arXiv subjects

J. Yan

Publications and source records attributed to J. Yan.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Taming the single-cylinder scattering through time-modulation -- The role of the modulation phase

Dielectric particles with time-modulated electromagnetic properties exhibit intriguing scattering phenomena, entailing unique response and possibilities in meta-structures made of such particles. In this work, we investigate the scattering properties of an infinitely-long cylinder with periodically time-modulated permittivity. We demonstrate parametric scattering amplification, depending on the strength of the modulation, as well as controllable angular scattering pattern, ranging from enhanced forward to enhanced backward, or even scattering cancellation. This angular tunability is achieved through appropriate control of the modulation phase, highlighting its critical role in multi-modal time-modulated scattering systems.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2025

Pressure tuning of Kitaev spin liquid candidate Na$_3$Co$_2$SbO$_6$

The search for Kitaev's quantum spin liquid (KQSL) state in real materials has recently expanded with the prediction that honeycomb lattices of divalent, high-spin cobalt ions could host the dominant bond-dependent exchange interactions required to stabilize the elusive entangled quantum state. The layered honeycomb Na$_3$Co$_2$SbO$_6$ has been singled out as a leading candidate provided that the trigonal crystal field acting on Co $3d$ orbitals, which enhances non-Kitaev exchange interactions between $J_{\rm eff}=\frac{1}{2}$ spin-orbital pseudospins, is reduced. We find that applied pressure leads to anisotropic compression of the layered structure, significantly reducing the trigonal distortion of CoO$_6$ octahedra. A strong enhancement of ferromagnetic correlations between pseudospins is observed in the spin-polarized (3 Tesla) phase up to about 60 GPa. Higher pressures drive a spin transition into a low-spin state destroying the $J_{\rm eff}=\frac{1}{2}$ local moments required to map the spin Hamiltonian into Kitaev's model. The spin transition strongly suppresses the low-temperature magnetic susceptibility and appears to stabilize a paramagnetic phase driven by frustration. Although applied pressure fails to realize a KQSL state, the possible emergence of frustrated magnetism of localized, low-spin $S=\frac{1}{2}$ moments opens the door for exploration of novel magnetic quantum states in compressed honeycomb lattices of divalent cobaltates.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Light-Emitting Microfibers from Lotus Root for Eco-friendly Optical Waveguides and Biosensing

Optical biosensors based on micro-/nano-fibers are highly valuable for probing and monitoring liquid environments and bioactivity. Most of current optical biosensors, however, are still based on glass, semiconductors, or metallic materials, which might be not fully suited for biologically-relevant environments. Here, we introduce biocompatible and flexible microfibers from Lotus silk as micro-environmental monitors that exhibit waveguiding of intrinsic fluorescence as well as of coupled light. These features make single-filament monitors excellent building blocks for a variety of sensing functions, including pH-probing and detection of bacterial activity. These results pave the way for the development of new and entirely eco-friendly, potentially multiplexed biosensing platforms.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2024

Phase transformation and water adsorption behavior of ALD deposited and annealed Ru and RuO2 films

Ruthenium metal and its oxide stand out for their exceptional catalytic activity, stability in Oxygen Evolution Reactions (OER) and electrical conductivity, making them indispensable in electronics and electrocatalysis. In this study, atomic layer deposition (ALD) was used to synthesize ruthenium thin films, and the subsequent annealing of deposited ruthenium films at different elevated temperatures resulted in a progressive phase transformation from ruthenium metal to ruthenium dioxide (RuO2). The films were systematically characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy. XPS was carried out with both soft X-rays from a lab-based instrument and tender X-rays from the synchrotron. The different probing depths of the techniques revealed the gradual transformation of Ru to RuO2 from the top surface as the annealing temperature was increased. The water adsorption behavior of the films was also assessed using ambient pressure XPS (APXPS) at different water vapor pressures. The influence of annealing conditions on the films affinity for water and tendency for water dissociation was analyzed to seek an initial understanding of the surface chemistry relevant to electrochemical water splitting.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Embracing Disorder in Quantum Materials Design

