Development of in situ characterization techniques in molecular beam epitaxy

Ex situ characterization techniques in molecular beam epitaxy(MBE)have inherent limitations,such as being prone to sample contamination and unstable surfaces during sample transfer from the MBE chamber.In recent years,the need for improved accuracy and reliability in measurement has driven the increasing adoption of in situ characterization techniques.These techniques,such as reflection high-energy electron diffraction,scanning tunneling microscopy,and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,allow direct observation of film growth processes in real time without exposing the sample to air,hence offering insights into the growth mechanisms of epitaxial films with controlled properties.By combining multiple in situ characterization techniques with MBE,researchers can better understand film growth processes,realizing novel materials with customized properties and extensive applications.This review aims to overview the benefits and achievements of in situ characterization techniques in MBE and their applications for material science research.In addition,through further analysis of these techniques regarding their challenges and potential solutions,particularly highlighting the assistance of machine learning to correlate in situ characterization with other material information,we hope to provide a guideline for future efforts in the development of novel monitoring and control schemes for MBE growth processes with improved material properties.

Reliable calculations of nuclear binding energies by the Gaussian process of machine learning

Reliable calculations of nuclear binding energies are crucial for advancing the research of nuclear physics. Machine learning provides an innovative approach to exploring complex physical problems. In this study, the nuclear binding energies are modeled directly using a machine-learning method called the Gaussian process. First, the binding energies for 2238 nuclei with Z > 20 and N > 20 are calculated using the Gaussian process in a physically motivated feature space, yielding an average deviation of 0.046 MeV and a standard deviation of 0.066 MeV. The results show the good learning ability of the Gaussian process in the studies of binding energies. Then, the predictive power of the Gaussian process is studied by calculating the binding energies for 108 nuclei newly included in AME2020. The theoretical results are in good agreement with the experimental data, reflecting the good predictive power of the Gaussian process. Moreover, the α-decay energies for 1169 nuclei with 50 ≤ Z ≤ 110 are derived from the theoretical binding energies calculated using the Gaussian process. The average deviation and the standard deviation are, respectively, 0.047 MeV and 0.070 MeV. Noticeably, the calculated α-decay energies for the two new isotopes ^ (204 )Ac(Huang et al. Phys Lett B 834, 137484(2022)) and ^ (207) Th(Yang et al. Phys Rev C 105, L051302(2022)) agree well with the latest experimental data. These results demonstrate that the Gaussian process is reliable for the calculations of nuclear binding energies. Finally, the α-decay properties of some unknown actinide nuclei are predicted using the Gaussian process. The predicted results can be useful guides for future research on binding energies and α-decay properties.

Re-usable Cd_(0.9)Zn_(0.1)S-ZnO@C/PVDF piezo-photocatalytic film with exceptional hydrogen evolution capability triggered by the synergetic advantages of piezoelectricity and S-Scheme heterojunction

Piezoelectric materials have advantages of fine-tuning photocatalytic performance through harvesting mechanical energy and open a new avenue in facilitating green catalytic reaction.Herein,polyvinylidene fluoride(PVDF),a flexible piezoelectric material,was introduced to synthesize a novel Cd_(0.9)Zn_(0.1)S-ZnO@C/PVDF(CZS-ZO@C/PVDF)piezo-photocatalytic film by spin coating and immersion phase conversion method.Benefiting from the piezoelectricity of PVDF and the internal electric field(IEF)of CZS-ZO@C Step-scheme(S-Scheme)heterojunction,CZS-ZO@C/PVDF was able to induce a hydrogen generation rate of 34.9 mmol g^(−1)h^(−1)activated by ultrasound and visible light(U-L),which is∼17.5 times of Cd_(0.9)Zn_(0.1)S/PVDF(CZS/PVDF)and∼7.4 times of the photocatalysis rate activated by visible light only(L).Piezoelectric measurements and COMSOL simulation illustrated the excellent piezoelectricity of CZS-ZO@C/PVDF film,which exhibits a piezoelectric coefficient(d33)of 9.9 pm V−1 and a piezoelectric potential of 874 mV(under 0.5 MPa).The reaction mechanism for the exceptional piezo-photocatalytic performance was finally disclosed through density functional theory(DFT)calculation and electrochemical tests.This study enriches the application scope of piezoelectric materials in sustainable energy catalysis and provides a new direction to develop efficient piezoelectric photocatalysts.

