Cellular Griffiths-like phase.

Protein compartmentalization in the frame of a liquid-liquid phase separation is a key mechanism to optimize spatiotemporal control of biological systems. Such a compartmentalization process reduces the intrinsic noise in protein concentration due to stochasticity in gene expression. Employing Flory-Huggins solution theory, Avramov/Casalini's model, and the Grüneisen parameter, we unprecedentedly propose a cellular Griffiths-like phase (CGLP), which can impact its functionality and self-organization.

Elastocaloric-effect-induced adiabatic magnetization in paramagnetic salts due to the mutual interactions.

The temperature change under adiabatic stress, i.e., the elastocaloric effect, is a well-understood phenomenon and of particular interest due to its potential application in alternative ways for refrigeration.

Epidemics, the Ising-model and percolation theory: A comprehensive review focused on Covid-19.

We revisit well-established concepts of epidemiology, the Ising-model, and percolation theory. Also, we employ a spin = 1/2 Ising-like model and a (logistic) Fermi-Dirac-like function to describe the spread of Covid-19. Our analysis show that: () in many cases the epidemic curve can be described by a Gaussian-type function; () the temporal evolution of the accumulative number of infections and fatalities follow a logistic function; () the key role played by the quarantine to block the spread of Covid-19 in terms of an interacting parameter between people.

Unveiling the Physics of the Mutual Interactions in Paramagnets.

In real paramagnets, there is always a subtle many-body contribution to the system's energy, which can be regarded as a small effective local magnetic field (B). Usually, it is neglected, since it is very small when compared with thermal fluctuations and/or external magnetic fields (B). Nevertheless, as both the temperature (T) → 0 K and B → 0 T, such many-body contributions become ubiquitous.

Enhanced Grüneisen Parameter in Supercooled Water.

We use the recently-proposed compressible cell Ising-like model to estimate the ratio between thermal expansivity and specific heat (the Grüneisen parameter Γ) in supercooled water. Near the critical pressure and temperature, Γ becomes significantly sensitive to thermal fluctuations of the order-parameter, a characteristic behavior of pressure-induced critical points. Such enhancement of Γ indicates that two energy scales are governing the system, namely the coexistence of high- and low-density liquids, which become indistinguishable at the critical point in the supercooled phase.

Probing the Mott physics in κ-(BEDT-TTF)₂X salts via thermal expansion.

In the field of interacting electron systems the Mott metal-to-insulator (MI) transition represents one of the pivotal issues. The role played by lattice degrees of freedom for the Mott MI transition and the Mott criticality in a variety of materials are current topics under debate. In this context, molecular conductors of the κ-(BEDT-TTF)2X type constitute a class of materials for unraveling several aspects of the Mott physics.

Lattice strain accompanying the colossal magnetoresistance effect in EuB6.

The coupling of magnetic and electronic degrees of freedom to the crystal lattice in the ferromagnetic semimetal EuB(6), which exhibits a complex ferromagnetic order and a colossal magnetoresistance effect, is studied by high-resolution thermal expansion and magnetostriction experiments. EuB(6) may be viewed as a model system, where pure magnetism-tuned transport and the response of the crystal lattice can be studied in a comparatively simple environment, i.e.

Charge-ordering transition in (TMTTF)2X explored via dilatometry.

Charge-ordering phenomena have been highly topical over the past few years. A phase transition towards a charge-ordered state has been observed experimentally in several classes of materials. Among them, many studies have been devoted to the family of quasi-one-dimensional organic charge-transfer salts (TMTTF)2X, where (TMTTF) stands for tetramethyltetrathiafulvalene and X for a monovalent anion (X = PF6, AsF6 and SbF6).

High-resolution thermal expansion measurements under helium-gas pressure.

We report on the realization of a capacitive dilatometer, designed for high-resolution measurements of length changes of a material for temperatures 1.4 K ≤ T ≤ 300 K and hydrostatic pressure P ≤ 250 MPa. Helium ((4)He) is used as a pressure-transmitting medium, ensuring hydrostatic-pressure conditions.

Multiferroicity in an organic charge-transfer salt that is suggestive of electric-dipole-driven magnetism.

Multiferroics, showing simultaneous ordering of electrical and magnetic degrees of freedom, are remarkable materials as seen from both the academic and technological points of view. A prominent mechanism of multiferroicity is the spin-driven ferroelectricity, often found in frustrated antiferromagnets with helical spin order. There, as for conventional ferroelectrics, the electrical dipoles arise from an off-centre displacement of ions.

Enhanced critical temperature in a dual-layered molecular superconductor.

Single-crystal X-ray diffraction has shown that the high-critical-temperature (T(c)) phase of the filamentary molecular superconductor (BEDT-TTF)(2)Ag(CF(3))(4)(1,1,2-trichloroethane) [BEDT-TTF = bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene] contains layers of BEDT-TTF radical cations with alternating κ- and α'-type packing motifs. This molecule-based superconductor with dual BEDT-TTF packing motifs has a T(c) five times higher than that of its polymorph that contains only κ-type packing.

Scaling theory of the mott transition and breakdown of the Grüneisen scaling near a finite-temperature critical end point.

We discuss a scaling theory of the lattice response in the vicinity of a finite-temperature critical end point. The thermal expansivity is shown to be more singular than the specific heat such that the Grüneisen ratio diverges as the critical point is approached, except for its immediate vicinity. More generally, we express the thermal expansivity in terms of a scaling function which we explicitly evaluate for the two-dimensional Ising universality class.