First-principles calculations for transition phase and thermodynamic properties of GaAs

The transition phase of GaAs from the zincblende （ZB） structure to the rocksalt （RS） structure is investigated by ab initio plane-wave pseudopotential density functional theory method, and the thermodynamic properties of the ZB and RS structures are obtained through the quasi-harmonic Debye model. It is found that the transition from the ZB structure to the RS structure occurs at the pressure of about 16.3 GPa, this fact is well consistent with the experimental data and other theoretical results. The dependences of the relative volume V/V0 on the pressure P, the Debye temperature Θ and specific heat Cv on the pressure P, as well as the specific heat CV on the temperature T are also obtained successfully.

Crystal structure,phase transitions,and thermodynamic properties of magnesium metavanadate(MgV_(2)O_(6))

As a promising anode material for magnesium ion rechargeable batteries,magnesium metavanadate(MgV_(2)O_(6))has attracted considerable research interest in recent years.A MgV_(2)O_(6)sample was synthesized via a facile solid-state reaction by multistep-firing stoichiometric mixtures of MgO and V2O5 powder under an air atmosphere.The solid-state phase transition fromα-MgV_(2)O_(6)toβ-MgV_(2)O_(6)occurred at 841 K and the enthalpy change was 4.37±0.04 kJ/mol.The endothermic effect at 1014 K and the enthalpy change was 26.54±0.26 kJ/mol,which is related to the incongruent melting ofβ-MgV_(2)O_(6).In situ XRD was performed to investigate phase transition of the as-prepared MgV_(2)O_(6)at high temperatures.The cell parameters obtained by Rietveld refinement indicated that it crystallizes in a monoclinic system with the C2/m space group,and the lattice parameters of a=9.280 A°,b=3.501 A°,c=6.731 A°,β=111.76°.The solid-state phase transition fromα-MgV_(2)O_(6)toβ-MgV_(2)O_(6)was further studied by thermal kinetics,indicating that this process is controlled first by a fibril-like mechanism and then by a spherulitic-type mechanism with an increasing heating rate.Additionally,the enthalpy change of MgV_(2)O_(6)at high temperatures was measured utilizing the drop calorimetry,heat capacity was calculated and given as:Cp=208.3+0.03583T-4809000T^(−2)(298-923 K)(J mol^(−1)K^(−1)),the high-temperature heat capacity can be used to calculate Gibbs free energy of MgV_(2)O_(6)at high temperatures.

Significantly enhanced thermal stability of HMX by phase-transition lysozyme coating

A new robust bio-inspired route by using lysozyme aqueous solution for surface modification on 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocane(HMX)was described in this paper.HMX crystals were coated by in situ phase transition of lysozyme(PTL)molecules.The HMX decorated by PTL was characterized by SEM,XRD,FTIR and XPS,demonstrating a dense core-shell coating layer.The coverage of lysozyme on HMX crystal was calculated by the ratio of sulfur content.The surface coverage increased from 60.5% to 93.5% when the content of PTL was changed from 0.5 wt% to 2.0 wt%,indicating efficient coating.The thermal stability of HMX was investigated by in situ XRD and DSC.The thermal phase transition temperature of HMX(β to δ phase)was delayed by 42℃ with 2.0 wt% PTL coating,which prevented HMX from thermal damage and sensitivity by the effect of PTL coating.After heating at 215℃,large cracks appeared in the naked HMX crystal,while the PTL coated HMX still maintained intact,with the impact energy of HMX dropped dramatically from 5 J to 2 J.However,the impact energy of HMX with 1.0 wt% and 2.0 wt% coating content(HMX@PTL-1.0 and HMX@PTL-2.0)was unchanged(5 J).Present results potentially enable large-scale fabrication of polymorphic energetic materials with outstanding thermal stability by novel lysozyme coating.

