Showing 1–50 of 102 results for author: Zhong, H

In-orbit Test of the Weak Equivalence Principle with Atom Interferometry

Authors: Dan-Fang Zhang, Jing-Ting Li, Wen-Zhang Wang, Wei-Hao Xu, Jia-Yi Wei, Xiao Li, Yi-Bo Wang, Dong-Feng Gao, Jia-Qi Zhong, Biao Tang, Lin Zhou, Run-Bing Li, Huan-Yao Sun, Qun-Feng Chen, Lei Qin, Mei-zhen An, Zong-Feng Li, Shu-Quan Wang, Xiao-Xiao Guo, Yao Tian, Xi-He Yu, Hong-En Zhong, Xi Chen, Jin Wang, Ming-Sheng Zhan

Abstract: The Weak Equivalence Principle (WEP) is a central pillar of general relativity. Its precise test with quantum systems in space offers a unique window onto new physics. Here we report the first in-orbit quantum test of the WEP. A dual-species (85Rb/87Rb) atom interferometer is realized aboard the China Space Station. Methods of platform motion suppression, fluorescence detection switching, and two-… ▽ More The Weak Equivalence Principle (WEP) is a central pillar of general relativity. Its precise test with quantum systems in space offers a unique window onto new physics. Here we report the first in-orbit quantum test of the WEP. A dual-species (85Rb/87Rb) atom interferometer is realized aboard the China Space Station. Methods of platform motion suppression, fluorescence detection switching, and two-photon detuning switching are developed to eliminate phase noise and improve measurement accuracy. A test uncertainty of 2.8*10-8 is obtained from 280 days of WEP test data, and a test result of (-3.1+/-4.6)*10-7 is achieved after error estimation. This improves prior atom-interferometric WEP tests in microgravity by three orders of magnitude. This work paves the way for space-borne quantum inertial sensors and their application to future fundamental physics in space. △ Less

Submitted 24 March, 2026; originally announced March 2026.

Comments: 22 pages,6 figures

The Super Fine-Grained Detector for the T2K neutrino oscillation experiment

Authors: S. Abe, H. Alarakia-Charles, I. Alekseev, T. Arai, T. Arihara, S. Arimoto, A. M. Artikov, Y. Awataguchi, N. Babu, V. Baranov, G. Barr, D. Barrow, L. Bartoszek, A. Beliakova, L. Bernardi, L. Berns, S. Bhattacharjee, A. V. Boikov, A. Blondel, A. Bonnemaison, F. Cadoux, S. Cap, A. Cauchois, J. Chakrani, P. S. Chong , et al. (147 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The magnetised near detector ND280 of the long-baseline neutrino experiment T2K has been upgraded to improve its detection performance and, consequently, enhance our understanding of neutrino-nucleus interactions, reducing the systematic uncertainties in measurements of the neutrino oscillation parameters. A key component of the upgrade is a novel segmented plastic scintillator detector, called th… ▽ More The magnetised near detector ND280 of the long-baseline neutrino experiment T2K has been upgraded to improve its detection performance and, consequently, enhance our understanding of neutrino-nucleus interactions, reducing the systematic uncertainties in measurements of the neutrino oscillation parameters. A key component of the upgrade is a novel segmented plastic scintillator detector, called the Super Fine-Grained Detector (SuperFGD), made of approximately 2 million optically isolated 1 cm$^3$ cubes read out by three orthogonal wavelength-shifting (WLS) fibres. Scintillation photons are detected by 55,888 Hamamatsu Multi-Pixel Photon Counters (MPPCs). The SuperFGD provides 3D images of neutrino interactions by tracking the final-state charged particles produced isotropically, including protons down to a threshold of around 330 MeV/$c$. The high light yield of SuperFGD greatly improves particle identification and the sub-nanosecond time resolution provides an excellent identification of Michel electrons. The SuperFGD is also able to detect neutrons from neutrino interactions and, for the first time in a neutrino experiment, to reconstruct their kinetic energy using a fine detector segmentation and by measuring the time-of-flight with sub-nanosecond precision. In this article the details of the detector design, construction and performance are described. The detector was installed in ND280 and successfully commissioned with cosmic data in 2023 and, later, with the T2K neutrino beam. The detector response has been characterised with the 2023 and 2024 data and the results are reported in this article. △ Less

Submitted 16 March, 2026; originally announced March 2026.

Twisted superconducting quantum diodes: Towards anharmonicity and high fidelity

Authors: Han Zhong, Denis Kochan, Igor Zutic, Yingying Wu

Abstract: As quantum technologies advance, a fundamental challenge is mitigating noise and backscattering in superconducting circuits to achieve scalable, high-fidelity operations. Conventional superconducting components lack directionality, causing energy loss and decoherence. Superconducting diodes, that allow dissipationless current in one direction and resistive flow in the other, offer a potential reme… ▽ More As quantum technologies advance, a fundamental challenge is mitigating noise and backscattering in superconducting circuits to achieve scalable, high-fidelity operations. Conventional superconducting components lack directionality, causing energy loss and decoherence. Superconducting diodes, that allow dissipationless current in one direction and resistive flow in the other, offer a potential remedy, yet their efficiency and quantum integration remain limited. Here, we realize a quantum diode in twisted NbSe2 bilayers under in-plane and out-of-plane magnetic fields. A mere 1 degree twist yields an efficiency enhancement over pristine devices, reaching 27.6 percent. Quantum simulations reveal that this intermediate efficiency, well below 100 percent ideal, is both experimentally practical and optimal for preserving qubit anharmonicity and stabilizing two-level systems. These findings show that maximal rectification is not always beneficial for quantum information, establishing a new principle for designing the fundamental properties of twisted superconductors towards low-power, high-fidelity quantum circuits. △ Less

Submitted 22 October, 2025; originally announced October 2025.

Comments: 15 pages, 4 figures

High harmonic generation light source with polarization selectivity and sub-100-$μ$m beam size for time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy

Authors: Haoyuan Zhong, Xuanxi Cai, Changhua Bao, Fei Wang, Tianyun Lin, Yudong Chen, Sainan Peng, Lin Tang, Chen Gu, Zhensheng Tao, Hongyun Zhang, Shuyun Zhou

Abstract: High-quality ultrafast light sources are critical for developing advanced time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (TrARPES). While the application of high harmonic generation (HHG) light sources in TrARPES has increased significantly over the past decade, the optimization of the HHG probe beam size and selective control of the light polarization, which are important for TrARPES measure… ▽ More High-quality ultrafast light sources are critical for developing advanced time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (TrARPES). While the application of high harmonic generation (HHG) light sources in TrARPES has increased significantly over the past decade, the optimization of the HHG probe beam size and selective control of the light polarization, which are important for TrARPES measurements, have been rarely explored. In this work, we report the implementation of high-quality HHG probe source with an optimum beam size down to 57 $μ$m $\times$ 90 $μ$m and selective light polarization control, together with mid-infrared (MIR) pumping source for TrARPES measurements using a 10 kHz amplifier laser. The selective polarization control of the HHG probe source allows to enhance bands with different orbital contributions or symmetries, as demonstrated by experimental data measured on a few representative transition metal dichalcogenide materials (TMDCs) as well as topological insulator Bi$_2$Se$_3$. Furthermore, by combining the HHG probe source with MIR pumping at 2 $μ$m wavelength, TrARPES on a bilayer graphene shows a time resolution of 140 fs, allowing to distinguish two different relaxation processes in graphene. Such high-quality HHG probe source together with the MIR pumping expands the capability of TrARPES in revealing the ultrafast dynamics and light-induced emerging phenomena in quantum materials. △ Less

Submitted 18 October, 2025; originally announced October 2025.

Comments: 15 pages, 5 figures

Journal ref: Ultrafast Sci. 4, 0063 (2024)

Robust High-Resolution Multi-Organ Diffusion MRI Using Synthetic-Data-Tuned Prompt Learning

Authors: Chen Qian, Haoyu Zhang, Junnan Ma, Liuhong Zhu, Qingrui Cai, Yu Wang, Ruibo Song, Lv Li, Lin Mei, Xianwang Jiang, Qin Xu, Boyu Jiang, Ran Tao, Chunmiao Chen, Shufang Chen, Dongyun Liang, Qiu Guo, Jianzhong Lin, Taishan Kang, Mengtian Lu, Liyuan Fu, Ruibin Huang, Huijuan Wan, Xu Huang, Jianhua Wang , et al. (4 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Clinical adoption of multi-shot diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (multi-shot DWI) for body-wide tumor diagnostics is limited by severe motion-induced phase artifacts from respiration, peristalsis, and so on, compounded by multi-organ, multi-slice, multi-direction and multi-b-value complexities. Here, we introduce a reconstruction framework, LoSP-Prompt, that overcomes these challenges… ▽ More Clinical adoption of multi-shot diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (multi-shot DWI) for body-wide tumor diagnostics is limited by severe motion-induced phase artifacts from respiration, peristalsis, and so on, compounded by multi-organ, multi-slice, multi-direction and multi-b-value complexities. Here, we introduce a reconstruction framework, LoSP-Prompt, that overcomes these challenges through physics-informed modeling and synthetic-data-driven prompt learning. We model inter-shot phase variations as a high-order Locally Smooth Phase (LoSP), integrated into a low-rank Hankel matrix reconstruction. Crucially, the algorithm's rank parameter is automatically set via prompt learning trained exclusively on synthetic abdominal DWI data emulating physiological motion. Validated across 10,000+ clinical images (43 subjects, 4 scanner models, 5 centers), LoSP-Prompt: (1) Achieved twice the spatial resolution of clinical single-shot DWI, enhancing liver lesion conspicuity; (2) Generalized to seven diverse anatomical regions (liver, kidney, sacroiliac, pelvis, knee, spinal cord, brain) with a single model; (3) Outperformed state-of-the-art methods in image quality, artifact suppression, and noise reduction (11 radiologists' evaluations on a 5-point scale, $p<0.05$), achieving 4-5 points (excellent) on kidney DWI, 4 points (good to excellent) on liver, sacroiliac and spinal cord DWI, and 3-4 points (good) on knee and tumor brain. The approach eliminates navigator signals and realistic data supervision, providing an interpretable, robust solution for high-resolution multi-organ multi-shot DWI. Its scanner-agnostic performance signifies transformative potential for precision oncology. △ Less

Submitted 17 October, 2025; originally announced October 2025.

