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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 163 records · Page 9

Revealing short- and long-range Li-ion diffusion in Li 2 MnO 3 from finite-temperature dynamical mean field theory

Li 2 MnO 3 is a key component of Li-excess layered cathodes of the form (1 − x), LiMO 2 + x, Li 2 MnO 3 (M = Mn, Ni, Co, …), yet its role in setting Li-ion transport limitations remains under debate. Here, in this study, we combine DFT+U, finite-temperature DFT+DMFT with a continuous-time quantum Monte Carlo impurity solver, and nudged-elastic-band (NEB) calculations to study Li + migration in paramagnetic Li 2 MnO 3 in the presence of a single Li vacancy. Evaluating DMFT total energies along the DFT+U NEB geometries reveals that dynamical correlations strongly renormalize the lowest-barrier processes, reducing the activation energies to E a = 0.18 eV for the shortest-range hop and E a = 0.50 eV for the next-lowest (transport-controlling) step. The 0.18 eV barrier quantitatively reproduces the short-range activation energy from µ+SR, while the 0.50 eV barrier is consistent with the long-range transport scale extracted from ac-impedance measurements. This single-vacancy, paramagnetic DMFT description thus provides a unified interpretation of local and macroscopic probes without invoking clustered vacancy configurations or strong extrinsic disorder, consistent with nearly stoichiometric Li 2 MnO 3 powders. More broadly, our results highlight finite-temperature dynamical correlations as an essential ingredient for predicting ionic migration energetics in correlated oxide electrodes.

Lee, Alex Taekyung [University of Illinois, Chicag↗

Bis( tert -butoxydiphenylsilyl)amide Divalent Lanthanide Complexes

The development of new ligand systems to stabilize “nontraditional/ non-classical” divalent lanthanides is key to tuning the chemical and physical properties of their mixed principal quantum number 4f n 5d 1 ground states. The design and study of novel ligand systems which stabilize occupation of differing orbitals within the 5d manifold for these ions constitutes an area ripe for exploration. Our efforts toward the development of redox-innocent bulky silylamide ligands to stabilize pseudo-octahedral coordination geometries for divalent lanthanides have resulted in the synthesis of the bis( tert -butoxydiphenylsilyl) amide ligand, whose coordination complexes with Sm 2+ , Eu 2+ , and Yb 2+ are reported herein. These systems have been fully characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, cyclic voltammetry, direct-current magnetometry, and infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, and electronic absorption spectroscopies. Attempts to extend this system to the more reducing Tm 2+ ion resulted in an inseparable mixture of products from which crystals of the analogous Tm 2+ species and a reduced dinitrogen, bimetallic Tm 3+ -Tm 3+ complex bridged by a η 2 -N 2 3− radical could be identified. Though progress toward six-coordinate complexes of reducing “traditional/ classical” divalent ions is noted for these systems, further work is needed to improve the synthetic utility of this ligand framework for the study of “non-traditional/non-classical” divalent lanthanides with a mixed-principal quantum number 4f n 5d 1 ground state.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

GDB-9-Ex_TD-DFT-PBE0: Dataset containing Time Dependent Density Functional Theory (TDDFT) calculations for organic molecules of the GDB-9-Ex dataset.

This dataset contains data-intensive quantum chemical electronic structure calculations for 96,766 organic molecules of the GDB-9-Ex dataset. Calculations were performed using the Time Dependent Density Functional Theory (TDDFT) first principles method using the ORCA software. It provides UV-vis spectra calculations of molecules with a high level of accuracy. The optical spectra behavior was collected based on the optimized molecular geometries in the DFTB method with 3ob parameters. All calculations utilized the def2-TZVP basis sets with the auxiliary def2/J and def2-TZVP/C basis sets. The time-dependent density-functional theory (TDDFT) approach with the PBE0 exchange-correlation functional and ORCAs default integration grid was employed. For the excitation energy calculations, the lowest 50 excitation states were calculated.