Liquid crystal droplets formation and stabilization during phase transition process

The study of phase transition processes in liquid crystals(LCs)remains challenging.Most thermotropic LCs exhibit a narrow temperature range and a rapid phase transition from the isotropic(ISO)to the nematic(N)phase,which make it difficult to capture and manipulate the phase transition process.In this study,we observed the evolution of small droplets during the ISO–N phase transition in ferroelectric nematic(NF)LC RM734.After doping with metal nanoparticles(NPs),the temperature range of the phase transition broadened,and the droplets formed during the phase transition remained stable,with their diameter increasing linearly with temperature.In addition,droplets doped with NPs can be well controlled by an external electric field.This discovery not only aids in understanding the fundamental mechanisms of LC phase transitions but also provides a simple alternative method for preparing droplets,which is potentially valuable for applications in optoelectronic devices and sensors.

Noise-induced phase transition in the Vicsek model through eigen microstate methodology

This paper presents a comprehensive framework for analyzing phase transitions in collective models such as theVicsek model under various noise types. The Vicsek model, focusing on understanding the collective behaviors of socialanimals, is known due to its discontinuous phase transitions under vector noise. However, its behavior under scalar noiseremains less conclusive. Renowned for its efficacy in the analysis of complex systems under both equilibrium and nonequilibriumstates, the eigen microstate method is employed here for a quantitative examination of the phase transitions inthe Vicsek model under both vector and scalar noises. The study finds that the Vicsek model exhibits discontinuous phasetransitions regardless of noise type. Furthermore, the dichotomy method is utilized to identify the critical points for thesephase transitions. A significant finding is the observed increase in the critical point for discontinuous phase transitions withescalation of population density.

Pressure-induced structural,electronic,and superconducting phase transitions in TaSe_(3)

TaSe_(3)has garnered significant research interests due to its unique quasi-one-dimensional crystal structure,which gives rise to distinctive properties.Using crystal structure search and first-principles calculations,we systematically investigated the pressure-induced structural and electronic phase transitions of quasi-one-dimensional TaSe_(3)up to 100 GPa.In addition to the ambient pressure phase(P2_(1)/m-I),we identified three high-pressure phases:P2_(1)/m-II,Pnma,and Pmma.For the P2_(1)/m-I phase,the inclusion of spin-orbit coupling(SOC)results in significant SOC splitting and changes in the band inversion characteristics.Furthermore,band structure calculations for the three high-pressure phases indicate metallic natures,and the electron localization function suggests ionic bonding between Ta and Se atoms.Our electron-phonon coupling calculations reveal a superconducting critical temperature of approximately 6.4 K for the Pmma phase at 100 GPa.This study provides valuable insights into the high-pressure electronic behavior of quasi-one-dimensional TaSe_(3).

Topological phase transition in compressed van der Waals superlattice heterostructure BiTeCl/HfTe_(2)

Based on first-principles calculations,we investigate the electronic band structures and topological properties of heterostructure BiTeCl/HfTe_(2) under c-direction strain.In the primitive structure,this material undergoes a phase transition from an insulator with a narrow indirect gap to a metal by strong spin-orbital coupling.When strain effect is considered,band inversion at time-reversal invariant point Z is responsible for the topological phase transition.These nontrivial topologies are caused by two different types of band crossings.The observable topological surface states in(110)surface also support that this material experiences topological phase transition twice.The layered heterostructure with van der Waals force provides us with a new desirable platform upon which to control topological phase transition and construct topological superconductors.

Detecting the quantum phase transition from the perspective of quantum information in the Aubry–André model

We investigate the effectiveness of entropic uncertainty, entanglement and steering in discerning quantum phase transitions(QPTs). Specifically, we observe significant fluctuations in entropic uncertainty as the driving parameter traverses the phase transition point. It is observed that the entropic uncertainty, entanglement and quantum steering, based on the electron distribution probability, can serve as indicators for detecting QPTs. Notably, we reveal an intriguing anticorrelation relationship between entropic uncertainty and entanglement in the Aubry–André model. Moreover, we explore the feasibility of detecting a QPT when the period parameter is a rational number. These observations open up new and efficient avenues for probing QPTs.

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.

