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DOE OSTI2024

Measurement of nuclear interaction cross sections towards neutron-skin thickness determination

The accuracy of reaction theories used to extract properties of exotic nuclei from scattering experiments is often unknown or not quantified, but of utmost importance when, e.g., constraining the equation of state of asymmetric nuclear matter from observables as the neutron-skin thickness. In order to test the Glauber multiple-scattering model, the total interaction cross section of 12 C on carbon targets was measured at initial beam energies of 400, 550, 650, 800, and 1000 MeV/nucleon. The measurements were performed during the first experiment of the newly constructed R 3 B (Reaction with Relativistic Radioactive Beams) experiment after the start of FAIR Phase-0 at the GSI/FAIR facility with beam energies of 400, 550, 650, 800, and 1000 MeV/nucleon. The combination of the large-acceptance dipole magnet GLAD and a newly designed and highly efficient Time-of-Flight detector enabled a precise transmission measurement with several target thicknesses for each initial beam energy with an experimental uncertainty of ±0.4%. A comparison with the Glauber model revealed a discrepancy of around 3.1% at higher beam energies, which will serve as a crucial baseline for the model-dependent uncertainty in future fragmentation experiments.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗

DOE OSTI2024

Valley-Coherent Quantum Anomalous Hall State in AB-Stacked MoTe 2 / W S e 2 Bilayers

Moiré materials provide fertile ground for the correlated and topological quantum phenomena. Among them, the quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect, in which the Hall resistance is quantized even under zero magnetic field, is a direct manifestation of the intrinsic topological properties of a material and an appealing attribute for low-power electronics applications. The QAH effect has been observed in both graphene and transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) moiré materials. It is thought to arise from the interaction-driven valley polarization of the narrow moiré bands. Here, we show that the newly discovered QAH state in AB-stacked MoTe 2 / W S e 2 moiré bilayers is not valley polarized but valley coherent. The layer- and helicity-resolved optical spectroscopy measurement reveals that the QAH ground state possesses spontaneous spin (valley) polarization aligned (antialigned) in two TMD layers. In addition, saturation of the out-of-plane spin polarization in both layers occurs only under high magnetic fields, supporting a canted spin texture. Our results call for a new mechanism for the QAH effect and highlight the potential of TMD moiré materials with strong electronic correlations and spin-orbit interactions for exotic topological states. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

2-dimensional systems↗

DOE OSTI2025

Emergence of Moiré Dirac Fermions at the Interface of Topological and 2D Magnetic Insulators

Dirac Fermions on the surface of the topological insulator are spin-momentum locked and topologically protected, making them interesting for spintronics and quantum computing applications. When in proximity to magnetism and superconductivity, these electronic states could result in quantum anomalous Hall effect and Majorana Fermions, respectively. An even more dramatic enrichment of the topological insulators’ physics is expected for moiré superlattices, where, analogously to the twisted graphene layers, electronic correlations could be strongly enhanced, a task previously notoriously difficult to achieve in topological matter. Until now, the experimental confirmation of such moiré properties has remained elusive. Here, we grow the two-dimensional van der Waals magnetic insulators FeX 2 (where X = Cl or Br) on top of the topological insulator Bi 2 Se 3 and establish a moiré superlattice formation at the interface. By means of scanning tunneling microscopy and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we investigate the electronic properties of the formed moiré superlattice and demonstrate its tunability via the film choice. We reveal replicated Dirac cones and focus on their intersections, which, in the case of FeBr 2 /Bi 2 Se 3 , occur below the Fermi level. We identify the signatures of small gaps at the intersections around the M̅ i points that we attribute to the moiré interaction. These findings point to the specific type of magnetic moiré potential that breaks the time-reversal symmetry at these points but not at the $\barΓ$ point. Our observations provide an intriguing scenario of correlated topological phases induced by moiré superlattice that may result in topological superconductivity, high Chern number phases, and exotic noncollinear magnetic textures.

