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At least 361 records · Page 20

Light-driven nanoscale vectorial currents

Controlled charge flows are fundamental to many areas of science and technology, serving as carriers of energy and information, as probes of material properties and dynamics and as a means of revealing or even inducing broken symmetries. Emerging methods for light-based current control offer particularly promising routes beyond the speed and adaptability limitations of conventional voltage-driven systems. However, optical generation and manipulation of currents at nanometre spatial scales remains a basic challenge and a crucial step towards scalable optoelectronic systems for microelectronics and information science. Here we introduce vectorial optoelectronic metasurfaces in which ultrafast light pulses induce local directional charge flows around symmetry-broken plasmonic nanostructures, with tunable responses and arbitrary patterning down to subdiffractive nanometre scales. Local symmetries and vectorial currents are revealed by polarization-dependent and wavelength-sensitive electrical readout and terahertz (THz) emission, whereas spatially tailored global currents are demonstrated in the direct generation of elusive broadband THz vector beams 17 . We show that, in graphene, a detailed interplay between electrodynamic, thermodynamic and hydrodynamic degrees of freedom gives rise to rapidly evolving nanoscale driving forces and charge flows under the extremely spatially and temporally localized excitation. These results set the stage for versatile patterning and optical control over nanoscale currents in materials diagnostics, THz spectroscopies, nanomagnetism and ultrafast information processing.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Development of a strip-shaped X-ray mapping system for 9-cell superconducting cavities

Electrons emitted via field emission during superconducting (SC) radio-frequency (RF) cavity tests at vertical test stands often collide with the iris region inside the cavity, generating X-rays at these locations. In 1.3 GHz 9-cell SC RF cavities designed for the International Linear Collider (ILC), stiffener rings located outside the iris region between cells can interfere with X-ray detection, complicating the precise identification of field emission sites. Hence, in this study, we developed a high-density strip X-ray mapping systems (sX-map) that can be inserted into the iris region of ILC-type 9-cell SC RF cavities. This sX-map facilitates efficient and accurate detection of X-rays generated near the irises, unaffected by the presence of stiffener rings. The sX-map consisted of 32 sensors per strip, with sensors spaced approximately 10 mm apart. It was deployed in every iris of the 9-cell cavity, using a total of 320 sensors. A multiplexer was employed to facilitate the readout of a large number of detectors using a minimal number of signal lines, connecting the strips inside within the vertical test cryostat. In a vertical test conducted at Jefferson Lab (JLab), we demonstrated the capability of sX-map to detect X-rays despite the presence of a stiffener ring. This paper presents the detailed design of the sX-map and the results from the vertical test at JLab.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

High- Q Microwave Dielectric Resonator for Axion Dark-Matter Haloscopes

The frequency band 1–15 GHz provides exciting prospects for resonant axion haloscopes as indicated by cosmological and astrophysical arguments. Among the challenges currently addressed to reach the required sensitivity, the development of high-quality factor cavities that tolerate multitesla fields plays a central role. We report a three-dimensional resonator based on a right-circular copper cavity with hollow cylinders that confine higher-order modes around the cylinder axis. Its effective volume at 10.3 GHz is 3.4 × 10 − 2 l, and under an 8-T field we measure an internal quality factor of more than nine million. A fine-tuning system limited to approximately 1 -MHz range is tested, useful for understanding the conditions required to run a haloscope with a cavity exceeding the axion quality factor. The cavity parameters we report demonstrate the potential of this unique resonator to probe galactic dark-matter axion at scan rates exceeding 2 MHz/day when the cavity is readout by a quantum-limited receiver.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

