{"title":"A laser with instability reaching 4×10<sup>-17</sup> based on a 10-cm-long silicon cavity at sub-5-K temperatures.","authors":"Zhi-Ang Chen, Hao-Ran Zeng, Wen-Wei Wang, Han Zhang, Run-Qi Lei, Jian-Zhang Li, Cai-Yin Pang, She-Song Huang, Xibo Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.scib.2025.08.050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scib.2025.08.050","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The realization of ultra-stable lasers with 10<sup>-17</sup>-level frequency stability has enabled a wide range of researches on precision metrology and fundamental science, where cryogenic single-crystalline cavities constitute the heart of such ultra-stable lasers. For further improvements in stability, increasing the cavity length at few-kelvin temperatures provides a promising alternative to utilizing relatively short cavities with novel coating, but has yet to be demonstrated with state-of-the-art stability. Here we report on the realization of a relatively long ultra-stable silicon cavity with a length of 10 cm and sub-5-K operating temperatures. We devise a dynamical protocol of cool-quiet quench measurement that reveals the inherent 10<sup>-17</sup>-level frequency instability of the silicon cavity despite the substantially larger frequency noise induced by the cryostat vibration. We further develop a method for suppressing the cryostat-vibration-induced frequency noise under continuous cooling, and observe an average frequency instability of 4.3(2)×10<sup>-17</sup> for averaging times of 4 to 12 s. Using the measured noise power spectral density, we compute a median linewidth of 9.6(3) mHz for the silicon cavity laser at 1397 nm, which is supported by an empirically determined linewidth of 5.7(3) mHz based on direct optical beat measurements. These results establish a new record for optical cavities within a closed-cycle cryocooler at sub-5-K temperatures and provide a prototypical system for using long cryogenic cavities to enhance frequency stabilities to the low-10<sup>-17</sup> or better level.</p>","PeriodicalId":421,"journal":{"name":"Science Bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":21.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145051485","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Chiral switching of many-body steady states in a dissipative Rydberg gas.","authors":"Chongwu Xie, Konghao Sun, Kang-Da Wu, Chuan-Feng Li, Guang-Can Guo, Wei Yi, Guo-Yong Xiang","doi":"10.1016/j.scib.2025.08.051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scib.2025.08.051","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Dissipative Rydberg gases are an outstanding platform for the investigation of many-body open systems. Despite the wealth of existing studies, the non-equilibrium dynamics of dissipative Rydberg gases has rarely been examined or harnessed through the lens of non-Hermitian physics, which is intrinsic to open systems. Here we report the experimental observation of chiral switching between many-body steady states in a dissipative thermal Rydberg vapor, which is underlain by an exceptional structure in the Liouvillian eigenspectrum of the system. Similar to typical chiral state transfer in non-Hermitian systems, as the parameters are adiabatically varied around a closed contour, depending on the chirality of the parameter modulation, the Rydberg vapor can change between two collective steady states with distinct Rydberg excitations and optical transmissions. Adopting a mean-field description, we reveal that both the existence of the bistable steady states and chiral dynamics derive from the Liouvillian exceptional structure, where two exceptional lines merge at a higher-order exceptional point. Such a non-Hermitian perspective of the dissipative Rydberg gas not only provides a new paradigm for chiral mode switching through many-body parameters, as we demonstrate experimentally, but also paves the way for devising novel applications based on the unique features of non-Hermitian physics.</p>","PeriodicalId":421,"journal":{"name":"Science Bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":21.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145058290","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Science BulletinPub Date : 2025-08-25DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2025.08.046
Min Hu, Yuting Li, Kuiyan Zhan, Cunyu Song, Fang He, Yuexiang Li, Zhenxing Wang
{"title":"Bio-inspired cracked metal-phenolic networks with durable confinement capillarity and photocatalysis for highly efficient evaporation and water remediation.","authors":"Min Hu, Yuting Li, Kuiyan Zhan, Cunyu Song, Fang He, Yuexiang Li, Zhenxing Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.scib.2025.08.046","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scib.2025.08.046","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Confinement capillarity based on functional coatings is an effective way to enhance water evaporation via generating thin water in the internal surfaces of porous photothermal materials. However, current functional coatings with confinement capillarity tend to be single-functional and easily detach from the substrates under mechanical compression, limiting their practical applications. Endowing evaporator with both durable confinement capillarity and versatility is still a great challenge due to the trade-offs among functional designs. Herein, inspired by nature, multifunctional cracked metal-phenolic networks (MC-MPNs) with durable confinement capillarity and photocatalysis are developed, which can be firmly decorated on porous sponges to fabricate high-performance and multifunctional evaporators. The crack patterns and surface microstructures of the MC-MPNs can be controlled, which not only generates an ultrathin water layer in the internal pores of a sponge to realize confinement capillarity, but also optimizes its photocatalysis properties. Therefore, the resultant evaporator can realize highly efficient evaporation (3.2 kg m<sup>-2</sup> h<sup>-1</sup>) and dye photocatalysis without requiring H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> addition. Moreover, the cracks can act as a buffer zone to significantly enhance the stability of the MC-MPNs coatings under compression (negligible performance loss after 1000 cycles), breaking the bottleneck for the practical applications of confinement capillarity toward solar desalination and water remediation. This study will open an avenue to design multifunctional photothermal coatings with durable confinement capillarity, paving the way for their practical application in solar desalination and water remediation.</p>","PeriodicalId":421,"journal":{"name":"Science Bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":21.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145317919","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Science BulletinPub Date : 2025-08-25DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2025.08.042