Temperature prediction model in multiphase flow considering phase transition in the drilling operations

The study considers gas compression properties,gas slippage,back pressure(BP),phase transition(PT),well depth,and differences in gas-liquid physical properties.A new temperature model for multiphase flow is proposed by considering phase transition in the drilling process.The mathematical model of multiphase flow is solved using the finite difference method with annulus mesh division for grid nodes,and a module for multiphase flow calculation and analysis is developed.Numerical results indicate that the temperature varies along the annulus with the variation of gas influx at the bottom of the well.During the process of controlled pressure drilling,as gas slips along the annulus to the wellhead,its volume continuously expands,leading to an increase in the gas content within the annulus,and consequently,an increase in the pressure drop caused by gas slippage.The temperature increases with the increase in BP and decreases in gas influx rate and wellbore diameter.During gas influx,the thermal conductivity coefficient for the gas-drilling mud two phases is significantly weakened,resulting in a considerable change in temperature along the annulus.In the context of MPD,the method of slightly changing the temperature along the annulus by controlling the back pressure is feasible.

The Negative Thermal Expansion Property of NdMnO_(3) Based on Pores Effect and Phase Transition

A novel negative thermal expansion(NTE) material NdMnO_(3) was synthesized by solid-state method at 1 523 K. The crystal structure, phase transition, pores effect and negative expansion properties of NdMnO_(3) were investigated by variable temperature X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscope(SEM) and variable temperature Raman spectra. The compound exhibits NTE properties in the orderly O' phase crystal structure. When the temperature is from 293 to 759 K, the ceramic NdMnO_(3) shows negative thermal expansion of-4.7×10^(-6)/K. As temperature increases, the ceramic NdMnO_(3) presents NTE property range from 759 to 1 007 K. The average linear expansion coefficient is-18.88×10^(-6)/K. The physical mechanism of NTE is discussed and clarified through experiments.

Inhibiting the phase transition of WO_(3)for highly stable aqueous electrochromic battery

Aqueous electrochromic battery(ECB)has shown intense potential for achieving energy storage and saving simultaneously.While tungsten oxide(WO_(3))is the most promising EC material for commercialization,the cycling stability of WO_(3)-based aqueous ECBs is currently unsatisfactory due to the repeated phase transition during the redox process and the corrosion by acidic electrolytes.Herein,we present a titanium-tungsten oxide alloy(Ti-WO_(3))with controllable morphology and crystal phase synthesized by a facile hot injection method to overcome the challenges.In contrast to conventional monoclinic WO_(3),the Ti-WO_(3)nanorods can stably maintain their cubic crystal phase during the redox reaction in an acidic electrolyte,thus leading to dramatically enhanced response speed and cycling stability,Specifically,when working in a well-matched hybrid Al^(3+)/Zn^(2+)aqueous electrolyte,our phasetransition-free cubic Ti-WO_(3)exhibits an ultra-high cycling stability(>20000 cycles),fast response speed(3,95 s/4,65 s for bleaching/coloring),as well as excellent discharge areal capacity of 214.5 mA h m^(-2),We further fabricate a fully complementa ry aqueous electrochromic device,for the first time,using a Ti-WO_(3)/Prussian blue device architecture.Remarkably,the complementary ECB shows>10000 stable operation cycles,attesting to the feasibility of our Ti-WO_(3)for practical applications.Our work validates the significance of inhibiting the phase transitions of WO_(3)during the electrochromic process for realizing highly cyclable aqueous ECB,which can possibly provide a generalized design guidance for other high-quality metallic oxides for electrochemical applications.

Multi-functional photonic spin Hall effect sensor controlled by phase transition

Photonic spin Hall effect(PSHE), as a novel physical effect in light–matter interaction, provides an effective metrological method for characterizing the tiny variation in refractive index(RI). In this work, we propose a multi-functional PSHE sensor based on VO_(2), a material that can reveal the phase transition behavior. By applying thermal control, the mutual transformation into different phase states of VO_(2) can be realized, which contributes to the flexible switching between multiple RI sensing tasks. When VO_(2) is insulating, the ultrasensitive detection of glucose concentrations in human blood is achieved. When VO_(2) is in a mixed phase, the structure can be designed to distinguish between the normal cells and cancer cells through no-label and real-time monitoring. When VO_(2) is metallic, the proposed PSHE sensor can act as an RI indicator for gas analytes. Compared with other multi-functional sensing devices with the complex structures, our design consists of only one analyte and two VO_(2) layers, which is very simple and elegant. Therefore, the proposed VO_(2)-based PSHE sensor has outstanding advantages such as small size, high sensitivity, no-label, and real-time detection, providing a new approach for investigating tunable multi-functional sensors.

