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At least 847 records · Page 47

Direct Visualization of Surface Spin-Flip Transition in MnBi 4 Te 7

Here, we report direct visualization of spin-flip transition of the surface layer in antiferromagnet MnBi 4 Te 7 , a natural superlattice of alternating MnBi 2 Te 4 and Bi 2 Te 3 layers, using cryogenic magnetic force microscopy (MFM). The observation of magnetic contrast across domain walls and step edges confirms that the antiferromagnetic order persists to the surface layers. The magnetic field dependence of the MFM images reveals that the surface magnetic layer undergoes a first-order spin-flip transition at a magnetic field that is lower than the bulk transition, in excellent agreement with a revised Mills model. Our analysis suggests no reduction of the order parameter in the surface magnetic layer, implying robust ferromagnetism in the single-layer limit. The direct visualization of surface spin-flip transition not only opens up exploration of surface metamagnetic transitions in layered antiferromagnets, but also provides experimental support for realizing quantized transport in ultrathin films of MnBi 4 Te 7 and other natural superlattice topological magnets.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Temperature-induced valence-state transition in double perovskite Ba 2 - x Sr x TbIrO 6

In this paper, a temperature-induced valence-state transition is studied in a narrow composition range 0.2 ≤ x ≤ 0.375 of Ba 2 - x Sr x TbIrO 6 by means of x-ray and neutron powder diffraction, resonant inelastic x-ray scattering, magnetic susceptibility, electrical resistivity, and specific heat measurements. The valence-state transition involves an electron transfer between Tb and Ir leading to the valence-state change between Tb 3 + / Ir 5 + and Tb 4 + / Ir 4 + phases. This first-order transition has a dramatic effect on the lattice, transport properties, and the long-range magnetic order at low temperatures for both Tb and Ir ions. Ir 5 + ion has an electronic configuration of 5 d 4 ( J eff = 0 ), which is expected to be nonmagnetic. In contrast, Ir 4 + ion with a configuration of 5 d 5 ( J eff = 1/2) favors a long-range magnetic order. For x = 0.1 with Tb 3 + / Ir 5 + configuration to the lowest temperature (2 K) investigated in this paper, a spin-glass behavior is observed around 5 K indicating Ir 5 + ( J eff = 0 ) ions act as a spacer reducing the magnetic interactions between Tb 3 + ions. For x = 0.5 with Tb 4 + / Ir 4 + configuration below the highest temperature 400 K of this paper, a long-range antiferromagnetic order at T N = 40 K is observed highlighting the importance of Ir 4 + ( J eff = 1/2) ions in promoting the long-range magnetic order of both Tb and Ir ions. For 0.2 ≤ x ≤ 0.375, a temperature-induced valence-state transition from high-temperature Tb 3 + / Ir 5 + phase to low-temperature Tb 4 + / Ir 4 + phase occurs in the temperature range 180 K ≤ T ≤ 325 K and the transition temperature increases with x . The compositional dependence demonstrates the ability to tune the the valence state for a critical region of x that leads to a concurrent change in magnetism and structure. Furthermore, this tuning ability could be employed with suitable strain in thin films to act as a switch as the magnetism is manipulated.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Tuning the spin dynamics and magnetic phase transitions of the Cantor alloy via composition and sample processing protocols: A muon spin relaxation study

