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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 1,027 records · Page 57
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Superfluid transition temperature and fluctuation theory of spin-orbit- and Rabi-coupled fermions with tunable interactions

Here, we obtain the superfluid transition temperature of equal Rashba-Dresselhaus spin-orbit- and Rabi-coupled Fermi superfluids, from the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) to Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) regimes in three dimensions for tunable s-wave interactions. In the presence of Rabi coupling, we find that spin-orbit coupling enhances (reduces) the critical temperature in the BEC (BCS) limit. For fixed interactions, we show that spin-orbit coupling can convert a first-order (discontinuous) phase transition into a second-order (continuous) phase transition, as a function of Rabi coupling. We derive the Ginzburg-Landau free energy to sixth power in the superfluid order parameter to describe both continuous and discontinuous phase transitions as a function of spin-orbit and Rabi couplings. Lastly, we develop a time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau fluctuation theory for an arbitrary mixture of Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit couplings at any interaction strength.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Fabrication and testing of the transition section between modules of a wakefield accelerator

The fabrication process is presented for a typical transition section located between each cylindrical corrugated waveguide structure comprising the wakefield accelerator module. The transition section includes couplers for extracting the 180 GHz TM 01 accelerating mode and separate couplers for extracting the 190 GHz HE 11 dipole mode, both modes induced by the electron bunch traversing the cylindrical corrugated waveguide structure. Extraction of the high-power accelerating mode reduces the heat load due to the subterahertz wave power dissipation within the corrugated accelerating structure. Extraction of the low-power dipole mode serves the purpose of detecting the electron bunch transverse oscillations within the wakefield accelerator and identifying the onset of beam breakup instability. Comprehensive testing of the fully functional transition section with an electron beam was done at the Accelerator Test Facility in Brookhaven National Laboratory which verified the functionality of the transition section. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Generalizing Similarity Laws for Radio-Frequency Discharge Plasmas across Nonlinear Transition Regimes

We generalize similarity theory based on the scaling and solution invariance of the Boltzmann equation, coupled with the Poisson equation, and demonstrate similarity laws for radio-frequency (rf) discharge plasmas across three nonlinear transitional regimes, namely, the alpha-gamma mode transition, the stochastic-Ohmic-heating mode transition, and the bounce-resonance-heating mode transition. Fundamental plasma parameters, e.g., the electron power absorption, under similar discharge conditions are examined via fully kinetic particle-in-cell simulations, and electron-kinetic invariance is exemplified in similar rf discharge plasmas. The results unambiguously confirm the applicability of similarity laws for rf plasmas in extended operating regimes, and strengthen the foundations and framework of similarity physics with universality.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

First-order magnetic phase transition in P r 2 In with negligible thermomagnetic hysteresis

Magnetic first-order phase transitions are key for the emergence of functionalities of fundamental and applied significance, including magnetic shape memory as well as magnetostrictive and magnetocaloric effects. Such transitions are usually associated with thermomagnetic hysteresis. In this paper we report the observation of a firstorder transition in Pr 2 In from a paramagnetic to a ferromagnetic state at $T_C$ = 57K without a detectable thermomagnetic hysteresis, which is also accompanied by a large magnetocaloric effect. The peculiar electronic structure of Pr2In exhibiting a large density of states near the Fermi energy explains the highly responsive magnetic behavior of the material. The magnetic properties of Pr 2 In are reported, including observation of another (second-order) magnetic transition at 35 K.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Energy spectrum and current-phase relation of a nanowire Josephson junction close to the topological transition

A semiconducting nanowire proximitized by an $\textit{s}$-wave superconductor can be tuned into a topological state by an applied magnetic field. This quantum phase transition is marked by the emergence of Majorana zero modes at the ends of the wire. The fusion of Majorana modes at a junction between two nanowires results in a 4π-periodic Josephson effect. Here, we elucidate how the 4π periodicity arises across the topological phase transition in a highly-transparent short nanowire junction. Owing to a high transmission coefficient, Majorana zero modes coming from different wires are strongly coupled, with an energy scale set by the proximity-induced, field-independent pairing potential. At the same time, the topological spectral gap—defined by competition between superconducting correlations and Zeeman splitting—becomes narrow in the vicinity of the transition point. The resulting hybridization of the fused Majorana states with the spectral continuum strongly affects the electron density of states at the junction and its Josephson energy. We study the manifestations of this hybridization in the energy spectrum and phase dependence of the Josephson current. We pinpoint the experimentally observable signatures of the topological phase transition, focusing on junctions with weak backscattering.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

