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At least 973 records · Page 54

Controlling Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in a centrosymmetric nonsymmorphic crystal

Presence of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interaction in limited noncentrosymmet ric materials leads to novel spin textures and exotic chiral physics. Emergence of DM interaction in centrosymmetric crystals could greatly enrich material realization. Here we show that an itinerant centrosymmetric crystal respecting a nonsymmorphic space group is a new platform for the DM interaction. Taking P4/nmm space group as an example, we demonstrate that the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) in teraction induces the DM interactions, in addition to the Heisenberg exchange and the Kaplan-Shekhtman-Entin-wohlman-Aharony (KSEA) interaction. Here, the direction of DM vector depends on the positions of magnetic atoms in the real space, and the amplitude depends on the location of the Fermi surface in the reciprocal space. The diversity stems from the position-dependent site groups and the momentum-dependent electronic structures guaranteed by the nonsymmorphic symmetries. Our study unveils the role of the nonsymmorphic symmetries in affecting magnetism, and suggests that the nonsymmorphic crystals can be promising platforms to design magnetic interactions.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Cavity-QED Quantum Simulator of Dynamical Phases of a Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer Superconductor

Herein we propose to simulate dynamical phases of a BCS superconductor using an ensemble of cold atoms trapped in an optical cavity. Effective Cooper pairs are encoded via the internal states of the atoms, and attractive interactions are realized via the exchange of virtual photons between atoms coupled to a common cavity mode. Control of the interaction strength combined with a tunable dispersion relation of the effective Cooper pairs allows exploration of the full dynamical phase diagram of the BCS model as a function of system parameters and the prepared initial state. Our proposal paves the way for the study of the nonequilibrium features of quantum magnetism and superconductivity by harnessing atom-light interactions in cold atomic gases.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Fundamentals of Condensed Matter Physics Marvin L. Cohen and Steven G. Louie

This graduate level textbook on Condensed Matter Physics is written lucidly by two leading luminaries in this field. The volume draws its material from the graduate course in condensed matter physics that has been offered by the authors for several decades at the University of California, Berkeley. Cohen and Louie have done an admirable job of guiding the reader gradually from elementary concepts to advanced topics. The book is divided into four main parts that have four chapters each. Chapter 1 presents models of solids in terms of interacting atoms, which is appropriate for the ground state, and excitations to describe collective effects. Chapter 2 deals with the properties of electrons in crystalline materials. The authors introduce the Born-Oppenheimer approximation and then proceed to the periodic potential approximation. Chapter 3 discusses energy bands in materials and covers concepts from the free electron model to the tight binding model and periodic boundary conditions. Chapter 4 starts with fixed atomic cores and introduces lattice vibrations, phonons, and the concept of density of states. By the end of this part, the student should have a basic understanding of electrons and phonons in materials. Part II presents electron dynamics and the response of materials to external probes. Chapter 5 covers the effective Hamiltonian approximation and the motion of the electron under a perturbation, such as an external field. The discussion moves to many-electron interactions and the exchange-correlation energy in Chapter 6, the widely-used Density Functional Theory (DFT) in chapter 7, and the dielectric response function in Chapter 8. The next two parts of the book cover advanced topics. Part III begins with a discussion of the response of materials to photons in Chapter 9. Chapter 10 goes into the details of electron-phonon interactions in different materials and introduces the polaron. Chapter 11 presents electron dynamics in a magnetic field and Chapter 12 discusses electrical and thermal transport in materials. Part IV takes the reader further into many body effects, superconductivity, and nanoscale materials. The authors introduce Feynman diagrams and many-body perturbation theory in Chapter 13, theories of superconductivity in Chapter 14, magnetism in Chapter 15, and low dimensional systems in Chapter 16. The first two parts are required reading for the beginner planning to perform DFT calculations. The advanced student interested in conducting research in condensed matter physics will benefit from continuing on to the last two parts. There is a set of problems at the end of each part. The narrative is aided by equations and detailed figures. References at the end of the book direct the reader to relevant books and review articles for each chapter. The inside covers include a periodic table and a useful list of fundamental physical constants. The authors present the underlying mathematics elegantly, which makes the textbook quite readable for those with a good mathematical background. Students lacking a firm footing in math will find the terrain rough after Chapter 1. This field has seen many good undergraduate textbooks including those by Kittel and by Ashcroft and Mermin. This volume fills the need for a rigorous graduate level textbook, and is a required addition to the bookshelf of every condensed matter physicist. Cohen and Louie have brought refreshing clarity to a challenging subject and made it eminently accessible to the motivated student.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Inter-plume aerodynamics for gasoline spray collapse