CrMnFeCoNi, also called the Cantor alloy, is a well-known high-entropy alloy whose magnetic properties have recently become a focus of attention. Here, we present a detailed muon spin relaxation study of the influence of chemical composition and sample processing protocols on the magnetic phase transitions and spin dynamics of several different Cantor alloy samples. Specific samples studied include a pristine equiatomic sample, samples with deficient and excess Mn content, and equiatomic samples magnetized in a field of 9 T or plastically deformed in pressures up to 0.5 GPa. The results confirm the sensitive dependence of the transition temperature on composition and demonstrate that post-synthesis pressure treatments cause the transition to become significantly less homogeneous throughout the sample volume. In addition, we observe critical spin dynamics in the vicinity of the transition in all samples, reminiscent of canonical spin glasses and magnetic materials with ideal continuous phase transitions. Application of an external magnetic field suppresses the critical dynamics in the Mn-deficient sample, while the equiatomic and Mn-rich samples show more robust critical dynamics. The spin-flip thermal activation energy in the paramagnetic phase increases with Mn content, ranging from 3.1⁢(3) × 10 -21 J for 0% Mn to 1.2⁢(2) × 10 -20 J for 30% Mn content. These results shed light on critical magnetic behavior in environments of extreme chemical disorder and demonstrate the tunability of spin dynamics in the Cantor alloy via chemical composition and sample processing.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing to Identify Locations of Resistive Transitions in REBCO Conductors and Magnets

High-temperature superconductors such as REBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x (REBCO, RE = rare earth) can generate strong magnetic fields that are promising for applications in particle accelerators and compact fusion reactors. Traditionally, voltage taps are installed in superconducting magnets to measure the voltage signals due to resistive transitions. The voltage-tap-based diagnostics is important for the development of magnet technology as it can help pinpoint the locations in the magnet windings that limit the magnet performance. The architecture of the multi-tape REBCO cable such as CORC wires, however, makes it difficult to apply the voltage-tap-based diagnostics to identify the locations of resistive transitions. Distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS) has the potential to address this issue. In this paper, we report the measurements of thermal strain along a CORC wire based on optical frequency domain reflectometry with a maximum spatial resolution of 0.65 mm and a temporal resolution of 10 Hz. The optical fiber is co-wound with the CORC wire that is epoxy impregnated. During the test, current was increased until a resistive transition occurred in the conductor. The spectrum shift of the reflected light along the fiber was recorded. The results suggested that with proper thermal isolation from the cryogen, DFOS can be used to identify the locations of resistive transitions in CORC wires and magnets. In conclusion, the results will allow a better understanding of the causes of resistive transitions in REBCO conductors and magnets, which will help improve the REBCO magnet technology.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Verwey transition as evolution from electronic nematicity to trimerons via electron-phonon coupling

Understanding the driving mechanisms behind metal-insulator transitions (MITs) is a critical step toward controlling material’s properties. Since the proposal of charge order–induced MIT in magnetite Fe 3 O 4 in 1939 by Verwey, the nature of the charge order and its role in the transition have remained elusive. Recently, a trimeron order was found in the low-temperature structure of Fe 3 O 4 ; however, the expected transition entropy change in forming trimeron is greater than the observed value, which arises a reexamination of the ground state in the high-temperature phase. Here, we use electron diffraction to unveil that a nematic charge order on particular Fe sites emerges in the high-temperature structure of bulk Fe 3 O 4 and that, upon cooling, a competitive intertwining of charge and lattice orders arouses the Verwey transition. Our findings discover an unconventional type of electronic nematicity in correlated materials and offer innovative insights into the transition mechanism in Fe 3 O 4 via the electron-phonon coupling.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Parallel electron force balance and the L-H transition

In one popular description of the L-H transition, energy transfer to the mean flows directly depletes turbulence fluctuation energy, resulting in suppression of the turbulence and a corresponding transport bifurcation. However, electron parallel force balance couples nonzonal velocity fluctuations with electron pressure fluctuations on rapid timescales, comparable with the electron transit time. For this reason, energy in the nonzonal velocity stays in a fairly fixed ratio to the free energy in electron density fluctuations, at least for frequency scales much slower than electron transit. In order for direct depletion of the energy in turbulent fluctuations to cause the L-H transition, energy transfer via Reynolds stress must therefore drain enough energy to significantly reduce the sum of the free energy in nonzonal velocities and electron pressure fluctuations. At low k, the electron thermal free energy is much larger than the energy in nonzonal velocities, posing a stark challenge for this model of the L-H transition.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Parallel electron force balance and the L-H transition