New approach to measuring topological phase transitions utilizing Floquet technology

The Floquet technique provides a novel anomalous topological phase for non-equilibrium phase transitions.Based on the high symmetry of the quantum anomalous Hall model,the findings suggest a one-to-one correspondence between the average spin texture and the Floquet quasi-energy spectrum.A new approach is proposed to directly measure the quasienergy spectrum,replacing previous measurements of the average spin texture.Finally,we proposed a reliable experimental scheme based on ion trap platforms.This scheme markedly reduces the measurement workload,improves the measurement fidelity,and is applicable to multiple platforms such as cold atoms and nuclear magnetic resonance.

Triple points and phase transitions of D-dimensional dyonic Ad S black holes with quasitopological electromagnetism in Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet gravity

By considering the negative cosmological constant Λ as a thermodynamic pressure, we study the thermodynamics and phase transitions of the D-dimensional dyonic Ad S black holes(BHs) with quasitopological electromagnetism in Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet(EGB) gravity. The results indicate that the small/large BH phase transition that is similar to the van der Waals(vdW) liquid/gas phase transition always exists for any spacetime dimensions. Interestingly, we then find that this BH system exhibits a more complex phase structure in 6-dimensional case that is missed in other dimensions.Specifically, it shows for D = 6 that we observed the small/intermediate/large BH phase transitions in a specific parameter region with the triple point naturally appeared. Moreover, when the magnetic charge turned off, we still observed the small/intermediate/large BH phase transitions and triple point only in 6-dimensional spacetime, which is consistent with the previous results. However, for the dyonic Ad S BHs with quasitopological electromagnetism in Einstein–Born–Infeld(EBI) gravity, the novel phase structure composed of two separate coexistence curves observed by Li et al. [Phys. Rev. D105 104048(2022)] disappeared in EGB gravity. This implies that this novel phase structure is closely related to gravity theories, and seems to have nothing to do with the effect of quasitopological electromagnetism. In addition, it is also true that the critical exponents calculated near the critical points possess identical values as mean field theory. Finally, we conclude that these findings shall provide some deep insights into the intriguing thermodynamic properties of the dyonic Ad S BHs with quasitopological electromagnetism in EGB gravity.

Calculating the number of radial cracks around a wellbore fractured by liquid CO2 phase transition blasting technology

Integrating liquid CO_(2)phase transition blasting(LCPTB)technology with hydraulic fracturing(HF)methods can help reduce wellbore damage,create multiple radial fractures,and establish a complex fracture network.This approach significantly increases the recovery efficiency of low-permeability oil and gas fields.Accurately calculating the number of fractures caused by LCPTB is necessary to predict production enhancement effects and optimize subsequent HF designs.However,few studies are reported on large-scale physical model experiments in terms of a method for calculating the fracture number.This study analyzed the initiation and propagation of cracks under LCPTB,derived a calculation formula for crack propagation radius under stress waves,and then proposed a new,fast,and accurate method for calculating the fracture number using the principle of mass conservation.Through ten rock-breaking tests using LCPTB,the study confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed calculation approach and elucidated the variation rule of explosion pressure,rock-breaking scenario,and the impact of varying parameters on fracture number.The results show that the new calculation method is suitable for fracturing technologies with high pressure rates.Recommendations include enlarging the diameter of the fracturing tube and increasing the liquid CO2 mass in the tube to enhance fracture effectiveness.Moreover,the method can be applied to other fracturing technologies,such as explosive fracturing(EF)within HF formations,indicating its broader applicability and potential impact on optimizing unconventional resource extraction technologies.

