Showing 1–50 of 106 results for author: Cao, S

Gas Beam Dump and Power Meter for High Energy Lasers

Authors: Harsha Rajesh, Sida Cao, Ke Ou, Devdigvijay Singh, Pierre Michel, Matthew R. Edwards

Abstract: Gaseous optics exhibit substantially higher laser-induced-damage thresholds than solid materials, enabling high-intensity operation without permanent degradation. In this Letter, we describe a gas-based beam dump and power meter that exploits the strong absorption of ozone in the Hartley band (200-320 nm). We develop and experimentally validate a model for ozone absorption that predicts the propag… ▽ More Gaseous optics exhibit substantially higher laser-induced-damage thresholds than solid materials, enabling high-intensity operation without permanent degradation. In this Letter, we describe a gas-based beam dump and power meter that exploits the strong absorption of ozone in the Hartley band (200-320 nm). We develop and experimentally validate a model for ozone absorption that predicts the propagation length required for complete energy deposition and the resulting gas temperature rise. By calibrating the temperature rise against incident pulse energy, we demonstrate accurate millijoule-scale pulse energy measurements with an all-gas absorber. These results establish gas-phase absorbers as a scalable, debris-free platform for high-damage-threshold beam dumps and energy diagnostics for high-fluence lasers. △ Less

Submitted 20 August, 2026; originally announced August 2026.

Comments: 5 pages, 4 figures

Data-Driven Generation of Compact Quasi-Isodynamic Stellarators

Authors: Yang Han, Hanlin Chen. Shuai Cao, Zhiyuan Lu, Dehong Chen, Guosheng Xu, Baonian Wan

Abstract: Stellarator design explores a vast space of three-dimensional plasma boundaries, only a small fraction of which yields usable equilibria. Data-driven models can narrow this search by learning from existing optimized configurations. Building on the ConStellaration database, we extend conditional boundary generation to four-field-period QI configurations, focusing on the sparsely sampled low-aspect-… ▽ More Stellarator design explores a vast space of three-dimensional plasma boundaries, only a small fraction of which yields usable equilibria. Data-driven models can narrow this search by learning from existing optimized configurations. Building on the ConStellaration database, we extend conditional boundary generation to four-field-period QI configurations, focusing on the sparsely sampled low-aspect-ratio regime. The approach learns the common geometric structure of known QI equilibria and then adapts it using a small high-fidelity compact dataset, allowing target magnetic properties to guide generation beyond the original data distribution. This adaptation reduces the compact-domain test loss by approximately 87% and yields converged ultra-compact candidates consistent with the prescribed conditions. Several candidates show favorable confinement indicators, and one provides a useful seed for further QI optimization and finite-beta assessment. The method therefore serves as a data-informed front end to high-fidelity physics and optimization. △ Less

Submitted 11 August, 2026; originally announced August 2026.

Comments: 23 pages, 12 figures, and 2 tables

Direct Optimization of Stellarator Omnigenity from the Second Adiabatic Invariant

Authors: Hanlin Chen, Zhiyuan Lu, Guosheng Xu, Shuai Cao, Yang Han, Dehong Chen, Baonian Wan

Abstract: Stellarators offer a steady-state, disruption-free path to fusion energy but suffer from enhanced particle losses due to their three-dimensional geometry. Existing optimization methods rely on geometric proxies rather than the actual trapped-particle orbit condition. We present a differentiable framework that directly optimizes the fundamental orbit action governing particle confinement. The appro… ▽ More Stellarators offer a steady-state, disruption-free path to fusion energy but suffer from enhanced particle losses due to their three-dimensional geometry. Existing optimization methods rely on geometric proxies rather than the actual trapped-particle orbit condition. We present a differentiable framework that directly optimizes the fundamental orbit action governing particle confinement. The approach yields compact stellarator designs with excellent fast-ion confinement, finite-pressure stability, and coil compatibility, demonstrating that first-principles orbit optimization can be integrated with engineering constraints in a single computational workflow for fusion reactor design. △ Less

Submitted 3 August, 2026; v1 submitted 3 August, 2026; originally announced August 2026.

Comments: 25 pages, 13 figures. Corresponding authors: zhiyuan.lu@ipp.ac.cn, gsxu@ipp.ac.cn

Transformer refined quantum sampling for strongly correlated electronic structure

Authors: Xiongzhi Zeng, Ming Gong, Bowen Kan, Yi Fan, Huan Ma, Jianbin Cai, Yancheng Liu, Naibin Zhou, Tao Jiang, Shaojun Guo, Zhijie Fan, Zongkang Zhang, Yuan Li, Sirui Cao, Kai Yan, Xiaobo Zhu, Yi Luo, Honghui Shang, Zhenyu Li, Jian-Wei Pan, Jinlong Yang

Abstract: Although quantum computing offers a promising solution for strongly correlated system simulation, existing algorithms face significant bottlenecks on current noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices. Here, we introduce QiankunNet-QSCI, a hybrid quantum-classical framework that addresses this challenge by combining efficient quantum-sampling with a transformer neural network. An efficient un… ▽ More Although quantum computing offers a promising solution for strongly correlated system simulation, existing algorithms face significant bottlenecks on current noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices. Here, we introduce QiankunNet-QSCI, a hybrid quantum-classical framework that addresses this challenge by combining efficient quantum-sampling with a transformer neural network. An efficient unitary selected configuration Interaction (USCI) ansatz especially designed for quantum sampling is proposed to identify the most chemically significant electronic configurations on the Zuchongzhi 3.1 quantum processor. Subsequently, the transformer model QiankunNet learns from these sparse yet critical quantum data to infer and reconstruct the complete electronic wavefunction with high fidelity. Simulation of the challenging 40-qubit [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin active center achieves chemical accuracy. Simulation of the nitrogenase P-cluster in a 114-electron 73-orbital active space also reaches 12 milli-Hartree-level agreement with the best density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) result. QiankunNet-QSCI thus offers a practical route to accurate quantum-assisted electronic structure calculations on current devices. △ Less

Submitted 23 May, 2026; originally announced May 2026.

An ALE-Consistent Graph Neural Operator-Transformer Framework for Fluid-Structure Interaction

Authors: Shihang Zhao, Martín Saravia, Haokui Jiang, Zhiyang Xue, Shunxiang Cao

Abstract: We propose an arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE)-consistent machine learning framework for long-term fluid-structure interaction (FSI) prediction on deforming unstructured meshes. Specifically, the fluid dynamics are modeled by a surrogate that combines a graph neural operator (GNO) with a vision Transformer (ViT) for spatiotemporal prediction, while a lightweight long short-term memory (LSTM) ne… ▽ More We propose an arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE)-consistent machine learning framework for long-term fluid-structure interaction (FSI) prediction on deforming unstructured meshes. Specifically, the fluid dynamics are modeled by a surrogate that combines a graph neural operator (GNO) with a vision Transformer (ViT) for spatiotemporal prediction, while a lightweight long short-term memory (LSTM) network predicts structural kinematics at the interface. The two surrogates are coupled through a standard partitioned procedure. Most importantly, kinematic compatibility at the moving interface is enforced via an ALE-consistent boundary-correction step that updates the fluid-side interface velocity with the predicted structural velocity at each coupling update, thereby improving near-interface accuracy and long-term rollout stability. To mitigate autoregressive error accumulation, a two-stage training strategy is adopted, consisting of single-step supervised pretraining followed by long-term autoregressive fine-tuning. The proposed framework is validated on the benchmark problem of a flexible beam vibration in the wake of a cylinder. Results demonstrate accurate phase-consistent predictions over long rollouts and robust generalization under inlet-profile variations in both interpolation and extrapolation settings. Systematic ablation studies further assess the respective contributions of the ViT module, ALE-consistent boundary correction, and long-term training to predictive accuracy and rollout robustness. △ Less

Submitted 30 April, 2026; originally announced May 2026.

Comments: 29 pages, 20 figures

Dispersive Properties of Plasma Diffraction Gratings: Towards Plasma-Based Laser Pulse Compression

Authors: Victor M. Perez-Ramirez, Michelle M. Wang, Ke Ou, Sida Cao, Devdigvijay Singh, Nicholas M. Fasano, Vedin Dewan, Andreas M. Giakas, Arunava Das, Isabelle Tigges-Green, Pierre Michel, Julia M. Mikhailova, Matthew R. Edwards

Abstract: The standard architecture for a high-peak-power femtosecond laser is chirped pulse amplification using diffraction gratings for compression; the damage threshold of the compression gratings limits current lasers to multi-petawatt peak power. Plasma gratings have orders-of-magnitude higher damage tolerance than conventional optics, so plasma gratings with sufficiently high optical quality could all… ▽ More The standard architecture for a high-peak-power femtosecond laser is chirped pulse amplification using diffraction gratings for compression; the damage threshold of the compression gratings limits current lasers to multi-petawatt peak power. Plasma gratings have orders-of-magnitude higher damage tolerance than conventional optics, so plasma gratings with sufficiently high optical quality could allow the construction of ultra-high-power femtosecond lasers. Here, we present experimental measurements of the angular dispersion, angular bandwidth, and diffraction angles of ionization-based plasma transmission gratings and show that both the dispersive and the diffractive properties of these gratings are in close agreement with optical theory and simulations. Gratings with a period of 10.2 microns are found to have an angular dispersion of approximately 0.005 degrees/nm. The dispersion and bandwidth of these gratings suggest plausible designs for a plasma-grating-based compressor and indicate a pathway to compact lasers with petawatt to exawatt peak power. △ Less

Submitted 29 April, 2026; originally announced April 2026.

