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C. S. Liu

Publications and source records attributed to C. S. Liu.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

What can we learn from the experiment of electrostatic conveyor belt for excitons?

Motivated by the experiment of electrostatic conveyor belt for indirect excitons [A. G. Winbow, \textit{et al.}, Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{106}, 196806 (2011)], we study the exciton patterns for understanding the exciton dynamics. By analyzing the exciton diffusion, we find that the patterns mainly come from the photoluminescence of two kinds of excitons. The patterns near the laser spot come from the hot excitons which can be regarded as the classical particles. However, the patterns far from the laser spot come from the cooled excitons or coherent excitons. Taking into account of the finite lifetime of Bosonic excitons and of the interactions between them, we build a time-dependent nonlinear Schrödinger equation including the non-Hermitian dissipation to describe the coherent exciton dynamics. The real-time and imaginary-time evolutions are used alternately to solve the Schrödinger equation in order to simulate the exciton diffusion accompanied with the exciton cooling in the moving lattices. By calculating the escape probability, we obtain the transport distances of the coherent excitons in the conveyor which are consistent with the experimental data. The cooling speed of excitons is found to be important in the coherent exciton transport. Moreover, the plateau in the average transport distance cannot be explained by the dynamical localization-delocalization transition induced by the disorders.

cond-mat.quant-gas

Magnetic ordering phase transition and abnormal brittleness in dilute Fe-Mn solid solution

Experiments showed that solute Mn in bcc iron is in antiferromagnetic (AFM) coupling with iron neighbours below 2 at.% Mn, but is in ferromagnetic (FM) coupling at higher concentrations. Surprisingly, although Mn is an important alloying element in high-strength steels, it induces brittleness just at around 2 at.% Mn and higher concentrations. However, the mechanisms for the magnetic ordering phase transition and the abnormal brittleness remain unclear. Based on magnetism-constrained/unconstrained calculations and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations within density functional theory, we show that while the AFM phase prevails at low Mn contents, the FM phase becomes dominant at 1.85 at.% Mn and elevated temperatures. Our results suggest that the AFM-FM phase transition with increasing Mn concentration can be ascribed to the thermal effect. Furthermore, we find that the brittleness of the Fe-Mn alloys at intermediate Mn content might be related to the stress variations within the grains accompanying the local magnetic ordering changes.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Localization and topological transitions in generalized non-Hermitian SSH models

We study the localization and topological transitions of the generalized non-Hermitian SSH models, where the non-Hermiticities are introduced by the complex quasiperiodic hopping and the nonreciprocal hopping. We elucidate the universality of the models and how many models can be mapped to them. Under the open boundary condition, two delocalization transitions are found due to the competition between the Anderson localization and the boundary localization from the nontrivial edge states and the non-Hermitian skin effect. Under the periodic boundary condition, only one delocalization transition is found due to the disappearance of the non-Hermitian skin effect. The winding numbers of energy and the Lyapunov exponents in analytical form are obtained to exactly characterize the two deloaclizateon transitions. It finds that the delocalization transitions don't accompany the topological transition. Furthermore, the large on-site non-Hermiticity and the large nonreciprocal hopping are all detrimental to the topological transitions. However, the large nonreciprocal hopping enhances the Anderson localizations. The above analyses are verified by calculating the energy gap and the inverse of the participation ratio numerically.

cond-mat.quant-gas

The topological counterparts of non-Hermitian SSH models

The breakdown of the conventional bulk-boundary correspondence due to non-Hermitian skin effect leads to the non-Bloch bulk-boundary correspondence in the generalized Brillouin zone. Inspired by the case of the equivalence between the non-reciprocal hopping and imaginary gauge field, we propose a method to construct the topological equivalent models of the non-Hermitian dimerized lattices with the similarity transformations. The idea of the constructions is from that the imaginary magnetic flux vanishes under the open boundary condition and the period boundary spectra can be well approximated by open boundary spectra. As an illustration, we apply this approach to several representative non-Hermitian SSH models, efficiently obtaining topological invariants in analytic form defined in the conventional Bloch bands. The method gives an alternative way to study the topological properties of non-Hermitian system.