Comments: 43 pages, 27 figures

Introducing a Markov Chain-Based Time Calibration Procedure for Multi-Channel Particle Detectors: Application to the SuperFGD and ToF Detectors of the T2K Experiment

Authors: S. Abe, H. Alarakia-Charles, I. Alekseev, C. Alt, T. Arai, T. Arihara, S. Arimoto, A. M. Artikov, Y. Awataguchi, N. Babu, V. Baranov, G. Barr, D. Barrow, L. Bartoszek, L. Bernardi, L. Berns, S. Bhattacharjee, A. V. Boikov, A. Blanchet, A. Blondel, A. Bonnemaison, S. Bordoni, M. H. Bui, T. H. Bui, F. Cadoux , et al. (168 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Inter-channel mis-synchronisation can be a limiting factor to the time resolution of high performance timing detectors with multiple readout channels and independent electronics units. In these systems, time calibration methods employed must be able to efficiently correct for minimal mis-synchronisation between channels and achieve the best detector performance. We present an iterative time calibr… ▽ More Inter-channel mis-synchronisation can be a limiting factor to the time resolution of high performance timing detectors with multiple readout channels and independent electronics units. In these systems, time calibration methods employed must be able to efficiently correct for minimal mis-synchronisation between channels and achieve the best detector performance. We present an iterative time calibration method based on Markov Chains, suitable for detector systems with multiple readout channels. Starting from correlated hit pairs alone, and without requiring an external reference time measurement, the method solves for fixed per-channel offsets, with precision limited only by the intrinsic single-channel resolution. A mathematical proof that the method is able to find the correct time offsets to be assigned to each detector channel in order to achieve inter-channel synchronisation is given, and it is shown that the number of iterations to reach convergence within the desired precision is controllable with a single parameter. Numerical studies are used to confirm unbiased recovery of true offsets. Finally, the application of the calibration method to the Super Fine-Grained Detector (SuperFGD) and the Time of Flight (TOF) detector at the upgraded T2K near detector (ND280) shows good improvement in overall timing resolution, demonstrating the effectiveness in a real-world scenario and scalability. △ Less

Submitted 19 September, 2025; v1 submitted 11 August, 2025; originally announced August 2025.

Comments: 25 pages, 17 figures - Small improvement of plots aesthetics after JINST minor revision

Water Heterostructure Photodetector for Calculation of Semiconductor Minority Carrier Lifetime

Authors: Can Wang, Renyu Yang, Huikai Zhong, Mingjia Zhi, Shisheng Lin

Abstract: The minority carrier lifetime of semiconductor materials is a crucial performance parameter for optoelectronic devices. However, the existing minority carrier lifetime measurement techniques necessitate delicate optical measurement systems and harmful treatment of the samples, which will definitely cause great constraints on the further development of the semiconductor industry. Here, an off-junct… ▽ More The minority carrier lifetime of semiconductor materials is a crucial performance parameter for optoelectronic devices. However, the existing minority carrier lifetime measurement techniques necessitate delicate optical measurement systems and harmful treatment of the samples, which will definitely cause great constraints on the further development of the semiconductor industry. Here, an off-junction graphene/water/silicon photodetector is realized based on the charming dynamic polarization process of water molecules at the water/silicon and water/graphene interface, which shows a typical responsivity and detectivity of 36.55 mA W-1 and 1.62*1012 Jones respectively under 890 nm illumination with a distance of 0.2 cm away from the junction. This pulse-like photo-response arises from the diffusion and drift current toward the water/silicon interface generated by the illumination on an off-junction spot. Furthermore, by measuring the photo-current at a different distance from the junction combined with an exponential fitting method, the minority carrier lifetime calculation of silicon can be performed with the maximum accuracy rate reaches 98.8%, where water plays the key role of deducing the carrier lifetime. This study provides a straightforward method that paves the way for future minority carrier lifetime tests of semiconductor materials, which hold great potential for developing the nondestructive tests(NDT) in semiconductor industry. △ Less

Submitted 26 July, 2025; originally announced July 2025.

Electron Acceleration via Trapping inside Ion Mirror-mode Structures within A Large-scale Magnetic Flux Rope

Authors: Z. H. Zhong, H. Zhang, M. Zhou, D. B. Graham, R. X. Tang, X. H. Deng, Yu. V. Khotyaintsev

Abstract: Fermi acceleration is believed as a crucial process for the acceleration of energetic electrons within flux ropes (FRs) during magnetic reconnection. However, in finite-length FRs with a large core field, the finite contracting and the escaping of electrons along the axis can significantly limit the efficiency of Fermi acceleration. Using observations from the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission in… ▽ More Fermi acceleration is believed as a crucial process for the acceleration of energetic electrons within flux ropes (FRs) during magnetic reconnection. However, in finite-length FRs with a large core field, the finite contracting and the escaping of electrons along the axis can significantly limit the efficiency of Fermi acceleration. Using observations from the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission in the magnetotail, we demonstrate that magnetic mirror structures inside the FR can effectively prevent the escape of energetic electrons and overcome the limitation of finite contraction. Energetic electrons were produced and formed a power-law energy distribution in these mirror structures. By evaluating the acceleration rates, we show that these energetic electrons can be continuously accelerated within the mirror structures near the central region of the FR. These results unveil a novel mechanism that is universally applicable to electron acceleration within FRs in space, laboratory, and astrophysical plasmas. △ Less

Submitted 11 June, 2025; originally announced June 2025.

Comments: 4 figures

First measurement of neutron capture multiplicity in neutrino-oxygen neutral-current quasi-elastic-like interactions using an accelerator neutrino beam

Authors: T2K Collaboration, K. Abe, S. Abe, R. Akutsu, H. Alarakia-Charles, Y. I. Alj Hakim, S. Alonso Monsalve, L. Anthony, M. Antonova, S. Aoki, K. A. Apte, T. Arai, T. Arihara, S. Arimoto, Y. Asada, Y. Ashida, N. Babu, G. Barr, D. Barrow, P. Bates, M. Batkiewicz-Kwasniak, V. Berardi, L. Berns, S. Bordoni, S. B. Boyd , et al. (314 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We report the first measurement of neutron capture multiplicity in neutrino-oxygen neutral-current quasi-elastic-like interactions at the gadolinium-loaded Super-Kamiokande detector using the T2K neutrino beam, which has a peak energy of about 0.6 GeV. A total of 30 neutral-current quasi-elastic-like event candidates were selected from T2K data corresponding to an exposure of $1.76\times10^{20}$ p… ▽ More We report the first measurement of neutron capture multiplicity in neutrino-oxygen neutral-current quasi-elastic-like interactions at the gadolinium-loaded Super-Kamiokande detector using the T2K neutrino beam, which has a peak energy of about 0.6 GeV. A total of 30 neutral-current quasi-elastic-like event candidates were selected from T2K data corresponding to an exposure of $1.76\times10^{20}$ protons on target. The $γ$ ray signals resulting from neutron captures were identified using a neural network. The flux-averaged mean neutron capture multiplicity was measured to be $1.37\pm0.33\text{ (stat.)}$$^{+0.17}_{-0.27}\text{ (syst.)}$, which is compatible within $2.3\,σ$ than predictions obtained using our nominal simulation. We discuss potential sources of systematic uncertainty in the prediction and demonstrate that a significant portion of this discrepancy arises from the modeling of hadron-nucleus interactions in the detector medium. △ Less

Submitted 30 May, 2025; v1 submitted 28 May, 2025; originally announced May 2025.

Comments: 27 pages, 20 figures

Thermal Conductivity above 2000 W/m.K in Boron Arsenide by Nanosecond Transducer-less Time-Domain Thermoreflectance

Authors: Hong Zhong, Ying Peng, Feng Lin, Ange Benise Niyikiza, Fengjiao Pan, Chengzhen Qin, Jinghong Chen, Viktor G. Hadjiev, Liangzi Deng, Zhifeng Ren, Jiming Bao

Abstract: Cubic boron arsenide (c-BAs) has been theoretically predicted to exhibit thermal conductivity \k{appa} comparable to that of diamond, yet experimental measurements have plateaued at ~1300W/mK. We report room-temperature \k{appa} exceeding 2000W/mK in c-BAs, on par with single-crystal diamond. This finding is enabled by high-quality single crystals and a newly developed nanosecond, transducer-less… ▽ More Cubic boron arsenide (c-BAs) has been theoretically predicted to exhibit thermal conductivity \k{appa} comparable to that of diamond, yet experimental measurements have plateaued at ~1300W/mK. We report room-temperature \k{appa} exceeding 2000W/mK in c-BAs, on par with single-crystal diamond. This finding is enabled by high-quality single crystals and a newly developed nanosecond, transducer-less time-domain thermoreflectance technique that allows spatial mapping of \k{appa} without metal transducers. Thermal conductivity correlates with crystal quality, as evidenced by stronger photoluminescence and longer photoluminescence lifetimes. However, the observed nanosecond lifetimes remain shorter than expected for an indirect bandgap semiconductor, suggesting room for further crystal quality improvement and higher \k{appa}. These results challenge current theoretical models and highlight c-BAs as a promising material for next-generation electronics. △ Less

Submitted 23 May, 2025; originally announced May 2025.

Comments: 14 pages, 4 figures

Laser, Vacuum, and Gas Reaction Chamber for Operando Measurements at NSLS-II's 28-ID-2

Authors: Lauren Y. Moghimi, Patrik Johansson, Subhechchha Paul, Yifan Wang, Sara Irvine, Remington Graham, Zane Taylor, Angel A. Martinez, John T. Markert, John Trunk, Hui Zhong, Jianming Bai, Sanjit Ghose, Leora Dresselhaus-Marais

Abstract: We present a laser reaction chamber that we developed for in-situ/operando X-ray diffraction measurements at the NSLS-II 28-ID-2 XPD (X-Ray Powder Diffraction) beamline. This chamber allows for rapid and dynamic sample heating under specialized gas environments, spanning ambient conditions down to vacuum pressures. We demonstrate the capabilities of this setup through two applications: laser-drive… ▽ More We present a laser reaction chamber that we developed for in-situ/operando X-ray diffraction measurements at the NSLS-II 28-ID-2 XPD (X-Ray Powder Diffraction) beamline. This chamber allows for rapid and dynamic sample heating under specialized gas environments, spanning ambient conditions down to vacuum pressures. We demonstrate the capabilities of this setup through two applications: laser-driven heating in polycrystalline iron oxide and in single crystal WTe2. Our measurements reveal the ability to resolve chemical reaction kinetics over minutes with 1-s time resolution. This setup advances opportunities for in-situ/operando XRD studies in both bulk and single crystal materials. △ Less

Submitted 15 May, 2025; originally announced May 2025.

Alcohol induced surface charging of colloidal quantum dots for controllable electrophoretic deposition processing

Authors: Jiaming Su, Kai Gu, Qingchen Wang, Kaiying Min, Zhiyuan Gao, Haizheng Zhong

Abstract: In this work, we report an alcohol-induced surface charging route of colloidal QDs to achieve controllable electrophoretic deposition processing. By adding a fixed amounts of alcohols into a preformed quantum dots solution in non-polar solvents, the colloidal quantum dots can be positively charged, and then deposited on negative electrode under applied electric field. The surface charging of PbSe… ▽ More In this work, we report an alcohol-induced surface charging route of colloidal QDs to achieve controllable electrophoretic deposition processing. By adding a fixed amounts of alcohols into a preformed quantum dots solution in non-polar solvents, the colloidal quantum dots can be positively charged, and then deposited on negative electrode under applied electric field. The surface charging of PbSe quantum dots was investigated by zeta potential, nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and discrete Fourier transform calculations. It was found that the zeta potential of oleate acid capped PbSe QDs increases from +1.6 mV to +13.4 mV with the amount of alcohol solvent increasing. The alcohol-induced zeta potential increasing can be explained to the electron cloud shift of active hydrogen mediated by intermolecular hydrogen bonds between carboxy acid and alcohol. Considering the influence of surface charging of quantum dots on their dispersibility, we describe the microscopic mechanism of alcohol-induced electrophoretic deposition processing. Furthermore, we developed a size-selective separation protocol by controlling alcohol-induced electrophoretic deposition processing. △ Less

Submitted 12 May, 2025; originally announced May 2025.