In one popular description of the L-H transition, energy transfer to the mean flows directly depletes turbulence fluctuation energy, resulting in suppression of the turbulence and a corresponding transport bifurcation. However, electron parallel force balance couples nonzonal velocity fluctuations with electron pressure fluctuations on rapid timescales, comparable with the electron transit time. For this reason, energy in the nonzonal velocity stays in a fairly fixed ratio to the free energy in electron density fluctuations, at least for frequency scales much slower than electron transit. In order for direct depletion of the energy in turbulent fluctuations to cause the L-H transition, energy transfer via Reynolds stress must therefore drain enough energy to significantly reduce the sum of the free energy in nonzonal velocities and electron pressure fluctuations. At low k, the electron thermal free energy is much larger than the energy in nonzonal velocities, posing a stark challenge for this model of the L-H transition.

L-H transition↗

Data and script associated with “Shifts in Rain-Snow Partitioning Drive Faster Water Transit Times in the US Pacific Northwest”

This data package contains the data and code to use and run the Water Tracer enabled version of the Weather Research and Forecasting Hydrologic model (WT-WRF-Hydro) with the Sequential Precipitation Input Tagging (SPIT) framework. It is associated with the publication “Shifts in Rain-Snow Partitioning Drive Faster Water Transit Times in the US Pacific Northwest” published in Scientific Reports (Butler et al., 2026; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-46539-1). We use the Continental U.S. (CONUSII; Rasmussen et al., 2021) dataset to force the model with an historical climate (2006–2013) and a future climate (2086–2093) with a representative carbon pathway (RCP) 8.5 scenario. We use the model to calculate water transit times in five headwater catchments within the U.S. Pacific Northwest. We also show key hydrologic and environmental variables that affect water transit times and changes in the future. Finally, we use observed data to validate the model such as stream water isotopes, snowpack characteristics, and stream discharge. For details on how to navigate data packages generated by this project, see https://data.ess-dive.lbl.gov/portals/PNNLRiverCorridorSFA/About. In addition to a readme, this data package also includes a file-level metadata (FLMD) file that describes each file and a data dictionary (DD) that describes all column/row headers and variable definitions. The data package consists of 11 folders: (1) "Figures" contains the exported figures used in the manuscript; (2) "Model_Isotope_Date" contains the WT-WRF-Hydro isotope date used in model validation; (3) “Model_Outputs_Future” contains the WT-WRF-Hydro future climate outputs; (4) “Model_Outputs_Historical” contains the WT-WRF-Hydro historical climate outputs; (5) “Model_Outputs_Weights_Areas” contains the WT-WRF-Hydro weights per catchment used to calculate water transit times and isotopes in stream water; (6) “MODIS_data_scripts” contains data used to validate snow conditions in the study area; (7) “Observed_Flow_Data” contains the observed streamflow data used in model validation; (8) “Observed_Isotope_Data” contains the observed stream water isotope data used in model validation; (9) “Scripts” contains the Python scripts used to general results and the figures; (10) “Statistic_Outputs” contains the water transit time statistical outputs reported in this manuscript; (11) “Validation_SNOTEL” contains the SNOTEL data used in model validation. The files in this data package have the following file extensions: .tif, .txt, .csv, .pdf, .py, .jpg, and .png.