2D magnets↗

DOE OSTI2022

Doping-driven resistive collapse of the Mott insulator in a minimal model for VO 2

Here we study the resistive collapse of the Mott insulator state in the dimer Hubbard model. This minimal model has been used to describe the physics of VO 2 , and should be relevant to other strongly correlated materials. It incorporates the physics of correlated dimers and the explicit competition between on-site Coulomb repulsion and magnetic exchange interactions. Our results unveil that between the Mott insulator at half filling and the Fermi liquid metal at high doping there is an intermediate bad metallic phase with exotic features such as a pseudogap, orbital selectivity, and a first-order metal-metal transition. The model is solved within dynamical mean field theory by means of quantum Monte Carlo, which provides the numerically exact solution of the model in the limit of large lattice dimensionality. This model can be considered as a minimal one that captures exotic phenomena associated to the physics of a doped Mott insulator, shading light on their basic physical mechanism.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2023

Valley-Tunable Even-Denominator Fractional Quantum Hall State in the Lowest Landau Level of an Anisotropic System

Fractional quantum Hall states (FQHSs) at even-denominator Landau level filling factors (v) are of prime interest as they are predicted to host exotic, topological states of matter. Here, we report here the observation of a FQHS at v = 1/2 in a two-dimensional electron system of exceptionally high quality, confined to a wide AlAs quantum well, where the electrons can occupy multiple conduction-band valleys with an anisotropic effective mass. The anisotropy and multivalley degree of freedom offer an unprecedented tunability of the v = 1/2 FQHS as we can control both the valley occupancy via the application of in-plane strain, and the ratio between the strengths of the short- and long-range Coulomb interaction by tilting the sample in the magnetic field to change the electron charge distribution. Thanks to this tunability, we observe phase transitions from a compressible Fermi liquid to an incompressible FQHS and then to an insulating phase as a function of tilt angle. We find that this evolution and the energy gap of the v = 1/2 FQHS depend strongly on valley occupancy.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

NASA NTRS1997

Machine Phase Fullerene Nanotechnology: 1996

NASA has used exotic materials for spacecraft and experimental aircraft to good effect for many decades. In spite of many advances, transportation to space still costs about $10,000 per pound. Drexler has proposed a hypothetical nanotechnology based on diamond and investigated the properties of such molecular systems. These studies and others suggest enormous potential for aerospace systems. Unfortunately, methods to realize diamonoid nanotechnology are at best highly speculative. Recent computational efforts at NASA Ames Research Center and computation and experiment elsewhere suggest that a nanotechnology of machine phase functionalized fullerenes may be synthetically relatively accessible and of great aerospace interest. Machine phase materials are (hypothetical) materials consisting entirely or in large part of microscopic machines. In a sense, most living matter fits this definition. To begin investigation of fullerene nanotechnology, we used molecular dynamics to study the properties of carbon nanotube based gears and gear/shaft configurations. Experiments on C60 and quantum calculations suggest that benzyne may react with carbon nanotubes to form gear teeth. Han has computationally demonstrated that molecular gears fashioned from (14,0) single-walled carbon nanotubes and benzyne teeth should operate well at 50-100 gigahertz. Results suggest that rotation can be converted to rotating or linear motion, and linear motion may be converted into rotation. Preliminary results suggest that these mechanical systems can be cooled by a helium atmosphere. Furthermore, Deepak has successfully simulated using helical electric fields generated by a laser to power fullerene gears once a positive and negative charge have been added to form a dipole. Even with mechanical motion, cooling, and power; creating a viable nanotechnology requires support structures, computer control, a system architecture, a variety of components, and some approach to manufacture. Additional information is contained within the original extended abstract.

