Universal properties of relaxation and diffusion in condensed matter

By and large the research communities today are not fully aware of the remarkable universality in the dynamic properties of many-body relaxation/diffusion processes manifested in experiments and simulations on condensed matter with diverse chemical compositions and physical structures. I shall demonstrate the universality first from the dynamic processes in glass-forming systems. This is reinforced by strikingly similar properties of different processes in contrasting interacting systems all having nothing to do with glass transition. The examples given here include glass-forming systems of diverse chemical compositions and physical structures, conductivity relaxation of ionic conductors(liquid, glassy, and crystalline),translation and orientation ordered phase of rigid molecule, and polymer chain dynamics. Universality is also found in the change of dynamics when dimension is reduced to nanometer size in widely different systems. The remarkable universality indicates that many-body relaxation/diffusion is governed by fundamental physics to be unveiled. One candidate is classical chaos on which the coupling model is based, Universal properties predicted by this model are in accord with diverse experiments and simulations.     

一些典型的软物质物理中的非平衡自组织现象

在软物质物理中经常有自组织(self-organization)现象发生.这一现象通常在非平衡的过程中产生,并生成非常美丽和有趣的图案与结构.具体例子包括胶体颗粒的扩散限制凝聚(diffusion limited aggregation,DLA),Hele-Shaw盒中产生的流体分形结构,凝胶的形成(gelation),生物体自组织聚集,以及颗粒类物质(granular material)运动产生的规则图案等.这些现象在软物质物理研究中产生了很多重要结果.文章以比较浅显的文字介绍这些软物质物理中的非平衡自组织现象.     

一些典型的软物质物理中的非平衡自组织现象

在软物质物理中经常有自组织（self-organization）现象发生.这一现象通常在非平衡的过程中产生,并生成非常美丽和有趣的图案与结构.具体例子包括胶体颗粒的扩散限制凝聚（diffusion limited aggregation,DLA）,Hele-Shaw盒中产生的流体分形结构,凝胶的形成（gelation）,生物体自组织聚集,以及颗粒类物质（granular material）运动产生的规则图案等.这些现象在软物质物理研究中产生了很多重要结果.文章以比较浅显的文字介绍这些软物质物理中的非平衡自组织现象.     

Three-dimensional nonlinear microspectroscopy and imaging of soft condensed matter

We report on the realization of a sensitive microspectroscopy and imaging approach based on a three-color femtosecond coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) technique with high spectral, time, and spatial resolution. Independently tunable, high-repetition rate optical parametric oscillators were used to attain a dynamic range of 5 orders of magnitude for time-domain CARS signal. The attained sensitivity permitted tracing the decay of weak and structurally complex Raman active modes in soft condensed matter. Application of this approach to imaging of the biological specimen shows a great potential in quantitative characterization of live biological media with an ability to access inter- and intra-molecular interactions.     

Modelling drying pathways of an evaporating soft matter droplet

Micro-droplets of soft matter solutions have different morphologies upon drying, and can become wrinkled, buckled or cavitated particles. We investigate the morphology evolution of a drying soft matter droplet in this work: at the early stage of drying, wrinkling or cavitation instability can occur in the droplet, depending on the comparison between the critical wrinkling and cavitation pressure; at a later stage of drying, no wrinkles will appear if cavitation happens first, while cavitation can still occur if wrinkling happens first. A three-dimensional phase diagram in the space of elastic length, gel layer thickness and weight loss is provided to illustrate the drying pathways of a soft matter droplet. This diagram can help guide future fabrications of micro-particles with desired morphologies.     

Physics going soft: The emergence of soft condensed matter physics

The recent development of intense, ultrashort, table top lasers in the mid-infrared opens new avenues for research in strong field atomic physics. Electrons submitted to such radiation acquire huge quiver energies, even at moderate intensity and interesting properties arise: first, the wavelength offers a convenient experimental knob to tune the ionisation regime by controlling the Keldysh parameter. Second, many processes like above-threshold ionisation or high harmonic generation, whose characteristics depend directly on this energy, can be pushed to unprecedented limits. Third, the wavelength controls the spectral phase of the harmonics and hence the possibility to improve the generation of pulses in the attosecond regime. Recent studies of rare gas and alkali atoms' photoelectron spectra and harmonic generation at 2 and 3.6 μm have begun to confirm the theoretical predictions. However, unexpected features have also been found showing that strong field interaction still keeps some secrets after more than 40 years of investigation.     

MuSR技术在凝聚态物理中的应用

缪子自旋弛豫/旋转(MuSR)实验技术利用缪子的自旋,在原子尺度上研究样品内部磁场的静态分布和动态涨落。文章介绍MuSR实验技术在凝聚态物理中的应用,阐述了MuSR在磁性、超导材料中发现的独特信息,包括磁有序、内部磁场分布、具有特定频率范围的自旋涨落,以及在半导体材料中获得杂质的电子状态和位置。这些应用表明 MuSR 对于理解关联电子材料复杂的物理现象及其物理机制具有重要意义。     

Interstitialcy theory of condensed matter states and its application to non-crystalline metallic materials

A comprehensive review of a novel promising framework for the understanding of non-crystalline metallic materials, i.e., interstitialcy theory of condensed matter states(ITCM), is presented. The background of the ITCM and its basic results for equilibrium/supercooled liquids and glasses are given. It is emphasized that the ITCM provides a new consistent, clear, and testable approach, which uncovers the generic relationship between the properties of the maternal crystal,equilibrium/supercooled liquid and glass obtained by melt quenching.     