The collapse or merging of individual plumes of direct-injection gasoline injectors is of fundamental importance to engine performance because of its impact on fuel–air mixing. But, the mechanisms of spray collapse are not fully understood and are difficult to predict. The purpose of this work is to study the aerodynamics in the inter-spray region, which can potentially lead to plume collapse. High-speed (100 kHz) particle image velocimetry is applied along a plane between plumes to observe the full temporal evolution of plume interaction and potential collapse, resolved for individual injection events. Supporting information along a line of sight is obtained using simultaneous diffused back illumination and Mie-scatter techniques. Experiments are performed under simulated engine conditions using a symmetric eight-hole injector in a high-temperature, high-pressure vessel at the “Spray G” operating conditions of the engine combustion network. Indicators of plume interaction and collapse include changes in counter-flow recirculation of ambient gas toward the injector along the axis of the injector or in the inter-plume region between plumes. Furthermore, the effect of ambient temperature and gas density on the inter-plume aerodynamics and the subsequent plume collapse are assessed. Increasing ambient temperature or density, with enhanced vaporization and momentum exchange, accelerates the plume interaction. Plume direction progressively shifts toward the injector axis with time, demonstrating that the plume interaction and collapse are inherently transient.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Altermagnetic and Dipolar Splitting of Magnons in FeF 2

FeF 2 is a prototypical rutile antiferromagnet recently proposed as an altermagnet, with a magnetic symmetry that permits spin-split electronic bands and chiral magnons. Using very-high-resolution inelastic neutron scattering on a single crystal of FeF 2 , we show that the dominant source of magnon splitting is in fact the long-range dipolar interaction rather than altermagnetic exchange terms. At momenta where the dipolar splitting vanishes, we observe additional broadening due to altermagnetic chiral splitting and estimate this splitting to be ∼35 μ⁢eV. Polarized measurements further reveal that, where dipolar splitting is present, the chiral magnon modes become mixed and the resulting modes are predominantly linearly polarized, with at most a small chiral component. Furthermore, these findings highlight the significant effect of dipolar interactions on magnon chirality, particularly when altermagnetic interactions are weak.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Electric Form Factor of the Neutron from Asymmetry Measurements

The overwhelming majority of visible mass in the universe is composed of protons and neutrons, collectively known as nucleons, which are arguably the most important strongly interacting systems to study. A nucleon may naively be thought of as a composite object built out of three non-interacting sub-objects, known as quarks, in the large energy limit; however, the structure of the nucleon is much more complicated, and consequently far richer, than a simple valence-quark picture. There are sea quarks in addition to valence quarks that interact strongly via the exchange of gluons resulting in a complex vacuum structure, and the collective system must give rise to the observed properties of the nucleon, e.g. the radius and mass. The nucleon is the most well-studied hadron and yet there are still unresolved complexities in the calculation of properties from first principles of QCD; this represents a central problem in nuclear physics. The theoretical difficulty with the nucleon requires experimentation, which is steadily increasing the knowledge of nucleon structure and the strong interaction. The subject of this thesis pertains to nucleon electromagnetic form factors which are fundamental quantities containing information on the spatial and momentum distributions of charge and current within the nucleon. Nucleon form factors may be accessed through well-understood leading order electromagnetic processes with a leptonic probe, and provide strong constraints on testing non-perturbative QCD and nuclear structure models. The form factor ratio of the neutron has been extracted via a beam-target helicity asymmetry measurement. The Jefferson Lab Hall A experiment E02-013 ran in 2006 utilizing the 6 GeV CEBAF for its high-duty, longitudinally polarized electron beam. The double-arm coincidence experiment detected the quasielastically scattered electrons in a large angular and momentum acceptance spectrometer. The recoiling nucleons were detected and momentum analyzed in a large scintillator-iron based neutron detector. The analysis of a previously unpublished extraction of the electric form factor of the neutron is presented.

Obrecht, Richard↗

Superdense neutron matter

A relativistic theory of high-density matter is presented which takes into account the short-range interaction due to the exchange of spin-2 mesons. An equation of state is derived and used to compute neutron-star properties. The prediction of the theory for the values of maximum mass and moment of inertia for a stable neutron star are 1.75 solar masses and 1.68 by 10 to the 45th power g-sq cm, in very good agreement with the presently known observational bounds. The corresponding radius is found to be 10.7 km. It is found that the inclusion of the spin-2 interaction reduces the disagreement between the relativistic and nonrelativistic theories in their predictions of masses and moments of inertia.