Globus, Al↗

DOE OSTI2023

Revealing intrinsic domains and fluctuations of moiré magnetism by a wide-field quantum microscope

Moiré magnetism featured by stacking engineered atomic registry and lattice interactions has recently emerged as an appealing quantum state of matter at the forefront of condensed matter physics research. Nanoscale imaging of moiré magnets is highly desirable and serves as a prerequisite to investigate a broad range of intriguing physics underlying the interplay between topology, electronic correlations, and unconventional nanomagnetism. Here we report spin defect-based wide-field imaging of magnetic domains and spin fluctuations in twisted double trilayer (tDT) chromium triiodide CrI 3 . We explicitly show that intrinsic moiré domains of opposite magnetizations appear over arrays of moiré supercells in low-twist-angle tDT CrI 3 . In contrast, spin fluctuations measured in tDT CrI 3 manifest little spatial variations on the same mesoscopic length scale due to the dominant driving force of intralayer exchange interaction. Our results enrich the current understanding of exotic magnetic phases sustained by moiré magnetism and highlight the opportunities provided by quantum spin sensors in probing microscopic spin related phenomena on two-dimensional flatland.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

NASA NTRS1991

Late-time cosmological phase transitions

It is shown that the potential galaxy formation and large scale structure problems of objects existing at high redshifts (Z approx. greater than 5), structures existing on scales of 100 M pc as well as velocity flows on such scales, and minimal microwave anisotropies ((Delta)T/T) (approx. less than 10(exp -5)) can be solved if the seeds needed to generate structure form in a vacuum phase transition after decoupling. It is argued that the basic physics of such a phase transition is no more exotic than that utilized in the more traditional GUT scale phase transitions, and that, just as in the GUT case, significant random Gaussian fluctuations and/or topological defects can form. Scale lengths of approx. 100 M pc for large scale structure as well as approx. 1 M pc for galaxy formation occur naturally. Possible support for new physics that might be associated with such a late-time transition comes from the preliminary results of the SAGE solar neutrino experiment, implying neutrino flavor mixing with values similar to those required for a late-time transition. It is also noted that a see-saw model for the neutrino masses might also imply a tau neutrino mass that is an ideal hot dark matter candidate. However, in general either hot or cold dark matter can be consistent with a late-time transition.

Schramm, David N.↗

DOE OSTI2023

Large anomalous Hall effect and negative magnetoresistance in half-topological semimetals

Proposed mechanisms for large intrinsic anomalous Hall effect (AHE) in magnetic topological semimetals include diverging Berry curvatures of Weyl nodes, anticrossing nodal rings or points of non-trivial bands. Here we demonstrate that a half-topological semimetal (HTS) state near a topological critical point can provide an alternative mechanism for a large AHE via systematic studies on an antiferromagnetic (AFM) half-Heusler compound TbPdBi. We not only observe a large AHE with tanΘ H ≈ 2 in its field-driven ferromagnetic (FM) phase, but also find a distinct Hall resistivity peak in its canted AFM phase. Moreover, we observe a large negative magnetoresistance with a value of ~98%. Our in-depth theoretical modelling indicates that these exotic transport properties originate from the HTS state which exhibits Berry curvature cancellation between the trivial spin-up and nontrivial spin-down bands. Our study offers alternative strategies for improved materials design for spintronics and other applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2021

Controlling quantum many-body dynamics in driven Rydberg atom arrays

Dynamic stabilization of an array Large-scale systems comprising one-dimensional chains and two-dimensional arrays of excited atoms held in a programmable optical lattice are a powerful platform with which to simulate emergent phenomena. Bluvstein et al. built an array of up to 200 Rydberg atoms and subjected the system to periodic excitation. Under such driven excitation, they found that the array of atoms stabilized, freezing periodically into what looked like time crystals. Understanding and controlling the dynamic interactions in quantum many-body systems lies at the heart of contemporary condensed matter physics and the exotic phenomena that can occur. Science , this issue p. 1355

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

DOE OSTI2021

Studies to Improve the Sensitivity to Low Energy Interactions in Dual-Phase Xenon Dark Matter Detectors. Department of Energy Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) Program, Final project report