Rational construction of CuFe_(2)O_(4)@C/Cd_(0.9)Zn_(0.1)S S-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst for extraordinary photothermal-assisted photocatalytic H_(2) evolution

Rational design of photocatalyst to maximize the use of sunlight is one of the issues to be solved in photocatalysis technology.In this study,the CuFe_(2)O_(4)@C/Cd_(0.9)Zn_(0.1)S(CFO@C/CZS)S-scheme photocatalyst with photothermal effect was synthesized by ultrasonic self-assembly combined with calcination.The dark CFO@C absorbed visible light and partly converted into heat to promote the hydrogen evolution reaction.The presence of heterojunctions inhibited the photogenerated electron-hole recombination.The graphite-carbon layer provided a stable channel for electron transfer,and the presence of magnetic CFO made recycle easier.Under the action of photothermal assistance and heterojunction,the hydrogen evolution rate of the optimal CFO@C/CZS was 80.79 mmol g^(-1) h^(-1),which was 2.55 times and 260.61 times of that of pure CZS and CFO@C,respectively.Notably,the composite samples also exhibit excellent stability and a wide range of environmental adaptability.Through experimental tests and first-principles simulation calculation methods,the plausible mechanism of photoactivity enhancement was proposed.This work provided a feasible strategy of photothermal assistance for the development of heterojunction photocatalysts with distinctive hydrogen evolution.

Revisit of GeV Gamma-Ray Emission from Orion B with the Fermi Large Area Telescope

We revisit the γ-ray emission above 300 Me V towards the massive star-forming region of Orion B by adopting14 yr observations with the Fermi Large Area Telescope and utilizing the updated software tools.The extended γ-ray emission region around Orion B is resolved into two components(region Ⅰ and region Ⅱ).The γ-ray spectrum of region I agrees with the predicted γ-ray spectrum assuming the cosmic ray(CR)density is the same as that of Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer(AMS-02)measured locally.Theγ-ray emissivity of region II appears to be deficit at low energy band(E<3 GeV).Through modeling we find that CR densities exhibit a significant deficit below 20 Ge V,which may be caused by a slow diffusion inside the dense region.This is probably caused by an increased magnetic field whose strength increases with the gas density.

Characteristic Study of Self-Powered Sensors Based on Native Protein Composite Film

Flexible electronic sensors composed of flexible film and conductive materials play an increasingly important role in wearable and internet information transmission.It has received more and more attention and made some progress over the decades.However,it is still a great challenge to prepare biocompatible and highly transparent conductive films.Egg white is a pure natural protein-rich material.Hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose has a good compatibility and high transparency,which is an ideal material for flexible sensors.Here,we overcome the problem of poor mechanical flexibility and electrical conductivity of protein,and develop a high transparency and good flexibility hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose/egg white protein composite membrane-based triboelectric nanogenerator('X'-TENG).The experimental results show that the flexible pressure sensor based on'X'-TENG has a high sensitivity,fast response speed,and low detection limit.It can even be used as a touch/pressure sensing artificial electronic skin.It can also be made into an intelligent waffle keyboard for recording and tracking users of the keyboard.Our strategy may provide a new way to easily build flexible electronic sensors and move toward practical applications.

Fast prediction of the mechanical response for layered pavement under instantaneous large impact based on random forest regression

The layered pavements usually exhibit complicated mechanical properties with the effect of complex material properties under external environment.In some cases,such as launching missiles or rockets,layered pavements are required to bear large impulse load.However,traditional methods cannot non-destructively and quickly detect the internal structural of pavements.Thus,accurate and fast prediction of the mechanical properties of layered pavements is of great importance and necessity.In recent years,machine learning has shown great superiority in solving nonlinear problems.In this work,we present a method of predicting the maximum deflection and damage factor of layered pavements under instantaneous large impact based on random forest regression with the deflection basin parameters obtained from falling weight deflection testing.The regression coefficient R^(2)of testing datasets are above 0.94 in the process of predicting the elastic moduli of structural layers and mechanical responses,which indicates that the prediction results have great consistency with finite element simulation results.This paper provides a novel method for fast and accurate prediction of pavement mechanical responses under instantaneous large impact load using partial structural parameters of pavements,and has application potential in non-destructive evaluation of pavement structure.

