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At least 721 records · Page 40

Two-loop HTL-resummed thermodynamics for $\mathcal{N}$ = 4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory

We compute the two-loop hard-thermal-loop (HTL) resummed thermodynamic potential for \( \mathcal{N} \) = 4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills (SYM). Our final result is manifestly gauge-invariant and was renormalized using only simple vacuum energy, gluon mass, scalar mass, and quark mass counter terms. The HTL mass parameters m D , M D , and m q are then determined self-consistently using a variational prescription which results in a set of coupled gap equations. Based on this, we obtain the two-loop HTL-resummed thermodynamic functions of \( \mathcal{N} \) = 4 SYM. We compare our final result with known results obtained in the weak- and strong-coupling limits. We also compare to previously obtained approximately self-consistent HTL resummations and Padé approximants. We find that the two-loop HTL resummed results for the scaled entropy density is a quantitatively reliable approximation to the scaled entropy density for 0 ≤ λ ≲ 2 and is in agreement with previous approximately self-consistent HTL resummation results for λ ≲ 6.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Structural measurement of electron-phonon coupling and electronic thermal transport across a metal-semiconductor interface

Scattering of energetic charge carriers and their coupling to lattice vibrations (phonons) in dielectric materials and semiconductors are crucial processes that determine the functional limits of optoelectronics, photovoltaics, and photocatalysts. The strength of these energy exchanges is often described by the electron-phonon coupling coefficient, which is difficult to measure due to the microscopic time- and length-scales involved. In the present study, we propose an alternate means to quantify the coupling parameter along with thermal boundary resistance and electron conductivity by performing a high angular-resolution time-resolved X-ray diffraction measurement of propagating lattice deformation following laser excitation of a nanoscale, polycrystalline metal film on a semiconductor substrate. Our data present direct experimental evidence for identifying the ballistic and diffusive transport components occurring at the interface, where only the latter participates in thermal diffusion. This approach provides a robust measurement that can be applied to investigate microscopic energy transport in various solid-state materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Prediction of intrinsic topological superconductivity in Mn-doped GeTe monolayer from first-principles

The recent discovery of topological superconductors (TSCs) has sparked enormous interest. The realization of TSC requires a delicate tuning of multiple microscopic parameters, which remains a great challenge. Here, we develop a first-principles approach to quantify realistic conditions of TSC by solving self-consistently Bogoliubov-de Gennes equation based on a Wannier function construction of band structure, in presence of Rashba spin-orbit coupling, Zeeman splitting and electron-phonon coupling. We further demonstrate the power of this method by predicting the Mn-doped GeTe (Ge 1- x Mn x Te) monolayer—a well-known dilute magnetic semiconductor showing superconductivity under hole doping—to be a Class D TSC with Chern number of -1 and chiral Majorana edge modes. By constructing a first-principles phase diagram in the parameter space of temperature and Mn concentration, we propose the TSC phase can be induced at a lower-limit transition temperature of ~40 mK and the Mn concentration of x ~0.015%. Our approach can be generally applied to TSCs with a phonon-mediated pairing, providing useful guidance for future experiments.

Chemistry↗

Direct Optical Lithography of CsPbX 3 Nanocrystals via Photoinduced Ligand Cleavage with Postpatterning Chemical Modification and Electronic Coupling

Microscale patterning of solution-processed nanomaterials is important for integration in functional devices. Colloidal lead halide perovskite (LHP) nanocrystals (NCs) can be particularly challenging to pattern due to their incompatibility with polar solvents and lability of surface ligands. Here, we introduce a direct photopatterning approach for LHP NCs through the binding and subsequent cleavage of a photosensitive oxime sulfonate ester (-C=N-OSOO-). The photosensitizer binds to the NCs through its sulfonate group and is cleaved at the N-O bond during photoirradiation with 405 nm light. This bond cleavage decreases the solubility of the NCs, which allows patterns to emerge upon development with toluene. Postpatterning ligand exchange results in photoluminescence quantum yields of up to 79%, while anion exchange provides tunability in the emission wavelength. Finally, the patterned NC films show photoconductive behavior, demonstrating that good electrical contact between the NCs can be established.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Benchmark of the KGMf with a coupled Boltzmann equation solver

