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Interleaved bond frustration in a triangular lattice antiferromagnet
Authors:
S. J. Gomez Alvarado,
J. R. Chamorro,
D. Rout,
J. Hielscher,
Sarah Schwarz,
Caeli Benyacko,
M. B. Stone,
V. Ovidiu Garlea,
A. R. Jackson,
G. Pokharel,
R. Gomez,
B. R. Ortiz,
Suchismita Sarker,
L. Kautzsch,
L. C. Gallington,
R. Seshadri,
Stephen D. Wilson
Abstract:
Frustration of long-range order via lattice geometries serves to amplify fluctuations of the order parameter and generate unconventional ground states that are highly sensitive to perturbations. Traditionally, this concept of geometric frustration is used to engineer unconventional magnetic states in a variety of materials; however, the charge degree of freedom and bond order can be similarly frus…
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Frustration of long-range order via lattice geometries serves to amplify fluctuations of the order parameter and generate unconventional ground states that are highly sensitive to perturbations. Traditionally, this concept of geometric frustration is used to engineer unconventional magnetic states in a variety of materials; however, the charge degree of freedom and bond order can be similarly frustrated. Finding materials that host both frustrated magnetic and bond networks holds promise for engineering structural and magnetic states with the potential of coupling to one another via either the magnetic sector (via magnetic field) or via the lattice sector (via strain). In this paper, we identify an unusual instance of this coexistence in the triangular lattice antiferromagnetic compounds $Ln$Cd$_3$P$_3$ ($Ln$ = La, Ce, Pr, and Nd). These compounds feature two-dimensional planes of unique trigonal-planar CdP$_3$ units that manifest an underlying bond instability with its long-range ordering frustrated via emergent kagome ice bond correlations. Our results establish $Ln$Cd$_3$P$_3$ as a rare class of materials where frustrated magnetism across a tunable rare-earth triangular network is embedded within a dopable semiconductor with a frustrated bond order instability.
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Submitted 22 October, 2025; v1 submitted 7 January, 2025;
originally announced January 2025.
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Growth of hexagonal BN crystals by traveling-solvent floating zone
Authors:
Eli Zoghlin,
Juliette Plo,
Gaihua Ye,
Cynthia Nnokwe,
Reina Gomez,
Austin Ferrenti,
Satya Kushwaha,
Rui He,
Stephen D. Wilson,
Pierre Valvin,
Bernard Gil,
Guillaume Cassabois,
James H. Edgar,
Tyrel M. McQueen
Abstract:
Large, high-purity single-crystals of hexagonal BN (h-BN) are essential for exploiting its many desirable and interesting properties. Here, we demonstrate via X-ray tomography, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy that h-BN crystals can be grown by traveling-solvent floating-zone (TSFZ). The diameters of grown boules range from 3 - 5 mm with lengths from 2 - 10 mm. Tomography indicat…
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Large, high-purity single-crystals of hexagonal BN (h-BN) are essential for exploiting its many desirable and interesting properties. Here, we demonstrate via X-ray tomography, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy that h-BN crystals can be grown by traveling-solvent floating-zone (TSFZ). The diameters of grown boules range from 3 - 5 mm with lengths from 2 - 10 mm. Tomography indicates variable grain sizes within the boules, with the largest having areas of $\approx$ 1 mm $\times$ 2 mm and thickness $\approx$ 0.5 mm. Although the boules contain macroscale flux inclusions, the h-BN lattice itself is of high quality for samples grown under optimized conditions. The currently optimized growth procedure employs an Fe flux, moderate N$_2$ pressure ($P_{N2} \approx$ 6 bar), and a growth rate of 0.1 mm/h. Raman spectroscopy for an optimized sample gives an average linewidth of 7.7(2) cm$^{-1}$ for the E$_{\mathrm{2g}}$ intralayer mode at 1365.46(4) cm$^{-1}$ and 1.0(1) cm$^{-1}$ for the E$_{\mathrm{2g}}$ interlayer shear mode at 51.78(9) cm$^{-1}$. The corresponding photoluminescence spectrum shows sharp phonon-assisted free exciton peaks and minimal signal in the energy range corresponding to carbon-related defects ($E$ = 3.9 4.1 eV). Our work demonstrates the viability of growing h-BN by the TSFZ technique, thereby opening a new route towards larger, high-quality crystals and advancing the state of h-BN related research.
