@phdthesis{20735, abstract = {Left–right alternation is a defining feature of spinal locomotor circuits, yet the level of neuronal detail required to generate and maintain this pattern remains unclear. This thesis investigates how models spanning multiple levels of abstraction—from biophysically detailed Hodgkin–Huxley (HH) neurons to adaptive integrate–and–fire (I&F) formulations and synfire-chain modules—can account for the generation of fictive swimming in the spinal cord of the Xenopus laevis tadpole. The guiding hypothesis is that a small set of neuronal mechanisms is sufficient to reproduce the essential features of rhythmic alternation, and that moving between modeling scales helps distinguish core principles from biological detail. A minimal bilateral HH network comprising only four canonical neuron classes—excitatory descending interneurons (dINs), inhibitory commissural interneurons (cINs), ipsilateral inhibitory interneurons (aINs) and motoneurons—served as a biophysical proof of concept. Tuned to reproduce experimentally observed firing modes, the model demonstrated that rebound-prone dIN excitability, contralateral inhibition and modest electrical coupling are sufficient to generate stable alternating activity, even in very small networks. These results motivated the transition to simpler models capable of efficient analysis and scaling. Adaptive exponential I&F (AdEx) neurons were calibrated to physiological recordings using simulation-based inference, yielding tonic and phasic/rebound templates that preserved the key dynamical signatures of the HH model. Phase-plane analysis clarified the mechanisms underlying single-spike responses and rebound firing in dINs. At network level, the I&F models robustly reproduced left–right alternation, while highlighting constraints on synaptic kinetics and adaptation needed to avoid multi-spike responses. Finally, a synfire-chain framework provided a complementary, timing-centric perspective, demonstrating how precise spike synchrony, synaptic delays and minimal inhibitory coupling can generate alternating left–right sequences in a feedforward setting. Together, these approaches converge on a common conclusion: rebound-prone ipsilateral excitation combined with precisely timed contralateral inhibition constitutes a sufficient substrate for alternating spinal rhythms. By integrating bottom-up and top-down modeling strategies, this thesis provides a unified, extensible framework for studying spinal pattern generation. The results show that essential locomotor dynamics can be captured across multiple abstraction levels, offering both mechanistic insight and practical tools for future data-driven investigations of spinal circuit development, robustness and modulation.}, author = {Wilson, Alexia C}, issn = {2791-4585}, pages = {110}, publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria}, title = {{Modelling the spinal cord of a tadpole: Exploring different ways to model the spinal cord in the Xenopus frog}}, doi = {10.15479/AT-ISTA-20735}, year = {2025}, } @phdthesis{20607, author = {Mondal, Soumyadip}, isbn = {978-3-99078-071-8}, issn = {2663-337X}, pages = {71}, publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria}, title = {{Oxygen and sulfur redox: Conversion kinetics and phase equilibria}}, doi = {10.15479/AT-ISTA-20607}, year = {2025}, } @unpublished{21398, abstract = {Seymour's decomposition theorem is a hallmark result in matroid theory presenting a structural characterization of the class of regular matroids. Formalization of matroid theory faces many challenges, most importantly that only a limited number of notions and results have been implemented so far. In this work, we formalize the proof of the forward (composition) direction of Seymour's theorem for regular matroids. To this end, we develop a library in Lean 4 that implements definitions and results about totally unimodular matrices, vector matroids, their standard representations, regular matroids, and 1-, 2-, and 3-sums of matrices and binary matroids given by their standard representations. Using this framework, we formally state Seymour's decomposition theorem and implement a formally verified proof of the composition direction in the setting where the matroids have finite rank and may have infinite ground sets.