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At least 577 records · Page 32

A Neural Optimizer With Decision-Focused Learning for Optimal Energy Storage Operation

Here, this article introduces a neural optimizer-based framework for optimizing battery energy storage system (BESS) control for grid services, including demand charge and energy cost reduction. By leveraging decision-focused learning (DFL), the proposed framework ensures seamless integration and adaptation, significantly enhancing control performance. A patch time-series transformer is employed for peak load forecasting, incorporating aleatoric uncertainty quantification to account for forecasting uncertainties within the decision-making process. The framework utilizes a solver-in-the-loop approach to generate optimal BESS actions, which are then used to train the neural optimizer-based agent. By co-optimizing both BESS operational modes and output power within the NN, the system achieves improved performance and robustness. After initial training, the forecasting and control models are jointly fine-tuned to account for forecasting errors, further improving decision precision and efficiency through DFL. Case studies are performed to validate the performance of the framework using multiple real-world datasets, demonstrating superior performance in monthly peak load forecasting compared to state-of-the-art models. In addition, the results are compared against existing decision-making approaches. The results demonstrate a reduction in monthly peak forecasting error by approximately 15% across various performance measures and achieve an optimization gap for BESS operation that is about three times smaller compared to existing methods.

Kim, Hyeonjin [Pacific Northwest National Laborato↗

Evaluating Probabilistic Deep Learning Methods for Uncertainty Quantification of Precipitation Bias Correction

Climate models often exhibit biases in their precipitation predictions, particularly underestimating high-intensity events and overestimating low precipitation. Deep learning approaches offer promising solutions, but their epistemic uncertainty associated with a deep learning–based bias correction method has not previously been quantified for reliable downstream climate impact studies. While methods for capturing the epistemic uncertainty in deep learning frameworks exist, there is currently no consensus on the best method. In this work, we compare three uncertainty quantification (UQ) methods—Deep Ensembles (DEns), Monte Carlo Dropout (MCD), and Flipout—by assessing the reliability of their uncertainty estimates using standard measures such as sharpness and calibration. These UQ methods are applied to an existing deep learning precipitation bias correction model known as UFNet: a coupled U-Net and fully connected neural network. The methods utilized to assess the models’ uncertainties are 1) calibration, which ensures that the expected probabilities of the model align with reality and 2) sharpness, which is a measure of the precision of the model’s probabilistic predictions. Of the three UQ methods evaluated, the DEns and MCD methods demonstrated the best-calibrated performance (expected calibration error of 0.36 and 0.35, respectively), compared to Flipout (0.58). In contrast, Flipout had the sharpest predictions and the highest metric performance in bias correcting precipitation—especially for higher-order moments such as kurtosis with a spatial correlation of 72% compared to 32% and 55% spatial correlation for DEns and MCD, respectively. Of the three UQ methods, MCD was found to be the most suitable method for UQ purposes based on its calibration, sharpness, and computational requirements.

Bayesian methods↗

Mesoscale to Microscale Simulations over Complex Terrain with the Immersed Boundary Method in the Weather Research and Forecasting Model

Improvements to the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model are made to enable multiscale simulations over highly complex terrain with dynamically downscaled boundary conditions from the mesoscale to the microscale. Over steep terrain, the WRF Model develops numerical errors that are due to grid deformation of the terrain-following coordinates. An alternative coordinate system, the immersed boundary method (IBM), has been implemented into WRF, allowing for simulations over highly complex terrain; however, the new coordinate system precluded nesting within mesoscale simulations using WRF’s native terrain-following coordinates. Here, the immersed boundary method and WRF’s grid-nesting framework are modified to seamlessly work together. This improved framework for the first time allows for large-eddy simulation over complex (urban) terrain with IBM to be nested within a typical mesoscale WRF simulation. Simulations of the Joint Urban 2003 field campaign in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, are performed using a multiscale five-domain nested configuration, spanning horizontal grid resolutions from 6 km to 2 m. These are compared with microscale-only simulations with idealized lateral boundary conditions and with observations of wind speed/direction and SF 6 concentrations from a controlled release from intensive observation period 3. The multiscale simulation, which is configured independent of local observations, shows similar model skill predicting wind speed/direction and improved skill predicting SF 6 concentrations when compared with the idealized simulations, which require use of observations to set mean flow conditions. Use of this improved multiscale framework shows promise for enabling large-eddy simulation over highly complex terrain with dynamically downscaled boundary conditions from mesoscale models.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Management of Risk and Uncertainty Through Optimized Co-Operation of Transmission Systems and Microgrids with Responsive Loads (Final Report)