Three-dimensional imaging of individual carbon atoms

Authors: Na Yeon Kim, Hanfeng Zhong, Jianhua Zhang, Colum M. O'Leary, Yuxuan Liao, Ji Zou, Haozhi Sha, Minh Pham, Weiyi Li, Yakun Yuan, Ji-Hoon Park, Dennis Kim, Huaidong Jiang, Jing Kong, Miaofang Chi, Jianwei Miao

Abstract: Carbon is fundamental to science and technology due to its diverse bonding configurations, structural versatility, and essential role in defining the mechanical, chemical, electronic, and quantum properties of materials. However, direct three-dimensional (3D) imaging of individual carbon atoms remains a long-standing challenge. Here, we use twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) as a model system and demo… ▽ More Carbon is fundamental to science and technology due to its diverse bonding configurations, structural versatility, and essential role in defining the mechanical, chemical, electronic, and quantum properties of materials. However, direct three-dimensional (3D) imaging of individual carbon atoms remains a long-standing challenge. Here, we use twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) as a model system and demonstrate ptychographic atomic electron tomography (pAET) for determining the 3D atomic coordinates of individual carbon atoms with a precision of 0.11 angstrom. The resulting 3D atomic model uncovers chiral lattice distortions driven by van der Waals interactions that exhibit meron-like and skyrmion-like structural textures. These findings provide direct insight into the interplay between 3D chiral lattice deformation and electronic properties in moire-engineered carbon systems. Beyond TBG, pAET offers a versatile approach for 3D atomic-scale imaging of carbon-based and other light-element materials that are central to advances in physics, chemistry, materials science, and nanotechnology. △ Less

Submitted 3 January, 2026; v1 submitted 10 April, 2025; originally announced April 2025.

Neutron multiplicity measurement in muon capture on oxygen nuclei in the Gd-loaded Super-Kamiokande detector

Authors: The Super-Kamiokande Collaboration, :, S. Miki, K. Abe, S. Abe, Y. Asaoka, C. Bronner, M. Harada, Y. Hayato, K. Hiraide, K. Hosokawa, K. Ieki, M. Ikeda, J. Kameda, Y. Kanemura, R. Kaneshima, Y. Kashiwagi, Y. Kataoka, S. Mine, M. Miura, S. Moriyama, M. Nakahata, S. Nakayama, Y. Noguchi, K. Okamoto , et al. (265 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: In recent neutrino detectors, neutrons produced in neutrino reactions play an important role. Muon capture on oxygen nuclei is one of the processes that produce neutrons in water Cherenkov detectors. We measured neutron multiplicity in the process using cosmic ray muons that stop in the gadolinium-loaded Super-Kamiokande detector. For this measurement, neutron detection efficiency is obtained with… ▽ More In recent neutrino detectors, neutrons produced in neutrino reactions play an important role. Muon capture on oxygen nuclei is one of the processes that produce neutrons in water Cherenkov detectors. We measured neutron multiplicity in the process using cosmic ray muons that stop in the gadolinium-loaded Super-Kamiokande detector. For this measurement, neutron detection efficiency is obtained with the muon capture events followed by gamma rays to be $50.2^{+2.0}_{-2.1}\%$. By fitting the observed multiplicity considering the detection efficiency, we measure neutron multiplicity in muon capture as $P(0)=24\pm3\%$, $P(1)=70^{+3}_{-2}\%$, $P(2)=6.1\pm0.5\%$, $P(3)=0.38\pm0.09\%$. This is the first measurement of the multiplicity of neutrons associated with muon capture on oxygen without neutron energy threshold. △ Less

Submitted 31 January, 2026; v1 submitted 24 February, 2025; originally announced February 2025.

Floquet-Volkov interference in a semiconductor

Authors: Changhua Bao, Haoyuan Zhong, Benshu Fan, Xuanxi Cai, Fei Wang, Shaohua Zhou, Tianyun Lin, Hongyun Zhang, Pu Yu, Peizhe Tang, Wenhui Duan, Shuyun Zhou

Abstract: Intense light-field can dress both Bloch electrons inside crystals and photo-emitted free electrons in the vacuum, dubbed as Floquet and Volkov states respectively. These quantum states can further interfere coherently, modulating light-field dressed states. Here, we report experimental evidence of the Floquet-Volkov interference in a semiconductor - black phosphorus. A highly asymmetric modulatio… ▽ More Intense light-field can dress both Bloch electrons inside crystals and photo-emitted free electrons in the vacuum, dubbed as Floquet and Volkov states respectively. These quantum states can further interfere coherently, modulating light-field dressed states. Here, we report experimental evidence of the Floquet-Volkov interference in a semiconductor - black phosphorus. A highly asymmetric modulation of the spectral weight is observed for the Floquet-Volkov states, and such asymmetry can be further controlled by rotating the pump polarization. Our work reveals the quantum interference between different light-field dressed electronic states, providing insights for material engineering on the ultrafast timescale. △ Less

Submitted 11 February, 2025; originally announced February 2025.

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. B 111, L081106 (2025)

AI-Enabled Rapid Assembly of Thousands of Defect-Free Neutral Atom Arrays with Constant-time-overhead

Authors: Rui Lin, Han-Sen Zhong, You Li, Zhang-Rui Zhao, Le-Tian Zheng, Tai-Ran Hu, Hong-Ming Wu, Zhan Wu, Wei-Jie Ma, Yan Gao, Yi-Kang Zhu, Zhao-Feng Su, Wan-Li Ouyang, Yu-Chen Zhang, Jun Rui, Ming-Cheng Chen, Chao-Yang Lu, Jian-Wei Pan

Abstract: Assembling increasingly larger-scale defect-free optical tweezer-trapped atom arrays is essential for quantum computation and quantum simulations based on atoms. Here, we propose an AI-enabled, rapid, constant-time-overhead rearrangement protocol, and we experimentally assemble defect-free 2D and 3D atom arrays with up to 2024 atoms with a constant time cost of 60 ms. The AI model calculates the h… ▽ More Assembling increasingly larger-scale defect-free optical tweezer-trapped atom arrays is essential for quantum computation and quantum simulations based on atoms. Here, we propose an AI-enabled, rapid, constant-time-overhead rearrangement protocol, and we experimentally assemble defect-free 2D and 3D atom arrays with up to 2024 atoms with a constant time cost of 60 ms. The AI model calculates the holograms for real-time atom rearrangement. With precise controls over both position and phase, a high-speed spatial light modulator moves all the atoms simultaneously. This protocol can be readily used to generate defect-free arrays of tens of thousands of atoms with current technologies, and become a useful toolbox for quantum error correction. △ Less

Submitted 19 December, 2024; originally announced December 2024.

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 060602 (2025)

Deep Learning Models for Colloidal Nanocrystal Synthesis

Authors: Kai Gu, Yingping Liang, Jiaming Su, Peihan Sun, Jia Peng, Naihua Miao, Zhimei Sun, Ying Fu, Haizheng Zhong, Jun Zhang

Abstract: Colloidal synthesis of nanocrystals usually includes complex chemical reactions and multi-step crystallization processes. Despite the great success in the past 30 years, it remains challenging to clarify the correlations between synthetic parameters of chemical reaction and physical properties of nanocrystals. Here, we developed a deep learning-based nanocrystal synthesis model that correlates syn… ▽ More Colloidal synthesis of nanocrystals usually includes complex chemical reactions and multi-step crystallization processes. Despite the great success in the past 30 years, it remains challenging to clarify the correlations between synthetic parameters of chemical reaction and physical properties of nanocrystals. Here, we developed a deep learning-based nanocrystal synthesis model that correlates synthetic parameters with the final size and shape of target nanocrystals, using a dataset of 3500 recipes covering 348 distinct nanocrystal compositions. The size and shape labels were obtained from transmission electron microscope images using a segmentation model trained with a semi-supervised algorithm on a dataset comprising 1.2 million nanocrystals. By applying the reaction intermediate-based data augmentation method and elaborated descriptors, the synthesis model was able to predict nanocrystal's size with a mean absolute error of 1.39 nm, while reaching an 89% average accuracy for shape classification. The synthesis model shows knowledge transfer capabilities across different nanocrystals with inputs of new recipes. With that, the influence of chemicals on the final size of nanocrystals was further evaluated, revealing the importance order of nanocrystal composition, precursor or ligand, and solvent. Overall, the deep learning-based nanocrystal synthesis model offers a powerful tool to expedite the development of high-quality nanocrystals. △ Less

Submitted 14 December, 2024; originally announced December 2024.

Light-induced ultrafast glide-mirror symmetry breaking in black phosphorus

Authors: Changhua Bao, Fei Wang, Haoyuan Zhong, Shaohua Zhou, Tianyun Lin, Hongyun Zhang, Xuanxi Cai, Wenhui Duan, Shuyun Zhou

Abstract: Symmetry breaking plays an important role in fields of physics, ranging from particle physics to condensed matter physics. In solid-state materials, phase transitions are deeply linked to the underlying symmetry breakings, resulting in a rich variety of emergent phases. Such symmetry breakings are often induced by controlling the chemical composition and temperature or applying an electric field a… ▽ More Symmetry breaking plays an important role in fields of physics, ranging from particle physics to condensed matter physics. In solid-state materials, phase transitions are deeply linked to the underlying symmetry breakings, resulting in a rich variety of emergent phases. Such symmetry breakings are often induced by controlling the chemical composition and temperature or applying an electric field and strain, etc. In this work, we demonstrate an ultrafast glide-mirror symmetry breaking in black phosphorus through Floquet engineering. Upon near-resonance pumping, a light-induced full gap opening is observed at the glide-mirror symmetry protected nodal ring, suggesting light-induced breaking of the glide-mirror symmetry. Moreover, the full gap is observed only in the presence of the light-field and disappears almost instantaneously ($\ll$100 fs) when the light-field is turned off, suggesting the ultrafast manipulation of the symmetry and its Floquet engineering origin. This work not only demonstrates light-matter interaction as an effective way to realize ultrafast symmetry breaking in solid-state materials, but also moves forward towards the long-sought Floquet topological phases. △ Less

Submitted 9 December, 2024; originally announced December 2024.

Journal ref: ACS Nano 18, 32038 (2024)

Manipulating the symmetry of photon-dressed electronic states

Authors: Changhua Bao, Michael Schüler, Teng Xiao, Fei Wang, Haoyuan Zhong, Tianyun Lin, Xuanxi Cai, Tianshuang Sheng, Xiao Tang, Hongyun Zhang, Pu Yu, Zhiyuan Sun, Wenhui Duan, Shuyun Zhou

Abstract: Strong light-matter interaction provides opportunities for tailoring the physical properties of quantum materials on the ultrafast timescale by forming photon-dressed electronic states, i.e., Floquet-Bloch states. While the light field can in principle imprint its symmetry properties onto the photon-dressed electronic states, so far, how to experimentally detect and further engineer the symmetry o… ▽ More Strong light-matter interaction provides opportunities for tailoring the physical properties of quantum materials on the ultrafast timescale by forming photon-dressed electronic states, i.e., Floquet-Bloch states. While the light field can in principle imprint its symmetry properties onto the photon-dressed electronic states, so far, how to experimentally detect and further engineer the symmetry of photon-dressed electronic states remains elusive. Here by utilizing time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (TrARPES) with polarization-dependent study, we directly visualize the parity symmetry of Floquet-Bloch states in black phosphorus. The photon-dressed sideband exhibits opposite photoemission intensity to the valence band at the $Γ$ point,suggesting a switch of the parity induced by the light field. Moreover, a "hot spot" with strong intensity confined near $Γ$ is observed, indicating a momentum-dependent modulation beyond the parity switch. Combining with theoretical calculations, we reveal the light-induced engineering of the wave function of the Floquet-Bloch states as a result of the hybridization between the conduction and valence bands with opposite parities, and show that the "hot spot" is intrinsically dictated by the symmetry properties of black phosphorus. Our work suggests TrARPES as a direct probe for the parity of the photon-dressed electronic states with energy- and momentum-resolved information, providing an example for engineering the wave function and symmetry of such photon-dressed electronic states via Floquet engineering. △ Less

Submitted 9 December, 2024; originally announced December 2024.