quant-ph

The quantum phase transitions of dimer chain driven by an imaginary ac field

A topologically equivalent tight binding model is proposed to study the quantum phase transitions of dimer chain driven by an imaginary ac field. I demonstrate how the partner Hamiltonian is constructed by a similarity transformation to fulfil the $\mathcal{PT}$ symmetry. The $\mathcal{PT}$ symmetry of the partner model allows us to study the topological properties of the original non-Hermitian model as the Bloch bands of the Hermitian system. The quantum phase transitions are discussed in different frequency regime. The approach has the potential applications to investigate the topological states of matter driven by the complex external parameters.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Hydrogen clustering in bcc metals: atomic origin and strong stress anisotropy

Hydrogen (H) induced damage in metals has been a long-standing woe for many industrial applications. One form of such damage is linked to H clustering, for which the atomic origin remains contended, particularly for non-hydride forming metals. In this work, we systematically studied H clustering behavior in bcc metals represented by W, Fe, Mo, and Cr, combining first-principles calculations, atomistic and Monte Carlo simulations. H clustering has been shown to be energetically favorable, and can be strongly facilitated by anisotropic stress field, dominated by the tensile component along one of the <001> crystalline directions. We showed that the stress effect can be well predicted by the continuum model based on H formation volume tensor, and that H clustering is thermodynamically possible at edge dislocations, evidenced by nanohydride formation at rather low levels of H concentration. Moreover, anisotropy in the stress effect is well reflected in nanohydride morphology around dislocations, with nanohydride growth occurring in the form of thin platelet structures that maximize one <001> tension. In particular, the <001> type edge dislocation, with the <001> tensile component maximized, has been shown to be highly effective in facilitating H aggregation, thus expected to play an important role in H clustering in bcc metals, in close agreement with recent experimental observations. This work explicitly and quantitatively clarifies the anisotropic nature of stress effect on H energetics and H clustering behaviors, offering mechanistic insights critical towards understanding H-induced damages in metals.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Accurate prediction of nanovoid structures and energetics in bcc metals

Knowledge on structures and energetics of nanovoids is fundamental to understand defect evolution in metals. Yet there remain no reliable methods able to determine essential structural details or to provide accurate assessment of energetics for general nanovoids. Here, we performed systematic first-principles investigations to examine stable structures and energetics of nanovoids in bcc metals, explicitly demonstrated the stable structures can be precisely determined by minimizing their Wigner-Seitz area, and revealed a linear relationship between formation energy and Wigner-Seitz area of nanovoids. We further developed a new physics-based model to accurately predict stable structures and energetics for arbitrary-sized nanovoids. This model was well validated by first-principles calculations and recent nanovoid annealing experiments, and showed distinct advantages over the widely used spherical approximation. The present work offers mechanistic insights that crucial for understanding nanovoid formation and evolution, being a critical step towards predictive control and prevention of nanovoid related damage processes in structural metals.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Predictive Model of Hydrogen Trapping and Bubbling in Nanovoids in BCC Metals

Interplay between hydrogen and nanovoids, despite long-recognized as a central aspect in hydrogen-induced damages in structural materials, remains poorly understood. Focusing on tungsten as a model BCC system, the present study, for the first time, explicitly demonstrated sequential adsorption of hydrogen adatoms on Wigner-Seitz squares of nanovoids with distinct energy levels. Interaction between hydrogen adatoms on the nanovoid surface is shown to be dominated by pairwise power law repulsion. A predictive model was established for quantitative prediction of configurations and energetics of hydrogen adatoms in nanovoids. This model, further combined with equation of states of hydrogen gas, enables prediction of hydrogen molecule formation in nanovoids. Multiscale simulations based on the predictive model were performed, showing excellent agreement with experiments. This work clarifies fundamental physics and provides full-scale predictive model for hydrogen trapping and bubbling in nanovoids, offering long-sought mechanistic insights crucial for understanding hydrogen-induced damages in structural materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

The impacts of the quantum-dot confining potential on the spin-orbit effect

For a nanowire quantum dot with the confining potential modeled by both the infinite and the finite square wells, we obtain exactly the energy spectrum and the wave functions in the strong spin-orbit coupling regime. We find that regardless of how small the well height is, there are at least two bound states in the finite square well: one has the $σ^{x}\mathcal{P}=-1$ symmetry and the other has the $σ^{x}\mathcal{P}=1$ symmetry. When the well height is slowly tuned from large to small, the position of the maximal probability density of the first excited state moves from the center to $x\ne0$, while the position of the maximal probability density of the ground state is always at the center. A strong enhancement of the spin-orbit effect is demonstrated by tuning the well height. In particular, there exists a critical height $V^{c}_{0}$, at which the spin-orbit effect is enhanced to maximal.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Lower hybrid destabilization of trapped electron modes in tokamak and its consequences for anomalous diffusion