The evolution of the power system to the reliable, efficient and sustainable system of the future will involve development of both demand- and supply-side technology and operations. Ambitious national and state-level goals around the decarbonization of electricity relies on the integration of very high levels of renewable resources, most of which are variable and intermittent. The use of demand response is an ideal approach to counterbalance the intermittency of renewable generation and brings the consumer into the spotlight. Until recently, very little research had been conducted on the co-optimization of these two systems due to computational limitations. However, advances in computational capabilities, and the judicious use of decomposition methods and innovative approximation methods for high-dimension dynamic programming made this goal a viable objective for this project, leading to a fundamental shift in the ability to integrate and fully utilize demand-side resources. To this end, the modeling framework developed introduces a novel co-optimization framework, to include the operations of both the transmission and distribution systems (or microgrids) in operational decision making. This framework was used to analyze renewable and distributed generation along with responsive demand and to compare the capability of co-optimized systems to perform with higher levels of variable renewables. Results show that the use of a bi-level optimization approach is an appropriate structure, capable of co-optimizing a transmission system with multiple distribution systems and microgrids. While increasing the number of connected systems provides increasing flexibility for renewables integration this can also the economic benefits to the low-voltage subsystems with each additional system connected. Comparison of a traditional single-level decision structure with the co-optimization approach illustrates a reduction in overall system cost under co-optimization, while specific cost allocations to transmission and distribution systems are changed.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Management of Risk and Uncertainty Through Optimized Co-Operation of Transmission Systems and Microgrids With Responsive Loads (Final Report)

The evolution of the power system to the reliable, efficient and sustainable system of the future will involve development of both demand- and supply-side technology and operations. Ambitious national and state-level goals around the decarbonization of electricity relies on the integration of very high levels of renewable resources, most of which are variable and intermittent. The use of demand response is an ideal approach to counterbalance the intermittency of renewable generation and brings the consumer into the spotlight. Though individual consumers are interconnected at the low-voltage distribution system, these resources are typically modeled as variables at the transmission network level. Demand-side participation cannot be leveraged effectively without explicitly including the distribution system dynamics in the optimization-based wholesale market operations. This project grew from a vision for co-optimized interaction of distribution systems, or microgrids, with the high-voltage transmission system. In this framework, microgrids encompass consumers, distributed renewables and storage. The energy management system of the lower voltage system (distribution or microgrid) can also sell (buy) excess (necessary) energy from the transmission system. Until recently, very little research had been conducted on the co-optimization of these two systems due to computational limitations. However, advances in computational capabilities, and the judicious use of decomposition methods and innovative approximation methods for high-dimension dynamic programming made this goal a viable objective for this project, leading to a fundamental shift in the ability to integrate and fully utilize demand-side resources. To this end, the modeling framework developed introduces a novel co-optimization framework, to include the operations of both the transmission and distribution systems (or microgrids) in operational decision making. This framework was used to analyze renewable and distributed generation along with responsive demand and to compare the capability of co-optimized systems to perform with higher levels of variable renewables. An ideal microgrid is defined as an electric entity capable of operating in both interconnected (with the high-voltage grid) and islanded mode. As such, the microgrid should incorporate generating units (traditional units and intermittent) and if needed, exchange power with the high-voltage grid. The interplay between the microgrid and high-voltage grid motivated the development of the co-optimization approach to ensure efficient performance of the interconnected network. Results show that the use of a bi-level optimization approach is an appropriate structure, capable of co-optimizing a transmission system with multiple distribution systems and microgrids. While increasing the number of connected systems provides increasing flexibility for renewables integration this can also the economic benefits to the low-voltage subsystems with each additional system connected. Comparison of a traditional single-level decision structure with the co-optimization approach illustrates a reduction in overall system cost under co-optimization, while specific cost allocations to transmission and distribution systems are changed.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Material Control & Accountancy for Molten Salt Reactors (FY2021 Report)

