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At least 721 records · Page 40

Time-resolved magneto-optical effects in the altermagnet candidate MnTe

α -MnTe is an antiferromagnetic semiconductor with above room temperature T N = 310 K, which is promising for spintronic applications. Recently, it was reported to be an altermagnet, containing bands with momentum-dependent spin splitting; time-resolved experimental probes of MnTe are, therefore, important both for understanding novel magnetic properties and potential device applications. Here, we investigate ultrafast spin dynamics in epitaxial MnTe(001)/InP(111) thin films using pump-probe magneto-optical measurements in the Kerr configuration. At room temperature, we observe an oscillation mode at 55 GHz that does not appear at zero magnetic field. Combining field and polarization dependence, we identify this mode as a magnon, likely originating from inverse stimulated Raman scattering. Magnetic field-dependent oscillations persist up to at least 335 K, which could reflect coupling to known short-range magnetic order in MnTe above T N . Additionally, we observe two optical phonons at 3.6 and 4.2 THz, which broaden and redshift with increasing temperature.

Gray, Isaiah↗

Detection of atomic oxygen and its electronic coherence decays using time-resolved ultrafast coherent Raman scattering

We report the detection of atomic oxygen and quantitative measurements of its electronic Raman coherence decays in flames and low-temperature plasmas using time-resolved hybrid femtosecond/picosecond coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS). Atomic oxygen was detected using the Raman transitions between the spin–orbit coupled triplet ground states. Atomic oxygen was generated in an H 2 /O 2 /Ar diffusion flame and an O 2 /Ar pulsed plasma discharge. Single exponential decays were observed for the O( 3 P 2 )–O( 3 P 1 ) Raman transition at 158.3 cm −1 and the O( 3 P 2 )–O( 3 P 0 ) Raman transition at 227 cm −1 . From the decay measurements, the atomic O Raman linewidths were obtained from 25 to 150 Torr in non-equilibrium plasma and at 760 Torr in a flame. Enhanced signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of atomic oxygen and atomic to molecular oxygen signal contrasts were obtained by taking advantage of electronic triplet coherence beating. Enhancement of up to seven times in the atomic O SNR was observed. Furthermore, we also found that the dephasing rates of O 2 (v = 0–3, N = 37) were similar, which provides evidence for the assumption that vibrational excitation does not influence the dephasing of diatomic molecular rotational CARS transitions.

Atomic and molecular spectroscopy↗

Spatially and temporally resolved plasma parameter estimations of laser heated MagLIF relevant gas pipes at NIF

The ability to control laser pre-heat is an integral part of the inertial confinement fusion concept known as Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion. This process is studied at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) where 4 of the 192 laser beams are propagated through a 1-cm long gas cell where they deposit >20 kJ of energy into the gaseous fuel via inverse bremsstrahlung absorption. This process ionizes the gas, producing a plasma that follows behind the laser front and expands over the radius of the cell. Emission from this plasma, as viewed by a gated x-ray detector, can be used to build spatially and temporally resolved estimations of the pre-heat plasma's density and temperature profiles. This can then be used to estimate the plasma pressure, internal energy, and radiation losses. Estimations show the evolution of the plasma in magnetized and unmagnetized gas cells filled with ambient temperature neopentane (C5H12) +1% Ar, as well as unmagnetized cryogenically cooled (32 K) deuterium +1% Ne filled targets. This analysis shows the effects of initial gas-fill density, composition, and axial magnetization on the time-dependent plasma parameters. Previously, these parameters at the NIF had not been experimentally characterized, and these estimations provided a potential new means of testing radiation magneto-hydrodynamic predictive capability models. Results in unmagnetized targets have strong agreement with simulations. However, in targets with a 19 T applied axial magnetic field, this method yields electron temperatures up to 100% hotter than those predicted by HYDRA codes.

