🔬 Category

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

2898 papers

Condensed matter physics and materials science form a dynamic partnership, exploring how the collective behavior of atoms gives rise to the unique properties of solids and liquids. This field bridges the gap between fundamental quantum mechanics and the practical engineering of everything from flexible electronics to superconductors, turning abstract theories into tangible innovations that shape our daily lives.

At Gist.Science, we process every new preprint in this category directly from arXiv to make these complex discoveries accessible to everyone. Our team generates both plain-language overviews and detailed technical summaries for each paper, ensuring that researchers, students, and curious minds alike can grasp the latest breakthroughs without getting lost in dense jargon.

Below are the latest papers in condensed matter and materials science, organized by their most recent publication dates.

🔬 materials science

Pressure-induced lattice instabilities and phonon softening in the orthorhombically distorted ferrimagnet Ni4Nb2O9

This study utilizes NMR, Raman spectroscopy, and synchrotron XRD to demonstrate that the orthorhombically distorted ferrimagnet Ni4Nb2O9, despite sharing a local structural environment with its trigonal analogue Mn4Nb2O9, exhibits distinct average symmetry and undergoes pressure-induced lattice instabilities and phonon softening that drive a sequence of isostructural transitions culminating in a symmetry-lowering transformation to a monoclinic phase around 13 GPa.

Rajesh Jana, Xinyu Wang, Takeshi Nakagawa, Hirofumi Ishii, Alka Garg, Rekha Rao, Thomas Meier2026-03-03
🔬 materials science

Probing Materials Knowledge in LLMs: From Latent Embeddings to Reliable Predictions

This study evaluates 25 large language models on materials science tasks, revealing that while fine-tuning enhances symbolic consistency, numerical predictions remain unreliable due to inference variability and an "LLM head bottleneck" that favors embedding extraction over text output, alongside significant performance fluctuations in GPT models over time that challenge scientific reproducibility.

Vineeth Venugopal, Soroush Mahjoubi, Elsa Olivetti2026-03-03
🔬 mesoscale physics

Anisotropic two-dimensional magnetoexciton with exact center-of-mass separation

This paper presents an exact analytical framework for separating center-of-mass and relative motions in anisotropic two-dimensional magnetoexcitons, revealing new anisotropy-dependent couplings and providing precise, non-perturbative solutions for magnetoexciton properties in materials like monolayer black phosphorus and titanium trisulfide without relying on stationary-center-of-mass approximations.

Dang-Khoa D. Le, Hoang-Viet Le, Dai-Nam Le, Duy-Anh P. Nguyen, Thanh-Son Nguyen, Ngoc-Tram D. Hoang, Van-Hoang Le2026-03-03
🔬 materials science

Enhancing Phase Clustering in Nanomechanical Property Maps of Multiphase Materials Using Kernel-Averaged Mechanical Mismatch

This paper introduces Kernel-Averaged Mechanical Mismatch (KAMM), a neighborhood-informed feature that, when combined with elastic modulus and hardness, significantly improves the robustness and accuracy of phase clustering in nanomechanical property maps of multiphase materials under realistic conditions of low contrast and diffuse interfaces.

David Mercier, Yasmine El Gharoussi2026-03-03
⚛️ quantum physics

High-Stress Si3N4 Reflective Membranes Monolithically Integrated with Cavity Bragg Mirrors

This paper presents a scalable, monolithic fabrication strategy that integrates high-stress silicon nitride membranes with distributed Bragg reflectors using dry processing techniques, achieving self-aligned optomechanical cavities with high optical finesse and mechanical quality factors while eliminating the alignment and stability bottlenecks of conventional methods.

Megha Khokhar, Lucas Norder, Paolo M. Sberna, Richard A. Norte2026-03-03
⚛️ quantum physics

Simultaneous anti-bunched and super-bunched photons from a GaAs Quantum dot in a dielectric metasurface

This study demonstrates that embedding a single GaAs quantum dot in a dielectric metasurface enables simultaneous anti-bunched and super-bunched photon emission from neutral and charged exciton complexes, respectively, by enhancing weak charged exciton transitions to achieve comparable count rates.

Sanghyeok Park, Oleg Mitrofanov, Kusal M. Abeywickrama, Samuel Prescott, Jaeyeon Yu, Stephanie C Malek, Hyunseung Jung (…)2026-03-03
⚛️ quantum physics

Quantum Theory of Functionally Graded Materials

Addressing the breakdown of Bloch's theorem in spatially varying composites, this paper establishes a foundational ab initio quantum theoretical framework for functionally graded materials that derives effective field equations for modulated Bloch states, revealing non-tensorial electromagnetic properties and enabling the predictive design of optimized electronic devices such as graded p-n junctions.

Michael J. Landry, Ryotaro Okabe, Chuliang Fu, Mingda Li2026-03-03✓ Author reviewed ⓘ
🔬 mesoscale physics

Ultrafast terahertz conductivity in epitaxial graphene nanoribbons: an interplay between photoexcited and secondary hot carriers

This study utilizes optical pump-terahertz probe spectroscopy to reveal that ultrafast photoconductivity in epitaxial graphene nanoribbons exhibits a non-monotonic fluence dependence driven by an interplay between negative-sign conductivity from secondary hot carriers at low fluences and positive-sign conductivity from excess carriers at high fluences, resulting in complex variations in mobility and plasmonic resonance.

Arvind Singh, Hynek Němec, Jan Kunc, Petr Kužel2026-03-02