Strong low-energy rattling modes enabled liquid-like ultralow thermal conductivity in a well-ordered solid

Liu, P.-F.*; Li, X.*; Li, J.*; Zhu, J.*; Tong, Z.*; 古府 麻衣子*; 楡井 真実; Xu, J.*; Yin, W.*; Wang, F.*; et al.

National Science Review, 11(12), p.nwae216_1 - nwae216_10, 2024/12

https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwae216

Crystalline solids exhibiting inherently low lattice thermal conductivity () are of great importance in applications such as thermoelectrics and thermal barrier coatings. However, cannot be arbitrarily low and is limited by the minimum thermal conductivity related to phonon dispersions. In this work, we report the liquid-like thermal transport in a well-ordered crystalline CsAgTe, which exhibits an extremely low value of 0.18 WmK. On the basis of first-principles calculations and inelastic neutron scattering measurements, we find that there are lots of low-lying optical phonon modes at 3.1 meV hosting the avoided-crossing behavior with acoustic phonons. These strongly localized modes are accompanied by weakly bound rattling Ag atoms with thermally induced large amplitudes of vibrations. Using the two-channel model, we demonstrate that coupling of the particle-like phonon modes and the heat-carrying wave-like phonons is essential for understanding the low , which is heavily deviated from the temperature dependence of the standard Peierls theory. In addition, our analysis indicates that the soft structural framework with liquid-like motions of the fluctuating Ag atoms is the underlying cause that leads to the suppression of the heat conduction in CsAgTe. These factors synergistically account for the ultralow value. Our results demonstrate that the liquid-like heat transfer could indeed exist in a well-ordered crystal.

Anomalous dislocation response to deformation strain in CrFeCoNiPd high-entropy alloys with nanoscale chemical fluctuations

Ying, H.*; Yang, X.*; He, H.*; Yan, A.*; An, K.*; Ke, Y.*; Wu, Z.*; Tang, S.*; Zhang, Z.*; Dong, H.*; et al.

Scripta Materialia, 250, p.116181_1 - 116181_7, 2024/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2024.116181

Nanoscale chemical fluctuations and their effect on the deformation behavior of CrFeCoNi-based high-entropy alloys (HEAs) were investigated using small-angle scattering and in situ neutron diffraction measurements. Small-angle scattering results demonstrated the presence of nano (10 nm) chemical fluctuations in the as-prepared CrFeCoNiPd HEAs, which was attributed to the negative mixing of enthalpy and the significant atomic radius difference between Pd and the constituent elements in the CrFeCoNi-based alloys. Subsequent tensile tests demonstrated that the yield and tensile strengths of the as-prepared CrFeCoNiPd HEA surpass those of the as-prepared CrMnFeCoNi HEA. Neutron diffraction data analysis revealed an anomalous response of dislocation evolution with the strain.

Chiral Dirac fermion in a collinear antiferromagnet

Zhang, A.*; Deng, K.*; Sheng, J.*; Liu, P.*; Kumar, S.*; 島田 賢也*; Jiang, Z.*; Liu, Z.*; Shen, D.*; Li, J.*; et al.

Chinese Physics Letters, 40(12), p.126101_1 - 126101_8, 2023/12

https://doi.org/10.1088/0256-307X/40/12/126101

In a Dirac semimetal, the massless Dirac fermion has zero chirality, leading to surface states connected adiabatically to a topologically trivial surface state as well as vanishing anomalous Hall effect. Recently, itis predicted that in the nonrelativistic limit of certain collinear antiferromagnets, there exists a type of chiral "Dirac-like" fermion, whose dispersion manifests four-fold degenerate crossing points formed by spin-degenerate linear bands, with topologically protected Fermi arcs. Here, by combining with neutron diffraction and first-principles calculations, we suggest a multidomain collinear antiferromagnetic configuration, rendering the existence of the Fermi-arc surface states induced by chiral Dirac-like fermions.

A One-third magnetization plateau phase as evidence for the Kitaev interaction in a honeycomb-lattice antiferromagnet

Shangguan, Y.*; Bao, S.*; Dong, Z.-Y.*; Xi, N.*; Gao, Y.-P.*; Ma, Z.*; Wang, W.*; Qi, Z.*; Zhang, S.*; Huang, Z.*; et al.

