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Zhu, Wei

Publications and source records attributed to Zhu, Wei.

Electromagnetic signatures of a chiral quantum spin liquid

Quantum spin liquids (QSL) have emerged as a captivating subject within interacting spin systems that exhibit no magnetic ordering even at the lowest temperature accessible experimentally. However, definitive experimental evidence remains elusive. In light of the recent surge in theoretical and experimental interest in the half-filled Hubbard model on a triangular lattice, which offers the potential for stabilizing a chiral QSL, we investigate the electromagnetic signatures of this phase to facilitate experimental detection. Utilizing a combination of parton mean-field theory and unbiased density-matrix renormalization group calculations, we systematically examine the electrical charge and orbital electrical current associated with a spinon excitation in the chiral QSL. Additionally, we calculate the longitudinal and transverse optical conductivities below the Mott gap. Furthermore, employing quantum field theory analysis, we unravel the connection between spinon excitations and emergent as well as physical gauge fields. Our results demonstrate that the chiral QSL phase exhibits a distinct electromagnetic response, even within a Mott insulator regime. This finding holds great potential for enabling the experimental detection of this long-sought-after phase.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Transition metal elements as donor dopants in CdO

CdO has been shown to achieve a high electron concentration N (> 10 21 cm -3 ) and at the same time a high mobility μ (> 100cm 2 /V s) when doped with conventional shallow dopants (In or Ga), and consequently making it a transparent conducting oxide with very low resistivity ρ <10 -4 $\Omega$ cm. In this work, the properties of CdO thin films doped with a series of transition metal elements (CdO:TM) with partially filled 3d and 4d shells, including Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Fe, Y, Mo, and W, were investigated. We find that doping with these TM elements can effectively increase the N in CdO to a maximum N (N max ) of ~(7-12)×10 20 cm -3 with a dopant concentration x max of 4-7 %. However, unlike CdO:In, the μ of CdO:TM films drops rapidly from > 100 to < 10cm 2 /Vs as the dopant concentration x increases, so that they can only achieve a minimum ρ of ~ (1-2) × 10 -4 $\Omega$ cm, ~ a factor of 2-3 higher than that in CdO:In. As a result, free-carrier absorption and plasma reflection effects limit their optical transparency to <1200 nm. For most 3d TM dopants, a qualitatively higher d-donor level E d,donor gives rise to higher E F,max or a higher N max . Although at low x, the optical band gap E opt of CdO:TM follows the calculated values due to free-carrier effects, as x increases, E opt values are significantly higher than the calculated values. This is believed to be an effect of the anticrossing interaction of the localized d-levels and the extended CdO conduction-band (CB) states, giving rise to a lower occupied E - and an upper unoccupied E + subband. In conclusion, the restructured CBs have much flatter dispersion, which also results in a much higher effective mass $m^{\star}_{e}$, hence it can also explain the much lower μ of CdO:TM films with high N.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Data driven pathway analysis and forecast of global warming and sea level rise

Climate change is a critical issue of our time, and its causes, pathways, and forecasts remain a topic of broader discussion. In this paper, we present a novel data driven pathway analysis framework to identify the key processes behind mean global temperature and sea level rise, and to forecast the magnitude of their increase from the present to 2100. Based on historical data and dynamic statistical modeling alone, we have established the causal pathways that connect increasing greenhouse gas emissions to increasing global mean temperature and sea level, with its intermediate links encompassing humidity, sea ice coverage, and glacier mass, but not for sunspot numbers. Our results indicate that if no action is taken to curb anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, the global average temperature would rise to an estimated 3.28 °C (2.46–4.10 °C) above its pre-industrial level while the global sea level would be an estimated 573 mm (474–671 mm) above its 2021 mean by 2100. However, if countries adhere to the greenhouse gas emission regulations outlined in the 2021 United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP26), the rise in global temperature would lessen to an average increase of 1.88 °C (1.43–2.33 °C) above its pre-industrial level, albeit still higher than the targeted 1.5 °C, while the sea level increase would reduce to 449 mm (389–509 mm) above its 2021 mean by 2100.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Structural and Mechanistic Basis for the Inactivation of Human Ornithine Aminotransferase by (3 S ,4 S )-3-Amino-4-fluorocyclopentenecarboxylic Acid