}, author = {Dvorak, Martin and Figueroa-Reid, Tristan and Hamadani, Rida and Hwang, Byung-Hak and Karunus, Evgenia and Kolmogorov, Vladimir and Meiburg, Alexander and Nelson, Alexander and Nelson, Peter and Sandey, Mark and Sergeev, Ivan}, booktitle = {arXiv}, title = {{Composition direction of Seymour's theorem for regular matroids — Formally verified}}, doi = {10.48550/arXiv.2509.20539}, year = {2025}, } @phdthesis{20811, abstract = { This thesis is organized into two parts, each comprising two chapters: Chapter 1 and 2 offer models for the evolution of vaccine resistance in response to diverse vaccination strategies. Chapter 3 and 4 review the statistics of records, their connection to models of innovation and an application to the cultural evolution of sports. In chapter 1 we present a modelling study from 2021 on the evolution of SARS-CoV-2. At that time the vaccine-resistant Omicron variant had not yet evolved. In our model we consider a population that is becoming vaccinated over time, while a pathogen is spreading in the population and eventually becoming resistant to the vaccine. We explore effective pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions to prevent the emergence of vaccine resistance. In chapter 2 we model a particular set of complex vaccination strategies, mosaic and pyramid vaccination, where an immunologically diverse portfolio of vaccines is considered. We find that a bet-hatching strategy, in which vaccine types are distributed in the population, is effective at hindering the evolution of vaccine resistance if mutation rates are high. In chapter 3 we switch gears and present a review on the statistics of records. We highlight similarities and analogies to other models in the fields of statistical physics, evolution and innovation. This offers interesting complimentary perspectives on well-known models. In chapter 4 we apply models of record statistics and innovation to study cultural evolution in sport. We propose a model of sport evolution that combines deterministic improvements in performance and stochastic bursts of improvements due to innovation. }, author = {Rella, Simon}, issn = {2663-337X}, pages = {95}, publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria}, title = {{Adaptive processes in biology and culture: Models of evolving vaccine resistance and the record statistics of innovation}}, doi = {10.15479/AT-ISTA-20811}, year = {2025}, } @phdthesis{20276, abstract = {Complex 3D shapes can be created by morphing flat 2D configurations. Such deformations either preserve the intrinsic material geometry (e.g., folding paper) or modify it through localized contraction. Once transformed, the 3D shape can be further controlled to achieve a target functionality. A key challenge is to take the material specifications and the actuation process as input to automatically design the target 3D shape and its functionality. This thesis presents two novel computational pipelines for the design and control of shape-morphing structures used to create functional prototypes. The first pipeline borrows from the art of origami to fold paper into intricate shapes and applies this principle to make 3D lighting displays. We introduce, PCBend a computational design approach that covers a surface with individually addressable RGB LEDs, effectively forming a low-resolution surface by folding rigid printed circuit boards (PCBs). We optimize cut patterns on PCBs to act as hinges and co-design LED placement, circuit routing, and fabrication constraints to produce PCB blueprints. The PCBs are fabricated using automated standard manufacturing services with LEDs embedded on them. Finally, the fabricated PCBs are cut along the contour and folded onto a 3D-printed support. The 3D lighting display is then controlled to display complex surface light patterns. Creating 3D shapes through folding is only possible if their planar configuration, called ”unfolding” exists without any distortion or overlap. Existing methods often permit distortion or require multiple patches, which are unsuitable for fabrication pipelines that rely on folding non-stretchable materials. We reinforce such fabrication pipelines by providing a geometric relaxation to the problem, where the input shape is modified to admit overlap-free unfolding. The second fabrication pipeline extends shape morphing to soft robotics by emulating nature’s blueprint of distributed actuation. Inspired by vertebrates, we build musculoskeletal robots using modular active actuators, employing Liquid Crystal Elastomers (LCEs) as shrinkable artificial muscles integrated with 3D-printed bones. The chemical composition of LCEs is altered to enable untethered actuation through infrared radiation, allowing active control of individual muscles and their corresponding bones. The combined motion of individual bones defines the robot’s overall shape and functionality. Our proposed system significantly expands both the design and control spaces of soft robots, which we harness using our computational design tools. We build several physical robots that exhibit complex shape morphing and varied terrain navigation, showcasing the versatility of our pipeline. This thesis explores applications ranging from intricate light patterns displayed on 3D shapes formed by folding rigid PCBs to untethered robots that use contractile muscles to exhibit shape morphing and locomotion. Through these examples, the thesis highlights how computational design and distributed actuation, integrated with novel materials, can transform passive structures into functional prototypes.