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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 253 records · Page 14
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

On-chip parallel processing of quantum frequency comb

Abstract The frequency degree of freedom of optical photons has been recently explored for efficient quantum information processing. Significant reduction in hardware resources and enhancement of quantum functions can be expected by leveraging the large number of frequency modes. Here, we develope an integrated photonic platform for the generation and parallel processing of quantum frequency combs (QFCs). Cavity-enhanced parametric down-conversion with Sagnac configuration is implemented to generate QFCs with identical spectral distributions. On-chip quantum interference of different frequency modes is simultaneously realized with the same photonic circuit. High interference visibility is maintained across all frequency modes with the identical circuit setting. This enables the on-chip reconfiguration of QFCs. By deterministically separating QFCs without spectral filtering, we further demonstrate high-dimensional Hong-Ou-Mandel effect. Our work provides the critical step for the efficient implementation of quantum information processing with integrated photonics using the frequency degree of freedom.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2012

THE SCATTERING POLARIZATION OF THE Ly{alpha} LINES OF H I AND He II TAKING INTO ACCOUNT PARTIAL FREQUENCY REDISTRIBUTION AND J-STATE INTERFERENCE EFFECTS

Recent theoretical investigations have pointed out that the cores of the Ly{alpha} lines of H I and He II should show measurable scattering polarization signals when observing the solar disk, and that the magnetic sensitivity, through the Hanle effect, of such linear polarization signals is suitable for exploring the magnetism of the solar transition region. Such investigations were carried out in the limit of complete frequency redistribution (CRD) and neglecting quantum interference between the two upper J-levels of each line. Here we relax both approximations and show that the joint action of partial frequency redistribution and J-state interference produces much more complex fractional linear polarization (Q/I) profiles, with large amplitudes in their wings. Such wing polarization signals turn out to be very sensitive to the temperature structure of the atmospheric model, so that they can be exploited for constraining the thermal properties of the solar chromosphere. Finally, we show that the approximation of CRD without J-state interference is however suitable for estimating the amplitude of the linear polarization signals in the core of the lines, where the Hanle effect operates.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Unconventional supercurrent phase in Ising superconductor Josephson junction with atomically thin magnetic insulator

Abstract In two-dimensional (2D) NbSe 2 crystal, which lacks inversion symmetry, strong spin-orbit coupling aligns the spins of Cooper pairs to the orbital valleys, forming Ising Cooper pairs (ICPs). The unusual spin texture of ICPs can be further modulated by introducing magnetic exchange. Here, we report unconventional supercurrent phase in van der Waals heterostructure Josephson junctions (JJs) that couples NbSe 2 ICPs across an atomically thin magnetic insulator (MI) Cr 2 Ge 2 Te 6 . By constructing a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID), we measure the phase of the transferred Cooper pairs in the MI JJ. We demonstrate a doubly degenerate nontrivial JJ phase ( ϕ ), formed by momentum-conserving tunneling of ICPs across magnetic domains in the barrier. The doubly degenerate ground states in MI JJs provide a two-level quantum system that can be utilized as a new dissipationless component for superconducting quantum devices. Our work boosts the study of various superconducting states with spin-orbit coupling, opening up an avenue to designing new superconducting phase-controlled quantum electronic devices.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2025

Proposal for superconducting quantum networks using multioctave transduction to lower frequencies

We propose networking superconducting quantum circuits by transducing their excitations (typically 4–8 GHz) to 200–500 MHz photons for transmission via superconducting cryogenic coaxial cables. This frequency down-conversion reduces transmission losses and, counterintuitively, reduces noise. We introduce a multioctave asymmetrically threaded superconducting quantum interference device circuit capable of the required efficient, high-rate transduction. For a 100-meter cable with 𝑄 𝑖 = 10 5 at 10 mK, we theoretically show that our approach achieves single-photon fidelities of 0.962 at 200 MHz versus 0.772 at 8 GHz, and triples the lower bound on quantum channel capacity. In conclusion, this method enables highly efficient networking of superconducting qubits while maintaining high fidelities, combining improved performance with the practical advantages of flexible, compact coaxial cables.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