Comments: 9 pages, 6 figures

Seeing full vectorial structures of light fields with a single-shot holographic multiplexed detector

Authors: Sitao Qin, Yize Liang, Shuai Cao, Changqing Cao, Xukun Yin, Lixian Liu, Mingjian Cheng, Huailiang Xu

Abstract: The vectorial structure of light, amplitude, phase, and polarization, encodes essential information for applications ranging from super-resolution microscopy to high-capacity communications and quantum information processing. However, existing characterization methods either rely on multiple sequential measurements or require bulky polarization splitting optics in the signal path. Here we propose… ▽ More The vectorial structure of light, amplitude, phase, and polarization, encodes essential information for applications ranging from super-resolution microscopy to high-capacity communications and quantum information processing. However, existing characterization methods either rely on multiple sequential measurements or require bulky polarization splitting optics in the signal path. Here we propose and experimentally demonstrate a single shot holographic multiplexed detector that retrieves the full vectorial information from a single intensity recording. Two orthogonally polarized reference beams with distinct off axis carriers interfere with the unknown vectorial light field, encoding both polarization channels into one off axis hologram. Digital holographic reconstruction combined with a self calibrated global phase retrieval recovers the complex wavefronts in the two channels without any additional measurements. We validate our approach by characterizing the polarization structures and concurrence of various vectorial structured light beams on a higher order Poincare sphere (l=2). This compact, efficient detector may open new routes for real time vectorial metrology in light matter interaction, chiral sensing, vectorial adaptive optics, and dynamic structured light applications. △ Less

Submitted 28 April, 2026; originally announced April 2026.

Intense tunable terahertz radiation from phase-matched difference frequency generation in strongly magnetized plasmas

Authors: Sida Cao, Matthew R. Edwards

Abstract: High-energy terahertz pulses are challenging to produce due to the low conversion efficiency and limited optical damage threshold of nonlinear crystals. Here, we describe the high-efficiency generation of terahertz radiation pulses with tunable frequency and field strengths exceeding 500 GV/m by propagating two-color laser pulses through a strongly magnetized plasma. The field strength is substant… ▽ More High-energy terahertz pulses are challenging to produce due to the low conversion efficiency and limited optical damage threshold of nonlinear crystals. Here, we describe the high-efficiency generation of terahertz radiation pulses with tunable frequency and field strengths exceeding 500 GV/m by propagating two-color laser pulses through a strongly magnetized plasma. The field strength is substantially enhanced by utilizing two extraordinary-mode branches to minimize the phase mismatch. We derive the phase-matching conditions and characterize the nonlinear coupling analytically, and validate these predictions with particle-in-cell simulations. These results establish a new pathway toward next-generation intense terahertz sources with performance well beyond the limits of existing plasma mechanisms and conventional crystal-based approaches. △ Less

Submitted 20 April, 2026; originally announced April 2026.

Experimental Scaling of Diffraction Efficiency in Laser-Induced Plasma Gratings

Authors: M. M. Wang, V. M. Perez-Ramirez, N. M. Fasano, K. Ou, S. Cao, V. Dewan, A. M. Giakas, A. Morozov, P. Michel, M. R. Edwards, J. M. Mikhailova

Abstract: We demonstrate efficient diffraction of intense ultrashort laser pulses using optical-field-ionization-induced plasma-neutral gratings formed by spatially structured ionization of a neutral molecular gas in the interference field of two femtosecond pump pulses. The transient refractive index modulation of the plasma structure persists for at least 10 picoseconds and is used to diffract intense fem… ▽ More We demonstrate efficient diffraction of intense ultrashort laser pulses using optical-field-ionization-induced plasma-neutral gratings formed by spatially structured ionization of a neutral molecular gas in the interference field of two femtosecond pump pulses. The transient refractive index modulation of the plasma structure persists for at least 10 picoseconds and is used to diffract intense femtosecond signal pulses into the 1st order of diffraction with an average efficiency of up to 35$\%$. Plasma gratings are shown to provide stable diffraction at signal laser intensities greater than $ 10^{14}\text{ W/cm}^2$, exceeding the damage thresholds of conventional solid-state optics by more than two orders of magnitude, continuously for hours at a 10-Hz repetition rate. The experimental diffraction efficiency scales with the grating aperture allowing for a larger millimeter-scale plasma optic, increases with the pump energy and electron density, and reaches a maximum at a specific grating length in agreement with the coupled-mode theory for periodic media. These results demonstrate the scalability, tunability, and high damage threshold of transmissive plasma-based photonic structures, opening new prospects for controlling multi-petawatt laser beams. △ Less

Submitted 30 April, 2026; v1 submitted 17 March, 2026; originally announced March 2026.

Near-Unity-Efficiency Gas Gratings for Ultraviolet, Visible, and Infrared High-Power Lasers

Authors: Ke Ou, Harsha Rajesh, Sida Cao, Debolina Chakraborty, Victor M. Perez-Ramirez, Devdigvijay Singh, Caleb Redshaw, Pelin Dedeler, Albertine Oudin, Eugene Kur, Michelle M. Wang, Julia M. Mikhailova, Livia Lancia, Caterina Riconda, Pierre Michel, Matthew R. Edwards

Abstract: Interfering deep ultraviolet (DUV) lasers can induce substantial density modulations in an ozone-doped gas flow via photochemical reactions, creating volume diffraction gratings. These transient optics are immune to target debris and shrapnel and feature orders-of-magnitude higher damage thresholds than conventional solid optics, providing a promising method for efficiently manipulating high-energ… ▽ More Interfering deep ultraviolet (DUV) lasers can induce substantial density modulations in an ozone-doped gas flow via photochemical reactions, creating volume diffraction gratings. These transient optics are immune to target debris and shrapnel and feature orders-of-magnitude higher damage thresholds than conventional solid optics, providing a promising method for efficiently manipulating high-energy lasers. In this work, we describe gas gratings that can efficiently diffract probe beams across a variety of wavelengths and pulse durations, ranging from deep ultraviolet to near-infrared and from nanosecond to femtosecond, achieving a full beam diffraction efficiency up to 99% while preserving the focusability and wavefront quality. In addition, we present a comprehensive characterization of the performance of the gas gratings under various experimental conditions, including imprint fluence, gas composition, and grating geometries, showing significant enhancement of this process with the addition of carbon dioxide. We also demonstrate stable performance over hours of operation. Our results validate a previously developed theoretical model and suggest optimal parameters to efficiently scale gas gratings to high-energy applications. △ Less

Submitted 14 January, 2026; originally announced January 2026.

Observation of cooperative strong coupling between optical phonon and crystal-field excitations in a pseudo Jahn-Teller system

Authors: Fangliang Wu, Xiaoxuan Ma, Zhongwei Zhang, Motoaki Bamba, Haowen Wu, Jian Sun, Yuan Wan, Shixun Cao, Qi Zhang

Abstract: Cooperative interactions between localized electronic excitations and crystal lattice are central to the emergence of complex structural phases in materials. However, the scaling relations governing these collective behaviors remain largely unexplored. Here, using magneto-Raman spectroscopy, we report the direct observation of the strongly coupled optical phonon and non-degenerate crystal-field ex… ▽ More Cooperative interactions between localized electronic excitations and crystal lattice are central to the emergence of complex structural phases in materials. However, the scaling relations governing these collective behaviors remain largely unexplored. Here, using magneto-Raman spectroscopy, we report the direct observation of the strongly coupled optical phonon and non-degenerate crystal-field excitations (CFEs) in ErFeO3. By independently tuning the effective population of Jahn-Teller-active erbium ions through temperature and chemical dilution with Jahn-Teller-inactive yttrium ions, we identify the coupling strength varies linearly with the square root of electronic excitations population. Notably, Y-doping reveals the hybridization gap reduces significantly faster than predicted by density scaling alone, indicating phonon coherence is essential for establishing this cooperative interaction. Our findings highlight the role of optical phonons in mediating short-range interactions that drive cooperative Jahn-Teller effect, evidencing the pathway for tailoring electronic and vibrational properties of Jahn-Teller materials through population control. △ Less

Submitted 19 July, 2026; v1 submitted 24 November, 2025; originally announced November 2025.

Comments: 14 pages, 4 figures

Entropy mode driven gas optics

Authors: P. Michel, A. Oudin, H. Rajesh, K. Ou, D. Chakraborty, S. Cao, E. Kur, L. Lancia, D. Ghosh, C. Riconda, J. S. Wurtele, M. R. Edwards

Abstract: We propose a novel class of gaseous diffractive optical elements created by imprinting an entropy mode in a gas. Previous approaches to gaseous diffractive optics relied on the simultaneous excitation of a standing acoustic wave and an entropy mode to produce one-dimensional periodic structures. However, the presence of acoustic oscillations in the gas imposes stringent constraints on some operati… ▽ More We propose a novel class of gaseous diffractive optical elements created by imprinting an entropy mode in a gas. Previous approaches to gaseous diffractive optics relied on the simultaneous excitation of a standing acoustic wave and an entropy mode to produce one-dimensional periodic structures. However, the presence of acoustic oscillations in the gas imposes stringent constraints on some operational parameters of these optical elements, such as their lifetime and diffraction angle. In this work, we introduce a new approach that eliminates the acoustic mode, relying solely on the entropy mode. This enables control of the lifetime and temporal profile of gaseous optical elements, and also allows the creation of arbitrary structures with greater contrast, including non-periodic patterns such as chirped gratings or lenses. This approach should allow operation over a wider parameter space, including larger diffraction angles and compatibility with laser pulse durations ranging from femtoseconds to microseconds. △ Less

Submitted 8 November, 2025; originally announced November 2025.

