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At least 307 records · Page 17

Two-color-driven enhanced high-order harmonic generation in solids

We theoretically investigate the emission of high-harmonic (HH) radiation in model crystals by bichromatic few-cycle driving pulses that are composed as the phase-coherent superposition of a mid-infrared fundamental pulse and its second harmonic. Adjusting the model-crystal parameters to reproduce the lowest band gap of MgO, we examine the extent to which distinct domains of the HH spectrum can be controlled and enhanced by tuning the temporal profile of the bichromatic driving laser electric field. We change the driving-pulse shape by varying its fundamental-versus-second-harmonic pulse amplitude ratio and delay, while keeping the energy of the driving laser pulse fixed. For suitable amplitude ratios and delays, we find an up to fivefold enhancement of the spectral HH yield and significant shifts of the HH cutoff frequency.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Vibrational properties of CuInP 2 S 6 across the ferroelectric transition

In order to explore the properties of a two-sublattice ferroelectric, we measured the infrared and Raman scattering response of CuInP 2 S 6 across the ferroelectric and glassy transitions and compared our findings to a symmetry analysis, calculations of phase stability, and lattice dynamics. In addition to uncovering displacive character and a large hysteresis region surrounding the ferroelectric transition temperature T C , we identify the vibrational modes that stabilize the polar phase and confirm the presence of two ferroelectric variants with opposite polarizations. Below T C , a poorly understood relaxational or glassy transition at T g is characterized by local structure changes in the form of subtle peak shifting and activation of low frequency out-of-plane Cu- and In-containing modes. Here, the latter are due to changes in the Cu/In coordination environments and associated order-disorder processes. Moreover, T g takes place in two steps with another large hysteresis region and significant underlying scattering. Combined with imaging of the room temperature phase separation, this effort lays the groundwork for studying CuInP 2 S 6 under external stimuli and in the ultrathin limit.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

On Stability of PQ-Controlled Grid-Following and Droop-Control Grid-Forming Inverters

In this paper, the nonlinearity impacts of PQ-control schemes and LCL filter parameter variations on the stability of grid-interactive inverters are studied under weak grid conditions. This work demonstrates that the control nonlinearity and parameter variations can cause unexpected instability at low power levels. This instability issue in the nominal operating range may occur under specific control parameters due to the shift of the low-frequency eigenvalues of PQ-controlled inverters. A full-order small-signal model for PQ-controlled inverters is applied to analyze this instability issue. Furthermore, the impacts of the droop coefficients on the stability of the droop-controlled grid-forming inverter are also investigated using the closed-loop inverter model. The findings are experimentally verified using a small-scale two-level 208 V, 5 kVA inverter feeding a 12 kW NHR 9410 power grid emulator and a hardware setup of a microgrid fed by two 5 kVA 208V inverters.

Hossen, Tareq↗

Snow-eater heat waves of the western United States

Abrupt snowmelt, triggered by rain-on-snow events or "snow-eater heat waves," can cause flooding, initiate or accelerate snow drought, and affect water availability. However, the characteristics (e.g., area, duration, and frequency), impacts, and trends of snow-eater heat waves have received little attention. To address this gap, we developed a method to identify snow-eater heat waves and estimate their melt potential using 20th Century Reanalysis version 3 air temperature data, the TempestExtremes algorithm, and an operational snowmelt model (SNOW-17) across 1850-2015. Melt season snow-eater heat waves typically last 3 to 5 days, with three to five events, doubling snowmelt rates. Seven of 11 spring superfloods are shown to coincide with snow-eater heat waves. Since the 1850s, snow-eater heat waves have increased in area and frequency, decreased in duration, and shifted earlier in the melt season. Incorporating snow-eater heat-wave impacts into SNOW-17 enhances extreme melt estimates, improving water management support tools.