There is significant domestic and international interest, investment, and research and development momentum to pursue advanced nuclear reactor technologies. Molten salt reactor (MSR) concepts display the largest variability in fuel type and design features among the current advanced concepts. MSRs have been proposed with various core designs, sizes (power), and fuel cycles. Salt-fueled molten salt systems represent the only advanced reactor type with fuel that is not in a solid form during operation. These “liquid-fueled” MSRs are unique from perspectives of fuel fabrication, spent irradiated fuel and waste components, licensing, and material control and accountability (MC&A) including the potential of fissile material holdup. The liquid fuel salt is the defining distinction in comparison to other advanced reactors that propose TRI-structural ISOtropic particle fuel pebbles, various coolant options (e.g., molten salts or metals, high temperature gas), or small modular alternatives using solid fuel variants including both light water reactors and non-light water reactors. MSRs are appealing to the nuclear energy industry because of the diverse reactor characteristics they can support including various neutron energy spectra, fueling requirements, fuel cycles, and/or fuel utilization. However, because of the significant deviation and diversity of a salt-fueled system compared to traditional solid fuel light water-cooled reactors (LWRs), the history, regulatory licensing framework, modeling capabilities, and supporting engineering technology are either lacking or, in some cases, nonexistent. Therefore, the research community is actively supporting advanced MSR development on many of these fronts in particular to assist MSR vendors with licensing requirements. ORNL is leading the research and development of respective MC&A approaches for salt-fueled MSRs. This report summarizes the research performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) under the US Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, Advanced Reactor Safeguards (ARS) program to investigate safeguards and security by design concepts, licensing and regulatory considerations, and dynamic system-level modeling to understand radioisotope concentrations for salt-fueled MSRs. The report builds upon the previous research and literature, identifies the MC&A challenges inherent to a salt-fueled MSR, reviews current regulatory frameworks for LWRs and their applicability towards salt-fueled MSRs, summarizes the status and progress of an MSR dynamic modeling tool, and discusses a prospective MC&A approach based on the Molten Salt Demonstration Reactor (MSDR) model.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

A Flexible Quasi-Static Mooring Design Optimization Method for Floating Structures

This paper presents a flexible and efficient design method for optimizing the mooring systems of floating structures. Mooring system optimization is challenging because of the strong nonlinearity of mooring system behavior and the many technical constraints that must be satisfied. Furthermore, different mooring configurations can have very different design spaces. While some successful examples of mooring design optimization exist in the literature, developing an optimization approach that can work across various mooring design problems is a larger challenge. We present such a method based on a flexible parameterization that allows a wide variety of mooring designs to be described by a list of variables, a quasi-static mooring model that provides efficient evaluation of a mooring design without directly considering mooring system dynamics, and an optimization framework that generates, evaluates, and adjusts the mooring design while considering user-specified constraints such as offset limits, strength safety factors, and seabed contact limits. We demonstrate the design optimization framework on four mooring design problems, each for a different type of mooring system. We compare the use of different design modes to simplify the optimization problem, showing that they can reduce the computation time by up to 75%. We also compare different optimization algorithms and find that the resulting computational speed can vary by up to 51 times. We perform a sensitivity study on one design and find that the local sensitivity of anchoring radius to water depth has a positive correlation of 0.29, but the global sensitivity shows large nonlinearities. Lastly, we perform a coupled dynamic analysis on one of the optimized designs and find that the predicted mean platform motions and mooring line tensions are within 1% of dynamic results and the extreme motions and tensions are within 14%. Lastly, we show that a DEA-Chain-Polyester mooring configuration is cost-optimal for the given design problem of the demonstrations, which aligns with general industry practice.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

Multiscale Models for Fibril Formation: Rare Events Methods, Microkinetic Models, and Population Balances

Amyloid fibrils are thought to grow by a two-step dock-lock mechanism. However, previous simulations of fibril formation (i) overlook the bi-molecular nature of the docking step and obtain rates with first-order units, or (ii) superimpose the docked and locked states when computing the potential of mean force for association and thereby muddle the docking and locking steps. Here, we developed a simple microkinetic model with separate locking and docking steps and with the appropriate concentration dependences for each step. We constructed a simple model comprised of chiral dumbbells that retains qualitative aspects of fibril formation. We used rare events methods to predict separate docking and locking rate constants for the model. The rate constants were embedded in the microkinetic model, with the microkinetic model embedded in a population balance model for “bottom-up” multiscale fibril growth rate predictions. These were compared to “top-down” results using simulation data with the same model and multiscale framework to obtain maximum likelihood estimates of the separate lock and dock rate constants. We used the same procedures to extract separate docking and locking rate constants from experimental fibril growth data. Our multiscale strategy, embedding rate theories, and kinetic models in conservation laws should help to extract docking and locking rate constants from experimental data or long molecular simulations with correct units and without compromising the molecular description.

