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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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34 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Weak entanglement approximation for nuclear structure

The interacting shell model, a configuration-interaction method, is a venerable approach for low-lying nuclear structure calculations, but it is hampered by the exponential growth of its basis dimension as one increases the single-particle space and/or the number of active particles. Recent, quantum-information-inspired work has demonstrated that the proton and neutron sectors of a nuclear wave function are weakly entangled. Furthermore, the entanglement is smaller for nuclides away from N = Z, such as heavy, neutron-rich nuclides. Here, in this study, we implement a weak entanglement approximation to bipartite configuration-interaction wave functions, approximating low-lying levels by coupling a relatively small number of many-proton and many-neutron states. This truncation scheme, which we present in the context of past approaches, reduces the basis dimension by many orders of magnitude while preserving essential features of nuclear spectra.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Spin correlations in the Drell–Yan process, parton entanglement, and other unconventional QCD effects

We review ideas on the structure of the QCD vacuum which had served as motivation for the discussion of various non-standard QCD effects in high-energy reactions in articles from 1984 to 1995. These effects include, in particular, transverse-momentum and spin correlations in the Drell–Yan process and soft photon production in hadron–hadron collisions. We discuss the relation of the approach introduced in the above-mentioned articles to the approach, developed later, using transverse-momentum-dependent parton distributions (TDMs). The latter approach is a special case of our more general one which allows for parton entanglement in high-energy reactions. We discuss signatures of parton entanglement in the Drell–Yan reaction. Also for Higgs-boson production in pp collisions via gluon–gluon annihilation effects of entanglement of the two gluons are discussed and are found to be potentially important. These effects can be looked for in the current LHC experiments. In our opinion studying parton-entanglement effects in high-energy reactions is, on the one hand, very worthwhile by itself and, on the other hand, it allows to perform quantitative tests of standard factorisation assumptions. Clearly, the experimental observation of parton-entanglement effects in the Drell–Yan reaction and/or in Higgs-boson production would have a great impact on our understanding how QCD works in high-energy collisions.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2024

Observation of quantum entanglement with top quarks at the ATLAS detector

Abstract Entanglement is a key feature of quantum mechanics 1–3 , with applications in fields such as metrology, cryptography, quantum information and quantum computation 4–8 . It has been observed in a wide variety of systems and length scales, ranging from the microscopic 9–13 to the macroscopic 14–16 . However, entanglement remains largely unexplored at the highest accessible energy scales. Here we report the highest-energy observation of entanglement, in top–antitop quark events produced at the Large Hadron Collider, using a proton–proton collision dataset with a centre-of-mass energy of √s = 13 TeV and an integrated luminosity of 140 inverse femtobarns (fb) −1 recorded with the ATLAS experiment. Spin entanglement is detected from the measurement of a single observableD, inferred from the angle between the charged leptons in their parent top- and antitop-quark rest frames. The observable is measured in a narrow interval around the top–antitop quark production threshold, at which the entanglement detection is expected to be significant. It is reported in a fiducial phase space defined with stable particles to minimize the uncertainties that stem from the limitations of the Monte Carlo event generators and the parton shower model in modelling top-quark pair production. The entanglement marker is measured to beD = −0.537 ± 0.002 (stat.) ± 0.019 (syst.) for$$340\,{\rm{GeV}} < {m}_{t\bar{t}} < 380\,{\rm{GeV}}$$ 340 GeV < m t t ¯ < 380 GeV . The observed result is more than five standard deviations from a scenario without entanglement and hence constitutes the first observation of entanglement in a pair of quarks and the highest-energy observation of entanglement so far.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
DOE OSTI2025

Quantum entanglement correlations in double quark PDFs

Methods from Quantum Information Theory are used to scrutinize quantum correlations encoded in the two-quark density matrix over light-cone momentum fractions x 1 and x 2 . A nonperturbative three quark model light-cone wavefunction predicts significant nonclassical correlations associated with the “entanglement negativity” measure for asymmetric and small quark momentum fractions. We perform one step of QCD scale evolution of the entire density matrix, not just its diagonal (dPDF), by computing collinearly divergent corrections due to the emission of a gluon. Finally, we present first qualitative numerical results for single-step scale evolution of quantum entanglement correlations in double quark PDFs. At a higher Q 2 scale, the nonclassical correlations manifest in the dPDF for nearly symmetric momentum fractions.

