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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 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Measurement of phonon angular momentum

In condensed matter, angular momentum is intimately related to the emergence of topological quantum states, including chiral superconductivity, quantum spin liquids and various chiral quasiparticles. Recently, it has been predicted that microscopic lattice excitations, known as phonons, can carry finite angular momentum, leading to specific physical properties of materials. However, phonon angular momentum has not yet been observed directly. Here, in this study, we demonstrate that angular momentum conservation results in a macroscopic mechanical torque when applying a time-reversal symmetry-breaking thermal gradient along the chiral axis of single-crystal tellurium. We probe this torque using a cantilever-based device and establish that it changes sign by flipping the chirality or thermal gradient. This behavior disappears in polycrystalline samples that lack a preferred chirality. Our experimental results align well with theoretical calculations. We provide compelling evidence for phonon angular momentum, which might enable quantum states with potential applications in microelectronics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Photonic Angular Momentum in Intense Light–Matter Interactions

Light contains both spin and orbital angular momentum. Despite contributing equally to the total photonic angular momentum, these components derive from quite different parts of the electromagnetic field profile, namely its polarization and spatial variation, respectively, and therefore do not always share equal influence in light–matter interactions. With the growing interest in utilizing light’s orbital angular momentum to practice added control in the study of atomic systems, it becomes increasingly important for students and researchers to understand the subtlety involved in these interactions. In this article, we present a review of the fundamental concepts and recent experiments related to the interaction of beams containing orbital angular momentum with atoms. An emphasis is placed on understanding light’s angular momentum from the perspective of both classical waves and individual photons. We then review the application of these beams in recent experiments, namely single- and few-photon transitions, strong-field ionization, and high-harmonic generation, highlighting the role of light’s orbital angular momentum and the atom’s location within the beam profile within each case.

Optics↗
DOE OSTI2025

Four no-go theorems on the existence of spin and orbital angular momentum of massless bosons

The past decades have seen substantial interest in the so-called orbital angular momentum (OAM) of light, driven largely by its diverse range of applications. However, there are fundamental theoretical issues with decomposing the angular momentum of massless particles, such as photons, into spin (SAM) and orbital angular momentum parts. While the angular momentum of massive particles has a natural splitting into the Wigner SAM and OAM, there are numerous proposed splittings for photons and no consensus about which is correct. Moreover, it has been shown that most of the proposed SAM and OAM operators do not satisfy the defining commutation relations of angular momentum operators and are thus not legitimate splittings. Here, we prove that it is generally impossible to split the total angular momentum operator of massless bosons, such as photons and gravitons, into spin and orbital parts. We prove two further generalizations of this result, showing that there are no SAM-OAM splittings even if (1) the SAM operator generates non-internal symmetries or (2) if one allows the SAM and OAM operators to generate non-SO(3) symmetries.

Chern numbers↗
DOE OSTI2024

Preparing angular momentum eigenstates using engineered quantum walks

Coupled angular-momentum eigenstates are widely used in atomic and nuclear physics calculations and are building blocks for spin networks and the Schur transform. To combine two angular momenta J 1 and J 2 , forming eigenstates of their total angular momentum J=J 1 +J 2 , we develop a quantum-walk scheme that does not require inputting O(j 3 ) nonzero Clebsch–Gordan (CG) coefficients classically. In fact, our scheme may be regarded as a unitary method for computing CG coefficients on quantum computers with a typical complexity of O⁡(j) and a worst-case complexity of O⁡(j 3 ). Equivalently, our scheme provides decompositions of the dense CG unitary into sparser unitary operations. Our scheme prepares angular-momentum eigenstates using a sequence of Hamiltonians to move an initial state deterministically to desired final states, which are usually highly entangled states in the computational basis. In contrast with usual quantum walks, whose Hamiltonians are prescribed, we engineer the Hamiltonians in su⁡(2)×su⁡(2), which are inspired by, but different from, Hamiltonians that govern magnetic resonances and dipole interactions. To achieve a deterministic preparation of both ket and bra states, we use projection and destructive interference to double pinch the quantum walks, such that each step is a unit-probability population transfer within a two-level system. We test our state preparation scheme on classical computers, reproducing tables of CG coefficients. Finally, we also implement small test problems on current quantum hardware.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Elastic dijet production in electron scattering on a longitudinally polarized proton at small x : A portal to orbital angular momentum distributions

