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.

Water Photomolecular Evaporation Due to Light-Mediated Ortho-Para Spin Transitions

Recent discoveries have revealed a groundbreaking phenomenon where light alone, without any thermal input, can induce water evaporation, termed the “photomolecular effect”. This study explores a novel hypothesis that this effect can be explained by ortho-para magnetic spin interactions in water molecules within the water-air interface layer. Water molecules, consisting of hydrogen and oxygen, exhibit different nuclear spin states: ortho-(triplet) and para-(singlet). The interaction of polarized light with these spin states may induce transitions between the rotational levels of ortho- and para-forms due to catalysts like triplet oxygen (O2) in its inhomogeneous magnetic field. Resonance pumping at 532 nm (~18,797 cm−1) due to the transition v1-v2-v3 ~ 0-8-2 (~18,796 cm−1) results in an increase in molecular energy sufficient to overcome intermolecular forces at the water surface, thereby causing evaporation. The proposed ortho-para conversion mechanism involves spin-orbit coupling and specific resonance conditions. This theory provides a quantum mechanical perspective on the photomolecular effect, potentially offering insights into natural processes such as cloud formation and climate modeling, as well as practical applications in solar desalination and industrial drying. Further experimental validation is required to confirm the role of spin interactions in light-induced water evaporation.

Rovibrational State-Selectivity in Photoassociation through Multi-photon Transitions

The rovibrational state-selectivity in photoassociation （PA） is investigated for the ground electronic state of OH radical. The calculated results show that population can be transferred from continuum state to the target states through three-, four-, and nine-photon transitions by choosing suitable pulse parameters and initial collision energy. To control population transfer to a lower rovibrational state, a shorter pulse frequency has to be chosen and the photon number transferred to target state should be increased. In PA process, some associated OH radicals can be dissociated via intermediate and background states, which decreases the nal population of the target state.

State Transition, Is It a Photochemical or Non-photochemical Processin Leaf in Response to Irradiance?

The response of steady-state fluorescence (Fs) to irradiance in apple (Malus pumila Mill. cv. Tengmu No.1/Malus hupehensis Rehd.) leaf increased and decreased at light levels below and above 400 mumol(.)m(-2.)s(-1) photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), respectively, while the light-adapted maximal fluorescence (Fm') and minimal fluorescence (Fo') decreased constantly with the increasing PPFD, and the closure of photosystem 11 reaction center (PS 11 RC) increased continuously, reflected by the chlorophyll fluorescence parameter of (Fs-Fo')/(Fm'-Fo'). These facts indicated that decrease of Fs above 400 mumol(.)m(-2.)s(-1) PPFD was not caused by closure of PS 11 RC, but was mainly resulted from the process of light transfer from light-harvesting complex II (LHC II) to PS II RC. In the presence of N- ethylmaleimide (NEM), an inhibitor of photosynthetic state transition, Fs kept on increasing in apple leaf at light levels from 400 to 700 mumol(.)m(-1.)s(-1), which was the photosynthetic saturation irradiance of apple leaves. In addition, Fs still increased at light levels over 700 mumol(.)m(-2.)s(-1) in apple leaf pre-treated with dithiothreitol (DTT), an inhibitor of xanthophyll cycle. These changes showed that state transition and xanthophyll cycle caused a decrease of Fs in apple leaf at light levels below and above the photosynthetic saturation irradiance, respectively. When apple leaf was pre-treated with NEM, the PS II apparent rate of photochemical reaction (P-rate) and photochemical quenching (qP) decreased significantly in the light range of 600-800 mumol(.)m(-2.)s(-1), but the non-photochemical quenching (qN) existed a small increase at 600-800 mumol(.)m(-2.)s(-1) and a decrease above 800 mumol(.)m(-2.)s(-1). These phenomena suggested that state transition was mainly a photochemical and a non-photochemical process in apple leaf responding to light lower and higher than photosynthetic saturation irradiance, respectively.

