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At least 469 records · Page 26

Transport, correlations, and chaos in a classical disordered anharmonic chain

Here, we explore transport properties in a disordered nonlinear chain of classical harmonic oscillators, and thereby identify a regime exhibiting behavior analogous to that seen in quantum many-body-localized systems. Through extensive numerical simulations of this system connected at its ends to heat baths at different temperatures, we computed the heat current and the temperature profile in the nonequilibrium steady state as a function of system size $\textit{N}$, disorder strength Δ, and temperature $\textit{T}$. The conductivity $κ_N$, obtained for finite length ($\textit{N}$), saturates to a value $κ_∞$ > 0 in the large $\textit{N}$ limit, for all values of disorder strength Δ and temperature $\textit{T}$ > 0. We show evidence that for any Δ > 0 the conductivity goes to zero faster than any power of $\textit{T}$ in the ($\textit{T}$/Δ) → 0 limit, and find that the form $κ_∞$ ~ $e^{{–B|\text{ln}(CΔ/T)|}^{3}}$ fits our data. This form has earlier been suggested by a theory based on the dynamics of multioscillator chaotic islands. The finite-size effect can be $κ_N < κ_∞$ due to boundary resistance when the bulk conductivity is high (the weak disorder case), or $κ_N > κ_∞$ due to direct bath-to-bath coupling through bulk localized modes when the bulk is weakly conducting (the strong disorder case). We also present results on equilibrium dynamical correlation functions and on the role of chaos on transport properties. Finally, we explore the differences in the growth and propagation of chaos in the weak and strong chaos regimes by studying the classical version of the out-of-time-ordered commutator.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

A Comparison of Order-Disorder in Several Families of Cubic Oxides

Order-disorder on both cation and oxygen sites is a hallmark of fluorite-derived structures, including pyrochlores. Ordering can occur on long- and short-range scales and can result in persistent metastable states. In various cubic oxide systems, different types of disorder are seen. The purpose of this paper is to review and compare the types and energetics of order-disorder phenomena in several families of cubic oxides having pyrochlore, weberite, defect fluorite, perovskite, rocksalt, and spinel structures. The goal is to better understand how structure, composition, and thermodynamic parameters (enthalpy and entropy) determine the feasibility of different competing ordering processes and structures in these diverse systems.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Implications of grain size variation in magnetic field alignment of block copolymer blends

Recent experiments have highlighted the intrinsic magnetic anisotropy in coil–coil diblock copolymers, specifically in poly(styrene- block -4-vinylpyridine) (PS- b -P4VP), that enables magnetic field alignment at field strengths of a few tesla. We consider here the alignment response of two low molecular weight (MW) lamallae-forming PS- b -P4VP systems. Cooling across the disorder–order transition temperature (T odt ) results in strong alignment for the higher MW sample (5.5K), whereas little alignment is discernible for the lower MW system (3.6K). This disparity under otherwise identical conditions of field strength and cooling rate suggests that different average grain sizes are produced during slow cooling of these materials, with larger grains formed in the higher MW material. Blending the block copolymers results in homogeneous samples which display T odt , d-spacings, and grain sizes that are intermediate between the two neat diblocks. Similarly, the alignment quality displays a smooth variation with the concentration of the higher MW diblock in the blends, and the size of grains likewise interpolates between limits set by the neat diblocks, with a factor of 3.5× difference in the grain size observed in high vs low MW neat diblocks. Finally, these results highlight the importance of grain growth kinetics in dictating the field response in block copolymers and suggests an unconventional route for the manipulation of such kinetics.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Recent progress of MnBi 2 Te 4 epitaxial thin films as a platform for realising the quantum anomalous Hall effect