Imaging orbital ferromagnetism in a moiré Chern insulator

Capturing exotic magnetism Ferromagnetism is associated with the breaking of time-reversal symmetry, most frequently by the spin degree of freedom. Although the orbital motion of electrons can also contribute to ferromagnetism, in most materials, it is small relative to the spin contribution. Tschirhart et al. showed that the reverse is true in an unusual magnetic state hosted by twisted bilayer graphene. Their scanning magnetometry measurements were consistent with ferromagnetism of predominantly orbital origin. Science , abd3190, this issue p. 1323

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
DOE OSTI2021

Coherent Hopping Transport and Giant Negative Magnetoresistance in Epitaxial CsSnBr 3

Single-crystal inorganic halide perovskites are attracting interest for quantum device applications. Here we present low-temperature quantum magnetotransport measurements on thin film devices of epitaxial single-crystal CsSnBr 3 , which exhibit two-dimensional Mott variable range hopping (VRH) and giant negative magnetoresistance. These findings are described by a model for quantum interference between different directed hopping paths, and we extract the temperature-dependent hopping length of charge carriers, their localization length, and a lower bound for their phase coherence length of ~100 nm at low temperatures. These observations demonstrate that epitaxial halide perovskite devices are emerging as a material class for low-dimensional quantum coherent transport devices.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Topological surface superconductivity in FeSe 0.45 Te 0.55

The engineering of Majorana zero modes in topological superconductors, a paradigm for the realization of topological quantum computing and topology-based devices, has been hampered by the absence of materials with sufficiently large superconducting gaps. Recent experiments, however, have provided enthralling evidence for the existence of topological surface superconductivity in the iron-based superconductor FeSe 0.45 Te 0.55 possessing a full s> ± -wave gap of a few meV. Here, we propose a mechanism for the emergence of topological superconductivity on the surface of FeSe 0.45 Te 0.55 by demonstrating that the interplay between the s ± -wave symmetry of the superconducting gap, surface magnetism, and a Rashba spin–orbit interaction gives rise to robust topological superconducting phases. Moreover, the proposed mechanism explains a series of experimentally observed hallmarks of topological superconductivity, such as the emergence of Majorana zero modes in the center of vortex cores and at the end of line defects, as well as of chiral Majorana edge modes along domain walls. We also propose that the spatial distribution of supercurrents near a domain wall is a characteristic signature measurable via a scanning superconducting quantum interference device that can distinguish between chiral Majorana edge modes and trivial in-gap states.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2020

Clarifying the quantum mechanical origin of the covalent chemical bond

Lowering of the electron kinetic energy (KE) upon initial encounter of radical fragments has long been cited as the primary origin of the covalent chemical bond based on Ruedenberg’s pioneering analysis of H$^{+}_{2}$ and H 2 and presumed generalization to other bonds. This work reports KE changes during the initial encounter corresponding to bond formation for a range of different bonds; the results demand a re-evaluation of the role of the KE. Bonds between heavier elements, such as H 3 C–CH 3 , F–F, H 3 C–OH, H 3 C–SiH 3 , and F–SiF 3 behave in the opposite way to H$^{+}_{2}$ and H 2 , with KE often increasing on bringing radical fragments together (though the total energy change is substantially stabilizing). The origin of this difference is Pauli repulsion between the electrons forming the bond and core electrons. These results highlight the fundamental role of constructive quantum interference (or resonance) as the origin of chemical bonding. Differences between the interfering states distinguish one type of bond from another.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

Visible photoluminescence and room temperature ferromagnetism in high In-content InGaN:Yb nanorods grown by molecular beam epitaxy