Optimal Precursors Triggering the Kuroshio Extension State Transition Obtained by the Conditional Nonlinear Optimal Perturbation Approach

In this study, the initial perturbations that are the easiest to trigger the Kuroshio Extension （KE） transition connecting a basic weak jet state and a strong, fairly stable meandering state, are investigated using a reduced-gravity shallow water ocean model and the CNOP （Conditional Nonlinear Optimal Perturbation） approach. This kind of initial perturbation is called an optimal precursor （OPR）. The spatial structures and evolutionary processes of the OPRs are analyzed in detail. The results show that most of the OPRs are in the form of negative sea surface height （SSH） anomalies mainly located in a narrow band region south of the KE jet, in basic agreement with altimetric observations. These negative SSH anomalies reduce the merid- ional SSH gradient within the KE, thus weakening the strength of the jet. The KE jet then becomes more convoluted, with a high-frequency and large-amplitude variability corresponding to a high eddy kinetic energy level; this gradually strengthens the KE jet through an inverse energy cascade. Eventually, the KE reaches a high-energy state characterized by two well defined and fairly stable anticyclonic meanders. Moreover, sensitivity experiments indicate that the spatial structures of the OPRs are not sensitive to the model parameters and to the optimization times used in the analysis.

A circular zone counting method of identifying a Duffing oscillator state transition and determining the critical value in weak signal detection

Identifying state transition and determining the critical value of the Duffing oscillator are crucial to indicating external signal existence and have a great influence on detection accuracy in weak signal detection. A circular zone counting （CZC） method is proposed in this paper, by combining the Duffing oscillator＇s phase trajectory feature and numerical calculation for quickly and accurately identifying state transition and determining the critical value, to realize a high- efficiency weak signal detection. Detailed model analysis and method construction of the CZC method are introduced. Numerical experiments into the reliability of the proposed CZC method compared with the maximum Lyapunov exponent （MLE） method are carried out. The CZC method is demonstrated to have better detecting ability than the MLE method, and furthermore it is simpler and clearer in calculation to extend to engineering application.

Use of Solid State Carbothermic Reduction in Production of Transition Metals and Their Carbides

The use of solid state carbothermic reduction as a precursor to the smelting of transition metal ores was examined . The advantages of the introduction of a prereduction stage include enabling the more efficient use of fines and the achievement of higher energy efficiencies. A solid state reduction using carbon as the reductant offers a simpler alternative for their treatment. Subsequent treatment of the reduced material could include intensive bath smelting to produce ferroalloys or, in some case, solid state separation of the transition metal carbide where this has commercial significance.

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.

Electronic structure and spin state regulation of vanadium nitride via a sulfur doping strategy toward flexible zinc-air batteries

Owing to the distinctive structural characteristics,vanadium nitride(VN)is highly regarded as a catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)in zinc-air batteries(ZABs).However,VN exhibits limited intrinsic ORR activity due to the weak adsorption ability to O-containing species.Here,the S-doped VN anchored on N,S-doped multi-dimensional carbon(S-VN/Co/NS-MC)was constructed using the solvothermal and in-situ doping methods.Incorporating sulfur atoms into VN species alters the electron spin state of vanadium in the S-VN/Co/NS-MC for regulating the adsorption energy of vanadium sites to oxygen molecules.The introduced sulfur atoms polarize the V 3d_(z)^(2) electrons,shifting spin-down electrons closer to the Fermi level in the S-VN/Co/NS-MC.Consequently,the introduction of sulfur atoms into VN species enhances the adsorption energy of vanadium sites for oxygen molecules.The*OOH dissociation transitions from being unspontaneous on the VN surface to a spontaneous state on the S-doped VN surface.Then,the ORR barrier on the S-VN/Co/NS-MC surface is reduced.The S-VN/Co/NS-MC demonstrates a higher half-wave potential and limiting current density compared to the VN/Co/N-MC.The S-VN/Co/NS-MC-based liquid ZABs display a power density of 195.7 m W cm^(-2),a specific capacity of 815.7 m A h g^(-1),and a cycling stability exceeding 250 h.The S-VN/Co/NS-MC-based flexible ZABs are successfully employed to charge both a smart watch and a mobile phone.This approach holds promise for advancing the commercial utilization of VN-based catalysts in ZABs.

Theoretical Study of Reaction Paths and Transition States on Conversion Methane into C_2 Hydrocarbons Through Plasma

The direct synthesis of C2 hydrocarbons （ethylene, acetylene and ethane） from methane is one of the most important task in C1 chemistry. Higher conversion of methane and selectivity to C2 hydrocarbons can be real-ized through plasma reaction. In order to explore the reaction process and mechanism, the possible reaction paths （1）—（4） were proposed on coupling reaction of methane through plasma and studied theoretically using semi-PM3 method [PM3 is parameterization method of modified neglect of diatomic overlap （MNDO）] including determining the transition state, calculating the activation energy and thermodynamic state functions and analyzing the bond or-der and intrinsic reaction coordinate. The reaction heat results indicate that the reactions （2） and （4） are exothermic, while reactions of （1） and （3） are endothermic. The activation energy results show that activation energy for reac-tions （1） and （2） was much lower than that of reaction paths （3） and （4）. Therefore, paths （1） and （2） is the favorable reaction path energetically. More interestingly by comparing the intrinsic reaction coordinated （IRC） of the reaction paths （1） and （2）, it is found that the variations of bond lengths in reaction path （1） has a crucial effect on the poten-tial energy, while in reaction path （2）, the adjustment of the system geometry also contributes to the whole potential energy of the system.

