Experimental quantum simulation of Avian Compass in a nuclear magnetic resonance system

Avian magnetoreception is the capacity for avians to sense the direction of the Earth’s magnetic field. Discovered more than forty years ago, it has attracted intensive studies over the years. One promising model for describing this capacity in avians is the widely used reference-and-probe model where radical pairs within the eyes of bird combines to form singlet and triplet quantum states. The yield depends on the angle between the Earth’s magnetic field and the molecules’ axis, hence the relative value of yield of the singlet state or triplet state enables avians to sense the direction. Here we report the experimental demonstration of avian magnetoreception in a nuclear magnetic resonance quantum information processor. It is shown clearly from the experiment that the yield of the singlet state attains maximum when it is normal to the Earth’s magnetic field, and the experimental results agree with theory very well.     

鸟类铁矿物磁受体中磁赤铁矿片晶链的微磁学分析

实验表明, 自然界中许多动物能感受到磁场信息, 尤其是鸟类能够依靠地磁信息导航归巢或迁徙. 鸟类磁感受机理认为, 鸟类可以通过感受地磁场的强度与倾角建立磁地图从而进行飞行导航. 目前对鸟类用于感受磁场的磁受体的研究仍然处于探索鉴定阶段, 研究铁矿物结构是否具有在生命系统中作为磁受体的物理磁学性质有着十分重要的意义. 本文使用微磁学方法对鸟类基于铁矿物的磁感受机理中的磁赤铁矿片晶状磁受体结构进行三维模拟分析, 对其在地磁场中的畴态及对磁场信息的响应作用进行探究. 结果表明, 自然畴态为涡旋态的磁赤铁矿片晶链具有感受地磁场方向变化的能力. 关键词： 鸟类定向与导航 铁矿物磁感受机理 微磁学     

Iron-mineral-based magnetoreceptor in birds: polarity or inclination compass?

In the present paper we demonstrate that the iron-mineral-based magnetoreceptor model developed in [1] can provide birds with a magnetic compass in addition to the generally believed “magnetic map". We show that the iron-mineral-based magnetoreceptor system possesses all properties of a polarity compass, which is extremely important for avian navigation. We study how parameters of the magnetoreceptor system influence on the properties of the compass and show that at certain conditions it acquires features of an inclination compass. In the present paper we address the question of avian magnetoreception theoretically and suggest several experiments which should be performed for better understanding of the iron-mineral-based compass in birds.     

Quantum probe and design for a chemical compass with magnetic nanostructures

Magnetic fields as weak as Earth's may affect the outcome of certain photochemical reactions that go through a radical pair intermediate. When the reaction environment is anisotropic, this phenomenon can form the basis of a chemical compass and has been proposed as a mechanism for animal magnetoreception. Here, we demonstrate how to optimize the design of a chemical compass with a much better directional sensitivity simply by a gradient field, e.g., from a magnetic nanostructure. We propose an experimental test of these predictions, and suggest design principles for a hybrid metallic-organic chemical compass. In addition to the practical interest in designing a biomimetic weak magnetic field sensor, our result shows that gradient fields can serve as powerful tools to probe spin correlations in radical pair reactions.     

Excitation spectrum of two correlated electrons in a lateral quantum dot with negligible Zeeman splitting

The excitation spectrum of a two-electron quantum dot is investigated by tunneling spectroscopy in conjunction with theoretical calculations. The dot made from a material with negligible Zeeman splitting has a moderate spatial anisotropy leading to a splitting of the two lowest triplet states at zero magnetic field. In addition to the well-known triplet excitation at zero magnetic field, two additional excited states are found at finite magnetic field. The lower one is identified as the second excited singlet state on the basis of an avoided crossing with the first excited singlet state at finite fields. The measured spectra are in remarkable agreement with exact-diagonalization calculations. The results prove the significance of electron correlations and suggest the formation of a state with Wigner-molecular properties at low magnetic fields.     

Magnetic field effects on chemiluminescent fluid solutions

The effect of a magnetic field on the intensity of fluorescence from chemiluminescent reactions occurring in fluid solutions is calculated. The calculation first considers pairs of triplet molecules rotating in each other's vicinity and calculates the effect of a magnetic field on the rate at which the overall singlet state is populated. The field diminishes this rate, as in the solid-state situation. The triplets are then allowed to diffuse apart, and the process of populating the overall singlet state of the pair is treated as a relaxation process occurring during the diffusive trajectory. In this case too at high fields the intensity diminishes. The calculations are repeated for triplet-doublet quenching, and, in accord with the solid-state results, the intensity is enhanced at high fields because the quenching rate for doublet-triplet collisions is diminished, and the resultant fluorescence arises via triplets which escape abortive D-T encounters. Explicit expressions involving the dynamical parameters of the fluid (e.g. the translational and rotational correlation times of the species in the solutions) are given for the fluorescence intensity.     

