Choose Your Agent: Tradeoffs in Adopting AI Advisors, Coaches, and Delegates in Multi-Party Negotiation

Authors: Kehang Zhu, Lithium Thain, Vivian Tsai, James Wexler, Crystal Qian

Published: February 12, 2026

As AI usage becomes more prevalent in social contexts, understanding agent-user interaction is critical to designing systems that improve both individual and group outcomes. We present an online behavioral experiment (N = 243) in which participants play three multi-turn bargaining games in groups of three. Each game, presented in randomized order, grants \textit{access to} a single LLM assistance modality: proactive recommendations from an \textit{Advisor}, reactive feedback from a \textit{Coach}, or autonomous execution by a \textit{Delegate}; all modalities are powered by an underlying LLM that achieves superhuman performance in an all-agent environment. On each turn, participants privately decide whether to act manually or use the AI modality available in that game. Despite preferring the \textit{Advisor} modality, participants achieve the highest mean individual gains with the \textit{Delegate}, demonstrating a preference-performance misalignment. Moreover, delegation generates positive externalities; even non-adopting users in \textit{access-to-delegate} treatment groups benefit by receiving higher-quality offers. Mechanism analysis reveals that the \textit{Delegate} agent acts as a market maker, injecting rational, Pareto-improving proposals that restructure the trading environment. Our research reveals a gap between agent capabilities and realized group welfare. While autonomous agents can exhibit super-human strategic performance, their impact on realized welfare gains can be constrained by interfaces, user perceptions, and adoption barriers. Assistance modalities should be designed as mechanisms with endogenous participation; adoption-compatible interaction rules are a prerequisite to improving human welfare with automated assistance.

Broadband Tunable Photon-Pair Generation and Spectrum Measurement Based on Noncritical Lithium Niobate Crystals

Authors: Zhao-Qi-Zhi Han, Bo-Wen Liu, He Zhang, Zhi-You Li, Xiao-Hua Wang, Jin-Peng Li, Zheng-He Zhou, Qi-Yu Chen, Yin-Hai Li, Zhi-Yuan Zhou, Bao-Sen Shi

Published: February 12, 2026

Photon pairs play a vital role in modern science, driving extensive research into their generation. Yet, the narrow phase-matching bandwidth of conventional crystals has largely confined studies to specific wavelengths, leaving research on broadband tunable sources underexplored. Here, we employ a non-critical phase-matched lithium niobate (LN) crystal to generate widely tunable photon pairs. The generated near-infrared (NIR) photon pairs exhibit a high coincidence-to-accidental ratio (CAR > 20 dB) and are tunable across the 800-1600 nm range. We further showcase the utility of NIR photon pairs in spectroscopy by detecting carbon monoxide (CO) gas absorption. This approach will facilitate the design of advanced LN-based photonic experiments.

Thermodynamics and kinetics of lithium at the silver-lithium battery interface

Authors: Grace M. Lu, Dallas R. Trinkle

Published: February 11, 2026

Silver interlayers have been shown to enable smooth lithium deposition and cycling in anode-free solid-state batteries. Here, we report the atomic structure of the Ag and Li interface, showing that Li preferentially plates as FCC on both the (111) and (100) Ag surfaces. This forms an energetically favorable coherent interface with Ag, while the BCC phase forms a semi-coherent interface due to large lattice mismatch. We also calculate vacancy formation energies and migration energies for Li diffusion through the interface. We show that vacancy formation energies increase at the interface, leading to an energetic driving force for vacancies to diffuse away from the interface. Additionally, the migration barriers for vacancies from the Ag to the Li are small (29 meV), and therefore promote rapid alloying between Ag and Li. Rapid Li diffusion kinetics directly at the interface leads to smooth deposition of Li, reducing the onset of dendrites. However, diffusion in the 2nd and 3rd Li layers is slower compared to bulk FCC or BCC Li, leading to kinetically hindered alloying when multiple layers of pure Li form. The diffusion kinetics for Ag nanoparticles may be improved by alloying with Mg to expand the Ag lattice constant while forming a solid solution with both Ag and Li.