}, author = {Bhargava, Manas}, isbn = {978-3-99078-065-7}, issn = {2663-337X}, pages = {96}, publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria}, title = {{Design and control of deformable structures: From PCB lighting displays to elastomer robots}}, doi = {10.15479/AT-ISTA-20276}, year = {2025}, } @phdthesis{20203, abstract = {Tribocharging, or contact electrification, is the phenomenon in which two initially neutral materials exchange electric charge through contact and subsequent separation. While it is widely observed in everyday life and crucial to numerous natural processes, even the most basic aspects of tribocharging are still a mystery—what are the charge carriers involved and what drives their exchange? This work spans three separate projects that address different aspects of tribocharging. First, we introduce a novel strategy combining Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations with Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (KPFM) to quantitatively extract surface charge density from surface voltage maps. Second, we present a simple theoretical model that allows for the existence of triboelectric cycles, under the assumption that multiple charge carrying species are involved. Third, we present experimental evidence that identical materials can spontaneously evolve into a triboelectric series, driven by contact history. Modeling this behavior enables the replication of experimental results with simulations, and even experimentally forcing the appearance of a pre-designed series by manipulating contact history. Together, the findings from these projects challenge traditional views on tribocharging, provide new tools for probing it, and open up new avenues of research—all with the hopes of bringing us closer to understanding this puzzling phenomenon.}, author = {Sobarzo Ponce, Juan Carlos A}, isbn = {978-3-99078-062-6}, issn = {2663-337X}, pages = {96}, publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria}, title = {{Tribocharging of identical insulators: Triboelectric series, triboelectric cycles and surface charges}}, doi = {10.15479/AT-ISTA-20203}, year = {2025}, } @article{18565, abstract = {We present a computational approach for unfolding 3D shapes isometrically into the plane as a single patch without overlapping triangles. This is a hard, sometimes impossible, problem, which existing methods are forced to soften by allowing for map distortions or multiple patches. Instead, we propose a geometric relaxation of the problem: We modify the input shape until it admits an overlap‐free unfolding. We achieve this by locally displacing vertices and collapsing edges, guided by the unfolding process. We validate our algorithm quantitatively and qualitatively on a large dataset of complex shapes and show its proficiency by fabricating real shapes from paper.}, author = {Bhargava, Manas and Schreck, Camille and Freire, M. and Hugron, P. A. and Lefebvre, S. and Sellán, S. and Bickel, Bernd}, issn = {1467-8659}, journal = {Computer Graphics Forum}, keywords = {fabrication, single patch unfolding, mesh simplification}, number = {1}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{Mesh simplification for unfolding}}, doi = {10.1111/cgf.15269}, volume = {44}, year = {2025}, } @unpublished{20286, abstract = {Natural organisms utilize distributed actuation through their musculoskeletal systems to adapt their gait for traversing diverse terrains or to morph their bodies for varied tasks. A longstanding challenge in robotics is to emulate this capability of natural organisms, which has motivated the development of numerous soft robotic systems. However, such systems are generally optimized for a single functionality, lack the ability to change form or function on demand, or remain tethered to bulky control systems. To address these limitations, we present a framework for designing and controlling robots that utilize distributed actuation. We propose a novel building block that integrates 3D-printed bones with liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) muscles as lightweight actuators, enabling the modular assembly of musculoskeletal robots. We developed LCE rods that contract in response to infrared radiation, thereby providing localized, untethered control over the distributed skeletal network and producing global deformations of the robot. To fully capitalize on the extensive design space, we introduce two computational tools: one for optimizing the robot's skeletal graph to achieve multiple target deformations, and another for co-optimizing skeletal designs and control gaits to realize desired locomotion. We validate our framework by constructing several robots that demonstrate complex shape morphing, diverse control schemes, and environmental adaptability. Our system integrates advances in modular material building, untethered and distributed control, and computational design to introduce a new generation of robots that brings us closer to the capabilities of living organisms.