The Kinetic Global Model framework (KGMf) is an open-source general-purpose global model (spatially averaged) simulation code developed to explore the reaction kinetics and pathways in plasma discharge systems. It contains species continuity and electron energy balance equations, with a time-dependent evaluated electron energy distribution function (EEDF) for electron impact reactions. The EEDF is utilized to determine the rate coefficients for electron impact reactions, which can have profound impact on the temporal evolutions of plasma parameters. Previously, the EEDF was commonly assumed as Maxwellian or an analytical function of the effective electron temperature. In this work, the KGMf is coupled with a Boltzmann equation (BE) solver to self-consistently compute the EEDF. The EEDF evolution frequency is determined based on relative changes of the reduced electric field. The KGMf is benchmarked with the ZDPlasKin code based on high-pressure low-temperature argon plasma discharge cases. Additionally, the temporal evolutions of reduced electric field, electron temperature, EEDF, reaction rates, and species densities, are obtained and compared under different discharge conditions, showing good agreement between the KGMf and the ZDPlasKin simulations. The application of the KGMf for predicting breakdown times in high power microwave discharges is also presented, which shows qualitative agreement with particle-in-cell simulations. The KGMf can be further applied for more complicated plasma discharge systems, where the reaction kinetics are more intricate (e.g., plasma-assisted combustion systems).

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Development of Time Lapse VSP Integration Workflow: A Case Study at Farnsworth CO2-EOR Project

Abstract This study aims to develop a 4D Vertical Seismic Profile (VSP) integration workflow to improve the prediction of subsurface stress changes. The selected study site is a 5-spot pattern within the ongoing CO2-EOR operations at the Farnsworth Field Unit FWU in Ochiltree County, Texas. The specific pattern has undergone extensive geological and geomechanical characterization through the acquisition of 3D seismic data, geophysical well logs, and core. This workflow constrains a numerical hydromechanical model by applying a penalty function formed between "modeled" versus "observed" time-lapse compressional and shear seismic velocity changes. Analyses of geophysical logs and ultra-sonic measurements on core exhibit measurable sensitivities to changes in both fluid saturation and mean effective stress. These data are used to develop a site-specific rock physics model and stress-velocity relationship, which inform the numerical models used to generate the "modeled" portion of the penalty function. The "observed" portion of the penalty function is provided by a novel elastic full-waveform inversion of the available 3D baseline and three monitor surveys to produce high-quality estimates of time-lapse compressional and shear seismic velocity changes. The modeling workflow accounts sequentially for fluid substitution and stress impacts. Hydrodynamic and geomechanical properties of the 3D coupled numerical model are estimated through geostatistical integration of well log and core data with 3D seismic inversion products. Changes in seismic velocities due to fluid substitution are computed using the Biot-Gassmann workflow and site-specific rock physics. Stress impacts on time-lapse seismic velocity changes are modeled from the effective stress output of the hydromechanical model and are initially based on the velocity versus effective stress relationship extracted from core mechanical testing. Based on the principle of superposition of seismic wavefields, seismic velocity changes attributed to fluid substitution and that due to changes in mean effective stress are treated as linearly additive. The modeled results are upscaled using Backus averaging to reconcile scale discrepancies between the modeled and measured datasets to formulate the penalty function. This manuscript presents the forward modeling process and concludes that for the base case, the seismic velocity changes due to mean effective stress dominates over the seismic velocity changes attributed to fluid substitution because of the extensive range of the pressure perturbations. Successful minimization of this penalty function calibrates the coupled hydrodynamic geomechanical numerical model and affirms the suitability of acoustic time-lapse measurements such as 4D-VSP for geomechanical calibration.

02 PETROLEUM↗

Tuning spin–orbit coupling in (6,5) single-walled carbon nanotube doped with sp 3 defects

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) containing sp 3 defects are a promising class of optoelectronic materials with bright photoluminescence and demonstrated single-photon emission. Using density functional theory simulations, complemented by measurements, we investigate the electronic structure of a series of quantum defects attached to (6,5) SWCNT with the goal of tuning the spin–orbit coupling by introduction of a heavy atom in the defect structure. We characterize the ground state electronic and spin properties of four synthesized and three potential defects on the tube and find that all of the synthesized defects considered introduce a localized midgap defect-centered state containing a single electron, ≈0.2–0.3 eV above the valence band. The spin density is located at the sp 3 defect site with negligible spin–orbit coupling even with the presence of a Pd atom. Three additional functional groups were tested via computation to increase spin localization near the metal, thereby increasing spin–orbit coupling. We predict that only the chlorodiphosphanepalladium(II)– [Cl(PH 3 ) 2 Pd(II)–] defect results in increased spin–orbit splitting of the defect state and the conduction band associated with the pristine-like SWCNT, a measure of the spin–orbit coupling of excited state transitions. This study suggests that for unpassivated sp 3 defects in (6,5) SWCNT, forming a direct bond between a heavy atom and the sp 3 carbon allows for tuning of spin–orbit coupling.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Multielectronic and multiatomic effects in the U O 4,5 x-ray absorption spectroscopy of uranium dioxide