Since the first realisation of the quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE) in a dilute magnetic-doped topological insulator thin film in 2013, the quantisation temperature has been limited to less than 1 K due to magnetic disorder in dilute magnetic systems. With magnetic moments ordered into the crystal lattice, the intrinsic magnetic topological insulator MnBi 2 Te 4 has the potential to eliminate or significantly reduce magnetic disorder and improve the quantisation temperature. Surprisingly, to date, the QAHE has yet to be observed in molecular beam epitaxy (MBE)-grown MnBi 2 Te 4 thin films at zero magnetic field, and what leads to the difficulty in quantisation is still an active research area. Although bulk MnBi 2 Te 4 and exfoliated flakes have been well studied, revealing both the QAHE and axion insulator phases, experimental progress on MBE thin films has been slower. Furthermore, understanding how the breakdown of the QAHE occurs in MnBi 2 Te 4 thin films and finding solutions that will enable mass-produced millimetre-size QAHE devices operating at elevated temperatures are required. In this mini-review, we will summarise recent studies on the electronic and magnetic properties of MBE MnBi 2 Te 4 thin films and discuss mechanisms that could explain the failure of the QAHE from the aspects of defects, electronic structure, magnetic order, and consequences of their delicate interplay. Finally, we propose several strategies for realising the QAHE at elevated temperatures in MnBi 2 Te 4 thin films.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

String-Like Transport in Superionic Conductors

Superionic or fast-ion conductors are multicomponent solid-state systems in which one sublattice becomes mobile and exhibits extraordinarily high ionic conductivity before the melting within the solid state. Uranium dioxide (UO{sub 2}) - the fuel material of choice in most nuclear reactors - shows superionic behavior, although the mechanism of fast ion transport of the mobile oxygen ions, and its implication, is not well-understood. UO{sub 2} belongs to the category of Type II superionics wherein the conductivity rises gradually with increasing temperature, without an attendant phase change. In a recent work, using atomistic simulations and available neutron and x-ray scattering data, we have shown that all Type II superionic conductors exhibit a well-defined onset of dynamic disorder at a characteristic temperature T{sub α} = (∼2000 K for UO{sub 2}). Unlike the familiar superionic or Bredig transition temperature T{sub α} (∼2650 K for UO{sub 2}) that is associated with a second-order thermodynamic phase transition, T{sub α} represents an order-disorder (O-D) transition that marks a structural and kinetic crossover from a crystalline state to a semi-ordered state. In the temperature range between T{sub α} and T{sub λ}, the oxygen ions in UO{sub 2} exhibit jammed dynamics even though the mobile oxygen ions favor collective hopping from one native crystalline site to another. This cooperative dynamics manifests as dynamical heterogeneity (DH) - the tendency of highly mobile oxygen ions to form dynamic clusters, and dynamical facilitation (DF) - the mode of system relaxation facilitated solely through the kinetic ions transferring their mobility to neighboring ions. The jammed dynamics portrayed by the oxygen ions is similar to that observed in supercooled liquids and glassy materials, and other disordered systems such as granular media and polymers. In the current work, we probe the ionic dynamics in UO{sub 2} for the presence of another ubiquitous signature of glassy and jammed systems, namely, the one-dimensional string-like motion of the mobile species. Unlike the uncorrelated vacancy exchanges and interstitial migration in defected crystalline states, the string motion is a collective mechanism among the mobile species wherein each member of the string induces the next member to move in a correlated, sequential fashion. Using atomistic simulations, we demonstrate that oxygen ions in UO{sub 2} are transported through a string-like mechanism in the temperature range between T{sub α} and T{sub λ}, and the probability distribution of occurrence of the strings varies exponentially with string length. The discovery of string-like motion of the oxygen ions is somewhat surprising given the crystalline underpinning of the mobile species and the dynamic tendency of the oxygen ions to hop between lattice sites. In addition to dynamical heterogeneity and dynamical facilitation, our work has added one more entry, namely the occurrence of string-like transport, to the list of phenomenological similarities between superionic conductors and jammed systems. Using atomistic simulations, we have established the occurrence of string-like ionic motion among the oxygen ions in UO{sub 2} between temperatures T{sub α} - the order-disorder (O-D) transition temperature, and T{sub λ} - the Bredig transition temperature. As observed in other jammed systems, the length of the strings is observed to have an exponential distribution implying that the probability of occurrence of a smaller string is much higher than that of a longer string. Interestingly, using Temperature-Accelerated Dynamics (TAD) we have also established that string-like hopping takes place at temperatures lower than T{sub α}; these results will be published elsewhere. (authors)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Planar Defect Layers Template a High-Pressure InBi Polymorph