Interface-induced topological phase and doping-modulated bandgap of two-dimensioanl graphene-like networks

Biphenylene is a new topological material that has attracted much attention recently.By amplifying its size of unit cell,we construct a series of planar structures as homogeneous carbon allotropes in the form of polyphenylene networks.We first use the low-energy effective model to prove the topological three periodicity for these allotropes.Then,through first-principles calculations,we show that the topological phase has the Dirac point.As the size of per unit cell increases,the influence of the quaternary rings decreases,leading to a reduction in the anisotropy of the system,and the Dirac cone undergoes a transition from type II to type I.We confirm that there are two kinds of non-trivial topological phases with gapless and gapped bulk dispersion.Furthermore,we add a built-in electric field to the gapless system by doping with B and N atoms,which opens a gap for the bulk dispersion.Finally,by manipulating the built-in electric field,the dispersion relations of the edge modes will be transformed into a linear type.These findings provide a hopeful approach for designing the topological carbon-based materials with controllable properties of edge states.

Effect of chaperone–client interaction strength on Hsp70-mediated protein folding

Protein folding in crowding cellular environment often relies on the assistance of various chaperones. Hsp70 is one of the most ubiquitous chaperones in cells. Previous studies showed that the chaperone–client interactions at the open state tend to remodel the protein folding energy landscape and direct the protein folding as a foldase. In this work, we further investigate how the chaperone–client interaction strength modulates the foldase function of Hsp70 by using molecular simulations. The results showed that the time of substrate folding(including the whole folding step and substrate release step) has a non-monotonic dependence on the interaction strength. With the increasing of the chaperone–client interaction strength, the folding time decreases first, and then increases. More detailed analysis showed that when the chaperone–client interaction is too strong, even small number of chaperones–client contacts can maintain the substrate bound with the chaperone. The sampling of the transient chaperones–client complex with sparse inter-molecule contacts makes the client protein have chance to access the misfolded state even it is bound with chaperone. The current results suggest that the interaction strength is an important factor controlling the Hsp70 chaperoning function.

Investigation of magnetization reversal and domain structures in perpendicular synthetic antiferromagnets by first-order reversal curves and magneto-optical Kerr effect

Perpendicular synthetic-antiferromagnet(p-SAF) has broad applications in spin-transfer-torque magnetic random access memory and magnetic sensors. In this study, the p-SAF films consisting of (Co/Ni)3]/Ir(tIr)/[(Ni/Co)3are fabricated by magnetron sputtering technology. We study the domain structure and switching field distribution in p-SAF by changing the thickness of the infrared space layer. The strongest exchange coupling field(Hex) is observed when the thickness of Ir layer(tIr) is 0.7 nm and becoming weak according to the Ruderman–Kittel–Kasuya–Yosida-type coupling at 1.05 nm,2.1 nm, 4.55 nm, and 4.9 nm in sequence. Furthermore, the domain switching process between the upper Co/Ni stack and the bottom Co/Ni stack is different because of the antiferromagnet coupling. Compared with ferromagnet coupling films, the antiferromagnet samples possess three irreversible reversal regions in the first-order reversal curve distribution.With tIrincreasing, these irreversible reversal regions become denser and smaller. The results from this study will help us understand the details of the magnetization reversal process in the p-SAF.

Direct Ion Beam Figuring Process and Rotational Measurement Method for Ultra-smooth Aspherical Surfaces of a 46.5 nm Telescope

This paper describes a fabrication process for the hyperboloidal concave mirror of a 46.5 nm telescope. The180 mm aperture hyperboloidal concave mirror and 70 mm aperture compensator are machined directly from chemical mechanical polishing of a spherical surface to a high-accuracy aspherical surface by ion beam figuring.The aspherical measurement method is the Dall null test. To minimize system errors in the measurement process,the rotational measurement method with six rotations is used in the null test. The results of the analysis for the ME(first solve the machined surface profile, then solve the system errors) and EM(first solve the system errors, then solve the machined surface profile) methods of calculation in the measurement are given. The ME method is a more accurate rotational test method, and the six rotations are appropriate for rotational measurements. After the figuring process, the hyperboloidal concave mirror surface profile reached 8.27 nm rms and the compensator surface profile is approximately 4 nm rms. The roughness of the hyperboloidal concave mirror is smooth to0.160 nm rms.

Preparation of squeezed light with low average photon number based on dynamic Casimir effect

It is well known that squeezed states can be produced by nonlinear optical processes,such as parametric amplification and four wave mixing,in which two photons are created or annihilated simultaneously.Since the Hamiltonian of the dynamic Casimir effect contains a~2 and a~(+2),photons in such a process are also generated or annihilated in pairs.Here we propose to get squeezed light through the dynamic Casimir effect.Specifically,we demonstrate it from the full quantum perspective and the semiclassical perspective successively.Different from previous work,we focus on generating squeezed states with the lowest average photon number,because such squeezed states have better quantum properties.For the full quantum picture,that is,phonons also have quantum properties,when the system is initially in the excited state of phonons,squeezed light cannot be generated during the evolution,but the light field can collapse to the squeezed state by measuring the state of phonons.When the phonon is treated as a classical quantity,that is,the cavity wall is continuously driven,squeezed light with the minimum average photon number will be generated in the case of off-resonance.This will play a positive role in better regulating the photon state generated by the dynamic Casimir system in the future.