A Contrast Calibration Protocol for X-ray Speckle Visibility Spectroscopy

X-ray free electron lasers, with their ultrashort highly coherent pulses, opened up the opportunity of probing ultrafast nano- and atomic-scale dynamics in amorphous and disordered material systems via speckle visibility spectroscopy. However, the anticipated count rate in a typical experiment is usually low. Therefore, visibility needs to be extracted via photon statistics analysis, i.e., by estimating the probabilities of multiple photons per pixel events using pixelated detectors. Considering the realistic X-ray detector responses including charge cloud sharing between pixels, pixel readout noise, and gain non-uniformity, speckle visibility extraction relying on photon assignment algorithms are often computationally demanding and suffer from systematic errors. In this paper, we present a systematic study of the commonly-used algorithms by applying them to an experimental data set containing small-angle coherent scattering with visibility levels ranging from below 1% to ∼60%. We also propose a contrast calibration protocol and show that a computationally lightweight algorithm can be implemented for high-speed correlation evaluation.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Study of CMOS strip sensor for future silicon tracker

Monolithic silicon sensors developed with High-Voltage CMOS (HV-CMOS) processes have become highly attractive for charged particle tracking. Compared with the standard CMOS sensors, HV-CMOS sensors can provide larger and deeper depletion regions that lead to larger signals and faster charge collection. They can provide high position resolution, low material budget, high radiation hardness and low cost that are desirable for high performance tracking in harsh collision environment. Various studies have been conducted to explore the technology feasibility for the large-area tracking systems at future collider experiments. CHESS (CMOS HV/HR Evaluation for Strip Sensor) sensor series have been developed as an alternative solution to the conventional silicon micro-strip detectors for the ATLAS inner tracker upgrade. The first prototype (named CHESS1) was to evaluate the diode geometry and the in-pixel analog electronics. Obtained test results were used to optimize the second prototype (named CHESS2). CHESS2 was implemented with a full digital readout architecture and realized as a full reticle sized monolithic sensor. Here, the basic characteristics of the CHESS2 prototype sensors and their performance in response to different input signals are presented.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Temperature-dependent calibration procedures for the silicon photomultiplier readout of the cosmic ray veto detector for the Mu2e experiment

The cosmic ray veto detector for the Mu2e experiment consists of scintillation bars embedded with wavelength-shifting fibers and read out by silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs). Here, in this manuscript, the calibration procedures of the SiPMs are described including corrections for the temperature dependence of their light yield. These corrections are needed as the SiPMs are not kept at a constant temperature due to the complexity and cost of implementing a cooling system on such a large detector. Rather, it was decided to monitor the temperature to allow the appropriate corrections to be made. The SiPM temperature dependence has been measured in a dedicated experiment and the calibration procedures were validated with data from production detectors awaiting installation at Fermilab.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Antisite defect qubits in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides

Abstract Being atomically thin and amenable to external controls, two-dimensional (2D) materials offer a new paradigm for the realization of patterned qubit fabrication and operation at room temperature for quantum information sciences applications. Here we show that the antisite defect in 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) can provide a controllable solid-state spin qubit system. Using high-throughput atomistic simulations, we identify several neutral antisite defects in TMDs that lie deep in the bulk band gap and host a paramagnetic triplet ground state. Our in-depth analysis reveals the presence of optical transitions and triplet-singlet intersystem crossing processes for fingerprinting these defect qubits. As an illustrative example, we discuss the initialization and readout principles of an antisite qubit in WS 2 , which is expected to be stable against interlayer interactions in a multilayer structure for qubit isolation and protection in future qubit-based devices. Our study opens a new pathway for creating scalable, room-temperature spin qubits in 2D TMDs.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Progress toward picosecond on-chip magnetic memory

Here, we offer a perspective on the prospects of ultrafast spintronics and opto-magnetism as a pathway to high-performance, energy-efficient, and non-volatile embedded memory in digital integrated circuit applications. Conventional spintronic devices, such as spin-transfer-torque magnetic-resistive random-access memory (STT-MRAM) and spin–orbit torque MRAM, are promising due to their non-volatility, energy-efficiency, and high endurance. STT-MRAMs are now entering into the commercial market; however, they are limited in write speed to the nanosecond timescale. Improvement in the write speed of spintronic devices can significantly increase their usefulness as viable alternatives to the existing CMOS-based devices. In this article, we discuss recent studies that advance the field of ultrafast spintronics and opto-magnetism. An optimized ferromagnet–ferrimagnet exchange-coupled magnetic stack, which can serve as the free layer of a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ), can be optically switched in as fast as ~3 ps. Integration of ultrafast magnetic switching of a similar stack into an MTJ device has enabled electrical readout of the switched state using a relatively larger tunneling magnetoresistance ratio. Purely electronic ultrafast spin–orbit torque induced switching of a ferromagnet has been demonstrated using ~6 ps long charge current pulses. We conclude our Perspective by discussing some of the challenges that remain to be addressed to accelerate ultrafast spintronics technologies toward practical implementation in high-performance digital information processing systems.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Spatial and temporal evaluations of the liquid argon purity in ProtoDUNE-SP