Generalization of the Cooper pairing mechanism for spin-triplet in superconductors

A generalization of the Cooper pairing mechanism is proposed which allows for a triplet state of lower energy. This is achieved by incorporating spin into the canonical commutation relations and by modifying the δ potential contact interaction. The gap equation contain as solutions both singlet and triplet states. It is shown that the triplet state is lower in energy than the singlet state which may explain the spin-triplet superconductivity observed.     

强脉冲磁场冲击处理对铝基复合材料塑性的影响机制

铝基复合材料在加入颗粒相之后, 延伸率和塑性变形能力明显降低. 为改善其塑性变形能力, 通过对比强脉冲磁场冲击处理前后试样内部组织和残余应力的变化特征, 研究了磁致塑性效应对铝基复合材料塑性变形能力的影响机理. 结果表明: 当磁感应强度从2 T变化到4 T时, 铝基复合材料中位错密度显著增加, 4 T时的位错密度是未加磁场时的3.1倍; 3 T, 30个脉冲处理后的复合材料中残余应力值从未加磁场时的41 MPa减小为-1 MPa. 从原子尺度来看, 强磁场导致了磁致塑性效应, 从而引起了位错的运动, 并促进了位错的退钉扎和可移动位错数量的增加; 从材料内部整体结构变化来看, 磁场加速了材料内应力的释放速率, 降低了材料内部的残余应力, 从而改善了铝基复合材料的塑性变形能力.     

Josephson current versus potential strength of the interface in ferromagnetic superconductors

Based on the scattering theory, we calculate the Josephson current in a junction between two ferromagnetic superconductors as a function of the interface potential z. We consider the ferromagnetic superconductor(FS) in three different Cooper pairing states: spin singlet s-wave pairing(SWP) state, spin triplet opposite spin pairing(OSP) state, and spin triplet equal spin pairing(ESP) state. We find that the critical Josephson current as a function of z shows clear differences among the SWP, OSP, and ESP states. The obtained results can be used as a useful tool for determining the pair symmetry of the ferromagnetic superconductors.     

The hydrogen molecule in an arbitrarily oriented magnetic field

Summary The modifications induced by a magnetic field of arbitrary direction and intermediate strength (i.e not larger than 2.35·10⁵ tesla, the ?atomic tesla?) on the lowest singlet and triplet energy states of the hydrogen molecule are studied. Using a linear combination of products of field-modified atomic orbitals, it is found that increasing the field strength the depth of the singlet energy well increases and the equilibrium internuclear distance decreases, yielding more rigid and localized nuclear vibrations. For sufficiently strong fields perpendicular to the internuclear axis, the triplet state exhibits a bonding behaviour. An explanation of the above results is given in terms of the field-modified electronic-charge distributions in the internuclear region. Based on the thesis submitted by S. Basile to the University of Palermo for graduation in Physics.     

Ground States of Ultracold Spin-1 Atoms in a Deep Double-Well Optical Superlattice in a Weak Magnetic Field

The ground states of the ultracold spin-1 atoms trapped in a deep one-dimensional double-well optical superlattice in a weak magnetic field are obtained. It is shown that the ground-state diagrams of the reduced double- well model are remarkably different for the antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic condensates. The transition between the singlet state and nematic state is observed for the antiferromagnetic interaction atoms, which can be realized by modulating the tunneling parameter or the quadratic Zeeman energy. An experiment to distinguish the different spin states is suggested.     

掺杂型有机电致发光二极管的研究进展

有机电致发光具有结构简单、成本低、平面光源、节省能源等优点,其中掺杂型电致发光二极管因可以同时利用单重态和三重态的激子来发光和理论上能使器件内量子效率达到100%而倍受关注。从掺杂型电致发光二极管发光机理、主体材料、掺杂剂材料、白光器件几个方面阐述了该领域的研究进展。     

Increasing the B/N ratio in boron nitride nanoribbons,a possible approach to dilute magnetic semiconductors

Density functional theory (DFT) employing the local spin density approximation and including correlation functionals is used to show that increasing the boron content relative to the nitrogen content in boron nitride nanoribbons can significantly reduce the band gap making the ribbons semiconducting. Armchair ribbons, but not zigzag ribbons, having excess borons are predicted to have a more stable optimized triplet structure than the optimized singlet structure. The triplet structure is predicted to have a higher density of states at the top of the valence band near Fermi level for the spin down state indicating it could be a ferromagnetic semiconductor. The results suggest a possible new approach to developing ferromagnetic semiconductors.     

A new ferromagnetic hysteresis model for soft magnetic composite materials

A new ferromagnetic hysteresis model for soft magnetic composite materials based on their specific properties is presented. The model relies on definition of new anhysteretic magnetization based on the Cauchy-Lorentz distribution describing the maximum energy state of magnetic moments in material. Specific properties of soft magnetic composite materials (SMC) such as the presence of the bonding material, different sizes and shapes of the Fe particles, level of homogeneity of the Fe particles at the end of the SMC product treatment, and achieved overall material density during compression, are incorporated in both the anhysteretic differential magnetization susceptibility and the irreversible differential magnetization susceptibility. Together they form the total differential magnetization susceptibility that defines the new ferromagnetic hysteresis model. Genetic algorithms are used to determine the optimal values of the proposed model parameters. The simulated results show good agreement with the measured results.     

