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At least 1,171 records · Page 65

Inside the hologram: reconstructing the bulk observer’s experience

We develop a holographic framework for describing the experience of bulk observers in AdS/CFT, that allows us to compute the proper time and energy distribution measured along any bulk worldline. Our method is formulated directly in the CFT language and is universal: it does not require knowledge of the bulk geometry as an input. When used to propagate operators along the worldline of an observer falling into an eternal black hole, our proposal resolves a conceptual puzzle raised by Marolf and Wall. Notably, the prescription does not rely on an external dynamical Hamiltonian or the AdS boundary conditions and is, therefore, outlining a general framework for the emergence of time.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Laser-induced forces on atoms during ultrafast demagnetization

Laser-induced femtosecond demagnetization has attracted a broad attention as a possible candidate for information storage technology. However, whether or not lattice vibration directly participates in demagnetization has been highly controversial over a decade. A recent electron diffraction experiment attributed the demagnetization to the polarized phonon effect, but a similar x-ray diffraction experiment attributed it to the Einstein–de Haas effect. Common to both experiments is that neither the angular momentum of the lattice nor the rotation of the sample was directly probed. Here, we report our first first-principles calculation of forces on atoms induced by an ultrafast laser during ultrafast demagnetization. We employ two complementary methods: (i) the frozen lattice with electronic excitation and (ii) frozen excitation but moving the lattice. We find that the forces on atoms start at –50 fs and peak around 30 fs. The magnitude of the force is far smaller than the empirical estimates. Within the limit of our theory, our results suggest that the polarized phonon effect and the Einstein–de Haas effect are unlikely to be the main course of demagnetization. As a result, we expect that our finding has a profound impact on the future direction of laser-induced dynamics in magnetic and quantum materials.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Molecular Dynamics Simulation and Analysis of Interfacial Water at Selected Sulfide Mineral Surfaces under Anaerobic Conditions

In this paper, we report on a molecular dynamics simulation (MDS) study of the behavior of interfacial water at selected sulfide mineral surfaces under anaerobic conditions. The study revealed the interfacial water structure and wetting characteristics of the pyrite (100) surface, galena (100) surface, chalcopyrite (012) surface, sphalerite (110) surface, and molybdenite surfaces (i.e., the face, armchair-edge, and zigzag-edge surfaces), including simulated contact angles, relative number density profiles, water dipole orientations, hydrogen-bonding, and residence times. For force fields of the metal and sulfur atoms in selected sulfide minerals used in the MDS, we used the universal force field (UFF) and another set of force fields optimized by quantum chemical calculations for interactions with interfacial water molecules at selected sulfide mineral surfaces. Simulation results for the structural and dynamic properties of interfacial water molecules indicate the natural hydrophobic character for the selected sulfide mineral surfaces under anaerobic conditions as well as the relatively weak hydrophobicity for the sphalerite (110) surface and two molybdenite edge surfaces. Part of the financial support for this study was provided by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under Basic Science Grant No. DE-FG-03-93ER14315. The Division of Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences, Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES), of the DOE, funded work performed by Liem X. Dang. Battelle operates Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for DOE. The calculations were carried out using computer resources provided by BES. The authors are grateful to Professor Tsun-Mei Chang for valuable discussions.

Jin, Jiaqi↗

Stochastic dynamics of a delayed bistable system with multiplicative noise

In this paper we investigate the properties of a delayed bistable system under the effect of multiplicative noise. We first prove the existence and uniqueness of the positive solution and show that its moments are uniformly bounded. Then, we study stochastic dynamics of the solution in long time, the lower and upper bounds for the paths and an estimate for the average value are provided.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Comparative analyses of plasma probe diagnostics techniques