}, author = {Bhargava, Manas and Hiraki, Takefumi and Strugaru, Irina-Malina and Zhang, Yuhan and Piovarci, Michael and Daraio, Chiara and Iwai, Daisuke and Bickel, Bernd}, booktitle = {arXiv}, title = {{Computational design and fabrication of modular robots with untethered control}}, doi = {10.48550/arXiv.2508.05410}, year = {2025}, } @phdthesis{20371, abstract = {Quantum mechanics reveals a world that defies classical determinism, where uncertainty, superposition, and fluctuations are fundamental aspects. Engineering devices that harness these quantum features requires not only precision, but also a deep understanding of how they interact with their surrounding environment. Superconducting circuits, which exploit macroscopic quantum coherence in low-loss superconducting materials, provide a scalable platform for implementing such systems. Among the critical elements in these circuits, superinductors—high-impedance, dissipation-free inductive components—play a central role by suppressing charge fluctuations. They allow quantum states to be delocalized in phase space, protect qubits from environmental noise, and facilitate access to phenomena such as dual Josephson physics and ultra-strong coupling regimes. This thesis explores two complementary implementations of high-impedance circuits: geometric superinductors, demonstrating that high impedance can be achieved beyond kinetic inductance, and Josephson junction chains, used to investigate both microwave mode properties and DC transport across the superconductor-to-insulator transition. Part I addresses geometric superinductors. Contrary to the common belief that high-impedance superconducting circuits require kinetic inductance, we demonstrate that purely geometric designs can achieve characteristic impedance exceeding the resistance quantum. By exploiting mutual coupling between adjacent turns, coil-based inductors achieve enhanced self-inductance, creating a reliable platform for qubits and resonators. Modeling, simulation, fabrication, and characterization confirm that these elements behave as superinductor. With low loss, high linearity, and minimal stray capacitance, these elements are reproducible, free of uncontrolled tunneling events, and capable of strong magnetic coupling. This establishes geometric superinductors as robust, single-wave-function superconducting devices suitable for hardware protected qubits and hybrid systems. Part II presents classical numerical simulations of a Quantum Phase Slip circuit to study dual Shapiro steps. The circuit consists of an ideal Quantum Phase Slip element embedded in a resistive-inductive environment with a parasitic capacitance. Part III extends the investigation of high characteristic-impedance circuit elements to one-dimensional Josephson junction chains, which act as a quantum simulator for many-body physics and the superconductor–insulator transition. Different devices are realized on both sides of the DC phase transition, showing either a supercurrent branch or Coulomb blockade at zero bias. The effect of the crossover on microwave modes, however, remains insufficiently investigated. Studying these modes provides insight into the interplay between disorder and phase-slip events. Small differences in circuit component sizes determine which side of the transition a device falls on, making these results relevant not only for fundamental understanding but also for the design of quantum devices, emphasizing the crucial role of the electromagnetic environment in stabilizing and controlling fragile quantum states. Together, these results illustrate how carefully engineered high characteristic-impedance elements provide a link between macroscopic circuits and the inherently uncertain quantum world, enabling experiments that probe, control, and ultimately exploit quantum fluctuations for applications in quantum information, metrology, solid state physics and beyond. }, author = {Trioni, Andrea}, isbn = {978-3-99078-067-1}, issn = {2663-337X}, pages = {202}, publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria}, title = {{High-impedance quantum circuits for mesoscopic physics: Geometric superinductors and insulating Josephson Chains}}, doi = {10.15479/AT-ISTA-20371}, year = {2025}, } @inproceedings{20008, abstract = {We study the complexity of a class of promise graph homomorphism problems. For a fixed graph H, the H-colouring problem is to decide whether a given graph has a homomorphism to H. By a result of Hell and Nešetřil, this problem is NP-hard for any non-bipartite loop-less graph H. Brakensiek and Guruswami [SODA 2018] conjectured the hardness extends to promise graph homomorphism problems as follows: fix a pair of non-bipartite loop-less graphs G, H such that there is a homomorphism from G to H, it is NP-hard to distinguish between graphs that are G-colourable and those that are not H-colourable. We confirm this conjecture in the cases when both G and H are 4-colourable. This is a common generalisation of previous results of Khanna, Linial, and Safra [Comb. 20(3): 393-415 (2000)] and of Krokhin and Opršal [FOCS 2019]. The result is obtained by combining the algebraic approach to promise constraint satisfaction with methods of topological combinatorics and equivariant obstruction theory.