Comments: 8 pages, 4 figures

Flying focus with arbitrary directionality for spatiotemporal control of laser pulses

Authors: Sida Cao, Devdigvijay Singh, Lavonne S. Mack, John P. Palastro, Matthew R. Edwards

Abstract: Flying focus techniques produce laser pulses whose focal points travel at arbitrary, controllable velocities. While this flexibility can enhance a broad range of laser-based applications, existing techniques constrain the motion of the focal point to the propagation direction of the pulse. Here, we introduce a flying focus configuration that decouples the motion of the focus from the propagation d… ▽ More Flying focus techniques produce laser pulses whose focal points travel at arbitrary, controllable velocities. While this flexibility can enhance a broad range of laser-based applications, existing techniques constrain the motion of the focal point to the propagation direction of the pulse. Here, we introduce a flying focus configuration that decouples the motion of the focus from the propagation direction. A chirped laser pulse focused and diffracted by a diffractive lens and grating creates a focal point that can move both along and transverse to the propagation direction. The focal length of the lens, grating period, and chirp can be tuned to control the direction and velocity of the focus. Simulations demonstrate this control for a holographic configuration suited to high-power pulses, in which two off-axis pump beams with different focal lengths encode the equivalent phase of a chromatic lens and grating in a gas or plasma. For low-power pulses, conventional solid-state or adaptive optics can be used instead. Multi-dimensional control over the focal trajectory enables new configurations for applications, including laser wakefield acceleration of ions, nonlinear Thomson scattering, and surface-plasmon emission of THz radiation. △ Less

Submitted 29 April, 2026; v1 submitted 15 October, 2025; originally announced October 2025.

First GNSS-deployed optical clock for local time scale upgrade

Authors: Yi Yuan, Jian Cao, Jinbo Yuan, Dehao Wang, Pengcheng Fang, Qunfeng Chen, Shiying Cao, Xuanjian Wang, Sijia Chao, Hualin Shu, Guojun Li, Jinfeng Xu, Guitao Fu, Yuting Yang, Run Zhao, Fengfeng Shi, Xueren Huang

Abstract: Precise time scale is the universal base for all measurements. Here we report the deployment of a compact and transportable optical clock to a timekeeping institution and steering an active hydrogen maser to generate an optical time scale, realizing the upgrade of the local time scale in the Global Navigation Satellite System. The optical clock was transported over 1200 km by express delivery and… ▽ More Precise time scale is the universal base for all measurements. Here we report the deployment of a compact and transportable optical clock to a timekeeping institution and steering an active hydrogen maser to generate an optical time scale, realizing the upgrade of the local time scale in the Global Navigation Satellite System. The optical clock was transported over 1200 km by express delivery and resume work as normal promptly, and its extremely high uptime of 93.6% in the half-year enabled us to precisely correct the frequency drift of hydrogen maser, ultimately achieving an unprecedented monthly instability of 4E-17. This steering experiment with a deployable optical clock marks a significant advancement, demonstrating that a timing accuracy below 100 ps per month can be achieved feasibly in various timekeeping institutions where hydrogen masers are typically employed as the primary contributor to timekeeping. In the future, mobile optical time scale based on such transportable optical clock can be deployed flexibly and rapidly, which is particularly important in scenarios lacking International Atomic Time reference. △ Less

Submitted 14 October, 2025; originally announced October 2025.

Comments: 7 pages main article, 3 pages supplemental material

A Particle-in-Cell Simulation Framework for Thomson Scattering Analysis in Inertial Confinement Fusion

Authors: Ziang Zhu, Yifan Liu, Jun Li, Han Wen, Shihui Cao, Yin Shi, Qing Jia, Chaoxin Chen, Yaoyuan Liu, Hang Zhao, Tao Gong, Zhichao Li, Dong Yang, Jian Zheng

Abstract: In inertial confinement fusion (ICF), Thomson scattering (TS) is a widely used diagnostic technique for probing plasma conditions. We present a first-principles numerical approach to obtaining scattered light signals of ion acoustic features with high resolution in angle and frequency space using particle-in-cell simulations under typical ICF conditions. Our method demonstrates good agreement with… ▽ More In inertial confinement fusion (ICF), Thomson scattering (TS) is a widely used diagnostic technique for probing plasma conditions. We present a first-principles numerical approach to obtaining scattered light signals of ion acoustic features with high resolution in angle and frequency space using particle-in-cell simulations under typical ICF conditions. Our method demonstrates good agreement with existing theories for thermal collective TS. In the super-thermal collective regime, the results align with theory when the driven plasma modes are well-matched in wave vectors to the probe and collecting beams. Moreover, we also find that TS signals can remain significant even under imperfect wave-vector matching-a result that contradicts the conventional expectation that the TS spectrum strictly follows the plasma density spectrum. We attribute this discrepancy to a beating wave mechanism arising from the interaction between the probe beam and driven plasma density modulations. Our work thus provides a practical framework for interpreting TS signals from driven ion modes, a common yet complex feature in ICF plasmas. △ Less

Submitted 22 February, 2026; v1 submitted 5 October, 2025; originally announced October 2025.

Focusing Terawatt-Scale Lasers Using Holographic Gaseous Lenses

Authors: Devdigvijay Singh, Ke Ou, Sida Cao, Victor M. Perez-Ramirez, Harsha Rajesh, Debolina Chakraborty, Elaine Koh, Caleb Redshaw, Pelin Dedeler, Albertine Oudin, Michelle M. Wang, Julia M. Mikhailova, Livia Lancia, Caterina Riconda, Pierre Michel, Matthew R. Edwards

Abstract: The capabilities of the world's highest energy and peak-power pulsed lasers are limited by optical damage, and further advances in high-intensity laser science will require optics that are substantially more robust than existing components. We describe here the experimental demonstration of off-axis diffractive gaseous lenses capable of withstanding extreme laser fluence and immune to cumulative d… ▽ More The capabilities of the world's highest energy and peak-power pulsed lasers are limited by optical damage, and further advances in high-intensity laser science will require optics that are substantially more robust than existing components. We describe here the experimental demonstration of off-axis diffractive gaseous lenses capable of withstanding extreme laser fluence and immune to cumulative damage. We used less than 8 mJ of energy from interfering ultraviolet laser pulses to holographically write millimeter-scale diffractive gas lenses into an ozone, oxygen, and carbon-dioxide gas mixture. These lenses allowed us to focus, defocus, and collimate 532-nm, 210-mJ nanosecond laser pulses at fluences up to 35 J/cm$^2$ and 800-nm, 35-fs, 28-mJ femtosecond pulses at intensities up to 55 TW/cm$^2$, achieving greater than 80% diffraction efficiency. We also show that that beam pointing, divergence, and diffraction efficiency are stable while operating at 10 Hz. These diffractive lenses are simple holograms, and the principles demonstrated here extended to other types of optics suggests that gaseous optics could enable arbitrary, damage-resistant manipulation of intense light for next-generation ultra-high-power lasers. △ Less

Submitted 5 August, 2026; v1 submitted 2 October, 2025; originally announced October 2025.

Comments: 17 pages, 9 figures, 1 table

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

Learning and Interpreting Gravitational-Wave Features from CNNs with a Random Forest Approach

Authors: Jun Tian, He Wang, Jibo He, Yu Pan, Shuo Cao, Qingquan Jiang

Abstract: Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have become widely adopted in gravitational wave (GW) detection pipelines due to their ability to automatically learn hierarchical features from raw strain data. However, the physical meaning of these learned features remains underexplored, limiting the interpretability of such models. In this work, we propose a hybrid architecture that combines a CNN-based fea… ▽ More Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have become widely adopted in gravitational wave (GW) detection pipelines due to their ability to automatically learn hierarchical features from raw strain data. However, the physical meaning of these learned features remains underexplored, limiting the interpretability of such models. In this work, we propose a hybrid architecture that combines a CNN-based feature extractor with a random forest (RF) classifier to improve both detection performance and interpretability. Unlike prior approaches that directly connect classifiers to CNN outputs, our method introduces four physically interpretable metrics - variance, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), waveform overlap, and peak amplitude - computed from the final convolutional layer. These are jointly used with the CNN output in the RF classifier to enable more informed decision boundaries. Tested on long-duration strain datasets, our hybrid model outperforms a baseline CNN model, achieving a relative improvement of 21\% in sensitivity at a fixed false alarm rate of 10 events per month. Notably, it also shows improved detection of low-SNR signals (SNR $\le$ 10), which are especially vulnerable to misclassification in noisy environments. Feature attribution via the RF model reveals that both CNN-extracted and handcrafted features contribute significantly to classification decisions, with learned variance and CNN outputs ranked among the most informative. These findings suggest that physically motivated post-processing of CNN feature maps can serve as a valuable tool for interpretable and efficient GW detection, bridging the gap between deep learning and domain knowledge. △ Less

Submitted 3 September, 2025; v1 submitted 26 May, 2025; originally announced May 2025.

Journal ref: 2025 Mach. Learn.: Sci. Technol. 6 035045

Lattice thermal conductivity of 16 elemental metals from molecular dynamics simulations with a unified neuroevolution potential

Authors: Shuo Cao, Ao Wang, Zheyong Fan, Hua Bao, Ping Qian, Ye Su, Yu Yan

Abstract: Metals play a crucial role in heat management in electronic devices, such as integrated circuits, making it vital to understand heat transport in elementary metals and alloys. In this work, we systematically study phonon thermal transport in 16 metals using the efficient homogeneous nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (HNEMD) method and the recently developed unified neuroevolution potential version… ▽ More Metals play a crucial role in heat management in electronic devices, such as integrated circuits, making it vital to understand heat transport in elementary metals and alloys. In this work, we systematically study phonon thermal transport in 16 metals using the efficient homogeneous nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (HNEMD) method and the recently developed unified neuroevolution potential version 1 (UNEP-v1) for 16 metals and their alloys. We compare our results with existing ones based on the Boltzmann transport equation (BTE) approach and find that our HNEMD results align well with BTE results obtained by considering phonon-phonon scattering only. By contrast, HNEMD results based on the conventional embedded-atom method potential show less satisfactory agreement with BTE ones. Given the high accuracy of the UNEP-v1 model demonstrated in various metal alloys, we anticipate that the HNEMD method combined with the UNEP-v1 model will be a promising tool for exploring phonon thermal transport properties in complex systems such as high-entropy alloys. △ Less

Submitted 19 May, 2025; originally announced May 2025.