Journal ref: Nature Communications 15, 10535 (2024)

Quadruply Bonded Mo$_2$ Molecules Acting as an Inborn Emitter-Resonator Quantum System in Free Space

Authors: Miao Meng, Ying Ning Tan, Zi Cong He, Zi Hao Zhong, Jia Zhou, Yu Li Zhou, Guang Yuan Zhu, Chun Y. Liu

Abstract: In recent decades, significant progress has been made in construction and study of individual quantum systems consisting of the basic single matter and energy particles, i.e., atoms and photons, which show great potentials in quantum computation and communication. Here, we demonstrate that the quadruply-bonded Mo$_2$ unit of the complex can trap photons of visible light under ambient conditions, p… ▽ More In recent decades, significant progress has been made in construction and study of individual quantum systems consisting of the basic single matter and energy particles, i.e., atoms and photons, which show great potentials in quantum computation and communication. Here, we demonstrate that the quadruply-bonded Mo$_2$ unit of the complex can trap photons of visible light under ambient conditions, producing intense local electromagnetic (EM) field that features squeezed states, photon antibunching, and vacuum Rabi splitting. Our results show that both the electronic and vibrational states of the Mo$_2$ molecule are modified by coherent coupling with the scattered photons of the Mo$_2$ unit, as evidenced by the Rabi doublet4 and the Mollow triplet in the incoherent resonance fluorescence and the Raman spectra. The Mo$_2$ molecule, acting as an independent emitter-resonator integrated quantum system, allows optical experiments to be conducted in free space, enabling fundamental quantum phenomena to be observed through conventional spectroscopic instrumentation. This provides a new platform for study of field effects and quantum electrodynamics (QED) in the optical domain. The insights gained from this study advance our understanding in metal-metal bond chemistry, molecular physics and quantum optics, with applications in quantum information processing, optoelectronic devices and control of chemical reactivity. △ Less

Submitted 6 April, 2025; v1 submitted 2 December, 2024; originally announced December 2024.

Quantization of Visible Light by a Ni$_2$ Molecular Optical Resonator

Authors: Miao Meng, Ying Ning Tan, Yu Li Zhou, Zi Cong He, Zi Hao Zhong, Jia Zhou, Guang Yuan Zhu, Chun Y. Liu

Abstract: The quantization of an optical field is a frontier in quantum optics with implications for both fundamental science and technological applications. Here, we demonstrate that a dinickel complex (Ni$_2$) traps and quantizes classical visible light, behaving as an individual quantum system or the Jaynes Cummings molecule.The composite system forms through coherently coupling the two level NiNi charge… ▽ More The quantization of an optical field is a frontier in quantum optics with implications for both fundamental science and technological applications. Here, we demonstrate that a dinickel complex (Ni$_2$) traps and quantizes classical visible light, behaving as an individual quantum system or the Jaynes Cummings molecule.The composite system forms through coherently coupling the two level NiNi charge transfer transition with the local scattering field, which produces nonclassical light featuring photon anti bunching and squeezed states, as verified by a sequence of discrete photonic modes in the incoherent resonance fluorescence. Notably, in this Ni$_2$ system, the collective coupling of N molecule ensembles scales as N, distinct from the Tavis-Cummings model, which allows easy achievement of ultrastrong coupling. This is exemplified by a vacuum Rabi splitting of 1.2 eV at the resonance (3.25 eV) and a normalized coupling rate of 0.18 for the N = 4 ensemble. The resulting quantum light of single photonic modes enables driving the molecule field interaction in cavity free solution, which profoundly modifies the electronic states. Our results establish Ni$_2$ as a robust platform for quantum optical phenomena under ambient conditions, offering new pathways for molecular physics, polaritonic chemistry and quantum information processing. △ Less

Submitted 6 April, 2025; v1 submitted 2 December, 2024; originally announced December 2024.

A Flat Plasmonic Biosensing Interface on Optical Fiber End-Facet via SPP-MIM Hybridization

Authors: Chenjia He, Xiaqing Sun, Hao Zhong, Qingfeng Meng, Xuetong Zhou, Sihang Liu, Li Zheng, Xiangyang Kong, Shengfu Chen, Shengce Tao, Tian Yang

Abstract: We found that the specific dispersion of metal-insulator-metal (MIM) waveguide allows the hybridization of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) and the waveguide, which is not possible with dielectric waveguides. The SPP-MIM hybridization structure forms such a meta-film that integrates the previously incompatible respective merits of SPR and LSPR, including flat interfaces, high sensitivities, short… ▽ More We found that the specific dispersion of metal-insulator-metal (MIM) waveguide allows the hybridization of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) and the waveguide, which is not possible with dielectric waveguides. The SPP-MIM hybridization structure forms such a meta-film that integrates the previously incompatible respective merits of SPR and LSPR, including flat interfaces, high sensitivities, short evanescent fields and easy coupling with confined light. On the other hand, to achieve stable and reproducible performance is one of the greatest unresolved challenges for the development of nanophotonic biosensors. We point out that the key is to obtain well-controlled biomolecular behaviors using simple physical interfaces, for which the SPP-MIM meta-film provides a capable solution. We embed the SPP-MIM meta-film with a plasmonic crystal cavity and integrate it on a single-mode fiber's end-facet to detect biomolecular interactions. This device demonstrates highly reproducible sensorgrams and convincing detection of biotinylated proteins at down to 30 fM, with the sensorgrams following the Langmuir model. By unprecedentedly having both high sensitivity and high reproducibility, our device proposal provides a comprehensive solution for optical fiber-tip plasmonic devices to turn into a useful industrial biosensing technology. △ Less

Submitted 19 October, 2024; originally announced October 2024.

Comments: article + supplementary information

$\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric photonic lattices with type-II Dirac cones

Authors: Qian Tang, Milivoj R. Belić, Hua Zhong, Meng Cao, Yongdong Li, Yiqi Zhang

Abstract: The type-II Dirac cone is a special feature of the band structure, whose Fermi level is represented by a pair of crossing lines. It has been demonstrated that such a structure is useful for investigating topological edge solitons, and more specifically, for mimicking the Kline tunneling. However, it is still not clear what the interplay between type-II Dirac cones and the non-Hermiticity mechanism… ▽ More The type-II Dirac cone is a special feature of the band structure, whose Fermi level is represented by a pair of crossing lines. It has been demonstrated that such a structure is useful for investigating topological edge solitons, and more specifically, for mimicking the Kline tunneling. However, it is still not clear what the interplay between type-II Dirac cones and the non-Hermiticity mechanism will result in. Here, this question is addressed; in particular, we report the $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric photonic lattices with type-II Dirac cones for the first time. We identify a slope-exceptional ring and name it the type-II exceptional ring. We display the restoration of the $\mathcal{PT}$ symmetry of the lattice by reducing the separation between the sites in the unit cell. Curiously, the amplitude of the beam during propagation in the non-Hermitian lattice with $\mathcal{PT}$ symmetry only decays because of diffraction, whereas in the $\mathcal{PT}$ symmetry-broken lattice it will be amplified, even though the beam still diffracts. This work establishes the link between the non-Hermiticity mechanism and the violation of Lorentz invariance in these physical systems. △ Less

Submitted 6 July, 2024; originally announced July 2024.

Comments: 5 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Optics Letters. Comments are welcome

Journal ref: Optics Letters 49, 4110-4113 (2024)

Topological edge states in photonic Floquet insulator with unpaired Dirac cones

Authors: Hua Zhong, Yaroslav V. Kartashov, Yongdong Li, Ming Li, Yiqi Zhang

Abstract: Topological insulators are most frequently constructed using lattices with specific degeneracies in their linear spectra, such as Dirac points. For a broad class of lattices, such as honeycomb ones, these points and associated Dirac cones generally appear in non-equivalent pairs. Simultaneous breakup of the time-reversal and inversion symmetry in systems based on such lattices may result in the fo… ▽ More Topological insulators are most frequently constructed using lattices with specific degeneracies in their linear spectra, such as Dirac points. For a broad class of lattices, such as honeycomb ones, these points and associated Dirac cones generally appear in non-equivalent pairs. Simultaneous breakup of the time-reversal and inversion symmetry in systems based on such lattices may result in the formation of the unpaired Dirac cones in bulk spectrum, but the existence of topologically protected edge states in such structures remains an open problem. Here photonic Floquet insulator on honeycomb lattice with unpaired Dirac cones in its spectrum is introduced that can support unidirectional edge states appearing at the edge between two regions with opposite sublattice detuning. Topological properties of this system are characterized by the nonzero valley Chern number. Remarkably, edge states in this system can circumvent sharp corners without inter-valley scattering even though there is no total forbidden gap in the spectrum. Our results reveal unusual interplay between two different physical mechanisms of creation of topological edge states based on simultaneous breakup of different symmetries of the system. △ Less

Submitted 6 July, 2024; originally announced July 2024.

Comments: 9 pages, 7 figures. To appear in Photonics Research. Comments are welcome

Journal ref: Photonics Research 12, 2078-2087 (2024)

Exploring the Potential of Two-Dimensional Materials for Innovations in Multifunctional Electrochromic Biochemical Sensors: A Review

Authors: Nadia Anwar, Guangya Jiang, Yi Wen, Muqarrab Ahmed, Haodong Zhong, Shen Ao, Zehui Li, Yunhan Ling, Grégory F. Schneider, Wangyang Fu, Zhengjun Zhang

Abstract: In this review, the current advancements in electrochromic sensors based on two-dimensional (2D) materials with rich chemical and physical properties are critically examined. By summarizing the current trends in and prospects for utilizing multifunctional electrochromic devices (ECDs) in environmental monitoring, food quality control, medical diagnosis, and life science-related investigations, we… ▽ More In this review, the current advancements in electrochromic sensors based on two-dimensional (2D) materials with rich chemical and physical properties are critically examined. By summarizing the current trends in and prospects for utilizing multifunctional electrochromic devices (ECDs) in environmental monitoring, food quality control, medical diagnosis, and life science-related investigations, we explore the potential of using 2D materials for rational design of ECDs with compelling electrical and optical properties for biochemical sensing applications. △ Less

Submitted 20 May, 2024; originally announced May 2024.