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Submitted 8 April, 2025; v1 submitted 22 December, 2024;
originally announced December 2024.
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Phase-Separated Charge Order and Twinning Across Length Scales in CsV$_3$Sb$_5$
Authors:
Jayden Plumb,
Andrea Capa Salinas,
Krishnanand Mallayya,
Elliot Kisiel,
Fellipe B. Carneiro,
Reina Gomez,
Ganesh Pokharel,
Eun-Ah Kim,
Suchismita Sarker,
Zahirul Islam,
Sam Daly,
Stephen D. Wilson
Abstract:
We present X-ray scattering studies resolving structural twinning and phase separation in the charge density wave (CDW) state of the kagome superconductor CsV$_3$Sb$_5$. The three-dimensional CDW state in CsV$_3$Sb$_5$ is reported to form a complex superposition of Star of David (SoD) or Tri-Hexagonal (TrH) patterns of distortion within its kagome planes, but the out-of-plane stacking is marked by…
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We present X-ray scattering studies resolving structural twinning and phase separation in the charge density wave (CDW) state of the kagome superconductor CsV$_3$Sb$_5$. The three-dimensional CDW state in CsV$_3$Sb$_5$ is reported to form a complex superposition of Star of David (SoD) or Tri-Hexagonal (TrH) patterns of distortion within its kagome planes, but the out-of-plane stacking is marked by metastability. In order to resolve the impact of this metastability, we present reciprocal space mapping and real-space images of CsV$_3$Sb$_5$ collected across multiple length scales using temperature-dependent high-dynamic range mapping (HDRM) and dark-field X-ray microscopy (DFXM). The experimental data provide evidence for a rich microstructure that forms in the CDW state. Data evidence metastability in the formation of $2\times 2\times 4$ and $2\times 2\times 2$ CDW supercells dependent on thermal history and mechanical deformation. We further directly resolve the real space phase segregation of both supercells as well as a real-space, structural twinning driven by the broken rotational symmetry of the CDW state. Our combined results provide insights into the role of microstructure and twinning in experiments probing the electronic properties of CsV$_3$Sb$_5$ where rotational symmetry is broken by the three-dimensional charge density wave order but locally preserved for any single kagome layer.
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Submitted 19 August, 2024; v1 submitted 16 August, 2024;
originally announced August 2024.
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Large Deviations in Safety-Critical Systems with Probabilistic Initial Conditions
Authors:
Aitor R. Gomez,
Manuela L. Bujorianu,
Rafal Wisniewski
Abstract:
We often rely on probabilistic measures -- e.g. event probability or expected time -- to characterize systems' safety. However, determining these quantities for extremely low-probability events is generally challenging, as standard safety methods usually struggle due to conservativeness, high-dimension scalability, tractability or numerical limitations. We address these issues by leveraging rigoro…
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We often rely on probabilistic measures -- e.g. event probability or expected time -- to characterize systems' safety. However, determining these quantities for extremely low-probability events is generally challenging, as standard safety methods usually struggle due to conservativeness, high-dimension scalability, tractability or numerical limitations. We address these issues by leveraging rigorous approximations grounded in the principles of Large Deviations theory. By assuming deterministic initial conditions, Large Deviations identifies a single dominant path in the low-noise limit as the most significant contributor to the rare-event probability: the instanton. We extend this result to incorporate stochastic uncertainty in the initial states, which is a common assumption in many applications. To that end, we determine an expression for the probability density of the initial states, conditioned on the unsafe rare event being observed. This expression gives access to the most probable initial conditions, as well as the most probable hitting time and path deviations, leading to the realization of the unsafe event. We demonstrate it's effectiveness by solving a high-dimensional and non-linear problem: a space collision.
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Submitted 3 February, 2026; v1 submitted 22 May, 2024;
originally announced May 2024.
