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B. Feng

Publications and source records attributed to B. Feng.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

Exponential stability for a nonlinear porous-elastic system with delay

In this work, we consider the existence of global solution and the exponential decay of a nonlinear porous elastic system with time delay. The nonlinear term as well as the delay acting in the equation of the volume fraction. In order to obtain the existence and uniqueness of a global solution, we will use the semigroup theory of linear operators and under a certain relation involving the coefficients of the system together with a Lyapunov functional, we will establish the exponential decay of the energy associated to the system.

math.AP

Asymmetric Localization by Second Harmonic Generation

We introduce a nonlinear photonic system that enables asymmetric localization and unidirectional transfer of an electromagnetic wave through the second harmonic generation process. Our proposed scattering setup consists of a non-centrosymmetric nonlinear slab with nonlinear susceptibility $\chi^{(2)}$ placed to the left of a one-dimensional periodic linear photonic crystal with an embedded defect. We engineered the linear lattice to allow the localization of a selected frequency $2\omega_\star$ while frequency $\omega_\star$ is in the gap. Thus in our proposed scattering setup, a left-incident coherent transverse electric wave with frequency $\omega_\star$ partially converts to frequency $2\omega_\star$ and becomes localized at the defect layer while the unconverted remaining field with frequency $\omega_\star$ exponentially decays throughout the lattice and gets reflected. For a right-incident wave with frequency $\omega_\star$ there won't be any frequency conversion and the incident wave gets fully reflected. Our proposed structure will find application in designing new optical components such as optical sensors, switches, transistors, and logic elements.

physics.optics

Surface-state Coulomb repulsion accelerates a metal-insulator transition in topological semimetal nanofilms

The emergence of quantization at the nanoscale, the quantum size effect (QSE), allows flexible control of matter and is a rich source of advanced functionalities. A QSE-induced transition into an insulating phase in semimetallic nanofilms was predicted for bismuth a half-century ago and has regained new interest with regard to its surface states exhibiting nontrivial electronic topology. Here, we reveal an unexpected mechanism of the transition by high-resolution angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy combined with theoretical calculations. Anomalous evolution and degeneracy of quantized energy levels indicate that increased Coulomb repulsion from the surface states deforms a quantum confinement potential with decreasing thickness. The potential deformation drastically modulates spatial distributions of quantized wave functions, which leads to acceleration of the transition even beyond the original QSE picture. This discovery establishes a complete picture of the long-discussed problem in bismuth and highlights the new class of size effects dominating nanoscale transport in systems with metallic surface states.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Superstructure-induced splitting of Dirac cones in silicene

Atomic scale engineering of two-dimensional materials could create devices with rich physical and chemical properties. External periodic potentials can enable the manipulation of the electronic band structures of materials. A prototypical system is 3x3-silicene/Ag(111), which has substrate-induced periodic modulations. Recent angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements revealed six Dirac cone pairs at the Brillouin zone boundary of Ag(111), but their origin remains unclear [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 113, 14656 (2016)]. We used linear dichroism angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, the tight-binding model, and first-principles calculations to reveal that these Dirac cones mainly derive from the original cones at the K (K') points of free-standing silicene. The Dirac cones of free-standing silicene are split by external periodic potentials that originate from the substrate-overlayer interaction. Our results not only confirm the origin of the Dirac cones in the 3x3-silicene/Ag(111) system, but also provide a powerful route to manipulate the electronic structures of two-dimensional materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Radiative deflection by spin effect in the quantum radiation-reaction regime

The colliding between ultra-relativistic electrons and an ultra-intense laser pulse is a powerful approach to testify the physics in strong-field QED regime. By considering spin-dependent radiation-reaction during laser-electron collision we find anti-symmetric deflection of electrons with different spin states. We revealed that such deflection is induced by the non-zero work done by radiation-reaction force along field polarization-direction in a half-period of phase, which is larger for spin-anti-paralleled electrons and smaller for spin-paralleled electrons. The spin-projection on the magnetic field of an electron gets inversed in adjacent half-periods due to oscillating magnetic field and therefore the deflection due to spin-dependent radiation is accumulated rather than vanishing. The new mechanism provides an extra dimension to observe quantum radiation-reaction effect in the strong-field QED regime by measuring the anti-symmetric distribution.

