang and late‐time acceleration of the cosmic expansion. But accommodating these processes by abandoning all of the energy conditions will promote other disquieting possibilities, including the breakdown of causality with traversable wormholes and closed timeloops. This paper advocates for the opposite viewpoint, demonstrating that the 'numen' scalar field, derived from the zero active mass condition in general relativity, satisfies all of the energy conditions in the early Universe. This unique feature among scalar fields adds to its success in accounting for the observed properties of the cosmic microwave background better than its inflationary counterpart. Specifically, numen's complete consistency with all of the energy conditions, and inflation's violation of at least one of them, provides additional justification for theoretically favoring the former over the latter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a metastructure multifunctional device for circular‐to‐linear polarization conversion (PC) and perfect absorption is proposed in which the electrical conductivity of the silicon material is controlled by light, thus changing the function of the device. The paper also explores three methods of optimizing bandwidth and their mechanisms, which are analyzed by means of current and energy density diagrams. The unit structure of this device adopts a 2 × 2 array, which is used for differentiated reflection of circular polarization waves, and forms linear polarization waves after reflection. In the other state, ultrawideband absorption can be achieved by changing the conductivity of silicon by external optical pumping, and the bandwidth is widened by inserting air resonators. In general, the device can form a PC at 0.89–1.31 THz with a relative bandwidth of 38% when there is no illumination. The resulting linear polarization wave has an axial ratio greater than 19 dB. When the silicon is excited by light resulting in a stable conductivity of around 9000 S m−1, the absorption band is 0.89–2.01 THz, the relative bandwidth is 77%, and the absorption rate is above 90%. This device can be used for communication, electromagnetic cloaking, and modulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrodynamics on curved surfaces, as a developed theory, has analogously become a new experimental verification of light transmission in general relativity. The thermal effect of an optical field on a specific 2D surface with constant Gaussian curvature is described in this paper. By considering the analogy between Schrodinger equation and Helmholtz equation under the paraxial approximation, the "quantized" momentum field is generated from the light transmitting on a curved surface by using the effective potential approach, and when decreasing the number of photons until n=0$n = 0$ is thought about, a temperature of Hawking‐like radiation is obtained. The creation process of radiation is also investigated, which is the scattering of light as it travels from a surface of positive curvature to a surface of negative curvature. The derived temperature of radiation field is also equivalent to the event horizon scattering explanation of Hawking radiation. The research may provide new perspectives for Hawking radiation and thermal lens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Front cover of the periodical is presented inviting the call for papers on physics.

A call for papers for the journal "Annalen der Physik" is presented.

The third observing run (O3) of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo started in April 2019 and ended in March 2020 due to the pandemic. From the O3 run three catalogs of compact binary mergers, GWTC‐2, GWTC‐2.1, and GWTC‐3, that include also some exceptional events, are produced by the LIGO/Virgo Collaboration. The paper will review the science results about compact binary mergers during the O3 run and the follow‐up of gravitational wave candidate events involving the whole electromagnetic spectrum and neutrinos. No confirmed counterpart is found during the O3 run for any candidate. The impact of detected events on astrophysics and cosmology will also be discussed. The paper will also briefly summarize additional multi‐messenger investigations involving candidates not initially associated to gravitational events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a continuous variable (CV) measurement‐device‐independent (MDI) quantum key distribution (QKD) protocol using Gaussian modulated coherent states is proposed. The MDI is first proposed to resist the attacks on the detection equipment by introducing an untrusted relay. However, the necessity of propagation of local oscillator between legitimate users and the relay makes the implementation of CV‐MDI‐QKD highly impractical. By introducing the plug‐and‐play (P&P) technique into CV‐MDI‐QKD, the problems of polarization drifts caused by environmental disturbance and the security loopholes during the local oscillator transmission are solved naturally. The proposed scheme is superior to the previous CV‐MDI‐QKD protocol on the aspect of implementation. The security bounds of the P&P CV‐MDI‐QKD under the Gaussian collective attack are analyzed. It is believed that the technique presented in this paper can be extended to quantum network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This contribution looks back at the papers published fifty years ago by Abdus Salam and Steven Weinberg, which are today regarded as marking the coming‐to‐be of the Weinberg‐Salam model of electroweak interactions. Despite their present fame, at the time of their publication the papers went largely unnoticed. Reconstructing the historical context from which they emerged will show how, against the traditional image of theoretical physicists as “lone geniuses,” the Weinberg‐Salam model actually came to