Comments: 37 pages, 9 Figures, 2 tables

Optical skyrmions from metafibers

Authors: Tiantian He, Yuan Meng, Lele Wang, Hongkun Zhong, Nilo Mata-Cervera, Dan Li, Ping Yan, Qiang Liu, Yijie Shen, Qirong Xiao

Abstract: Optical skyrmions are an emerging class of structured light with sophisticated particle-like topologies with great potential for revolutionizing modern informatics. However, the current generation of optical skyrmions involves complex or bulky systems, hindering their development of practical applications. Here, exploiting the emergent "lab-on-fiber" technology, we demonstrate the design of a meta… ▽ More Optical skyrmions are an emerging class of structured light with sophisticated particle-like topologies with great potential for revolutionizing modern informatics. However, the current generation of optical skyrmions involves complex or bulky systems, hindering their development of practical applications. Here, exploiting the emergent "lab-on-fiber" technology, we demonstrate the design of a metafiber-integrated photonic skyrmion generator. We not only successfully generated high-quality optical skyrmions from metafibers, but also experimentally verified their remarkable properties, such as regulability and topological stability with deep-subwavelength features beyond the diffraction limits. Our flexible and fiber-integrated optical skyrmions platform paves the avenue for future applications of topologically-enhanced remote super-resolution microscopy and super-robust information transfer. △ Less

Submitted 3 May, 2024; originally announced May 2024.

Combined Pre-Supernova Alert System with Kamland and Super-Kamiokande

Authors: KamLAND, Super-Kamiokande Collaborations, :, Seisho Abe, Minori Eizuka, Sawako Futagi, Azusa Gando, Yoshihito Gando, Shun Goto, Takahiko Hachiya, Kazumi Hata, Koichi Ichimura, Sei Ieki, Haruo Ikeda, Kunio Inoue, Koji Ishidoshiro, Yuto Kamei, Nanami Kawada, Yasuhiro Kishimoto, Masayuki Koga, Maho Kurasawa, Tadao Mitsui, Haruhiko Miyake, Daisuke Morita, Takeshi Nakahata , et al. (290 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Preceding a core-collapse supernova, various processes produce an increasing amount of neutrinos of all flavors characterized by mounting energies from the interior of massive stars. Among them, the electron antineutrinos are potentially detectable by terrestrial neutrino experiments such as KamLAND and Super-Kamiokande via inverse beta decay interactions. Once these pre-supernova neutrinos are ob… ▽ More Preceding a core-collapse supernova, various processes produce an increasing amount of neutrinos of all flavors characterized by mounting energies from the interior of massive stars. Among them, the electron antineutrinos are potentially detectable by terrestrial neutrino experiments such as KamLAND and Super-Kamiokande via inverse beta decay interactions. Once these pre-supernova neutrinos are observed, an early warning of the upcoming core-collapse supernova can be provided. In light of this, KamLAND and Super-Kamiokande, both located in the Kamioka mine in Japan, have been monitoring pre-supernova neutrinos since 2015 and 2021, respectively. Recently, we performed a joint study between KamLAND and Super-Kamiokande on pre-supernova neutrino detection. A pre-supernova alert system combining the KamLAND detector and the Super-Kamiokande detector was developed and put into operation, which can provide a supernova alert to the astrophysics community. Fully leveraging the complementary properties of these two detectors, the combined alert is expected to resolve a pre-supernova neutrino signal from a 15 M$_{\odot}$ star within 510 pc of the Earth, at a significance level corresponding to a false alarm rate of no more than 1 per century. For a Betelgeuse-like model with optimistic parameters, it can provide early warnings up to 12 hours in advance. △ Less

Submitted 1 July, 2024; v1 submitted 15 April, 2024; originally announced April 2024.

Comments: Resubmitted to ApJ. 22 pages, 16 figures, for more information about the combined pre-supernova alert system, see https://www.lowbg.org/presnalarm/

Second gadolinium loading to Super-Kamiokande

Authors: K. Abe, C. Bronner, Y. Hayato, K. Hiraide, K. Hosokawa, K. Ieki, M. Ikeda, J. Kameda, Y. Kanemura, R. Kaneshima, Y. Kashiwagi, Y. Kataoka, S. Miki, S. Mine, M. Miura, S. Moriyama, Y. Nakano, M. Nakahata, S. Nakayama, Y. Noguchi, K. Sato, H. Sekiya, H. Shiba, K. Shimizu, M. Shiozawa , et al. (225 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The first loading of gadolinium (Gd) into Super-Kamiokande in 2020 was successful, and the neutron capture efficiency on Gd reached 50\%. To further increase the Gd neutron capture efficiency to 75\%, 26.1 tons of $\rm Gd_2(\rm SO_4)_3\cdot \rm 8H_2O$ was additionally loaded into Super-Kamiokande (SK) from May 31 to July 4, 2022. As the amount of loaded $\rm Gd_2(\rm SO_4)_3\cdot \rm 8H_2O$ was do… ▽ More The first loading of gadolinium (Gd) into Super-Kamiokande in 2020 was successful, and the neutron capture efficiency on Gd reached 50\%. To further increase the Gd neutron capture efficiency to 75\%, 26.1 tons of $\rm Gd_2(\rm SO_4)_3\cdot \rm 8H_2O$ was additionally loaded into Super-Kamiokande (SK) from May 31 to July 4, 2022. As the amount of loaded $\rm Gd_2(\rm SO_4)_3\cdot \rm 8H_2O$ was doubled compared to the first loading, the capacity of the powder dissolving system was doubled. We also developed new batches of gadolinium sulfate with even further reduced radioactive impurities. In addition, a more efficient screening method was devised and implemented to evaluate these new batches of $\rm Gd_2(\rm SO_4)_3\cdot \rm 8H_2O$. Following the second loading, the Gd concentration in SK was measured to be $333.5\pm2.5$ ppm via an Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS). From the mean neutron capture time constant of neutrons from an Am/Be calibration source, the Gd concentration was independently measured to be 332.7 $\pm$ 6.8(sys.) $\pm$ 1.1(stat.) ppm, consistent with the AAS result. Furthermore, during the loading the Gd concentration was monitored continually using the capture time constant of each spallation neutron produced by cosmic-ray muons,and the final neutron capture efficiency was shown to become 1.5 times higher than that of the first loaded phase, as expected. △ Less

Submitted 18 June, 2024; v1 submitted 12 March, 2024; originally announced March 2024.

Comments: 34 pages, 13 figures, submitted to Nuclear Inst. and Methods in Physics Research, A

Journal ref: Nuclear Inst. and Methods in Physics Research, A 1065 (2024) 169480

Superconductivity and metallic behavior in heavily doped bulk single crystal diamond and graphene/diamond heterostructure

Authors: Shisheng Lin, Xutao Yu, Minhui Yang, Huikai Zhong, Jiarui Guo

Abstract: Owing to extremely large band gap of 5.5 eV and high thermal conductivity, diamond is recognized as the most important semiconductor. The superconductivity of polycrystalline diamond has always been reported, but there are also many controversies over the existence of superconductivity in bulk single crystal diamond and it remains a question whether a metallic state exists for such a large band ga… ▽ More Owing to extremely large band gap of 5.5 eV and high thermal conductivity, diamond is recognized as the most important semiconductor. The superconductivity of polycrystalline diamond has always been reported, but there are also many controversies over the existence of superconductivity in bulk single crystal diamond and it remains a question whether a metallic state exists for such a large band gap semiconductor. Herein, we realize a single crystal superconducting diamond with a Hall carrier concentration larger than 3*1020 cm-3 by co-doped of boron and nitrogen. Furthermore, we show that diamond can transform from superconducting to metallic state under similar carrier concentration with tuned carrier mobility degrading from 9.10 cm2 V-1 s-1 or 5.30 cm2 V-1 s-1 to 2.66 cm2 V-1 s-1 or 1.34 cm2 V-1 s-1. Through integrating graphene on a nitrogen and boron heavily co-doped diamond, the monolayer graphene can be superconducting through combining Andreev reflection and exciton mediated superconductivity, which may intrigue more interesting superconducting behavior of diamond heterostructure. △ Less

Submitted 1 March, 2024; originally announced March 2024.

Self-consistent Validation for Machine Learning Electronic Structure

Authors: Gengyuan Hu, Gengchen Wei, Zekun Lou, Philip H. S. Torr, Wanli Ouyang, Han-sen Zhong, Chen Lin

Abstract: Machine learning has emerged as a significant approach to efficiently tackle electronic structure problems. Despite its potential, there is less guarantee for the model to generalize to unseen data that hinders its application in real-world scenarios. To address this issue, a technique has been proposed to estimate the accuracy of the predictions. This method integrates machine learning with self-… ▽ More Machine learning has emerged as a significant approach to efficiently tackle electronic structure problems. Despite its potential, there is less guarantee for the model to generalize to unseen data that hinders its application in real-world scenarios. To address this issue, a technique has been proposed to estimate the accuracy of the predictions. This method integrates machine learning with self-consistent field methods to achieve both low validation cost and interpret-ability. This, in turn, enables exploration of the model's ability with active learning and instills confidence in its integration into real-world studies. △ Less

Submitted 15 February, 2024; originally announced February 2024.

Comments: 6 pages, 4 figures

Observation of nonlinear fractal higher-order topological insulator

Authors: Victor O. Kompanets, Hua Zhong, Yiqi Zhang, Yaroslav V. Kartashov, Yongdong Li, Sergei A. Zhuravitskii, Nikolay N. Skryabin, Ivan V. Dyakonov, Alexander A. Kalinkin, Sergei P. Kulik, Sergey V. Chekalin, Victor N. Zadkov

Abstract: Higher-order topological insulators (HOTIs) are unique materials hosting topologically protected states, whose dimensionality is at least by a factor of 2 lower than that of the bulk. Topological states in such insulators may be strongly confined in their corners that leads to considerable enhancement of nonlinear processes involving such states. However, all nonlinear HOTIs demonstrated so far we… ▽ More Higher-order topological insulators (HOTIs) are unique materials hosting topologically protected states, whose dimensionality is at least by a factor of 2 lower than that of the bulk. Topological states in such insulators may be strongly confined in their corners that leads to considerable enhancement of nonlinear processes involving such states. However, all nonlinear HOTIs demonstrated so far were built on periodic bulk lattice materials. Here we demonstrate first \textit{nonlinear photonic} HOTI with the fractal origin. Despite their fractional effective dimensionality, the HOTIs constructed here on two different types of the Sierpiński gasket waveguide arrays, may support topological corner states for unexpectedly wide range of coupling strengths, even in parameter regions where conventional HOTIs become trivial. We demonstrate thresholdless solitons bifurcating from corner states in nonlinear fractal HOTIs and show that their localization can be efficiently controlled by the input beam power. We observe sharp differences in nonlinear light localization on outer and multiple inner corners and edges representative for these fractal materials. Our findings not only represent a new paradigm for nonlinear topological insulators, but also open new avenues for potential applications of fractal materials to control the light flow. △ Less

Submitted 2 February, 2024; originally announced February 2024.