AI dataset↗

Cross-Cap Defects and Fault-Tolerant Logical Gates in the Surface Code and the Honeycomb Floquet Code

We consider the Z 2 toric code, surface code, and Floquet code defined on a nonorientable surface, which can be considered as families of codes extending Shor’s nine-qubit code. We investigate the fault-tolerant logical gates of the Z 2 toric code in this setup, which corresponds to e ↔ m exchanging symmetry of the underlying Z 2 gauge theory. We find that nonorientable geometry provides a new way for the emergent symmetry to act on the code space, and discover the new realization of the fault-tolerant Hadamard gate of the two-dimensional surface code with a single cross cap connecting the vertices nonlocally along a slit, dubbed a nonorientable surface code. This Hadamard gate can be realized by a constant-depth local unitary circuit modulo nonlocality caused by a cross cap. Via folding, the nonorientable surface code can be turned into a bilayer local quantum code, where the folded cross cap is equivalent to a bilayer twist terminated on a gapped boundary and the logical Hadamard only contains local gates with intralayer couplings when being away from the cross cap, as opposed to the interlayer couplings on each site needed in the case of the folded surface code. We further obtain the complete logical Clifford gate set for a stack of nonorientable surface codes and similarly for codes defined on Klein-bottle geometries. We then construct the honeycomb Floquet code in the presence of a single cross cap, and find that the period of the sequential Pauli measurements acts as a H Z logical gate on the single logical qubit, where the cross cap enriches the dynamics compared with the orientable case. We find that the dynamics of the honeycomb Floquet code is precisely described by a condensation operator of the Z 2 gauge theory, and illustrate the exotic dynamics of our code in terms of a condensation operator supported at a nonorientable surface. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Physics↗

Ising on $\mathbb{S}^2$-- The Affine Conjecture

We review the recent construction \cite{brower2024isingmodelmathbbs2} of the 2d Ising model on a triangulated sphere $\mathbb{S}^2$. Surprisingly, this led to a precise map of the lattice couplings to the target geometry in order to reach the conform field theory (CFT) in the continuum limit. For the integrable 2d Ising CFT, the map was found analytically \cite{Brower_2023}. Here we conjecture how this might be generalized. The discrete geometry is implemented by the piecewise flat triangulation introduced by Regge in 1960 for the Einstein Hilbert action \cite{Regge1961GeneralRW}. Then following our Ising example, we posit the existence of a smooth map of lattice couplings in affine parameters consistent with quantum correlators. A sequence of theoretical investigations and numerical simulations are recommended to test this conjecture. They begin with non-integrable CFT's -- the 2d $\phi^4$ theory on $\mathbb{S}^2$; the 3d Ising model on $\mathbb{S}^3$ and $\mathbb{R} \times \mathbb{S}^2$; QED3 on $\mathbb{R} \times \mathbb{S}^{2} $ as an intermediate step to 4d non-Abelian lattice gauge theory on $\mathbb{R} \times \mathbb{S}^3$.

Brower, Richard C. [Boston U.] (ORCID:000000028185↗

Mind the crosscap: $τ$-scaling in non-orientable gravity and time-reversal-invariant systems

Spectral statistics of quantum chaotic systems are governed by random matrix universality. In many cases of interest, time-reversal symmetry selects the Gaussian Orthogonal Ensemble (GOE) as the relevant universality class. In holographic CFTs, this is mirrored by the presence of non-orientable geometries in the dual gravitational path integral. In this work, we analyze general properties of these matrix models and their gravitational counterparts. First, we develop a formalism to express the universal level statistics in the canonical ensemble for arbitrary spectral curves, leading to a topological expansion with finite radius of convergence in the late-time $τ$-scaling limit. Then, we focus on topological gravity and study topological recursion on the moduli space of non-orientable surfaces. We find that the Weil-Petersson volumes display non-analytic behaviour multiplying polynomials in the boundary lengths. The volumes give rise to wormholes with late-time divergences, in contrast with the orientable case, which is finite. We identify systematic cancellations among WP volumes implied by the consistency and finiteness of the $τ$-scaling limit. In particular, the cancellation of late-time divergences requires a nontrivial genus resummation. Working in the gravitational microcanonical ensemble, we derive and resum all orders of the topological expansion matching the GOE matrix model in the high-energy regime.

Chaotic Dynamics (nlin.CD)↗

Optimization of submicron Ni/Au/Ge contacts to an AlGaAs/GaAs two-dimensional electron gas

We report on fabrication and performance of sub-micrometer Ni/Au/Ge contacts to a two-dimensional electron gas in an AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructure. Utilizing scanning transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and low temperature electrical measurements, we investigate the relationship between contact performance and the mechanical and chemical properties of the annealed metal stack. Contact geometry and crystallographic orientation significantly impact performance. Our results indicate that the spatial distribution of germanium in the annealed contact plays a central role in the creation of high transmission contacts. We characterize the transmission of our contacts at high magnetic fields in the quantum Hall regime. Our work establishes that contacts with an area of 0.5 μm2 and resistance less than 400 Ω can be fabricated with high yield.