The short- and long-range order of III–V materials under high pressure has long been the subject of debate, with advancements in structural characterization leading to significant revisions to the accepted structural models. Despite these revisions, previous high-pressure structural assignments in the In–Bi system include the site-disordered β-Sn structure type, a structure type demonstrated to be nonexistent in analogous III–V systems. While X-ray diffraction is consistent with site disordering in InBi at high pressure, cluster expansion calculations indicate that disordering requires temperatures above 3000 K. Here, we propose InBi as a model material for studying unique high-pressure planar defects due to its highly anisotropic stress-dependent properties and structure. Specifically, we identify two sets of planar defects that mimic the diffraction pattern of a site disordered β-Sn structure type and are compatible with the calculated disorder barrier. We derive these defects by symmetry relations over crystallographic transitions. Density functional theory calculations of the proposed defects suggest that these defects are stabilized by diminishing interlayer separations with pressure. Further, we find that one of the proposed defects closely resembles a bulk high-pressure phase of InBi, InBi-ϵ, and we assert that the proposed defects order upon heating, acting as a template for InBi-ϵ growth. The proposed defects and their electronic structure provide a basis for the trend of superconducting critical temperature with increasing pressure. These methods for identifying defects are generalizable to other materials with reports of site disorder at high pressure, prompting a broader search for related high-pressure defects.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Using Disorder to Overcome Disorder: A Mechanism for Frequency and Phase Synchronization of Diode Laser Arrays

Noise and disorder are known, in certain circumstances and for certain systems, to improve the level of coherence over that of the noise-free system. Examples include cases in which disorder enhances response to periodic signals, and those where it suppresses chaotic behavior. We report a new type of disorder-enhancing mechanism, observed in a model that describes the dynamics of external cavity-coupled semiconductor laser arrays, where disorder of one type mitigates (and overcomes) the desynchronization effects due to a different disorder source. Here, we demonstrate stabilization of dynamical states due to frequency locking and subsequently frequency locking-induced phase locking. Here, we have reduced the equations to a potential model that illustrates the mechanism behind the misalignment-induced frequency and phase synchronization.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Rashba torque beyond the Boltzmann regime

We study spin torques induced by Rashba spin-orbit coupling in two-dimensional ferromagnets under the good-metal condition ε F τ / ℏ >> 1 ( ε F the Fermi energy, τ the electron lifetime) by employing the Kubo formula. We find that in the presence of spin-dependent disorder the Rashba torque changes greatly as the system evolves out of the weak-disorder limit where ℏ / τ is much smaller than any intrinsic energy scale characterizing the multiband structure. The antidamping-like component of Rashba torque can be comparable to and larger than the field-like one out of the weak-disorder limit. The semiclassical Boltzmann theory produces the same results as microscopic linear response calculations only in the weak-disorder limit. Our analysis indicates that rich behaviors of various nonequilibrium phenomena beyond the Boltzmann theory may also be present even when ε F τ / ℏ >> 1 in multiband systems where ε F is not the unique intrinsic energy scale.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Inner Phases of Colloidal Hexagonal Spin Ice