Ornithine aminotransferase (OAT) is overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and we previously showed that inactivation of OAT inhibits the growth of HCC. Recently, we found that (3S,4S)-3-amino-4-fluorocyclopentenecarboxylic acid (5) was a potent inactivator of γ-aminobutyric acid aminotransferase (GABA-AT), proceeding by an enamine mechanism. Here we describe our investigations into the activity and mechanism of 5 as an inactivator of human OAT. We have found that 5 exhibits 10-fold less inactivation efficiency (k inact /K I ) against hOAT than GABA-AT. A comprehensive mechanistic study was carried out to understand its inactivation mechanism with hOAT. pK a and electrostatic potential calculations were performed to further support the notion that the α,β-unsaturated alkene of 5 is critical for enhancing acidity and nucleophilicity of the corresponding intermediates and ultimately responsible for the improved inactivation efficiency of 5 over the corresponding saturated analogue (4). Intact protein mass spectrometry and the crystal structure complex with hOAT provide evidence to conclude that 5 mainly inactivates hOAT through noncovalent interactions, and that, unlike with GABA-AT, covalent binding with hOAT is a minor component of the total inhibition which is unique relative to other monofluoro-substituted derivatives. Furthermore, based on the results of transient-state measurements and free energy calculations, it is suggested that the α,β-unsaturated carboxylate group of PLP-bound 5 may be directly involved in the inactivation cascade by forming an enolate intermediate. Overall, compound 5 exhibits unusual structural conversions which are catalyzed by specific residues within hOAT, ultimately leading to an enamine mechanism-based inactivation of hOAT through noncovalent interactions and covalent modification.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Ultra-fast non-equilibrium synthesis of cathode materials for Li-ion batteries

Synthesis of cathode materials plays an important role in determining the production efficiency, cost and performance of lithium-ion batteries. However, the conventional synthesis methods always experience a slow heating rate and involve a complicated multi-step reaction process and sluggish reaction dynamics, leading to high energy and long time consuming. Herein, we report a high-temperature shock (HTS) strategy for the ultra-fast synthesis of cathode materials in seconds. The HTS process experiences an ultra-high heating rate, leading to a non-equilibrium reaction and fast reaction kinetics and avoiding high energy and long time consuming. Mainstream cathode materials (such as LiMn 2 O 4 , LiCoO 2 , LiFePO 4 , and Li-rich layered oxide/NiO heterostructured material) are successfully synthesized with pure phases, oxygen vacancies, ultra-small particle sizes and good electrochemical performance. In conclusion, the HTS process not only provides an efficient synthesis approach for cathode materials but also can be extended beyond lithium-ion batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Machine-learning for designing nanoarchitectured materials by dealloying

Machine learning-augmented materials design is an emerging method for rapidly developing new materials. It is especially useful for designing new nanoarchitectured materials, whose design parameter space is often large and complex. Metal-agent dealloying, a materials design method for fabricating nanoporous or nanocomposite from a wide range of elements, has attracted significant interest. Here, a machine learning approach is introduced to explore metal-agent dealloying, leading to the prediction of 132 plausible ternary dealloying systems. A machine learning-augmented framework is tested, including predicting dealloying systems and characterizing combinatorial thin films via automated and autonomous machine learning-driven synchrotron techniques. This work demonstrates the potential to utilize machine learning-augmented methods for creating nanoarchitectured thin films.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

In-situ tunable giant electrical anisotropy in a grating gated AlGaN/GaN two-dimensional electron gas.

Materials with in-plane electrical anisotropy have great potential for designing artificial synaptic devices. However, natural materials with strong intrinsic in-plane electrical anisotropy are rare. We introduce a simple strategy to produce extremely large electrical anisotropy via grating gating of a semiconductor two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) of AlGaN/GaN. We show that periodically modulated electric potential in the 2DEG induces in-plane electrical anisotropy, which is significantly enhanced in a magnetic field, leading to an ultra large electrical anisotropy. This is induced by a giant positive magnetoresistance and a giant negative magnetoresistance under two orthogonally oriented in-plane current flows, respectively. This giant electrical anisotropy is in situ tunable by tailoring both the grating gate voltage and the magnetic field. Our semiconductor device with controllable giant electrical anisotropy will stimulate new device applications, such as multi-terminal memtransistors and bionic synapses.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Quantum Algorithm Implementations for Beginners

As quantum computers become available to the general public, the need has arisen to train a cohort of quantum programmers, many of whom have been developing classical computer programs for most of their careers. While currently available quantum computers have less than 100 qubits, quantum computing hardware is widely expected to grow in terms of qubit count, quality, and connectivity. This review aims at explaining the principles of quantum programming, which are quite different from classical programming, with straightforward algebra that makes understanding of the underlying fascinating quantum mechanical principles optional. We give an introduction to quantum computing algorithms and their implementation on real quantum hardware. We survey 20 different quantum algorithms, attempting to describe each in a succinct and self-contained fashion. We show how these algorithms can be implemented on IBM’s quantum computer, and in each case, we discuss the results of the implementation with respect to differences between the simulator and the actual hardware runs. This article introduces computer scientists, physicists, and engineers to quantum algorithms and provides a blueprint for their implementations.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Systematic KMTNet Planetary Anomaly Search. I. OGLE-2019-BLG-1053Lb, a Buried Terrestrial Planet