The subject of this paper is a comparative analysis of the plasma parameters inferred from the classical Langmuir probe procedure, from different theories of the ion current to the probe, and from measured electron energy distribution function (EEDF) obtained by double differentiation of the probe characteristic. We concluded that the plasma parameters inferred from the classical Langmuir procedure can be subjected to significant inaccuracy due to the non-Maxwellian EEDF, uncertainty of locating the plasma potential, and the arbitrariness of the ion current approximation. The plasma densities derived from the ion part of the probe characteristics diverge by as much as an order of magnitude from the density calculated according to Langmuir procedure or calculated as corresponding integral of the measured EEDF. The electron temperature extracted from the ion part is always subjected to uncertainty. Such inaccuracy is attributed to modification of the EEDF for fast electrons due to inelastic electron collisions, and to deficiencies in the existing ion current theories; i.e., unrealistic assumptions about Maxwellian EEDFs, underestimation of the ion collisions and the ion ambipolar drift, and discounting deformation of the one-dimensional structure of the region perturbed by the probe. We concluded that EEDF measurement is the single reliable probe diagnostics for the basic research and industrial applications of highly non-equilibrium gas discharge plasmas. Examples of EEDF measurements point up importance of examining the probe current derivatives in real time and reiterate significance of the equipment technical characteristics, such as high energy resolution and wide dynamic range.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Electronic interactions in Dirac fluids visualized by nano-terahertz spacetime interference of electron-photon quasiparticles

Ultraclean graphene at charge neutrality hosts a quantum critical Dirac fluid of interacting electrons and holes. Interactions profoundly affect the charge dynamics of graphene, which is encoded in the properties of its electron-photon collective modes: surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs). Here, we show that polaritonic interference patterns are particularly well suited to unveil the interactions in Dirac fluids by tracking polaritonic interference in time at temporal scales commensurate with the electronic scattering. Spacetime SPP interference patterns recorded in terahertz (THz) frequency range provided unobstructed readouts of the group velocity and lifetime of polariton that can be directly mapped onto the electronic spectral weight and the relaxation rate. Our data uncovered prominent departures of the electron dynamics from the predictions of the conventional Fermi-liquid theory. The deviations are particularly strong when the densities of electrons and holes are approximately equal. The proposed spacetime imaging methodology can be broadly applied to probe the electrodynamics of quantum materials.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Exploration of CdTe quantum dots as mesoscale pressure sensors via time-resolved shock-compression photoluminescent emission spectroscopy

The nanometer size of CdTe quantum dots (QDs) and their unique optical properties, including size-tunable narrow photoluminescent emission, broad absorption, fast photoluminescence decay, and negligible light scattering, are ideal features for spectrally tagging the shock response of localized regions in highly heterogeneous materials such as particulate media. In this work, the time-resolved laser-excited photoluminescence response of QDs to shock-compression was investigated to explore their utilization as mesoscale sensors for pressure measurements and in situ diagnostics during shock loading experiments. Laser-driven shock-compression experiments with steady-state shock pressures ranging from 2.0 to 13 GPa were performed on nanocomposite films of CdTe QDs dispersed in a soft polyvinyl alcohol polymer matrix and in a hard inorganic sodium silicate glass matrix. Time-resolved photoluminescent emission spectroscopy was used to correlate photoluminescence changes with the history of shock pressure and the dynamics of the matrix material surrounding the QDs. The results revealed pressure-induced blueshifts in emitted wavelength, decreases in photoluminescent emission intensity, reductions in peak width, and matrix-dependent response times. Data obtained for these QD response characteristics serve as indicators for their use as possible time-resolved diagnostics of the dynamic shock-compression response of matrix materials in which such QDs are embedded as in situ sensors.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

The Schroedinger equation with friction from the quantum trajectory perspective

Similarity of equations of motion for the classical and quantum trajectories is used to introduce a friction term dependent on the wavefunction phase into the time-dependent Schroedinger equation. The term describes irreversible energy loss by the quantum system. The force of friction is proportional to the velocity of a quantum trajectory. The resulting Schroedinger equation is nonlinear, conserves wavefunction normalization, and evolves an arbitrary wavefunction into the ground state of the system (of appropriate symmetry if applicable). Decrease in energy is proportional to the average kinetic energy of the quantum trajectory ensemble. Dynamics in the high friction regime is suitable for simple models of reactions proceeding with energy transfer from the system to the environment. Examples of dynamics are given for single and symmetric and asymmetric double well potentials.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Direct observation of closure domain wall mediated spin waves

