An Efficient Boron Source Activation Strategy for the Low‑Temperature Synthesis of Boron Nitride Nanotubes

Lowering the synthesis temperature of boron nitride nanotubes(BNNTs)is crucial for their development.The primary reason for adopting a high temperature is to enable the effective activation of highmelting-point solid boron.In this study,we developed a novel approach for efficiently activating boron by introducing alkali metal compounds into the conventional MgO–B system.This approach can be adopted to form various low-melting-point AM–Mg–B–O growth systems.These growth systems have improved catalytic capability and reactivity even under low-temperature conditions,facilitating the synthesis of BNNTs at temperatures as low as 850℃.In addition,molecular dynamics simulations based on density functional theory theoretically demonstrate that the systems maintain a liquid state at low temperatures and interact with N atoms to form BN chains.These findings offer novel insights into the design of boron activation and are expected to facilitate research on the low-temperature synthesis of BNNTs.

Signature of Superconductivity in Pressurized La_(4)Ni_(3)O_(10)

The discovery of high-temperature superconductivity near 80K in bilayer nickelate La_(3)Ni_(2)O_(7)under high pressures has renewed the exploration of superconducting nickelate in bulk materials.The extension of superconductivity in other nickelates in a broader family is also essential.Here,we report the experimental observation of superconducting signature in trilayer nickelate La_(4)Ni_(3)O_(10)under high pressures.By using a modified solgel method and post-annealing treatment under high oxygen pressure,we successfully obtained polycrystalline La_(4)Ni_(3)O_(10)samples with different transport behaviors at ambient pressure.Then we performed high-pressure electrical resistance measurements on these samples in a diamond-anvil-cell apparatus.Surprisingly,the signature of possible superconducting transition with a maximum transition temperature(T_(c))of about 20K under high pressures is observed,as evidenced by a clear drop of resistance and the suppression of resistance drops under magnetic fields.Although the resistance drop is sample-dependent and relatively small,it appears in all of our measured samples.We argue that the observed superconducting signal is most likely to originate from the main phase of La_(4)Ni_(3)O_(10).Our findings will motivate the exploration of superconductivity in a broader family of nickelates and shed light on the understanding of the underlying mechanisms of high-T_(c) superconductivity in nickelates.

Dynamics of Spacing Selection for Lamellar Eutectics in Directional Solidification

Profile and its splitting features of solidifying interface of lamellar eutectic in directional solidification have been investigated by solving numerically the nonlinear coupling equation of solidification.It is argued that critical splitting point of the solidifying interface Is marginally stable,and therefore is the possible operating point of spacing selection dynamics.Three modes of the dynamics are proposed,and a new scaling law of the lamellar array is derived,which has a more general form than the classic one.

Properties of focused Laguerre–Gaussian beam propagating in anisotropic ocean turbulence

We analyze the properties of a focused Laguerre–Gaussian(LG)beam propagating through anisotropic ocean turbulence based on the Huygens–Fresnel principle.Under the Rytov approximation theory,we derive the analytical formula of the channel capacity of the focused LG beam in the anisotropic ocean turbulence,and analyze the relationship between the capacity and the light source parameters as well as the turbulent ocean parameters.It is found that the focusing mirror can greatly enhance the channel capacity of the system at the geometric focal plane in oceanic turbulence.The results also demonstrate that the communication link can obtain high channel capacity by adopting longer beam wavelength,greater initial beam waist radius,and larger number of transmission channels.Further,the capacity of the system increases with the decrease of the mean squared temperature dissipation rate,temperature-salinity contribution ratio and turbulence outer scale factor,and with the increase of the kinetic energy dissipation rate per unit mass of fluid,turbulence inner scale factor and anisotropy factor.Compared to a Hankel–Bessel beam with diffraction-free characteristics and unfocused LG beam,the focused LG beam shows superior anti-turbulence interference properties,which provide a theoretical reference for research and development of underwater optical communication links using focused LG beams.

Single Pass Third-Harmonic Generation of 310mW of 355 nm with an All-Solid-State Laser

A maximum of 310mW average output power at 355nm has been obtained by extracavity frequency tripling with a BBO crystal in a Q-switched Nd:YV04 laser with 11.2 W of laser diode pump power. The single pass frequency conversion efficiency (infrared-to-ultraviolet) is 14.3%. The power stability of the ultraviolet laser is better than 1% in 30min.

Bulk moduli of two-dimensional Yukawa solids and liquids obtained from periodic compressions

Langevin dynamical simulations are performed to determine the bulk modulus in twodimensional(2D) dusty plasmas from uniform periodic radial compressions. The bulk modulus is calculated directly from its physical definition of the ratio of the internal pressure/stress to the volume strain. Under various conditions, the bulk moduli obtained agree with the previous theoretical derivations from completely different approaches. It is found that the bulk moduli of2D Yukawa solids and liquids are almost independent of the system temperature and the external compressional frequency.