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Advances in high-pressure laser floating zone growth: the Laser Optical Kristallmacher II
Authors:
Steven J. Gomez Alvarado,
Eli Zoghlin,
Azzedin Jackson,
Linus Kautzsch,
Jayden Plumb,
Michael Aling,
Andrea N. Capa Salinas,
Ganesh Pokharel,
Yiming Pang,
Reina M. Gomez,
Samantha Daly,
Stephen D. Wilson
Abstract:
The optical floating zone crystal growth technique is a well-established method for obtaining large, high-purity single crystals. While the floating zone method has been constantly evolving for over six decades, the development of high-pressure (up to 1000 bar) growth systems has only recently been realized via the combination of laser-based heating sources with an all-metal chamber. While our ina…
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The optical floating zone crystal growth technique is a well-established method for obtaining large, high-purity single crystals. While the floating zone method has been constantly evolving for over six decades, the development of high-pressure (up to 1000 bar) growth systems has only recently been realized via the combination of laser-based heating sources with an all-metal chamber. While our inaugural high-pressure laser floating zone furnace design demonstrated the successful growth of new volatile and metastable phases, the furnace design faces several limitations with imaging quality, heating profile control, and chamber cooling power. Here, we present a second-generation design of the high-pressure laser floating zone furnace, "Laser Optical Kristallmacher II" (LOKII), and demonstrate that this redesign facilitates new advances in crystal growth by highlighting several exemplar materials: $α$-Fe$_2$O$_3$, $β$-Ga$_2$O$_3$, and La$_2$CuO$_{4+δ}$. Notably, for La$_2$CuO$_{4+δ}$, we demonstrate the feasibility and long-term stability of traveling solvent floating zone growth under a record pressure of 700 bar.
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Submitted 1 March, 2024; v1 submitted 6 November, 2023;
originally announced November 2023.
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Long distance electron-electron scattering detected with point contacts
Authors:
Lev V. Ginzburg,
Yuze Wu,
Marc P. Röösli,
Pedro Rosso Gomez,
Rebekka Garreis,
Chuyao Tong,
Veronika Stará,
Carolin Gold,
Khachatur Nazaryan,
Serhii Kryhin,
Hiske Overweg,
Christian Reichl,
Matthias Berl,
Takashi Taniguchi,
Kenji Watanabe,
Werner Wegscheider,
Thomas Ihn,
Klaus Ensslin
Abstract:
We measure electron transport through point contacts in an electron gas in AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructures and graphene for a range of temperatures, magnetic fields and electron densities. We find a magnetoconductance peak around B = 0. With increasing temperature, the width of the peak increases monotonically, while its amplitude first increases and then decreases. For GaAs point contacts the peak i…
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We measure electron transport through point contacts in an electron gas in AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructures and graphene for a range of temperatures, magnetic fields and electron densities. We find a magnetoconductance peak around B = 0. With increasing temperature, the width of the peak increases monotonically, while its amplitude first increases and then decreases. For GaAs point contacts the peak is particularly sharp at relatively low temperatures $T\approx$1.5 K: the curve rounds on a scale of few tens of $μ$T hinting at length scales of several millimeters for the corresponding scattering processes. We propose a model based on the transition between different transport regimes with increasing temperature: from ballistic transport to few electron-electron scatterings to hydrodynamic superballistic flow to hydrodynamic Poiseuille-like flow. The model is in qualitative and, in many cases, quantitative agreement with the experimental observations.
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Submitted 11 August, 2023;
originally announced August 2023.
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Hidden Diversity of Vacancy Networks in Prussian Blue Analogues
Authors:
Arkadiy Simonov,
Trees De Baerdemaeker,
Hanna L. B. Boström,
María Laura Ríos Gómez,
Harry J. Gray,
Dmitry Chernyshov,
Alexey Bosak,
Hans-Beat Bürgi,
Andrew L. Goodwin
Abstract:
Prussian blue analogues (PBAs) are a broad and important family of microporous inorganic solids, famous for their gas storage, metal-ion immobilisation, proton conduction, and stimuli-dependent magnetic, electronic and optical properties. The family also includes the widely-used double-metal cyanide (DMC) catalysts and the topical hexacyanoferrate/hexacyanomanganate (HCF/HCM) battery materials. Ce…
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Prussian blue analogues (PBAs) are a broad and important family of microporous inorganic solids, famous for their gas storage, metal-ion immobilisation, proton conduction, and stimuli-dependent magnetic, electronic and optical properties. The family also includes the widely-used double-metal cyanide (DMC) catalysts and the topical hexacyanoferrate/hexacyanomanganate (HCF/HCM) battery materials. Central to the various physical properties of PBAs is the ability to transport mass reversibly, a process made possible by structural vacancies. Normally presumed random, vacancy arrangements are actually crucially important because they control the connectivity of the micropore network, and hence diffusivity and adsorption profiles. The long-standing obstacle to characterising PBA vacancy networks has always been the relative inaccessibility of single-crystal samples. Here we report the growth of single crystals of a range of PBAs. By measuring and interpreting their X-ray diffuse scattering patterns, we identify for the first time a striking diversity of non-random vacancy arrangements that is hidden from conventional crystallographic analysis of powder samples. Moreover, we show that this unexpected phase complexity can be understood in terms of a remarkably simple microscopic model based on local rules of electroneutrality and centrosymmetry. The hidden phase boundaries that emerge demarcate vacancy-network polymorphs with profoundly different micropore characteristics. Our results establish a clear foundation for correlated defect engineering in PBAs as a means of controlling storage capacity, anisotropy, and transport efficiency.