The generation and guiding of spin waves from and by magnetic domain walls are demonstrated. The spin waves radiate from pinned and oscillating magnetic closure domain walls and propagate linearly along a narrow path formed by the surrounding 180° asymmetric Bloch domain walls. The propagating spin wave modes are directly visualized by time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr microscopy with picosecond temporal resolution. A linear relationship between excitation frequency, wavelength, and number of spin waves per domain exists. Independent of the field excitation frequency, a constant phase velocity of spin waves propagation is obtained. Spin waves characteristics can be tuned by varying the magnetic domain dynamics, allowing for variable spin wave characteristics with magnetic field characteristics and histories.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Attosecond XUV probing of vibronic quantum superpositions in Br 2 +

Ultrafast laser excitation can create coherent superpositions of electronic states in molecules and trigger ultrafast flow of electron density on a few femtosecond timescale. While recent attosecond experiments have addressed real-time observation of these primary photochemical processes, the underlying roles of simultaneous nuclear motions and how they modify and disturb the valence electronic motion remain uncertain. In this work, we investigate coherent electronic-vibrational dynamics induced among multiple vibronic levels of ionic bromine (Br 2 + ), including both spin-orbit (X 2 Π 3/2,g – X 2 Π 1/2,g ) and valence (A 2 Π 3/2,u – 4 Σ 3/2,u ) electronic superpositions, using attosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. Decay, revival, and apparent frequency shifts of electronic coherences are measured via characteristic quantum beats on the Br-3d core-level absorption signals. Quantum-mechanical simulations attribute the observed electronic decoherence to broadened phase distributions of nuclear wave packets on anharmonic potentials. Molecular vibronic structure is further revealed to be imprinted as discrete progressions in electronic beat frequencies. These results provide a future basis to interpret complex charge-migration dynamics in polyatomic systems.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Asymptotic symmetries of three dimensional gravity and the membrane paradigm

The asymptotic symmetry group of three-dimensional (anti) de Sitter space with Brown-Henneaux boundary conditions is the two dimensional conformal group with central charge c = 3 ℓ/ 2 G . Usually the asymptotic charge algebra is derived using the symplectic structure of the bulk Einstein equations. Here, we derive the asymptotic charge algebra by a different route. First, we formulate the dynamics of the boundary as a 1+1-dimensional dynamical system. Then we realize the boundary equations of motion as a Hamiltonian system on the dual Lie algebra, \( {\mathfrak{g}}^{\ast } \) , of the two-dimensional conformal group. Finally, we use the Lie-Poisson bracket on \( {\mathfrak{g}}^{\ast } \) to compute the asymptotic charge algebra. This streamlines the derivation of the asymptotic charge algebra because the Lie-Poisson bracket on the boundary is significantly simpler than the symplectic structure derived from the bulk Einstein equations. It also clarifies the analogy between the infinite dimensional symmetries of gravity and fluid dynamics.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

On Collisions Times of ‘Self-Sorting’ Interacting Particles in One-Dimension with Random Initial Positions and Velocities

We investigate a one-dimensional system of N particles, initially distributed with random positions and velocities, interacting through binary collisions. The collision rule is such that there is a time after which the N particles do not interact and become sorted according to their velocities. When the collisions are elastic, we derive asymptotic distributions for the final collision time of a single particle and the final collision time of the system as the number of particles approaches infinity, under different assumptions for the initial distributions of the particles’ positions and velocities. For comparison, a numerical investigation is carried out to determine how a non-elastic collision rule, which conserves neither momentum nor energy, affects the median collision time of a particle and the median final collision time of the system.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Time-resolved XUV ARPES with tunable 24–33 eV laser pulses at 30 meV resolution

Abstract High harmonic generation of ultrafast laser pulses can be used to perform angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) to map the electronic band structure of materials with femtosecond time resolution. However, currently it is difficult to reach high momenta with narrow energy resolution. Here, we combine a gas phase extreme ultraviolet (XUV) femtosecond light source, an XUV monochromator, and a time-of-flight electron analyzer to develop XUV-based time-resolved ARPES. Our technique can produce tunable photon energy between 24–33 eV with an unprecedented energy resolution of 30 meV and time resolution of 200 fs. This technique enables time-, energy- and momentum-resolved investigation of the nonequilibrium dynamics of electrons in materials with a full access to their first Brillouin zone. We evaluate the performance of this setup through exemplary measurements on various quantum materials, including WTe 2 , WSe 2 , TiSe 2 , and Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+δ .