Normal and Superconducting Properties of La_(3)Ni_(2)O_(7)

This review provides a comprehensive overview of current research on the structural,electronic,and magnetic characteristics of the recently discovered high-temperature superconductor La_(3)Ni_(2)O_(7) under high pressures.We present the experimental results for synthesizing and characterizing this material,derived from measurements of transport,thermodynamics,and various spectroscopic techniques,and discuss their physical implications.We also explore theoretical models proposed to describe the electronic structures and superconducting pairing symmetry in La_(3)Ni_(2)O_(7),highlighting the intricate interplay between electronic correlations and magnetic interactions.Despite these advances,challenges remain in growing high-quality samples free of extrinsic phases and oxygen deficiencies and in developing reliable measurement tools for determining diamagnetism and other physical quantities under high pressures.Further investigations in these areas are essential to deepening our understanding of the physical properties of La_(3)Ni_(2)O_(7) and unlocking its superconducting pairing mechanism.

In-phase and out-of-phase spin pumping effects in Py/Ru/Pysynthetic antiferromagnetic structures

The spin pumping effect in magnetic heterostructures and multilayers is a highly effective method for the generationand transmission of spin currents. In the increasingly prominent synthetic antiferromagnetic structures, the two ferromagneticlayers demonstrate in-phase and out-of-phase states, corresponding to acoustic and optical precession modes. Withinthis context, our study explores the spin pumping effect in Py/Ru/Py synthetic antiferromagnetic structures across differentmodes. The heightened magnetic damping resulting from the spin pumping effect in the in-phase state initially decreaseswith increasing Py thickness before stabilizing. Conversely, in the out-of-phase state, the amplified damping exceeds thatof the in-phase state, suggesting a greater spin relaxation within this configuration, which demonstrates sensitivity to alterationsin static exchange interactions. These findings contribute to advancing the application of synthetic antiferromagneticstructures in magnonic devices.

Generation of broadband polarization-orthogonal photon pairs via the dispersion-engineered thin-film lithium niobate waveguide

Broadband photon pairs are highly desirable for quantum metrology,quantum sensing,and quantum communication.Such sources are usually designed through type-0 phase-matching spontaneous parametric down-conversion(SPDC)that makes the photon pairs hard to separate in the frequency-degenerate case and thus limits their applications.In this paper,we design a broadband frequency-degenerate telecom-band photon pair source via the type-II SPDC in a dispersion-engineered thin-film lithium niobate waveguide,where the polarization modes of photon pairs are orthogonal and thus are easily separated deterministically.With a 5-mm-long waveguide,our design can achieve a bandwidth of 5.56 THz(44.8 nm),which is 8.6 times larger than that of the bulk lithium niobate,and the central wavelength can be flexibly adjusted.Our design is a promising approach towards high-quality integrated photon sources and may have wide applications in photonic quantum technologies.

Machine-learning-assisted efficient reconstruction of the quantum states generated from the Sagnac polarization-entangled photon source

Neural networks are becoming ubiquitous in various areas of physics as a successful machine learning(ML)technique for addressing different tasks.Based on ML technique,we propose and experimentally demonstrate an efficient method for state reconstruction of the widely used Sagnac polarization-entangled photon source.By properly modeling the target states,a multi-output fully connected neural network is well trained using only six of the sixteen measurement bases in standard tomography technique,and hence our method reduces the resource consumption without loss of accuracy.We demonstrate the ability of the neural network to predict state parameters with a high precision by using both simulated and experimental data.Explicitly,the mean absolute error for all the parameters is below 0.05 for the simulated data and a mean fidelity of 0.99 is achieved for experimentally generated states.Our method could be generalized to estimate other kinds of states,as well as other quantum information tasks.

Improving the electrical performances of InSe transistors by interface engineering

InSe has emerged as a promising candidate for next-generation electronics due to its predicted ultrahigh electrical performance.However,the efficacy of the InSe transistor in meeting application requirements is hindered due to its sensitivity to interfaces.In this study,we have achieved notable enhancement in the electrical performance of InSe transistors through interface engineering.We engineered an InSe/h-BN heterostructure,effectively suppressing dielectric layer-induced scattering.Additionally,we successfully established excellent metal-semiconductor contacts using graphene ribbons as a buffer layer.Through a methodical approach to interface engineering,our graphene/InSe/h-BN transistor demonstrates impressive on-state current,field-effect mobility,and on/off ratio at room temperature,reaching values as high as 1.1 mA/μm,904 cm^(2)·V^(-1)·s^(-1),and>10~6,respectively.Theoretical computations corroborate that the graphene/InSe heterostructure shows significant interlayer charge transfer and weak interlayer interaction,contributing to the enhanced performance of InSe transistors.This research offers a comprehensive strategy to elevate the electrical performance of InSe transistors,paving the way for their utilization in future electronic applications.