Canuto, V.↗

A new-old approach to composite scalars with chiral fermion constituents

We develop a dynamical, Lorentz invariant theory of composite scalars in configuration space consisting of chiral fermions, interacting by the perturbative exchange of a massive “gluon” of coupling g 0 and mass M 0 2 (the coloron model). The formalism is inspired by, but goes beyond, old ideas of Yukawa and the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model. It yields a non-pointlike internal wave-function of the bound state, ϕ ( r ) , which satisfies a Schrödinger-Klein-Gordon (SKG) equation with eigenvalue μ 2 . For super-critical coupling, g 0 2 > g 0 c 2 , we have μ 2 < 0 leading to spontaneous symmetry breaking. The binding of chiral fermions is semiclassical, not loop-level as in NJL. The mass scale is determined by the interaction as in NJL. We mainly focus on the short-distance, large M 0 2 limit, yielding an NJL pointlike interaction, but the bound state internal wave-function, ϕ ( r → ) , remains spatially extended and dilutes ϕ ( 0 ) . This leads to power-law suppression of the induced Yukawa and quartic couplings and requires radically less fine-tuning of a hierarchy than does the NJL model. We include a discussion of loop corrections of the theory. A realistic top condensation model appears possible.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Momentum-exchange current drive by electrostatic waves in an unmagnetized collisionless plasma

For a planar electrostatic wave interacting with a single species in a collisionless plasma, momentum conservation implies current conservation. However, when multiple species interact with the wave, they can exchange momentum, leading to current drive. A simple, general formula for this driven current is derived. As examples, we show how currents can be driven for Langmuir waves in electron–positron–ion plasmas, and for ion-acoustic waves in electron–ion plasmas.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Interaction of a solar array with an ion thruster due to the charge-exchange plasma

The generation of a charge exchange plasma by a thruster, the transport of this plasma to the solar array, and the interaction of the solar array with the plasma after it arrives are all described. The generation of this plasma is described accurately from thruster geometry and operating conditions. The transport of the charge exchange plasma was studied experimentally with a 15 cm thruster. A model was developed for simple thruster array configurations. A variety of experiments were surveyed for the interaction of the plasma at the solar array.

Kaufman, H. R.↗

M11plus: A Range-Separated Hybrid Meta Functional with Both Local and Rung-3.5 Correlation Terms and High Across-the-Board Accuracy for Chemical Applications

The way to improve Kohn–Sham density functional theory is to improve the exchange–correlation functionals, and functionals have been successively improved by adding new ingredients, especially local spin density gradients, nonlocal Hartree–Fock exchange, and local meta terms based on kinetic energy density. Here, we present a new kind of functional obtained by adding rung-3.5 terms to a functional including local gradients, local meta terms, and range-separated Hartree–Fock exchange. A rung-3.5 term has short-range nonlocality designed to account for nondynamic correlation; we add two kinds of rung-3.5 terms, one kind modeled on position-dependent Hartree–Fock exchange and another modeled on the spin density at a point interacting with the opposite-spin exchange hole at the same point. Here, optimization of the functional yields broad accuracy for both ground states and excited states with especially significant improvement for systems with strong correlation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Enabling Efficient Water Splitting with Advanced Materials Designed for High pH Membrane Interface

This project was focused on developing the durable, high-performance materials and interfaces for advanced water splitting, enabling a clear pathway for achieving <$2/Kg H2 (on scale) with efficiency of 43 kWh/kg H 2 via anion exchange membrane (AEM)-based electrolysis. We aimed to advance these final goals via an improved fundamental understanding of both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions (HER/OER) leading to novel platinum group metal (PGM)-free catalyst materials in conjunction with critical improvements in membrane and ionomers and gas evolution electrodes with corresponding characterization and testing. Northeastern University (NU) lead this effort focusing on catalyst development and characterization (both in situ and ex situ) while project partners lead improvements in ionomer and membrane materials and will aid in the development of specialized electrode and membrane electrode assemblies. In addition, close collaboration occured with the HydroGEN Energy Materials Network (EMN) National Laboratory consortium including efforts related to use of advanced ionomers, durability protocols and validation of electrolyzer materials (e.g. NREL), multiscale modeling and computation (e.g. LBNL), and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the membrane catalyst interface (e.g. SNL). The interactions with HydroGEN included exchange of data and materials as needed to facilitate project success.