We report the growth of high indium content InGaN:Yb nanorods grown on c-plane sapphire (0001) substrates using plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The in situ reflection high energy electron diffraction patterns recorded during and after the growth revealed crystalline nature of the nanorods. The nanorods were examined using electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The photoluminescence studies of the nanorods showed the visible emissions. The In composition was calculated from x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and the photoluminescence spectroscopy. The In-concentration was obtained from photoluminescence using modified Vegard's law and found to be around 37% for InGaN and 38% for Yb (5 ± 1%)-doped InGaN with a bowing parameter b = 1.01 eV. The Yb-doped InGaN showed significant enhancement in photoluminescence properties compared to the undoped InGaN. The Yb-doped InGaN nanorods demonstrated the shifting of the photoluminescence band at room temperature, reducing luminescence amplitude temperature dependent fluctuation, and significant narrowing of excitonic emission band as compared to the undoped InGaN. The magnetic properties measured by superconducting quantum interference devices reveals room temperature ferromagnetism, which can be explained by the double exchange mechanism and magnetostriction.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Spin-orbit enabled quantum transport channels in a two-hole double quantum dot

We analyze experimentally and theoretically the transport spectra of a gated lateral GaAs double quantum dot containing two holes. The strong spin-orbit interaction present in the hole subband lifts the Pauli spin blockade and allows to map out the complete spectra of the two-hole system. By performing measurements in both source-drain voltage directions, at different detunings and magnetic fields, we carry out quantitative fitting to a Hubbard two-site model accounting for the tunnel coupling to the leads and the spin-flip relaxation process. We extract the singlet-triplet gap and the magnetic field corresponding to the singlet-triplet transition in the double-hole ground state. Additionally, at the singlet-triplet transition we find a resonant enhancement (in the blockaded direction) and suppression of current (in the conduction direction). The current enhancement stems from the multiple resonance of two-hole levels, opening several conduction channels at once. The current suppression arises from the quantum interference of spin-conserving and spin-flipping tunneling processes.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Superconducting inductive displacement detection of a microcantilever

We demonstrate a superconducting inductive technique to measure the displacement of a micromechanical resonator. In our scheme, a type I superconducting microsphere is attached to the free end of a microcantilever and approached to the loop of a dc Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) microsusceptometer. A local magnetic field as low as 100 μT, generated by a field coil concentric to the SQUID, enables detection of the cantilever thermomechanical noise at 4.2 K. The magnetomechanical coupling and the magnetic spring are in good agreement with image method calculations assuming pure Meissner effect. These measurements are relevant to recent proposals of quantum magnetomechanics experiments based on levitating superconducting microparticles.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Tuning the inductance of Josephson junction arrays without SQUIDs

It is customary to use arrays of superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) for implementing magnetic field-tunable inductors. Here, we demonstrate an equivalent tunability in a (SQUID-free) array of single Al/AlOx/Al Josephson tunnel junctions. With the proper choice of junction geometry, a perpendicularly applied magnetic field bends along the plane of the superconductor and focuses into the tunnel barrier region due to a demagnetization effect. Consequently, the Josephson inductance can be efficiently modulated by the Fraunhofer-type supercurrent interference. The elimination of SQUIDs not only simplifies the device design and fabrication but also facilitates a denser packing of junctions, and, hence, a higher inductance per unit length. As an example, we demonstrate a transmission line, the characteristic impedance of which is field-tuned in the range of 4–8 kΩ, centered around the important value of the resistance quantum h/(2e)2≈6.5 kΩ.

Physics↗
DOE OSTI2013

Time dependent quantum thermodynamics of a coupled quantum oscillator system in a small thermal environment

Simulations are performed of a small quantum system interacting with a quantum environment. The system consists of various initial states of two harmonic oscillators coupled to give normal modes. The environment is “designed” by its level pattern to have a thermodynamic temperature. A random coupling causes the system and environment to become entangled in the course of time evolution. The approach to a Boltzmann distribution is observed, and effective fitted temperatures close to the designed temperature are obtained. All initial pure states of the system are driven to equilibrium at very similar rates, with quick loss of memory of the initial state. The time evolution of the von Neumann entropy is calculated as a measure of equilibration and of quantum coherence. It is pointed out using spatial density distribution plots that quantum interference is eliminated only with maximal entropy, which corresponds thermally to infinite temperature. Implications of our results for the notion of “classicalizing” behavior in the approach to thermal equilibrium are briefly considered.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Tomography of ultrarelativistic nuclei with polarized photon-gluon collisions