}, author = {Avvakumov, Sergey and Filakovský, Marek and Opršal, Jakub and Tasinato, Gianluca and Wagner, Uli}, booktitle = {Proceedings of the 57th Annual ACM Symposium on Theory of Computing}, isbn = {9798400715105}, issn = {0737-8017}, location = {Prague, Czechia}, pages = {72--83}, publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery}, title = {{Hardness of 4-colouring G-colourable graphs}}, doi = {10.1145/3717823.3718154}, year = {2025}, } @phdthesis{20339, abstract = {This thesis investigates the interplay between algebraic and topological methods and combinatorial problems, focusing on approximate graph colourings and mass partitioning. The unifying theme throughout the dissertation is the use of continuous maps and symmetry constraints to extract combinatorial insights. We first explore approximate graph colouring problems and more generally promise constraint satisfaction problems. Using tools from equivariant topology in combination with the general theory of polymorphism of a promise constraint satisfaction problem, we establish hardness for specific types of approximations. In the second part, we address mass partitioning problems, where one seeks to divide geometric objects or measures in Euclidean space into parts of equal size using hyperplanes. Employing techniques from topological combinatorics (configuration space/test map setup and Borsuk–Ulam type theorems), we both obtain a new equipartitioning result in the and provide a fast algorithm for computing equipartitioning of point sets in 3D. }, author = {Tasinato, Gianluca}, issn = {2663-337X}, pages = {106}, publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria}, title = {{Topological methods in discrete geometry and theoretical computer science: Measure partitioning and constraint satisfaction problems}}, doi = {10.15479/AT-ISTA-20339}, year = {2025}, } @phdthesis{20234, abstract = {Game Theory is the mathematical formalization of social dynamics - systems where agents interact over time and the evolution of the state of the system depends on the decisions of every player. This thesis takes the perspective of a single player and focuses on what they can guarantee in the worst case over the behavior of other players. In other words, we consider that the objective of every other player in the game is exactly the opposite to the player. We focus on sustained interactions over time, where the players repeatedly obtain quantitative rewards over time, and they are interested in maximizing their long-term performance. Formally, this thesis focuses on zero-sum games with the liminf average objective. Two fundamental questions that Game Theory aims to answer are the following. 1. How much can a player guarantee to obtain after the interaction? 2. How to act in order to obtain the previously mentioned guarantee? These questions are formalized by the concepts of "value" and "optimal strategies". We study their properties on games that exhibit one or more of the following properties. 1. Partial Observation: the players can not perfectly observe the current state of the system during the game. We consider the model of (finite) Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes and prove that finite-memory strategies are sufficient to approximately guarantee the value. 2. Perturbed Description: the formal description of the game is perturbed by a small parameter. We consider the model of (finite) Perturbed Matrix Games, and provide algorithms to check various robustness properties and to compute the parameterized value and optimal strategies. 3. Stochastic Transitions: the actions of the players determine the behavior of the evolution of the system, described as a probability distribution over the next state. We consider the model of (finite) Perturbed Stochastic Games and provide formulas for the marginal value. 4. Infinite States: the system can be in infinitely many states. We consider the model of Random Dynamic Games on a class of infinite graphs, prove the existence of the value, and quantify the concentration of finite-horizon values.