Experimental observation of modulation instability and optical spatial soliton arrays in soft condensed matter

In this Letter we report observations of optically induced self-organization of colloidal arrays in the presence of unpatterned counterpropagating evanescent waves. The colloidal arrays formed along the laser propagation axis are shown to be linked to the breakup of the incident field into optical spatial solitons, the lateral spacing of the arrays being related to modulation instability of the soft condensed matter system.     

摇摆条件下自然循环系统流量混沌脉动的检验与预测

利用替代数据法检验了摇摆条件下自然循环系统不规则复合型脉动的混沌特性, 并在此基础上进行混沌预测. 关联维数、最大Lyapunov指数等几何不变量计算结果表明不规则复合型脉动具有混沌特性, 但是由于计算结果受实验时间序列长度的限制和噪声的影响, 可能会出现错误的判断结果. 为了避免出现误判, 在提取流量脉动的非线性特征的同时, 需要用替代数据法进一步检验混沌特性是否来自于确定性的非线性系统. 本文用迭代的幅度调节Fourier 算法进行混沌检验, 在此基础上用加权一阶局域法进行混沌脉动的预测. 计算结果表明: 不规则复合型脉动是来自于确定性系统的混沌脉动, 加权一阶局域法对流量脉动进行混沌预测效果较好, 并提出动态预测方法. 关键词： 混沌时间序列 替代数据法 实时预测 两相流动不稳定性     

内耗技术在软物质研究中的一些应用

软物质物理已成为物理学发展迅速的重要前沿学科。描述软物质复杂非平衡态动力学及其运动规律是理解其宏观性质的关键。内耗与力学谱作为材料缺陷与力学性质研究的重要实验技术,它能够很灵敏地探测和研究材料中发生的复杂相变和弛豫动力学过程。文章结合作者近年来的典型工作,介绍了内耗技术在软物质研究中的一些应用,阐述了内耗手段发挥的独特作用。随着内耗测试新方法、新技术和内耗新理论的不断出现和完善,相信未来内耗技术在材料科学和凝聚态物理研究领域将起到越来越重要的作用。     

凝聚态材料中的拓扑相与拓扑相变——2016年诺贝尔物理学奖解读

凝聚态物理中拓扑相变和拓扑物态的发现,获得了2016年度诺贝尔物理学奖。文章系统介绍了凝聚态物理中拓扑性的起源,并简要介绍了目前凝聚态物理中发现的主要几类拓扑态：拓扑绝缘体、量子反常霍尔效应、拓扑晶体绝缘体和拓扑半金属。     

Biomechanical properties of soft tissues

Viscoelasticity is the primary mechanical property of bio-soft tissues. It has been widely applied in basic research of biological tissues including cornea, lung, heart and blood vessels. Along with the development of tissue engineering research, the evaluation of soft tissue viscoelasticity is becoming more and more important. In this paper, using the Whittaker function, we give an approximate power series of the exponential integralE ₁(X) and the parametersC, ?₁ and ?₂ of the generalized relaxation functionG(t) and generalized creep functionJ(t). With expanded skin as an example, the relationship between stress relaxation, creep and stress-strain finite deformation are studied.     

Transitions to chaos in the wake of an axisymmetric bluff body

This Letter aims at understanding the dynamical process that leads to the onset of chaos in the flow past a blunt-based axisymmetric bluff body. On the basis of direct numerical simulations, conducted for Reynolds numbers ranging from 100 to 900, we show that the flow undergoes multiple transitions, successively giving rise to the SS, _RSPa${\mathrm{RSP}}_a$, _RSPb${\mathrm{RSP}}_b$, _RSPc${\mathrm{RSP}}_c$ and RSB wake states. In particular, the _RSPc${\mathrm{RSP}}_c$ state, revealed in this work via long-term computations, is characterized by intermittent vortex stretching denoting the onset of chaos before the symmetry breaking and the occurrence of the RSB state.     

Order and chaos in the geometric collective model

We investigate collective vibrations and rotations of atomic nuclei from the classical viewpoint within the geometric collective model. We quantify the proportion of regular and chaotic orbits in the phase space, observing very complex behavior of its dependence on the model control parameters, energy, and angular momentum. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Order and chaos in the interacting boson model

We investigate both quantum and classical signatures of order/chaos interplay within the symmetry triangle of the interacting boson model. Special attention is devoted to the increased regularity in the Alhassid-Whelan semiregular arc inside the symmetry triangle. Significant changes in properties of classical trajectories therein are found to accompany the strong bunching of levels in the 0⁺ spectrum. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

超快光谱技术及其在凝聚态物理研究中的应用

近年来备受关注的超快光谱技术拥有诸多特色,例如极高的时间分辨率,丰富的光与物质的非线性相互作用,可以用光子相干地调控物质的量子态,其衍生和嫁接技术带来许多凝聚态物理实验技术的变革等等.文章介绍了超快光谱技术的一般原理、时间分辨的技术实现和典型构型,并通过具体实例来展示该实验手段在凝聚态物理研究中的应用.     

Wetting phase transitions and critical phenomena in condensed matter

Equilibrium wetting phase transitions and critical phenomena are discussed from a phenomenological point of view. The ubiquitous character of the wetting phase transition is illustrated through its occurrence in a variety of condensed matter systems, ranging from classical fluids to superconductors and Bose-Einstein condensates. The intriguing behaviour of the three-phase contact line and its line tension, at wetting, is an example of a fundamental problem in this field on which much progress has been made.     

Long-range power-law correlations in condensed matter physics and biophysics

We discuss the appearance of long-range power-law correlations in various systems of interest to condensed matter physicists and biophysicists, with emphasis on the recent discovery of long-range correlations in DNA sequences that contain non-coding regions.