Noble liquid time projection chambers (TPCs) are some of the most sensitive particle detectors ever developed. They see use in searches for new physics with neutrinos, or for new particles like dark matter. They work by sensing light and charge signals left behind by particle interactions in a volume of liquified xenon or argon. TPCs are so sensitive that even a single electron liberated in an interaction can be readily detected. However this sensitivity to signals comes with a sensitivity to background noise, with one example being single electrons that arrive long after the signals from a true particle interaction. This type of noise has been the subject of multiple studies, which have concluded that single electron backgrounds are well correlated with prior events in the TPC, as well as impurities in the detection medium. At Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), the XeNu TPC is a testbed for a novel study of these backgrounds by generating data with new components made of aluminum and Shapal--the latter being an exotic ceramic which can be machined using standard tools. These materials were selected to replace plastic components which introduce impurities in the TPC during operation. Without plastic, the hope is that electron backgrounds will be reduced, leaving new opportunities for studying their origins and dependence on impurities. The SCGSR fellowship served as a springboard to help meet these objectives. Over the course of a year, the new components were designed, fabricated, and installed in XeNu. Following their installation, data was taken for use in a future study that will enable the electron background contributions from plastic components to be studied directly. In the interim, preliminary analysis results indicate that electron backgrounds with the new components are roughly 50% lower. This has established the efficacy of Shapal as a low-background replacement for plastic components where electrical and thermal stability are needed

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Giant electric field-induced second harmonic generation in polar skyrmions

Electric field-induced second harmonic generation allows electrically controlling nonlinear light-matter interactions crucial for emerging integrated photonics applications. Despite its wide presence in materials, the figures-of-merit of electric field-induced second harmonic generation are yet to be elevated to enable novel device functionalities. Here, we show that the polar skyrmions, a topological phase spontaneously formed in PbTiO3/SrTiO3 ferroelectric superlattices, exhibit a high comprehensive electric field-induced second harmonic generation performance. The second-order nonlinear susceptibility and modulation depth, measured under non-resonant 800 nm excitation, reach ~54.2 pm V −1 and ~664% V −1 , respectively, and high response bandwidth (higher than 10 MHz), wide operating temperature range (up to ~400 K) and good fatigue resistance (>10 10 cycles) are also demonstrated. Through combined in-situ experiments and phase-field simulations, we establish the microscopic links between the exotic polarization configuration and field-induced transition paths of the skyrmions and their electric field-induced second harmonic generation response. Our study not only presents a highly competitive thin-film material ready for constructing on-chip devices, but opens up new avenues of utilizing topological polar structures in the fields of photonics and optoelectronics.

Nonlinear optics↗

DOE OSTI2024

Topological flat bands in a family of multilayer graphene moiré lattices

Moiré materials host a wealth of intertwined correlated and topological states of matter, all arising from flat electronic bands with nontrivial quantum geometry. A prominent example is the family of alternating-twist magic-angle graphene stacks, which exhibit symmetry-broken states at rational fillings of the moiré band and superconductivity close to half filling. Here, we introduce a second family of twisted graphene multilayers made up of twisted sheets of M- and N-layer Bernal-stacked graphene flakes. Calculations indicate that applying an electric displacement field isolates a flat and topological moiré conduction band that is primarily localized to a single graphene sheet below the moiré interface. Phenomenologically, the result is a striking similarity in the hierarchies of symmetry-broken phases across this family of twisted graphene multilayers. Our results show that this family of structures offers promising new opportunities for the discovery of exotic new correlated and topological phenomena, enabled by using the layer number to fine tune the flat moiré band and its screening environment.

Electronic properties and materials↗

DOE OSTI2026

Understanding and Controlling Photoexcited Molecules in Complex Environments (Final Technical Report)

Predicting the outcome of a photochemical reaction is complicated by factors outside the scope of tradition theoretical chemistry. On such small scales, fluctuations of the environment render outcomes stochastic, nonadiabatic dynamics blur the separation between nuclear and electronic motion, and ultrafast relaxation renders typical assumptions of equilibrium inappropriate. This project aimed to elucidate and control nonadiabatic molecular dynamics in condensed phases. We developed accurate, efficient simulation tools to study irreversible molecular processes computational across a range of scales. We applied these methodological advances to study electron transfer under exotic conditions where spin and topology opened new pathways for reactivity. We also brought these ideas to bare on light harvesting systems, where energy and charge transport are coupled, and where long lifetimes can be deleterious to function. These advances helped to establish general principles for chemical efficiency and guide the design of nanoscale energy materials, molecular machines, and related technologies.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2021