Bayesian Inference of Nucleus Resonance and Neutron Skin

In this proceeding,some highlight results on the constraints of the nuclear matter equation of state(EOS)from the data of nucleus resonance and neutron-skin thickness using the Bayesian approach based on the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock model and its extension have been presented.Typically,the anti-correlation and positive correlations between the slope parameter and the value of the symmetry energy at the saturation density under the constraint of the neutron-skin thickness and the isovector giant dipole resonance have been discussed respectively.It’s shown that the Bayesian analysis can help to find a compromise for the“PREXII puzzle”and the“soft Tin puzzle”.The possible modifications on the constraints of lower-order EOS parameters as well as the relevant correlation when higher-order EOS parameters are incorporated as independent variables have been further illustrated.For a given model and parameter space,the Bayesian approach serves as a good analysis tool suitable for multi-messengers versus multi-variables,and is helpful for constraining quantitatively the model parameters as well as their correlations.

Unidirectional Negative Refraction at an Exceptional Point of Acoustic P T-Symmetric Systems

We demonstrate a method to realize unidirectional negative refraction in an acoustic parity-time(P T)-symmetric system, which is composed of a pair of metasurfaces sandwiching an air gap. The pair of metasurfaces possesses loss and gain modulations. The unidirectional negative refraction, which is strictly limited to the case of incident wave imposing on the loss end of the metasurface, is demonstrated at the exception point(EP) in this P T-symmetric system, while the incidence from the other side leads to strong reflection. Based on rigorous calculations, we explicitly show the underlying mechanism of this model to achieve unidirectional wave scatterings around the EP in the parametric space. In addition, the perfect imaging of a point source in the three-dimensional space, as a signature of negative refraction, is simulated to provide a verification of our work. We envision that this work may sharpen the understanding of P T-symmetric structures and inspire more acoustic functional devices.

Simulation research on surface growth process of positive and negative frequency detuning chromium atom lithographic gratings

Chromium atom photolithography gratings are a promising technology for the development of nanoscale length standard substances due to their high accuracy,uniformity,and consistency.However,the inherent difference between the interaction of positive and negative frequency detuning standing wave field and the atoms can cause a difference in the adjacent peak-to-valley heights of the grating in positive and negative frequency detuning chromium atom lithography,which greatly reduces its accuracy.In this study,we performed a controlled variable growth simulation using the semi-classical theoretical model and Monte Carlo method with trajectory tracking and ballistic deposition methods to investigate the influence of key experimental parameters on the surface growth process of positive and negative frequency detuning atomic lithography gratings.We established a theoretical model based on simulation results and summarized empirical equations to guide the selection of experimental parameters.Our simulations achieved uniform positive and negative frequency detuning atomic lithography gratings with a period of 1/4 of the wavelength corresponding to the atomic transition frequency,and adjacent peak-to-valley heights differing by no more than 2 nm,providing an important theoretical reference for the controllable fabrication of these gratings.

Magnetic Damping Properties of Single-Crystalline Co_(55)Mn_(18)Ga_(27) and Co_(50)Mn_(18)Ga_(32) Films

We investigate the structural,static magnetic and damping properties in two Mn-deficient magnetic Weyl semimetal Co-Mn-Ga(CMG) alloy films,i.e.,Co_(55)Mn_(18)Ga_(27)(CMG1) and Co_(50)Mn_(18)Ga_(32)(CMG2),which were epitaxially grown on MgO(001) substrates.CMG1 has a mixing phase of B2and L21,larger saturation magnetization(M_(s) ~760 emu/cm^(3)),stronger in-plane magnetic anisotropy.CMG2 has an almost pure B2phase,smaller M_(s)(~330 emu/cm^(3)),negligible in-plane magnetic anisotropy.Time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect results unambiguously demonstrate an obvious perpendicular standing spin wave(PSSW) mode in addition to the Kittel mode for both of the CMG films.The intrinsic damping constant is about 0.0055 and 0.015 for CMG1 and CMG2,respectively,which are both significantly larger than that of the stoichiometric CMG(i.e.,Co_(2)MnGa)film reported previously.In combination with the first-principles calculations,the intrinsic damping properties of the Mn-deficient CMG films can be well explained by considering the increase of density of states at the Fermi level,reduction of M_(s),and excitation of the PSSW mode.These findings provide a new clue to tuning the magnetic damping of the magnetic Weyl semimetal film through slight off-stoichiometry.