Comments: 10 pages, 8 figures

Physics Informed Constrained Learning of Dynamics from Static Data

Authors: Pengtao Dang, Tingbo Guo, Melissa Fishel, Guang Lin, Wenzhuo Wu, Sha Cao, Chi Zhang

Abstract: A physics-informed neural network (PINN) models the dynamics of a system by integrating the governing physical laws into the architecture of a neural network. By enforcing physical laws as constraints, PINN overcomes challenges with data scarsity and potentially high dimensionality. Existing PINN frameworks rely on fully observed time-course data, the acquisition of which could be prohibitive for… ▽ More A physics-informed neural network (PINN) models the dynamics of a system by integrating the governing physical laws into the architecture of a neural network. By enforcing physical laws as constraints, PINN overcomes challenges with data scarsity and potentially high dimensionality. Existing PINN frameworks rely on fully observed time-course data, the acquisition of which could be prohibitive for many systems. In this study, we developed a new PINN learning paradigm, namely Constrained Learning, that enables the approximation of first-order derivatives or motions using non-time course or partially observed data. Computational principles and a general mathematical formulation of Constrained Learning were developed. We further introduced MPOCtrL (Message Passing Optimization-based Constrained Learning) an optimization approach tailored for the Constrained Learning framework that strives to balance the fitting of physical models and observed data. Its code is available at github link: https://github.com/ptdang1001/MPOCtrL Experiments on synthetic and real-world data demonstrated that MPOCtrL can effectively detect the nonlinear dependency between observed data and the underlying physical properties of the system. In particular, on the task of metabolic flux analysis, MPOCtrL outperforms all existing data-driven flux estimators. △ Less

Submitted 22 April, 2025; v1 submitted 17 April, 2025; originally announced April 2025.

Comments: 39 pages, 10 figures

Phase-Matched Harmonic Generation in Strongly Magnetized Plasma

Authors: S. Cao, M. R. Edwards

Abstract: Harmonic generation in underdense spatially homogeneous plasma is generally expected to be inefficient: in an unmagnetized uniform plasma the fundamental and its harmonics cannot be phase-matched, resulting in third-harmonic generation efficiencies of no more than $10^{-5}$. Here, we describe how a strong uniform magnetic field allows phase-matched harmonic generation in constant-density plasma. W… ▽ More Harmonic generation in underdense spatially homogeneous plasma is generally expected to be inefficient: in an unmagnetized uniform plasma the fundamental and its harmonics cannot be phase-matched, resulting in third-harmonic generation efficiencies of no more than $10^{-5}$. Here, we describe how a strong uniform magnetic field allows phase-matched harmonic generation in constant-density plasma. We derive phase-matching relations for Type I and Type II second-, third-, and fourth-harmonic generation, and confirm these relations with particle-in-cell simulations. These simulations show that for weakly relativistic femtosecond pulses the efficiencies of second-, third-, and fourth-harmonic generation can reach at least 70%, 14%, and 2% respectively. Additionally, if driven by a two-color beam, third harmonic generation is found to be over 70% efficient and fourth harmonic generation is found to be over 30% efficient. △ Less

Submitted 5 April, 2025; originally announced April 2025.

Comments: 15 pages, 14 figures, 1 table

Electron penetration heating in turbulent magnetic loops driven by nonrelativistic laser-plasma interaction

Authors: Zheng Gong, Sida Cao, Caleb Redshaw, Matthew R. Edwards

Abstract: Using particle-in-cell simulations to study nonrelativistic laser pulse propagation in a under-critical plasma, we identify a novel mechanism that occurs during the growth of turbulent magnetic loops: electron penetration heating. The loops have an electromagnetic left-hand chirality distinct from that of well-known quasistatic magnetic islands. The fast electrons penetrate through the loops and t… ▽ More Using particle-in-cell simulations to study nonrelativistic laser pulse propagation in a under-critical plasma, we identify a novel mechanism that occurs during the growth of turbulent magnetic loops: electron penetration heating. The loops have an electromagnetic left-hand chirality distinct from that of well-known quasistatic magnetic islands. The fast electrons penetrate through the loops and thus are accelerated to unexpected relativistic energies due to the symmetry breaking induced by the coupling between the loop field and the non-relativistic electromagnetic wave. The identified features of penetration heating and magnetic loops might provide an alternative perspective for understanding superponderomotive electron heating in under-critical plasmas irradiated by nonrelativistic laser pulses. This is a potential explanation for anomalous hot electron generation in scenarios of laser-driven inertial confinement fusion. △ Less

Submitted 27 June, 2026; v1 submitted 3 April, 2025; originally announced April 2025.

Journal ref: Published; Phys. Rev. E 113, 065205 (2026)

Twisted heterobilayer photonic crystal based on stacking and selective etching of 2D materials

Authors: Qing Wang, Yuhang Li, Shaofeng Wang, Shuo Cao, Xiulai Xu, Chenjiang Qian

Abstract: Nanophotonic devices with moiré superlattice is currently attracting broad interest due to the unique periodicity and high efficiency control of photons. Till now, experimental investigations mainly focus on the single layer device, i.e., two or more layers of photonic crystal patterns are merged and etched in a single layer of material. By comparison, twisted photonic crystal with multilayer mate… ▽ More Nanophotonic devices with moiré superlattice is currently attracting broad interest due to the unique periodicity and high efficiency control of photons. Till now, experimental investigations mainly focus on the single layer device, i.e., two or more layers of photonic crystal patterns are merged and etched in a single layer of material. By comparison, twisted photonic crystal with multilayer materials raises challenges in the nanofabrication technology, because the growth of upper layer material usually requires a smooth bottom layer without nanostructures. Hereby, we fabricate twisted heterobilayer photonic crystal in the graphite/Si$_3$N$_4$ heterostructure. We use dry transfer method to stack the graphite on top of bottom Si$_3$N$_4$ with pre-etched photonic crystal patterns. Selective dry etching recipes are used to etch two photonic crystal layers individually, which improves the quality and accuracy in alignment. The cavity photonic mode at the visible wavelength $\sim 700$ nm arsing from the moiré site is clearly observed in experiment. These results reveal the experimental diagram of heterobilayer nanophotonic devices and open the way to design flexibility and control of photons in new degrees of freedom. △ Less

Submitted 6 March, 2025; originally announced March 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.

Characterization of Nanostructural Imperfections in Superconducting Quantum Circuits

Authors: Mohammed Alghadeer, Simone D Fasciati, Shuxiang Cao, Michele Piscitelli, Matthew C. Spink, David G. Hopkinson, Mohsen Danaie, Susannah C. Speller, Peter J. Leek, Mustafa Bakr

Abstract: Decoherence in superconducting quantum circuits, caused by loss mechanisms like material imperfections and two-level system (TLS) defects, remains a major obstacle to improving the performance of quantum devices. In this work, we present atomic-level characterization of cross-sections of a Josephson junction and a spiral resonator to assess the quality of critical interfaces. Employing scanning tr… ▽ More Decoherence in superconducting quantum circuits, caused by loss mechanisms like material imperfections and two-level system (TLS) defects, remains a major obstacle to improving the performance of quantum devices. In this work, we present atomic-level characterization of cross-sections of a Josephson junction and a spiral resonator to assess the quality of critical interfaces. Employing scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and electron-energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), we identify structural imperfections associated with oxide layer formation and carbon-based contamination, and correlate these imperfections to the patterning and etching steps in the fabrication process and environmental exposure. These results suggest that TLS imperfections at critical interfaces significantly contribute to limiting device performance, emphasizing the need for an improved fabrication process. △ Less

Submitted 28 May, 2025; v1 submitted 24 January, 2025; originally announced January 2025.

High-energy transient gas pinholes via saturated absorption

Authors: Ke Ou, Victor M. Perez-Ramirez, Sida Cao, Caleb Redshaw, Jin Lee, Michelle M. Wang, Julia M. Mikhailova, Pierre Michel, Matthew R. Edwards

Abstract: This letter presents a spatial filter based on saturated absorption in gas as a replacement for the solid pinhole in a lens-pinhole-lens filtering system. We show that an ultraviolet laser pulse focused through ozone will have its spatial profile cleaned if its peak fluence rises above the ozone saturation fluence. Specifically, we demonstrate that a 5 ns 266 nm beam with 4.2 mJ of initial energy… ▽ More This letter presents a spatial filter based on saturated absorption in gas as a replacement for the solid pinhole in a lens-pinhole-lens filtering system. We show that an ultraviolet laser pulse focused through ozone will have its spatial profile cleaned if its peak fluence rises above the ozone saturation fluence. Specifically, we demonstrate that a 5 ns 266 nm beam with 4.2 mJ of initial energy can be effectively cleaned by focusing through a 1.4% ozone-oxygen mixture, with about 76% of the main beam energy transmitted and 89% of the side lobe energy absorbed. This process can be adapted to other gases and laser wavelengths, providing alignment-insensitive and damage-resistant pinholes for high-repetition-rate high-energy lasers. △ Less

Submitted 3 December, 2024; originally announced December 2024.