Liquid argon time projection chambers (LArTPCs) rely on highly pure argon to ensure that ionization electrons produced by charged particles reach readout arrays. ProtoDUNE Single-Phase (ProtoDUNE-SP) was an approximately 700-ton liquid argon detector intended to prototype the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) Far Detector Horizontal Drift module. It contains two drift volumes bisected by the cathode plane assembly, which is biased to create an almost uniform electric field in both volumes. The DUNE Far Detector modules must have robust cryogenic systems capable of filtering argon and supplying the TPC with clean liquid. This paper will explore comparisons of the argon purity measured by the purity monitors with those measured using muons in the TPC from October 2018 to November 2018. A new method is introduced to measure the liquid argon purity in the TPC using muons crossing both drift volumes of ProtoDUNE-SP. For extended periods on the timescale of weeks, the drift electron lifetime was measured to be above 30 ms using both systems. A particular focus will be placed on the measured purity of argon as a function of position in the detector.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Characterizing Midcircuit Measurements on a Superconducting Qubit Using Gate Set Tomography

Measurements that occur within the internal layers of a quantum circuit—midcircuit measurements—are a useful quantum-computing primitive, most notably for quantum error correction. Midcircuit measurements have both classical and quantum outputs, so they can be subject to error modes that do not exist for measurements that terminate quantum circuits. In this work, we show how to characterize midcircuit measurements, modeled by quantum instruments, using a technique that we call quantum instrument linear gate set tomography (QILGST). We then apply this technique to characterize a dispersive measurement on a superconducting transmon qubit within a multiqubit system. By varying the delay time between the measurement pulse and subsequent gates, we explore the impact of residual cavity photon population on measurement error. QILGST can resolve different error modes and quantify the total error from a measurement; in our experiment, for delay times above 1000 ns we measure a total error rate (i.e., half diamond distance) of ϵ$\diamond$ = 8.1 ± 1.4%, a readout fidelity of 97.0 ± 0.3%, and output quantum-state fidelities of 96.7 ± 0.6% and 93.7 ± 0.7 % when measuring 0 and 1, respectively.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Hyperspectral X-ray Imaging: Progress Towards Chemical Analysis in the SEM

The Hyperspectral X-ray Imaging (HXI) project will enable non-destructive chemical-state determination of nano-scale samples in the electron microscope for nuclear safeguards applications. To efficiently measure chemical state through electron-excited X-ray emission requires a combination of wide spectral bandwidth, high resolution, and high count rate capability. We are building a next-generation X-ray detector based on an array of transition edge sensors (TESs) to make these measurements possible and routine in the scanning electron microscope (SEM). Leveraging the large pixel densities afforded by microwave multiplexing readout and continuous, uninterrupted operation of a cryogen-free dilution refrigerator, this instrument will have efficiency to allow chemical species identification of nano-scale samples in hours instead of days to weeks. We describe prototype pixel designs for this HXI instrument, comprising three pixel types that will make up the hybrid TES array. Engineering design of the integrated HXI cryostat and SEM system is in progress, with full detector commissioning expected in Spring 2021 followed closely by full-scale integration with the SEM. Furthermore, we also report on the commissioning of a complementary TES-based X-ray emission spectroscopy platform for bulk samples to build a spectral library for HXI sample identification.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