be thanks to the interplay of many different actors and ideas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an analytical expression of Airy beams near a black hole is derived by general relativity concepts. This paper demonstrates the self‐acceleration and the self‐healing properties of Airy beams near a black hole with different Schwarzschild radii. It shows, during transmission, that the equivalent acceleration near a black hole decreases to a minimum negative value, then increases and eventually approaches zero. After propagating a certain distance, the trajectories of Airy beams approaching a black hole may no longer travel along parabolas, but rather almost straight lines due to the existence of the strong gravitational field. The shapes of the wave structure of Airy beams remain unvarying during the transmission, which indicates that the nondiffraction characteristic is still present. Moreover, the self‐healing property of Airy beams near a black hole gradually disappears with the increase of the strength of the gravitational field, because the energy flow to the major lobe is prevented by the gravitational field of the black hole. These intriguing features may open new prospects in the fields of nanophotonic optics, relativistic effects, transformation optics, and so on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, six kinds of periodic optical waveguide networks are designed to study the influence of three‐order parity–time‐symmetric (PT‐symmetric) substructures on the singular optical characteristics. It is found that different characteristics correspond to different PT‐symmetric substructures, and new singular optical characteristics are produced by adjusting the PT‐symmetric substructures. This work demonstrates that these six kinds of systems can create novel quasi‐blackbody, super reflection, and new total reflection, which are significantly different from the corresponding traditional properties and have not been reported yet. These findings may deepen the understanding of PT‐symmetric optical systems and optical waveguide networks, and these new characteristics may possess potential applications in the design of multifunctional optical structures with efficient information processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative climate mobility research has, so far, focused primarily on climate change impacts on migration outcomes. This focus has led to a separation between quantitative climate migration research and the broader field of migration studies. In this paper ways are proposed for quantitative research to better address the complexity in the relationship between climate change and mobility. First technical suggestions are presented to improve upon migration model setups and designs and highlight promising developments. Then it is argued that quantitative methodologies can broaden the scope of research inquiries by examining how climate mitigation and adaptation efforts influence mobility, as well as assessing how mobility itself impacts vulnerability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the introduction of a novel type of electron beams known as electron odd‐Pearcey Gaussian beams (EOPGBs) is presented. For the first time, the dynamics of EOPGBs are explored propagating in both free space and a constant magnetic field by employing the Schrödinger equation. The investigation reveals that the electron beams exhibit remarkable auto‐focusing characteristics in these two media, and the focal length can be controlled by adjusting certain parameters. Additionally, in a constant magnetic field, EOPGBs exhibit intriguing properties, notably the dual auto‐focusing property, which sets them apart from other known electron beams. The probability currents and distribution factors are used to provide a theoretical explanation for the aforementioned features of EOPGBs. Furthermore, the conclusions are consistent with the results obtained from numerical simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, symmetric Pearcey Gaussian beams (SPGBs) are studied in a Kerr medium. By varying the initial input power, the autofocusing ability of the beams is investigated, to find a clear restrictive relationship between the breath‐like structure and the initial input power. The critical collapse power is investigated when SPGBs change from discrete beams to regular breath‐like structure. Finally, the transmission of SPGBs is discussed under different phase modulation when SPGBs are affected by astigmatic, the whole beam is rotated and the angle of rotation can be controlled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adaptive voter model is widely used to model opinion dynamics in social complex networks. However, existing adaptive voter models are limited to only pairwise interactions and fail to capture the intricate social dynamics that arises in groups. This paper extends the adaptive voter model to hypergraphs to explore how forces of peer pressure influence collective decision‐making. The model consists of two processes: individuals can either consult the group and change their opinion or leave the group and join a different one. The interplay between those two processes gives rise to a two‐phase dynamics. In the initial phase, the topology of the hypergraph quickly reaches a new stable state. In the subsequent phase, opinion dynamics plays out on the new topology depending on the mechanism by which opinions spread. If the group always follows the majority, the network rapidly converges to fragmented communities. In contrast, if individuals choose an opinion proportionally to its representation in the group, the system remains in a metastable state for an extended period of time. The results are supported both by stochastic simulations and an analytical mean‐field description in terms of hypergraph moments with a