Neural network study of the nuclear ground-state spin distribution within a random interaction ensemble

The distribution of the nuclear ground-state spin in a two-body random ensemble(TBRE)was studied using a general classification neural network(NN)model with two-body interaction matrix elements as input features and the corresponding ground-state spins as labels or output predictions.The quantum many-body system problem exceeds the capability of our optimized NNs in terms of accurately predicting the ground-state spin of each sample within the TBRE.However,our NN model effectively captured the statistical properties of the ground-state spin because it learned the empirical regularity of the ground-state spin distribution in TBRE,as discovered by physicists.

Transition state to mode locking in a passively mode-locked erbium-doped fibre ring laser

The transition state between the continuous wave region and the mode-locked region in a passively mode-locked erbium-doped fibre ring laser has been experimentally observed by utilizing the nonlinear polarization rotation technique. When the pump power reaches the mode-locked threshold, the metastable pulse train with a tunable repetition rate is obtained in the transition from the continuous wave state to the passive mode-locked state via proper adjustment of the polarization controller. A simpie model has been established to explain the experimental observation.

Quantitative determination of the critical points of Mott metal–insulator transition in strongly correlated systems

Mottness is at the heart of the essential physics in a strongly correlated system as many novel quantum phenomena occur in the metallic phase near the Mott metal–insulator transition. We investigate the Mott transition in a Hubbard model by using the dynamical mean-field theory and introduce the local quantum state fidelity to depict the Mott metal–insulator transition. The local quantum state fidelity provides a convenient approach to determining the critical point of the Mott transition. Additionally, it presents a consistent description of the two distinct forms of the Mott transition points.

Effects of electron correlation and the Breit interaction on one- and two-electron one-photon transitions in double K hole states of He-like ions(10 ≤ Z ≤ 47)

The x-ray energies and transition rates associated with single and double electron radiative transitions from the double K hole state 2s2p to the 1s2s and 1s^2 configurations of 11 selected He-like ions(10 ≤ Z ≤ 47) are calculated using the fully relativistic multi-configuration Dirac–Fock method(MCDF). An appropriate electron correlation model is constructed with the aid of the active space method, which allows the electron correlation effects to be studied efficiently. The contributions of the electron correlation and the Breit interaction to the transition properties are analyzed in detail. It is found that the two-electron one-photon(TEOP) transition is correlation sensitive. The Breit interaction and electron correlation both contribute significantly to the radiative transition properties of the double K hole state of the He-like ions. Good agreement between the present calculation and previous work is achieved. The calculated data will be helpful to future investigations on double K hole decay processes of He-like ions.

Theoretical Study on the Transition State of N-nitropyrazoles Rearrangement Reaction

Theoretical studies on the rearrangement reactions of nitropyrazoles have beeninvestigated. In order to gain a better understanding of the intermediate process of rearrangementreactions, the transition states of the rearrangement reactions were obtained by TS method at theB3LYP/6-311G（d, p） level of theory. The natural bond orbital charge, electrostatic potential andfrontier molecular orbital of the molecules in the process of rearrangement were analyzed, and thesolvent effect was also discussed. The rearrangement of nitropyrazoles involves two transitionstates and one intermediate, and the nitro group and hydrogen atom are two transfer groups forrearrangement reactions. The migration of these two groups leads to the change of chargedistribution and molecular structure. The structural changes of the molecules in different solventsare not significant, but the dipole moment of the molecule has obvious change.

The key cyclic electron flow protein PGR5 associates with cytochrome b_(6)f, and its function is partially influenced by the LHCⅡ state transition

In plants and algae,PGR5-dependent cyclic electron flow(CEF)is an important regulator of acclimation to fluctuating environments,but how PGR5 participates in CEF is unclear.In this work,we analyzed two PGR5s in cucumber(Cucumis sativus L.)under different conditions and found that CsPGR5a played the dominant role in PGR5-dependent CEF.The results of yeast two-hybrid,biomolecular fluorescence complementation(BiFC),blue native PAGE,and coimmunoprecipitation(CoIP)assays showed that PGR5a interacted with PetC,Lhcb3,and PsaH.Furthermore,the intensity of the interactions was dynamic during state transitions,and the abundance of PGR5 attached to cyt b_(6)f decreased during the transition from state 1 to state 2,which revealed that the function of PGR5a is related to the state transition.We proposed that PGR5 is a small mobile protein that functions when attached to protein complexes.

