Simulations of spin/polarization-resolved laser-plasma interactions in the nonlinear QED regime

Strong-field quantum electrodynamics(SF-QED)plays a crucial role in ultraintense laser-matter interactions and demands sophisticated techniques to understand the related physics with new degrees of freedom,including spin angular momentum.To investigate the impact of SF-QED processes,we have introduced spin/polarization-resolved nonlinear Compton scattering,nonlinear Breit-Wheeler,and vacuum birefringence processes into our particle-in-cell(PIC)code.In this article,we provide details of the implementation of these SF-QED modules and share known results that demonstrate exact agreement with existing single-particle codes.By coupling normal PIC simulations with spin/polarization-resolved SF-QED processes,we create a new theoretical platform to study strong-field physics in currently running or planned petawatt or multi-petawatt laser facilities.

Protecting lithium metal anode in all-solid-state batteries with a composite electrolyte

The volume of the metallic lithium anode in allsolid-state Li metal batteries increases significantly due to the lithium dendrite formation during the battery cycling,and the rough surface of lithium metal also reduces Li-ion transport in Li/electrolyte interface.In this work,we developed a solid polymer composite by adding the lowcost Si_(3)N_(4)particles to protect the lithium anode in allsolid-state batteries.The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR)data show that the surface of 10 wt%Si_(3)N_(4)particles interacts with the polyethylene oxide(PEO)and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide(LiTFSI)salt;the interaction restricts the anion mobility and improves the ionic conductivity(1×10^(-4)S·cm^(-1))and lithium-ion transference number(0.28)of the composite electrolyte.The lithium metal anode is well protected by the composite electrolyte in all-solid-state cells,including symmetric and Li/LiFePO_(4)cells.The lithium dendrite growth suppression by this composite electrolyte indicates the possible application of these low-cost composite electrolytes for lithium metal protection.

Silicon-carbide fiber-reinforced polymer electrolyte for all-solid-state lithium-metal batteries

Silicon carbide(SiC) with various morphologies was employed as reinforcing fillers for poly(ethylene oxide)(PEO)-based solid polymer electrolytes(SPEs).Specific ally,the SiC nanoparticles with an average size of 5-10 μm endow a significant enhancement of the interaction between carbon atoms for the fillers and the oxygen atoms from the PEO-lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide(LiTFSI) matrix,which provides rapid transport channels for mobile Li+and enhances the mechanical strength of SPEs.The SPEs reinforced with one-dimensional SiC nanoparticles exhibit superior Li^(+)conduction,good mechanical property,and uniform Li plating.Thus,a dendrite-free plating of lithium for 0.58 mAh at 0.1 mA·cm^(-2) and excellent cycle stability at various current densities for 250 h are achieved in Li/Li symmetric cells using SPEs electrolytes with 5.0 wt% SiC nanoparticles.Moreover,the LiFePO_(4)/Li full cells assembled using SPEs electrolytes with 5.0 wt% SiC nanoparticles provide a capacity of 151.5 mAh·g^(-1) at 0.1 mA·cm^(-2)(55℃),and maintained a Coulombic efficiency of 99% for 120 cycles.

MXene-wrapped ZnCo_(2)S_(4)core-shell nanospheres via electrostatic self-assembly as positive electrode materials for asymmetric supercapacitors

Constructing electrode materials with large capacity and good conductivity is an effective approach to improve the capacitor performance of asymmetric supercapacitors(ASCs).In this paper,ZnCo_(2)S_(4)core-shell nanospheres are constructed by two-step hydrothermal method.In order to improve the chemical activity of ZnCo_(2)S_(4),ZnCo_(2)S_(4)is activated using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide(CTAB).Then,MXene nanosheets are fixed on the surface of ZnCo_(2)S_(4)by electrostatic selfassembly method to improve the specific surface area of ZnCo_(2)S_(4)and MXene-wrapped ZnCo_(2)S_(4)composite is prepared in this work.Owing to the synergy effect between MXene nanosheets and ZnCo_(2)S_(4)core-shell nanospheres,the as-prepared composite displays fast ion transfer rate and charge/discharge process.The capacity of the MXenewrapped ZnCo_(2)S_(4)composite can reach 1072 F·g^(-1),which is far larger than that of ZnCo_(2)S_(4)(407 F·g^(-1))at 1 A·g^(-1).An ASC device is assembled,which delivers 1.7 V potential window and superior cyclic stability(95.41%capacitance retention).Furthermore,energy density of this device is up to 30.46 Wh·kg^(-1)at a power density of850 W·kg^(-1).The above results demonstrate that MXenewrapped ZnCo_(2)S_(4)composite has great application prospects in electrochemical energy storage field.