We calculate the elastic production of dijets from electron collisions with a longitudinally polarized proton target at small values of the Bjorken x variable. Building on the pioneering proposals of Hatta [Gluon orbital angular momentum at small- x , .] and Bhattacharya [Signature of the gluon orbital angular momentum, ., Probing the quark orbital angular momentum at electron-ion colliders using exclusive π 0 production, ., and Exploring orbital angular momentum and spin-orbit correlation for gluons at the Electron-Ion Collider, .] for measuring the quark and gluon orbital angular momentum (OAM) distributions, our focus is on both the longitudinal double spin asymmetry (DSA) and longitudinal single spin asymmetry (SSA). We compute the numerators of these asymmetries in the small- x formalism of the light-cone operator treatment. Utilizing the small- x expressions for the OAM distributions derived earlier in Kovchegov and Manley [Orbital angular momentum at small x revisited, .], we demonstrate that the DSA provides a robust probe for both the quark and gluon OAM distributions within the proton. In contrast, we find that while the SSA is also sensitive to the OAM distributions, extraction of the latter from the SSA would require new developments in small- x theory and phenomenology, and is probably not feasible at this point in time. These findings highlight the potential of DSA measurements in elastic dijet production at the future Electron-Ion Collider to provide the first-ever direct access to the quark and gluon OAM distributions at small x , paving the way for new insights into the proton spin puzzle. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

Kovchegov, Yuri V. (ORCID:0000000169909173)↗
DOE OSTI2026

Microscopic theory of angular momentum distributions across the full range of fission fragments

Modern nuclear theory provides qualitative insights into the fundamental mechanisms of nuclear fission and is increasingly capable of making reliable quantitative predictions. Most quantities of interest pertain to the primary fission fragments, whose subsequent decay is typically modeled using statistical reaction models. Consequently, a key objective of fission theory is to inform these models by predicting the initial conditions of the primary fragments. Here, in this work, we employ a framework that combines joint angular momentum and particle number projection with time-dependent configuration mixing to calculate the angular momentum distributions of primary fragments. Focusing on the benchmark cases of neutron-induced fission of 235 U and 239 Pu , we predict—for the first time—microscopic angular momentum distributions for all fragments observed in experiments. Our results reveal a pronounced sawtooth pattern in the average angular momentum as a function of fragment mass, consistent with recent measurements. Additionally, we observe substantial variations in angular momentum distributions along isobaric chains, indicating that commonly used empirical formulas lack sufficient accuracy. We also quantify a strong correlation between the angular momentum and the deformation of the fragments at scission, and a weak correlation in the magnitude of the angular momentum between fragment partners. The generated data will enable estimation of the impact of microscopic distributions on fission spectra, paving the way toward fission modeling based on microscopic inputs.

Physics - Nuclear physics and radiation physics↗
DOE OSTI2026

Manipulation of the orbital angular momentum of soft X-ray beams by consecutive diffractive optics

Production and manipulation of orbital angular momentum (OAM) of coherent soft X-ray beams is demonstrated utilizing consecutive diffractive optics. OAM addition is observed upon passing the beam through consecutive fork gratings. Here, the OAM of the beam was found to be decoupled from its spin angular momentum (SAM). Practical implementation of angular momentum control by consecutive devices in the X-ray regime opens new experimental opportunities, such as direct measurement of the beam’s OAM without resorting to phase-sensitive techniques, including holography. OAM analyzers utilizing fork gratings can be used to characterize the beams produced by synchrotron and free electron lasers sources; they can also be used in scattering experiments.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Boundary-induced classical generalized Gibbs ensemble with angular momentum

We investigate how confinement geometry leads to the emergence of a Generalized Gibbs Ensemble (GGE) in classical systems. Unlike the standard Gibbs ensemble, the GGE includes additional conserved quantities, such as angular momentum, that arise from boundary-induced symmetries. Using analytical arguments based on the maximum entropy principle, we show that circular boundaries preserve angular momentum and drive the system toward a chiral, non-ergodic GGE that violates time-reversal symmetry. This ensemble differs fundamentally from the Gibbs case, producing near-boundary condensation and revealing how geometry alone can alter thermal equilibration. To quantify these effects, we introduce an order parameter measuring deviations from Gibbs behavior and demonstrate that conventional Monte Carlo methods must incorporate angular momentum conservation under such conditions. Our study highlights how geometric constraints shape non-equilibrium statistical ensembles and lead to subtle departures from the Bohr-van Leeuwen theorem. These predictions are validated through detailed simulations of confined classical hard-disk gases.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2026