Enhanced solid solution hardening by off-center substitutional solute atoms in α-Ti

Authors: Zi-Han Yu, Shuo Cao, Rui Yang, Qing-Miao Hu

Abstract: Most recently, some substitutional solute atoms in α-Ti have been predicted to occupy unexpectedly the low-symmetry (LS) positions away from the high-symmetry (HS) lattice site, which was speculated to result in enhanced solid solution hardening (SSH). In the present work, the SSH induced by the LS off-center solute atom is evaluated within the framework of continuum elasticity theory, in comparis… ▽ More Most recently, some substitutional solute atoms in α-Ti have been predicted to occupy unexpectedly the low-symmetry (LS) positions away from the high-symmetry (HS) lattice site, which was speculated to result in enhanced solid solution hardening (SSH). In the present work, the SSH induced by the LS off-center solute atom is evaluated within the framework of continuum elasticity theory, in comparison with that induced by its HS lattice-site counterpart. The interaction energy and force between the solute atom and the basal/prismatic edge/screw <a> dislocations in α-Ti solid solution are calculated with the elastic dipole model, with which the strength increments induced by the solute atoms are evaluated with the Labusch model. We show that, in general, the LS solute atom interacts much more strongly with the dislocations than its HS counterpart does. The calculated interaction energies suggest that the LS solute atom forms atmosphere above/below the slip plane of the basal <a> dislocations but on the slip plane of the prismatic <a> dislocations regardless of the dislocation types (edge or screw). The strength increments caused by most of the LS solute atoms are more than an order of magnitude higher than those by their HS counterparts. The SSH effect induced by the LS solute atom is mainly determined by the strength of the Jahn-Teller splitting of the d-orbitals of the solute atom, dissimilar to that induced by HS solute atom where the atomic size mismatch dominates. △ Less

Submitted 2 December, 2024; originally announced December 2024.

Develop monitors for MW-power proton beam at J-PARC extraction beamline for neutrino experiments

Authors: Son Cao, Megan Friend

Abstract: Intense and well-characterized neutrino sources, coupled with large and high-performance detectors, are essential for elucidating the unknowns in leptonic mixing through neutrino oscillation measurements. The J-PARC accelerator and neutrino extraction beamline have recently undergone upgrades, successfully delivering an 800-kW beam. We discuss the development, recent findings, and outstanding chal… ▽ More Intense and well-characterized neutrino sources, coupled with large and high-performance detectors, are essential for elucidating the unknowns in leptonic mixing through neutrino oscillation measurements. The J-PARC accelerator and neutrino extraction beamline have recently undergone upgrades, successfully delivering an 800-kW beam. We discuss the development, recent findings, and outstanding challenges associated with a non-destructive beam-induced fluorescence monitor and optical-fiber-based beam loss monitors. △ Less

Submitted 22 October, 2024; originally announced October 2024.

Comments: proceedings for talk presented at PASCOS 2024

CosForce: A Force-Based General Pedestrian Model with Anticipation and Reaction Mechanisms

Authors: Jinghui Wang, Wei Lv, Shuchao Cao, Chenglin Guo

Abstract: This paper develops a general force-based pedestrian model named CosForce, in which cosine functions are employed to describe asymmetric interactions. These functions implicitly capture the mechanisms of anticipation and reaction. By focusing on binary interactions, the CosForce model provides new insights into pedestrian modeling while achieving property of linear time complexity. Two specific sc… ▽ More This paper develops a general force-based pedestrian model named CosForce, in which cosine functions are employed to describe asymmetric interactions. These functions implicitly capture the mechanisms of anticipation and reaction. By focusing on binary interactions, the CosForce model provides new insights into pedestrian modeling while achieving property of linear time complexity. Two specific scenarios in crowd dynamics were analyzed: self-organization (entropy decrease) and crowd collapse (entropy increase). The average normalized speed and order parameter were introduced to quantitatively describe the processes of crowd dynamics. Quantitative evaluations demonstrate that phase separation in crowds is effectively reproduced by the model, including lane formation, stripe formation, and cross-channel formation. Next, in the simulation of mass gathering, within a density-accumulating scenario, processes of critical transition in high-density crowds are clearly revealed through time series observations of the order parameter. These findings provide valuable insights into crowd dynamics. △ Less

Submitted 11 September, 2025; v1 submitted 14 October, 2024; originally announced October 2024.

Comments: 26 pages, 22 figures

Pump depletion and the Raman gap in ignition-scale plasmas

Authors: S. H. Cao, M. J. Rosenberg, A. A. Solodov, H. Wen, C. Ren

Abstract: Laser-plasma instabilities under ignition conditions for direct-drive inertial confinement fusion are studied using two-dimensional Particle-in-Cell simulations with a combination of in-plane (PP) and out-of-the-plane (SP) lasers. The results show that stimulated Raman side scattering can induce significant pump depletion and form a gap in the Raman scattered light spectra that have been observed… ▽ More Laser-plasma instabilities under ignition conditions for direct-drive inertial confinement fusion are studied using two-dimensional Particle-in-Cell simulations with a combination of in-plane (PP) and out-of-the-plane (SP) lasers. The results show that stimulated Raman side scattering can induce significant pump depletion and form a gap in the Raman scattered light spectra that have been observed in experiments. △ Less

Submitted 8 September, 2024; originally announced September 2024.

Comments: 6 pages, 4 figures

Scalable DAQ system operating the CHIPS-5 neutrino detector

Authors: Belén Alonso Rancurel, Son Cao, Thomas J. Carroll, Rhys Castellan, Erika Catano-Mur, John P. Cesar, João A. B. Coelho, Patrick Dills, Thomas Dodwell, Jack Edmondson, Daan van Eijk, Quinn Fetterly, Zoé Garbal, Stefano Germani, Thomas Gilpin, Anthony Giraudo, Alec Habig, Daniel Hanuska, Harry Hausner, Wilson Y. Hernandez, Anna Holin, Junting Huang, Sebastian B. Jones, Albrecht Karle, George Kileff , et al. (35 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The CHIPS R&D project focuses on development of low-cost water Cherenkov neutrino detectors through novel design strategies and resourceful engineering. This work presents an end-to-end DAQ solution intended for a recent 5 kt CHIPS prototype, which is largely based on affordable mass-produced components. Much like the detector itself, the presented instrumentation is composed of modular arrays tha… ▽ More The CHIPS R&D project focuses on development of low-cost water Cherenkov neutrino detectors through novel design strategies and resourceful engineering. This work presents an end-to-end DAQ solution intended for a recent 5 kt CHIPS prototype, which is largely based on affordable mass-produced components. Much like the detector itself, the presented instrumentation is composed of modular arrays that can be scaled up and easily serviced. A single such array can carry up to 30 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) accompanied by electronics that generate high voltage in-situ and deliver time resolution of up to 0.69 ns. In addition, the technology is compatible with the White Rabbit timing system, which can synchronize its elements to within 100 ps. While deployment issues did not permit the presented DAQ system to operate beyond initial evaluation, the presented hardware and software successfully passed numerous commissioning tests that demonstrated their viability for use in a large-scale neutrino detector, instrumented with thousands of PMTs. △ Less

Submitted 20 August, 2024; originally announced August 2024.

Comments: 30 pages, 28 figures, submitted to MDPI Applied Sciences, Special Issue: Advanced Neutrino Detector Development and Application

Onset instability of inverted flags clamped by a cylinder

Authors: Haokui Jiang, Yujia Zhao, Burigede Liu, Shunxiang Cao

Abstract: We numerically investigate the hydrodynamic characteristics and analyze the instability mechanism of a two-dimensional inverted flag clamped by a cylinder. Two transition routes and a total of six kinds of solutions exist under this configuration for different diameters of cylinders due to complex bifurcations. Specifically, for small cylinders, the undeformed equilibrium transitions to static def… ▽ More We numerically investigate the hydrodynamic characteristics and analyze the instability mechanism of a two-dimensional inverted flag clamped by a cylinder. Two transition routes and a total of six kinds of solutions exist under this configuration for different diameters of cylinders due to complex bifurcations. Specifically, for small cylinders, the undeformed equilibrium transitions to static deformed equilibrium through a supercritical pitchfork bifurcation, which is judged by the weakly nonlinear analysis together with the global linear instability analysis. The instability mechanism is the lifting effect of the steady structure mode working at the leading edge of the elastic plate. For large cylinders, another unstable fluid mode (decoupled with structure mode) causes the disappearance of the static undeformed and deformed equilibrium, replaced by a small amplitude flapping. The structure mode and the flow mode mainly contribute to the growth of perturbations in plate and downstream cylinder regions respectively, which can excite multi-mode oscillating transition analyzed by proper orthogonal decomposition. Moreover, we find there is a critical diameter $D_c$ dividing the pitchfork bifurcation and Hopf bifurcation, and $D_c$ decreases with the increase of Reynolds number. Finally, we prove downstream vortex shedding can induce upward vortex-induced vibration of the plate and further improve the efficiency of energy transfer from the fluid to the structure during small-deflection flapping. △ Less

Submitted 19 August, 2024; originally announced August 2024.