Nature Physics, 19(12), p.1883 - 1889, 2023/09

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-023-02212-2

The magnetization of a quantum magnet can be pinned at a fraction of its saturated value by collective effects. One example of such a plateau phase is found in spin-1/2 triangular-lattice antiferromagnets. They feature strong geometrical frustration and the plateau phase therein is often interpreted as arising from an order-by-disorder mechanism driven by quantum fluctuations. Here we observe a one-third magnetization plateau under an applied magnetic field in the spin-1 antiferromagnet NaNiBiO with a honeycomb lattice, which, with conventional magnetic interactions, would not be geometrically frustrated. Based on our elastic neutron scattering measurements, we propose the spin structure of the plateau phase to be an unusual partial spin-flop ferrimagnetic order. Our theoretical calculations indicate that bond-anisotropic Kitaev interactions are the source of frustration that produces the plateau. These results suggest that Kitaev interactions provide a different route to frustration and phases driven by quantum fluctuations in high-spin magnets.

First observation of the decay of the 13/2 isomer in Hg and (2) systematics of neutron transitions across the nuclear chart

Huang, H.*; Zhang, W. Q.*; Andreyev, A. N.; Liu, Z.*; Seweryniak, D.*; Li, Z. H.*; Guo, C. Y.*; Barzakh, A. E.*; Van Duppen, P.*; Andel, B.*; et al.

Physics Letters B, 833, p.137345_1 - 137345_8, 2022/10

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2022.137345

The decay of the 13/2 isomeric state in Hg was observed for the first time following the decay of the 13/2 isomer in Pb produced in the NdCr reaction. Using - delayed coincidence measurements, the half-life of this isomer was measured to be 290(30) s. This isomer is proposed to deexcite by an unobserved low-energy 2 transition to the known 9/2 member of a strongly prolate-deformed 7/2[514] band, followed by a 105-keV 1 transition to the bandhead. A lower limit of B(2)0.018 W.u. was deduced for the unobserved transition. The presumed retardation is proposed to be due to the notable shape change between the initial, nearly spherical, and the final, strongly deformed, states. A similar scenario is also considered for the 13/2 isomer in Hg, suggesting both are cases of shape isomers. The B(2) systematics of neutron transitions across the nuclear chart is discussed.

Micro- to nano-scale areal heterogeneity in pore structure and mineral compositions of a sub-decimeter-sized Eagle Ford Shale

Wang, Q.*; Hu, Q.*; Zhao, C.*; Yang, X.*; Zhang, T.*; Ilavsky, J.*; Kuzmenko, I.*; Ma, B.*; 舘 幸男

International Journal of Coal Geology, 261, p.104093_1 - 104093_15, 2022/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coal.2022.104093

To understanding the spatial heterogeneity of mineral and pore structure variations in fine-grained shale, microscale X-ray fluorescence (micro-XRF) mapping, (ultra-) small-angle X-ray scattering [(U)SAXS] and wide-angle X-ray scattering were applied for two samples from a piece of Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas. Thin section petrography and field emission-scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), total organic carbon, and pyrolysis were also utilized to investigate the potential spatial heterogeneity of pore types, mineral and organic matter compositions for both samples. Overall, the siliceous-carbonate mineral contents in these carbonate-rich Eagle Ford Shale vary between laminations at mm scales. By analyzing six selected sub-samples on each of two samples with X-ray scattering and XRD techniques, nm-sized pores are mainly interparticle ones in the higher calcite regions, where the porosity is also relatively lower, while the lower calcite regions consist of both interparticle and intraparticle pore types with higher porosity. Finally, the micro-XRF and (U)SAXS are combined to generate porosity distribution maps to provide more insights about its heterogeneity related to the laminations and fractures at our observational scales.

Transport model comparison studies of intermediate-energy heavy-ion collisions

Walter, H.*; Colonna, M.*; Cozma, D.*; Danielewicz, P.*; Ko, C. M.*; Kumar, R.*; 小野 章*; Tsang, M. Y. B*; Xu, J.*; Zhang, Y.-X.*; et al.

Progress in Particle and Nuclear Physics, 125, p.103962_1 - 103962_90, 2022/07

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppnp.2022.103962

原子核-原子核衝突や原子核の状態方程式の研究において、反応計算モデルは重要なツールとなり、世界中で開発が進んでいる。本論文は、原子力機構のJQMD-2.0を含め、現在開発中の複数のコード開発者の協力により、これらコードを同じ条件で比較することで共通点や差異を明らかにしたプロジェクトTransport Model Evaluation Project (TMEP)を総括したものである。参加したコードはBoltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck(BUU)法に基づく13のコードと、Quantum Molecular Dynamics (QMD)法に基づく12のコードであった。プロジェクトでは、Au原子核同士を衝突させてその終状態を観測する現実的な計算や、一辺が640nmの箱に核子を詰めて時間発展させる仮想的な計算を行った。その結果、BUU法コードとQMD法コードは計算原理が異なるため、計算の設定に関係なく系統的な差異が生じることが明らかになった。その一方で、同じ方法を採用するコード間の比較では、時間発展を細かく計算することでコード間の差は埋まっていき、一定の収束値を持つことが示された。この結果は今後開発される同分野のコードのベンチマークデータとして有用なものであるだけでなく、原子核基礎物理学の実験や理論研究の標準的な指針としても役に立つことが期待される。