American River↗

Phase transition dynamics in one-dimensional halide perovskite crystals

Triiodide perovskites CsPbI 3 , CsSnI 3 , and FAPbI 3 (where FA is formamidinium) are highly promising materials for a range of optoelectronic applications in energy conversion. However, they are thermodynamically unstable at room temperature, preferring to form low-temperature (low-T) non-perovskite phases with one-dimensional anisotropic crystal structures. While such thermodynamic behavior represents a major obstacle toward realizing high-performance devices based on their high-temperature (high-T) perovskite phases, the underlying phase transition dynamics are still not well understood. Here we use in situ optical micro-spectroscopy to quantitatively study the transition from the low-T to high-T phases in individual CsSnI 3 and FAPbI 3 nanowires. We reveal a large blueshift in the photoluminescence (PL) peak (~38 meV) at the low-T/high-T two-phase interface of partially transitioned FAPbI 3 wire, which may result from the lattice distortion at the phase boundary. Compared to the experimentally derived activation energy of CsSnI 3 (~1.93 eV), the activation energy of FAPbI 3 is relatively small (~0.84 eV), indicating a lower kinetic energy barrier when transitioning from a face-sharing octahedral configuration to a corner-sharing one. Further, the phase propagation rate in CsSnI 3 is observed to be relatively high, which may be attributed to a high concentration of Sn vacancies. Furthermore, our results could not only facilitate a deeper understanding of phase transition dynamics in halide perovskites with anisotropic crystal structures, but also enable controllable manipulation of optoelectronic properties via local phase engineering.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Spectroscopic evidence for the Fe3+ spin transition in iron-bearing δ-AlOOH at high pressure

δ-AlOOH has emerged as a promising candidate for water storage in the lower mantle and could have delivered water into the bottom of the mantle. To date, it still remains unclear how the presence of iron affects its elastic, rheological, vibrational, and transport properties, especially across the spin crossover. In this study, we conducted high-pressure X-ray emission spectroscopy experiments on a δ-(Al 0.85 Fe 0.15 ) OOH sample up to 53 GPa using silicone oil as the pressure transmitting medium in a diamond-anvil cell. We also carried out laser Raman measurements on δ-(Al 0.85 Fe 0.15 )OOH and δ-(Al 0.52 Fe 0.48 )OOH up to 57 and 62 GPa, respectively, using neon as the pressure-transmitting medium. Evolution of Raman spectra of δ-(Al 0.85 Fe 0.15 )OOH with pressure shows two new bands at 226 and 632 cm –1 at 6.0 GPa, in agreement with the transition from an ordered ( P 2 1 nm ) to a disordered hydrogen bonding structure ( Pnnm ) for δ-AlOOH. Similarly, the two new Raman bands at 155 and 539 cm –1 appear in δ-(Al 0.52 Fe 0.48 )OOH between 8.5 and 15.8 GPa, indicating that the incorporation of 48 mol% FeOOH could postpone the order-disorder transition upon compression. On the other hand, the satellite peak ( K β') intensity of δ-(Al 0.85 Fe 0.15 )OOH starts to decrease at ~30 GPa and it disappears completely at 42 GPa. That is, δ-(Al 0.85 Fe 0.15 )OOH undergoes a gradual electronic spin-pairing transition at 30–42 GPa. Furthermore, the pressure dependence of Raman shifts of δ-(Al 0.85 Fe 0.15 )OOH discontinuously decreases at 32–37 GPa, suggesting that the improved hydrostaticity by the use of neon pressure medium could lead to a relatively narrow spin crossover. Notably, the pressure dependence of Raman shifts and optical color of δ-(Al 0.52 Fe 0.48 )OOH dramatically change at 41–45 GPa, suggesting that it probably undergoes a relatively sharp spin transition in the neon pressure medium. Together with literature data on the solid solutions between δ-AlOOH and ε-FeOOH, we found that the onset pressure of the spin transition in δ-(Al,Fe)OOH increases with increasing FeOOH content. These results shed new insights into the effects of iron on the structural evolution and vibrational properties of δ-AlOOH. The presence of FeOOH in δ-AlOOH can substantially influence its high-pressure behavior and stability at the deep mantle conditions and play an important role in the deep-water cycle

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Fuel Cell Buses in U.S. Transit Fleets: Current Status 2016