physics.plasm-ph

Discovery of Weyl nodal lines in a single-layer ferromagnet

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted great attention and spurred rapid development in both fundamental research and device applications. The search for exotic physical properties, such as magnetic and topological order, in 2D materials could enable the realization of novel quantum devices and is therefore at the forefront of materials science. Here, we report the discovery of two-fold degenerate Weyl nodal lines in a 2D ferromagnetic material, a single-layer gadolinium-silver compound, based on combined angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements and theoretical calculations. These Weyl nodal lines are symmetry protected and thus robust against external perturbations. The coexistence of magnetic and topological order in a 2D material is likely to inform ongoing efforts to devise and realize novel nanospintronic devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Quantum Reflection above the Classical Radiation-reaction Barrier in the QED Regime

The colliding between an ultra-intense laser pulse with a high energy electron beam is not only an important source for high-brightness gamma-rays but also a powerful approach to exploit new physics in the exotic strong-field QED regime. In the cross-colliding geometry, when radiation-reaction (RR) force is interpreted by the classical Landau-Lifshitz equation, we found that there is a distinctive barrier that allows penetration of electrons at energies beyond the barrier and blocks those of lower energies. While in the QED perspective, electrons can be well reflected (transmit) in the regime where complete transmission (reflection) is allowed classically. The reflection (transmission) is guaranteed by the quantum nature of radiation but forbidden by classical description. This effect is accompanied by the blurring of the angular distribution for scattered electrons and becomes significant for laser intensities at $2\times10^{23}\ \mathrm{W/cm^2}$ and electron energies of $\sim 10^2\ \mathrm{MeV}$; thus could be measured in the up-coming 10-100PW laser facilities. By detecting the reflection rate of the energetic electron beam after colliding and resolve the angular distribution, the results are capable of identifying the boundaries between classical and QED approaches in the strong field regime and testifying the various models describing the fundamental process.

physics.plasm-ph

Alkali-metal induced band structure deformation investigated by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and first-principles calculations

Alkali-metal adsorption on the surface of materials is widely used for in situ surface electron doping, particularly for observing unoccupied band structures by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). However, the effects of alkali-metal atoms on the resulting band structures have yet to be fully investigated, owing to difficulties in both experiments and calculations. Here, we combine ARPES measurements on cesium-adsorbed ultrathin bismuth films with first-principles calculations of the electronic charge densities and demonstrate a simple method to evaluate alkali-metal induced band deformation. We reveal that deformation of bismuth surface bands is directly correlated with vertical charge-density profiles at each electronic state of bismuth. In contrast, a change in the quantized bulk bands is well described by a conventional rigid-band-shift picture. We discuss these two aspects of the band deformation holistically, considering spatial distributions of the electronic states and cesium-bismuth hybridization, and provide a prescription for applying alkali-metal adsorption to a wide range of materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Proving Nontrivial Topology of Pure Bismuth by Quantum Confinement

The topology of pure Bi is controversial because of its very small ($\sim$10 meV) band gap. Here we perform high-resolution angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy measurements systematically on 14$-$202 bilayers Bi films. Using high-quality films, we succeed in observing quantized bulk bands with energy separations down to $\sim$10 meV. Detailed analyses on the phase shift of the confined wave functions precisely determine the surface and bulk electronic structures, which unambiguously show nontrivial topology. The present results not only prove the fundamental property of Bi but also introduce a capability of the quantum-confinement approach.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Interface electronic structure at the topological insulator - ferrimagnetic insulator junction

An interface electron state at the junction between a three-dimensional topological insulator (TI) film of Bi2Se3 and a ferrimagnetic insulator film of Y3Fe5O12 (YIG) was investigated by measurements of angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray absorption magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD). The surface state of the Bi2Se3 film was directly observed and localized 3d spin states of the Fe3+ state in the YIG film were confirmed. The proximity effect is likely described in terms of the exchange interaction between the localized Fe 3d electrons in the YIG film and delocalized electrons of the surface and bulk states in the Bi2Se3 film. The Curie temperature (TC) may be increased by reducing the amount of the interface Fe2+ ions with opposite spin direction observable as a pre-edge in the XMCD spectra.

cond-mat.mes-hall