08 HYDROGEN↗

Self-stabilizing exchange-mediated spin transport

We report that long-range spin transport in magnetic systems can be achieved by means of exchange-mediated spin textures with robust topological winding, a phenomenon referred to as spin superfluidity. Its experimental signatures have been discussed in antiferromagnets, which are nearly free of dipolar interaction. However, in ferromagnets, which possess non-negligible dipole fields, realization of such spin transport has remained a challenge. Using micromagnetic simulations, we investigate coherent exchange-mediated spin transport in extended thin ferromagnetic films. We uncover a two-fluid state in which the long-range spin transport by spin textures coexists with spin waves, as well as a soliton-screened spin transport regime at high spin injection biases. Both states are associated with distinct spin texture reconstructions near the spin injection region and sustain spin transport over large distances.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Interactive posters: A valuable means of enhancing communication and learning about productive paths toward sustainable bioenergy

In this study, the goal of poster presentations at scientific meetings is to provide a snapshot of the research, to engage colleagues in a face-to-face discussion, and to deliver enough information to entice the reader to learn more. Unfortunately, poster sessions are too-often passive and non-interactive events with limited exchange between the poster presenter and the audience.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Fog Formation Related to Gravity Currents Interacting with Coastal Topography

An interesting mixing-fog event was identified during IOP7 of the C-FOG project, where a cold front arriving from the north-east collided with the Downs peninsula in Ferryland, Newfoundland, to produce foggy conditions. A comprehensive set of field observations suggests that this collision caused turbulent mixing of nearly saturated ambient air with an almost saturated cold front, creating conditions for mixing fog. Additionally, laboratory experiments were performed to study the interaction of lock-exchange induced gravity currents with a (rectangular) obstacle to delve into physical processes underlying this phenomenon. Instantaneous velocity and density fields were obtained using particle image velocimetry and planar laser-induced fluorescence. The observations suggest that the obstacle starts affecting the approaching gravity-current propagation at an upstream distance of 2 H and, upon collision, the mixing is taking place over a spatial scale of 0.83 H , where H is the depth of the ambient fluid layer. The time for largerscale turbulent stirring to permeate to the smallest scales of turbulence and activate the condensation nuclei was estimated as 3t * , where t* = √H/g' is the intrinsic time scale of the gravity current and g' the reduced gravity. Extrapolation of results to IOP7 showed a good agreement with observations.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Thickness-Dependent Thermal Oxidation of Ni into NiO Thin Films

We report thickness-dependent thermal oxidation in Ni (t = 10–300 nm) thin films exposed to air annealing and the resulting vibrational, magnetic and electrical properties of Ni films deposited directly on thermally oxidized Si substrate using magnetron sputtering technique at ambient temperature. As-deposited Ni films exhibit face-centred cubic structure with fine crystals and large lattice constant (a{sub Ni}) at lower t (< 50 nm). With increasing t, a{sub Ni} decreases and approaches to bulk value. With increasing T{sub A}, a{sub Ni} not only decreases to bulk Ni due to improved crystallization but also reduces below bulk Ni for t > 50 due to formation of NiO. The relative fraction of Ni and NiO in annealed films up to 400 {sup ∘}C strongly depends on t. Annealing Ni films at 500 {sup ∘}C results into complete oxidation of Ni into granular-type NiO. X-ray reflectivity studies reveal that oxidation process occurs from surface of the films converting Ni into NiO possibly through layer by layer process, which is subtle to t. Raman spectra show that intensity ratio between one-phonon longitudinal optical (LO) and two-phonon LO bands decreases and intensity of two-magnon band increases with increasing t for films annealed at particular T{sub A}. This confirms the growth of NiO not only with increasing T{sub A}, but also with t. As-deposited films exhibit ferromagnetism at room temperature. The presence of Ni and NiO in annealed films implies coexistence of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions, leading to tunable exchange bias (H{sub E}), whose magnitude strongly depends on the ratio between Ni and NiO. Electrical resistance (R) of the as-deposited Ni films decreases with increasing t and follows the Namba’s model. Upon annealing, R increases largely due to oxidation of Ni. The observed results are explained on the basis of thickness dependent thermal oxidation process with increasing T{sub A}.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Five-body systems with Bethe-Salpeter equations

We extend the Bethe-Salpeter formalism to systems made of five valence particles. Restricting ourselves to two-body interactions, we derive the subtraction terms necessary to prevent overcounting. We solve the five-body Bethe-Salpeter equation numerically for a system of five scalar particles interacting by a scalar exchange boson. To make the calculations tractable, we implement properties of the permutation group S 5 and construct an approximation based on intermediate two- and three-body poles. We extract the five-body ground and excited states along with the spectra obtained from the two-, three-, and four-body equations. In the limit of a massless exchange particle, the two-, three, four- and five-body states coexist within a certain range of the coupling strength, whereas for heavier exchange particles the five-body system becomes Borromean. Our study serves as a building block for the calculation of pentaquark properties using functional methods.

Eichmann, Gernot [Univ. of Graz (Austria)] (ORCID:↗