Rhoades, Alan M↗

Analyzing Mechanical integrity of Microwave resonant Cavity flowmeter

The microwave resonant cavity flow sensor has been proposed to address the difficulties of measuring high-temperature molten salt flow in reactor vessels. The flow sensor consists of a metallic cylindrical cavity coupled to a microwave waveguide. The cylindrical cavity has one of the flat surfaces thin enough to undergo microscopic deflection due to dynamic pressure of the exerted by the flowing fluid. Deflection of the membrane causes a shift in the microwave resonant frequency. Fluid velocity can be estimated from the calibration curve. The objective of this report is to investigate mechanical integrity of the flowmeter’s membrane. The membrane is a thin stainless-steel circular plate with a clamped edge, subjected to uniform load. By calculating the stress on the plate due to deflection and, comparing the stress to the material ultimate tensile strength and yield strength, it can be estimated if the plate will fail. If the maximum stress is greater than the yield strength, the plate will undergo plastic deformation, and the sensor will be disabled. A stress greater than the ultimate tensile strength will cause the plate to fracture. The stress on the plate was calculated with an analytic closed form solution model, and with COMSOL Structural Mechanics Module which does not involve any approximations. Stresses in both the analytic model and COMSOL numerical model were calculated for stainless steel 316 thin circular plates under room temperature conditions, where the fluid is water. The diameter of the circular plate is approximately one inch, and thickness is 10mil. Fluid flow velocity is in the range from 0.5m/s to 1m/s. The results from the two models are similar. Both the analytic model and COMSOL model showed that maximum stresses on the plate, which are at the radial boundary of the plate, are three orders of magnitude smaller than the yield strength and ultimate tensile strength. This indicates that the sensor is at a low risk of mechanical failure.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Third Annual Report on Development of Microwave Resonant Cavity Transducer for Fluid Flow Sensing

We are investigating a microwave resonant cavity transducer for flow sensing in the vessel of a high temperature fluid advanced reactor (AR), such as a molten salt cooled reactor (MSCR) or a sodium fast reactor (SFR). This transducer is a hollow metallic cylindrical cavity, with one of the flat walls of the cylinder flexible enough to undergo microscopic deflection due to dynamic fluid pressure. Membrane deflection leads to a shift in the microwave resonant frequency, which can be detected with a spectrum analyzer.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Impact of prescribed fire on soil microbial communities in a Southern Appalachian Forest clear-cut

Escalating wildfire frequency and severity, exacerbated by shifting climate patterns, pose significant ecological and economic challenges. Prescribed burns, a common forest management tool, aim to mitigate wildfire risks and protect biodiversity. Nevertheless, understanding the impact of prescribed burns on soil and microbial communities in temperate mixed forests, considering temporal dynamics and slash fuel types, remains crucial. Our study, conducted at the University of Tennessee Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center in Oak Ridge, TN, employed controlled burns across various treatments, and the findings indicate that low-intensity prescribed burns have none or minimal short-term effects on soil parameters but may alter soil nutrient concentrations, as evidenced by significant changes in porewater acetate, formate, and nitrate concentrations. These burns also induce shifts in microbial community structure and diversity, with Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria increasing significantly post-fire, possibly aiding soil recovery. In contrast, Verrucomicrobia showed a notable decrease over time, and other specific microbial taxa correlated with soil pH, porewater nitrate, ammonium , and phosphate concentrations. Our research contributes to understanding the intricate relationships between prescribed fire, soil dynamics, and microbial responses in temperate mixed forests in the Southern Appalachian Region, which is valuable for informed land management practices in the face of evolving environmental challenges.

Microbiology↗

Thermal Frequency Drift of 3D Printed Microwave Components

Fabrication of microwave slot array antennas and waveguide bandpass and notch filters using 3D printing has significant advantages in terms of speed and cost even for parts with high mechanical complexity. One disadvantage of Stereolithography (SLA) 3D printed, copper plated microwave components is that some SLA resins have a high Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE), quoted in micrometers per meter per degree or 10 -6 per degree. Compared to typically used metals such as aluminum (CTE 24 × 10 -6 ·K -1 ) and copper (CTE 17 × 10 -6 ·K -1 ), SLA resin can have CTE above 100 × 10 -6 ·K -1 . Resonant structures experience significant frequency drift with temperature changes on the order of 10–50 °C. The issue of 3D printed microwave structures changing frequency characteristics significantly with temperature shift has not been addressed or reviewed in current literature. We measured and simulated the effect of temperature change on a slot array, cavity notch filters, and post loaded waveguide bandpass filters. We tested several types of SLA resin, different plating techniques, and also Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) and Binder Infusion metal 3D printing. Performance as a function of temperature is presented for these alternatives.

