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At least 235 records · Page 13

Investigating Laser Preheat and Applied Magnetic Fields Relevant to the MagLIF Fusion Scheme

The MAGnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF) scheme has achieved thermonuclear fusion yields on the Z Facility by imploding a cylindrical liner filled with D 2 fuel that is preheated with a multi-kJ laser and pre-magnetized with an axial Bz=10 T magnetic field. Preheating (T e = 100-200 eV) and pre-magnetizing (10-30 T) the fuel serves to reduce the implosion velocity required to achieve multi-keV fusion-relevant temperatures at stagnation with a modest radial convergence. The challenge of fuel preheat in MagLIF is to deposit multiple-kJ of energy into the underdense (n e /n c <0.1) fuel over ~10 mm target length efficiently and without introducing contaminants. Once the fuel is heated the applied axial magnetic field (ω ce τ e ~ 10) needs to suppress electron thermal conduction sufficiently to prevent unacceptable heat losses to the liner walls. In this LDRD we investigated laser energy deposition at two facilities: The OMEGA-EP laser at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics and the Z-beamlet laser at Sandia National Labs utilizing the PECOS chamber. Multiple experiments were carried out investigating laser transmission through LEH foils, laser heating of underdense gasses and the effects of magnetization on laser preheat. The studies find that magneto-hydrodynamic simulations are able to reproduce energy deposition at MagLIF-like conditions but that at the intensities currently used to preheat MagLIF significant laser plasma instabilities (LPI) occur which partly explain the inability of codes to reproduce previous MagLIF preheat studies. The experiments find that reducing the intensity and smoothing the beam dramatically reduces the amount of stimulated Brillouin backscatter and produces deposition profiles more similar to those produced in simulations. The experiments have provided a large and varied dataset that can be compared to simulations. As part of the LDRD new experimental capabilities have also been developed that will be used to design future MagLIF integrated experiments and investigate fuel magnetization.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Approximate constants of motion for classically chaotic vibrational dynamics - Vague tori, semiclassical quantization, and classical intramolecular energy flow

Substantial short time regularity, even in the chaotic regions of phase space, is found for what is seen as a large class of systems. This regularity manifests itself through the behavior of approximate constants of motion calculated by Pade summation of the Birkhoff-Gustavson normal form expansion; it is attributed to remnants of destroyed invariant tori in phase space. The remnant torus-like manifold structures are used to justify Einstein-Brillouin-Keller semiclassical quantization procedures for obtaining quantum energy levels, even in the absence of complete tori. They also provide a theoretical basis for the calculation of rate constants for intramolecular mode-mode energy transfer. These results are illustrated by means of a thorough analysis of the Henon-Heiles oscillator problem. Possible generality of the analysis is demonstrated by brief consideration of classical dynamics for the Barbanis Hamiltonian, Zeeman effect in hydrogen and recent results of Wolf and Hase (1980) for the H-C-C fragment.

Shirts, R. B.↗

Robust, Brillouin Active Embedded Fiber-Is-The-Sensor System in Smart Composite Structures

Extensive review of our proposed sensing scheme, based mainly on the forward Guided Acoustic Wave Brillouin Scattering (GAWBS) with backward stimulated Brillouin scattering (sBs) as an auxiliary scheme for system fault tolerance has been completed during this project period. This preliminary study is conducted for a number of reasons. The most significant reasons lie in the essential capability of the system to measure temperature and pressure. These two measurands have been proposed to be sensed by sBs in our proposal. Temperature and pressure/strain are important measurands in structural monitoring, so that the effectiveness of sensing by sBs needs to be further examined. It has been pointed out initially that sBs shift will be dependent on temperature and pressure/strain simultaneously. The shift versus temperature or strain is linear. Now, the question is how can these two measurands be separated when sBs is used to sense an environment, in which both temperature and strain are changing simultaneously. Typical sBs shift plotted versus strain and varying temperature is shown in Fig. 1. As is clear, a fiber initially stressed will relax with rising temperature. This is verified by a displacement to the right with rising temperature of the sBs shift vs strain curves in the figure. A way to circumvent this ambiguity is by employing two fibers, one pre-stressed and the other is a free fiber. The latter will measure temperature and subtracting data in the latter fiber from those of the former will give us net strain readings. This is a laborious approach, since it involves the use of two identical fibers, and this is hard to accomplish, especially when many sensors are needed. Additional multiplexing of the data stream for data subtraction becomes a necessity.

