Electrically driven motion,destruction, and chirality change of polar vortices in oxide superlattices

Topological polar vortices, which are electric analogs of magnetic objects, present great potential in applications of future nanoelectronics because of their nanometer size, anomalous dielectric response, and chirality. To enable the functionalities, it is prerequisite to manipulate the polar states and chirality by using external stimuli. Here, we probe the evolutions of polar state and chirality evolutions of topological polar vortices in Pb TiO;/Sr TiO;superlattices under an electric field by using atomically resolved in situ scanning transmission electron microscopy and phase-field simulations. We find that, under electric field, the chiral vortex cores can be moved laterally to form close-pair structures, transform into a/c domain stripes, and finally become a nonchiral c-domain. Such transition is reversible and spontaneous after bias removal. Interestingly, during switching and backswitching events, the vortex rotation can be changed, offering a potential strategy to manipulate vortex chirality. The revealed dynamic behavior of individual polar vortices at the atomic scale provides fundamentals for future device applications.     

Nonlinear change in refractive index and transmission coefficient of silicon at long-pulse,mJ-range, 1.54-μm excitation

An experimental study and theoretical modeling of the nonlinear changes in transmission coefficient and refractive index of mono-crystalline Silicon (Si) at long-pulse, mJ-range, single-beam Z-scan probing at 1.54 μm wavelength are reported. It is shown experimentally that at increasing pulse energy density the photo-induced darkening permanently increases in Si while its photo refraction properties demonstrate a more complicate character, being a product of various type nonlinearities. A theoretical analysis based on simple assumptions of a square-shape pulse in the time domain and Gaussian spatial distribution of the probe beam allows fitting of a whole of the experimentally measured open- and closed-aperture Z-scans through an account of the main contributions in the light-induced absorption and refractive index nonlinearities. These are revealed to originate from non-direct two-photon absorption and Kerr effect, induced absorption and dispersion of light-generated free carriers, and light-induced thermal lensing.     

Synthesis,structure and magnetic entropy change of polycrystalline La1−xKxMnO3+δ

The use of a sol–gel synthetic method allows the preparation, at temperatures as low as 873 K, of single-phase perovskites in the potassium-doped lanthanide manganites La_1−xK_xMnO_3+δ. Samples prepared at 1273 K remain single phase and are constituted by submicrometer homogeneous particles, without deviation from nominal stoichiometries upon heating. These materials exhibit paramagnetic-to-ferromagnetic phase transitions at 230, 283, 338, and 344 K for x=0.075, 0.10, 0.165, and 0.20, respectively. By measuring the sample magnetization as a function of field and temperature we have determined the magnetic entropy change associated with these transitions. It is suggested by the results that these materials can be utilized as suitable magnetic refrigerants with very large temperature span.     

Gravity’s Rainbow induces topology change

In this paper the Gribov gap equation at finite temperature is analyzed. The solutions of the gap equation (which depend explicitly on the temperature) determine the structure of the gluon propagator within the semi-classical Gribov approach. The present analysis is consistent with the standard confinement scenario for low temperatures, while for high enough temperatures, deconfinement takes place and a free gluon propagator is obtained. An intermediate regime in between the confined and free phases can be read off from the resulting gluon propagator, which appears to be closely related to partial deconfinement.     

Does natural weathering change the stable isotope composition (²H, ¹³C, ¹⁵N, ¹⁸O and ³⁴S) of cattle hair?

Stable isotope analysis of hair has found applications in many fields of science because it provides a temporally resolved, fairly stable isotopic archive of mammalian individuals. We investigated whether this hair archive is modified by natural weathering while attached to a living animal. We analyzed the tail switch hairs of one suckler cow, sampled seven times over a period of four annual summer pasture-winter stall feeding cycles. We compared relative isotope ratios (δ2H, δ13C, δ1?N, δ1?O and δ3?S) of sections of hair that grew simultaneously but were exposed to natural weathering conditions over different periods of time. Natural wear caused a loss of mass of approx. 0.13% day?1, with no apparent effect of environmental conditions. Changes in δ2H, δ13C, δ1?N and δ1?O were below the detection limit, indicating that hair is a reliable archive for the isotopes of these elements. In contrast, δ3?S values increased during the grazing period by about 1‰, with exposure to UV radiation appearing to have a major influence on this result. The δ3?S values decreased during the subsequent stall period, probably due to abrasion. Seasonal variation in δ3?S may indicate alternating environments that differ in their weathering conditions.     