three-dimensional printing↗

Superconducting Shuttle-Flux Shift Register for Race Logic and Its Applications

Here this paper presents a superconducting, magnetically-coupled, shuttle-flux shift register (SF-SR) that stores single flux quantum (SFQ) pulses. This shift register has a DC bias operating margin of ±34% at 10 GHz, with a power dissipation of 3.6 μW and 38% fewer Josephson junctions (JJs) when scaled up to multiple stages compared to a data flip-flop (DFF) based shift register. The clock input is inductively coupled and is independent from the data input. We then present three applications for our SF-SR. In the first application, we add two non-destructive readout (NDRO) cells to construct a buffer that temporarily stores the temporal information of a series of race logic (RL) pulses. The second application is a pseudo-random number generator based on a linear function shift register (LFSR). The third application is N parallel SF-SRs that can act similar to a deserializer or instead can emulate a single SF-SR of N times higher clock frequency. These three applications motivate deep shift registers with many shifting intervals, which our SF-SR can implement with fewer JJs and lower power consumption compared to DFF-based shift registers.

42 ENGINEERING↗

NMR studies of the ground states of Ni 50-x Co x Mn 35 In 15 (x=1, 2.5) and Ni 45 Co 5 Mn 37 In 13 Heusler alloys

Three temperature-induced phase transitions at T=T 1 , T M /T A , and T C , related to the ferromagnetic order of the martensitic phase (FMMP), martensitic (structural) transitions (MT), and the ferromagnetic order of the austenitic phase (FMAP), respectively, have been observed in the off-stoichiometric Heusler alloys, Ni 50-x Co x Mn 35 In 15 (x=1, 2.5) and Ni 45 Co 5 Mn 37 In 13 . In this work, the phase transitions temperatures are found to be depended on alloy composition. A kinetic arrest of the AP was observed for Ni 47.5 Co 2.5 Mn 35 In 15 in the magnetization measurements during field-cooling cycle (FCC) at 50 kOe. Depending upon the cooling protocols, ZFC and FCC (at H = 50 kOe), two different ground states of the alloys can be found in Ni 47.5 Co 2.5 Mn 35 In 15 and Ni 45 Co 5 Mn 37 In 13 alloys. The ground states (T=4.2 K and external field H=0) of the alloys was found to be characterized by three main line: two, partially overlapping, at higher frequencies (300-450 MHz), most likely corresponding of manganese resonance lines and one at lower frequency at about 200 MHz. A significant shift in the spectrum of Ni 45 Co 5 Mn 37 In 13 by about 100 MHz to higher frequencies was observed. The correlation of magnetizations obtained from magnetic moment and NMR studies is discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Crucial role of thermal fluctuations and vertex corrections for the magnetic pseudogap

It is generally believed that in a two-dimensional metal, whose ground state is antiferromagnetically ordered with Q = (π,π), thermal (static) magnetic fluctuations give rise to precursor behavior above TN in which the spectral function of a hot fermion (the one for which k and k + Q are Fermi surface points) contains two peaks, separated by roughly the same energy as in the antiferromagnetically ordered state. The two peaks persist in some range of T > T N and eventually merge into a single peak at zero frequency. This behavior is obtained theoretically by departing from free fermions in a paramagnet and evaluating the dressed fermionic Green's function by summing up infinite series of diagrams with contributions from thermal magnetic fluctuations. We show, following that keeping vertex renormalization diagrams in these series is crucial as other terms only broaden the spectral function of a hot fermion but do not shift its maximum away from zero frequency. As the consequence, the magnetic pseudogap should be treated as an input for theories that neglect vertex corrections, such as, e.g., Eliashberg theory for magnetically mediated superconductivity. We also analyze the potential pseudogap behavior at T = 0. Here, we argue that it may exist, but only at a finite correlation length, and not as a precursor to antiferromagnetism.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Long range frequency chirping of Alfvén eigenmodes