Revealing pressure-driven structural transitions in the hybrid improper ferroelectric Sr 3 Sn 2 O 7

In this work, we combine diamond anvil cell techniques and synchrotron-based infrared spectroscopy with a detailed symmetry analysis and lattice dynamics calculations to uncover a series of pressure induced structural phase transitions in the hybrid improper ferroelectric Sr 3 Sn 2 O 7 . The microscopic character of each high pressure phase is determined by comparing the measured spectrum with the predicted vibrational patterns of several related but distinct candidate space groups. Our analysis reveals a sequence of compression-induced transitions from A2 1 am ↔ Pnab ↔ Acaa ↔ I4/mmm at room temperature. Remarkably, this space group progression matches the sequence of temperature-dependent structural transitions observed in Sr 3 Sn 2 O 7 between 77 and 1000 K. Other hybrid improper ferroelectrics display a similar set of transitions, suggesting that pressure and probably strain will be very effective tuning parameters for this entire class of materials.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

Z 2 topological order and first-order quantum phase transitions in systems with combinatorial gauge symmetry

We study a generalization of the two-dimensional transverse-field Ising model, combining both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic two-body interactions, that hosts exact global and local Z 2 gauge symmetries. Using exact diagonalization and stochastic series expansion quantum Monte Carlo methods, we confirm the existence of the topological phase in line with previous theoretical predictions. Our simulation results show that the transition between the confined topological phase and the deconfined paramagnetic phase is of first order, in contrast to the conventional Z 2 lattice gauge model in which the transition maps onto that of the standard Ising model and is continuous. We further generalize the model by replacing the transverse field on the gauge spins with a ferromagnetic X X interaction while keeping the local gauge symmetry intact. We find that the Z 2 topological phase remains stable, while the paramagnetic phase is replaced by a ferromagnetic phase. The topological-ferromagnetic quantum phase transition is also of first order. For both models, we discuss the low-energy spinon and vison excitations of the topological phase and their avoided level crossings associated with the first-order quantum phase transitions.

2-dimensional systems↗
DOE OSTI2022

Many-body localization transition with correlated disorder

We address the critical properties of the many-body localization (MBL) phase transition in one-dimensional systems subject to spatially correlated disorder. Rather than starting from a microscopic model, we analyze the transition within a strong-randomness renormalization group (RG) framework. We argue that anticorrelations in the disorder are generally irrelevant at the MBL transition. Furthermore, assuming the MBL transition is described by the recently developed renormalization-group scheme, we argue that even positively correlated disorder leaves the critical theory unchanged, although it modifies certain properties of the many-body localized phase.

1-dimensional systems↗
DOE OSTI2022

Quantum phase transitions in a model Hamiltonian exhibiting entangled simultaneous fermion-pair and exciton condensations

Quantum states of a novel Bose-Einstein condensate, in which both fermion-pair and exciton condensations are simultaneously present, have recently been realized theoretically in a model Hamiltonian system. Here, in this study, we identify quantum phase transitions in that model between fermion-pair and exciton condensations based on a geometric analysis of the convex set of ground-state two-particle reduced density matrices (2-RDMs). The 2-RDM set provides a finite representation of the infinite parameter space of Hamiltonians that readily reveals a fermion-pair condensate phase and two distinct exciton condensate phases, as well as the emergence of first- and second-order phase transitions as the particle number of the system is increased. The set, furthermore, shows that the fermion-exciton condensate (FEC) lies along the second-order phase transition between the exciton and fermion-pair condensate phases. The detailed information about the exciton and fermion-pair phases, the forces behind these phases, as well as their associated transitions provides additional insight into the formation of the FEC condensate, which we anticipate will prove useful in its experimental realization.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Anomalous Hall effect at the Lifshitz transition in ZrTe 5

Zirconium pentatelluride ZrTe 5 is a topological semimetal. The presence of a temperature-induced Lifshitz transition, in which the Fermi level goes from the conduction band to the valence band with increasing temperature, provides unique opportunities to study the interplay between Fermi-surface topology, dynamics of Dirac fermions, and Berry curvature in one system. Here we present a combined experimental and theoretical study and show that a low-energy model can be used to understand the complicated Hall response and large anomalous Hall effect observed in ZrTe 5 over a wide range of temperature and magnetic field. We found that the anomalous Hall contribution dominates the Hall response in a narrow temperature window around the Lifshitz transition, away from which the orbital contribution dominates. Moreover, our results indicate that a topological phase transition coexists with the Lifshitz transition. To conclude, our model provides a unifying framework to understand the Hall effect in semimetals with large Zeeman splitting and nontrivial topology.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Unreliability of two-band model analysis of magnetoresistivities in unveiling temperature-driven Lifshitz transition