Diff-PIC: Revolutionizing Particle-In-Cell Nuclear Fusion Simulation with Diffusion Models

Authors: Chuan Liu, Chunshu Wu, Shihui Cao, Mingkai Chen, James Chenhao Liang, Ang Li, Michael Huang, Chuang Ren, Dongfang Liu, Ying Nian Wu, Tong Geng

Abstract: The rapid development of AI highlights the pressing need for sustainable energy, a critical global challenge for decades. Nuclear fusion, generally seen as an ultimate solution, has been the focus of intensive research for nearly a century, with investments reaching hundreds of billions of dollars. Recent advancements in Inertial Confinement Fusion have drawn significant attention to fusion resear… ▽ More The rapid development of AI highlights the pressing need for sustainable energy, a critical global challenge for decades. Nuclear fusion, generally seen as an ultimate solution, has been the focus of intensive research for nearly a century, with investments reaching hundreds of billions of dollars. Recent advancements in Inertial Confinement Fusion have drawn significant attention to fusion research, in which Laser-Plasma Interaction (LPI) is critical for ensuring fusion stability and efficiency. However, the complexity of LPI upon fusion ignition makes analytical approaches impractical, leaving researchers depending on extremely computation-demanding Particle-in-Cell (PIC) simulations to generate data, presenting a significant bottleneck to advancing fusion research. In response, this work introduces Diff-PIC, a novel framework that leverages conditional diffusion models as a computationally efficient alternative to PIC simulations for generating high-fidelity scientific LPI data. In this work, physical patterns captured by PIC simulations are distilled into diffusion models associated with two tailored enhancements: (1) To effectively capture the complex relationships between physical parameters and corresponding outcomes, the parameters are encoded in a physically-informed manner. (2) To further enhance efficiency while maintaining high fidelity and physical validity, the rectified flow technique is employed to transform our model into a one-step conditional diffusion model. Experimental results show that Diff-PIC achieves 16,200$\times$ speedup compared to traditional PIC on a 100 picosecond simulation, with an average reduction in MAE / RMSE / FID of 59.21% / 57.15% / 39.46% with respect to two other SOTA data generation approaches. △ Less

Submitted 5 October, 2024; v1 submitted 3 August, 2024; originally announced August 2024.

Spectral-Refiner: Accurate Fine-Tuning of Spatiotemporal Fourier Neural Operator for Turbulent Flows

Authors: Shuhao Cao, Francesco Brarda, Ruipeng Li, Yuanzhe Xi

Abstract: Recent advancements in operator-type neural networks have shown promising results in approximating the solutions of spatiotemporal Partial Differential Equations (PDEs). However, these neural networks often entail considerable training expenses, and may not always achieve the desired accuracy required in many scientific and engineering disciplines. In this paper, we propose a new learning framewor… ▽ More Recent advancements in operator-type neural networks have shown promising results in approximating the solutions of spatiotemporal Partial Differential Equations (PDEs). However, these neural networks often entail considerable training expenses, and may not always achieve the desired accuracy required in many scientific and engineering disciplines. In this paper, we propose a new learning framework to address these issues. A new spatiotemporal adaptation is proposed to generalize any Fourier Neural Operator (FNO) variant to learn maps between Bochner spaces, which can perform an arbitrary-length temporal super-resolution for the first time. To better exploit this capacity, a new paradigm is proposed to refine the commonly adopted end-to-end neural operator training and evaluations with the help from the wisdom from traditional numerical PDE theory and techniques. Specifically, in the learning problems for the turbulent flow modeled by the Navier-Stokes Equations (NSE), the proposed paradigm trains an FNO only for a few epochs. Then, only the newly proposed spatiotemporal spectral convolution layer is fine-tuned without the frequency truncation. The spectral fine-tuning loss function uses a negative Sobolev norm for the first time in operator learning, defined through a reliable functional-type a posteriori error estimator whose evaluation is exact thanks to the Parseval identity. Moreover, unlike the difficult nonconvex optimization problems in the end-to-end training, this fine-tuning loss is convex. Numerical experiments on commonly used NSE benchmarks demonstrate significant improvements in both computational efficiency and accuracy, compared to end-to-end evaluation and traditional numerical PDE solvers under certain conditions. The source code is publicly available at https://github.com/scaomath/torch-cfd. △ Less

Submitted 7 May, 2025; v1 submitted 27 May, 2024; originally announced May 2024.

Comments: Published as a conference paper at ICLR 2025

MSC Class: 65M70 (Primary); 35Q30; 76M22; 65M50; 68T07 (Secondary)

High-Resolution Agent-Based Modeling of Campus Population Behaviors for Pandemic Response Planning

Authors: Hiroki Sayama, Shun Cao

Abstract: This paper reports a case study of an application of high-resolution agent-based modeling and simulation to pandemic response planning on a university campus. In the summer of 2020, we were tasked with a COVID-19 pandemic response project to create a detailed behavioral simulation model of the entire campus population at Binghamton University. We conceptualized this problem as an agent migration p… ▽ More This paper reports a case study of an application of high-resolution agent-based modeling and simulation to pandemic response planning on a university campus. In the summer of 2020, we were tasked with a COVID-19 pandemic response project to create a detailed behavioral simulation model of the entire campus population at Binghamton University. We conceptualized this problem as an agent migration process on a multilayer transportation network, in which each layer represented a different transportation mode. As no direct data were available about people's behaviors on campus, we collected as much indirect information as possible to inform the agents' behavioral rules. Each agent was assumed to move along the shortest path between two locations within each transportation layer and switch layers at a parking lot or a bus stop, along with several other behavioral assumptions. Using this model, we conducted simulations of the whole campus population behaviors on a typical weekday, involving more than 25,000 agents. We measured the frequency of close social contacts at each spatial location and identified several busy locations and corridors on campus that needed substantial behavioral intervention. Moreover, systematic simulations with varying population density revealed that the effect of population density reduction was nonlinear, and that reducing the population density to 40-45% would be optimal and sufficient to suppress disease spreading on campus. These results were reported to the university administration and utilized in the pandemic response planning, which led to successful outcomes. △ Less

Submitted 7 November, 2024; v1 submitted 18 May, 2024; originally announced May 2024.

Comments: 15 pages, 6 figures; to be published in the Proceedings of PPAM 2024

Two-Plasmon-Decay Instability Stimulated by a Normal- and Large-Angle-Incidence Laser Pair

Authors: C. -W. Lian, Y. Ji, R. Yan, J. Li, S. -H. Cao, C. Ren, L. -F. Wang, Y. -K. Ding, J. Zheng

Abstract: The two-plasmon-decay instability (TPD) is a critical target preheating risk in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion. In this paper, TPD collectively driven by a normal-incidence laser beam (Beam-N) and a large-angle-incidence laser beam (Beam-L) is investigated via particle-in-cell simulations. Significant TPD growth is found able to develop in this regime at previously unexpected low laser i… ▽ More The two-plasmon-decay instability (TPD) is a critical target preheating risk in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion. In this paper, TPD collectively driven by a normal-incidence laser beam (Beam-N) and a large-angle-incidence laser beam (Beam-L) is investigated via particle-in-cell simulations. Significant TPD growth is found able to develop in this regime at previously unexpected low laser intensities if the intensity of Beam-L exceeds the large-angle-incidence threshold. Both beams contribute to the growth of TPD in a "seed-amplification" manner where the absolute instability driven by Beam-L provides the seeds that get convectively amplified by Beam-N, making TPD energetically important and causing significant pump depletion and hot electron generation. △ Less

Submitted 12 May, 2024; originally announced May 2024.

Comments: 16 pages, 5 figures, submitted

Laser wakefield acceleration of ions with a transverse flying focus

Authors: Zheng Gong, Sida Cao, John P. Palastro, Matthew R. Edwards

Abstract: The extreme electric fields created in high-intensity laser-plasma interactions could generate energetic ions far more compactly than traditional accelerators. Despite this promise, laser-plasma accelerators have remained stagnant at maximum ion energies of 100 MeV/nucleon for the last twenty years. The central challenge is the low charge-to-mass ratio of ions, which has precluded one of the most… ▽ More The extreme electric fields created in high-intensity laser-plasma interactions could generate energetic ions far more compactly than traditional accelerators. Despite this promise, laser-plasma accelerators have remained stagnant at maximum ion energies of 100 MeV/nucleon for the last twenty years. The central challenge is the low charge-to-mass ratio of ions, which has precluded one of the most successful approaches used for electrons: laser wakefield acceleration. Here we show that a laser pulse with a focal spot that moves transverse to the laser propagation direction enables wakefield acceleration of ions to GeV energies in underdense plasma. Three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate that this relativistic-intensity "transverse flying focus" can trap ions in a comoving electrostatic pocket, producing a monoenergetic collimated ion beam. With a peak intensity of $10^{20}\,$W/cm$^2$ and an acceleration distance of $0.44\,$cm, we observe a proton beam with $23.1\,$pC charge, $1.6\,$GeV peak energy, and $3.7\,$% relative energy spread. This approach allows for compact high-repetition-rate production of high-energy ions, highlighting the capability of more generalized spatio-temporal pulse shaping to address open problems in plasma physics. △ Less

Submitted 20 December, 2024; v1 submitted 4 May, 2024; originally announced May 2024.

Comments: 8 pages, 4 figures

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. Lett. 133, 265002 (2024)

Dual-frequency optical-microwave atomic clocks based on cesium atoms

Authors: Tiantian Shi, Qiang Wei, Xiaomin Qin, Zhenfeng Liu, Kunkun Chen, Shiying Cao, Hangbo Shi, Zijie Liu, Jingbiao Chen

Abstract: $^{133}$Cs, which is the only stable cesium (Cs) isotope, is one of the most investigated elements in atomic spectroscopy and was used to realize the atomic clock in 1955. Among all atomic clocks, the cesium atomic clock has a special place, since the current unit of time is based on a microwave transition in the Cs atom. In addition, the long lifetime of the $6{\text{P}}_{3/2}… ▽ More $^{133}$Cs, which is the only stable cesium (Cs) isotope, is one of the most investigated elements in atomic spectroscopy and was used to realize the atomic clock in 1955. Among all atomic clocks, the cesium atomic clock has a special place, since the current unit of time is based on a microwave transition in the Cs atom. In addition, the long lifetime of the $6{\text{P}}_{3/2}$ state and simple preparation technique of Cs vapor cells have great relevance to quantum and atom optics experiments, which suggests the use of the $6{\text{S}} - 6{\text{P}}$ D2 transition as an optical frequency standard. In this work, using one laser as the local oscillator and Cs atoms as the quantum reference, we realized two atomic clocks in the optical and microwave frequencies, respectively. Both clocks could be freely switched or simultaneously output. The optical clock based on the vapor cell continuously operated with a frequency stability of $3.89 \times {10^{ - 13}}$ at 1 s, decreasing to $2.17 \times {10^{ - 13}}$ at 32 s, which was frequency stabilized by modulation transfer spectroscopy and estimated by an optical comb. Then, applying this stabilized laser for an optically pumped Cs beam atomic clock to reduce the laser frequency noise, we obtained a microwave clock with a frequency stability of $1.84 \times {10^{ - 12}}/\sqrt τ$, reaching $5.99 \times {10^{ - 15}}$ at $10^5$ s. This study demonstrates an attractive feature for the commercialization and deployment of optical and microwave clocks and will guide further development of integrated atomic clocks with better stability. Thus, this study lays the groundwork for future quantum metrology and laser physics. △ Less

Submitted 1 May, 2024; originally announced May 2024.