Yu, Chung↗

Quantum-Confined Lifshitz Transition on Weyl Semimetal T d -MoTe 2

Adsorption of alkali atoms onto material surfaces is widely utilized for controlling electronic properties and is particularly effective for two-dimensional materials. While tuning the chemical potential and band gap and creating quantum-confined states are well established for alkali adsorption on semiconductors, the effects on semimetallic systems remain largely elusive. Here, utilizing angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements and density functional theory calculations, we disclose the creation of two-dimensional electron gas and the quantum-confined Lifshitz transition at the surface of a Weyl semimetal T d -MoTe 2 by potassium adsorption. Electrons from potassium adatoms are shown to be transferred mainly to the lowest unoccupied band within the gapped part of the Brillouin zone, which, in turn, induces strong surface band bending and quantum confinement in the topmost layer. The quantum-confined topmost layer evolves from a semimetal to a strong metal with a Lifshitz transition departing substantially from the bulk band. The present finding and its underlying mechanism can be exploited for the creation of electronic heterojunctions in van der Waals semimetals.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Superconductivity in the Li-B-C system at 100 GPa

Layer Li-B-C compounds have been shown to have feasible superconductivity. Using the adaptive genetic algorithm, we predict the structures of the Li-B-C system at 100 GPa. Here we identify several low-enthalpy metallic phases with stoichiometries of Li B 2 C, Li B 3 C, Li 2 BC 2 , Li 3 B 2 C 3 , Li 3 BC, and Li 5 BC. Using a fast screening method of electron-phonon interaction, we find that Li B 3 C is a promising candidate for superconductivity. The consecutive calculations using the full Brillouin zone confirm the existence of the strong electron-phonon coupling (EPC) in this system. The anharmonic B-C phonon modes near the zone center provide the major contribution to the EPC. The EPC constant is 1.40, and the estimated critical temperature is 22 K. In this paper, we indicate that superconductivity can also happen without a layered structural motif in the Li-B-C system. We also demonstrate an effective strategy for crystal structure prediction of superconducting materials.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Effects of unique band structure of h -BN probed by photocurrent excitation spectroscopy

Here, by employing a photocurrent excitation spectroscopy measurement, a direct bandgap of ~6.46 eV has been resolved for the first time in thick B-10 enriched h-BN films. Together with previous band calculations, an unconventional energy diagram has been constructed to capture the unique features of h-BN: h-BN has a minimum direct bandgap of ~6.5 eV and a bandgap of ~6.1 eV which is indirect with the conduction band minimum (CBM) at M-point and valence band maximum (VBM) at K-point in the Brillouin zone, and the energy levels of the donor and acceptor impurities are measured relative to CBM and VBM, respectively.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Electronic Structure and Phase Stability of Yb-filled CoSb 3 Skutterudite Thermoelectrics from First Principles

Filling the large voids in the crystal structure of the skutterudite CoSb$_3$ with rattler atoms $R$ provides an avenue for both increasing carrier concentration and disrupting lattice heat transport, leading to impressive thermoelectric performance. While the influence of $R$ on the lattice dynamics of skutterudite materials has been well studied, the phase stability of $R$-filled skutterudite materials and the influence of the presence and ordering of $R$ on the electronic structure remain unclear. Here, focusing on the Yb-filled skutterudite Yb$_x$Co$_4$Sb$_{12}$, we employ first-principles methods to compute the phase stability and electronic structure. Yb-filled CoSb$_3$ exhibits (1) a mild tendency for phase separation into Yb-rich and Yb-poor regions and (2) a strong tendency for chemical decomposition into Co--Sb and Yb--Sb binaries (i.e., CoSb$_3$, CoSb$_2$, and YbSb$_2$). We find that, at reasonable synthesis temperatures, configurational entropy stabilizes single-phase solid solutions with limited Yb solubility, in agreement with experiments. Filling CoSb$_3$ with Yb increases the band gap, enhances the carrier effective masses, and generates new low-energy ``emergent'' conduction band minima, which is distinct from the traditional band convergence picture of aligning the energies of existing band extrema. The explicit presence of $R$ is necessary to achieve the emergent conduction band minima, though the rattler ordering does not strongly influence the electronic structure. The emergent conduction bands are spatially localized in the Yb-rich regions, unlike the delocalized electronic states at the Brillouin zone center that form the unfilled skutterudite band edges.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Interorbital nematicity and the origin of a single electron Fermi pocket in FeSe