Parametric coupling of lower hybrid pump wave with low frequency collisionless/weakly collisional trapped electron drift wave, with frequency lower than the electron bounce frequency is studied. The coupling produces two lower hybrid sidebands. The sidebands beat with the pump to exert a low frequency ponderomotive force on electrons that causes a frequency shift in the drift wave, leading to the growth of the latter. The short wavelength modes are destabilized and they enhance the anomalous diffusion coefficient.

physics.plasm-ph

Topologically nontrivial states in one-dimensional nonlinear bichromatic superlattices

We study topological properties of one-dimensional nonlinear bichromatic superlattices and unveil the effect of nonlinearity on topological states. We find the existence of nontrivial edge solitions, which distribute on the boundaries of the lattice with their chemical potential located in the linear gap regime and are sensitive to the phase parameter of the superlattice potential. We further demonstrate that the topological property of the nonlinear Bloch bands can be characterized by topological Chern numbers defined in the extended two-dimensional parameter space. In addition, we discuss that the composition relations between the nolinear Bloch waves and gap solitions for the nonlinear superlattices. The stabilities of edge solitons are also studied.

cond-mat.quant-gas

Topologically protected edge gap solitons of interacting Bosons in one-dimensional superlattices

We comprehensively investigate the nontrivial states of interacting Bose system in one-dimensional optical superlattices under the open boundary condition. Our results show that there exists a kind of stable localized states: edge gap solitons. We argue that the states originate from the eigenstates of independent edge parabolas. In particular, the edge gap solitons exhibit a nonzero topological invariant. The topological nature is due to the connection of the present model to the quantized adiabatic particle transport problem. In addition, the composition relations between the gap solitons and the extend states under the open boundary condition are discussed.

cond-mat.quant-gas

Self-blocking of interstitial clusters near metallic grain boundaries

Nano-crystallize materials have been known for decades to potentially owe the novel self-healing ability for radiation damage, which has been demonstrated to be especially linked to preferential occupation of interstitials at grain boundary (GB) and promoted vacancy-interstitial annihilation. A major obstacle to better understanding the healing property is the lack of an atomistic picture of the interstitial states near GBs, due to severely separation of the timescale of interstitial segregation from other events and abundance of interstitials at the GB. Here, we report a generic "self-blocking" effect of the interstitial cluster (SIAn) near the metallic GB in W, Mo and Fe. Upon creating a SIAn near the GB, it is immediately trapped by the GB during the GB structural relaxation and blocks there, impeding GB's further spontaneous trapping of the SIAn in the vicinity and making these SIAns stuck nearby the GB. The SIAn in the stuck state surprisingly owes an exceptionally larger number of annihilation sites with vacancies near the GB than the SIAn trapped at the GB due to maintaining its bulk configuration basically. Besides, it also has an unexpectedly long-ranged repelling interaction with the SIA in the bulk region, which may further affect the GB's trap of the SIAn. The self-blocking effect might shed light on more critical and extended role of the GB in healing radiation-damage in NCs than previously recognized the GB's limited role based on GB's trap for the SIA and resulted vacancy-SIA recombination.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Possible $s^{\pm}$-wave pairing evidenced by midgap surface bound states in Fe-pnictide superconductors

A phenomenological theory of tunneling spectroscopy for Fe-pnictide superconductors is developed by taking into consideration of asymmetric interface scattering between particle and holes. It is shown that in consistent with anti-phase $s^{\pm}$-wave pairing, appreciable zero-energy surface bound states exist on the [100] surface of Fe-pnictide superconductors. However, in contrast to the [110] bound states in $d$-wave cuprate superconductors, these bound states arise as a result of non-conservation of momentum perpendicular to the interface for tunneling electrons and the $s^{\pm}$ pairing, and hence they can only exist in a small window ($\sim \pm 6^{\circ}$) in the orientation of edges near [100] direction. Our results explain why zero-bias conductance peak is often observed in tunneling spectroscopy and when it disappears, two coherent peaks show up. These results provide unambiguous signals to test the possible $s^{\pm}$-wave pairing in Fe-pnictide superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con