Comments: 10 pages, 5 figures

Journal ref: Light: Science and Applications 13, 264 (2024)

Liquid water based optoelectronic computing chip

Authors: Minhui Yang, Kangchen Xiong, Xin Chen, Huikai Zhong, Shisheng Lin

Abstract: Solid-state electronics have revolutionized modern society due to their exceptional computational capabilities. However, the power consumption of chips rises dramatically with increasing integration levels as post-treatment of individual computing unit cost. Here, we introduce a water computing chip with exceptionally low power consumption based on graphene/water/semiconductor photodetectors, whic… ▽ More Solid-state electronics have revolutionized modern society due to their exceptional computational capabilities. However, the power consumption of chips rises dramatically with increasing integration levels as post-treatment of individual computing unit cost. Here, we introduce a water computing chip with exceptionally low power consumption based on graphene/water/semiconductor photodetectors, which relies on a unique exponential decay of water molecule polarization transfer function (PTF) along the signal transmission direction. Through a designed Ising model to picture the dynamic polarization and depolarization process of water molecules between graphene and silicon, we illustrate a longitude decay PTF which guarantees low energy consumption for the pulse current output. Furthermore, the lateral decay PTF is verified by the realization of linearly superimposed currents in the diameter of centimeter scale based on 3*3 water photodetector array. The molecular dynamic simulations reveal the timescale of 25 femtosecond (fs) for one flip of single water molecule. Subsequently, the single logical operation only needs an ideal energy consumption up to attojoule (10-18 J). The decay of lateral PTF at the centimeter scale ensures the ability to fabricate water computing chips containing a large number of photodetector arrays under micro/nano fabrication technology, which mimics the numerous neural cells inside hippocampus. As a proof of concept, we show the capability for Multiply-Accumulate (MAC) computations using an 8*8 water computing chip by successfully identifying the ASCII code of ZJU. The water computing chips utilize naturally-sourced water and straightforward manufacturing techniques, which hold great potential in creating a chip similar with human brain. △ Less

Submitted 21 January, 2024; originally announced January 2024.

Deep Learning Enabled Design of Terahertz High-Q Metamaterials

Authors: Shan Yin, Haotian Zhong, Wei Huang, Wentao Zhang, Jiaguang Han

Abstract: Metamaterials open up a new way to manipulate electromagnetic waves and realize various functional devices. Metamaterials with high-quality (Q) resonance responses are widely employed in sensing, detection, and other applications. Traditional design of metamaterials involves laborious simulation-optimization and limits the efficiency. The high-Q metamaterials with abrupt spectral change are even h… ▽ More Metamaterials open up a new way to manipulate electromagnetic waves and realize various functional devices. Metamaterials with high-quality (Q) resonance responses are widely employed in sensing, detection, and other applications. Traditional design of metamaterials involves laborious simulation-optimization and limits the efficiency. The high-Q metamaterials with abrupt spectral change are even harder to reverse design on-demand. In this paper, we propose novel solutions for designing terahertz high-Q metamaterials based on deep learning, including the forward prediction of spectral responses and the inverse design of structural parameters. For the forward prediction, we develop the Electromagnetic Response Transformer (ERT) model to establish the complex mapping relations between the highly sensitive structural parameters and the abrupt spectra, and realize precise prediction of the high-Q resonance in terahertz spectra from given structural parameters. For the inverse design, we introduce the Visual Attention Network (VAN) model with a large model capability to attentively learn the abrupt shifts in spectral resonances, which can efficiently reduce errors and achieve highly accurate inverse design of structural parameters according to the expected high-Q resonance responses. Both models exhibit outstanding performance, and the accuracy is improved one or two orders higher compared to the traditional machine learning methods. Besides, our ERT model can be 4000 times faster than the conventional full wave simulations in computation time. Our work provides new avenues for the deep learning enabled design of terahertz high-Q metamaterials, which holds potential applications in various fields, such as terahertz communication, sensing, imaging, and functional devices. △ Less

Submitted 21 December, 2023; originally announced December 2023.

Comments: 17 pages, 6 figures

Roadmap on Perovskite Light-Emitting Diodes

Authors: Ziming Chen, Robert L. Z. Hoye, Hin-Lap Yip, Nadesh Fiuza-Maneiro, Iago López-Fernández, Clara Otero-Martínez, Lakshminarayana Polavarapu, Navendu Mondal, Alessandro Mirabelli, Miguel Anaya, Samuel D. Stranks, Hui Liu, Guangyi Shi, Zhengguo Xiao, Nakyung Kim, Yunna Kim, Byungha Shin, Jinquan Shi, Mengxia Liu, Qianpeng Zhang, Zhiyong Fan, James C. Loy, Lianfeng Zhao, Barry P. Rand, Habibul Arfin , et al. (18 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: In recent years, the field of metal-halide perovskite emitters has rapidly emerged as a new community in solid-state lighting. Their exceptional optoelectronic properties have contributed to the rapid rise in external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) in perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) from <1% (in 2014) to approaching 30% (in 2023) across a wide range of wavelengths. However, several challeng… ▽ More In recent years, the field of metal-halide perovskite emitters has rapidly emerged as a new community in solid-state lighting. Their exceptional optoelectronic properties have contributed to the rapid rise in external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) in perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) from <1% (in 2014) to approaching 30% (in 2023) across a wide range of wavelengths. However, several challenges still hinder their commercialization, including the relatively low EQEs of blue/white devices, limited EQEs in large-area devices, poor device stability, as well as the toxicity of the easily accessible lead components and the solvents used in the synthesis and processing of PeLEDs. This roadmap addresses the current and future challenges in PeLEDs across fundamental and applied research areas, by sharing the community's perspectives. This work will provide the field with practical guidelines to advance PeLED development and facilitate more rapid commercialization. △ Less

Submitted 19 November, 2023; originally announced November 2023.

Comments: 103 pages, 29 figures. This is the version of the article before peer review or editing, as submitted by an author to Journal of Physics: Photonics. IOP Publishing Ltd is not responsible for any errors or omissions in this version of the manuscript or any version derived from it

Gigahertz-rate-switchable wavefront shaping through integration of metasurfaces with photonic integrated circuit

Authors: Haozong Zhong, Yong Zheng, Jiacheng Sun, Zhizhang Wang, b Rongbo Wu, Ling-en Zhang, Youting Liang, Qinyi Hua, Minghao Ning, Jitao Ji, Bin Fang, Lin Li, Tao Li, Ya Cheng, Shining Zhu

Abstract: Achieving spatiotemporal control of light at high-speeds presents immense possibilities for various applications in communication, computation, metrology, and sensing. The integration of subwavelength metasurfaces and optical waveguides offers a promising approach to manipulate light across multiple degrees of freedom at high-speed in compact photonic integrated circuit (PICs) devices. Here, we de… ▽ More Achieving spatiotemporal control of light at high-speeds presents immense possibilities for various applications in communication, computation, metrology, and sensing. The integration of subwavelength metasurfaces and optical waveguides offers a promising approach to manipulate light across multiple degrees of freedom at high-speed in compact photonic integrated circuit (PICs) devices. Here, we demonstrate a gigahertz-rate-switchable wavefront shaping by integrating metasurface, lithium niobite on insulator (LNOI) photonic waveguide and electrodes within a PIC device. As proofs of concept, we showcase the generation of a focus beam with reconfigurable arbitrary polarizations, switchable focusing with lateral focal positions and focal length, orbital angular momentum light beams (OAMs) as well as Bessel beams. Our measurements indicate modulation speeds of up to gigahertz rate. This integrated platform offers a versatile and efficient means of controlling light field at high-speed within a compact system, paving the way for potential applications in optical communication, computation, sensing, and imaging. △ Less

Submitted 15 November, 2023; originally announced November 2023.

Idealizing Tauc Plot for Accurate Bandgap Determination of Semiconductor with UV-Vis: A Case Study for Cubic Boron Arsenide

Authors: Hong Zhong, Fengjiao Pan, Shuai Yue, Chengzhen Qin, Viktor Hadjiev, Fei Tian, Xinfeng Liu, Feng Lin, Zhiming Wang, Zhifeng Ren, Jiming Bao

Abstract: The Tauc plot method is widely used to determine the bandgap of semiconductors via UV-visible optical spectroscopy due to its simplicity and perceived accuracy. However, the actual Tauc plot often exhibits significant baseline absorption below the expected bandgap, leading to discrepancies in the calculated bandgap depending on whether the linear fit is extrapolated to zero or non-zero baseline. I… ▽ More The Tauc plot method is widely used to determine the bandgap of semiconductors via UV-visible optical spectroscopy due to its simplicity and perceived accuracy. However, the actual Tauc plot often exhibits significant baseline absorption below the expected bandgap, leading to discrepancies in the calculated bandgap depending on whether the linear fit is extrapolated to zero or non-zero baseline. In this study, we show that both extrapolation methods can produce significant errors by simulating Tauc plots with varying levels of baseline absorption. To address this issue, we propose a new method that involves idealizing the absorption spectrum by removing its baseline before constructing the Tauc plot. Experimental verification of this method using a gallium phosphide (GaP) wafer with intentionally introduced baseline absorptions shows promising results. Furthermore, we apply this new method to cubic boron arsenide (c-BAs) and resolve discrepancies in c-BAs bandgap values reported by different groups, obtaining a converging bandgap of 1.835 eV based on both previous and new transmission spectra. The method is applicable to both indirect and direct bandgap semiconductors, regardless of whether the absorption spectrum is measured via transmission or diffuse reflectance, will become essential to obtain accurate values of their bandgaps. △ Less

Submitted 12 June, 2023; originally announced July 2023.

Allying nanophotonic structures with two-dimensional van der Waals materials

Authors: Yuan Meng, Hongkun Zhong, Zhihao Xu, Tiantian He, Justin S. Kim, Sangmoon Han, Yijie Shen, Mali Gong, Sang-Hoon Bae, Qirong Xiao

Abstract: The integration of two-dimensional (2D) materials with photonic structures has catalyzed a wide spectrum of optical and optoelectronic applications. Conventional nanophotonic structures generally lack efficient reconfigurability and multifunctionality. The atomically thin 2D van der Waals materials can thus infuse new functionality and reconfigurability to the well-established library of photonic… ▽ More The integration of two-dimensional (2D) materials with photonic structures has catalyzed a wide spectrum of optical and optoelectronic applications. Conventional nanophotonic structures generally lack efficient reconfigurability and multifunctionality. The atomically thin 2D van der Waals materials can thus infuse new functionality and reconfigurability to the well-established library of photonic structures such as integrated waveguides, optical fibers, photonic crystals, micro-cavities, and metasurface, to name a few. Thanks to the handiness of van der Waals interfaces, the 2D materials can be easily transferred and mixed with other prefabricated photonic templates with high degrees of freedom, and can act as the optical gain, modulation, sensing, or plasmonic media for diverse applications. Here we review recent advents on combining 2D materials to nanophotonic structures for new functionality development or performance enhancements. Challenges and emerging opportunities in integrating van der Waals building blocks beyond 2D materials are also discussed. △ Less

Submitted 12 May, 2023; originally announced May 2023.

