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DOE OSTI · 2561280

Realizing a topological diode effect on the surface of a topological Kondo insulator

Zhang, Jiawen [Zhejiang Univ., Hangzhou (China)] (ORCID:0009000346750253)·Hua, Zhenqi [Florida State Univ., Tallahassee, FL (United States)] (ORCID:0000000170523972)·Wang, Chengwei [Zhejiang Univ., Hangzhou (China)]·Smidman, Michael [Zhejiang Univ., Hangzhou (China)]·Graf, David [Florida State Univ., Tallahassee, FL (United States). National High Magnetic Field Lab. (MagLab)]·Thomas, Sean Michael [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)] (ORCID:0000000308894435)·Rosa, Priscila S. [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)] (ORCID:000000023437548X)·Wirth, Steffen [Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Dresden (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000186757482)·Dai, Xi [Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) (Hong Kong)]·Xiong, Peng [Florida State Univ., Tallahassee, FL (United States)] (ORCID:0000000317461404)·Yuan, Huiqiu [Zhejiang Univ., Hangzhou (China)]·Wang, Xiaoyu [Florida State Univ., Tallahassee, FL (United States). National High Magnetic Field Lab. (MagLab)]·Jiao, Lin [Zhejiang Univ., Hangzhou (China)] (ORCID:0000000283430190)
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Abstract

Introducing the concept of topology into material science has sparked a revolution from classic electronic and optoelectronic devices to topological quantum devices. The latter has potential for transferring energy and information with unprecedented efficiency. Here, we demonstrate a topological diode effect on the surface of a three-dimensional material, SmB 6 , a candidate topological Kondo insulator. The diode effect is evidenced by pronounced rectification and photogalvanic effects under electromagnetic modulation and radiation at radio frequency. Our experimental results and modeling suggest that these prominent effects are intimately tied to the spatially inhomogeneous formation of topological surface states (TSS) at the intermediate temperature. This work provides a manner of breaking the mirror symmetry (in addition to the inversion symmetry), resulting in the formation of pn-junctions between puddles of metallic TSS. Further, this effect paves the way for efficient current rectifiers or energy-harvesting devices working down to radio frequency range at low temperature, which could be extended to high temperatures using other topological insulators with large bulk gap.

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Zhang, Jiawen [Zhejiang Univ., Hangzhou (China)] (ORCID:0009000346750253), Hua, Zhenqi [Florida State Univ., Tallahassee, FL (United States)] (ORCID:0000000170523972), Wang, Chengwei [Zhejiang Univ., Hangzhou (China)], Smidman, Michael [Zhejiang Univ., Hangzhou (China)], Graf, David [Florida State Univ., Tallahassee, FL (United States). National High Magnetic Field Lab. (MagLab)], Thomas, Sean Michael [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)] (ORCID:0000000308894435), Rosa, Priscila S. [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)] (ORCID:000000023437548X), Wirth, Steffen [Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Dresden (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000186757482), Dai, Xi [Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) (Hong Kong)], Xiong, Peng [Florida State Univ., Tallahassee, FL (United States)] (ORCID:0000000317461404), Yuan, Huiqiu [Zhejiang Univ., Hangzhou (China)], Wang, Xiaoyu [Florida State Univ., Tallahassee, FL (United States). National High Magnetic Field Lab. (MagLab)], Jiao, Lin [Zhejiang Univ., Hangzhou (China)] (ORCID:0000000283430190). 2025-03-20. Realizing a topological diode effect on the surface of a topological Kondo insulator. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2417709122

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DOE OSTI2026

Cyclic moisture reactivation of calcium sorbents for long duration thermochemical energy storage

The transition to a flexible and reliable energy infrastructure, using electro-thermal energy generation technologies such as geothermal, concentrated solar power, and nuclear, usually demands simultaneous advancement of thermal energy storage (TES) to support on-demand electricity generation and industrial applications while mitigating the inherent intermittency of renewable energy sources and power outages from direct energy generation. Among TES technologies, thermochemical energy storage (TCES) based on calcium looping emerges as a compelling high-power energy storage candidate due to its high reaction enthalpy, compatibility with elevated operating temperatures, and abundance of low-cost materials. However, the long-term durability of calcium-based sorbents for TCES is hindered by surface sintering and particle aggregation, leading to performance degradation over repeated thermal cycles. This study explores a moisture hydration-based strategy to regenerate a degraded calcium sorbent and mitigate performance degradation for long duration TCES. The addition of moisture transforms calcium oxide into calcium hydroxide and produces intercalation water layers, associated with a regenerated surface area and reduced calcium oxide crystallite size. Both these effects are beneficial in restoring the sorbents' reactivity for carbonization. Additionally, an optimized hydration-assisted reactivation protocol balances the recovered energy storage capacity with heating penalty required for moisture removal from hydrated samples, resulting in an enhanced energy storage capacity up to 176% compared to benchmark sorbents that undergo cycling without reactivation after 60 cycles. In conclusion, these results highlight the potential of hydration-assisted reactivation to enhance the long-term performance of TCES, providing an effective pathway to advancing electro-thermal storage technologies.

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