Evidence of potential change in nonsequential double ionization

Recently,the quantitative rescattering model(QRS)for nonsequential double ionization(NSDI)is modified by taking into account the potential change(PC)due to the presence of electric field at the time of recollision.Using the improved QRS model,we simulate the longitudinal momentum distributions of doubly charged ions He2+by projecting the correlated two-electron momentum distributions for NSDI of He onto the main diagonal.The obtained results are compared directly with the experimental data at different intensities.It is found that when the PC is considered,the width of momentum distributions reduces and the agreement between theory and experiment is improved.     

Does hard core interaction change absorbing-type critical phenomena?

It has been generally believed that hard core interaction is irrelevant to absorbing-type critical phenomena because the particle density is so low near an absorbing phase transition. We study the effect of hard core interaction on the N-species branching annihilating random walks with two offspring and report that hard core interaction drastically changes the absorbing-type critical phenomena in a nontrivial way. Through a Langevin equation-type approach, we predict analytically the values of the scaling exponents, nu( perpendicular) = 2, z = 2, alpha = 1/2, and beta = 2 in one dimension for all N>1. Direct numerical simulations confirm our prediction. When the diffusion coefficients for different species are not identical, nu( perpendicular) and beta vary continuously with the ratios between the coefficients.     

Large magnetic entropy change in weberite-type oxides Gd3MO7(M=Nb,Sb,and Ta)

In the present work,the structure,magnetic properties,and cryogenic magnetocaloric effect of weberite-type oxides Gd₃MO₇(M=Nb,Sb,and Ta)are reported through powder X-ray diffraction,bulk susceptibility,and heat capacity measurements,as well as scaling law analysis and a mean-field approach.A remarkably large isothermal magnetic entropy change of 354.0 m J K^-1cm^-3is observed for Gd₃SbO₇under an external field of 9 T at 2.0 K.The relative cooling power is estimated to be 618.9 J kg^-1(4.8 J cm^-3)for an applied field of 8.9 T,with the largest adiabatic temperature change being 22.4 K at 6.3 K.The magnetocaloric performance of these oxides is quite impressive when compared with the benchmark magnetic refrigerant,gadolinium gallium garnet(Gd₃Ga₅O₁₂,GGG).Therefore,Gd₃MO₇(M=Nb,Sb,and Ta)are promising alternatives for cryogenic cooling techniques,especially for the magnetic liquefaction of helium.     

Rapid change of electronic anisotropy in overdoped (Y,Ca)Ba2Cu3O7−δ

Electronic anisotropy was studied for overdoped (Y, Ca)Ba₂Cu₃O_7−δ with various doping levels (p). It was found that the pseudogap-like behavior in the resistivity disappear when p exceeds 0.17, independent of the oxygen deficiency. The anisotropy ratio γ estimated from upper critical fields showed a rapid decrease at around p = 0.18, approaching γ = 3 for p > 0.20.     

Effects of Fe－Fe bond length change in NaZn13-type intermetallic compounds on magnetic properties and magnetic entropy change

In this paper the effects of Fe－Fe bond length change on magnetic properties and magnetic entropy change have been investigated on LaFe_{12.4-x}Si_xCo_{0.6} and LaFe_{12.3-x}Al_xCo_{0.7} intermetallic compounds. According to the analyses of Fe－Fe bond length change, the variation of Curie temperature and the unusual magnetic phase transition which results in the large magnetic entropy change were explained. The effects of the substitution of Co and Si for Fe on magnetic entropy change and field-induced itinerant-electron metamagnetic transition in LaFe_{12.4-x}Si_xCo_{0.6} compounds were also studied and the considerable magnetic entropy change has been achieved.     

Compositional change in human enamel irradiated with MIR free electron laser

The purpose of this study was to investigate compositional changes in human enamel irradiated with the free electron laser (FEL).The exposure on dental enamel at the wavelength of 9.64μm was observed with the Beijing free electron laser.The distribution of elements in the irradiated or non-irradiated enamel was measured by scanning electron microscope (SEM) with energy-dispersive spectroscopy and synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence(SRXRF) in Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility (BSRF).The results showed that the P/Ca ratio in the ablation region of enamel at the maximum wavelength of infrared absorption of enalmel at the maximum wavelength of infrared absorption was obviously smaller than that at the non-maximum wavelength.In the ablation region the ratios of P/Ca and Ca/Sr were smaller than those in the non-ablation region.The distribution of P,Ca and Sr in the ablation region were heterogeneous due to the element change caused by FEL irradiation.     