Dual bound states in the continuum enhanced second harmonic generation with transition metal dichalcogenides monolayer

The emergence of two dimensional(2D)materials has opened new possibilities for exhibiting second harmonic genera-tion(SHG)at the nanoscale,due to their remarkable optical response related to stable excitons at room temperature.However,the ultimate atomic-scale interaction length with light makes the SHG of Transition Metal Dichalcogenides(TM-Ds)monolayers naturally weak.Here,we propose coupling a monolayer of TMDs with a photonic grating slab that works with doubly resonant bound states in the continuum(BIC).The BIC slabs are designed to exhibit a pair of BICs,reson-ant with both the fundamental wave(FW)and the second harmonic wave(SHW).Firstly,the spatial mode matching can be fulfilled by tilting FW's incident angle.We theoretically demonstrate that this strategy leads to more than four orders of magnitude enhancement of SHG efficiency than a sole monolayer of TMDs,under a pump light intensity of 0.1 GW/cm^(2).Moreover,we demonstrate that patterning the TMDs monolayer can further enhance the spatial overlap coefficient,which leads to an extra three orders of magnitude enhancement of SHG efficiency.These results demonstrate remarkable pos-sibilities for enhancing SHG with nonlinear 2D materials,opening many opportunities for chip-based light sources,nano-lasers,imaging,and biochemical sensing.

Instantaneous Formulation for Transitions Between Two Instantaneous Bound States and Its Gauge Invariance

We have precisely derived a ＂rigorous instantaneous formulation＂ for transitions between two bound states when the bound states are well-described by instantaneous Bethe-Salpeter （BS） equation （i.e. the kernel of the equation is instantaneous ＂occasionally＂）. The obtained rigorous instantaneous formulation, in fact, is expressed as an operator sandwiched by two ＂reduced BS wave functions＂ properly, while the reduced BS wave functions appearing in the formulation are the rigorous solutions of the instantaneous BS equation, and they may relate to Schroedinger wave functions straightforwardly. We also show that the rigorous instantaneous formulation is gauge-invariant with respect to the Uem（1） transformation precisely, if the concerned transitions are radiative. Some applications of the formulation are outlined.

Coarse-Grained Free-Energy Simulations of Conformational State Transitions in an Adenosine 5′-Triphosphate-binding Cassette Exporter

ATP-binding cassette exporters transport many substrates out of cellular membranes via alternating between inward-facing and outward-facing conformations. Despite extensive research efforts over the past decades, understanding of the molecular mechanism remains elusive. As these large-scale conformational movements are global and collective, we have previously performed extensive coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations of the potential of mean force along the conformational transition pathway [J. Phys. Chem. B 119, 1295(2015)]. However, the occluded conformational state, in which both the internal and external gate are closed, was not determined in the calculated free energy profile. In this work, we extend the above methods to the calculation of the free energy profile along the reaction coordinate, d1-d2, which are the COM distances between the two sides of the internal(d1)and the external gate(d2). The potential of mean force is thus obtained to identify the transition pathway, along which several outward-facing, inward-facing, and occluded state structures are predicted in good agreement with structural experiments. Our coarse-grained molecular dynamics free-energy simulations demonstrate that the internal gate is closed before the external gate is open during the inward-facing to outward-facing transition and vice versa during the inward-facing to outward-facing transition. Our results capture the unidirectional feature of substrate translocation via the exporter, which is functionally important in biology. This finding is different from the previous result, in which both the internal and external gates are open reported in an X-ray experiment [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 104,19005(2007)]. Our study sheds light on the molecular mechanism of the state transitions in an ATP-binding cassette exporter.

Transition state and formation process of Stone–Wales defects in graphene

Stone–Wales(SW) defects are possibly formed in graphene and other two-dimensional materials, and have multiple influence on their physical and chemical properties. In this study, the transition state of SW defects in graphene is determined with the fully discrete Peierls theory. Furthermore, the atomic formation process is investigated by means of ab-initio simulations. The atomic structure change and energetics of the SW transformation are revealed. It is found that the transition state is at the SW bond rotation of 34.5°and the activation energy barrier is about 12 eV. This work provides a new method to investigate SW transformations in graphene-like materials and to explore unknown SW-type defects in other 2D materials.