The FastrSHWFS Project Development Motivation, Analysis, & Test Results

The recent 2020 Decadal Survey of Astronomy and Astrophysics listed habitable exoplanet imaging with future extreme adaptive optics (AO) on 30m-class telescopes as a key priority in the coming decade. However, there is a current 100x contrast gap between the best systems today and what is needed to enable this goal. Astronomical AO is a required approach to enable ground-based diffraction-limited imaging of exoplanets on future extremely large telescopes. Time lag between the end of an exposure and the application of deformable mirror commands is a major contributor to the error budget in many AO systems, and detector read time is often a large component of this lag. We present two designs for a modified Shack Hartmann wavefront sensor (SHWFS), named Focal plane Actualized Shifted Technique Realized for a SHWFS (fastrSHWFS), to reduce the time lag component. This design steers the spot pattern at the focal plane into a rectangular or linear array with a custom aspect ratio, reducing readout time. The mask with focus yields aberrated results while the mask with tip/tilt only yields some defined spots. This essay outlines the current SHWFS concept, our fastrSHWFS theoretical solution to addressing time lag, reflection and quality analysis of printed mask designs, and results from testing both masks on the High Contrast Testbed at Lawrence Livermore National Lab. This work follows the test of a previous fastrSHWFS design.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Universal control of a six-qubit quantum processor in silicon

Future quantum computers capable of solving relevant problems will require a large number of qubits that can be operated reliably. However, the requirements of having a large qubit count and operating with high fidelity are typically conflicting. Spins in semiconductor quantum dots show long-term promise but demonstrations so far use between one and four qubits and typically optimize the fidelity of either single- or two-qubit operations, or initialization and readout. Here, we increase the number of qubits and simultaneously achieve respectable fidelities for universal operation, state preparation and measurement. We design, fabricate and operate a six-qubit processor with a focus on careful Hamiltonian engineering, on a high level of abstraction to program the quantum circuits, and on efficient background calibration, all of which are essential to achieve high fidelities on this extended system. State preparation combines initialization by measurement and real-time feedback with quantum-non-demolition measurements. These advances will enable testing of increasingly meaningful quantum protocols and constitute a major stepping stone towards large-scale quantum computers.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

High quality superconducting Nb co-planar resonators on sapphire substrate

We present measurements and simulations of superconducting Nb co-planar waveguide resonators on sapphire substrate down to millikelvin temperature range with different readout powers. In the high temperature regime, we demonstrate that the Nb film residual surface resistance is comparable to that observed in the ultra-high quality, bulk Nb 3D superconducting radio frequency cavities while the resonator quality is dominated by the BCS thermally excited quasiparticles. At low temperature both the resonator quality factor and frequency can be well explained using the two-level system models. Through the energy participation ratio simulations, we find that the two-level system loss tangent is $\sim 10^{-2}$, which agrees quite well with similar studies performed on the Nb 3D cavities.

Zhu, S.↗

The MU2E Experiment at FERMILAB: R&D, Design and Status

The Mu2e Experiment at Fermilab 1) will search for coherent, neutrinoless conversion of negative muons into electrons in the field of an aluminum nucleus, µ - + N (A, Z) → e - + N (A, Z). This is an example of Charged Lepton Flavour Violation (CLFV) never observed experimentally. The dynamics of such a process is well modelled by a two-body decay, resulting in a mono-energetic electron with an energy slightly below the muon rest mass (~104.967 MeV). If no events are observed in three years of running, Mu2e will set an upper limit on the ratio between conversion and capture rate R µe ≤ 6 × 10 -17 (@ 90% C.L.). This will improve the current limit of a factor of 10 4 over previous experiments. The experiment complements and extends the current/planned searches (µ → eγdecay at MEG , mu3e) as well as the direct searches for new physics at the LHC. Indeed, such CLFV searches in the muon sector probe new physics at a mass scale inaccessible with direct searches at either present or planned high-energy colliders. To detect the muon conversion process, a very intense pulsed beam of negative muons is produced by means of a S-shape Superconducting Solenoid Magnet System that is organized into three subsystems: the Production Solenoid, the Transport Solenoid and the Detector Solenoid. The beam is stopped at 10 GHz on an Aluminum target inside the Detector Solenoid. The Mu2e detectors, also installed inside the Detector Solenoid, are a high-precision tracker made on ~20000 straw tubes, and a calorimeter composed of ~1500 pure CsI crystals organized in two disks and readout by two large area UV-extended Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs). The Detector Solenoid region is surrounded by a Cosmic Ray Veto based on scintillators readout by SiPMs.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Cosmic axions revealed via amplified modulation of the ellipticity of a laser