Transitions in lyotropic liquid crystals caused by concentration change and γ-radiation

A molecular-statistical theory of phase transitions in lyotropic liquid crystals, which describes the phase transitions between the isotropic (micellar), nematic and lamellar phases was developed. The equations describing the dependence of parameters of orientation and translational long-range order on the concentration were obtained. It was shown that depending on the values of the model microscopic constants, the nematic phase–lamellar phase transition can be both of the first and the second order. The influence of intensive and low intense γ-radiation on the phase transitions mentioned herein was considered. It was shown that the irradiation changes the model constants responsible for the phase transitions. On this basis, it can be assumed that the γ-radiation influences the course of the dependence of the long-range order parameters on concentration as well as it changes the values of the critical concentrations of the phase transitions and even the phase transition order.     

Field dependence of magnetic entropy change: Whence comes an intercept?

The magnetic field-induced entropy change in a ferromagnet undergoing a second-order phase transition at the Curie point is maximum near that point. The maximum magnetic entropy change, (-ΔS)_max, is demonstrated to contain, besides the usual term in H^2/3, a small negative term independent of H. Spatial inhomogeneity of real ferromagnetic materials is shown to be the origin of the off-set term, whose magnitude proves proportional to the width of the distribution of local Curie points.     

Maximum magnetic entropy change modulated toward room temperature in perovskite manganites La0.7−xNdx(Ca,Sr)0.3MnO3

With Nd³⁺ doping and Ca²⁺, Sr²⁺ modulating in the sol–gel technique, a series of polycrystalline perovskite samples La_0.7?xNd_x(Ca,Sr)_0.3MnO₃ (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.20, 0.25) was prepared, their maximum magnetic entropy changes were tuned to room temperature (ΔS_H = ?1.47 J/kg K at 298 k for La_0.45Nd_0.25(Ca,Sr)_0.3MnO₃), an enhancement of the maximum magnetic entropy change (ΔS_H = ?1.89 J/kg K at 315 k) and its refrigerant capacity (about 45.3 J/kg) had also been obtained under 9 kOe magnetic field variation for La_0.55Nd_0.15(Ca,Sr)_0.3MnO₃ contrast to La_0.7(Ca,Sr)_0.3MnO₃.     

Thermal phase change and activation energy of crystallization of Ge-Sb-Te-Sn thin films

To improve the optical storage performance, Sn was doped into Ge2Sb2Te5 phase change thin films. The optical and thermal properties of Sn-doped Ge2Sb2Te5 film were investigated. The crystal structures of the as-sputtered and the annealed films were identified by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) method. The differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) method is used to get the crystallization temperature and crystallization energy (Ea). It was found that proper Sn-doping could highly improve storage performance of the Ge2Sb2Te5 media.     

A method to change frictional characteristics based on ultrasonic micro driving technique

In order to reduce friction force and eliminate stick-slip phenomenon of a mechanic system at a low velocity, a method based on the ultrasonic micro driving technique to change the frictional characteristics is proposed. Exciting clockwise and anticlockwise microscopic elliptical motion of driving points on the ultrasonic actuator's two longitudinal bolt-clamped vibrators will generate ultrasonic lubrication action; furthermore, the friction can be actively controlled by adjusting the vibrators' vibrating amplitude. An experimental installation for friction control is designed using aerostatic guide, force sensors and a low speed moment motor. Fuzzy control theory is applied into this system. The experiments indicate the friction force has been reduced largely and the motion of the experimental system is stable. The friction coefficient is only about 0.0053 when the total mass of the ultrasonic actuator and load is 3.8 kg and the motor's driving velocity is 0.5 mm/s.     

Thermal Hall conductivity with sign change in the Heisenberg–Kitaev kagome magnet

The Heisenberg-Kitaev(HK) model on various lattices has attracted a lot of attention because it may lead to exotic states such as quantum spin liquid and topological orders.The rare-earth-based kagome lattice(KL) compounds Mg₂RE₃Sb₃O₁₄(RE=Gd,Er) and(RE=Nd) have q=0,120° order and canted ferromagnetic(CFM) order,respectively.Interestingly,the HK model on the KL has the same ground state long-range orders.In the theoretical phase diagram,the CFM phase re...     

Forward-headed structure change of acetic acid–water binary system by stimulated Raman scattering

The acetic acid–water binary system is a classical hydroxy–carboxy mixed system, while new and interesting phenomena appear under stimulated Raman scattering(SRS).Compared with the weaker signal of the acetic acid–water binary system obtained in spontaneous Raman scattering, SRS provides a finer band and a relatively distinct structural transition point.The structural transformation points are respectively at 30% and 80% by volume ratio under the condition of spontaneous Raman spectroscopy, while they are respectively at 15% and 25% under the condition of SRS.This phenomenon is attributed to the generation of laser induced plasma and shockwave induced dynamic high pressure environment during SRS.