Angular momentum of vacuum bubbles in a first-order phase transition

The formation of primordial black holes (PBHs) during a first-order phase transition (FOPT) in a dark sector has been of recent interest. A quantity that characterizes a black hole is its spin. We carry out the first step towards determining the spin of such PBHs, by calculating the spin of spherical false vacuum bubbles induced by cosmological perturbations. The angular momentum is given by the product of density and velocity perturbations. We carefully track the evolution of background quantities and calculate the transfer functions during the FOPT. We find that the dimensionless spin parameter s = J /(G N M 2 ) of false vacuum bubbles of mass M and angular momentum J , take a wide range of values from 𝒪(10 -5 ) to 𝒪(10) for FOPTs between 10 keV and 100 GeV and a dark sector that is 0.1 to 0.4 times cooler than the visible sector. We also find a scaling relation between the root-mean-square value of the spin, the FOPT time scale, the bubble wall velocity, and the dark sector-to-visible sector temperature ratio.

cosmological phase transitions↗
DOE OSTI2024

ORBITAL ANGULAR MOMENTUM BEAMS RESEARCH USING A FREE-ELECTRON LASER OSCILLATOR

Orbital angular momentum (OAM) photon beams are excellent tools for non-contact optical manipulation of mat- ter in a broad photon energy range. A free-electron laser (FEL) oscillator is well-suited for studying OAM beams with various features including a wide spectral coverage, wavelength tunability, two-color lasing, polarization control, etc. Here, we report the first experimental demonstration of superposed OAM beams from an oscillator FEL. Lasing at around 458 nm, we have generated superposed OAM beams up to the fourth order as a superposition of two pure OAM modes with opposite helicities. These generated beams have a good beam quality, a high degree of circular polarization, and high power. Using external rf modulation with frequen- cies from 1 to 30 Hz, we also developed a pulsed mode operation of the OAM beams with a highly reproducible temporal structure. FEL operation showcased in this work can be extended to higher photon energies, e.g. using a future x-ray FEL oscillator. The operation of such an OAM FEL also paves the way for the generation of OAM gamma-ray beams via Compton scattering.

Liu, P.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Small-angle scattering interferometry with neutron orbital angular momentum states

Methods to prepare and characterize neutron helical waves carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) were recently demonstrated at small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) facilities. These methods enable access to the neutron orbital degree of freedom which provides new avenues of exploration in fundamental science experiments as well as in material characterization applications. However, it remains a challenge to recover phase profiles from SANS measurements. We introduce and demonstrate a novel neutron interferometry technique for extracting phase information that is typically lost in SANS measurements. An array of reference beams, with complementary structured phase profiles, are put into a coherent superposition with the array of object beams, thereby manifesting the phase information in the far-field intensity profile. We demonstrate this by resolving petal-structure signatures of helical wave interference for the first time: an implementation of the long-sought recovery of phase information from small-angle scattering measurements.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2024

Probing the Quark Orbital Angular Momentum at Electron-Ion Colliders Using Exclusive π 0 Production

We propose to detect signals from quark orbital angular momentum (OAM) through exclusive π 0 production in electron- (longitudinally polarized) proton collisions. Our analysis demonstrates that the sin 2 ϕ azimuthal angular correlation between the transverse momentum of the scattered electron and the recoil proton serves as a sensitive probe of quark OAM. Additionally, we present a numerical estimate of the asymmetry associated with this correlation for the kinematics accessible at the Electron-Ion Colliders in the U.S. and China. This study aims to pave the way for the first experimental study of quark OAM in relation to the Jaffe-Manohar spin sum rule. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Measuring the angular momentum of a neutron using Earth's rotation

A coupling between Earth's rotation and orbital angular momentum (OAM), known as the Sagnac effect, is observed in entangled neutrons produced using a spin-echo interferometer. After correction for instrument systematics the measured coupling is within 5% of theory, with an uncertainty of 7.2%. The OAM in our setup is transverse to the propagation direction and scales linearly with neutron wavelength (4–12.75 Å), so the Sagnac coupling can be varied without mechanically rotating the device, which avoids systematic errors present in previous experiments. The detected transverse OAM of our beam corresponds to 4098 ± 295 ℏ Å − 1 , 10 5 times lower than in the previous neutron experiments. This demonstrates the feasibility of using the Sagnac effect to definitively measure neutron OAM and paves the way towards a future observation of the quantum Sagnac effect. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