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Submitted 28 August, 2019;
originally announced August 2019.
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Curvature as a guiding field for patterns in thin block copolymer films
Authors:
Giang Thi Vu,
Anabella A. Abate,
Leopoldo R. Gómez,
Aldo D. Pezzutti,
Richard A. Register,
Daniel A. Vega,
Friederike Schmid
Abstract:
Experimental data on thin films of cylinder-forming block copolymers (BC) -- free-standing BC membranes as well as supported BC films -- strongly suggest that the local orientation of the BC patterns is coupled to the geometry in which the patterns are embedded. We analyze this phenomenon using general symmetry considerations and numerical self-consistent field studies of curved BC films in cylind…
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Experimental data on thin films of cylinder-forming block copolymers (BC) -- free-standing BC membranes as well as supported BC films -- strongly suggest that the local orientation of the BC patterns is coupled to the geometry in which the patterns are embedded. We analyze this phenomenon using general symmetry considerations and numerical self-consistent field studies of curved BC films in cylindrical geometry. The stability of the films against curvature-induced dewetting is also analyzed. In good agreement with experiments, we find that the BC cylinders tend to align along the direction of curvature at high curvatures. At low curvatures, we identify a transition from perpendicular to parallel alignment in supported films, which is absent in free standing membranes. Hence both experiments and theory show that curvature can be used to manipulate and align BC patterns.
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Submitted 2 August, 2018; v1 submitted 27 February, 2018;
originally announced February 2018.
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Thermal Properties of Vortices on Curved Surfaces
Authors:
Leopoldo R. Gómez,
Nicolás A. García,
Daniel A. Vega,
José Lorenzana
Abstract:
We use Monte Carlo simulations to study the finite temperature behavior of vortices in the XY- model for tangent vector order on curved backgrounds. Contrary to naive expectations, we show that the underlying geometry does not affect the proliferation of vortices with temperature respect to what is observed on a flat surface. Long-range order in these systems is analyzed by using the classical two…
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We use Monte Carlo simulations to study the finite temperature behavior of vortices in the XY- model for tangent vector order on curved backgrounds. Contrary to naive expectations, we show that the underlying geometry does not affect the proliferation of vortices with temperature respect to what is observed on a flat surface. Long-range order in these systems is analyzed by using the classical two-point correlation functions. As expected, in the case of slightly curved substrates these correlations behave similarly to the plane. However, for high curvatures, the presence of geometry-induced unbounded vortices at low temperatures produces the rapid decay of correlations and an apparent lack of long-range order. Our results shed light on the finite-temperature physics of soft-matter systems and anisotropic magnets deposited on curved substrates.
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Submitted 1 November, 2017;
originally announced November 2017.
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Pattern formation mechanisms in sphere-forming diblock copolymer thin films
Authors:
Leopoldo R. Gómez,
Nicolás A. García,
Richard A. Register,
Daniel A. Vega
Abstract:
The order-disorder transition of a sphere-forming block copolymer thin film was numerically studied through a Cahn-Hilliard model. Simulations show that the fundamental mechanisms of pattern formation are spinodal decomposition and nucleation and growth. The range of validity of each relaxation process is controlled by the spinodal and order-disorder temperatures. The initial stages of spinodal de…
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The order-disorder transition of a sphere-forming block copolymer thin film was numerically studied through a Cahn-Hilliard model. Simulations show that the fundamental mechanisms of pattern formation are spinodal decomposition and nucleation and growth. The range of validity of each relaxation process is controlled by the spinodal and order-disorder temperatures. The initial stages of spinodal decomposition are well-approximated by a linear analysis of the evolution equation of the system. In the metastable region, the critical size for nucleation diverges upon approaching the order-disorder transition, and reduces to the size of a single domain as the spinodal is approached. Grain boundaries and topological defects inhibit the formation of superheated phases above the order-disorder temperature. The numerical results are in good qualitative agreement with experimental data on sphere-forming diblock copolymer thin films.