Recently, anomalies in the temperature dependences of the carrier density and/or mobility derived from analysis of the magnetoresistivities using the conventional two-band model have been used to unveil intriguing temperature-induced Lifshitz transitions in various materials. For instance, two temperature-driven Lifshitz transitions were inferred to exist in the Dirac nodal-line semimetal ZrSiSe, based on two-band model analysis of the Hall magnetoconductivities where the second band exhibits a change in the carrier type from holes to electrons when the temperature decreases below T=106K and a dip is observed in the mobility vs temperature curve at T=80K. Here, in this study, we revisit the experiments and two-band model analysis on ZrSiSe. We show that the anomalies in the second band may be spurious because the first band dominates the Hall magnetoconductivities at T>80K, making the carrier type and mobility obtained for the second band from the two-band model analysis unreliable. That is, care must be taken in interpreting these anomalies as evidence for temperature-driven Lifshitz transitions. Our skepticism on the existence of such phase transitions in ZrSiSe is further supported by the validation of Kohler's rule for magnetoresistances for T≤180K. In this paper, we showcase potential issues in interpreting anomalies in the temperature dependence of the carrier density and mobility derived from the analysis of magnetoconductivities or magnetoresistivities using the conventional two-band model.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Introduction of localized spin-state transitions in the optical absorption spectrum of Cr-doped GaN

Using a hybrid density functional, we study the electronic, magnetic, and neutral excitations of the paradigmatic Cr-doped GaN solid. Our results indicate that the ≈1% doped wurtzite GaN crystal retains the semiconducting nature of the host, associated with a magnetic moment of 3 μ B . Further, as a consequence of Cr doping, additional hybridized bands are formed within the intrinsic band gap of GaN, leading to a considerable band gap narrowing by 1.4 eV and low-energy optical transitions. Our results indicate dark Cr d-d transitions at very low energy (0.5–0.7 eV), followed by bright transitions in the visible energy range (1.8–2.2 eV). Characterization of the electron-hole pairs suggests that the latter originates from the internal transitions among hybridized Cr d –N p states. With the existence of these additional optical features within the visible energy window, one can expect an enhancement to the photoelectric conversion efficiency of GaN upon Cr doping, in addition to applications in spintronics.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Structural and double magnetic transitions in the frustrated spin- 1 2 capped-kagome antiferromagnet ( RbCl ) Cu 5 P 2 O 10

The structural and magnetic properties of the geometrically frustrated spin- 1 2 capped-kagome antiferromagnet (RbCl) Cu 5 P 2 O 10 are investigated via temperature-dependent x-ray diffraction, magnetization, heat capacity, and 31 P NMR experiments on a polycrystalline sample. It undergoes a structural transition at around T t ≃ 310 K from a high-temperature trigonal (P ¯3m1) to a low-temperature monoclinic (C2/c) unit cell, where the low-temperature structure features the capped-kagome geometry of Cu 2+ ions. Interestingly, it shows the onset of two successive magnetic transitions at T N1 ≃ 20 K and T N2 ≃ 7 K. The shape of the 31 P NMR spectra unfolds the possible nature of the transitions below T N1 and T N2 to be of incommensurate and commensurate antiferromagnetic type, respectively. A large value of the Curie-Weiss temperature as compared to T N1 sets the frustration parameter f ≃ 8, ensuring strong magnetic frustration in the compound. From the 31 P NMR spin-lattice relaxation rate, the leading antiferromagnetic exchange coupling is estimated to be J/k B ≃ 117 K. Furthermore, these unusual double magnetic transitions make this compound beguiling for further investigations.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

Chiral effective field theory calculations of weak transitions in light nuclei

In this work, we report quantum Monte Carlo calculations of weak transitions in A≤10 nuclei, based on the Norfolk two- and three-nucleon chiral interactions, and associated one- and two-body axial currents. Furthermore, we find that the contribution from two-body currents is at the 2–3% level, with the exception of matrix elements entering the rates of 8Li, 8B, and 8He β decay. These matrix elements are suppressed in impulse approximation based on the (leading order) Gamow Teller transition operator alone; two-body currents provide a 20–30% correction, which is, however, insufficient to bring theory in agreement with experimental data. For the other transitions, the agreement with the data is satisfactory, and the results exhibit a negligible to mild model dependence when different combinations of Norfolk interactions are utilized to construct the nuclear wave functions. We report a complete study of two-body weak transition densities which reveals the expected universal behavior of two-body currents at short distances throughout the range of A=3 to A=10 systems considered here.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