Topological phase transition in network spreading

This paper investigates information spreading from the perspective of topological phase transition.Firstly,a new hybrid network is constructed based on the small-world networks and scale-free networks.Secondly,the attention mechanism of online users in information spreading is studied from four aspects:social distance,individual influence,content richness,and individual activity,and a dynamic evolution model of connecting with spreading is designed.Eventually,numerical simulations are conducted in three types of networks to verify the validity of the proposed dynamic evolution model.The simulation results show that topological structure and node influence in different networks have undergone phase transition,which is consistent with the phenomenon that followers and individual influence in real social networks experience phase transition within a short period.The infection density of networks with the dynamic evolution rule changes faster and reaches higher values than that of networks without the dynamic evolution rule.Furthermore,the simulation results are compared with the real data,which shows that the infection density curve of the hybrid networks is closer to that of the real data than that of the small-world networks and scale-free networks,verifying the validity of the model proposed in this paper.

Structural phase transition and transport properties in topological material candidate NaZn_(4)As_(3)

We report a comprehensive study on a layered-structure compound of NaZn_(4)As_(3),which has been predicted to be an ideal topological semimetal(TSM) candidate.It is found that NaZn_(4)As_(3) undergoes a structural transformation from high temperature rhombohedral to a low temperature monoclinic phase.The electric resistivity exhibits a metal-to-insulatorlike transition at around 100 K,and then develops a plateau at low temperature,which might be related to the protected topologically conducting surface states.Our first-principles calculation confirms further that NaZn_(4)As_(3) is a topological insulator(TI) for both different phases rather than a previously proposed TSM.The Hall resistivity reveals that the hole carriers dominate the transport properties for the whole temperature range investigated.Furthermore,an obvious kink possibly associated to the structure transition has been detected in thermopower around ~ 170 K.The large thermopower and moderate κ indicate that NaZn_(4)As_(3) and/or its derivatives can provide a good platform for optimizing and studying the thermoelectric performance.

A thermal conductivity switch via the reversible 2H–1T′phase transition in monolayer MoTe_(2)

The two-dimensional(2D)material-based thermal switch is attracting attention due to its novel applications,such as energy conversion and thermal management,in nanoscale devices.In this paper,we observed that the reversible 2H–1T′phase transition in MoTe_(2)is associated with about a fourfold/tenfold change in thermal conductivity along the X/Y direction by using first-principles calculations.This phenomenon can be profoundly understood by comparing the Mo–Te bonding strength between the two phases.The 2H-MoTe_(2)has one stronger bonding type,while 1T′-MoTe_(2)has three weaker types of bonds,suggesting bonding inhomogeneity in 1T′-MoTe_(2).Meanwhile,the bonding inhomogeneity can induce more scattering of vibration modes.The weaker bonding indicates a softer structure,resulting in lower phonon group velocity,a shorter phonon relaxation lifetime and larger Gr¨uneisen constants.The impact caused by the 2H to 1T′phase transition in MoTe_(2)hinders the propagation of phonons,thereby reducing thermal conductivity.Our study describes the possibility for the provision of the MoTe_(2)-based controllable and reversible thermal switch device.

Tailoring of thermal expansion and phase transition temperature of ZrW_(2)O_8 with phosphorus and enhancement of negative thermal expansion of ZrW_(1.5)P_(0.5)O_(7.75)

ZrW_(2)O_(8)is a typical isotropic negative thermal expansion material with cubic structure.However,quenching preparation,pressure phase transition and metastable structure influence its practical applications.Adopting P to part-substitute W for ZrW_(2-x)P_(x)O_(8-0.5x)has decreased the sintering temperature and avoided the quenching process.When x=0.1,ZrW_(1.9)P_(0.1)O_(7.95)with a stable cubic structure can be obtained at 1150℃.The thermal expansion coefficient is tailored with the P content,and phase transition temperature is lowered.When x=0.5,thermal expansion coefficient attains-13.6×10^(-6)℃^(-1),ZrW_(1.5)P_(0.5)O_(7.75)exhibits enhance negative thermal expansion property.The difference of electronegativity leads to the decrease of phase transition temperature with the increase of P content.The different radii of ions lead to new structure of materials when P substitutes more.The results suggest that the P atom plays the stabilization role in the crystal structure of ZrW_(2-x)P_(x)O_(8-0.5x).