We propose a new axion dark matter detection strategy that employs optical readout of laser beam ellipticity modulations caused by axion-induced electric fields in a microwave cavity, using electro-optic (EO) crystals, enhanced by externally injected radio-frequency (rf) power. Building upon the variance-based probing method [Phys. Rev. D 107, 103005 (2023).], we extend this concept to the optical domain: A weak probe laser interacts with an EO crystal coupled to the resonant microwave cavity field at cryogenic temperatures, and the axion-induced electric field is revealed through induced ellipticity. The injected rf signal coherently interferes with that of the axion field, amplifying the optical response and significantly improving sensitivity. While our EO-based method employs a Fabry-Pérot resonator, we do not require Michelson interferometers. Our method, hence, enables compact, high-frequency axion searches, across the 0.5–50 GHz range. Operating at cryogenic temperatures not only suppresses thermal backgrounds, but, critically, allows the probing method to mitigate the quantum noise. This approach offers a scalable path forward for axion detection over the ∼(few−200) μ⁢eV mass range—covering the preferred parameter space for the postinflationary Peccei-Quinn axion dark matter—using compact, tunable systems.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Design of a new charge exchange recombination spectroscopy diagnostic for impurity transport experiments at Wendelstein 7-X

In this study, we present the design of a new charge exchange recombination spectroscopy (CXRS) system for Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X), which aims at measuring line radiation from highly ionized iron impurities after laser blow off injections over transport timescales. New fiber bundles with a core diameter of 600 µm have been added to one of the existing optical systems at W7-X used for CXRS. The fibers direct collected light to five newly developed single channel high frame rate F/2.8 spectrometers. The new custom-made spectrometers are built using entirely off-the-shelf and 3D printed components, and employ a round-to-linear fiber bundle, instead of an entrance slit, to maximize light throughput. The detector is an ultra-low readout noise EM-CCD camera capable of frame rates of up to 10 000 fps for about 500 consecutive frames when operated using a single readout channel. Such high frame rates will enable the study of inward convection of injected impurities. An initial sensitivity study is performed using a newly developed Markov chain Monte Carlo approach based on the pySTRAHL impurity transport code. This study indicates that, with the addition of the new CX diagnostic, impurity convection velocities can be inferred.

Instruments & Instrumentation↗

A Chip-Scale Oscillation-Mode Optomechanical Inertial Sensor Near the Thermodynamical Limits

Modern navigation systems integrate the global positioning system (GPS) with an inertial navigation system (INS), which complement each other for correct attitude and velocity determination. Here, the core of the INS integrates accelerometers and gyroscopes used to measure forces and angular rate in the vehicular inertial reference frame. With the help of gyroscopes and by integrating the acceleration to compute velocity and distance, precision and compact accelerometers with sufficient accuracy can provide small–error location determination. Solid–state implementations, through coherent readout, can provide a platform for high performance acceleration detection. In contrast to prior accelerometers using piezoelectric or capacitive readout techniques, optical readout provides narrow–linewidth high–sensitivity laser detection along with low–noise resonant optomechanical transduction near the thermodynamical limits. Here an optomechanical inertial sensor with an 8.2 µg Hz –1/2 velocity random walk (VRW) at an acquisition rate of 100 Hz and 50.9 µg bias instability is demonstrated, suitable for applications, such as, inertial navigation, inclination sensing, platform stabilization, and/or wearable device motion detection. Driven into optomechanical sustained–oscillation, the slot photonic crystal cavity provides radio–frequency readout of the optically–driven transduction with an enhanced 625 µg Hz –1 sensitivity. Measuring the optomechanically–stiffened oscillation shift, instead of the optical transmission shift, provides a 220× VRW enhancement over pre–oscillation mode detection.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