New transitions and levels for 163 Tb obtained from β-decay studies

Transitions in 163 Tb following β decay of 163 Gd were obtained as part of investigations of γ rays emitted following 163 Euβ decay to 163 Gd. In this work, detailed analysis of the low-energy structure of 163 Tb has been carried out with these data to expand previous β-decay studies and reactions studies of levels in 163 Tb. Data were collected at the LeRIBSS station of the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory with an array of four Clover HPGe detectors for γ rays and two plastic scintillators for β detection. The γ rays were identified as belonging to 163 Gd and 163 Tb via mass selection and γ-γ-β, γ-γ, or γ-x-ray coincidence. In total, 38 new γ-ray transitions were observed in 163 Tb from 15 newly identified levels and 12 previously identified levels. Potential energy surface calculations were performed which support a rigid prolate deformation. Previously identified unplaced transitions in 163 Tb have been placed within the level scheme of 163 Tb and additional states and transitions have been identified.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Investigating signatures of phase transitions in neutron-star cores

Neutron stars explore matter at the highest densities in the universe such that their inner cores might undergo a phase transition from hadronic to exotic phases, e.g., quark matter. Such a transition could be associated with nontrivial structures in the density behavior of the speed of sound, such as jumps and sharp peaks. Here, in this work, we employ a physics-agnostic approach to model the density dependence of the speed of sound in neutron stars and study to what extent the existence of nontrivial structures can be inferred from existing astrophysical observations of neutron stars. For this, we exhaustively study different equations of state, including as well those with explicit first-order phase transitions. We obtain a large number of different equation of states which reproduce the same astrophysical observations and obey the same physical constraints, such as mechanical stability and causality. Among them, some have nontrivial structures in the sound speed whereas others do not. We conclude that astrophysical information to date do not require the existence of a phase transition to quark matter in the density range explored in the core of neutron stars.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Improved modeling of the solid-to-plasma transition of polystyrene ablator for laser direct-drive inertial confinement fusion hydrocodes

We report that the target performance of laser direct-drive inertial confinement fusion (ICF) can be limited by the development of hydrodynamic instabilities resulting from the nonhomegeneous laser absorption at the target surface, i.e., the laser imprint on the ablator. To understand and describe the formation of these instabilities, the early ablator evolution during the laser irradiation should be considered. In this work, an improved modeling of the solid-to-plasma transition of a polystyrene ablator for laser direct-drive ICF is proposed. This model is devoted to be implemented in hydrocodes dedicated to ICF which generally assume an initial plasma state. The present approach consists of the two-temperature model coupled to the electron, ion and neutral dynamics including the chemical fragmentation of polystyrene. The solid-to-plasma transition is shown to significantly influence the temporal evolution of both free electron density and temperatures, which can lead to different shock formation and propagation compared with an initial plasma state. The influence of the solid-to-plasma transition on the shock dynamics is evidenced by considering the scaling law of the pressure with respect to the laser intensity. The ablator transition is shown to modify the scaling law exponent compared with an initial plasma state.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Supermassive Black Holes, Ultralight Dark Matter, and Gravitational Waves from a First Order Phase Transition

We report that the formation of ultra rare supermassive black holes (SMBHs), with masses of $\mathcal{O}$(10 9 M ⊙ ), in the first billion years of the Universe remains an open question in astrophysics. At the same time, ultralight dark matter (DM) with mass in the vicinity of $\mathcal{O}$(10 -20 eV) has been motivated by small scale DM distributions. Though this type of DM is constrained by various astrophysical considerations, certain observations could be pointing to modest evidence for it. We present a model with a confining first order phase transition at ~ 10 keV temperatures, facilitating production of $\mathcal{O}$(10 9 M ⊙ ) primordial SMBHs. Such a phase transition can also naturally lead to the implied mass for a motivated ultralight axion DM candidate, suggesting that SMBHs and ultralight DM may be two sides of the same cosmic coin. We consider constraints and avenues to discovery from superradiance and a modification to N eff . On general grounds, we also expect primordial gravitational waves – from the assumed first order phase transition – characterized by frequencies of $\mathcal{O}$(10 -12 - 10 -9 Hz). This frequency regime is largely uncharted, but could be accessible to pulsar timing arrays if the primordial gravitational waves are at the higher end of this frequency range, as could be the case in our assumed confining phase transition.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