Bremsstrahlung↗

A convergence metric for counting statistics in time-resolved small angle neutron scattering

Here, this work introduces a model-independent, dimensionless metric for predicting optimal measurement duration in time-resolved small-angle neutron scattering using early-time data. Built on a Gaussian process regression framework, the method reconstructs scattering profiles with quantified uncertainty, even from sparse or noisy measurements. Demonstrated on the EQ-SANS instrument at the Spallation Neutron Source, the approach generalizes to general SANS instruments with a two-dimensional detector. A key result is the discovery of a dimensionless convergence metric revealing a universal power-law scaling in profile evolution across soft matter systems. When time is normalized by a system-specific characteristic time t*, the variation in inferred profiles collapses onto a single curve with an exponent between −2 and −1. This trend emerges within the first ten time steps, enabling early prediction of measurement sufficiency. The method supports real-time experimental optimization and is especially valuable for maximizing efficiency in low-flux environments such as compact accelerator-based neutron sources.

Tung, Chi-Huan [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORN↗

Time-resolved unsteady shock motion and spectral analysis of a hypersonic shock-wave/boundary-layer interaction over a double-cone

Direct experimental measurements of double-cone shock-wave/boundary-layer interaction dynamics at Mach 7.2 were collected using a schlieren-based shock-detection algorithm at the University of Texas at San Antonio. The points of flow separation and reattachment were spatially and spectrally evaluated at 300 kHz for time-resolved characterization of the unsteadiness of this flow field. The separation bubble was found to rapidly expand and contract about a large mean length. Spectral analysis of the velocity fluctuations of this motion revealed this behavior to be a turbulent phenomenon, with spectral energy trends consistent with the Kolmogorov theory for the turbulent energy cascade.

Glasby, Ryan [ORNL]↗

Comparison of time-resolved photoluminescence and deep-level transient spectroscopy defect evaluations in an InAs nBn detector subjected to in situ and ex situ 63 MeV proton irradiation

Deep-level transient spectroscopy and temperature-dependent time-resolved photoluminescence experiments are performed on identical InAs nBn photodetector structures as a function of in situ and ex situ 63 MeV proton irradiation to assess their generation and recombination dynamics. Pre-irradiation, the n-type InAs absorbing region, exhibits a steadily increasing minority carrier lifetime with increasing temperature, providing evidence that excited minority carriers may be recombining via shallow defect levels. From deep-level transient spectroscopy, two features are found between 10 and 275 K: a low temperature broad “shoulder,” which suggests emission from multiple shallow electron defect levels with energies <29 meV and a high temperature minimum occurring at ∼230 K with an activation energy of 539 meV, which suggests a defect in the barrier layer in the device. Two similar nBn detectors are then subjected to 63 MeV proton irradiation in step doses and measured between steps. One experiment is performed in situ with an nBn held at ∼10 K during dosing, and the other experiment is performed ex situ with a similar nBn held at room temperature for dosing. The ex situ dosing results in an evaluation of the defect introduction rate that is three to four times lower than in situ due to partial annealing of the proton-induced displacement damage at room temperature. The results of these two experiments are then compared with the dose-dependent recombination rate analysis, resulting in an estimated recombination defect cross section of 1.6 × 10 −13 cm 2 for the shallow shoulder defect.

Carrasco, Rigo A. [Air Force Research Laboratory (↗

Time-resolved interferometric measurements of plasma density evolution in laser-driven capacitor-coil targets

Laser-driven capacitor-coil targets provide a compact platform for generating strong magnetic fields and are widely used in magnetized high-energy-density (HED) plasma experiments. In addition to magnetic-field generation, these targets also produce plasma in the coil region, which can influence the subject physical processes and interact with secondary targets or external plasmas in their applications. However, direct, time-resolved measurements of the plasma density surrounding the coil remain limited. Here, we report interferometric measurements of the plasma density evolution in laser-driven capacitor-coil targets irradiated by the University of Osaka LFEX laser. Two-dimensional electron density maps reveal two distinct plasma sources loading the coil region: plasma generated in the coil itself and plasma produced by laser ablation of the target plates. These results provide quantitative information on plasma loading and evolution in capacitor-coil targets and are directly relevant to the design and modeling of magnetized HED plasma experiments.