In order to explain all of the spectral features observed in the U O 4,5 x-ray absorption spectrum of uranium dioxide (UO 2 ), it is necessary to include both multielectron effects and multiatomic effects. The 5d (core hole)-5f (electron) angular momentum coupling that gives rise to the giant resonance has been treated within ligand field density functional theory, and the electron scattering that generates the extended x-ray absorption fine structure has been included via the spectral simulation program FEFF: both within a UO 8 fluorite cluster picture. An atomic model is insufficient to explain all of the observed spectral features.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Intrinsic bulk viscosity of the one-component plasma

The intrinsic bulk viscosity of the one-component plasma (OCP) is computed and analyzed using equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations and the Green-Kubo formalism. It is found that bulk viscosity exhibits a maximum at Γ ≈ 1, corresponding to the condition that the average kinetic energy of particles equals the potential energy at the average interparticle spacing. The weakly coupled and strongly coupled limits are analyzed and used to construct a model that captures the full range of coupling strengths simulated: Γ ≈ 10 –2 –10 2 . Simulations are also run of the Yukawa one-component plasma (YOCP) in order to understand the impact of electron screening. It is found that electron screening leads to a smaller bulk viscosity due to a reduction in the excess heat capacity of the system. Bulk viscosity is shown to be at least an order of magnitude smaller than shear viscosity in both the OCP and YOCP. The generalized frequency-dependent bulk viscosity coefficient is also analyzed. This is found to exhibit a peak near twice the plasma frequency in strongly coupled conditions, which is associated with the oscillatory decay observed in the bulk viscosity autocorrelation function. As a result, the generalized shear and bulk viscosity coefficients are found to have a similar magnitude for ω ≳ 2⁢ω p at strongly coupled conditions.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Molecular Dynamic Studies of Dye–Dye and Dye–DNA Interactions Governing Excitonic Coupling in Squaraine Aggregates Templated by DNA Holliday Junctions

Dye molecules, arranged in an aggregate, can display excitonic delocalization. The use of DNA scaffolding to control aggregate configurations and delocalization is of research interest. Here, we applied Molecular Dynamics (MD) to gain an insight on how dye–DNA interactions affect excitonic coupling between two squaraine (SQ) dyes covalently attached to a DNA Holliday junction (HJ). We studied two types of dimer configurations, i.e., adjacent and transverse, which differed in points of dye covalent attachments to DNA. Three structurally different SQ dyes with similar hydrophobicity were chosen to investigate the sensitivity of excitonic coupling to dye placement. Each dimer configuration was initialized in parallel and antiparallel arrangements in the DNA HJ. The MD results, validated by experimental measurements, suggested that the adjacent dimer promotes stronger excitonic coupling and less dye–DNA interaction than the transverse dimer. Additionally, we found that SQ dyes with specific functional groups (i.e., substituents) facilitate a closer degree of aggregate packing via hydrophobic effects, leading to a stronger excitonic coupling. This work advances a fundamental understanding of the impacts of dye–DNA interactions on aggregate orientation and excitonic coupling.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Ciliary localization of a light-activated neuronal GPCR shapes behavior

Many neurons in the central nervous system produce a single primary cilium that serves as a specialized signaling organelle. Several neuromodulatory G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) localize to primary cilia in neurons, although it is not understood how GPCR signaling from the cilium impacts circuit function and behavior. We find that the vertebrate ancient long opsin A (VALopA), a Gi-coupled GPCR extraretinal opsin, targets to cilia of zebrafish spinal neurons. In the developing 1-d-old zebrafish, brief light activation of VALopA in neurons of the central pattern generator circuit for locomotion leads to sustained inhibition of coiling, the earliest form of locomotion. We find that a related extraretinal opsin, VALopB, is also Gi-coupled, but is not targeted to cilia. Light-induced activation of VALopB also suppresses coiling, but with faster kinetics. We identify the ciliary targeting domains of VALopA. Retargeting of both opsins shows that the locomotory response is prolonged and amplified when signaling occurs in the cilium. We propose that ciliary localization provides a mechanism for enhancing GPCR signaling in central neurons.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Cesium-mediated electron redistribution and electron-electron interaction in high-pressure metallic CsPbI3