Shayesteh Zadeh, Armin (ORCID:0000000299896710)↗

Bolide Infrasound Signal Morphology and Yield Estimates: A Case Study of Two Events Detected by a Dense Acoustic Sensor Network

Two bolides (2016 June 2 and 2019 April 4) were detected at multiple regional infrasound stations, with many of the locations receiving multiple detections. Analysis of the received signals was used to estimate the yield, location, and trajectory, as well as the type of shock that produced the received signal. The results from the infrasound analysis were compared with ground-truth information that was collected through other sensing modalities. This multimodal framework offers an expanded perspective on the processes governing bolide shock generation and propagation. The majority of signal features showed reasonable agreement between the infrasound-based interpretation and the other observational modalities, though the yield estimate from the 2019 bolide was significantly lower using the infrasound detections. There was also evidence suggesting that one of the detections was from a cylindrical shock that was initially propagating upward, which is unusual though not impossible.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Leveraging machine learning to enhance aerosol classification using Single-Particle Mass Spectrometry

Advancing automated classification of atmospheric aerosols from Single-Particle Mass Spectrometry (SPMS) data remains challenging due to overlapping ion signatures, compositional diversity, and limited labeled data. This study evaluates supervised and semi-supervised learning frameworks to enhance aerosol identification by jointly leveraging labeled and unlabeled spectra. Four models were compared: a supervised Support Vector Machine (SVM), a self-training SVM, a stacked autoencoder classifier, and a stacked autoencoder trained using a temporal-ensembling Mean Teacher approach. All models achieved high and stable accuracies (90.0 %–91.1 %), surpassing previous results on the same dataset (87 %) and matching the performance of state-of-the-art deep learning methods. Despite small global metric differences (≤ 1 %), semi-supervised variants yielded up to 5 %–10 % improvements for compositionally rare particle types – such as soot (0.77 % of spectra, F1-score: 0.93–0.97) and hazelnut pollen (0.98 % of spectra, F1-score: 0.97–1.00) – equating to roughly ∼ 187 additional correctly classified spectra. These gains are scientifically significant, as such rare particles exert disproportionate influence on radiative absorption and ice nucleation processes; their improved detection reduces modeled uncertainties in aerosol absorption optical depth and mixed-phase cloud ice nucleation rates. The models' residual misclassifications (≈ 9 %) largely arise from true spectral overlap among chemically adjacent species (e.g., Na- vs. K-feldspar, coated vs. uncoated feldspars), reflecting physical compositional continuity rather than algorithmic error. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that leveraging unlabeled data to learn robust spectral representations and refine classification enhances both fidelity and interpretability, bridging data-driven analysis with aerosol–climate process understanding.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Optimizing Power Line Undergrounding Decisions under Varying Wildfire Risk and Weather Scenarios

Abstract—The threat of wildfire ignitions from electric power equipment has led utilities to increasingly turn to preemptive power shutoffs, which, while effective in reducing grid-induced wildfire risk, can cause significant load loss. Undergrounding power lines is an alternative strategy for preventing grid-induced wildfires. However, undergrounding lines is costly, so an efficient undergrounding plan must balance reductions in wildfire risk and load loss with the cost of undergrounding lines. We propose a robust optimization model to identify which power lines to underground to maximize load served while limiting wildfire risk across a range of wildfire risk and weather scenarios. Since solving this problem may be computationally heavy for large power grids and many operating scenarios, we present a delayed constraint generation algorithm to iteratively add scenarios until an optimal solution is found. We evaluate the performance of this framework on the RTS-GMLC with scenarios representing a year of operating conditions and compare it with a stochastic programming formulation. Our results indicate that our undergrounding model is successful in reducing load shed and risk compared to baseline cases in which no mitigation action is taken and only power shutoffs are implemented (no undergrounding). The robust formulation also reduces more load shed than the stochastic formulation in the most extreme scenarios. Index Terms—grid resilience, optimization, transmission systems, underground power lines, wildfire risk.