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Submitted 25 August, 2017;
originally announced August 2017.
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Phase nucleation in curved space
Authors:
Leopoldo R. Gomez,
Nicolas A. Garcia,
Vincenzo Vitelli,
Jose Lorenzana,
Daniel A. Vega
Abstract:
Nucleation and growth is the dominant relaxation mechanism driving first order phase transitions. In two-dimensional at systems nucleation has been applied to a wide range of problems in physics, chemistry and biology. Here we study nucleation and growth of two-dimensional phases lying on curved surfaces and show that curvature modify both, critical sizes of nuclei and paths towards the equilibriu…
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Nucleation and growth is the dominant relaxation mechanism driving first order phase transitions. In two-dimensional at systems nucleation has been applied to a wide range of problems in physics, chemistry and biology. Here we study nucleation and growth of two-dimensional phases lying on curved surfaces and show that curvature modify both, critical sizes of nuclei and paths towards the equilibrium phase. In curved space nucleation and growth becomes inherently inhomogeneous and critical nuclei form faster on regions of positive Gaussian curvature. Substrates of varying shape display complex energy landscapes with several geometry-induced local minima, where initially propagating nuclei become stabilized and trapped by the underlying curvature.
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Submitted 8 March, 2016;
originally announced March 2016.
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Twisted Yangian symmetry of the open Hubbard model
Authors:
Alejandro De La Rosa Gomez,
Niall J. MacKay
Abstract:
We show that, in the open Hubbard model with integrable boundary conditions, the bulk Yangian symmetry is broken to a twisted Yangian. We prove that the associated charges commute with the Hamiltonian and the reflection matrix, and that they form a coideal subalgebra.
We show that, in the open Hubbard model with integrable boundary conditions, the bulk Yangian symmetry is broken to a twisted Yangian. We prove that the associated charges commute with the Hamiltonian and the reflection matrix, and that they form a coideal subalgebra.
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Submitted 11 June, 2014; v1 submitted 8 April, 2014;
originally announced April 2014.
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Synthesis by molten salt method of the AFeO3 system (A = La, Gd) and its structural, vibrational and internal hyperfine magnetic field characterization
Authors:
M. Romero,
V. Marquina,
R. W. Gómez,
J. L. Pérez-Mazariego,
R. Escamilla
Abstract:
Polycrystalline samples of LaFeO3 and GdFeO3 were synthesized by the molten salt method. Some properties and the quality of the resulting compounds were investigated. The crystal structure and purity of the samples was determined through X-ray diffraction and Rietveld analysis. The vibrational properties were characterized by Raman and IR spectroscopy. Mössbauer spectroscopy was used to determine…
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Polycrystalline samples of LaFeO3 and GdFeO3 were synthesized by the molten salt method. Some properties and the quality of the resulting compounds were investigated. The crystal structure and purity of the samples was determined through X-ray diffraction and Rietveld analysis. The vibrational properties were characterized by Raman and IR spectroscopy. Mössbauer spectroscopy was used to determine the ionic state of the Fe ions and the internal hyperfine magnetic fields Considerable reduction of the heat treatment (temperature and time) for the reaction to take place was achieved without detriment of the quality of the compounds.
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Submitted 17 February, 2014;
originally announced February 2014.