Comments: 23 pages

Electro-optically programmable photonic circuits enabled by wafer-scale integration on thin-film lithium niobate

Authors: Yong Zheng, Haozong Zhong, Haisu Zhang, Rongbo Wu, Jian Liu, Youting Liang, Lvbin Song, Zhaoxiang Liu, Jinming Chen, Junxia Zhou, Zhiwei Fang, Min Wang, Ya Cheng

Abstract: Programmable photonic circuits performing universal linear-optical transformations underpin vital functions in photonic quantum information processing, quantum-enhanced sensor networks, machine learning and many other intriguing applications. Recent advances in photonic integrated circuits facilitate monolithic integration of externally controlled Mach-Zehnder interferometers which can implement a… ▽ More Programmable photonic circuits performing universal linear-optical transformations underpin vital functions in photonic quantum information processing, quantum-enhanced sensor networks, machine learning and many other intriguing applications. Recent advances in photonic integrated circuits facilitate monolithic integration of externally controlled Mach-Zehnder interferometers which can implement arbitrary unitary transformation on a large number of input/output modes. In this work, we demonstrate a 4x4 programmable linear photonic circuit on lithium niobate on insulator platform employing fast, power-efficient and low-loss electro-optical phase shifters, showing enormous advantages in terms of configuration rate and power consumption. Our device is capable of fast switching with 500 ps rise time and 1.7 ns fall time, and possesses a total on-chip power dissipation of only 0.015 mW when operated at 1 MHz modulation, and an insertion loss of 0.15 dB for each modulator and an on-chip extinction ratio of -34 dB for both cross and bar routes. △ Less

Submitted 6 April, 2023; originally announced April 2023.

STCF Conceptual Design Report: Volume 1 -- Physics & Detector

Authors: M. Achasov, X. C. Ai, R. Aliberti, L. P. An, Q. An, X. Z. Bai, Y. Bai, O. Bakina, A. Barnyakov, V. Blinov, V. Bobrovnikov, D. Bodrov, A. Bogomyagkov, A. Bondar, I. Boyko, Z. H. Bu, F. M. Cai, H. Cai, J. J. Cao, Q. H. Cao, Z. Cao, Q. Chang, K. T. Chao, D. Y. Chen, H. Chen , et al. (413 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The Super $τ$-Charm facility (STCF) is an electron-positron collider proposed by the Chinese particle physics community. It is designed to operate in a center-of-mass energy range from 2 to 7 GeV with a peak luminosity of $0.5\times 10^{35}{\rm cm}^{-2}{\rm s}^{-1}$ or higher. The STCF will produce a data sample about a factor of 100 larger than that by the present $τ$-Charm factory -- the BEPCII,… ▽ More The Super $τ$-Charm facility (STCF) is an electron-positron collider proposed by the Chinese particle physics community. It is designed to operate in a center-of-mass energy range from 2 to 7 GeV with a peak luminosity of $0.5\times 10^{35}{\rm cm}^{-2}{\rm s}^{-1}$ or higher. The STCF will produce a data sample about a factor of 100 larger than that by the present $τ$-Charm factory -- the BEPCII, providing a unique platform for exploring the asymmetry of matter-antimatter (charge-parity violation), in-depth studies of the internal structure of hadrons and the nature of non-perturbative strong interactions, as well as searching for exotic hadrons and physics beyond the Standard Model. The STCF project in China is under development with an extensive R\&D program. This document presents the physics opportunities at the STCF, describes conceptual designs of the STCF detector system, and discusses future plans for detector R\&D and physics case studies. △ Less

Submitted 5 October, 2023; v1 submitted 28 March, 2023; originally announced March 2023.

Journal ref: Front. Phys. 19(1), 14701 (2024)

Mechanical motion tuned carrier transport characteristic of dynamic diode

Authors: Zunshan Yang, Huikai Zhong, Can Wang, Yanghua Lu, Lixuan Feng, Xutao Yu, Chang Liu, Shisheng Lin

Abstract: Since the invention of dynamic diode, its physical properties and potential applications have attracted wide attentions. A lot of attempts have been made to harvest the rebounding current and voltage of dynamic diode. However, the underlying physical mechanism of its carrier transport characteristic was rarely explored carefully. Here, the electrical transport properties of the dynamic diode are s… ▽ More Since the invention of dynamic diode, its physical properties and potential applications have attracted wide attentions. A lot of attempts have been made to harvest the rebounding current and voltage of dynamic diode. However, the underlying physical mechanism of its carrier transport characteristic was rarely explored carefully. Here, the electrical transport properties of the dynamic diode are systematically investigated with a mechanical motion tuned method, where the dynamic current-voltage curve shows a gentler growth trend compared to the static curve. The rebounding current increases with motion velocity and contact force, resulting in a reduced current with the same bias voltage and an oscillation current with a changing velocity and force. Besides, we propose a circuit model with an accurate mathematical formula expression to describe the oscillation current, where an imaginary parameter n0 is creatively added to the exponential growth term. This work shows a physical picture of adjust microscopic carrier motion with macroscopic mechanical motion, which provides strong theoretical support for designing dynamic diode devices with better performance in the future. △ Less

Submitted 15 March, 2023; originally announced March 2023.

Unconditional and robust quantum metrological advantage beyond NOON states

Authors: Jian Qin, Yu-Hao Deng, Han-Sen Zhong, Li-Chao Peng, Hao Su, Yi-Han Luo, Jia-Min Xu, Dian Wu, Si-Qiu Gong, Hua-Liang Liu, Hui Wang, Ming-Cheng Chen, Li Li, Nai-Le Liu, Chao-Yang Lu, Jian-Wei Pan

Abstract: Quantum metrology employs quantum resources to enhance the measurement sensitivity beyond that can be achieved classically. While multi-photon entangled NOON states can in principle beat the shot-noise limit and reach the Heisenberg limit, high NOON states are difficult to prepare and fragile to photon loss which hinders it from reaching unconditional quantum metrological advantages. Here, we comb… ▽ More Quantum metrology employs quantum resources to enhance the measurement sensitivity beyond that can be achieved classically. While multi-photon entangled NOON states can in principle beat the shot-noise limit and reach the Heisenberg limit, high NOON states are difficult to prepare and fragile to photon loss which hinders it from reaching unconditional quantum metrological advantages. Here, we combine the idea of unconventional nonlinear interferometers and stimulated emission of squeezed light, previously developed for photonic quantum computer Jiuzhang, to propose and realize a new scheme that achieves a scalable, unconditional, and robust quantum metrological advantage. We observe a 5.8(1)-fold enhancement above the shot-noise limit in the Fisher information extracted per photon, without discounting for photon loss and imperfections, which outperforms ideal 5-NOON states. The Heisenberg-limited scaling, the robustness to external photon loss, and the ease-to-use of our method make it applicable in practical quantum metrology at low photon flux regime. △ Less

Submitted 14 February, 2023; v1 submitted 2 February, 2023; originally announced February 2023.

Comments: To be published, with an independent and simultaneous submission on arXiv:2111.09756

Carbon Monitor-Power: near-real-time monitoring of global power generation on hourly to daily scales

Authors: Biqing Zhu, Xuanren Song, Zhu Deng, Wenli Zhao, Da Huo, Taochun Sun, Piyu Ke, Duo Cui, Chenxi Lu, Haiwang Zhong, Chaopeng Hong, Jian Qiu, Steven J. Davis, Pierre Gentine, Philippe Ciais, Zhu Liu

Abstract: We constructed a frequently updated, near-real-time global power generation dataset: Carbon Monitor-Power since January, 2016 at national levels with near-global coverage and hourly-to-daily time resolution. The data presented here are collected from 37 countries across all continents for eight source groups, including three types of fossil sources (coal, gas, and oil), nuclear energy and four gro… ▽ More We constructed a frequently updated, near-real-time global power generation dataset: Carbon Monitor-Power since January, 2016 at national levels with near-global coverage and hourly-to-daily time resolution. The data presented here are collected from 37 countries across all continents for eight source groups, including three types of fossil sources (coal, gas, and oil), nuclear energy and four groups of renewable energy sources (solar energy, wind energy, hydro energy and other renewables including biomass, geothermal, etc.). The global near-real-time power dataset shows the dynamics of the global power system, including its hourly, daily, weekly and seasonal patterns as influenced by daily periodical activities, weekends, seasonal cycles, regular and irregular events (i.e., holidays) and extreme events (i.e., the COVID-19 pandemic). The Carbon Monitor-Power dataset reveals that the COVID-19 pandemic caused strong disruptions in some countries (i.e., China and India), leading to a temporary or long-lasting shift to low carbon intensity, while it had only little impact in some other countries (i.e., Australia). This dataset offers a large range of opportunities for power-related scientific research and policy-making. △ Less

Submitted 13 September, 2022; originally announced September 2022.

Ultra-low threshold continuous-wave quantum dot mini-BIC lasers

Authors: Hancheng Zhong, Jiawei Yang, Zhengqing Ding, Mujie Rao, Lidan Zhou, Yingxin Chen, Ying Yu, Siyuan Yu

Abstract: Highly compact lasers with ultra-low threshold and single-mode continuous wave (CW) operation have been a long sought-after component for photonic integrated circuits (PICs). Photonic bound states in the continuum (BICs), due to their excellent ability of trapping light and enhancing light-matter interaction, have been investigated in lasing configurations combining various BIC cavities and optica… ▽ More Highly compact lasers with ultra-low threshold and single-mode continuous wave (CW) operation have been a long sought-after component for photonic integrated circuits (PICs). Photonic bound states in the continuum (BICs), due to their excellent ability of trapping light and enhancing light-matter interaction, have been investigated in lasing configurations combining various BIC cavities and optical gain materials. However, the realization of BIC laser with a highly compact size and an ultra-low CW threshold has remained elusive. We demonstrate room temperature CW BIC lasers in the 1310 nm O-band wavelength range, by fabricating a miniaturized BIC cavity in an InAs/GaAs epitaxial quantum dot (QD) gain membrane. By enabling effective trapping of both light and carriers in all three dimensions, ultra-low threshold of 12 μW (0.052 kW/cm^2) is achieved. Single-mode lasing is also realized in cavities as small as only 5*5 unit-cells (~2.5*2.5 μm^2 cavity size) with a mode volume of 1.16(λ/n)^3. With its advantages in terms of a small footprint, ultralow power consumption, robustness of fabrication and adaptability for integration, the mini-BIC lasers offer a perspective light source for future PICs aimed at high-capacity optical communications, sensing and quantum information. △ Less

Submitted 30 July, 2022; v1 submitted 24 July, 2022; originally announced July 2022.

Journal ref: Light Sci. Appl. 12, 100(2023)

Ultrafast disinfection of SARS-CoV-2 viruses

Authors: Yang Xu, Alex Wing Hong Chin, Haosong Zhong, Connie Kong Wai Lee, Yi Chen, Timothy Yee Him Chan, Zhiyong Fan, Molong Duan, Leo Lit Man Poon, Mitch Guijun Li

Abstract: The wide use of surgical masks has been proven effective for mitigating the spread of respiration diseases, such as COVID-19, alongside social distance control, vaccines, and other efforts. With the newly reported variants, such as Delta and Omicron, a higher spread rate had been found compared to the initial strains. People might get infected even by inhaling fewer loading of viruses. More freque… ▽ More The wide use of surgical masks has been proven effective for mitigating the spread of respiration diseases, such as COVID-19, alongside social distance control, vaccines, and other efforts. With the newly reported variants, such as Delta and Omicron, a higher spread rate had been found compared to the initial strains. People might get infected even by inhaling fewer loading of viruses. More frequent sterilization of surgical masks is needed to protect the wearers. However, it is challenging to sterilize the commodity surgical masks with a fast and effective method. Herein, we reported the sterilization of the SARS-CoV-2 viruses within an ultra-short time, while retaining the mask performance. Silver thin film is coated on commercial polyimide film by physical vapor deposition and patterned by laser scribing to form a Joule heating electrode. Another layer of the gold thin film was coated onto the opposite side of the device to promote the uniformity of the Joule heating through nano-heat transfer regulation. As a result, the surgical mask can be heated to inactivation temperature within a short time and with high uniformity. By Joule-heating the surgical mask with the temperature at 90 °C for 3 minutes, the inactivation of the SARS-CoV-2 showed an efficacy of 99.89%. Normal commodity surgical masks can be sterilized faster, more frequently, and efficiently against SARS-CoV-2 viruses and the new invariants. △ Less

Submitted 17 April, 2022; originally announced April 2022.