Taylor, S. [Department of Electrical and Computer ↗

2D Retrieval Frameworks for Hot Jupiter Phase Curves

Spectroscopic phase curves provide unique access to the three-dimensional properties of transiting exoplanet atmospheres. However, a modeling framework must be developed to deliver accurate inferences of atmospheric properties for these complex data sets. Here, we develop an approach to retrieve temperature structures and molecular abundances from phase curve spectra at any orbital phase. In the context of a representative hot Jupiter with a large day–night temperature contrast, we examine the biases in typical one-dimensional (1D) retrievals as a function of orbital phase/geometry, compared to two-dimensional (2D) models that appropriately capture the disk-integrated phase geometry. We guide our intuition by applying our new framework on a simulated Hubble Space Telescope (HST)+Spitzer phase curve data set in which the “truth” is known, followed by an application to the spectroscopic phase curve of the canonical hot Jupiter, WASP-43b. We also demonstrate the retrieval framework on simulated James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) phase curve observations. We apply our new geometric framework to a joint fit of all spectroscopic phases, assuming longitudinal molecular abundance homogeneity, resulting in an a factor of 2 improvement in abundances precision when compared to individual phase constraints. With a 1D retrieval model on simulated HST+Spitzer data, we find strongly biased molecular abundances for CH{sub 4} and CO{sub 2} at most orbital phases. With 2D, the day and night profiles retrieved from WASP-43b remain consistent throughout the orbit. JWST retrievals show that a 2D model is strongly favored at all orbital phases. Based on our new 2D retrieval implementation, we provide recommendations on when 1D models are appropriate and when more complex phase geometries involving multiple TP profiles are required to obtain an unbiased view of tidally locked planetary atmospheres.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Evaluating long-term model-based scenarios of the energy system

Energy-economic models are used to provide science-based decision support in a variety of contexts. Analyses using these tools often involve defining a “reference” scenario, which serves as a counterfactual against which alternative scenarios are compared. Evaluating scenarios, including reference scenarios, is critical for establishing the credibility of the analyses these models support. We propose a framework for evaluating energy system scenarios which consists of three parts – a qualitative storyline, quantitative metrics, and evaluation criteria. We apply this framework to the reference scenario for GCAM-USA, a version of the global human-Earth system model GCAM (Global Change Assessment Model) with state-level detail in the United States, focusing on the evolution of the electric power sector. We develop new visual analytic tools to facilitate the evaluation of model outcomes in 51 sub-national regions, and demonstrate how scenario performance can be tracked and compared across four quantifications of the GCAM-USA reference scenario.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Characterization of compositional variation and solidification condition on rapid solidification behavior of beta stabilized titanium

Rapid solidification (RS) is a field of study that has increased in importance due to the rise of additive manufacturing (AM) techniques. The breakdown of equilibrium at the solid-liquid interface results in an inability to use traditional solidification models that have been applied to great success in casting. As such, there is a current need for a high-throughput testing method to screen alloys at rapid solidification conditions without the significant cost for powder atomization. In this work, twin hammer splat quenching (SQ) is utilized and theoretically developed as a technique uniquely placed to test alloy systems for AM applications. Using analytical thermal spray models and numerical heat transfer simulations, the cooling rate and solidification conditions of splat quenching are compared across several parameters to evaluate the key parameters for generating cooling rates relevant to AM process. Once a framework for the cooling rates and relevancy of SQ are developed, SQ was used to process alloy compositions in the Ti5553 alloy space (AMS 7026) to study the formation of detrimental secondary phases occurring upon rapid quenching from the melt. A martensitic phase is found to occur at the lower end of the standard, but the composition listed in the standard were found to be safe. Finally, the rapid solidification behavior of Ti-5553 is evaluated by comparing splat quenching, laser welding, and plasma atomization that offer a wide window of solidification conditions. The segregation and solidification structure are analyzed and compared to models to provide a deeper understanding of the solidification behavior of beta stabilized titanium alloys.