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Crystallization Dynamics on Curved Surfaces
Authors:
Nicolas A. Garcia,
Richard A. Register,
Daniel A. Vega,
Leopoldo R. Gomez
Abstract:
We study the evolution from a liquid to a crystal phase in two-dimensional curved space. At early times, while crystal seeds grow preferentially in regions of low curvature, the lattice frustration produced in regions with high curvature is rapidly relaxed through isolated defects. Further relaxation involves a mechanism of crystal growth and defect annihilation where regions with high curvature a…
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We study the evolution from a liquid to a crystal phase in two-dimensional curved space. At early times, while crystal seeds grow preferentially in regions of low curvature, the lattice frustration produced in regions with high curvature is rapidly relaxed through isolated defects. Further relaxation involves a mechanism of crystal growth and defect annihilation where regions with high curvature act as sinks for the diffusion of domain walls. The pinning of grain boundaries at regions of low curvature leads to the formation of a metastable structure of defects, characterized by asymptotically slow dynamics of ordering and activation energies dictated by the largest curvatures of the system. These glassy-like ordering dynamics may completely inhibit the appearance of the ground state structures.
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Submitted 8 July, 2013;
originally announced July 2013.
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Soliton attenuation and emergent hydrodynamics in fragile matter
Authors:
N. Upadhyaya,
L. R. Gomez,
V. Vitelli
Abstract:
Disordered packings of soft grains are fragile mechanical systems that loose rigidity upon lowering the external pressure towards zero. At zero pressure, we find that any infinitesimal strain-impulse propagates initially as a non-linear solitary wave progressively attenuated by disorder. We demonstrate that the particle fluctuations generated by the solitary-wave decay, can be viewed as a granular…
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Disordered packings of soft grains are fragile mechanical systems that loose rigidity upon lowering the external pressure towards zero. At zero pressure, we find that any infinitesimal strain-impulse propagates initially as a non-linear solitary wave progressively attenuated by disorder. We demonstrate that the particle fluctuations generated by the solitary-wave decay, can be viewed as a granular analogue of temperature. Their presence is manifested by two emergent macroscopic properties absent in the unperturbed granular packing: a finite pressure that scales with the injected energy (akin to a granular temperature) and an anomalous viscosity that arises even when the microscopic mechanisms of energy dissipation are negligible. Consistent with the interpretation of this state as a fluid-like thermalized state, the shear modulus remains zero. Further, we follow in detail the attenuation of the initial solitary wave identifying two distinct regimes : an initial exponential decay, followed by a longer power law decay and suggest simple models to explain these two regimes.
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Submitted 24 April, 2013;
originally announced April 2013.
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Transmission and reflection of strongly nonlinear solitary waves at granular interfaces
Authors:
A. M. Tichler,
L. R. Gomez,
N. Upadhyaya,
X. Campman,
V. F. Nesterenko,
V. Vitelli
Abstract:
The interaction of a solitary wave front with an interface formed by two strongly-nonlinear non-cohesive granular lattices displays rich behaviour, characterized by the breakdown of continuum equations of motion in the vicinity of the interface. By treating the solitary wave as a quasiparticle with an effective mass, we construct an intuitive (energy and linear momentum conserving) discrete model…
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The interaction of a solitary wave front with an interface formed by two strongly-nonlinear non-cohesive granular lattices displays rich behaviour, characterized by the breakdown of continuum equations of motion in the vicinity of the interface. By treating the solitary wave as a quasiparticle with an effective mass, we construct an intuitive (energy and linear momentum conserving) discrete model to predict the amplitudes of the transmitted solitary waves generated when an incident solitary wave front, parallel to the interface, moves from a denser to a lighter granular hexagonal lattice. Our findings are corroborated with simulations. We then successfully extend this model to oblique interfaces, where we find that the angle of refraction and reflection of a solitary wave follows, below a critical value, an analogue of Snell's law in which the solitary wave speed replaces the speed of sound, which is zero in the sonic vacuum.
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Submitted 23 March, 2013;
originally announced March 2013.
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Uniform Shock Waves in Disordered Granular Matter
Authors:
L. R. Gomez,
A. M. Turner,
V. Vitelli
Abstract:
The confining pressure $P$ is perhaps the most important parameter controlling the properties of granular matter. Strongly compressed granular media are, in many respects, simple solids in which elastic perturbations travel as ordinary phonons. However, the speed of sound in granular aggregates continuously decreases as the confining pressure decreases, completely vanishing at the jamming-unjammin…
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The confining pressure $P$ is perhaps the most important parameter controlling the properties of granular matter. Strongly compressed granular media are, in many respects, simple solids in which elastic perturbations travel as ordinary phonons. However, the speed of sound in granular aggregates continuously decreases as the confining pressure decreases, completely vanishing at the jamming-unjamming transition. This anomalous behavior suggests that the transport of energy at low pressures should not be dominated by phonons. In this work we use simulations and theory to show how the response of granular systems becomes increasingly nonlinear as pressure decreases. In the low pressure regime the elastic energy is found to be mainly transported through nonlinear waves and shocks. We numerically characterize the propagation speed, shape, and stability of these shocks, and model the dependence of the shock speed on pressure and impact intensity by a simple analytical approach.