Comparative study on phase transition behaviors of fractional molecular field theory and random-site Ising model

Fractional molecular field theory(FMFT)is a phenomenological theory that describes phase transitions in crystals with randomly distributed components,such as the relaxor-ferroelectrics and spin glasses.In order to verify the feasibility of this theory,this paper fits it to the Monte Carlo simulations of specific heat and susceptibility versus temperature of two-dimensional(2D)random-site Ising model(2D-RSIM).The results indicate that the FMFT deviates from the 2D-RSIM significantly.The main reason for the deviation is that the 2D-RSIM is a typical system of component random distribution,where the real order parameter is spatially heterogeneous and has no symmetry of space translation,but the basic assumption of FMFT means that the parameter is spatially uniform and has symmetry of space translation.

Mott Gap Filling by Doping Electrons through Depositing One Sub-Monolayer Thin Film of Rb on Ca_(2)CuO_(2)Cl_(2)

Understanding the doping evolution from a Mott insulator to a superconductor probably holds the key to resolve the mystery of unconventional superconductivity in copper oxides. To elucidate the evolution of the electronic state starting from the Mott insulator, we dose the surface of the parent phase Ca_(2)CuO_(2)Cl_(2) by depositing Rb atoms, which are supposed to donate electrons to the CuO_(2) planes underneath. We successfully achieved the Rb sub-monolayer thin films in forming the square lattice. The scanning tunneling microscopy or spectroscopy measurements on the surface show that the Fermi energy is pinned within the Mott gap but close to the edge of the charge transfer band. In addition, an in-gap state appears at the bottom of the upper Hubbard band(UHB), and the Mott gap will be significantly diminished. Combined with the Cl defect and the Rb adatom/cluster results, the electron doping is likely to increase the spectra weight of the UHB for the double occupancy. Our results provide information to understand the electron doping to the parent compound of cuprates.

Generation of orbital angular momentum hologram using a modified U-net

Orbital angular momentum(OAM)holography has become a promising technique in information encryption,data storage and opto-electronic computing,owing to the infinite topological charge of one single OAM mode and the orthogonality of different OAM modes.In this paper,we propose a novel OAM hologram generation method based on a densely connected U-net(DCU),where the densely connected convolution blocks(DCB)replace the convolution blocks of the U-net.Importantly,the reconstruction process of the OAM hologram is integrated into DCU as its output layer,so as to eliminate the requirement to prepare training data for the OAM hologram,which is required by conventional neural networks through an iterative algorithm.The experimental and simulation results show that the OAM hologram can rapidly be generated with the well-trained DCU,and the reconstructed image's quality from the generated OAM hologram is significantly improved in comparison with those from the Gerchberg-Saxton generation method,the Gerchberg-Saxton based generation method and the U-net method.In addition,a 10-bit OAM multiplexing hologram scheme is numerically demonstrated to have a high capacity with OAM hologram.

Effects of carrier density and interactions on pairing symmetry in a t_(2g) model

By utilizing the fluctuation exchange approximation method,we perform a study on the superconducting pairing symmetry in a t_(2g) three-orbital model on the square lattice.Although the tight-binding parameters of the model are based on Sr_(2)RuO_(4),we have systematically studied the evolution of superconducting pairing symmetry with the carrier density and interactions,making our findings relevant to a broader range of material systems.Under a moderate Hund’s coupling,we find that spin fluctuations dominate the superconducting pairing,leading to a prevalent spin-singlet pairing with a d_(x^(2)-y^(2))-wave symmetry for the carrier density within the range of n=1.5-4 per site.By reducing the Hund’s coupling,the charge fluctuations are enhanced and play a crucial role in determining the pairing symmetry,leading to a transition of the pairing symmetry from the spin-singlet d_(x^(2)-y^(2))-wave to the spin-triplet p-wave.Furthermore,we find that the superconducting pairings are orbital dependent.As the carrier density changes from n=4 to n=1.5,the active orbitals for superconducting pairing shift from the quasi-two-dimensional orbital dxy to the quasi-one-dimensional orbitals d_(xz) and d_(yz).