The electronic structure of the enigmatic iron-based superconductor FeSe has puzzled researchers since spectroscopic probes failed to observe the expected electron pocket at the Y point in the 1-Fe Brillouin zone. It has been speculated that this pocket, essential for an understanding of the superconducting state, is either absent or incoherent. In this study, we perform a theoretical study of the preferred nematic order originating from nearest-neighbor Coulomb interactions in an electronic model relevant for FeSe. We find that at low temperatures the dominating nematic components are of interorbital d x z – d x y and d y z – d x y character, with spontaneously broken amplitudes for these two components. This interorbital nematic order naturally leads to distinct hybridization gaps at the X and Y points of the 1-Fe Brillouin zone, and may thereby produce highly anisotropic Fermi surfaces with only a single electron pocket at one of these momentum-space locations. The associated superconducting gap structure obtained with the generated low-energy electronic band structure from spin-fluctuation mediated pairing agrees well with that measured experimentally. Finally, from a comparison of the computed spin susceptibility to available neutron scattering data, we discuss the necessity of additional self-energy effects, and explore the role of orbital-dependent quasiparticle weights as a minimal means to include them.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Emergent flat band electronic structure in a VSe 2 /Bi 2 Se 3 heterostructure

Flat band electronic states are proposed to be a fundamental tool to achieve various quantum states of matter at higher temperatures due to the enhanced electronic correlations. However, materials with such peculiar electronic states are rare and often rely on subtle properties of the band structures. Here, by using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we show the emergent flat band in a VSe 2 / Bi 2 Se 3 heterostructure. Our photoemission study demonstrates that the flat band covers the entire Brillouin zone and exhibits 2D nature with a complex circular dichroism. In addition, the Dirac cone of Bi 2 Se 3 is not reshaped by the flat band even though they overlap in proximity of the Dirac point. These features make this flat band distinguishable from the ones previously found. Thereby, the observation of a flat band in the VSe 2 / Bi 2 Se 3 heterostructure opens a promising pathway to realize strongly correlated quantum effects in topological materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Spin-orbit coupling driven crossover from a starfruitlike nodal semimetal to Dirac and Weyl semimetal state in CaAuAs

Band crossings that occur on a mirror plane are compelled to form nodal loops in the momentum space in the absence of spin-orbit coupling (SOC). When other equivalent mirror planes are present, multiple such nodal loops can combine to form interesting topological structures involving crossed nodal lines. Here, based on first-principles calculations and an effective k ⋅ p model analysis, we show that CaAuAs hosts a unique starfruitlike crossed-nodal-line structure in the bulk electronic dispersion, which is comprised of three nodal loops that cross each other at the time-reversal-invariant momentum point A. When the SOC is turned on, the nodal loops are gapped out, resulting in a stable Dirac semimetal state with a pair of Dirac points along the Γ−A direction in the Brillouin zone. These Dirac points are protected by the combination of time-reversal, inversion, and C 3 rotation symmetries. Here we discuss how a systematic elimination of the symmetry constraints yields a Weyl semimetal and eventually a topological insulator state.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Electrical transport and torque magnetometry studies of the kagome compound LuV 6 ⁢Sn 6 under high magnetic fields