Zhang, Yang [Princeton University, NJ (United Stat↗

The next-generation particle x-ray temporal diagnostic for simultaneous time-resolved measurements of nuclear-burn and x-ray emission histories in support of basic-science and inertial confinement fusion experiments at OMEGA

The next-generation Particle X-ray Temporal Diagnostic (PXTD) has been implemented for simultaneous measurements of x-ray, charged particle, and neutron emission histories from a wide range of inertial confinement fusion and high energy density plasma experiments, demonstrating excellent timing accuracy and greatly improved experimental flexibility. The key changes to the previously fielded system are a redesigned set of thin foil filters in front of the scintillators and individual neutral density filters for each region of the detector. The fully implemented PXTD system can provide unique information about the evolution of ion and electron temperatures in multi-ion and kinetic-physics experiments, proton radiography experiments, and DT experiments executed at the OMEGA facility. The system has 35 ps time resolution and negligible relative timing uncertainty between measured emission history signals. The first use of the upgraded four-channel PXTD system during a set of D 3 He-filled silica-glass implosions on OMEGA captured electron temperatures with a minimum uncertainty of 0.5 keV and resolved both the relative timings and widths of neutron, proton, and x-ray peaks within a single recorded image.

Evans, T. E. [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (M↗

Transient hydroperoxyalkyl intermediates (•QOOH) in isopentane oxidation. II. Isomer-resolved unimolecular dynamics

Transient carbon-centered hydroperoxyalkyl intermediates (•QOOH) in isopentane oxidation are characterized by their time- and energy-resolved unimolecular dissociation dynamics to hydroxyl (OH) and cyclic ether products. Two distinct •QOOH isomers are examined with radical sites at a primary carbon of one of the methyl groups (β-Me) or a secondary carbon (β-Et) of the ethyl group. Energy-dependent unimolecular rates are obtained from the time-dependent appearance of OH products for the two isomers and compared with statistical microcanonical rates computed using RRKM theory, including heavy-atom tunneling, based on high-level theoretical calculations. A benchmark-corrected approach is utilized to compute high-accuracy stationary-point energies, most importantly, transition-state barriers, for the •QOOH_Me and •QOOH_Et isomers in isopentane oxidation, building on higher-level reference calculations for the oxidation of ethane (C 2 H 5 O 2 ) and propane (C 3 H 7 O 2 ), respectively. Here, the measured rates are compared with RRKM calculations incorporating the benchmark-corrected transition-state parameters, a vibrationally adiabatic multidimensional hindered-rotor treatment of key torsions, and quantum tunneling. Agreement between experiment and theory validates the statistical description and shows faster decay for •QOOH_Et due to its lower barrier. Both β-QOOH isomers decay almost exclusively to OH + cyclic ether products under the conditions studied.

Oxidation processes↗

Mycena genomes resolve the evolution of fungal bioluminescence

Mushroom-forming fungi in the order Agaricales represent an independent origin of bioluminescence in the tree of life; yet the diversity, evolutionary history, and timing of the origin of fungal luciferases remain elusive. We sequenced the genomes and transcriptomes of five bonnet mushroom species ( Mycena spp.), a diverse lineage comprising the majority of bioluminescent fungi. Two species with haploid genome assemblies ~150 Mb are among the largest in Agaricales, and we found that a variety of repeats between Mycena species were differentially mediated by DNA methylation. We show that bioluminescence evolved in the last common ancestor of mycenoid and the marasmioid clade of Agaricales and was maintained through at least 160 million years of evolution. Analyses of synteny across genomes of bioluminescent species resolved how the luciferase cluster was derived by duplication and translocation, frequently rearranged and lost in most Mycena species, but conserved in the Armillaria lineage. Luciferase cluster members were coexpressed across developmental stages, with the highest expression in fruiting body caps and stipes, suggesting fruiting-related adaptive functions. Our results contribute to understanding a de novo origin of bioluminescence and the corresponding gene cluster in a diverse group of enigmatic fungal species.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Time-resolved turbulent dynamo in a laser plasma