Physics↗

GDB-9-Ex_EOM-CCSD: Dataset containing Equation of Motion Coupled Cluster (EOM-CCSD) calculations for organic molecules of the GDB-9-Ex dataset.

This dataset contains data-intensive quantum chemical electronic structure calculations for 80,593 organic molecules of the GDB-9-Ex dataset. Calculations were performed using the Equation of Motion Coupled Cluster (EOM-CCSD) first principles method using the ORCA software. It provides UV-vis spectra calculations of molecules with a high level of accuracy. The optical spectra behavior was collected based on the optimized molecular geometries in the DFTB method with 3ob parameters. All calculations utilized the def2-TZVP basis sets with the auxiliary def2/J and def2-TZVP/C basis sets. The similarity-transformed EOM-CCSD method that used domain-based local pair natural orbitals (DLPNO) approximation which constitutes the STEOM-DLPNO-CCSD method was used. This method is based on the STEOM approach and was found to make accurate predictions of transition energies for organic molecules. For the excitation energy calculations, the lowest 50 excitation states were calculated.

AI dataset↗

Universality in logarithmic temperature corrections to near-extremal rotating black hole thermodynamics in various dimensions

The low-temperature thermodynamics of near-extremal rotating black holes has recently been revisited to incorporate one-loop contributions that are dominant in this regime. We discuss these quantum corrections to the gravitational path integral for asymptotically Anti de-Sitter black holes in four and five dimensions. In four dimensions we explicitly consider Kerr-AdS 4 , Kerr-Newman-AdS 4 and the rotating black hole in $\mathcal{N}$ = 4 gauged supergravity with two scalars and two electric charges turned on. In five dimensions we explicitly address the asymptotically flat Myers-Perry black hole and the Kerr-AdS5 black hole. In every case we find that tensor modes contribute $\frac{3}{2}$logT Hawking to the low-temperature thermodynamics. We identify the root cause of this universality in two facts: (i) the universal presence of a SL(2, $\mathbb{R}$) subgroup of isometries in the near-horizon geometry and (ii) a set of cancellations in the Lichnerowicz operator. We show that these two conditions hold for near-extremal black holes in asymptotically flat and asymptotically AdS spacetimes of various dimensions.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Direct measurement of thermal Knudsen forces in rarefied gas environments

At micro- and nanoscales, momentum transfer between surfaces is influenced by various physical mechanisms, including quantum fluctuations, electromagnetic interactions, electric charges, and the dynamics of (rarefied) gases. Under non-isothermal conditions, rarefied gases give rise to thermal Knudsen forces whose magnitudes strongly depend on the gas species and surface characteristics. Knudsen forces are particularly relevant in nanotechnology, optical manipulation, and aerospace systems, where gas rarefaction occurs due to highly confined geometries, sub-micrometer length scales, and reduced particle densities. Despite their significance, predictive modeling of Knudsen forces is limited by a lack of comprehensive experimental data across diverse materials and surface morphologies. Here, in this work, we present a highly sensitive and adaptable measurement platform capable of directly quantifying Knudsen forces using a suspended, interchangeable micro-cantilever within controlled rarefied helium and nitrogen environments. The system integrates optical fiber interferometry to precisely capture out-of-plane displacements at sub-micrometer resolution, driven by Knudsen forces. From the empirical data, we derive a robust correlation linking the magnitudes of Knudsen forces to energy accommodation coefficients, offering deeper insights into the underlying gas–surface interaction mechanisms.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Systematic Construction of Time-Dependent Hamiltonians for Microwave-Driven Josephson Circuits

Time-dependent electromagnetic drives are fundamental for controlling complex quantum systems, including superconducting Josephson circuits. In these devices, accurate time-dependent Hamiltonian models are imperative for predicting their dynamics and designing high-fidelity quantum operations. Existing numerical methods, such as black-box quantization (BBQ) and energy-participation ratio (EPR), excel at modeling the static Hamiltonians of Josephson circuits. However, these techniques do not fully capture the behavior of driven circuits stimulated by external microwave drives, nor do they include a generalized approach to account for the inevitable noise and dissipation that enter through microwave ports. Here, we introduce numerical techniques that leverage classical microwave simulations, efficiently executable in finite-element solvers, to obtain the time-dependent Hamiltonian of microwave-driven superconducting circuits with arbitrary geometries under charge, flux, or mixed electromagnetic modulation. Importantly, our techniques do not rely on a lumped-element description of the superconducting circuit, in contrast to previous approaches to tackling this problem. We demonstrate the versatility of our approach by characterizing the driven properties of realistic circuit devices in complex electromagnetic environments, including coherent dynamics due to charge and flux modulation, as well as drive-induced relaxation and dephasing. Our techniques offer a powerful toolbox for optimizing circuit designs and advancing practical applications in superconducting quantum computing.