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Detection of Rashba spin splitting in 2D organic-inorganic perovskite via precessional carrier spin relaxation

The strong spin-orbit interaction in the organic-inorganic perovskites tied to the incorporation of heavy elements (e.g., Pb and I) makes these materials interesting for applications in spintronics. In conjunction with a lack of inversion symmetry associated with distortions of the metal-halide octahedra, surfaces and interfaces, or the application of a bias, the Rashba effect (used in spin field-effect transistors and spin filters) has been predicted to be much larger in these materials than in traditional III-V semiconductors such as GaAs. Evidence of strong Rashba coupling has been observed in both 3D (bulk) and 2D perovskites, with the relative role of bulk and surface Rashba contributions in the former case under active debate. The varying size of the reported spin splittings points to the need for more experimental studies of Rashba effects in the organic-inorganic perovskite family of materials. Here, we apply time-resolved circular dichroism techniques to the study of carrier spin dynamics in a 2D perovskite thin film [(BA)2MAPb2I7; BA = CH3(CH2)3NH3, MA = CH3NH3]. Our findings confirm the presence of a Rashba spin splitting via the dominance of precessional spin relaxation induced by the Rashba effective magnetic field (also known as D’yakonov Perel spin relaxation). The size of the Rashba spin splitting in our system was extracted from simulations of the measured spin dynamics incorporating LO-phonon and electron-electron scattering, yielding a value of 10 meV at an electron energy of 50 meV above the band gap, representing a 20 times larger value than in GaAs quantum wells.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Rotational coherence dominates early-time dynamics and produces long-time revivals in the S 2 state of azulene

Here, the ultrafast dynamics of azulene have been debated for decades, with reported picosecond decay constants variously attributed to intramolecular vibrational redistribution (IVR), internal conversion, or rotational dephasing. Using polarization- and femtosecond time-resolved resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization spectroscopy with a nanosecond delay window, we disentangle this long-standing inconsistency and show that the early 2–5 ps decay component arises entirely from the rotational dephasing of an excited-state wavepacket. Identical time constants extracted from the decay of the parallel signal and the rise of the perpendicular signal across multiple vibronic origins provide an unambiguous rotational anisotropy signature, eliminating the need for IVR-based interpretations. Extending the measurement window to 1.3 ns reveals well-structured J-type and C-type rotational coherence revivals in S 2 azulene on top of the well-documented fluorescence decay, demonstrating that both the short- and long-time dynamics contain information about the coherent rotational dynamics. These results show that azulene, and by extension polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, can sustain structured rotational coherence deep into the nanosecond regime, positioning PAHs as model systems for quantum-coherent wavepacket dynamics and providing a framework for probing coherence, decoherence, and rotational control in electronically rich molecular systems.

Zhan, Jie [University of Georgia, Athens, GA (Unit↗

Quantum tracking control of the orientation of symmetric-top molecules

The goal of quantum tracking control is to identify shaped fields to steer observable expectation values along designated time-dependent tracks. The fields are determined via an iteration-free procedure, which is based on inverting the underlying dynamical equations governing the controlled observables. In this paper, we generalize the ideas in [Phys. Rev. A 98, 043429 (2018)] to the task of orienting symmetric top molecules in three dimensions. To this end, we derive equations for the control fields capable of directly tracking the expected value of the three-dimensional dipole orientation vector along a desired path in time. In conclusion, we show this framework can be utilized for tracking the orientation of linear molecules as well, and present numerical illustrations of these principles for symmetric-top tracking control problems.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Neutral excitations of quantum Hall states: A density matrix renormalization group study

We use the dynamical structure factors of the quantum Hall states at ν = 1 / 3 and 1 / 2 in the lowest Landau level to study their excitation spectrum. Using the density matrix renormalization group in combination with the time-dependent variational principle on an infinite cylinder geometry, we extract the low-energy properties. At ν = 1 / 3 , a sharp magnetoroton mode and the two-roton continuum are present and the finite-size effects can be understood using the fractional charge of the quasiparticle. At ν = 1 / 2 , we find low-energy modes with linear dispersion and the static structure factor s ¯ ( q ) ~ ( q ℓ ) 3 in the limit q ℓ → 0 . The properties of these modes agree quantitatively with the predictions of the composite-fermion theory placed on the infinite cylinder.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