This report, published annually, summarizes the progress of fuel cell electric bus development in the United States and discusses the achievements and challenges of introducing fuel cell propulsion in transit. The report provides a summary of results from evaluations performed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Funding for this effort is provided by the U.S. Department of Energy's Fuel Cell Technologies Office within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration. The 2016 summary results primarily focus on the most recent year for each demonstration, from August 2015 through July 2016. The results for these buses account for more than 550,000 miles traveled and 59,500 hours of fuel cell power system operation. The primary results presented in the report are from three demonstrations of two different fuel-cell-dominant bus designs: Zero Emission Bay Area Demonstration Group led by Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) in California; American Fuel Cell Bus Project at SunLine Transit Agency in California; and American Fuel Cell Bus Project at the University of California at Irvine.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

Fuel Cell Buses in U.S. Transit Fleets: Current Status 2017

This report, published annually, summarizes the progress of fuel cell electric bus (FCEB) development in the United States and discusses the achievements and challenges of introducing fuel cell propulsion in transit. The report provides a summary of results from evaluations performed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. This annual status report combines results from all FCEB demonstrations, tracks the progress of the FCEB industry toward meeting technical targets, documents the lessons learned, and discusses the path forward for commercial viability of fuel cell technology for transit buses. These data and analyses help provide needed information to guide future early-stage research and development. The 2017 summary results primarily focus on the most recent year for each demonstration, from August 2016 through July 2017. The primary results presented in the report are from five demonstrations of two different fuel-cell-dominant bus designs: Zero Emission Bay Area Demonstration Group led by Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) in California; American Fuel Cell Bus (AFCB) Project at SunLine Transit Agency in California; AFCB Project at the University of California at Irvine; AFCB Project at Orange County Transportation Authority; and AFCB Project at Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

Effects of plasma on physical properties of water: nanocrystalline-to-amorphous phase transition and improving produce washing

Recently is was discovered in various applications that many physical and chemical properties of water change their temperature dependence between about 35 and 60 degrees Celsius. In particular, heat conductance, light absorption, and surface tension all change their temperature dependence. These drastic changes were associated with water gradually changing its mesoscopic structure: while at the higher temperatures water is a uniform media (amorphous state), at the temperatures below transition it consists of many nano-to-micro-scale clusters (crystalline state). This transition is similar to the second order phase transition. In the present paper we show that treating water with non-thermal plasma (adding plasma-created active compounds) can lower the temperature of the transition and thus cause a significant change in such physical quantities as surface tension, viscosity, freezing rate, and wettability and washability. We present analytical estimates of the transition temperature shift based on the Debye-Hückel theory. We discuss the produce-washing experiments that illustrate the predicted effects.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Bus (FCEB) Evaluations in US Public Transit Service

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is a Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory focused on renewable energy and energy efficiency. NREL has evaluated alternative fuel and advanced propulsion transit buses for DOE and the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA). These evaluations are focused on determining the status of fuel cell systems and the corresponding infrastructure in transit applications to help DOE and FTA assess the progress toward technology readiness. For the last 19 years NREL has evaluated FCEBs in service around the United States and in Canada. The results of these evaluations have been published in numerous reports that compare FCEB performance to conventional technology as well as document the implementation experience and lessons learned by the transit agencies and their demonstration teams. Currently, 70 fuel cell buses are in active service in the US and 66 FCEBs are in development. NREL is evaluating a subset of the active FCEBs that includes three transit agencies demonstrating 25 fuel cell electric buses in California. One bus has exceeded 35,000 hours in service and 12 have exceeded 25,000 hours. Fuel economy for the current generation of FCEBs has improved 35% over the previous generation and is double that of conventional buses. Maintenance cost for FCEBs is equivalent to diesel and BEBs. The most up-to-date performance results will be presented, including fuel economy, availability, reliability, and operational costs.

bus↗

Nonequilibrium vibrational population and donor-acceptor vibrations affecting rates of radiationless transitions