moment closure at the pair level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the Gibbons and Werner technique is used to calculate the weak deflection angle for the black hole solution under the effects of Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet gravity. The Gauss–Bonnet theorem in the limits of weak field is used to evaluate the Gaussian optical curvature in order to obtain the results. The visual effects of the deflection angle on the impact parameter is also looked at and the smallest radius in the non‐plasma/plasma medium. Moreover, in order to check the consistency of the results concerning the weak deflection angle, the Keeton and Petters approach is applied to study the deflection angle, which is the expansion of series with a single mass variable, which can be directly addressed by using the post–post Newtonian framework. Furthermore, the deflection angle and shadow under the influence of the plasma is examined by using the motion of particle in a non‐magnetized plasma and pressure‐free plasma medium as described by the new ray‐tracing algorithm. It is shown that plasma as well as Einstein–Gauss‐Bonnet gravity corrections are affected by shadows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analytically and numerically proposes the propagation dynamics of the symmetric Pearcey Gaussian vortex beam (SPGVB) in the uniformly moving parabolic potential. The optical vortex located in the initial plane produces a vortex channel in the presence of the uniformly moving parabolic potential, called the vortex trajectory. The vortex trajectory can be manipulated dynamically by configuring different combinations of the parameters, and the optical intensity and the focal position can also be affected. Moreover, the spatial dynamic vortex trajectory is derived analytically, and the 2D on‐axis and off‐axis vortex scenarios are also presented. Our work expands the methods of the vortex trajectory manipulation and may broaden more practical potential applications in the particle manipulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a 1D nonlinear plasma photonic crystal (NPPC) structure composed of polarized ferroelectric crystals and nonlinear plasma periodic alternation is proposed. The transfer matrix method is employed to analyze the second harmonic generation (SHG) problem of this structure. In the designed NPPCs, the fundamental wave (FW) operates in the gigahertz (GHz) band and the nonlinear plasma is controlled by an external high‐intensity control wave (CW). Numerical simulations are performed to investigate the effects of different incident angles and external CW intensities on the total conversion efficiency (T‐con) of the second harmonic wave (SHW). Additionally, the internal electric field distribution and incident light intensity within the nonlinear structure are analyzed. The importance of the relationship between the FW frequency and photonic band gap (PBG) in enhancing SHG is summarized. The results demonstrate that the optimal structure can be obtained by changing the structural parameters, such that the FW and SHW are tuned to the edge of the PBG. At this point, the electromagnetic field density is large, the group velocity is small, the local field is enhanced, and the nonlinear optical interaction is increased, resulting in a significant increase in the T‐con of the SHW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of new materials and fabrication techniques provides progress in the development of advanced photonic and communication devices. Transition metal dichalcogenides (e.g., molybdenum disulfide, MoS2) are novel materials possessing unique physical and chemical properties promising for optical applications. In this paper, a metasurface composed of particles made of bulk MoS2 is proposed and numerically studied considering its operation in the near‐infrared range. In the bulk configuration, MoS2 has a layered structure being a uniaxial anisotropic crystal demonstrating an optical birefringence property. It is supposed that the large‐scale and uniform MoS2 layers are synthesized in a vertical‐standing morphology, and then they are patterned into a regular 2D array of disks to form a metasurface. The natural anisotropy of MoS2 is utilized to realize the splitting of electric and magnetic dipole modes of the disks while optimizing their geometric parameters to bring the desired modes into overlap. At the corresponding resonant frequencies, the metasurface behaves as either an electric or a magnetic mirror, depending on the polarization of incident light. Based on the extraordinary reflection characteristics of the proposed metasurface, it can be considered an alternative to traditional mirrors and optical splitters when designing compact and highly efficient metadevices, which provide polarization and phase manipulation of electromagnetic waves on a subwavelength scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the deflection angle of light by traversable wormholes, which are supported by the three‐form fields, are studied. The specific forms of the redshift and shape functions that produce results compatible with the energy conditions at throat of the wormholes are used. Having used the well‐defined parameter sets of the three‐form wormholes, the photon geodesic motion is investigated under the effective potential of the wormhole background. As a result, it is discovered that the radius of the photon sphere can be used to analyze the geometrical structures of a physical wormhole. The analytical form of the effective potential is used to figure out a deflection angle of light caused by wormholes with the three‐from fields. In this work, the relativistic images generated from the wormholes are also constructed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wormholes (WHs) are hypothetical topologically