Using numerical simulations that mimic recent experiments on hexagonal colloidal ice, here we show that colloidal hexagonal artificial spin ice exhibits an inner phase within its ice state that has not been observed previously. Under increasing colloid-colloid repulsion, the initially paramagnetic system crosses into a disordered ice regime, then forms a topologically charge ordered state with disordered colloids, and finally reaches a threefold degenerate, ordered ferromagnetic state. This is reminiscent of, yet distinct from, the inner phases of the magnetic kagome spin ice analog. Finally, the difference in the inner phases of the two systems is explained by their difference in energetics and frustration.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Magnetic Properties of Disordered Li{sub 2}Co{sub 2 – x}Ni{sub x}(MoO{sub 4}){sub 3} (0 ≤ x ≤ 2) System with a Lyonsite Structure

We report on the magnetic properties of disordered Li{sub 2}Co{sub 2 – x}Ni{sub x}(MoO{sub 4}){sub 3} (0 ≤ x ≤ 2) system with a lyonsite structure, where Li{sup +}, Ni{sup 2+}, and Co{sup 2+} ions are distributed in a disordered manner in the trigonal prism and octahedral sites. All compositions were found to exhibit paramagnetic behavior at high temperature; the magnetic susceptibility was described by the modified Curie-Weiss law. The experimental effective moments were explained by spin and orbital contributions of the Co{sup 2+} ions and only the spin contribution for Ni{sup 2+} ions. The negative Curie-Weiss temperature θ indicates the existence of antiferromagnetic coupling for all compositions. At low temperature, the compounds with Co{sup 2+} ions (x = 0, 1, 1.6, and 1.8) exhibit a weak ferromagnetic state below 4 K due to intrinsic canting of antiferromagnetically coupled lattices. The compound containing only Ni{sup 2+} ions, Li{sub 2}Ni{sub 2}(MoO{sub 4}){sub 3}, exhibits a pure antiferromagnetic behavior.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Chiral Spin Order in Kondo-Heisenberg systems

We demonstrate that Kondo-Heisenberg systems, consisting of itinerant electrons and localized magnetic moments (Kondo impurities), can be used as a principally new platform to realize scalar chiral spin order. The underlying physics is governed by a competition of the Ruderman-Kittel- Kosuya-Yosida (RKKY) indirect exchange interaction between the local moments with the direct Heisenberg one. When the direct exchange is weak and RKKY dominates the isotropic system is in the disordered phase. A moderately large direct exchange leads to an Ising-type phase transition to the phase with chiral spin order. Our nding paves the way towards pioneering experimental realizations of the chiral spin liquid in low dimensional systems with spontaneously broken time reversal symmetry.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Three-dimensional checkerboard spin structure on a breathing pyrochlore lattice

The standard approach to realize a spin-liquid state is through magnetically frustrated states, relying on ingredients such as the lattice geometry, dimensionality, and magnetic interaction type of the spins. While Heisenberg spins on a pyrochlore lattice with only antiferromagnetic nearest-neighbor interactions are theoretically proven disordered, spins in real systems generally include longer-range interactions. The spatial correlations at longer distances typically stabilize a long-range order rather than enhancing a spin-liquid state. Both states can, however, be destroyed by short-range static correlations introduced by chemical disorder. Here, using disorder-free specimens with a clear long-range antiferromagnetic order, we refine the spin structure of the Heisenberg spinel ZnFe 2 O 4 through neutron magnetic diffraction. The unique wave vector (1, 0, $\frac{1}{2}$) leads to a spin structure that can be viewed as alternatively stacked ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic tetrahedra in a three-dimensional checkerboard form. Stable coexistence of these opposing types of clusters is enabled by the bipartite breathing pyrochlore crystal structure, leading to a second-order phase transition at 10 K. The diffraction intensity of ZnFe 2 O 4 is an exact complement to the inelastic scattering intensity of several chromate spinel systems which are regarded as model classical spin liquids. Our results challenge this attribution, and suggest instead of the six-spin ring mode, spin excitations in chromate spinels are closely related to the (1, 0, $\frac{1}{2}$) type of spin order and the four-spin ferromagnetic cluster locally at one tetrahedron.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Flexible machine-learning interatomic potential for simulating structural disordering behavior of Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 solid electrolytes

