Enhanced and controllable reflected group delay based on Tamm surface plasmons with Dirac semimetals

The reflected group delay from a multilayer structure comprising a one-dimensional photonic crystal coated with a bulk Dirac semimetal(BDS)separated by a spacer layer is investigated theoretically.It is shown that the group delay of the reflected beam in this structure can be significantly negatively enhanced and switched from negative to positive.The enhanced group delay originates from the steep phase change caused by the excitation of the optical Tamm state at the interface between the BDS and spacer layer.Moreover,positive and negative group delays can be actively tuned through the Fermi energy and the relaxation time of the BDS.We believe that this enhanced and tunable delay scheme has important research significance for the fabrication of optical delay devices.

Thawing and freezing processes of active layer in Wudaoliang region of Tibetan Plateau

The interaction between permafrost and atmosphere is accomplished through transfer of heat and moisture in the overlay active layer. Thus, the research on the thermal and hydrodynamics of active layer during the thawing and freezing processes was considered a key to revealing the heat and moisture exchanges between permafrost and atmosphere. The monitoring and research on active layer were conducted because permafrost occupies about two thirds of the total area of the Tibetan Plateau. Based on the analysis of the ground temperature data and soil moisture data of monitoring near the Wudaoliang region of the Tibetan Plateau, the thawing and freezing processes of active layer were divided into four stages, i.e. summer thawing stage (ST), autumn freezing stage (AF), winter cooling stage (WC) and spring warming stage (SW). Coupled heat and water flow is much more complicated in ST and AF, and more amount of water is migrating in these two stages. Heat is transferred mainly via conductive heat flow in the