Entanglement in field theory↗
DOE OSTI2025

Quantum magic and multipartite entanglement in the structure of nuclei

Motivated by the Gottesman-Knill theorem, we present a detailed study of the quantum complexity of p -shell and s d -shell nuclei. Valence-space nuclear shell-model wave functions generated by the code are mapped to qubit registers using the Jordan-Wigner mapping (12 qubits for the p shell and 24 qubits for the s d shell), from which measures of the many-body entanglement ( n -tangles) and magic (nonstabilizerness) are determined. While exact evaluations of these measures are possible for nuclei with a modest number of active nucleons, Monte Carlo simulations are required for the more complex nuclei. The broadly applicable Pauli-string I ̂ Z ̂ exact (PSIZe) Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) technique is introduced to accelerate the evaluation of measures of magic in deformed nuclei (with hierarchical wave functions), by factors of ≈ 8 for some nuclei. Significant multinucleon entanglement is found in the s d shell, dominated by proton-neutron configurations, along with significant measures of magic. This is evident not only for the deformed states, but also for nuclei on the path to instability via regions of shape coexistence and level inversion. These results indicate that quantum-computing resources will accelerate precision simulations of such nuclei and beyond. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Random and Block Sulfonated Polyaramides as Advanced Proton Exchange Membranes

We present here the experimental and computational characterization of two novel copolyaramide proton exchange membranes (PEMs) with higher conductivity than Nafion at relatively high temperatures, good mechanical properties, high thermal stability, and the capability to operate in low humidity conditions. The random and block copolyaramide PEMs are found to possess different ion exchange capacities (IEC) in addition to subtle structural and morphological differences, which impact the stability and conductivity of the membranes. SAXS patterns indicate the ionomer peak for the dry block copolymer resides at q = 0.1 Å –1 , which increases in amplitude when initially hydrated to 25% relative humidity, but then decrease in amplitude with additional hydration. This pattern is hypothesized to signal the transport of water into the polymer matrix resulting in a reduced degree of phase separation. Coupled to these morphological changes, the enhanced proton transport characteristics and structural/mechanical stability for the block copolymer are hypothesized to be primarily due to the ordered structure of ionic clusters that create connected proton transport pathways while reducing swelling upon hydration. Interestingly, the random copolymer did not possess an ionomer peak at any of the hydration levels investigated, indicating a lack of any significant ionomer structure. The random copolymer also demonstrated higher proton conductivity than the block copolymer, which is opposite to the trend normally seen in polymer membranes. However, it has reduced structural/mechanical stability as compared to the block copolymer. In conclusion, this reduction in stability is due to the random morphology formed by entanglements of polymer chains and the adverse swelling characteristics upon hydration. Therefore, the block copolymer with its enhanced proton conductivity characteristics, as compared to Nafion, and favorable structural/mechanical stability, as compared to the random copolymer, represents a viable alternative to current proton exchange membranes.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2026

Probing quantum entanglement with generalized parton distributions at the Electron-Ion Collider

Within the collinear factorization framework based on generalized parton distributions, we calculate the spin density matrix of exclusively produced quark and antiquark pairs $𝑢\bar{𝑢}$, $𝑑⁢\bar{d}$, $𝑠⁢\bar{𝑠}$, $𝑐\bar{⁢𝑐}$, $𝑏\bar{𝑏}$ in electron-proton scattering. The presence of both real and imaginary parts in the scattering amplitudes leads to a rich pattern of entanglement between the quark and the antiquark. We map out kinematical regions where the pairs exhibit entanglement, Bell nonlocality, and nonstabilizerness. We also predict that massive quarks and antiquarks are transversely polarized, similar to the well-known transverse hyperon polarization in unpolarized collisions. In strangeness, charm, and bottom productions, the polarization can reach 50%–80% in certain kinematic regions in the low-energy runs of the Electron-Ion Collider.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Entanglement entropy production in deep inelastic scattering

Deep inelastic scattering (DIS) samples a part of the wave function of a hadron in the vicinity of the light cone. Lipatov constructed a spin chain which describes the amplitude of DIS in leading logarithmic approximation. Kharzeev and Levin proposed the entanglement entropy as an observable in DIS [Phys. Rev. D 95, 114008 (2017)], and suggested a relation between the entanglement entropy and parton distributions. Here we represent the DIS process as a local quench in Lipatov’s spin chain and study the time evolution of the produced entanglement entropy. We show that the resulting entanglement entropy depends on time logarithmically, $\mathcal{S}(t) = 1/3 ln(t/τ)$ with $τ = 1/m for 1/m ≤ t ≤ (mx)^{–1}$, where m is the proton mass and $\textit{x}$ is the Bjorken $\textit{x}$. The central charge c of Lipatov’s spin chain is determined here to be $\textit{c}$ = 1; using the proposed relation between the entanglement entropy and parton distributions, this corresponds to the gluon structure function growing at small $\textit{x}$ as $xG(x) ~ 1/x^{1/3}$.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Long-Range Azimuthal Correlation, Entanglement, and Bell Inequality Violation by Spinning Gluons at the Large Hadron Collider