In this work, a theoretical framework has been developed for an NBI scenario to model the hard non-linear evolution of global Alfvén eigenmodes (GAEs) where the adiabatic motion of phase-space structures (holes and clumps), associated with frequency chirping, occurs in generalized phase-space of slowing down energetic particles. The radial profile of the GAE is expanded using finite elements, which allows an update of the mode structure as the mode frequency chirps. Constants of motion are introduced to track the dynamics of energetic particles during frequency chirping by implementing proper action-angle variables and canonical transformations which reduce the dynamics essentially to 1D. Consequently, we specify whether the particles are drifting inward/outward as the frequency deviates from the initial MHD eigenfrequency. Using the principle of least action, we have derived the non-linear equation describing the evolution of the radial profile by varying the total Lagrangian of the system with respect to the weights of the finite elements. For the choice of parameters in this work, it is shown that the peak of the radial profile is shifted and also broadens due to frequency chirping. The time rate of frequency change is also calculated using the energy balance and we show that the adiabatic condition remains valid once it is satisfied. This model clearly illustrates the theoretical treatment to study the long-range adiabatic frequency sweeping events observed for Alfvén gap modes in real experiments.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Frequency reproducibility of solid-state thorium-229 nuclear clocks

Solid-state thorium-229 ( 229 Th) nuclear clocks are set to provide new opportunities for precision metrology and fundamental physics. Taking advantage of inherent low sensitivity of a nuclear transition to its environment, orders of magnitude more emitters can be hosted in a solid-state crystal compared with current optical lattice atomic clocks. Furthermore, solid-state systems needing only simple thermal control are key to the development of field-deployable compact clocks. Here we explore and characterize the frequency reproducibility of the 229 Th:CaF 2 nuclear clock transition, a key performance metric for all clocks. We measure the transition linewidth and centre frequency as a function of the doping concentration, temperature and time. We report the concentration-dependent inhomogeneous linewidth of the nuclear transition, limited by the intrinsic host crystal properties. We determine an optimal working temperature for the 229 Th:CaF 2 nuclear clock at 196(5) K, at which the first-order thermal sensitivity vanishes. This would enable in situ temperature co-sensing using different quadrupole-split lines, reducing the temperature-induced systematic shift below the 10 −18 fractional frequency uncertainty level. At 195 K, the reproducibility of the nuclear transition frequency is 220 Hz (fractionally 1.1 × 10 −13 ) for two differently doped 229 Th:CaF 2 crystals over 7 months. Furthermore, these results form the foundation for understanding, controlling and harnessing the coherent nuclear excitation of 229 Th in solid-state hosts and for their applications in constraining temporal variations of fundamental constants.

Atomic and molecular physics↗

Shafranov-shift destabilization of ballooning-type micro-instabilities

Contrary to common wisdom, we argue that the Shafranov shift is destabilizing for the ambient ballooning-type instabilities, which account for most of the transport flux in tokamak core plasmas. Higher Shafranov shift indeed reduces the magnetic drift frequency ω d , i.e. improves the bad curvature mildly, around the outboard midplane. However, this improvement is limited to a very narrow spatial region while ω d is increased over the remaining poloidal space. The eigenfunction averaged $\langle$ω d $\rangle$ is effectively enhanced due to the finite mode width of the eigenfunction and is thus destabilizing to the ballooning-type mode, as demonstrated by gyrokinetic simulations with the CGYRO code using local Miller equilibrium geometry. The predicted nonlinear flux also increases with Shafranov shift, consistent with linear simulations. The reduced transport model TGLF can capture the physics reasonably well.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Precision gyroscope from the helicity of light