}, author = {Saona Urmeneta, Raimundo J}, issn = {2663-337X}, pages = {125}, publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria}, title = {{Robustness of solutions in game theory: Values and strategies in partially observable, perturbed, stochastic, and infinite games}}, doi = {10.15479/AT-ISTA-20234}, year = {2025}, } @article{19508, abstract = {We consider random two-player zero-sum dynamic games with perfect information on a class of infinite directed graphs. Starting from a fixed vertex, the players take turns to move a token along the edges of the graph. Every vertex is assigned a payoff known in advance by both players. Every time the token visits a vertex, Player 2 pays Player 1 the corresponding payoff. We consider a distribution over such games by assigning i.i.d. payoffs to the vertices. On the one hand, for acyclic directed graphs of bounded degree and sub-exponential expansion, we show that, when the duration of the game tends to infinity, the value converges almost surely to a constant at an exponential rate dominated in terms of the expansion. On the other hand, for the infinite d-ary tree (that does not fall into the previous class of graphs), we show convergence at a double-exponential rate.}, author = {Attia, Luc and Lichev, Lyuben and Mitsche, Dieter and Saona Urmeneta, Raimundo J and Ziliotto, Bruno}, issn = {2153-0793}, journal = {Dynamic Games and Applications}, pages = {1517--1535}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Random zero-sum dynamic games on infinite directed graphs}}, doi = {10.1007/s13235-025-00636-4}, volume = {15}, year = {2025}, } @article{17037, abstract = {Zero-sum stochastic games are parameterized by payoffs, transitions, and possibly a discount rate. In this article, we study how the main solution concepts, the discounted and undiscounted values, vary when these parameters are perturbed. We focus on the marginal values, introduced by Mills in 1956 in the context of matrix games—that is, the directional derivatives of the value along any fixed perturbation. We provide a formula for the marginal values of a discounted stochastic game. Further, under mild assumptions on the perturbation, we provide a formula for their limit as the discount rate vanishes and for the marginal values of an undiscounted stochastic game. We also show, via an example, that the two latter differ in general.}, author = {Attia, Luc and Oliu-Barton, Miquel and Saona Urmeneta, Raimundo J}, issn = {1526-5471}, journal = {Mathematics of Operations Research}, number = {1}, pages = {482--505}, publisher = {Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences}, title = {{Marginal values of a stochastic game}}, doi = {10.1287/moor.2023.0297}, volume = {50}, year = {2025}, } @article{18112, abstract = {It is conjectured that the only integrable metrics on the two-dimensional torus are Liouville metrics. In this paper, we study a deformative version of this conjecture: we consider integrable deformations of a non-flat Liouville metric in a conformal class and show that for a fairly large class of such deformations, the deformed metric is again Liouville. The principal idea of the argument is that the preservation of rational invariant tori in the foliation of the phase space forces a linear combination on the Fourier coefficients of the deformation to vanish. Showing that the resulting linear system is non-degenerate will then yield the claim. Since our method of proof immediately carries over to higher dimensional tori, we obtain analogous statements in this more general case. To put our results in perspective, we review existing results about integrable metrics on the torus.}, author = {Henheik, Sven Joscha}, issn = {1469-4417}, journal = {Ergodic Theory and Dynamical Systems}, number = {2}, pages = {467--503}, publisher = {Cambridge University Press}, title = {{Deformational rigidity of integrable metrics on the torus}}, doi = {10.1017/etds.2024.48}, volume = {45}, year = {2025}, } @article{19001, abstract = {We consider two Hamiltonians that are close to each other, H1≈H2, and analyze the time-decay of the corresponding Loschmidt echo M(t):=|⟨ψ0,eitH2e−itH1ψ0⟩|2 that expresses the effect of an imperfect time reversal on the initial state ψ0. Our model Hamiltonians are deformed Wigner matrices that do not share a common eigenbasis. The main tools for our results are two-resolvent laws for such H1 and H2.}, author = {Erdös, László and Henheik, Sven Joscha and Kolupaiev, Oleksii}, issn = {1573-0530}, journal = {Letters in Mathematical Physics}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Loschmidt echo for deformed Wigner matrices}}, doi = {10.1007/s11005-025-01904-5}, volume = {115}, year = {2025}, } @unpublished{19546, abstract = {We study the sensitivity of the eigenvectors of random matrices, showing that even small perturbations make the eigenvectors almost orthogonal. More precisely, we consider two deformed Wigner matrices $W+D_1$, $W+D_2$ and show that their bulk eigenvectors become asymptotically orthogonal as soon as $\mathrm{Tr}(D_1-D_2)^2\gg 1$, or their respective energies are separated on a scale much bigger than the local eigenvalue spacing. Furthermore, we show that quadratic forms of eigenvectors of $W+D_1$, $W+D_2$ with any deterministic matrix $A\in\mathbf{C}^{N\times N}$ in a specific subspace of codimension one are of size $N^{-1/2}$. This proves a generalization of the Eigenstate Thermalization Hypothesis to eigenvectors belonging to two different spectral families.