We apply the recently developed concept of the nucleon energy–energy correlator (NEEC) for the gluon sector to investigate the long-range azimuthal angular correlations in proton–proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider. The spinning gluon in these collisions will introduce substantial nonzero cos(2Φ) asymmetries in both Higgs boson and top quark pair productions, where Φ is the azimuthal angle between the forward and backward energy correlators in the NEEC observables. The genesis of the cos(2Φ) correlation lies in the intricate quantum entanglement. Owing to the substantial cos(2Φ) effect, the NEEC observable in Higgs boson and $t\bar{t}$ production emerges as a pivotal avenue for delving into quantum entanglement and scrutinizing the Bell inequality at high-energy colliders.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Photocatalytic Aqueous CO 2 Reduction to CO and CH 4 Sensitized by Ullazine Supramolecular Polymers

There has been rapid progress on the chemistry of supramolecular scaffolds that harness sunlight for aqueous photocatalytic production of hydrogen. However, great efforts are still needed to develop similar photosynthetic systems for the great challenge of CO 2 reduction especially if they avoid the use of nonabundant metals. This work investigates the synthesis of supramolecular polymers capable of sensitizing catalysts that require more negative potentials than proton reduction. The monomers are chromophore amphiphiles based on a diareno-fused ullazine core that undergo supramolecular polymerization in water to create entangled nanoscale fibers. Under 450 nm visible light these fibers sensitize a dinuclear cobalt catalyst for CO 2 photoreduction to generate carbon monoxide and methane using a sacrificial electron donor. The supramolecular photocatalytic system can generate amounts of CH 4 comparable to those obtained with a precious metal-based [Ru(phen) 3 ](PF 6 ) 2 sensitizer and, in contrast to Ru-based catalysts, retains photocatalytic activity in all aqueous media over 6 days. Furthermore, the present study demonstrates the potential of tailored supramolecular polymers as renewable energy and sustainability materials.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2012

Rerouting Carbon Flux To Enhance Photosynthetic Productivity

The bioindustrial production of fuels, chemicals, and therapeutics typically relies upon carbohydrate inputs derived from agricultural plants, resulting in the entanglement of food and chemical commodity markets. We demonstrate the efficient production of sucrose from a cyanobacterial species, Synechococcus elongatus, heterologously expressing a symporter of protons and sucrose (cscB). cscB-expressing cyanobacteria export sucrose irreversibly to concentrations of >10 mM without culture toxicity. Moreover, sucrose-exporting cyanobacteria exhibit increased biomass production rates relative to wild-type strains, accompanied by enhanced photosystem II activity, carbon fixation, and chlorophyll content. The genetic modification of sucrose biosynthesis pathways to minimize competing glucose-or sucrose-consuming reactions can further improve sucrose production, allowing the export of sucrose at rates of up to 36.1 mg liter(-1) h illumination(-1). This rate of production exceeds that of previous reports of targeted, photobiological production from microbes. Engineered S. elongatus produces sucrose in sufficient quantities (up to similar to 80% of total biomass) such that it may be a viable alternative to sugar synthesis from terrestrial plants, including sugarcane.

Ducat, DC↗
DOE OSTI2025

Quantum entropy as a harbinger of factorizability

Deeply inelastic scattering (DIS) is a powerful probe for investigating the QCD structure of hadronic matter and testing the standard model (SM). DIS can be described through QCD factorization theorems which separate contributions to the scattering interaction arising from disparate scales — e.g ., with nonperturbative matrix elements associated with long distances and a perturbative hard scattering kernel applying to short-distance parton-level interactions. The fundamental underpinnings of factorization may be recast in the quantum-theoretic terms of entanglement, (de)coherence, and system localization in a fashion which sheds complementary light on the dynamics at work in DIS from QCD bound states. In this Letter, we propose and quantitatively test such a quantum-information theoretic approach for dissecting factorization in DIS and its domain of validity; we employ metrics associated with quantum entanglement such as a differential quantum entropy and associated Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergences in numerical tests. We deploy these methods on an archetypal quark-spectator model of the proton, for which we monitor quantum decoherence in DIS as underlying model parameters are varied. On this basis, we demonstrate quantitatively how factorization-breaking effects may be imprinted on quantum entropies in a kinematic regime where leading-twist factorization increasingly receives large corrections from finite- Q 2 effects; our findings suggest potential applications of quantum simulation to QCD systems and their interactions.