We describe a gyroscope that measures rotation based on the effects of the rotation on the polarization of light. Rotation induces a differential phase shift in the propagation of left- and right-circularly polarized light and this phase shift can be measured in suitably designed interferometric setups. The signal in this setup is independent of the frequency of light, unlike various sources of noise such as vibrations, which cause phase shifts that depend on the frequency. Such vibrations are the practical limit on the sensitivity of conventional Sagnac-style optical interferometers that are typically used as gyroscopes. In the proposed setup, one can potentially mitigate this source of noise by simultaneously using two (or more) sources of light that have different frequencies. The signal in this setup scales with the total storage time of the light. Due to its frequency independence, it is thus most optimal to measure the signal using superconducting radio-frequency systems where the high finesse of the available cavities enables considerably longer storage times than is possible in an optical setup.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Quantum optimal control of ten-level nuclear spin qudits in Sr 87

We study the ability to implement unitary maps on states of the I = 9 / 2 nuclear spin in Sr 87 , a d = 10 dimensional (qudecimal) Hilbert space, using quantum optimal control. Through a combination of nuclear spin resonance and a tensor ac Stark shift, by solely modulating the phase of a radio-frequency magnetic field, the system is quantum controllable. Alkaline-earth-metal atoms, such as Sr 87 , have a very favorable figure of merit for such control due to narrow intercombination lines and the large hyperfine splitting in the excited states. We numerically study the quantum speed limit, optimal parameters, and the fidelity of arbitrary state preparation and full SU(10) maps, including the presence of decoherence due to optical pumping induced by the light-shifting laser. We also study the use of robust control to mitigate some dephasing due to inhomogeneities in the light shift. We find that with an rf Rabi frequency of Ω rf and 0.5% inhomogeneity in the the light shift we can prepare an arbitrary Haar-random state in a time T = 4.5 π / Ω rf with average fidelity ( F ψ ) = 0.9992 , and an arbitrary Haar-random SU(10) map in a time T = 24 π / Ω rf with average fidelity ( F U ) = 0.9923 .

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Rising atmospheric moisture escalates the future impact of atmospheric rivers in the Antarctic climate system

Abstract Despite their relative rarity, atmospheric rivers are key contributors to the surface mass balance of Antarctica. However, the future role of atmospheric rivers in modulating Antarctic sea-level contributions is a major area of uncertainty. Here, we leverage high-resolution climate simulations to show that Antarctic atmospheric rivers are highly sensitive to future increases in atmospheric moisture, leading to a doubling of atmospheric river frequencies and 2.5 × increase in precipitation from 2066–2100 under present-day thresholds for atmospheric river detection. However, future precipitation impacts are critically dependent on the detection threshold: accounting for moisture increases in the threshold produces smaller, regional changes in atmospheric river frequency, primarily resulting from an eastward shift in the polar jet maximum wind speeds. Our results underscore the importance of using large ensembles to quantify Antarctic atmospheric river responses to variability in projected moisture, which may not be captured when using only a few ensemble members.

Environmental Sciences & Ecology↗

Extracting and Interpreting Electrochemical Impedance Spectra (EIS) from Physics-Based Models of Lithium-Ion Batteries

This paper implements a highly efficient algorithm to extract electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) from physics-based battery models (e.g., a P2D model). The mathematical approach is different from how EIS is practiced experimentally. Experimentally, the voltage (current) is harmonically perturbed over a wide range of frequencies and the amplitude and phase shift of the corresponding current (voltage) is measured. The experimental approach can be implemented in simulation software, but is computationally expensive. The approach here is to determine locally linear state-space models from the full physical model. The four Jacobian matrices that are the basis of the state-space models can be derived by numerical differentiation of the physical model. The EIS is then extracted from the state-space model using computationally efficient matrix-manipulation techniques. The algorithm can evaluate the full EIS at an instant in time during a transient, independent of whether the battery is in a stationary state. The approach is also able to separate the full-cell impedance to evaluate partial EIS, such as for a battery anode alone. Although such partial EIS is difficult to measure experimentally, the partial EIS provides valuable insights in interpreting the full-cell EIS.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