Computational discovery of cathode materials for rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries

Authors: Caio Miranda Miliante, Brian D. Adams, Drew Higgins, Oleg Rubel

Published: February 10, 2026

Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (RAZIBs) attract considerable scientific and commercial interest for deployment in grid-scale energy storage due to higher safety and lower manufacturing cost when compared to lithium-ion batteries. However, currently studied cathode materials suffer from severe capacity fade when cycling at rates appropriate for grid-scale applications ($<$ C/2), which hampers the commercialization of RAZIBs. To address the present limitation on cathode material availability, more than 2000 previously synthesized oxides, chalcogenides, Prussian blue analogues, and polyanion materials were computationally screened for the discovery of highly stable RAZIB cathode materials. The structural, electrochemical, and chemical properties of the materials were respectively evaluated through an investigation of the available Zn$^{2+}$ percolation paths in the crystal structure, the stability of the material in aqueous media under RAZIB operation conditions, and the attained transition metal oxidation state during cycling. The transition metal oxidation state and intercalating ion coordination environment were determined to govern the magnitude of the calculated intercalation potential, with this finding directly supporting the development of batteries with high operation potentials. Finally, 10 previously unexplored materials were identified with leading metrics for operation as RAZIB cathode materials, such as high Zn$^{2+}$ (de)intercalation potential, electrochemical stability, theoretical gravimetric capacity, and energy density, being here proposed for experimental testing. The materials identified in this study demonstrate a guide for advancing the available cathode materials for RAZIB, and help expedite the establishment of RAZIB as a commercially viable technology for grid-scale energy storage.

Programmable and nonvolatile computing with composition tuning in thin film lithium niobate

Authors: Abhiram Devata, Axel Magaña Ponce, David Barton

Published: February 10, 2026

Matrix-vector multiplications are fundamental operations in artificial intelligence and high-throughput computations, and are executed repeatedly during training and inference. Their high energy cost in electronic processors motivate scalable photonic computing approaches that reduce the energy required per operation. Thin film lithium niobate (TFLN) is a dominant photonic platform due to its large electro-optic effect. However, it lacks nonvolatile index tuning mechanisms, which promise to pave the way for energy-efficient photonic computing. Here, we explore electrochemical lithiation as a route to nonvolatile matrix-vector multiplications in TFLN. The LiNbO3 phase is stable at room temperature over a 2% Li composition window with an associated composition-dependent refractive index. We computationally demonstrate this as a programmable, low-loss approach to perform matrix-vector multiplications by using composition to control matrix weights. We design Mach-Zehnder interferometers to perform image processing tasks under realistic material loss constraints. We also design microring resonators for iterative weight updates, using gradient descent training to program target matrix operations with matrix-vector multiplication accuracy validated at 1.5% average relative error. These demonstrations show a facile route towards nonvolatile photonic computing in TFLN, addressing a critical requirement for energy-efficient photonic matrix operations at scale.

Lithium niobate quadratic integrated nonlinear photonics: enabling ultra-wide bandwidth and ultrafast photonic engines

Authors: Meng Tian, Guanyu Han, Ziyao Feng, Yu Liu, Yu Wang, Wenjun Deng, Ayed Al Sayem, Qiushi Guo

Published: February 9, 2026

Integrated photonic coherent light sources capable of generating emission with broad spectral coverage and ultrashort pulse durations are critical for both fundamental science and emerging technologies. In this Perspective, we start by discussing emerging quantum and classical photonic applications from the standpoint of operating wavelength and timescale, highlighting the technological gaps that persist in current integrated photonic light sources. Next, we introduce the unique properties of lithium niobate-based integrated quadratic nonlinear photonics, and discuss several promising strategies that exploit this platform to realize wavelength-tunable continuous wave light sources and broadband, ultra-short light pulse generation. We also assessed their advantages and limitations while discussing potential solutions. Finally, we outline future prospects and challenges that need to be addressed, aiming at inspiring continued research and innovation in this rapidly evolving field.

High-brightness fiber-based Sagnac source of entangled photon pairs for multiplexed quantum networks

Authors: Tess Troisi, Yoann Pelet, Romain Dalidet, Gregory Sauder, Olivier Alibart, Sébastien Tanzilli, Anthony Martin

Published: February 9, 2026

A fully fibered source of entangled photon pairs based on a nonlinear Sagnac interferometer is reported. Operating at telecom wavelengths, the source relies exclusively on standard fiber-optic components and periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguides, resulting in a compact, robust, and field-deployable architecture. The generation stage supports both polarization and energy-time entanglement without modification, enabling versatile operation depending on the targeted application. Broadband spontaneous parametric down-conversion allows dense wavelength-division multiplexing over the telecom C and L bands. High normalized brightness (10.3 kpairs/s/nm/mW$^2$) is achieved on a standard 100 GHz ITU channel pair, together with high entanglement quality. Polarization and energy-time encodings are characterized through state tomography and two-photon interference measurements, yielding fidelities, purities, and visibilities exceeding 96 % over multiple wavelength channels. The stability and reproducibility of the source are further evaluated through long-duration operation in a network environment. These results demonstrate that the proposed Sagnac source constitutes a practical and scalable building block for future plug-and-play quantum communication and quantum networking platforms.