Many of the most exciting materials discoveries in fundamental condensed matter physics are made in systems hosting some degree of intrinsic disorder. While disorder has historically been regarded as something to be avoided in materials design, it is often of central importance to correlated and quantum materials. This is largely driven by the conceptual and theoretical ease to handle, predict, and understand highly uniform systems that exhibit complex interactions, symmetries and band structures. In this perspective, we highlight how flipping this paradigm has enabled exciting possibilities in the emerging field of high entropy oxide (HEO) quantum materials. These materials host high levels of cation or anion compositional disorder while maintaining unexpectedly uniform single crystal lattices. The diversity of atomic scale interactions of spin, charge, orbital, and lattice degrees of freedom are found to emerge into coherent properties on much larger length scales. Thus, altering the variance and magnitudes of the atomic scale properties through elemental selection can open new routes to tune global correlated phases such as magnetism, metal-insulator transitions, ferroelectricity, and even emergent topological responses. The strategy of embracing disorder in this way provides a much broader pallet from which functional states can be designed for next-generation microelectronic and quantum information systems.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Volumetric Image Projection Super-Resolution Ultrasound (VIP-SR) with a 1D Unfocused Linear Array

Super-Resolution Ultrasound (SRUS) through localizing spatially isolated microbubbles has been demonstrated to overcome the wave diffraction limit and reveal the microvascular structure and flow information at the microscopic scale. However, 3D SRUS imaging remains a challenge due to the fabrication and computational complexity of 2D matrix array probes and connections. Inspired by X-ray radiography which can present volumetric information in a single projection image with much simpler hardware than X-ray CT, this study investigates the feasibility of volumetric image projection super-resolution (VIP-SR) ultrasound using a 1D unfocused linear array. Both simulation and experiments were conducted on 3D microvessel phantoms using a 1D linear array with or without an elevational focus, and a 2D matrix array as the reference. Results show that, VIP-SR, using an unfocused 1D array probe can capture significantly more volumetric information than the conventional 1D elevational focused probe. Compared with the 2D projection image of the full 3D SRUS results using the 2D array probe with the same aperture size, VIP-SR has similar volumetric coverage using 32 folds less independent elements. The impact of bubble concentration and vascular density on the VIP-SR US was also investigated. This study demonstrates the ability of high-resolution volumetric imaging of microvascular structures at significantly reduced costs with VIP-SR.

eess.SP↗

arXiv2022

Field-induced Topological Hall effect in antiferromagnetic axion insulator candidate EuIn$_2$As$_2$

The magnetic topological materials have attracted significant attention due to their potential realization of variety of novel quantum phenomena. EuIn$_2$As$_2$ has recently been theoretically recognized as a long awaited intrinsic antiferromagnetic bulk axion insulator. However, the experimental study on transport properties arising from the topological states in this material is scarce. In this paper, we perform the detailed magnetoresistance (MR) and Hall measurements to study the magnetotransport properties of this material. We find that the transport is strongly influenced by the spin configuration of the Eu moments from the concomitant change in the field dependence of the MR and that of the magnetization below the N\'eel temperature. Most importantly, an anomalous Hall effect (AHE) and a large topological Hall effect (THE) are observed. We suggest that the AHE is originated from a nonvanishing net Berry curvature due to the helical spin structure and that the THE is attributed to the formation of a noncoplanar spin texture with a finite scalar spin chirality induced by the external magnetic field in EuIn$_2$As$_2$. Our studies provide a platform to understand the influence of the interplay between the topology of electronic bands and the field-induced magnetic structure on magnetoelectric transport properties. In addition, our observations give a hint to realize axion insulator states and high-order topological insulator states through manipulating the magnetic state of EuIn$_2$As$_2$.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Evidence of a Phonon Hall Effect in the Kitaev Spin Liquid Candidate $\alpha$-RuCl$_3$