Laser excitation of positronium in the Paschen-Back regime

Zeeman mixing of singlet and triplet 2P states of positronium (Ps) atoms, followed by decay back to the ground state, can effectively turn a long-lived triplet atom into a short-lived singlet state, which would seem to preclude laser cooling of Ps in a magnetic field. Here we report experiments which show that, in fact, because of the large splitting of the n=2 states in a high magnetic field (the Paschen-Back regime), the amount of such mixing diminishes approximately exponentially with an increasing magnetic field >0.01 T and is essentially eliminated above ～2 T. Thus, laser cooling of Ps should be feasible at high fields, which will facilitate the production of a Ps Bose-Einstein condensate.     

p + ip-wave pairing symmetry at type-II van Hove singularities

Based on the random phase approximation calculation in two-orbital honeycomb lattice model, we investigate the pairing symmetry of Ni-based transition-metal trichalcogenides by electron doping access to type-II van Hove singularities (vHs). We find that chiral even-parity d + id-wave (E_g) state is suppressed by odd-parity p + ip-wave (E_u) state when electron doping approaches the type-II vHs. The type-II vHs peak in density of states (DOS) enables to strengthen the ferromagnetic fluctuation, which is responsible for triplet pairing. The competition between antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic fluctuation results in pairing phase transition from singlet to triplet pairing. The Ni-based transitionmetal trichalcogenides provide a promising platform to unconventional superconductor emerging from electronic DOS.     

Magnetic field effect on the pairing state competition in quasi-one-dimensional organic superconductors (TMTSF)2X

We study the effect of the magnetic field on the pairing state competition in organic conductors (TMTSF)₂X by applying random phase approximation to a quasi-one-dimensional extended Hubbard model. We show that the singlet pairing, triplet pairing and the Fulde–Ferrell–Larkin–Ovchinnikov (FFLO) superconducting states may compete when charge fluctuations coexist with spin fluctuations. This rises a possibility of a consecutive transition from singlet pairing to FFLO state and further to S_z = 1 triplet pairing upon increasing the magnetic field. We also show that the singlet and S_z = 0 triplet components of the gap function in the FFLO state have “d-wave” and “f-wave” forms, respectively, which are strongly mixed.     

Magnetization reversal of ferromagnetic nanoparticles under inhomogeneous magnetic field

We investigated remagnetization processes in ferromagnetic nanoparticles under inhomogeneous magnetic field induced by the tip of magnetic force microscope (MFM) in both theoretical and empirical ways. Systematic MFM observations were carried out on arrays of submicron-sized elliptical ferromagnetic particles of Co and FeCr with different sizes and periods. It clearly reveals the distribution of remanent magnetization and processes of local remagnetization of individual ferromagnetic particles. Modeling of remagnetization processes in ferromagnetic nanoparticles under magnetic field induced by MFM probe was performed on the base of Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert equation for magnetization. MFM-induced inhomogeneous magnetic field is very effective to control the magnetic state of individual ferromagnetic nanoparticles as well as to create different distribution of magnetic field in array of ferromagnetic nanoparticles.     

Evaluation of nuclear quadrupole interactions as a source of magnetic anisotropy in the radical pair model of the avian magnetic compass

One of the principal proposed biophysical mechanisms put forward to explain the avian magnetic compass sense centres around magnetically sensitive chemistry. Based on a large number of in vitro studies of the effects of applied magnetic fields on the yields and rates of chemical reactions it has been suggested that the anisotropic magnetic interactions in spin-correlated radical pairs could be the source of the directional information that allows migratory birds to use the Earth's magnetic field as a navigational aid. Here numerical quantum mechanical simulations are employed to explore the possibility that the hitherto neglected nuclear quadrupole interaction may provide directional information in a radical pair magnetoreceptor. It is concluded that although nuclear quadrupole interactions could fulfil this function, they are unlikely to influence significantly the reaction yield anisotropy in the flavin-tryptophan radical pair that has been proposed as the in vivo magnetoreceptor.     

激光引发自由基反应磁效应的光谱学研究

“动态自旋化学”(dynamic spin chemistry)作为一门新兴的交叉研究领域,其重要性已得到广泛的共识。涉及的研究内容包括： 化学反应的磁效应(MFE)、同位素效应(MIE)、化学诱导动态核极化(CIDNP)和化学诱导动态电子极化(CIDEP)。文章简要介绍了激光引发自由基反应的磁效应发展历史及其光谱学研究方法。分析并总结了自由基反应磁效应产生的原因、单-三转换理论及磁效应机理。同时,也为国内同行介绍了自由基反应磁效应研究新的发展动态。