Lu, Yao [Yale U.; Yale U. (main); Fermilab] (ORCID↗

Aspects of propagator sparsening in lattice QCD

In lattice field theory, field sparsening aims to replace quantum fields, or objects constructed from them, with approximations that preserve the appropriate symmetries and maintain many aspects of the physics that the fields determine. For example, an effective sparsening of a quark propagator provides an efficient map from a quark propagator on a fine lattice geometry to a quark propagator defined on a coarser geometry in order to reduce storage and computational costs of subsequent calculational stages while maintaining long-distance correlations and corresponding low-energy physical information. Previous studies have focused on decimating lattice sites or randomly sampling lattice sites to reduce the size of the propagator and subsequent costs of Wick contractions. Here, we extend the study of sparsening to incorporate covariant averaging of spatial sites and examine the effects on two-point and three-point correlation functions involving various hadrons. We find that sparsening is most effective in reproducing the unsparsened versions of these correlation functions when weighted covariant-averaging is sequentially applied many times.

Lattice QCD↗

Ab initio investigation of a hypersonic double cone experiment

This article presents a direct molecular simulation (DMS) of a reactive Mach 8.2 oxygen flow over a double cone geometry. The free stream conditions and article configuration generate a flow with thermal and chemical nonequilibrium, which are common attributes of hypersonic flight. This scenario was first studied experimentally at Calspan University of Buffalo Research Center’s test facility. DMS is a particle method that uses quantum mechanically derived interaction potentials to simulate molecular collisions within a flow field. Since these interaction potentials are the only modeling inputs used in the simulation, all flow features can solely be attributed to the ab initio potential energy surfaces. Hence, providing a comparison of a hypersonic ground test and numerical data anchored to quantum mechanics. The fundamental nature of DMS is leveraged to investigate molecular level mechanisms prevalent in the flow, and comparisons with lower fidelity simulations are presented to highlight the role of these first principles calculations as benchmark solutions.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

Design and Performance of an InAs Quantum Dot Scintillator with Integrated Photodetector

A new scintillation material composed of InAs quantum dots (QDs) hosted within a GaAs matrix was developed, and its performance with different types of radiation is evaluated. A methodology for designing an integrated photodetector (PD) with a low defect density and that is optically matched to the QD’s emission spectrum is introduced, utilizing an engineered epitaxial InAlGaAs metamorphic buffer layer. The photoluminescence (PL) collection efficiency of the integrated PD is examined using two-dimensional scanning laser excitation. The detector response to 5.5 MeV α-particles and 122 keV photons is presented. Yields of 13 electrons/keV for α-particles and 30–60 electrons/keV for photons were observed. The energy resolution of 12% observed with α-particles was mainly limited by noise- and geometry-related optical losses. The radiation hardness of an InAs QDs hosted within GaAs and a wider band gap AlGaAs ternary alloy was studied under a 1 MeV proton implantation up to a 10 14 cm –2 dose. The integrated PL responses were compared to evaluate PL quenching due to non-radiative defects. The QDs embedded in the AlGaAs demonstrated improved radiation hardness compared to QDs in the GaAs matrix and in the InGaAs quantum wells.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

On measuring stimulated photon–photon scattering using multiple ultraintense lasers

Stimulated photon–photon scattering is a predicted consequence of quantum electrodynamics that has yet to be measured directly. Measuring the cross section for stimulated photon–photon scattering is the aim of a flagship experiment for NSF OPAL, a proposed laser user facility with two, 25-PW beamlines. We present optimized experimental designs for achieving this challenging and canonical measurement. A family of experimental geometries is identified that satisfies the momentum- and energy-matching conditions for two selected laser frequency options. Numerical models predict a maximum signal exceeding 1000 scattered photons per shot at the experimental conditions envisaged at NSF OPAL. Experimental requirements on collision geometry, polarization, cotiming and copointing, background suppression, and diagnostic technologies are investigated numerically. These results confirm that a beam cotiming shorter than the pulse duration and control of the copointing on a scale smaller than the shortest laser wavelength are needed to robustly scatter photons on a per-shot basis. Finally, we assess the bounds that a successful execution of this experiment may place on the mass scale of Born–Infeld nonlinear electrodynamics beyond the standard model of physics.