non‐trivial spacetime structures that can be freely traversed by observers and connect two asymptotic regions or infinities. From the current theoretical development, the prospect of their existence is challenging but cannot be excluded. In this paper, generalized Ellis–Bronikov (GEB) traversable WH geometries for static and spherically symmetric spacetime in the background of f(R)$f(R)$ gravity is explored. First, the Tsujikawa‐like f(R)$f(R)$ model and the shape function for the GEB model is considered, which depend on a sequence of simple Lorentzian WHs with two parameters: a free even integer exponent, n, besides the throat radius, r0. One also consider that these WHs are generated by dark matter galactic halos (DMGHs), based on the three most common phenomenological models, viz., Navarro–Frenk–White (NFW), Thomas–Fermi (TF), and pseudo‐isothermal (PI). In this concern, the satisfaction of the energy conditions (ECs) which are dependent on the dark matter (DM) models, viz., dominant energy condition (DEC) and strong energy condition (SEC) and those which are not dependent viz., null energy condition (NEC) and WEC at the WH throat and its neighborhood is investigated. Finally, the presence of exotic matter is confirmed by the violation of the NEC in all cases, revealing the supremacy and physical acceptability to support the existence of the WHs and making them compatible and traversable in Tsujikawa's‐like f(R)$f(R)$ model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an accelerating cosmological model by constraining the free parameters using the cosmological datasets in an extended symmetric teleparallel gravity for the flat and anisotropic space‐time. It employs a time variable deceleration parameter that behaves early deceleration and late time acceleration in the form of a hybrid scale factor (HSF). It obtains the present values of deceleration parameter and analyzes the late time behavior of the Universe based on the best‐fit values of the free parameters. It derives the dynamical parameters of the model and obtains the equation of state parameter at present in the quintessence region; however, at late time it approaches to ΛCDM. The energy conditions are also analyzed to validate the modified gravity and it finds that the strong energy condition is violating. It establishes the importance of a hybrid scale factor in the late time cosmic phenomena issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the quantum metrological advantages of performing non‐Gaussian operations on two‐mode squeezed vacuum (TMSV) states have been extensively explored, similar studies in the context of two‐mode squeezed thermal (TMST) states are severely lacking. This paper explores the potential advantages of performing non‐Gaussian operations on TMST state for phase estimation using parity detection‐based Mach–Zehnder interferometry and compares it with the TMSV case. To this end, a realistic photon subtraction, addition, and catalysis model is considered. A unified Wigner function of the photon subtracted, photon added, and photon catalyzed TMST state is derived, which is used to obtain the expression for the phase sensitivity. The results show that performing non‐Gaussian operations on TMST states can enhance the phase sensitivity for significant squeezing and transmissivity parameter ranges. Because of the probabilistic nature of these operations, it is of utmost importance to consider their success probability. When the success probability is considered, the photon catalysis operation performed using a high transmissivity beam splitter is the optimal non‐Gaussian operation. This contrasts with the TMSV case, where photon addition is observed as the most optimal. Further, the derived Wigner function of the non‐Gaussian TMST states will be useful for state characterization and various quantum protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If gravity is quantized, one of the consequences may be that the spacetime coordinates are quantized and become noncommutative. The κ‐Minkowski spacetime is such kind of noncommutative spacetime. In this paper, the resonance interaction energy of a two‐atom system coupled with a fluctuating vacuum scalar field in the κ‐Minkowski spacetime is studied. It is found that the resonance interaction energy is dependent on the interatomic separation, the transition wavelength of the atoms, and the spacetime non‐commutativity. When the interatomic separation is small compared with a characteristic length determined by the spacetime non‐commutativity parameter and the transition wavelength, the resonance interaction energy is that in the Minkowski spacetime plus a correction due to the spacetime non‐commutativity. When the interatomic separation is comparable to or larger than the characteristic length, the resonance interaction energy cannot be organized in the form of a Minkowski term plus a correction, which indicates that the long‐range behavior of the vacuum in the κ‐Minkowski spacetime is fundamentally different from that in the Minkowski spacetime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel approach to visualize the fractional orbital angular amentum (OAM) flow of light fields at the example of the Lommel tornado wave (LoTW) along the propagation direction in free space. The novel approach that is based on the transverse intensity distributions of the LoTWs can be used to identify and quantify the fractional OAM. The energy that is continuously distributed flexibly is controlled via the asymmetry factor and topological charge. Furthermore, the OAM density on concentric rings and chiral paths is employed to demonstrate convincingly as a manifestation of the energy flow. Such beams are anticipated to find potential applications in optical communication and optical micromanipulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]