Abstract Electron-phonon coupling was believed to govern the carrier transport in halide perovskites and related phases. Here we demonstrate that electron-electron interaction enhanced by Cs-involved electron redistribution plays a direct and prominent role in the low-temperature electrical transport of compressed CsPbI 3 and renders Fermi liquid (FL)-like behavior. By compressing δ-CsPbI 3 to 80 GPa, an insulator-semimetal-metal transition occurs, concomitant with the completion of a slow structural transition from the one-dimensional Pnma (δ) phase to a three-dimensional Pmn 2 1 (ε) phase. Deviation from FL behavior is observed upon CsPbI 3 entering the metallic ε phase, which progressively evolves into a FL-like state at 186 GPa. First-principles density functional theory calculations reveal that the enhanced electron-electron coupling results from the sudden increase of the 5d state occupation in Cs and I atoms. Our study presents a promising strategy of cationic manipulation for tuning the electronic structure and carrier scattering of halide perovskites at high pressure.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

HIGH-LOW FIDELITY THERMAL HYDRAULIC COUPLING USING AI/MACHINE LEARNING ALGORITHMS

The primary goal of the US Department of Energy (DOE) office of Nuclear Energy Integrated Energy Systems (IES) program is to develop the tools and framework for coupling multi-scale and multi-physical thermal and electrical energy usage and storage systems. High- and low-fidelity (high–low) coupling is a key feature of multi-scale, multi-component systems and has been an important focus of research in the nuclear energy community for the past two decades. An essential feature of demonstrating the capability to couple high-fidelity and low-fidelity systems for real-time applications are surrogate/reduced order models (ROM). For the purposes of this study, surrogate models are essentially Blackbox models, typically developed using supervised Machine learning (ML) algorithms. The surrogate models can be used to mimic the response of high-fidelity models to represent large historical datasets and coupled with more general low-fidelity system models distributed as Functional Mock-up Interface (FMI) or Functional Mock-up Units (FMU) modules. The example is demonstrated with Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) First Target Station flow loop data. The flow loop is a liquid mercury loop with a pump, piping, heat exchange, and internal heat generation in the target window. This work elucidates some of the potential benefits and future needs of developing tools for high–low system coupling of energy systems.

Williams, Wesley↗

Direct time-domain determination of electron-phonon coupling strengths in chromium

In this work, we report the results of an ultrafast, direct structural measurement of optically pumped phonons in a Cr thin film using ultrashort x-ray pulses from a free-electron laser. In addition to measuring and confirming the known long-wavelength dispersion relation of Cr along a particular acoustic branch, we are able to determine the relative phase of the phonons as they are generated. The Cr sample exhibits two generation mechanisms for the phonons: the releasing of a preexisting charge density wave at higher frequencies, and the creation of an acoustic strain pulse via laser heating that dominates at lower frequencies. Furthermore, for the latter mechanism, we are able to measure the frequency dependence of the time required to generate the phonons. To explain the observed magnitude and slope of the delays, we perform first-principles simulations in the framework of density functional perturbation theory and ab initio molecular dynamics to fit anharmonic phonon models. In conclusion, these results show that the wave-vector dependence of the electron-phonon coupling is the driving mechanism behind the delay times: Phase-space limitation leads to higher times near the zone center. The absolute magnitudes of the delay times measured are found to be much shorter than the equilibrium electron-phonon coupling times we compute, indicating that the coupling strength is greatly enhanced when the electronic system is out of equilibrium with the lattice, as has been seen in bismuth and other systems.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Emergent Above-Gap Photoluminescence in Molecularly Engineered Hybrid Bilayer Crystals

Bilayer crystals, built by stacking two-dimensional (2D) covalent monolayers, give rise to coupled excitonic states whose properties are constrained by fixed lattice symmetry and orientation. Replacing one covalent monolayer with a 2D molecular crystal––held together by non-covalent forces––overcomes this limitation, as molecular functional groups afford tunable in-plane lattice geometry, intermolecular spacing, and interlayer coupling, providing a powerful knob for exciton engineering. Here, in this study, we report four-atom-thick hybrid bilayer crystals (HBCs) synthesized by directly growing single-crystalline PDI molecular crystal atop WS 2 monolayers, which exhibit a robust photoluminescence (PL) peak 120 meV above the WS 2 optical band gap alongside a belowgap emission. Both peaks display strong polarization anisotropy—nearing unity for the above-gap emission—and maintain a perfectly linear power-law dependence up to an excitation density of ~10 7 mW/cm 2 , indicative of coexisting localized and delocalized excitonic states. Substituting PDI with a PTCDA monolayer on WS 2 fully quenches PL, demonstrating molecular control over excitonic emission. Lattice scale ab initio GW and GW-BSE calculations reveal a significantly hybridized bilayer band structure in PDI/WS 2 that supports interlayer excitonic species both above and below the WS 2 gap with strong polarization anisotropy, in excellent agreement with experiment. Our work introduces a molecule-based bilayer platform for the bottom-up design and control of excitonic phenomena in atomically thin optoelectronic and quantum materials.