Understanding magnetic-field generation and amplification in turbulent plasma is essential to account for observations of magnetic fields in the universe. A theoretical framework attributing the origin and sustainment of these fields to the so-called fluctuation dynamo was recently validated by experiments on laser facilities in low-magnetic-Prandtl-number plasmas (Pm < 1). However, the same framework proposes that the fluctuation dynamo should operate differently when Pm ≳ 1, the regime relevant to many astrophysical environments such as the intracluster medium of galaxy clusters. This paper reports an experiment that creates a laboratory Pm ≳ 1 plasma dynamo. We provide a time-resolved characterization of the plasma’s evolution, measuring temperatures, densities, flow velocities, and magnetic fields, which allows us to explore various stages of the fluctuation dynamo’s operation on seed magnetic fields generated by the action of the Biermann-battery mechanism during the initial drive-laser target interaction. The magnetic energy in structures with characteristic scales close to the driving scale of the stochastic motions is found to increase by almost three orders of magnitude and saturate dynamically. It is shown that the initial growth of these fields occurs at a much greater rate than the turnover rate of the driving-scale stochastic motions. Here, our results point to the possibility that plasma turbulence produced by strong shear can generate fields more efficiently at the driving scale than anticipated by idealized magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulations of the nonhelical fluctuation dynamo; this finding could help explain the large-scale fields inferred from observations of astrophysical systems.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Spatially resolved land and grid model of carbon neutrality in China

China has committed to achieve net carbon neutrality by 2060 to combat global climate change, which will require unprecedented deployment of negative emissions technologies, renewable energies (RE), and complementary infrastructure. At terawatt-scale deployment, land use limitations interact with operational and economic features of power systems. To address this, we developed a spatially resolved resource assessment and power systems planning optimization that models a full year of power system operations, sub-provincial RE siting criteria, and transmission connections. Our modeling results show that wind and solar must be expanded to 2,000 to 3,900 GW each, with one plausible pathway leading to 300 GW/yr combined annual additions in 2046 to 2060, a three-fold increase from today. Over 80% of solar and 55% of wind is constructed within 100 km of major load centers when accounting for current policies regarding land use. Large-scale low-carbon systems must balance key trade-offs in land use, RE resource quality, grid integration, and costs. Under more restrictive RE siting policies, at least 740 GW of distributed solar would become economically feasible in regions with high demand, where utility-scale deployment is limited by competition with agricultural land. Effective planning and policy formulation are necessary to achieve China’s climate goals.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Perturbative diffraction methods resolve a conformational switch that facilitates a two-step enzymatic mechanism

Enzymes catalyze biochemical reactions through precise positioning of substrates, cofactors, and amino acids to modulate the transition-state free energy. However, the role of conformational dynamics remains poorly understood due to poor experimental access. This shortcoming is evident with Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), a model system for the role of protein dynamics in catalysis, for which it is unknown how the enzyme regulates the different active site environments required to facilitate proton and hydride transfer. Here, we describe ligand-, temperature-, and electric-field-based perturbations during X-ray diffraction experiments to map the conformational dynamics of the Michaelis complex of DHFR. We resolve coupled global and local motions and find that these motions are engaged by the protonated substrate to promote efficient catalysis. This result suggests a fundamental design principle for multistep enzymes in which pre-existing dynamics enable intermediates to drive rapid electrostatic reorganization to facilitate subsequent chemical steps.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Isomer-resolved unimolecular dynamics of the hydroperoxyalkyl intermediate (•QOOH) in cyclohexane oxidation

The oxidation of cycloalkanes is important in the combustion of transportation fuels and in atmospheric secondary organic aerosol formation. A transient carbon-centered radical intermediate (•QOOH) in the oxidation of cyclohexane is identified through its infrared fingerprint and time- and energy-resolved unimolecular dissociation dynamics to hydroxyl (OH) radical and bicyclic ether products. Although the cyclohexyl ring structure leads to three nearly degenerate •QOOH isomers (β-, γ-, and δ-QOOH), their transition state (TS) barriers to OH products are predicted to differ considerably. Selective characterization of the β-QOOH isomer is achieved at excitation energies associated with the lowest TS barrier, resulting in rapid unimolecular decay to OH products that are detected. A benchmarking approach is employed for the calculation of high-accuracy stationary point energies, in particular TS barriers, for cyclohexane oxidation (C 6 H 11 O 2 ), building on higher-level reference calculations for the smaller ethane oxidation (C 2 H 5 O 2 ) system. The isomer-specific characterization of β-QOOH is validated by comparison of experimental OH product appearance rates with computed statistical microcanonical rates, including significant heavy-atom tunneling, at energies in the vicinity of the TS barrier. Master-equation modeling is utilized to extend the results to thermal unimolecular decay rate constants at temperatures and pressures relevant to cyclohexane combustion.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Time evolution of a pumped molecular magnet—A time-resolved inelastic neutron scattering study