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Submitted 1 August, 2012;
originally announced August 2012.
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Shocks near Jamming
Authors:
Leopoldo R. Gomez,
Ari M. Turner,
Martin van Hecke,
Vincenzo Vitelli
Abstract:
Non-linear sound is an extreme phenomenon typically observed in solids after violent explosions. But granular media are different. Right when they jam, these fragile and disordered solids exhibit a vanishing rigidity and sound speed, so that even tiny mechanical perturbations form supersonic shocks. Here, we perform simulations in which two-dimensional jammed granular packings are dynamically comp…
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Non-linear sound is an extreme phenomenon typically observed in solids after violent explosions. But granular media are different. Right when they jam, these fragile and disordered solids exhibit a vanishing rigidity and sound speed, so that even tiny mechanical perturbations form supersonic shocks. Here, we perform simulations in which two-dimensional jammed granular packings are dynamically compressed, and demonstrate that the elementary excitations are strongly non-linear shocks, rather than ordinary phonons. We capture the full dependence of the shock speed on pressure and impact intensity by a surprisingly simple analytical model.
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Submitted 7 December, 2011; v1 submitted 29 August, 2011;
originally announced August 2011.
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Algorithm to compute the electric field gradient tensor in ionic crystals
Authors:
J. J. Hernández,
Gómez,
V. Marquina,
R. Gómez
Abstract:
A simple algorithm and a computational program to numerically compute the electric field gradient and the concomitant quadrupolar nuclear splitting is developed for an arbitrary ionic crystal. The calculations are performed using a point charge model. The program provides three different ways for the data input: by Bravais lattices, by lattice parameters, or by introducing any spatial structure. T…
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A simple algorithm and a computational program to numerically compute the electric field gradient and the concomitant quadrupolar nuclear splitting is developed for an arbitrary ionic crystal. The calculations are performed using a point charge model. The program provides three different ways for the data input: by Bravais lattices, by lattice parameters, or by introducing any spatial structure. The program calculates the components of the electric field gradient, the asymmetry parameter and the quadrupolar splitting for a given number of nearest neighbors with respect to the nuclear charge as origin. In addition, the program allows the use of different Sternheimer antishielding factors.
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Submitted 30 June, 2011;
originally announced July 2011.
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Amorphous Precursors of Crystallization during Spinodal Decomposition
Authors:
Leopoldo R. Gomez,
Daniel A. Vega
Abstract:
A general Landau's free energy functional is used to study the dynamics of crystallization during liquid-solid Spinodal Decomposition (SD). The strong length scale selectivity imposed during the early stage of SD induces the appearance of small precursors for crystallization with icosahedral order. These precursors grow in densely packed clusters of tetrahedra through the addition of new particles…
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A general Landau's free energy functional is used to study the dynamics of crystallization during liquid-solid Spinodal Decomposition (SD). The strong length scale selectivity imposed during the early stage of SD induces the appearance of small precursors for crystallization with icosahedral order. These precursors grow in densely packed clusters of tetrahedra through the addition of new particles. As the average size of the amorphous nuclei becomes large enough to reduce geometric frustration, crystalline particles with a body center cubic symmetry (bcc) heterogeneously nucleates on the growing clusters. The volume fraction of the crystalline phase is strongly dependant on the depth of quench. At deep quenches, the SD mechanism produces amorphous structures arranged in dense polytetrahedral aggregates.
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Submitted 20 December, 2010;
originally announced December 2010.