Batteries based on solid-state electrolytes, including Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 (LLZO), promise improved safety and increased energy density; however, atomic disorder at grain boundaries and phase boundaries can severely deteriorate their performance. Machine-learning (ML) interatomic potentials offer a uniquely compelling solution for simulating chemical processes, rare events, and phase transitions associated with these complex interfaces by mixing high scalability with quantum-level accuracy, provided that they can be trained to properly address atomic disorder. To this end, we report the construction and validation of an ML potential that is specifically designed to simulate crystalline, disordered, and amorphous LLZO systems across a wide range of conditions. The ML model is based on a neural network algorithm and is trained using ab initio data. Performance tests prove that the developed ML potential can predict accurate structural and vibrational characteristics, elastic properties, and Li diffusivity of LLZO comparable to ab initio simulations. As a demonstration of its applicability to larger systems, we show that the potential can correctly capture grain boundary effects on diffusivity, as well as the thermal transition behavior of LLZO. Here these examples show that the ML potential enables simulations of transitions between well-defined and disordered structures with quantum-level accuracy at speeds thousands of times faster than ab initio methods.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Collective dynamics and defect generation for Wigner crystal ratchets

Here we consider a two-dimensional Wigner crystal coupled to a quasi-one-dimensional asymmetric potential under ac or dc driving. As a function of electron density, substrate strength, and ac amplitude, we find that the system exhibits ordered and disordered pinned and dynamical states. Ratchet effects can appear under an applied ac drive and can be associated with pronounced structural changes from a disordered state to a one-dimensional smecticlike state. We observe a pinned phase, a diodelike ratchet where motion only occurs along the easy direction of the substrate asymmetry, a plastic ratchet where motion occurs in both directions but there is only a net drift in the easy direction, and an elastic ratchet where the system forms a crystal without plastic deformation that can still undergo ratcheting. At high filling, we find that there can be a ratchet reversal in which the net drift is along the hard direction of the substrate asymmetry. For weak disorder, there is an Aubry transition to a floating phase where the ratchet effects are lost. We map out the different dynamical phases as a function of substrate strength, filling, ac amplitude, and ac frequency. The ratchet effect on strong substrates is enhanced by thermal fluctuations, but is destroyed when the fluctuations become too large. Based on our results, we suggest other ways to detect Wigner crystals as well as methods for creating different types of devices to control disordered charge flow.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Delocalization and Universality of the Fractional Quantum Hall Plateau-to-Plateau Transitions

Disorder and electron-electron interaction play essential roles in the physics of electron systems in condensed matter. In two-dimensional, quantum Hall systems, extensive studies of disorder-induced localization have led to the emergence of a scaling picture with a single extended state, characterized by a power-law divergence of the localization length in the zero-temperature limit. Experimentally, scaling has been investigated via measuring the temperature dependence of plateau-to-plateau transitions between the integer quantum Hall states (IQHSs), yielding a critical exponent κ ≃ 0.42. Here, in this study, we report scaling measurements in the fractional quantum Hall state (FQHS) regime where interaction plays a dominant role. Our Letter is partly motivated by recent calculations, based on the composite fermion theory, that suggest identical critical exponents in both IQHS and FQHS cases to the extent that the interaction between composite fermions is negligible. The samples used in our experiments are two-dimensional electron systems confined to GaAs quantum wells of exceptionally high quality. We find that κ varies for transitions between different FQHSs observed on the flanks of Landau level filling factor v = 1/2 and has a value close to that reported for the IQHS transitions only for a limited number of transitions between high-order FQHSs with intermediate strength. We discuss possible origins of the nonuniversal κ observed in our experiments.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Simulating dirty bosons on a quantum computer