Miaoyaoxin Wang, Qianqian Shi, Yukai Shao, Mengping Jiang, Ao Fu, Yanwang Huang, Qingxiu Wang, Lei Wei, Ziye Zhang, Jingze Xu, Tianming Yang, Yulong Li, Zuoren Wang
{"title":"Oxytocin-mediated empathy internally facilitates cooperative behaviors in rats.","authors":"Miaoyaoxin Wang, Qianqian Shi, Yukai Shao, Mengping Jiang, Ao Fu, Yanwang Huang, Qingxiu Wang, Lei Wei, Ziye Zhang, Jingze Xu, Tianming Yang, Yulong Li, Zuoren Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.scib.2025.08.042","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scib.2025.08.042","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Reciprocity is considered one of the vital mechanisms that sustain the evolution of cooperative behavior. However, free-riding, where assistance is received but not reciprocated, poses a serious threat to reciprocity behavior, which relies on future payback. Previous theories proposed that third-party punishment plays a vital role in preventing free-riding behavior. However, this external mechanism has inherent limitations, particularly in situations where third parties are absent. Empathy, the ability to perceive and share the emotional states of others, has long been considered a driving force behind prosocial behavior, yet its role in cooperative behavior remains underexplored. In this study, we have designed a new reciprocity paradigm, and demonstrate that rats' reciprocity behavior can stably establish even in the absence of the external mechanisms. Additionally, reciprocity experiences can enhance the empathy of wild type rats, but not oxytocin-deficient rats, towards their partners. Furthermore, oxytocin-deficient rats exhibit more free-riding behaviors. Through fiber photometry recording of oxytocin probe, we found that oxytocin is remarkably released in the orbitofrontal cortex during the reciprocity task, significantly exceeding levels observed in both mutualism and individual tasks. Based on our results, we suggest that oxytocin-mediated empathy enhancement reduces rats' free-riding behavior towards their partners, thereby making reciprocity behavior more stable. This empathy-mediated internal driving force complements the previously proposed external mechanisms, providing new theories and perspectives for understanding the evolution of cooperative behavior.</p>","PeriodicalId":421,"journal":{"name":"Science Bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":21.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145032534","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Science BulletinPub Date : 2025-08-25DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2025.08.043
Yuchen Cai, Ruiqing Cheng, Yao Cai, Jun He
{"title":"Revolutionizing neuromorphic computing: brain-like functions emerge from standard silicon transistors.","authors":"Yuchen Cai, Ruiqing Cheng, Yao Cai, Jun He","doi":"10.1016/j.scib.2025.08.043","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scib.2025.08.043","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":421,"journal":{"name":"Science Bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":21.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145008035","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Science BulletinPub Date : 2025-08-25DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2025.08.034
Tianqi Cao, Simiao Liu, Fang Wang, Min Gao, Wenlian Wu, Yanling Qiu, Ming Mu, Tengteng Xu, Jinkun Wen, Yuxi Chen, Haiying Liu, Xiqian Zhang, David L Keefe, Lin Liu, Fenghua Liu, Junjiu Huang
{"title":"Insufficient telomeric DNA damage response promotes chromosomal instability in aged oocytes.","authors":"Tianqi Cao, Simiao Liu, Fang Wang, Min Gao, Wenlian Wu, Yanling Qiu, Ming Mu, Tengteng Xu, Jinkun Wen, Yuxi Chen, Haiying Liu, Xiqian Zhang, David L Keefe, Lin Liu, Fenghua Liu, Junjiu Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.scib.2025.08.034","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scib.2025.08.034","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Increased chromosomal instability impairs oocyte quality, contributing to female reproductive aging. The telomeric DNA damage response (DDR) is essential for genomic stability; however, how oocytes respond to telomeric damage remains elusive. Here, we observed that aged human germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes accumulated telomeric DNA damage. We next established a telomeric DNA damage model with CRISPR/Cas9 in mouse oocytes, which exhibited increased chromosome instability and impaired meiotic maturation. Furthermore, telomeric DNA damage in oocytes did not initiate telomere fusion but rather accelerated telomere movement and triggered break-induced telomere synthesis (BITS). Mechanistically, RPA32 and RAD51 were recruited to damaged telomeres, and contributed to BITS along with ATR and PARP1. However, telomeric DNA damage recruited few RNF8 in fully grown oocytes, possibly impeding the 53BP1 recruitment. Despite minimal changes in the overall activity of RAD51-promoted DNA repair in GV oocytes with maternal age, this DDR machinery was preferentially involved in non-telomeric regions in aged oocytes. Consequently, upon encountering telomeric DNA damage, aged oocytes might undergo insufficient telomeric DDR and BITS. Together, our study illustrates that telomeric DDR recruits key factors, such as RAD51, to activate BITS, and that insufficient telomeric DDR increases chromosomal instability in aged oocytes.</p>","PeriodicalId":421,"journal":{"name":"Science Bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":21.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145032555","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}