Williamson, Christopher J.↗

Defining and applying an electricity demand flexibility benchmarking metrics framework for grid-interactive efficient commercial buildings

Building demand flexibility (DF) research has recently gained attention. To unlock building DF as a predictable grid resource, we must establish a quantitative understanding of the resource size, performance variability, and predictability based on large empirical datasets. Researchers have proposed various sets of theoretical metrics to measure this performance. Some metrics have been applied to simulation results, but most fall short of exploring the complexities in real building applications. There are practical metrics used in individual demand response field studies but they alone cannot fulfil the job of DF benchmarking across a diverse group of buildings. The electrical grid's geographically diverse and changing nature presents challenges to comparing building DF performance measured under different conditions (i.e., benchmarking DF). To address this challenge, a novel DF benchmarking framework focused on load shedding and shifting is presented; the foundation is a set of simple, proven single-event metrics with attributes describing event conditions. These enable benchmarking and visualization in different dimensions for identifying trends that represent how these attributes influence DF. To test its feasibility and scalability, the DF framework was applied to two case studies of 11 office buildings and 121 big-box retail buildings with demand response participation data. Furthermore, these examples provided a pathway for using both building level benchmarking and aggregation to extract insights into building DF about magnitude, consistency, and influential factors. Potential applications of the framework and real-world values have been identified for grid and building stakeholders.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

High-Fidelity Simulations of Gravity Currents Using a High-Order Finite-Difference Spectral Vanishing Viscosity Approach

This numerical work investigates the potential of a high-order finite-difference spectral vanishing viscosity approach to simulate gravity currents at high Reynolds numbers. The method introduces targeted numerical dissipation at small scales through altering the discretisation of the second derivatives of the viscous terms in the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations to mimic the spectral vanishing viscosity (SVV) operator, originally designed for the regularisation of spectral element method (SEM) solutions of pure advection problems. Using a sixth-order accurate finite-difference scheme, the adoption of the SVV method is straightforward and comes with a negligible additional computational cost. In order to assess the ability of this high-order finite-difference spectral vanishing viscosity approach, we performed large-eddy simulations (LES) of a gravity current in a channelised lock-exchange set-up with our SVV model and with the well-known explicit static and dynamic Smagorinsky sub-grid scale (SGS) models. The obtained data are compared with a direct numerical simulation (DNS) based on more than 800 million mesh nodes, and with experimental measurements. A framework for the energy budget is introduced to investigate the behaviour of the gravity current. First, it is found that the DNS is in good agreement with the experimental data for the evolution of the front location and velocity field as well as for the stirring and mixing inside the gravity current. Secondly, the LES performed with less than 0.4% of the total number of mesh nodes compared to the DNS, can reproduce the main features of the gravity currents, with the SVV model yielding slightly more accurate results. It is also found that the dynamic Smagorinsky model performs better than its static version. For the present study, the static and dynamic Smagorinsky models are 1.8 and 2.5 times more expensive than the SVV model, because the latter does not require the calculation of explicit SGS terms in the Navier-Stokes equations nor spatial filtering operations.

direct numerical simulation↗

Multiscale analysis of large twist ferroelectricity and swirling dislocations in bilayer hexagonal boron nitride

With its atomically thin structure and intrinsic ferroelectric properties, heterodeformed bilayer hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) has gained prominence in next-generation non-volatile memory applications. However, studies to date have focused almost exclusively on small-twist bilayer hBN, leaving the question of whether ferroelectricity can persist under small heterostrain and large heterodeformation entirely unexplored. In this work, we establish the crystallographic origin of ferroelectricity in bilayer hBN configurations heterodeformed relative to high-symmetry configurations such as AA-stacking and 21.786789° twisted configurations (Σ7), using Smith normal form bicrystallography. We then demonstrate out-of-plane ferroelectricity in bilayer hBN across configurations vicinal to both the AA and Σ7 stackings. Atomistic simulations reveal that AA-vicinal systems support ferroelectricity under both small twist and small strain, with polarization switching in the latter governed by the deformation of swirling dislocations rather than the straight interface dislocations seen in the former. For Σ7-vicinal systems, where existing interatomic potentials underperform particularly under extreme out-of-plane compression, we develop a density-functional-theory-informed continuum framework—the bicrystallography-informed frame-invariant multiscale (BFIM) model, which captures out-of-plane ferroelectricity in heterodeformed configurations vicinal to Σ7 stacking. Interface dislocations in these large heterodeformed bilayer configurations exhibit markedly smaller Burgers vectors compared to interface dislocations in small-twist and small-strain bilayer hBN. The BFIM model reproduces experimental results and provides a powerful, computationally efficient framework for predicting ferroelectricity in large-unit-cell heterostructures where atomistic simulations are prohibitively expensive.

Ahmed, Md Tusher [Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Cham↗