We present a comprehensive investigation of the kagome metal LuV 6 ⁢Sn 6 through magnetotransport and torque magnetometry studies in magnetic fields up to 41 T and temperatures as low as 0.3 K. Magnetoresistance measurements up to 31 T reveal clear Shubnikov–de Haas (SdH) oscillations with two dominant frequency peaks: 𝐹 𝛼 =12 T and 𝐹 𝛽 =155 T. The Berry phase Φ 𝐁 , calculated from Landau level fan diagrams, indicates a nontrivial topology for both the 𝛼- and 𝛽-orbits. To explore the possibility of higher-frequency signals in LuV 6 ⁢Sn 6 , we employed another technique: torque magnetometry. Torque measured with applied fields up to 41 T reveals clear de Haas–van Alphen (dHvA) oscillations, with frequency signals as high as 10 kT. Angular and temperature-dependent quantum oscillation measurements allowed us to extract the effective mass of charge carriers and map the Fermi surface of LuV 6 ⁢Sn 6 . To complement the experimental findings, we performed electronic band structure and Fermi surface calculations. The electronic bands of LuV 6 ⁢Sn 6 reveal intriguing features, including flat bands, van Hove singularities, and Dirac points near the Fermi level. Two bands cross the Fermi level, contributing a deformed cylindrical shape at the Γ-point and small chainlike Fermi surfaces near the Brillouin zone boundaries. Theoretical quantum oscillation frequencies derived from Fermi surface cross-sectional areas align well with experimental SdH and dHvA results. These combined experimental and theoretical insights provide a deeper understanding of the electronic structure of LuV 6 ⁢Sn 6 and establish the foundation for exploring electronic properties in other vanadium- and titanium-based kagome systems.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Pilot-Scale Validation of Distributed Optical Fiber Sensors for Underground Pipeline Monitoring

Monitoring parameters such as hoop strain, pressure, and acoustic vibrations is key to detecting potential leaks, intrusions, or structural issues. Distributed optical fiber sensor (DOFS) systems provide a compelling solution for continuous, real-time monitoring over long distances. This paper details the development and pilot-scale implementation of DOFS systems for underground pipeline monitoring, evolving from a proof-of-concept stage. Multiple custom-designed DOFS interrogator units—such as optical frequency-domain reflectometry (OFDR), Brillouin optical time-domain analysis (BOTDA), and multimodal interferometer-based fiber acoustic sensor systems were tested to measure the key parameters, such as hoop strain, pipe pressure, surrounding soil temperature, and acoustic vibrations. The underground product pipeline’s outer diameter is 30 inches, the wall thickness is 1.28 inches, and 3 feet deep from the surface. The fiber deployment strategies and sensing data acquisition methods for these systems are discussed. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of DOFS in detecting hoop strain, temperature changes, and acoustic vibrations, showcasing their potential for real-time monitoring and enhancing pipeline safety. These findings from pilot-scale testing offer valuable insights into advancing pipeline monitoring technologies and improving the reliability of underground pipeline systems.

fiber optic sensors↗

Symmetry-driven persistent spin texture for the two-dimensional nonsymmorphic CdTe and ZnTe crystal structures

In this paper, two nonsymmorphic two-dimensional structures of CdTe and ZnTe are modeled, and using state-of-the-art density functional theory with the group theory of solids, their symmetry-enforced electronic properties are studied. The in-plane ferroelectricity coupled with strong spin-orbit coupling induces a unidirectional out-of-plane Rashba spin-orbit field that can host a momentum-independent uniform spin configuration known as persistent spin texture (PST) at the Brillouin zone center. PST in these structures is found to be robust against external perturbations such as strain, structural distortion, and independent of layer thickness. These unprecedented intrinsic spin transport properties hold utmost importance in spintronics, as the experimental stringent condition of equal Rashba and Dresselhaus constants [Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 146801 (2003)] is eliminated. The calculated persistent spin helix wavelength of <~5 nm paves the way for developing next-generation nanosized nonballistic spin field-effect transistors compared with micrometer-sized GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells. Further, these materials exhibit finite spin Hall conductivity at the band edges and hence can be used in ferromagnet-free spin Hall transistors. Although CdTe and ZnTe systems have been widely studied for photocatalysis and solar cell applications over the past few decades, their potential application in spintronic devices has not been explored. Mono/few layers of CdTe and ZnTe synthesized from (110) facets of bulk zinc-blende crystals [Nat. Commun. 3, 1057 (2012)] satisfy all symmetry operations of the nonsymmorphic space group and hence can be considered ideal materials to verify our theoretical results experimentally.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

A Filon-like integration strategy for calculating exact exchange in periodic boundary conditions: a plane-wave DFT implementation