}, author = {Cipolloni, Giorgio and Erdös, László and Henheik, Sven Joscha and Kolupaiev, Oleksii}, booktitle = {arXiv}, title = {{Eigenvector decorrelation for random matrices}}, doi = {10.48550/arXiv.2410.10718}, year = {2025}, } @phdthesis{19540, abstract = {This thesis deals with several different models for complex quantum mechanical systems and is structured in three main parts. In Part I, we study mean field random matrices as models for quantum Hamiltonians. Our focus lies on proving concentration estimates for resolvents of random matrices, so-called local laws, mostly in the setting of multiple resolvents. These estimates have profound consequences for eigenvector overlaps and thermalization problems. More concretely, we obtain, e.g., the optimal eigenstate thermalization hypothesis (ETH) uniformly in the spectrum for Wigner matrices, an optimal lower bound on non-Hermitian eigenvector overlaps, and prethermalization for deformed Wigner matrices. In order to prove our novel multi-resolvent local laws, we develop and devise two main methods, the static Psi-method and the dynamical Zigzag strategy. In Part II, we study Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) theory, the standard mean field microscopic theory of superconductivity. We focus on asymptotic formulas for the characteristic critical temperature and energy gap of a superconductor and prove universality of their ratio in various physical regimes. Additionally, we investigate multi-band superconductors and show that inter-band coupling effects can only enhance the critical temperature. In Part III, we study quantum lattice systems. On the one hand, we show a strong version of the local-perturbations-perturb-locally (LPPL) principle for the ground state of weakly interacting quantum spin systems with a uniform on-site gap. On the other hand, we introduce a notion of a local gap and rigorously justify response theory and the Kubo formula under the weakened assumption of a local gap. Additionally, we discuss two classes of problems which do not fit into the three main parts of the thesis. These are deformational rigidity of Liouville metrics on the torus and relativistic toy models of particle creation via interior-boundary-conditions (IBCs). }, author = {Henheik, Sven Joscha}, isbn = {978-3-99078-057-2}, issn = {2663-337X}, pages = {720}, publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria}, title = {{Modeling complex quantum systems: Random matrices, BCS theory, and quantum lattice systems}}, doi = {10.15479/AT-ISTA-19540}, year = {2025}, } @article{19548, abstract = {We consider the BCS energy gap „.T / (essentially given by „.T /  .T; p/, the BCS order parameter) at all temperatures 0  T  Tc up to the critical one, Tc, and show that, in the limit of weak coupling, the ratio „.T /=Tc is given by a universal function of the relative temperature T =Tc. On the one hand, this recovers a recent result by Langmann and Triola [Phys. Rev. B 108 (2023), no. 10, article no. 104503] on three-dimensional s-wave superconductors for temperatures bounded uniformly away from Tc. On the other hand, our result lifts these restrictions, as we consider arbitrary spatial dimensions d 2 ¹1; 2; 3º, discuss superconductors with non-zero angular momentum (primarily in two dimensions), and treat the perhaps physically most interesting (due to the occurrence of the superconducting phase transition) regime of temperatures close to Tc. ​ .}, author = {Henheik, Sven Joscha and Lauritsen, Asbjørn Bækgaard}, issn = {1664-0403}, journal = {Journal of Spectral Theory}, number = {1}, pages = {305–352}, publisher = {EMS Press}, title = {{Universal behavior of the BCS energy gap}}, doi = {10.4171/JST/540}, volume = {15}, year = {2025}, } @article{18764, abstract = {We prove that a class of weakly perturbed Hamiltonians of the form H_λ= H_0 + λW, with W being a Wigner matrix, exhibits prethermalization. That is, the time evolution generated by H_λ relaxes to its ultimate thermal state via an intermediate prethermal state with a lifetime of order λ^{-2}. Moreover, we obtain a general relaxation formula, expressing the perturbed dynamics via the unperturbed dynamics and the ultimate thermal state. The proof relies on a two-resolvent law for the deformed Wigner matrix H_λ.}, author = {Erdös, László and Henheik, Sven Joscha and Reker, Jana and Riabov, Volodymyr}, issn = {1424-0637}, journal = {Annales Henri Poincare}, pages = {1991--2033}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Prethermalization for deformed Wigner matrices}}, doi = {10.1007/s00023-024-01518-y}, volume = {26}, year = {2025}, }