Design,Fabrication and Assembly of the Solar Upper Transition Region Imager(SUTRI)

The Solar Upper Transition Region Imager(SUTRI)focuses on the solar transition region to achieve dynamic imaging observation of the upper transition region.In this paper,we report the optical system design,mechanical design,ultrasmooth mirror manufacture and measurement,EUV multilayer film coating,prelaunch installation and calibration for the SUTRI payload at IPOE,Tongji University.Finally,the SUTRI carried by the SATech-01 satellite was successfully set to launch.All functions of this telescope were normal,and the observation results obtained in orbit were consistent with the design.

Results of 23 yr of Pulsar Timing of PSR J1453-6413

In this paper,we presented the 23.3 yr of pulsar timing results of PSR J1456-6413 based on the observations of Parkes 64 m radio telescope.We detected two new glitches at MJD 57093(3)and 59060(12)and confirmed its first glitch at MJD 54554(10).The relative sizes(Δν/ν)of these two new glitches are 0.9×10^(-9)and 1.16×10^(-9),respectively.Using the“Cholesky”timing analysis method,we have determined its position,proper motion,and two-dimensional transverse velocities from the data segments before and after the second glitch,respectively.Furthermore,we detected exponential recovery behavior after the first glitch,with a recovery timescale of approximately 200 days and a corresponding exponential recovery factor Q of approximately 0.15(2),while no exponential recovery was detected for the other two glitches.More interestingly,we found that the leading component of the integral pulse profile after the second glitch became stronger,while the main component became weaker.Our results will expand the sample of pulsars with magnetosphere fluctuation triggered by the glitch event.

Superhydrophobic Co/Fe sulfide nanoparticles and single-atoms doped carbon nanosheets composite air cathode for high-performance zinc-air batteries

Development of a high-performance bifunctional catalyst is essential for the actual implementation of zinc-air batteries in practical applications.Herein,a bifunctional cathode of Co_(3)S_(4)/FeS heterogeneous nanoparticles embedded in Co/Fe single-atom-loaded nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheets is designed.Cobalt-iron sulfides and single atomic sites with Co-N_(4)/Fe-N_(4)configurations are confirmed to coexist on the carbon matrix by EXAFS spectroscopy.3D self-supported super-hydrophobic multiphase composite cathode provides abundant active sites and facilitates gas–liquid-solid three-phase interface reactions,resulting in excellent electrocatalytic activity and batteries performance,i.e.,an OER overpotential(η_(10))of 260 mV,a half-wave potential(E_(1/2))of 0.872 V for ORR,aΔE of 0.618 V,and a discharge power density of 170 mW cm^(−2),a specific capacity of 816.3 mAh g^(−1).DFT analysis shows multiphase coupling of sulfide heterojunction through single-atomic metal doped carbon nanosheets reduces offset on center of electronic density of states before and after oxygen adsorption,and spin density of adsorbed oxygen with same spin orientation,leading to weakened charge/spin interactions between adsorbed oxygen and substrate,and a lowered oxygen adsorption energy to accelerate OER/ORR.

An Improved Iterated Greedy Algorithm for Solving Rescue Robot Path Planning Problem with Limited Survival Time

Effective path planning is crucial for mobile robots to quickly reach rescue destination and complete rescue tasks in a post-disaster scenario.In this study,we investigated the post-disaster rescue path planning problem and modeled this problem as a variant of the travel salesman problem(TSP)with life-strength constraints.To address this problem,we proposed an improved iterated greedy(IIG)algorithm.First,a push-forward insertion heuristic(PFIH)strategy was employed to generate a high-quality initial solution.Second,a greedy-based insertion strategy was designed and used in the destruction-construction stage to increase the algorithm’s exploration ability.Furthermore,three problem-specific swap operators were developed to improve the algorithm’s exploitation ability.Additionally,an improved simulated annealing(SA)strategy was used as an acceptance criterion to effectively prevent the algorithm from falling into local optima.To verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm,the Solomon dataset was extended to generate 27 instances for simulation.Finally,the proposed IIG was compared with five state-of-the-art algorithms.The parameter analysiswas conducted using the design of experiments(DOE)Taguchi method,and the effectiveness analysis of each component has been verified one by one.Simulation results indicate that IIGoutperforms the compared algorithms in terms of the number of rescue survivors and convergence speed,proving the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.