An efficient and accurate approach for calculating exact exchange and other two-electron integrals has been developed for periodic electronic structure methods. Traditional approaches used for integrating over the Brillouin zone in band structure calculations, e.g. trapezoidal or Monkhorst-Pack, are not accurate enough for two-electron integrals. This is because their integrands contain multiple singularities over the double integration of the Brillouin zone, which with simple integration methods lead to very inaccurate results. A common approach to this problem has been to replace the Coulomb interaction with a screened Coulomb interaction that removes singularities from the integrands in the two-electron integrals, albeit at the inelegance of having to introduce a screening factor which must precomputed or guessed. Instead of introducing screened Coulomb interactions in an ad hoc way, the method developed in this work derives an effective screened potential using a Filon-like integration approach that is based only on the lattice parameters. This approach overcomes the limitations of traditionally defined screened Coulomb interactions for calculating two-electron integrals, and makes chemistry many-body calculations tractable in periodic boundary conditions. This method has been applied to several systems for which conventional DFT methods do not work well, including the reaction pathways for the addition of H 2 to phenol and Au$^{–}_{20}$ nanoparticle, and the electron transfer of a charge trapped state in the Fe(II) containing mica, annite.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Ab initio anharmonic thermodynamic properties of cubic Ca Si O 3 perovskite

We present an ab initio study of the thermodynamic properties of cubic CaSiO 3 perovskite (CaPv) over the pressure and temperature range of the Earth's lower mantle. We compute the anharmonic phonon dispersions throughout the Brillouin zone by utilizing the phonon quasiparticle approach, which characterizes the intrinsic temperature dependence of phonon frequencies and, in principle, captures full anharmonicity. Such temperature-dependent phonon dispersions are used to calculate ab initio free energy in the thermodynamic limit (N → ∞) within the framework of the phonon gas model. Accurate free energy calculations enable us to investigate cubic CaPv's thermodynamic properties, e.g., thermal expansivity, Grüneisen parameter, bulk modulus, heat capacity and thermal equation of state, where anharmonic effects are demonstrated. Furthermore, the present methodology provides an important theoretical approach for exploring phase boundaries, thermodynamic, and thermoelastic properties of strongly anharmonic materials at high pressures and temperatures.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Spin-density fluctuations and the fluctuation-dissipation theorem in 3 d ferromagnetic metals

Spatial and time scales of spin-density fluctuations (SDFs) were analyzed in 3d ferromagnets using ab initio linear-response calculations of complete wave-vector and energy dependence of the dynamic spin susceptibility tensor. We demonstrate that SDFs are spread continuously over the entire Brillouin zone and while the majority of them reside within the 3d bandwidth, a significant amount comes from much higher energies. A validity of the adiabatic approximation in spin dynamics is discussed. The SDF spectrum is shown to have two main constituents: a minor low-energy spin-wave contribution and a much larger high-energy component from more localized excitations. Furthermore, using the fluctuation-dissipation theorem, the on-site spin correlator and the related effective fluctuating moment were properly evaluated and their universal dependence on the 3d band population is further discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Pairing Correlations across the Superfluid Phase Transition in the Unitary Fermi Gas

In the two-component Fermi gas with a contact interaction, a pseudogap regime can exist at temperatures between the superfluid critical temperature $T_c$ and a temperature $T^\ast > T_c$. This regime is characterized by pairing correlations without superfluidity. However, in the unitary limit of infinite scattering length, the existence of this regime is still debated. To help address this, we have applied finite-temperature auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo (AFMC) methods to study the thermodynamics of the superfluid phase transition and signatures of the pseudogap in the spin-balanced homogeneous unitary Fermi gas. We present results at finite filling factor $\textit{ν}$ ≃ 0.06 for the condensate fraction, an energy-staggering pairing gap, the spin susceptibility, and the heat capacity, and compare them to experimental data when available. In contrast to previous AFMC simulations, our model space consists of the complete first Brillouin zone of the lattice, and our calculations are performed in the canonical ensemble of fixed particle number. The canonical ensemble AFMC framework enables the calculation of a model-independent gap, providing direct information on pairing correlations without the need for numerical analytic continuation. We use finite-size scaling to estimate $T_c$ at the corresponding filling factor. In this work, we find that the energy-staggering pairing gap vanishes above $T_c$, showing no pseudogap effects, and that the spin susceptibility shows a substantially reduced signature of a spin gap compared to previously reported AFMC simulations.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