Comments: 8 pages, 4 figures

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/

Nonreciprocal interactions in crowd dynamics: investigating the impact of moving threats on pedestrian speed preferences

Authors: Shaocong Xie, Rui Ye, Xiaolian Li, Zhongyi Huang, Shuchao Cao, Wei Lv, Hong He, Ping Zhang, Zhiming Fang, Jun Zhang, Weiguo Song

Abstract: Nonreciprocal interaction crowd systems, such as human-human, human-vehicle, and human-robot systems, often have serious impacts on pedestrian safety and social order. A more comprehensive understanding of these systems is needed to optimize system stability and efficiency. Despite the importance of these interactions, empirical research in this area remains limited. Thus, in our study we explore… ▽ More Nonreciprocal interaction crowd systems, such as human-human, human-vehicle, and human-robot systems, often have serious impacts on pedestrian safety and social order. A more comprehensive understanding of these systems is needed to optimize system stability and efficiency. Despite the importance of these interactions, empirical research in this area remains limited. Thus, in our study we explore this underresearched area, focusing on scenarios where nonreciprocity plays a critical role, such as mass stabbings, which pose a substantial risk to public safety. We conducted the first experiments on this system and analysed high-accuracy data obtained from these experiments. The extent of the direct threat zone is determined by the speed of the moving threat and the radius of danger occurrence. We further categorize potential threats into direct, adjacent, and rear-view zones, quantifying the level of threat for pedestrians. Our study revealed that a pedestrian's desired velocity correlated positively with potential threat intensity, increasing until near the direct threat zone. An emerging steady state is observed when escape routes are blocked by moving threats. This deviation affects the density-velocity relationship, making it distinct from the general relationship. This deviation signifies unique pedestrian behaviour in the presence of moving threats. Additionally, the rate of change in the angle for pedestrian motion in various desired directions is synchronized. This indicates the emergence of collective intelligence in nonreciprocal interaction crowd systems. As a result, our study may constitute a pioneering step towards understanding nonreciprocal interactions in crowd systems through laboratory experiments. These findings may enhance pedestrian safety and inform not only government crowd management strategies but also individual self-protection measures. △ Less

Submitted 2 April, 2024; originally announced April 2024.

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

The Design and Construction of the Chips Water Cherenkov Neutrino Detector

Authors: B. Alonso Rancurel, N. Angelides, G. Augustoni, S. Bash, B. Bergmann, N. Bertschinger, P. Bizouard, M. Campbell, S. Cao, T. J. Carroll, R. Castellan, E. Catano-Mur, J. P. Cesar, J. A. B. Coelho, P. Dills, T. Dodwell, J. Edmondson, D. van Eijk, Q. Fetterly, Z. Garbal, S. Germani, T. Gilpin, A. Giraudo, A. Habig, D. Hanuska , et al. (42 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: CHIPS (CHerenkov detectors In mine PitS) was a prototype large-scale water Cherenkov detector located in northern Minnesota. The main aim of the R&D project was to demonstrate that construction costs of neutrino oscillation detectors could be reduced by at least an order of magnitude compared to other equivalent experiments. This article presents design features of the CHIPS detector along with de… ▽ More CHIPS (CHerenkov detectors In mine PitS) was a prototype large-scale water Cherenkov detector located in northern Minnesota. The main aim of the R&D project was to demonstrate that construction costs of neutrino oscillation detectors could be reduced by at least an order of magnitude compared to other equivalent experiments. This article presents design features of the CHIPS detector along with details of the implementation and deployment of the prototype. While issues during and after the deployment of the detector prevented data taking, a number of key concepts and designs were successfully demonstrated. △ Less

Submitted 25 September, 2024; v1 submitted 22 January, 2024; originally announced January 2024.

Mapping Whole Exome Sequencing to In Vivo Imaging with Stereotactic Localization and Deep Learning

Authors: Mahsa Servati, Courtney N. Vaccaro, Emily E. Diller, Renata Pellegrino Da Silva, Fernanda Mafra, Sha Cao, Katherine B. Stanley, Aaron Cohen-Gadol, Jason G. Parker

Abstract: This study presents a multi-faceted approach combining stereotactic biopsy with standard clinical open-craniotomy for sample collection, voxel-wise analysis of MR images, regression-based Generalized Additive Models (GAM), & whole-exome sequencing. This work aims to demonstrate the potential of machine learning algorithms to predict variations in cellular & molecular tumor characteristics. This re… ▽ More This study presents a multi-faceted approach combining stereotactic biopsy with standard clinical open-craniotomy for sample collection, voxel-wise analysis of MR images, regression-based Generalized Additive Models (GAM), & whole-exome sequencing. This work aims to demonstrate the potential of machine learning algorithms to predict variations in cellular & molecular tumor characteristics. This retrospective study enrolled ten treatment-naive patients with radiologically confirmed glioma (5 WHO grade II, 5 WHO grade IV). Each patient underwent a multiparametric MR scan (T1W, T1W-CE, T2W, T2W-FLAIR, DWI) prior to surgery (27.9+/-34.0 days). During standard craniotomy procedure, at least 1 stereotactic biopsy was collected from each patient, with screenshots of the sample locations saved for spatial registration to pre-surgical MR data. Whole-exome sequencing was performed on flash-frozen tumor samples, prioritizing the signatures of five glioma-related genes: IDH1, TP53, EGFR, PIK3CA, & NF1. Regression was implemented with a GAM using a univariate shape function for each predictor. Standard receiver operating characteristic analyses were used to evaluate detection, with AUC (area under curve) calculated for each gene target & MR contrast combination. The mean AUC for the five gene targets & 31 MR contrast combinations was 0.75+/-0.11; individual AUCs were as high as 0.96 for both IDH1 & TP53 with T2W-FLAIR & ADC & 0.99 for EGFR with T2W & ADC. An average AUC of 0.85 across the five mutations was achieved using the combination of T1W, T2W-FLAIR, & ADC. These results suggest the possibility of predicting exome-wide mutation events from non-invasive, in vivo imaging by combining stereotactic localization of glioma samples & a semi-parametric deep learning method. This approach holds potential for refining targeted therapy by better addressing the genomic heterogeneity of glioma tumors. △ Less

Submitted 8 January, 2024; originally announced January 2024.

Comments: Keywords: multiparametric MRI, intra-tumoral heterogeneity, machine learning, brain tumor, stereotactic biopsy. Note: A portion of this study was presented as a talk in RSNA (Radiological Society of North America) 2021 and was awarded the RSNA Chynn Award for Neuroradiology Research

CosIn: A Statistical-based Algorithm for Computation of Space-speed Time Delay in Pedestrian Motion

Authors: Jinghui Wang, Wei Lv, Shuchao Cao, Zhensheng Wang

Abstract: Precise assessment of Space-speed time delay (TD) is critical for distinguishing between anticipation and reaction behaviors within pedestrian motion. Besides, the TD scale is instrumental in the evaluation of potential collision tendency of the crowd, thereby providing essential quantitative metrics for assessing risk. In this consideration, this paper introduced the CosIn algorithm for evaluatin… ▽ More Precise assessment of Space-speed time delay (TD) is critical for distinguishing between anticipation and reaction behaviors within pedestrian motion. Besides, the TD scale is instrumental in the evaluation of potential collision tendency of the crowd, thereby providing essential quantitative metrics for assessing risk. In this consideration, this paper introduced the CosIn algorithm for evaluating TD during pedestrian motion, which includes both the CosIn-1 and CosIn-2 algorithms. CosIn-1 algorithm analytically calculates TD, replacing the numerical method of discrete cross-correlation, whereas the CosIn-2 algorithm estimates the TD from a statistical perspective. Specifically, the CosIn-1 algorithm addresses the precise computation of TD for individual pedestrians, while the CosIn-2 algorithm is employed for assessing TD at the crowd scale, concurrently addressing the imperative of real-time evaluation. Efficacy analyses of the CosIn-1 and CosIn-2 algorithms are conducted with data from single-file pedestrian experiments and crowd-crossing experiments, respectively. During this process, the discrete cross-correlation method was employed as a baseline to evaluate the performance of both algorithms, which demonstrated notable accuracy. This algorithm facilitate the precise evaluation of behavior patterns and collision tendency within crowds, thereby enabling us to understand the crowds dynamics from a new perspective. △ Less

Submitted 24 December, 2024; v1 submitted 7 January, 2024; originally announced January 2024.