Structure of an aqueous RbCl solution in the gigapascal pressure range by neutron diffraction combined with empirical potential structure refinement modeling

Zhang, W. Q.*; 山口 敏男*; Fang, C. H.*; 吉田 亨次*; Zhou, Y. Q.*; Zhu, F. Y.*; 町田 真一*; 服部 高典; Li, W.*

Journal of Molecular Liquids, 348, p.118080_1 - 118080_11, 2022/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2021.118080

3mol/kgのRbCl水溶液におけるイオンの水和・会合と水素結合した水の構造を、298K/0.1MPa, 298K/1GPa, 523K/1GPa, 523K/4GPaにおける中性子回折と経験的ポテンシャル構造精密化モデリングにより調べた。その結果、構造パラメータは温度と圧力に依存していることがわかった。高圧・高温条件では、RbとClの第二水和層がより明確になる。第一水和層におけるRbの平均酸素配位数は、配位距離を0.290nmから0.288nmに縮めながら、常圧では6.3だったのが、4GPaでは8.9に増加した。第一水和シェルのClの平均酸素配位数は、常圧で5.9、4GPaで9.1と圧力により増加し、対応する配位距離は0.322nmから0.314nmへと減少した。Rbと中心の水分子の第一溶媒和シェルにおける水双極子の配向は圧力に敏感であるが、Clの第一溶媒和シェルにおける水双極子の配向は温度圧力によらずあまり変化しなかった。Rb-Clの隣接イオンペアの数は、温度が高くなると減少し、圧力が高くなると増加する。水分子は密に詰まっており、極限状態では水分子の四面体水素結合ネットワークはもはや存在しない。

Coordination number regulation of molybdenum single-atom nanozyme peroxidase-like specificity

Wang, Y.*; Jia, G.*; Cui, X.*; Zhao, X.*; Zhang, Q.*; Gu, L.*; Zheng, L.*; Li, L. H.*; Wu, Q.*; Singh, D. J.*; et al.

Chem, 7(2), p.436 - 449, 2021/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chempr.2020.10.023

Nanozymes are promising alternatives to natural enzymes, but their use remains limited owing to poor specificity. Overcoming this is extremely challenging due to the intrinsic structural complexity of these systems. We report theoretical design and experimental realization of a series of heterogeneous molybdenum single-atom nanozymes (named Mo-N-C), wherein we find that the peroxidase-like specificity is well regulated by the coordination numbers of single Mo sites. The resulting Mo-N-C catalyst shows exclusive peroxidase-like behavior. It achieves this behavior via a homolytic pathway, whereas Mo-N-C and Mo-N-C catalysts have a different heterolytic pathway. The mechanism of this coordination-number-dependent enzymatic specificity is attributed to geometrical structure differences and orientation relationships of the frontier molecular orbitals.

Comparison of heavy-ion transport simulations; Collision integral with pions and resonances in a box

小野 章*; Xu, J.*; Colonna, M.*; Danielewicz, P.*; Ko, C. M.*; Tsang, M. B.*; Wang, Y,-J.*; Wolter, H.*; Zhang, Y.-X.*; Chen, L.-W.*; et al.

Physical Review C, 100(4), p.044617_1 - 044617_35, 2019/10

AA2019-0025.pdf:2.76MB

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.100.044617

2017年4月に開催された国際会議Transport2017において、重イオン核反応モデルの国際的な比較が議論された。重イオン加速器の安全評価や宇宙飛行士の被ばく評価等で重要な役割を果たすため、世界中で重イオン核反応の様々な理論モデルが開発されている。本研究では、辺の長さが20fmの直方体に320個の中性子と陽子をランダム配置し、それらが70fm/cの間に起こす散乱の回数やエネルギーを計算した。ここでは、特にパイオンやその前駆体であるデルタ共鳴の生成に注目して比較を行った。参加コードは、個々の粒子の時間発展を追うQMD型コードと、粒子の位置や運動量の確率分布を決めておき、散乱や崩壊が発生したときそれらを乱数サンプリングするBUU型コードがあり、発表者が用いたJQMDは前者に属する。本研究により、計算における時間刻みが各コードによる結果の差の主な原因であることが分かった。さらに、今後のJQMDの改良方針の策定に有益な知見を得ることができた。