Geerits, Niels (ORCID:0000000248072084)↗
DOE OSTI2025

Transverse orbital angular momentum and polarization entangled spatiotemporal structured light

Intra-system entanglement occurs between non-separable modes within the same system. For optical systems, the various degrees of freedom of light represent different modes, and the potential use of light to create higher dimensional classical entangle states offers a promising potential to drive new technological developments. In this work, we present experimental results demonstrating the orthogonality between transverse orbital angular momentum (t-OAM) of different spatiotemporal topological charges, a previously unverified property of t-OAM. Based on those results, we developed methods to create and characterize a novel family of t-OAM and polarization entangled spatiotemporal structured light. We further provide theoretical analysis to support our study of the entanglement between those modes. By demonstrating the feasibility of leveraging t-OAM as a new family of modes for classical entanglement, our work represents a new advancement towards higher dimensional classical entanglement strategies.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Exploring orbital angular momentum and spin-orbit correlations for gluons at the Electron-Ion Collider

In our previous work [S. Bhattacharya , ], we introduced a pioneering observable aimed at experimentally detecting the orbital angular momentum (OAM) of gluons. Our focus was on the longitudinal double spin asymmetry observed in exclusive dijet production during electron-proton scattering. We demonstrated the sensitivity of the cos ϕ angular correlation between the scattered electron and proton as a probe for gluon OAM at small x and its intricate interplay with gluon helicity. This current work provides a comprehensive exposition, diving further into the aforementioned calculation with added elaboration and in-depth analysis. We reveal that, in addition to the gluon OAM, one also gains access to the spin-orbit correlation of gluons. We supplement our work with a detailed numerical analysis of our observables for the kinematics of the Electron-Ion Collider. In addition to dijet production, we also consider the recently proposed semi-inclusive diffractive deep inelastic scattering process, which potentially offers experimental advantages over dijet measurements. Finally, we investigate quark-channel contributions to these processes and find an unexpected breakdown of collinear factorization. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Transverse orbital angular momentum in the proton

Using the equations of motion of QCD and Lorentz invariance relations, we show a new, more direct way of obtaining the decomposition of the proton's quark transverse angular momentum into its spin and orbital components. The new decomposition can be understood as a twist-three relation, with the quark transverse spin described by the parton distribution g T . We find that the orbital component can be expressed in terms of a moment in the quark transverse momentum, k T , of the generalized transverse momentum-dependent distribution F 12 , or alternatively in terms of the twist-three generalized parton distributions H 2T and $\tilde{E}$ 2T .

Lorentz invariance relations↗
DOE OSTI2024

Nucleon tomography and total angular momentum of valence quarks from synergy between lattice QCD and elastic scattering data

We present an exploratory work on integrating lattice-QCD results with experimental data for elastic scattering. Within the framework of generalized parton distributions, this approach allows for the extraction of detailed information about nucleon tomography and the total angular momentum carried by valence quarks. To accomplish this reliably, we introduce a new quantity, the “double ratio,” which significantly reduces the systematic uncertainties inherent in lattice QCD computations. Moreover, we introduce a “shadow” term in the extraction procedure, which is sensitive only to lattice-QCD results. This term allows us to investigate the model dependence of the extraction, providing a more flexible description of the nucleon that goes beyond the previously considered bell-shaped distribution.

Lattice QCD↗
DOE OSTI2024

High-dimensional quantum key distribution using orbital angular momentum of single photons from a colloidal quantum dot at room temperature

High-dimensional quantum key distribution (HDQKD) is a promising avenue to address the inherent limitations of basic quantum key distribution (QKD) protocols. However, experimental realizations of HDQKD to date have relied on indeterministic photon sources that limit the achievable key rate. In this paper, we demonstrate a full emulation of a HDQKD system using a single colloidal giant quantum dot (gQD) as a deterministic, compact, and room-temperature single-photon source (SPS). We demonstrate a practical protocol by encoding information in a high-dimensional space (d = 3) of the orbital angular momentum of the photons. Our experimental configuration incorporates two spatial light modulators for encoding and decoding the spatial information carried by individual photons. Our experimental demonstration establishes the feasibility of utilizing high radiative quantum yield gQDs as practical SPSs for HDQKD. We also experimentally demonstrate surpassing the traditional d = 2 QKD capacity with comparable error rates, indicating a significant improvement in performance while maintaining reliability.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