High performance distributed feedback quantum dot lasers with laterally coupled dielectric grating

Authors: Zhuohui Yang, Zhengqing Ding, Lin Liu, Hancheng Zhong, Sheng Cao, Xinzhong Zhang, Shizhe Lin, Xiaoying Huang, Huadi Deng, Ying Yu, Siyuan Yu

Abstract: The combination of grating-based frequency-selective optical feedback mechanisms, such as distributed feedback (DFB) or distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) structures, with quantum dot (QD) gain materials is a main approach towards ultra-high-performance semiconductor lasers for many key novel applications, either as stand-alone sources or as on-chip sources in photonic integrated circuits. However,… ▽ More The combination of grating-based frequency-selective optical feedback mechanisms, such as distributed feedback (DFB) or distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) structures, with quantum dot (QD) gain materials is a main approach towards ultra-high-performance semiconductor lasers for many key novel applications, either as stand-alone sources or as on-chip sources in photonic integrated circuits. However, the fabrication of conventional buried Bragg grating structures on GaAs, GaAs/Si, GaSb and other material platforms have been met with major material regrowth difficulties. We report a novel and universal approach of introducing laterally coupled dielectric Bragg gratings to semiconductor lasers that allows highly controllable, reliable and strong coupling between the grating and the optical mode. We implement such a grating structure in a low-loss amorphous silicon material alongside GaAs lasers with InAs/GaAs QD gain layers. The resulting DFB laser arrays emit at pre-designed 0.8 THz LWDM frequency intervals in the 1300 nm band with record performance parameters, including side mode suppression ratios as high as 52.7 dB, continuous-wave output power of 27.7 mW (room-temperature) and 10 mW (at 70°C), and ultra-low relative intensity noise (RIN) of < -165 dB/Hz (2.5-25 GHz). The devices are also capable of operating isolator-free under very high external reflection levels of up to -12.3 dB whilst maintaining the high spectral and ultra-low RIN qualities. These results validate the novel laterally coupled dielectric grating as a technologically superior and potentially cost-effective approach for fabricating DFB and DBR lasers free of their semiconductor material constraints, thus universally applicable across different material platforms and wavelength bands. △ Less

Submitted 27 October, 2021; originally announced October 2021.

Comments: 18 Pages,5 Figures

Phase-Programmable Gaussian Boson Sampling Using Stimulated Squeezed Light

Authors: Han-Sen Zhong, Yu-Hao Deng, Jian Qin, Hui Wang, Ming-Cheng Chen, Li-Chao Peng, Yi-Han Luo, Dian Wu, Si-Qiu Gong, Hao Su, Yi Hu, Peng Hu, Xiao-Yan Yang, Wei-Jun Zhang, Hao Li, Yuxuan Li, Xiao Jiang, Lin Gan, Guangwen Yang, Lixing You, Zhen Wang, Li Li, Nai-Le Liu, Jelmer Renema, Chao-Yang Lu , et al. (1 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The tantalizing promise of quantum computational speedup in solving certain problems has been strongly supported by recent experimental evidence from a high-fidelity 53-qubit superconducting processor1 and Gaussian boson sampling (GBS) with up to 76 detected photons. Analogous to the increasingly sophisticated Bell tests that continued to refute local hidden variable theories, quantum computationa… ▽ More The tantalizing promise of quantum computational speedup in solving certain problems has been strongly supported by recent experimental evidence from a high-fidelity 53-qubit superconducting processor1 and Gaussian boson sampling (GBS) with up to 76 detected photons. Analogous to the increasingly sophisticated Bell tests that continued to refute local hidden variable theories, quantum computational advantage tests are expected to provide increasingly compelling experimental evidence against the Extended Church-Turing thesis. In this direction, continued competition between upgraded quantum hardware and improved classical simulations is required. Here, we report a new GBS experiment that produces up to 113 detection events out of a 144-mode photonic circuit. We develop a new high-brightness and scalable quantum light source, exploring the idea of stimulated squeezed photons, which has simultaneously near-unity purity and efficiency. This GBS is programmable by tuning the phase of the input squeezed states. We demonstrate a new method to efficiently validate the samples by inferring from computationally friendly subsystems, which rules out hypotheses including distinguishable photons and thermal states. We show that our noisy GBS experiment passes the nonclassicality test using an inequality, and we reveal non-trivial genuine high-order correlation in the GBS samples, which are evidence of robustness against possible classical simulation schemes. The photonic quantum computer, Jiuzhang 2.0, yields a Hilbert space dimension up to $10^{43}$, and a sampling rate $10^{24}$ faster than using brute-force simulation on supercomputers. △ Less

Submitted 5 July, 2021; v1 submitted 29 June, 2021; originally announced June 2021.

Comments: 23 pages, 6 figures. Comments are welcome

Theory of Topological Corner State Laser in Kagome Waveguide Arrays

Authors: Hua Zhong, Yaroslav V. Kartashov, Alexander Szameit, Yongdong Li, Chunliang Liu, Yiqi Zhang

Abstract: In comparison with conventional lasers, topological lasers are more robust and can be immune to disorder or de-fects if lasing occurs in topologically protected states. Previously reported topological lasers were almost exclu-sively based on the first-order photonic topological insulators. Here, we show that lasing can be achieved in the zero-dimensional corner state in a second-order photonic top… ▽ More In comparison with conventional lasers, topological lasers are more robust and can be immune to disorder or de-fects if lasing occurs in topologically protected states. Previously reported topological lasers were almost exclu-sively based on the first-order photonic topological insulators. Here, we show that lasing can be achieved in the zero-dimensional corner state in a second-order photonic topological insulator, which is based on Kagome wave-guide array with a rhombic configuration. If gain is present in the corner of the structure, where topological corner state resides, stable lasing in this state is achieved, with lowest possible threshold, in the presence of uniform loss-es and two-photon absorption. When gain acts in other corners of the structure, lasing may occur in edge or bulk states, but it requires substantially larger thresholds and transition to stable lasing occurs over much larger propa-gation distances, sometimes due to instabilities, which are absent for lasing in corner states. We find that increasing two-photon absorption generally plays strong stabilizing action for nonlinear lasing states. The transition to stable lasing stimulated by noisy inputs is illustrated. Our work demonstrates the realistic setting for corner state laser based on higher-order topological insulator realised with waveguide arrays. △ Less

Submitted 13 May, 2021; originally announced May 2021.

Comments: 20 pages

Journal ref: APL Photon. 6, 040802(2021)

Marangoni Convection-Driven Laser Fountains and Waves on Free Surfaces of Liquids

Authors: Feng Lin, Aamir Nasir Quraishy, Tian Tong, Runjia Li, Guang Yang, Mohammadjavad Mohebinia, Yi Qiu, Talari Visha, Junyi Zhao, Wei Zhang, Hong Zhong, Hang Zhang, Chaofu Zhou, Xin Tong, Peng Yu, Jonathan Hu, Suchuan Dong, Dong Liu, Zhiming Wang, John R. Schaibley, Jiming Bao

Abstract: It is well accepted that an outward Marangoni convection from a low surface tension region will make the surface depressed. Here, we report that this established perception is only valid for thin liquid films. Using surface laser heating, we show that in deep liquids a laser beam actually pulls up the fluid above the free surface generating fountains with different shapes. Whereas with decreasing… ▽ More It is well accepted that an outward Marangoni convection from a low surface tension region will make the surface depressed. Here, we report that this established perception is only valid for thin liquid films. Using surface laser heating, we show that in deep liquids a laser beam actually pulls up the fluid above the free surface generating fountains with different shapes. Whereas with decreasing liquid depth a transition from fountain to indentation with fountain in-indentation is observed. Further, high-speed imaging reveals a transient surface process before steady elevation is formed, and this dynamic deformation is subsequently utilized to resonantly excite giant surface waves by a modulated laser beam. Computational fluid dynamics models reveal the underlying flow patterns and quantify the depth-dependent and time-resolved surface deformations. Our discoveries and techniques have upended the century-old perception and opened up a new regime of interdisciplinary research and applications of Marangoni-induced interface phenomena and optocapillary fluidic surfaces-the control of fluids with light. △ Less

Submitted 24 March, 2021; originally announced March 2021.

Comments: 13 pages, 4 figures

Quantitative Assessment of U.S. Bulk Power Systems and Market Operations during COVID-19

Authors: Guangchun Ruan, Jiahan Wu, Haiwang Zhong, Qing Xia, Le Xie

Abstract: Starting in early 2020, the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) severely affected the U.S., causing substantial changes in the operations of bulk power systems and electricity markets. In this paper, we develop a data-driven analysis to substantiate the pandemic's impacts from the perspectives of power system security, electric power generation, electric power demand and electricity prices. Our r… ▽ More Starting in early 2020, the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) severely affected the U.S., causing substantial changes in the operations of bulk power systems and electricity markets. In this paper, we develop a data-driven analysis to substantiate the pandemic's impacts from the perspectives of power system security, electric power generation, electric power demand and electricity prices. Our results suggest that both electric power demand and electricity prices have discernibly dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic. Geographical variances in the impact are observed and quantified, and the bulk power market and power system operations in the northeast region are most severely affected. All the data sources, assessment criteria, and analysis codes reported in this paper are available on a GitHub repository. △ Less

Submitted 30 August, 2020; originally announced March 2021.

Comments: Journal paper, 19 pages, also available at EnerarXiv

HyperCI: A Higher Order Collective Influence Measure for Hypernetwork Dismantling

Authors: Dengcheng Yan, Zijian Wu, Yi Zhang, Shiqin Qu, Yiwen Zhang, Hong Zhong

Abstract: The connectivity of networked systems is often dependent on a small portion of critical nodes. Network dismantling studies the strategy to identify a subset of nodes the removal of which will maximally destroy the connectivity of a network and fragment it into disconnected components. However, conventional network dismantling approaches focus on simple network which models only pairwise interactio… ▽ More The connectivity of networked systems is often dependent on a small portion of critical nodes. Network dismantling studies the strategy to identify a subset of nodes the removal of which will maximally destroy the connectivity of a network and fragment it into disconnected components. However, conventional network dismantling approaches focus on simple network which models only pairwise interaction between nodes while groupwise interactions among arbitrary number of nodes are ubiquitous in networked systems like integrated circuits. Groupwise interactions modeled by hypernetwork introduce higher order connectivity patterns, which limits the application of conventional network dismantling methods on hypernetwork. In this brief, we propose HyperCI, a higher order collective influence measure for hypernetwork dismantling. It considers the node co-occurrence characteristics and higher order influence ability both introduced by hyperedges in hypernetwork. We evaluate the effectiveness of our proposed HyperCI on six real world hypernetworks including integrated circuits and citation networks and the results indicate our proposed HyperCI outperforms baseline network dismantling methods for both simple network and hypernetwork. △ Less

Submitted 13 May, 2022; v1 submitted 10 March, 2021; originally announced March 2021.