A linearly polarized photon can be quantized from the Lorentz-boosted electromagnetic field of a nucleus traveling at ultrarelativistic speed. When two relativistic heavy nuclei pass one another at a distance of a few nuclear radii, the photon from one nucleus may interact through a virtual quark-antiquark pair with gluons from the other nucleus, forming a short-lived vector meson (e.g., ρ 0 ). In this experiment, the polarization was used in diffractive photoproduction to observe a unique spin interference pattern in the angular distribution of ρ 0 → π + π – decays. The observed interference is a result of an overlap of two wave functions at a distance an order of magnitude larger than the ρ0 travel distance within its lifetime. The strong-interaction nuclear radii were extracted from these diffractive interactions and found to be 6.53 ± 0.06 fm ( 197 Au) and 7.29 ± 0.08 fm ( 238 U), larger than the nuclear charge radii. The observable is demonstrated to be sensitive to the nuclear geometry and quantum interference of nonidentical particles.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1972

Magnetic flux penetration into superconducting thin films.

The quantum-interference technique developed by Meservey (1965) is used to measure directly the absolute value of the penetration depth in lead in tin superconducting thin films. The technique assumes that the change in phase of the superconducting wave function around any contour within the superconductor must be 2 pi n, where n is a nonnegative integer. Results show that the critical current of a superconducting interferometer with two parallel junctions is not strictly periodic in the applied magnetic flux with a period equal to the flux quantum because of the magnetic field dependence of the critical currents of the junctions.

Peabody, G. E.↗
DOE OSTI2015

Coherent control of injection currents in high-quality films of Bi{sub 2}Se{sub 3}

Films of the topological insulator Bi{sub 2}Se{sub 3} are grown by molecular beam epitaxy with in-situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction. The films are shown to be high-quality by X-ray reflectivity and diffraction and atomic-force microscopy. Quantum interference control of photocurrents is observed by excitation with harmonically related pulses and detected by terahertz radiation. The injection current obeys the expected excitation irradiance dependence, showing linear dependence on the fundamental pulse irradiance and square-root irradiance dependence of the frequency-doubled optical pulses. The injection current also follows a sinusoidal relative-phase dependence between the two excitation pulses. These results confirm the third-order nonlinear optical origins of the coherently controlled injection current. Experiments are compared to a tight-binding band structure to illustrate the possible optical transitions that occur in creating the injection current.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2022

Observation of Coexisting Weak Localization and Superconducting Fluctuations in Strained Sn 1– x In x Te Thin Films

Topological superconductors have attracted tremendous excitement as they are predicted to host Majorana zero modes that can be utilized for topological quantum computing. Candidate topological superconductor Sn 1–x In x Te thin films (0 < x < 0.3) grown by molecular beam epitaxy and strained in the (111) plane are shown to host quantum interference effects in the conductivity coexisting with superconducting fluctuations above the critical temperature T c . An analysis of the normal state magnetoresistance reveals these effects. A crossover from weak antilocalization to localization is consistently observed in superconducting samples, indicating that superconductivity originates dominantly from charge carriers occupying trivial states that may be strongly spin–orbit split. A large enhancement of the conductivity is observed above T c , indicating the presence of superconducting fluctuations. Furthermore, our results motivate a re-examination of the debated pairing symmetry of this material when subjected to quantum confinement and lattice strain.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Ferrimagnetism of ultracold fermions in a multiband Hubbard system

Strongly correlated materials feature multiple electronic orbitals, which are crucial to accurately understanding their many-body properties. In such multiband models, quantum interference can lead to flat energy bands with large degeneracy that gives rise to itinerant magnetic phases. Here, we report on signatures of a ferrimagnetic state realized in a Lieb lattice with ultracold fermions, characterized by antialigned magnetic moments with antiferromagnetic correlations, and concomitant with a finite spin polarization. The signatures remain robust when increasing repulsive interactions from the weakly interacting to the Heisenberg regime and emerge when continuously tuning the lattice unit cell from a square to a Lieb geometry. Our flexible approach paves the way toward exploring exotic phases, such as quantum spin liquids in kagome lattices and heavy fermion behavior in Kondo models.

Lebrat, Martin [Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (Unit↗