Beyond the Standard Model↗

Directional Superradiance in a Driven Ultracold Atomic Gas in Free Space

Ultracold atomic systems are among the most promising platforms that have the potential to shed light on the complex behavior of many-body quantum systems. One prominent example is the case of a dense ensemble illuminated by a strong coherent drive while interacting via dipole-dipole interactions. Despite being subjected to intense investigations, this system retains many open questions. A recent experiment carried out in a pencil-shaped geometry [Ferioli Nat. Phys. 19, 1345 (2023)] has reported measurements that have seemed consistent with the emergence of strong collective effects in the form of a “superradiant” phase transition in free space, when looking at the light-emission properties in the forward direction. Motivated by the experimental observations, we carry out a systematic theoretical analysis of the steady-state properties of the system as a function of the driving strength and atom number N . We observe signatures of collective effects in the weak-driving regime, which disappear with increasing drive strength as the system evolves into a single-particle-like mixed state comprised of randomly aligned dipoles. Although the steady state features some similarities to the reported superradiant-to-normal nonequilibrium transition, also known as cooperative resonance fluorescence, we observe significant qualitative and quantitative differences, including a different scaling of the critical drive parameter (from N to N ). We validate the applicability of a mean-field treatment to capture the steady-state dynamics under currently accessible conditions. Furthermore, we develop a simple theoretical model that explains the scaling properties by accounting for interaction-induced inhomogeneous effects and spontaneous emission, which are intrinsic features of interacting disordered arrays in free space. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Agarwal, Sanaa (ORCID:0000000336863804)↗

Experimental Characterization and Modeling of High Hole Mobility GeSn Quantum Wells: The Role of Alloy Disorder Scattering

Understanding mechanisms influencing electrical transport in material systems not only provides a scientific explanation for observed behavior but also offers insight into ways to enhance transport in devices. This study reports experimental hole mobility of 8 x 10 4 cm 2 V -1 s -1 in a Ge 0.92 Sn 0.08 , the highest recorded mobility for the GeSn system. A study of the material's quality is presented using structural and electrical characterization techniques, with transport data being supported by simulations using an extensive modeling framework. Quantum Hall measurements further indicate the material's high quality and potential spintronic applications, with extracted values of 0.0689$m$ 0 and 13.6 for the effective mass and effective g‐factor, respectively. It is observed that transport is limited by alloy disorder scattering at cryogenic temperatures. A comparative study between the presented structure and similar quantum well heterostructures revealed that the difference in hole mobilities is captured by a disparity in the reduced nominal alloy disorder scattering potential (Δ U alloy = 0.8 eV), that is lower than the value of a fully random alloy (Δ U alloy = 1.4–1.7 eV) potential. The difference in Δ U alloy suggests that heterostructures with similar geometries and alloy compositions can have different alloy disorder scattering, implying that an underlying mechanism, such as short‐range order, may be responsible and warrants further investigation.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Gigahertz-frequency acousto-optic phase modulation of visible light in a CMOS-fabricated photonic circuit

Optical phase modulators operating at visible wavelengths are essential components for photonic technologies such as those for quantum control, communications, and laser ranging. However, they remain challenging to implement in scalable, integrated platforms capable of handling high optical powers. Here we present a visible-light, gigahertz-frequency acousto-optic phase modulator, fabricated on a 200-mm wafer in a volume CMOS foundry, that supports greater than 500 mW of optical power at 730 nm. The device combines a piezoelectric transducer and a photonic waveguide within a single, wavelength-scale structure that confines both a propagating optical mode and an electrically excitable breathing-mode mechanical resonance. By tuning the device’s geometry to optimize the optomechanical interaction, we achieve modulation depths up to 4.85 rad with 80 mW of applied microwave power at 2.31 GHz in a 2-mm-long device. This corresponds to resonant modulation figures of merit of V π = 1.32V and V π ⋅ L = 0.26V cm. To our knowledge, this is the lowest V π ever demonstrated in any acousto-optic phase modulator and represents a 15-fold reduction in V π and a 100-fold reduction in required microwave power relative to state-of-the-art modulators with high visible-wavelength power handling commonly employed in quantum control systems.

Freedman, Jacob M. [Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (↗