Abstract Quantum computers hold the potential to unlock new discoveries in complex quantum systems by enabling the simulation of physical systems that have heretofore been impossible to implement on classical computers due to intractability. A system of particular interest is that of dirty bosons, whose physics highlights the intriguing interplay of disorder and interactions in quantum systems, playing a central role in describing, for instance, ultracold gases in a random potential, doped quantum magnets, and amorphous superconductors. Here, we demonstrate how quantum computers can be used to elucidate the physics of dirty bosons in one and two dimensions. Specifically, we explore the disorder-induced delocalized-to-localized transition using adiabatic state preparation. In one dimension, the quantum circuits can be compressed to small enough depths for execution on currently available quantum computers. In two dimensions, the compression scheme is no longer applicable, thereby requiring the use of large-scale classical state vector simulations to emulate quantum computer performance. In addition, simulating interacting bosons via emulation of a noisy quantum computer allowed us to study the effect of quantum hardware noise on the physical properties of the simulated system. Our results suggest that scaling laws control how noise modifies observables versus its strength, the circuit depth, and the number of qubits. Moreover, we observe that noise impacts the delocalized and localized phases differently. A better understanding of how noise alters the observed properties of the simulated system is essential for leveraging near-term quantum devices for simulation of dirty bosons, and indeed for condensed matter systems in general.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Ferroelectric and octahedral tilt twin disorder and the lead-free piezoelectric, sodium potassium niobate system

Using electron diffraction, trends in the local structural behaviour of the K{sub x}Na{sub 1-x}NbO{sub 3} (KNN x) 'solid solution' system are investigated and interpreted using an order/disorder based theoretical framework. At room temperature, electron diffraction shows a single plane of transverse polarised, diffuse intensity perpendicular to [0 1 0]{sub p} Low-Asterisk (p for parent sub-structure) across the entire phase diagram, indicative of ferroelectric disorder along the [0 1 0]{sub p} direction co-existing with long range ferroelectric order along the orthogonal [1 0 0]{sub p} and [0 0 1]{sub p} directions. An additional characteristic pattern of diffuse scattering is also observed, involving rods of diffuse intensity running along the [1 0 0]{sub p}* and [0 0 1]{sub p}* directions of the perovskite sub-structure and indicative of octahedral tilt disorder about the [1 0 0]{sub p} and [0 0 1]{sub p} axes co-existing with long range ordered octahedral tilting around the [0 1 0]{sub p} direction. A possible crystal chemical explanation for the existence of this latter octahedral tilt disorder is explored through bond valence sum calculations. The possible influence of both types of disorder on the previously refined, room temperature space group/s and average crystal structure/s is examined. - Graphical abstract: [-3,0.-1]p zone axis EDP of K{sub 0.46}Na{sub 0.54}NbO{sub 3} indexed according to both the relevant Pcm21 space groups (no subscripts) and the parent perovskite subcell (denoted by a subscript p). Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Characterises ferroelectric and octahedral tilt disorder in the KNN solid solution. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Discusses the possible driving forces for this disorder. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Discusses the implications of this disorder for physical properties. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Discusses the effects of this disorder on powder diffraction data.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Statistical Models of Fracture Relevant to Nuclear-Grade Graphite: Review and Recommendations

The nuclear-grade (low-impurity) graphite needed for the fuel element and moderator material for next-generation (Gen IV) reactors displays large scatter in strength and a nonlinear stress-strain response from damage accumulation. This response can be characterized as quasi-brittle. In this expanded review, relevant statistical failure models for various brittle and quasi-brittle material systems are discussed with regard to strength distribution, size effect, multiaxial strength, and damage accumulation. This includes descriptions of the Weibull, Batdorf, and Burchell models as well as models that describe the strength response of composite materials, which involves distributed damage. Results from lattice simulations are included for a physics-based description of material breakdown. Consideration is given to the predicted transition between brittle and quasi-brittle damage behavior versus the density of damage (level of disorder) within the material system. The literature indicates that weakest-link-based failure modeling approaches appear to be reasonably robust in that they can be applied to materials that display distributed damage, provided that the level of disorder in the material is not too large. The Weibull distribution is argued to be the most appropriate statistical distribution to model the stochastic-strength response of graphite.

Nemeth, Noel N.↗