Enhancing the crystallinity and stability of perovskite solar cells with 4-tert-butylpyridine induction for efficiency exceeding 24%

Perovskite solar cells(PSCs)have emerged as a promising photovoltaic technology because of their high light absorption coefficient,long carrier diffusion distance,and tunable bandgap.However,PSCs face challenges such as hysteresis effects and stability issues.In this study,we introduced a novel approach to improve film crystallization by leveraging 4-tert-butylpyridine(TBP)molecules,thereby enhancing the performance and stability of PSCs.Our findings demonstrate the effective removal of PbI_(2)from the perovskite surface through strong coordination with TBP molecules.Additionally,by carefully adjusting the concentration of the TBP solution,we achieved enhanced film crystallinity without disrupting the perovskite structure.The TBP-treated perovskite films exhibit a low defect density,improved crystallinity,and improved carrier lifetime.As a result,the PSCs manufactured with TBP treatment achieve power conversion efficiency(PCE)exceeding 24%.Moreover,we obtained the PCE of 21.39%for the 12.25 cm^(2)module.

Diagnosing quantum crosstalk in superconducting quantum chips by using out-of-time-order correlators

Performance of a scalable quantum processor critically relies on minimizing crosstalk and unwanted interactions within the system,as it is vital for parallel controlled operations on qubits.We present a protocol not only to provide information about residual coupling but also to effectively discriminate it from the influence of classical crosstalk.Our approach utilizes out-of-time-order correlators(OTOCs)as a signal of quantum crosstalk,making it applicable to various coupling forms and scalable architectures.To demonstrate the effectiveness of our protocol,we provide a theoretical analysis and simulate its implementation in coupled superconducting qubits.

Oscillation of Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction driven by weak electric fields

Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction(DMI) is under extensive investigation considering its crucial status in chiral magnetic orders, such as Néel-type domain wall(DW) and skyrmions. It has been reported that the interfacial DMI originating from Rashba spin–orbit coupling(SOC) can be linearly tuned with strong external electric fields. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate that the strength of DMI exhibits rapid fluctuations, ranging from 10% to 30% of its original value, as a function of applied electric fields in Pt/Co/MgO heterostructures within the small field regime(< 10-2V/nm). Brillouin light scattering(BLS) experiments have been performed to measure DMI, and first-principles calculations show agreement with this observation, which can be explained by the variation in orbital hybridization at the Co/MgO interface in response to the weak electric fields. Our results on voltage control of DMI(VCDMI) suggest that research related to the voltage control of magnetic anisotropy for spin–orbit torque or the motion control of skyrmions might also have to consider the role of the external electric field on DMI as small voltages are generally used for the magnetoresistance detection.

Individual dynamics and local heterogeneity provide a microscopic view of the epidemic spreading

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe global disasters,highlighting the importance of understanding the details and trends of epidemic transmission in order to introduce efficient intervention measures.While the widely used deterministic compartmental models have qualitatively presented continuous “analytical” insight and captured some transmission features,their treatment usually lacks spatiotemporal variation.Here,we propose a stochastic individual dynamical(SID)model to mimic the random and heterogeneous nature of epidemic propagation.The SID model provides a unifying framework for representing the spatiotemporal variations of epidemic development by tracking the movements of each individual.Using this model,we reproduce the infection curves for COVID-19 cases in different areas globally and find the local dynamics and heterogeneity at the individual level that affect the disease outbreak.The macroscopic trend of virus spreading is clearly illustrated from the microscopic perspective,enabling a quantitative assessment of different interventions.Seemingly,this model is also applicable to studying stochastic processes at the “meter scale”,e.g.,human society’s collective dynamics.

Ultrasensitive Mechanical Sensor Using Tunable Ordered Array of Metallic and Insulating States in Vanadium Dioxide

Detecting tiny deformations or vibrations, particularly those associated with strains below 1%, is essential in various technological applications. Traditional intrinsic materials, including metals and semiconductors, face challenges in simultaneously achieving initial metallic state and strain-induced insulating state, hindering the development of highly sensitive mechanical sensors. Here we report an ultrasensitive mechanical sensor based on a strain-induced tunable ordered array of metallic and insulating states in the single-crystal bronze-phase vanadium dioxide [VO_(2)(B)] quantum material. It is shown that the initial metallic state in the VO_(2)(B) flake can be tuned to the insulating state by applying a weak uniaxial tensile strain. Such a unique property gives rise to a record-high gauge factor of above 607970, surpassing previous values by an order of magnitude, with excellent linearity and mechanical resilience as well as durability. As a proof-of-concept application, we use our proposed mechanical sensor to demonstrate precise sensing of the micro piece, gentle airflows and water droplets. We attribute the superior performance of the sensor to the strain-induced continuous metal-insulator transition in the single-crystal VO_(2)(B) flake, evidenced by experimental and simulation results. Our findings highlight the potential of exploiting correlated quantum materials for next-generation ultrasensitive flexible mechanical sensors, addressing critical limitations in traditional materials.