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Effects of substituting Se with Te in the FeSe compound: structural, magnetization and Moessbauer studies
Authors:
R. W. Gómez,
V. Marquina,
J. L. Pérez-Mazariego,
R. Escamilla,
R. Escudero,
M. Quintana,
J. J. Hernández-Gómez,
R. Ridaura,
M. L. Marquina
Abstract:
Polycrystalline samples of FeSe1-xTex (x = 0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00) were synthesized by solid-state reaction to study the effects of substituting Se with Te in the system. The magnetization properties of the resulting compounds were investigated and the crystallographic structures of the samples analyzed through X-ray diffraction. Moessbauer spectroscopy was used to determine the ionic s…
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Polycrystalline samples of FeSe1-xTex (x = 0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00) were synthesized by solid-state reaction to study the effects of substituting Se with Te in the system. The magnetization properties of the resulting compounds were investigated and the crystallographic structures of the samples analyzed through X-ray diffraction. Moessbauer spectroscopy was used to determine the ionic state of the Fe ions and the hyperfine fields. The magnetic susceptibility curves of the samples with x = 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 show superconducting behavior. The lattice parameters and the cell volume increase monotonically with increasing Te concentration and the Moessbauer spectra reveal the absence of internal magnetic hyperfine fields.
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Submitted 13 October, 2009;
originally announced October 2009.
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Study of the crystal structure, superconducting and magnetic properties of Ru1-xFexSr2GdCu2O8
Authors:
R. Escamilla,
F. Morales,
T. Akachi,
R. Gomez
Abstract:
Samples of the Ru1-xFexSr2GdCu2O8 system with x = 0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.075, 0.1 and 0.2, were prepared and their structural, superconducting and magnetic properties were studied. Rietveld refinement of the X-ray diffraction patterns show that the Fe substitution occurs in both Ru and Cu sites. An increase of Fe concentration produces no significant changes in the bond angle Ru-O(3)-Ru, which is a m…
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Samples of the Ru1-xFexSr2GdCu2O8 system with x = 0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.075, 0.1 and 0.2, were prepared and their structural, superconducting and magnetic properties were studied. Rietveld refinement of the X-ray diffraction patterns show that the Fe substitution occurs in both Ru and Cu sites. An increase of Fe concentration produces no significant changes in the bond angle Ru-O(3)-Ru, which is a measure of the rotation of the RuO6 octahedra around the c-axis, and also in the bond angle Ru-O(1)-Cu, which is a measure of the canting of the RuO6 octahedra. On the other hand, the bond angle Cu-O(2)-Cu, which is a measure of the buckling of the CuO2 layer, has a slight tendency to decrease with the increase of the Fe content. We found thet both ferromagnetic and superconducting transition temperatures are reduced with the increase of Fe concentration. Analisys related to the decay of the superconducting and ferromagnetic states is presented.
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Submitted 13 June, 2005;
originally announced June 2005.
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Suppression of Tc in the (Y0.9Ca0.1)Ba2Cu4-xFexO8 system
Authors:
R. Escamilla,
T. Akachi,
R. Gomez,
V. Marquina,
M. L. Marquina,
R. Ridaura
Abstract:
In this paper, the effects produced by the iron substitutions in the (Y0.9Ca0.1)Ba2Cu4-xFexO8 system on the superconducting and structural properties are studied. The Rietveld fit of the crystal structure and Mossbauer spectroscopy results of (Y0.9Ca0.1)Ba2Cu4-xFexO8 samples indicate that, the iron atoms occupy the Cu(1) sites of the (Cu-O)2 double chain in fivefold coordination at low iron conc…
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In this paper, the effects produced by the iron substitutions in the (Y0.9Ca0.1)Ba2Cu4-xFexO8 system on the superconducting and structural properties are studied. The Rietveld fit of the crystal structure and Mossbauer spectroscopy results of (Y0.9Ca0.1)Ba2Cu4-xFexO8 samples indicate that, the iron atoms occupy the Cu(1) sites of the (Cu-O)2 double chain in fivefold coordination at low iron concentrations. Besides at high iron concentrations the iron atoms occupy the Cu(1) sites of single Cu-O chainss and Cu(2) sites in the CuO2 planes of the (Y0.9Ca0.1)Ba2Cu4-xFexO8 phase with structural defects. Simultaneouly, as iron concentration increases, a faster decrease of Tc is observed in this material comapred with the YBa2Cu3-xFexO7-y system. According to the charge transfer model proposed for YBa2Cu4O8 under pressure, the decrease in the Cu(1)-O(4) bond length in parallel to the increase in the Cu(2)-O(4) bond length may affect the charge transfer mechanism leading to the suppression of Tc.
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Submitted 18 October, 2001;
originally announced October 2001.