2D Mg-Cu Intermetallic Compounds with Nontrivial Band Topology and Dirac Nodal Lines

Synthesis of vertical heterostructures that include atomically thin layers of materials with topologically nontrivial energy bands is desirable for exploring exotic quantum states. In this study, the authors report on atomic-layer-by-layer deposition of magnesium on copper(111) surface by molecular beam epitaxy, monitored in situ by low-energy electron microscopy and diffraction, and modeled by ab initio theory. It is found that a 2D MgCu 2 intermetallic compound forms during initial Mg deposition and persists till a full monolayer of Mg is formed. Deposition of additional Mg triggers a phase transition from the commensurate MgCu 2 to an incommensurate Mg 2 Cu layer and enables growth of the second layer of Mg. Ab initio calculations indicate non-trivial topology of the electron bands in the interfacial Mg 2 Cu layer and the existence of Dirac nodal lines near the Fermi level. The new 2D Mg 2 Cu material emerges as a promising platform to study new topological states of matter.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2022

FACET: a new long-lived particle detector in the very forward region of the CMS experiment

We describe a proposal to add a set of very forward detectors to the CMS experiment for the high-luminosity era of the Large Hadron Collider to search for beyond the standard model long-lived particles, such as dark photons, heavy neutral leptons, axion-like particles, and dark Higgs bosons. The proposed subsystem is called FACET for Forward-Aperture CMS ExTension, and will be sensitive to any particles that can penetrate at least 50 m of magnetized iron and decay in an 18 m long, 1 m diameter vacuum pipe. The decay products will be measured in detectors using identical technology to the planned CMS Phase-2 upgrade.

Particle and Resonance Production↗

DOE OSTI2023

Nanoscale Magnetic Domains in Polycrystalline Mn 3 Sn Films Imaged by a Scanning Single-Spin Magnetometer

Noncollinear antiferromagnets with novel magnetic orders, vanishingly small net magnetization, and exotic spin related properties hold enormous promise for developing next-generation, transformative spintronic applications. A major ongoing research focus of this community is to explore, control, and harness unconventional magnetic phases of this emergent material system to deliver state-of-the-art functionalities for modern microelectronics. Here we report direct imaging of magnetic domains of polycrystalline Mn 3 Sn films, a prototypical noncollinear antiferromagnet, using nitrogen-vacancy-based single-spin scanning microscopy. Nanoscale evolution of local stray field patterns of Mn 3 Sn samples are systematically investigated in response to external driving forces, revealing the characteristic “heterogeneous” magnetic switching behaviors in polycrystalline textured Mn 3 Sn films. Furthermore, our results contribute to a comprehensive understanding of inhomogeneous magnetic orders of noncollinear antiferromagnets, highlighting the potential of nitrogen-vacancy centers to study microscopic spin properties of a broad range of emergent condensed matter systems.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2023

Regulating phase behavior of nanoparticle assemblies through engineering of DNA-mediated isotropic interactions

Self-assembly of isotropically interacting particles into desired crystal structures could allow for creating designed functional materials via simple synthetic means. However, the ability to use isotropic particles to assemble different crystal types remains challenging, especially for generating low-coordinated crystal structures. Here, we demonstrate that isotropic pairwise interparticle interactions can be rationally tuned through the design of DNA shells in a range that allows transition from common, high-coordinated FCC-CuAu and BCC-CsCl lattices, to more exotic symmetries for spherical particles such as the SC-NaCl lattice and to low-coordinated crystal structures (i.e., cubic diamond, open honeycomb). The combination of computational and experimental approaches reveals such a design strategy using DNA-functionalized nanoparticles and successfully demonstrates the realization of BCC-CsCl, SC-NaCl, and a weakly ordered cubic diamond phase. The study reveals the phase behavior of isotropic nanoparticles for DNA–shell tunable interaction, which, due to the ease of synthesis is promising for the practical realization of non-close-packed lattices.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