Introducing an experimental technique of time-resolved inelastic neutron scattering (TRINS), we explore the time-dependent effects of resonant pulsed microwaves on the molecular magnet Cr 8 F 8 Piv 16 . The octagonal rings of magnetic Cr 3+ atoms with antiferromagnetic interactions form a singlet ground state with a weakly split triplet of excitations at 0.8 meV. A 4.6 tesla field was applied to tune the splitting between two members of the triplet excited level |1$\rangle$ ↔ |2$\rangle$ to resonance with 105 GHz (0.434 meV) microwaves. The time-dependent occupations of the ground state |0$\rangle$, lower lying levels |1$\rangle$ and |2$\rangle$, and higher energy states |λ ≥ 3$\rangle$ were extracted during and after 20 s long microwave pulses incident along the (101) direction of a Cr 8 F 8 Piv 16 crystal held at 1.9 K. At significantly elevated spin temperatures, we found underpopulation relative to thermal equilibrium of |2$\rangle$ and spin-lattice thermalization time scales ranging from 1.6(2) s to 5.7(2) s depending on the power level. This contrasts with the relaxation time τ 1 (T → 0) = 27(5) 𝛍 s inferred for |2$\rangle$ from in situ Electron Spin Resonance measurements. By probing a broad range of excited states during intense microwave pumping, TRINS thus provides a first view of long lived excited states in a molecular antiferromagnet.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

Resolving the dynamic correlated disorder in KTa 1- x Nb x O 3

Understanding the complex temporal and spatial correlations of ions in disordered perovskite oxides is critical to rationalize their functional properties. Here, in this study, we provide new insights into the longstanding controversy regarding the off-centering of transition metal ions in the archetypal ferroelectric alloy KTa 1-x Nb x O 3 (KTN). By mapping the full energy (E) and wavevector (Q) dependence of the dynamical structure factor S(Q, E) using neutron scattering, and rationalizing our observations with atomistic simulations leveraging machine learning, we fully resolve the static vs dynamic nature of diffuse scattering sheets, as well as their composition (x) and temperature dependence. Our first-principles simulations, extended with machine-learning molecular dynamics, reproduce both inelastic neutron spectra and diffuse features, and establish how dynamically-correlated transition metal off-centerings couple to phonons, unifying local and collective viewpoints. This study sheds new light into an exemplary ferroelectric systems and shows the importance of mapping the full S(Q, E) to reveal critical spatio-temporal correlations of atomic disorder from which functional properties emerge.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Element- and Time-Resolved Measurements of Spin Dynamics Using X-ray Detected Ferromagnetic Resonance

Although XFMR experiments have been carried out at a number of synchrotron radiation facilities since 2004, only a few facilities currently have XFMR setups available for user operation. Here in this review, we mainly focus on recent developments and work that has been carried out using time-resolved XFMR at beamline 4.0.2 of the Advanced Light Source and at beamline I10 of the Diamond Light Source. The experimental setup and the sample holder used at beamline I10 and beamline 4.0.2, respectively, are shown in Figure 1. We will first introduce the working principle of XFMR and then provide examples of the capabilities of this technique. Finally, we will briefly describe an outlook for the future development of and new opportunities for XFMR.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Resolving Mixtures of Soot Characterized by SP-AMS Spectra Using a Latent Dirichlet Allocation Model

Soot produced by detonation or combustion events exhibits different chemical properties depending on the fuel, device construction, and environmental conditions in which the event occurs. These properties can be useful for defining relevant signatures for probabilistically identifying the different types of events that occurred, based on the soot that is produced from these events. However, it is rare to observe samples of soot from a detonation or combustion that are not contaminated by outside particles. In this paper, we present a method for resolving mixtures of soot to determine the contributions of sources that may be present in samples of recovered soot. We use Latent Dirichlet Allocation to describe the generative process for a sample of recovered soot, and use Variational Bayesian Inference to learn about the parameters associated with the generative model. We demonstrate the utility of this method by considering real samples of mixtures of soot under various frameworks to show that the model is able to identify the different components present in a sample of soot as well as their mixing proportions.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