Here, an analytical theory is developed for radiationless transitions in molecules characterized by nonequilibrium populations of their vibrational modes. Several changes to the standard transition-state framework follow from nonequilibrium conditions: (i) non-Arrhenius kinetics, (ii) the violation of the fluctuation-dissipation theorem (FDT), and (iii) the breakdown of the detailed balance. The violation of the FDT is reflected in the breakdown of relations between the first (Stokes shift) and second (inhomogeneous band-width) spectral moments, and of similar relations between reorganization parameters for radiationless transitions. The detailed balance between the forward and backward rates is not maintained, requiring a lower effective free energy of the reaction relative to the thermodynamic limit. Lastly, the model suggests that strong control of radiationless transitions can be achieved if a nonequilibrium population of vibrations modulating the donor-acceptor distance is produced.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Investigation of experimental signatures of spin glass transition temperature

We present a series of temperature and field-dependent magnetization studies of large single-crystal spin glass samples, focusing on both field-cooled (FC) and zero-field-cooled (ZFC) magnetization studies, as well as ac susceptibility measurements. Using the above experimental techniques we aim to understand the nature of spin glass transition in presence of a field, a key factor in understanding the properties of these systems. Building on previous studies that have explored magnetic signatures indicative of spin glass transitions, our research employs a systematic approach to refine the identification of this transition temperature. Through static and dynamic measurements, we aim to shed light on the open issues regarding the key markers of spin glass transitions, enhancing our understanding of these complex systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Hydrostatic and Uniaxial Pressure Tuning of Iron-Based Superconductors: Insights into Superconductivity, Magnetism, Nematicity, and Collapsed Tetragonal Transitions

Iron-based superconductors are well-known for their intriguing phase diagrams, which manifest a complex interplay of electronic, magnetic and structural degrees of freedom. Among the phase transitions observed are superconducting, magnetic, and several types of structural transitions, including a tetragonal-to-orthorhombic and a collapsed-tetragonal transition. In particular, the widely-observed tetragonal-to-orthorhombic transition is believed to be a result of an electronic order that is coupled to the crystalline lattice and is, thus, referred to asnematic transition. Nematicity is therefore a prominent feature of these materials, which signals the importance of the coupling of electronic and lattice properties. Correspondingly, these systems are particularly susceptible to tuning via pressure (hydrostatic, uniaxial, or some combination). We review efforts to probe the phase diagrams of pressure-tuned iron-based superconductors, with a strong focus on our own recent insights into the phase diagrams of several members of this mate-rial class under hydrostatic pressure. These studies on FeSe, Ba(Fe 1-x Co x ) 2 As 2 , Ca(Fe 1-x Co x ) 2 As 2 and CaK(Fe 1-x Ni x ) 4 As 4 were, to a significant extent, made possible by advances of what measurements can be adapted to the use under differing pressure environments. We point out the potential impact of these tools for the study of the wider class of strongly correlated electron systems.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Speciation of Transition Metal Dissolution in Electrolyte from Common Cathode Materials

Abstract Significant capacity loss has been observed across extended cycling of lithium‐ion batteries cycled to high potential. One of the sources of capacity fade is transition metal dissolution from the cathode active material, ion migration through the electrolyte, and deposition on the solid‐electrolyte interphase on the anode. While much research has been conducted on the oxidation state of the transition metal in the cathode active material or deposited on the anode, there have been limited investigations of the oxidation state of the transition metal ions dissolved in the electrolyte. In this work, X‐ray absorption spectroscopy has been performed on electrolytes extracted from cells built with four different cathode active materials (LiMn 2 O 4 (LMO), LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 (LNMO), LiNi 0.8 Mn 0.1 Co 0.1 O 2 (NMC811), and (x Li 2 MnO 3 *(1‐x) LiNi a Mn b Co c O 2 , with a+b+ c =1) (LMRNMC)) that were cycled at either high or standard potentials to determine the oxidation state of Mn and Ni in solution. Inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry has been performed on the anodes from these cells to determine the concentration of deposited transition metal ions. While transition metal ions were found dissolved in all electrolytes, the oxidation state(s) of Mn and Ni were determined to be dependent on the cathode material and independent of cycling potential.

Rynearson, Leah↗