The material $\alpha$-RuCl$_3$ has been the subject of intense scrutiny as a potential Kitaev quantum spin liquid, predicted to display Majorana fermions as low energy excitations. In practice, $\alpha$-RuCl$_3$ undergoes a transition to a state with antiferromagnetic order below a temperature $T_{\rm N}$ $\approx$ 7 K, but this order can be suppressed by applying an external in-plane magnetic field of $H_\parallel$ = 7 T. Whether a quantum spin liquid phase exists just above that field is still an open question, but the reported observation of a quantized thermal Hall conductivity at $H_\parallel$ $>$ 7 T by Kasahara and co-workers $\big[$Kasahara ${\it et \ al}$., Nature ${\bf 559}$, 227 (2018)$\big]$ has been interpreted as evidence of itinerant Majorana fermions in the Kitaev quantum spin liquid state. In this study, we re-examine the origin of the thermal Hall conductivity $\kappa_{\rm xy}$ in $\alpha$-RuCl$_3$. Our measurements of $\kappa_{\rm xy}$($T$) on several different crystals yield a temperature dependence very similar to that of the phonon-dominated longitudinal thermal conductivity $\kappa_{\rm xx}$($T$), for which the natural explanation is that $\kappa_{\rm xy}$ is also mostly carried by phonons. Upon cooling, $\kappa_{\rm xx}$ peaks at $T \simeq$ 20 K, then drops until $T_{\rm N}$, whereupon it suddenly increases again. The abrupt increase below $T_{\rm N}$ is attributed to a sudden reduction in the scattering of phonons by low-energy spin fluctuations as these become partially gapped when the system orders. The fact that $\kappa_{\rm xy}$ also increases suddenly below $T_{\rm N}$ is strong evidence that the thermal Hall effect in $\alpha$-RuCl$_3$ is also carried predominantly by phonons. This implies that any quantized signal from Majorana edge modes would have to come on top of a sizable -- and sample-dependent -- phonon background.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Analytical Solution to Electron Beam Envelope Evolution in a Plasma Wakefield

Beam-induced ionization injection (B-III) is currently being explored as a method for injecting an electron beam with a controlled density profile into a plasma wakefield accelerator (PWFA). This process is initiated by the fields of an unmatched drive beam where the slice envelope reaches its minimum value, the 'pinch'. To control the injected beam's qualities, it is crucial to study the beam-slice envelope oscillations, especially size and the location of the pinch. In this proceeding, an ansatz based on the harmonic motion is proposed to find the analytical solution to beam-slice envelope evolution in the nonlinear regime. The size of the pinch is then found through the application of energy conservation in the transverse direction. The resulting analytical expressions are shown to be in good agreement with numerical solutions.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2021

Spatiotemporal dynamics of ultrarelativistic beam-plasma instabilities

An electron or electron-positron beam streaming through a plasma is notoriously prone to micro-instabilities. For a dilute ultrarelativistic infinite beam, the dominant instability is a mixed mode between longitudinal two-stream and transverse filamentation modes, with a phase velocity oblique to the beam velocity. A spatiotemporal theory describing the linear growth of this oblique mixed instability is proposed, which predicts that spatiotemporal effects generally prevail for finite-length beams, leading to a significantly slower instability evolution than in the usually assumed purely temporal regime. These results are accurately supported by particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. Furthermore, we show that the self-focusing dynamics caused by the plasma wakefields driven by finite-width beams can compete with the oblique instability. Analyzed through PIC simulations, the interplay of these two processes in realistic systems bears important implications for upcoming accelerator experiments on ultrarelativistic beam-plasma interactions.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2021

Chiral charge density waves induced by Ti-doping in 1T-TaS2

We investigate the Ti-doping effect on the charge density wave (CDW) of 1T-TaS2 by combining scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) measurements and first-principle calculations. Although the Ti-doping induced phase evolution seems regular with increasing of the doping concentration (x), an unexpected chiral CDW phase is observed in the sample with x = 0.08, in which Ti atoms almost fully occupy the central Ta atoms in the CDW clusters. The emergence of the chiral CDW is proposed to be from the doping-enhanced orbital order. Only when x = 0.08, the possible long-range orbital order can trigger the chiral CDW phase. Compared with other 3d-elements doped 1T-TaS2, the Ti-doping retains the electronic flat band and the corresponding CDW phase, which is a prerequisite for the emergence of chirality. We expect that introducing elements with a strong orbital character may induce a chiral charge order in a broad class of CDW systems. The present results open up another avenue for further exploring the chiral CDW materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