Comments: 29 pages, 18 figures

Journal ref: Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, 170, 104912 (2025)

Observation of the Magnonic Dicke Superradiant Phase Transition

Authors: Dasom Kim, Sohail Dasgupta, Xiaoxuan Ma, Joong-Mok Park, Hao-Tian Wei, Liang Luo, Jacques Doumani, Xinwei Li, Wanting Yang, Di Cheng, Richard H. J. Kim, Henry O. Everitt, Shojiro Kimura, Hiroyuki Nojiri, Jigang Wang, Shixun Cao, Motoaki Bamba, Kaden R. A. Hazzard, Junichiro Kono

Abstract: Two-level atoms coupled with single-mode cavity photons are predicted to exhibit a quantum phase transition when the coupling strength exceeds a critical value, entering a phase in which atomic polarization and photonic field are finite even at zero temperature and without external driving. However, this phenomenon, the superradiant phase transition (SRPT), is forbidden by a no-go theorem due to t… ▽ More Two-level atoms coupled with single-mode cavity photons are predicted to exhibit a quantum phase transition when the coupling strength exceeds a critical value, entering a phase in which atomic polarization and photonic field are finite even at zero temperature and without external driving. However, this phenomenon, the superradiant phase transition (SRPT), is forbidden by a no-go theorem due to the existence of the diamagnetic term in the Hamiltonian. Here, we present spectroscopic evidence for a magnonic SRPT in ErFeO$_3$, where the role of the photonic mode (two-level atoms) in the photonic SRPT is played by an Fe$^{3+}$ magnon mode (Er$^{3+}$ spins). The absence of the diamagnetic term in the Fe$^{3+}$-Er$^{3+}$ exchange coupling ensures that the no-go theorem does not apply. Terahertz and gigahertz magnetospectroscopy experiments revealed the signatures of the SRPT -- a kink and a softening, respectively, of two spin-magnon hybridized modes at the critical point. △ Less

Submitted 3 January, 2024; originally announced January 2024.

Journal ref: Science Advances 11, adt1691 (2025)

Analogue of collectively induced transparency in metamaterials

Authors: Wei Huang, Shi-Ting Cao, Shi-Jun Liang, Shan Yin, Wentao Zhang

Abstract: Most recently, a brand new optical phenomenon, collectively induced transparency (CIT) has already been proposed in the cavity quantum electrodynamics system, which comes from the coupling between the cavity and ions and the quantum interference of collective ions. In this paper, we propose the CIT in terahertz (THz) metamaterial device by employing the coupling between bright mode and interferenc… ▽ More Most recently, a brand new optical phenomenon, collectively induced transparency (CIT) has already been proposed in the cavity quantum electrodynamics system, which comes from the coupling between the cavity and ions and the quantum interference of collective ions. In this paper, we propose the CIT in terahertz (THz) metamaterial device by employing the coupling between bright mode and interference of dark modes for the first time. We give the theoretical analysis, analytical calculations and simulations to present the transmission spectrum of CIT metamaterials. Furthermore, we can observe the tendency of CIT's transmission spectrum by experiments which well verify our idea. Ideal CIT metamaterial device can produce a very high Q peak in the middle of transmission spectrum of Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT), which can be useful for highly sensitive metamaterial sensors, optical switches and photo-memory. △ Less

Submitted 31 December, 2024; v1 submitted 26 November, 2023; originally announced November 2023.

Comments: 10 pages, 6 figures

Journal ref: Physical Review B 111 (4), 045429 (2025)

Turing Pattern and Chemical Medium-Range Order of Metallic glasses

Authors: Song Ling Liu, Xin Yu Luo, Jing Shan Cao, Zhao Yuan Liu, Bei Bei Xu, Yong Hao Sun, Weihua Wang

Abstract: The formation of bulk metallic glass requires the constituent elements to have a negative heat of mixing but has no restrictions on its magnitude. An understanding of this issue is lacking due to the absence of a valid method for describing chemical ordering of metallic glasses. For example, the radial distribution function is ineffective in identifying the elemental preferences of packed atoms. H… ▽ More The formation of bulk metallic glass requires the constituent elements to have a negative heat of mixing but has no restrictions on its magnitude. An understanding of this issue is lacking due to the absence of a valid method for describing chemical ordering of metallic glasses. For example, the radial distribution function is ineffective in identifying the elemental preferences of packed atoms. Here, we show that using molecular-dynamics simulation, the chemical medium-range ordering of liquid alloys can be evaluated from persistent homology. This inherently arising chemical medium-range order in metallic glasses is exclusively regulated by the activation and inhibition of the constituent components, making the topology of metallic glasses a Turing pattern. The connecting schemes of atoms of the same species form three distinct regions, reflecting different correlations at the short and medium length scales, while the difference in the schemes corresponds to chemical ordering. By changing the elemental types, it is demonstrated that the chemical medium-range order strongly depends on the relative depth of the interatomic-potential wells. The study separates metallic glasses from crystals under the condition of negative heat of mixing by emphasizing their fundamental difference in interatomic potentials. △ Less

Submitted 9 May, 2023; originally announced May 2023.

Search for astrophysical electron antineutrinos in Super-Kamiokande with 0.01wt% gadolinium-loaded water

Authors: M. Harada, 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. Okamoto, K. Sato, H. Sekiya, H. Shiba , et al. (216 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We report the first search result for the flux of astrophysical electron antineutrinos for energies O(10) MeV in the gadolinium-loaded Super-Kamiokande (SK) detector. In June 2020, gadolinium was introduced to the ultra-pure water of the SK detector in order to detect neutrons more efficiently. In this new experimental phase, SK-Gd, we can search for electron antineutrinos via inverse beta decay w… ▽ More We report the first search result for the flux of astrophysical electron antineutrinos for energies O(10) MeV in the gadolinium-loaded Super-Kamiokande (SK) detector. In June 2020, gadolinium was introduced to the ultra-pure water of the SK detector in order to detect neutrons more efficiently. In this new experimental phase, SK-Gd, we can search for electron antineutrinos via inverse beta decay with efficient background rejection and higher signal efficiency thanks to the high efficiency of the neutron tagging technique. In this paper, we report the result for the initial stage of SK-Gd with a $22.5\times552$ $\rm kton\cdot day$ exposure at 0.01% Gd mass concentration. No significant excess over the expected background in the observed events is found for the neutrino energies below 31.3 MeV. Thus, the flux upper limits are placed at the 90% confidence level. The limits and sensitivities are already comparable with the previous SK result with pure-water ($22.5 \times 2970 \rm kton\cdot day$) owing to the enhanced neutron tagging. △ Less

Submitted 30 May, 2023; v1 submitted 8 May, 2023; originally announced May 2023.

Pupil aberrations correction of the afocal telescope for the TianQin project

Authors: Zichao Fan, Zhengbo Zhu, Huiru Ji, Yan Mo, Hao Tan, Lujia Zhao, Shengyi Cao, Donglin Ma

Abstract: TianQin is a planned Chinese space-based gravitational wave (GW) observatory with a frequency band of 10-4 to 1Hz. Optical telescopes are essential for the delivery of the measurement beam to support a precise distance measurement between pairs of proof masses. As the design is driven by the interferometric displacement sensitivity requirements, the stability control of optical path length (OPL) i… ▽ More TianQin is a planned Chinese space-based gravitational wave (GW) observatory with a frequency band of 10-4 to 1Hz. Optical telescopes are essential for the delivery of the measurement beam to support a precise distance measurement between pairs of proof masses. As the design is driven by the interferometric displacement sensitivity requirements, the stability control of optical path length (OPL) is extremely important beyond the traditional requirement of diffraction-limited imaging quality. In a telescope system, the recurring tilt-to-length (TTL) coupling noise arises from the OPL variation due to the wavefront deformation and angular misalignment. The pupil aberrations are preferred option to understand the OPL specifications and further suppress TTL coupling noise. To correct the pupil aberrations, we derive primary pupil aberrations in a series expansion form, and then refine the formulation of merit function by combining the pupil aberration theory and traditional image aberration theory. The automatic correction of pupil aberrations is carried out by using the macro programming in the commercial optical software Zemax, leading to a high performance telescope design. The design results show that on one side the pupil aberrations have been corrected, and on the other side, its optical performance meets the requirements for TianQin project. The RMS wavefront error over the science field of view (FOV) is less than λ/200 and the maximum TTL coupling noise over the entire 300 urad FOV is 0.0034nm/urad. We believe that our design approach can be a good guide for the space telescope design in any other space-based GW detection project, as well as other similar optical systems. △ Less

Submitted 6 March, 2023; originally announced March 2023.

Absolute frequency measurements with a robust, transportable ^{40}Ca^{+} optical clock

Authors: Huaqing Zhang, Yao Huang, Baolin Zhang, Yanmei Hao, Mengyan Zeng, Qunfeng Chen, Yuzhuo Wang, Shiying Cao, Yige Lin, Zhanjun Fang, Hua Guan, Kelin Gao

Abstract: We constructed a transportable 40Ca+ optical clock (with an estimated minimum systematic shift uncertainty of 1.3*10^(-17) and a stability of 5*10^(-15)/sqrt{tau} ) that can operate outside the laboratory. We transported it from the Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan to the National Institute of Metrology, Beijing. The absolute f… ▽ More We constructed a transportable 40Ca+ optical clock (with an estimated minimum systematic shift uncertainty of 1.3*10^(-17) and a stability of 5*10^(-15)/sqrt{tau} ) that can operate outside the laboratory. We transported it from the Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan to the National Institute of Metrology, Beijing. The absolute frequency of the 729 nm clock transition was measured for up to 35 days by tracing its frequency to the second of International System of Units. Some improvements were implemented in the measurement process, such as the increased effective up-time of 91.3 % of the 40Ca+ optical clock over a 35-day-period, the reduced statistical uncertainty of the comparison between the optical clock and hydrogen maser, and the use of longer measurement times to reduce the uncertainty of the frequency traceability link. The absolute frequency measurement of the 40Ca+ optical clock yielded a value of 411042129776400.26 (13) Hz with an uncertainty of 3.2*10^(-16), which is reduced by a factor of 1.7 compared with our previous results. As a result of the increase in the operating rate of the optical clock, the accuracy of 35 days of absolute frequency measurement can be comparable to the best results of different institutions in the world based on different optical frequency measurements. △ Less

Submitted 1 March, 2023; originally announced March 2023.

Comments: 15 pages, 5 figures