In order to exhume the buried signatures of “missing planetary caustics” in Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet) data, we conducted a systematic anomaly search of the residuals from point-source point-lens fits, based on a modified version of the KMTNet EventFinder algorithm. This search revealed the lowest-mass-ratio planetary caustic to date in the microlensing event OGLE-2019-BLG-1053, for which the planetary signal had not been noticed before. The planetary system has a planet–host mass ratio of q = (1.25 ± 0.13) × 10{sup -5}. A Bayesian analysis yielded estimates of the mass of the host star, M{sub host}=0.61{sub -0.24}{sup +0.29} M{sub ⊙}, the mass of its planet, M{sub planet}=2.48{sub -0.98}{sup +1.19} M{sub ⊕}, the projected planet–host separation, a{sub ⊥}=3.4{sub -0.5}{sup +0.5} au, and the lens distance, D{sub L}=6.8{sub -0.9}{sup +0.6} kpc. The discovery of this very-low-mass-ratio planet illustrates the utility of our method and opens a new window for a large and homogeneous sample to study the microlensing planet–host mass ratio function down to q ~ 10{sup -5}.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Variational study of the Kitaev-Heisenberg-Gamma model

Here we compute the low-energy excitation spectrum and the dynamical spin structure factor of the Kitaev-Heisenberg-Gamma model through a variational approach based on the exact fractionalized excitations of the pure Kitaev honeycomb model. This novel approach reveals the physical reason for the asymmetric stability of the Kitaev spin liquid phases around the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic Kitaev limits. Moreover, we demonstrate that the fractionalized excitations form bound states in specific regions of each Kitaev spin liquid phase and that certain phase transitions induced by Heisenberg and Gamma interactions are driven by the condensation of such a bound state. Remarkably, this bound state appears as a sharp mode in the dynamical spin structure factor, while its condensation patterns at the appropriate phase transitions provide a simple explanation for the magnetically ordered phases surrounding each Kitaev spin liquid phase.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Ultrafast laser-driven many-body dynamics and Kondo coherence collapse

Ultrafast laser pulse has provided a systematic way to inspect the dynamics of electrons in condensed matter systems. In this paper, by means of time-dependent density matrix renormalization group, we study an ultrafast laser-driven Kondo lattice model, in which conduction electrons are strongly coupled with magnetically local moments. The single-particle spectral function due to strong correlation effects and photon emission in the nonequilibrium states under laser driving are calculated. We find laser field excited collective doublon-hole pairs and an associated transient melting of Kondo coherence phase, signifying the collapse of Kondo energy gap. Moreover, we show that the photon emission, induced by a strong laser field, exhibits a different intensity characteristics than in the equilibrium Kondo insulator, which could be explained by the Kondo collapse and related suppression of both intraband and interband contribution in Kondo melting liquid. This theoretical insight is accessible with time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and high-harmonic generation spectroscopy and will stimulate the investigation of nonequilibrium dynamics and nonlinear phenomenon in heavy fermion systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

OGLE-2018-BLG-0567Lb and OGLE-2018-BLG-0962Lb: Two Microlensing Planets through the Planetary-caustic Channel

We present the analyses of two microlensing events, OGLE-2018-BLG-0567 and OGLE-2018-BLG-0962. In both events, the short-lasting anomalies were densely and continuously covered by two high-cadence surveys. The light-curve modeling indicates that the anomalies are generated by source crossings over the planetary caustics induced by planetary companions to the hosts. The estimated planet/host separation (scaled to the angular Einstein radius θ {sub E}) and mass ratio are (s, q × 10{sup 3}) = (1.81 ± 0.02, 1.24 ± 0.07) and (s, q × 10{sup 3}) = (1.25 ± 0.03, 2.38 ± 0.08), respectively. From Bayesian analyses, we estimate the host and planet masses as (M{sub h},M{sub p})=(0.25{sub −0.13}{sup +0.27} M{sub ⊙},0.32{sub −0.17}{sup +0.34} M{sub J}) and (M{sub h},M{sub p})=(0.54{sub −0.28}{sup +0.33} M{sub ⊙},1.34{sub −0.70}{sup +0.82} M{sub J}), respectively. These planetary systems are located at a distance of 7.06{sub −1.15}{sup +0.93} kpc for OGLE-2018-BLG-0567 and 6.50{sub −1.75}{sup +1.06} kpc for OGLE-2018-BLG-0962, suggesting that they are likely to be near the Galactic bulge. The two events prove the capability of current high-cadence surveys for finding planets through the planetary-caustic channel. We find that most published planetary-caustic planets are found in Hollywood events in which the source size strongly contributes to the anomaly cross-section relative to the size of the caustic.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

An Isolated Microlens Observed from K2, Spitzer, and Earth

We present the result of microlensing event MOA-2016-BLG-290, which received observations from the two-wheel Kepler (K2), Spitzer, as well as ground-based observatories. A joint analysis of data from K2 and the ground leads to two degenerate solutions of the lens mass and distance. This degeneracy is effectively broken once the (partial) Spitzer light curve is included. Altogether, the lens is found to be an extremely low-mass star or brown dwarf (77(sup +34)(sub -23) M(sub J)) located in the Galactic bulge (6.8 ± 0.4 kpc). MOA-2016-BLG-290 is the first microlensing event for which we have signals from three well-separated (~1 au) locations. It demonstrates the power of two-satellite microlensing experiment in reducing the ambiguity of lens properties, as pointed out independently by S. Refsdal and A. Gould several decades ago.

microlensing event MOA-2016-BLG-290↗