Heterogeneous Optically-Detected Spin-Acoustic Resonance in Solid-State Molecular Thin-film

Authors: Kuan-Cheng Chen, Yongqiang Wen, Xiaotian Xu, Max Attwood, Jingdong Xu, Chen Fu, Sami Ramadan, Shang Yu, Sandrine Heutz, Mark Oxborrow

Published: February 9, 2026

We report an implementation of spin-acoustic resonance in pentacene thin films integrated on a high-quality-factor (high-Q) surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonator on a lithium niobate substrate. Heterogeneous optically detected spin-acoustic resonance (HODSAR) is an optically detected spin-resonance measurement in which the resonant drive is delivered mechanically by a surface acoustic wave (SAW). By leveraging the photo-excited triplet state of pentacene at room temperature, we demonstrate coherent spin manipulation via acoustic driving under zero externally applied magnetic field. The heterogeneously integrated device, referred to as HODSAR, utilizes spin-phonon coupling to achieve mechanically driven, zero-field spin resonance, opening avenues for room-temperature mechanically addressable spin control and device integration. We show that the high-Q multimode response of the SAW resonator enables spectrally selective acoustic addressing of triplet transitions near 105 MHz. Coherent control is evidenced by Rabi oscillations, with a Rabi frequency that increases linearly with the square root of the applied RF input power over the measured drive range, consistent with driven two-level dynamics under acoustic excitation. These results establish spin-acoustic resonance in a heterogeneously integrated molecular thin-film platform and provide a quantitative basis for benchmarking mechanically mediated spin control.

Andreev terahertz radiation generators

Authors: N. T. Bagraev, L. E. Klyachkin, S. A. Kukushkin, A. M. Malyarenko, A. V. Osipov, V. V. Romanov, N. I. Rul, K. B. Taranets

Published: February 9, 2026

The electrical, magnetic and optical properties of edge channels consisting of spin circuits that contain single carriers in nanostructures of silicon, silicon carbide and cadmium fluoride are investigated. It is demonstrated that due to the presence of chains of negative-U dipole centers at the boundaries of the spin circuits, the latter are Andreev molecules for generating terahertz radiation.

Quantization-aware Photonic Homodyne computing for Accelerated Artificial Intelligence and Scientific Simulation

Authors: Lian Zhou, Kaiwen Xue, Amirhossein Fallah, Lijin Liu, Chun-Ho Lee, Kiwon Kwon, Clayton Cheung, Yuan Li, Yue Yu, Yun-Jhu Lee, Songlin Zhao, Ryan Hamerly, Edo Waks, Dirk Englund, Constantine Sideris, Mengjie Yu, Zaijun Chen

Published: February 9, 2026

Modern problems in high-performance computing, ranging from training and inferencing deep learning models in computer vision and language models to simulating complex physical systems with nonlinearly-coupled equations, require exponential growth of computational resources. Photonic analog systems are emerging with solutions of intrinsic parallelism, high bandwidth, and low propagation loss. However, their application has been hindered by the low analog accuracy due to the electro-optic distortion, material nonlinearities, and signal-to-noise ratios. Here we overcome this barrier with a quantization-aware digital-photonic mixed-precision framework across chiplets for accelerated AI processing and physical simulation. Using Lithium Niobate photonics with channel equalization techniques, we demonstrate linear multiplication (9-bit amplitude-phase decoupling) in homodyne optical logics with 6-bit precision at the clock rate of 128 giga-symbol-per-second (128 GS/s), enabling AI processing with 6 ns latency. Codesign hardware-algorithms, including iterative solvers, sparse-dense quantization, and bit-sliced matrix multiplication, explore photonic amplitude and phase coherence for complex-valued, physics-inspired computation. In electromagnetic problems, our approach yields 12-bit solutions for partial differential equations (PDEs) in scattering problems that would conventionally require up to 32-bit and often even 64-bit precision. These results preserve digital-level fidelity while leveraging the high-speed low-energy photonic hardware, establishing a pathway toward general-purpose optical acceleration for generative artificial intelligence, real-time robotics, and accurate simulation for climate challenges and biological discoveries.