2D materials↗

Nuclear–Electronic Orbital Quantum Mechanical/Molecular Mechanical Real-Time Dynamics

Simulating the nuclear–electronic quantum dynamics of large-scale molecular systems in the condensed phase is key for studying biologically and chemically important processes such as proton transfer and proton-coupled electron transfer reactions. Herein, the real-time nuclear–electronic orbital time-dependent density functional theory (RT-NEO-TDDFT) approach is combined with a hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) strategy to enable the accurate description of coupled nuclear–electronic quantum dynamics in the presence of heterogeneous environments such as solvent or proteins. The densities of the electrons and quantum protons are propagated in real time, while the other nuclei are propagated classically on the instantaneous electron–proton vibronic surface. This approach is applied to phenol bound to lysozyme, intramolecular proton transfer in malonaldehyde, and nonequilibrium excited-state intramolecular proton transfer in o-hydroxybenzaldehyde. Furthermore, these examples illustrate that the RT-NEO-TDDFT framework, coupled with an atomistic representation of the environment, allows the simulation of condensed-phase systems that exhibit significant nuclear quantum effects.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Ab Initio Study of Vibronic and Magnetic 5f-to-5f and Dipole-Allowed 5f-to-6d and Charge-Transfer Transitions in [UX 6 ] n – (X = Cl, Br; n = 1, 2)

The absorption spectra of the octahedral [UX 6 ] n– (X = Cl, Br; n = 1, 2) complexes in the near-infrared (NIR) and UV–vis spectral regions were studied theoretically, using a relativistic restricted active space second-order perturbation theory (RASPT2) wavefunction framework, with the spin–orbit (SO) coupling treated by state interaction, in conjunction with Kohn–Sham density functional theory calculations for determining the vibrational normal modes. The electric-dipole-allowed ligand-to-metal charge-transfer (LMCT) and 5f-to-6d transitions, and the electric-dipole-forbidden 5f-to-5f ligand field (LF) transitions, are thereby obtained within the same theoretical framework. For the 5f-to-5f LF transitions, the observed absorption intensity is mostly due to vibronic coupling with low-energy electric-dipole-allowed transitions, but in some cases, the magnetic dipole intensity of the purely electronic transition has comparable intensity to the vibronic transitions. Here, experimental LF spectra of 5f 2 open-shell systems have been reported decades back, but ab initio calculations of their vibronic intensity have not yet been reported in the literature. Although the LF spectra for the 5f 2 systems can be assigned in detail, based on the calculations, the spectra are very complex and the underlying electronic states are strongly multiconfigurational. Therefore, the usefulness of the LF spectra beyond serving as a “fingerprint” of the LF and the metal oxidation state appears to be limited.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

The Sensitivity of Chemical Kinetic Models on Flame Transfer Functions in Acoustic Fluctuation Environments with Varying Equivalence Ratios

Various factors affect the heat release response of flames – thermodynamics, hydrodynamics, acoustics, etc. The coupling of heat release rate and acoustics, in particular, is essential to the design of combustion devices so as to avoid adverse effects during their operation. Modeling flames in acoustic environments requires an accurate understanding of the fundamental physics that occurs when flames interact with a fluctuating pressure field. Over the past couple of decades, researchers have been quantifying the impact of this fluctuating pressure field on the unsteady heat release rate. The flame transfer functions computed have also been shown to depend on the level of detail in the chemical kinetic model. This paper attempts to bridge the gap between these studies to understand how sensitive the flame transfer function is to various kinetic models. The problem is studied by performing multiple one-dimensional simulations using the low-Mach solver NGA. The detailed GRI-Mech 3.0 will be used for comparison. Also, the pressure amplitude and reactant equivalence ratio are varied to understand how the environment affects this sensitivity.

Girdhar, Anant↗