Deep inelastic scattering↗
DOE OSTI2021

Quantum Sensing of Electron Transfer Pathways in Natural Photosynthesis Using Time-Resolved High-Field Electron Paramagnetic Resonance/Electron–Nuclear Double Resonance Spectroscopy

Photosynthetic integral membrane reaction center (RC) proteins capture and convert sunlight into chemical energy via efficient charge separation achieved through a series of rapid, photoinitiated electron transfer steps. These fast electron transfers create an entangled spin qubit (radical) pair that contains detailed information about the weak magnetic interactions, structure, and dynamics of localized protein environments involved in charge separation events. In this work, we investigate how these entangled electron spin qubits interact with nuclear spins of the protein environment using the high spectral resolution of 130 GHz electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR). Spectroscopic interrogation enabled the observation and probing of protons located in the electron transfer pathway between the membrane-spanning electron pair P + Q A - (where P + is the primary donor, a special pair of bacteriochlorophylls, and Q A is the primary quinone acceptor) in the bacterial RC. Spectroscopic analysis reveals hydrogen-bonding interactions involved in regulating the route that light-induced electrons travel through the RC protein during charge separation.

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

A new look at the position operator in quantum theory

The postulate that coordinate and momentum representations are related to each other by the Fourier transform has been accepted from the beginning of quantum theory by analogy with classical electrodynamics. As a consequence, an inevitable effect in standard theory is the wave packet spreading (WPS) of the photon coordinate wave function in directions perpendicular to the photon momentum. This leads to the following paradoxes: if the major part of photons emitted by stars are in wave packet states (what is the most probable scenario) then we should see not separate stars but only an almost continuous background from all stars; no anisotropy of the CMB radiation should be observable; data on gamma-ray bursts, signals from directional radio antennas (in particular, in experiments on Shapiro delay) and signals from pulsars show no signs of WPS. In addition, a problem arises why there are no signs of WPS for protons in the LHC ring. We argue that the above postulate is based neither on strong theoretical arguments nor on experimental data and propose a new consistent definition of the position operator. Then WPS in directions perpendicular to the particle momentum is absent and the paradoxes are resolved. Different components of the new position operator do not commute with each other and, as a consequence, there is no wave function in coordinate representation. Implications of the results for entanglement, quantum locality and the problem of time in quantum theory are discussed.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Characterization of the quantum state of top quark pairs produced in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV using the beam and helicity bases

Measurements of the spin correlation coefficients in the beam basis are presented for top quark-antiquark $(t\bar{t}⁢)$ systems produced in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV collected by the CMS experiment in 2016–2018, and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb −1 . The $t\bar{t}$ system is reconstructed from final states containing an electron or muon and jets. Together with the previously reported results in the helicity basis, these measurements are used to decompose the system into the Bell and spin eigenstates in various kinematic regions. The spin correlation coefficients are also used to evaluate properties of the $t\bar{t}$ quantum state, such as the purity, von Neumann entropy, and entanglement. All results are consistent with standard model predictions.

Hayrapetyan, Aram [Yerevan Physics Institute]↗
DOE OSTI2026

Measuring spin correlation between quarks during QCD confinement

The vacuum is now understood to have a rich and complex structure, characterized by fluctuating energy fields and a condensate of virtual quark–antiquark pairs. The spontaneous breaking of the approximate chiral symmetry, signalled by the nonvanishing quark condensate $\langle$$q\bar{q}$$\rangle$, is dynamically generated through topologically nontrivial gauge configurations such as instantons. The precise mechanism linking the chiral symmetry breaking to the mass generation associated with quark confinement remains a profound open question in quantum chromodynamics (QCD)—the fundamental theory of strong interaction. High-energy proton–proton collisions could liberate virtual quark–antiquark pairs from the vacuum that subsequently undergo confinement to form hadrons, whose properties could serve as probes into QCD confinement and the quark condensate. Here we report evidence of spin correlations in $Λ\bar{Λ}$ hyperon pairs inherited from spin-correlated strange quark–antiquark virtual pairs. Measurements by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory reveal a relative polarization signal of (18 ± 4)% that links the virtual spin-correlated quark pairs from the QCD vacuum to their final-state hadron counterparts. Crucially, this correlation vanishes when the hyperon pairs are widely separated in angle, consistent with the decoherence of the quantum system. Our findings provide a new experimental model for exploring the dynamics and interplay of quark confinement and entanglement.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