Atomistic Mechanism from Vacancy Trapped H/He Atoms to Initiation of Bubble in W under Low Energy Ions Irradiation

With the first principles calculations of H and He induced energetics change we demonstrate that in W the accumulation of H (up to 9) and He (up to 4) in a single vacancy (V) surprisingly reduce the formation energy of first and second nearest vacancy (as low as 0 eV), which gives the direct evidence of V-H (He) complex mutation mechanism from V-Hn (Hen) to V2-Hn (Hen) and with the potential to lead to the growth of H (He)-vacancy complexes: an initial step to H and He bubble. This finding well explains the long-standing problem of why H and He bubbles being produced on W surface exposed to low-energy (far lower than displacement threshold energy) D or He ions irradiation. The further identified repulsive (attractive) interaction between V-H12 (V-He14) and additional H (He) illustrates the experimentally observed big difference of deposition depth of H (micron) and He (100 angstrom) bubbles in W even the migration rate of He is far larger than that of H.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

An operational window for radiation-resistant materials based on sequentially healing grain interiors and boundaries

Design of nuclear materials with high radiation-tolerance has great significance1, especially for the next generation of nuclear energy systems2,3. Response of nano- and poly-crystals to irradiation depends on the radiation temperature, dose-rate and grain size4-13. However the dependencies had been studied and interpreted individually, and thus severely lacking is the ability to predict radiation performance of materials in extreme environments. Here we propose an operational window for radiation-resistant materials, which is based on a perspective of interactions among irradiation-induced interstitials, vacancies, and grain boundaries. Using atomic simulations, we find that healing grain boundaries needs much longer time than healing grain interiors. Not been noticed before, this finding suggests priority should be thereafter given to recovery of the grain boundary itself. This large disparity in healing time is reflected in the spectra of defects-recombination energy barriers by the presence of one high-barrier peak in addition to the peak of low barriers. The insight gained from the study instigates new avenues for examining the role of grain boundaries in healing the material. In particular, we sketch out the radiation-endurance window in the parameter space of temperature, dose-rate and grain size. The window helps evaluate material performance and develop resistant materials against radiation damage.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Consequences of extended $s_\pm$-wave pairing in iron-based superconductors

Motivated by a recent experiment of Song \emph{et al.} [Science {\bf 332}, 1410 (2011)], we theoretically study the spin dynamics, charge dynamics, and point-contact Andreev-reflection spectroscopy (PCARS) of two-band iron-based superconductors of a possible extended $s_\pm$-wave pairing symmetry. We consider the case of a dominant $s_\pm$ gap blended by a secondary extended $s$ component in which gap nodes can develop in the Fermi pockets near zone corner and/or boundary. Due to the strong nesting effect associated with nodal regions, dynamical spin and charge susceptibilities can exhibit strong peaks at momenta near $(\pmπ/2,0)$, $(\pmπ,\pmπ/2)$, as well as $(\pmπ,0)$ in the unfolded Brillouin zone. For PCARS, considering an anisotropic band effect induced by an applied voltage, [100] differential conductance can exhibit a $V$-shape behavior manifesting a gap node occurring in such direction. It is highly suggested that the above features can be experimentally investigated to help sorting out the pairing symmetry of iron-based superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con

Plasmoid ejection and secondary current sheet generation from magnetic reconnection in laser-plasma interaction

Reconnection of the self-generated magnetic fields in laser-plasma interaction was first investigated experimentally by Nilson {\it et al.} [Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 255001 (2006)] by shining two laser pulses a distance apart on a solid target layer. An elongated current sheet (CS) was observed in the plasma between the two laser spots. In order to more closely model magnetotail reconnection, here two side-by-side thin target layers, instead of a single one, are used. It is found that at one end of the elongated CS a fan-like electron outflow region including three well-collimated electron jets appears. The ($>1$ MeV) tail of the jet energy distribution exhibits a power-law scaling. The enhanced electron acceleration is attributed to the intense inductive electric field in the narrow electron dominated reconnection region, as well as additional acceleration as they are trapped inside the rapidly moving plasmoid formed in and ejected from the CS. The ejection also induces a secondary CS.

physics.plasm-ph