International Workshop on Next Generation Gamma-Ray Source

A workshop on The Next Generation Gamma-Ray Sources sponsored by the Office of Nuclear Physics at the Department of Energy, was held November 17--19, 2016 in Bethesda, Maryland. The goals of the workshop were to identify basic and applied research opportunities at the frontiers of nuclear physics that would be made possible by the beam capabilities of an advanced laser Compton beam facility. To anchor the scientific vision to realistically achievable beam specifications using proven technologies, the workshop brought together experts in the fields of electron accelerators, lasers, and optics to examine the technical options for achieving the beam specifications required by the most compelling parts of the proposed research programs. An international assembly of participants included current and prospective $\gamma$-ray beam users, accelerator and light-source physicists, and federal agency program managers. Sessions were organized to foster interactions between the beam users and facility developers, allowing for information sharing and mutual feedback between the two groups. The workshop findings and recommendations are summarized in this whitepaper.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2020

Periodic and Phase-locked Modulation in PSR B1929+10 Observed with FAST

We present a detailed single-pulse analysis for PSR B1929+10 based on observations with the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). The main pulse and interpulse are found to be modulated with a periodicity of $\sim12$ times the pulsar's rotational period ($P$). The $\sim12P$ modulation is confirmed as a periodic amplitude modulation instead of systematic drifting. The periodic amplitude modulation in the IP is found to be anti-correlated with that in the weak preceding component of the MP (MP_I), but correlated with that in the first two components of the MP (MP_II), which implies that the modulation patterns in the IP and the MP are phase-locked. What is more interesting is that the modulation in MP_II is delayed that in the IP by about 1P. Furthermore, high sensitivity observations by FAST reveal that weak emission exists between the MP and the IP. In addition, we confirm that the separation between the IP and the MP is independent of radio frequency. The above results are a conundrum for pulsar theories and cannot be satisfactorily explained by the current pulsar models. Therefore, our results observed with FAST provide an opportunity to probe the structure of pulsar emission and the neutron star's magnetosphere.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

Low-Temperature 2D/2D Ohmic Contacts in WSe$_2$ Field-Effect Transistors as a Platform for the 2D Metal-Insulator Transition

We report the fabrication of hexagonal-boron-nitride (hBN) encapsulated multi-terminal WSe$_2$ Hall bars with 2D/2D low-temperature Ohmic contacts as a platform for investigating the two-dimensional (2D) metal-insulator transition. We demonstrate that the WSe$_2$ devices exhibit Ohmic behavior down to 0.25 K and at low enough excitation voltages to avoid current-heating effects. Additionally, the high-quality hBN-encapsulated WSe$_2$ devices in ideal Hall-bar geometry enable us to accurately determine the carrier density. Measurements of the temperature ($T$) and density ($n_s$) dependence of the conductivity $\sigma(T,n_s)$ demonstrate scaling behavior consistent with a metal-insulator quantum phase transition driven by electron-electron interactions, but where disorder-induced local magnetic moments are also present. Our findings pave the way for further studies of the fundamental quantum mechanical properties of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides using the same contact engineering.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Diverse polarization angle swings from a repeating fast radio burst source

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are millisecond-duration radio transients of unknown origin. Two possible mechanisms that could generate extremely coherent emission from FRBs invoke neutron star magnetospheres or relativistic shocks far from the central energy source. Detailed polarization observations may help us to understand the emission mechanism. However, the available FRB polarization data have been perplexing, because they show a host of polarimetric properties, including either a constant polarization angle during each burst for some repeaters or variable polarization angles in some other apparently one-off events. Here we report observations of 15 bursts from FRB 180301 and find various polarization angle swings in seven of them. The diversity of the polarization angle features of these bursts is consistent with a magnetospheric origin of the radio emission, and disfavours the radiation models invoking relativistic shocks.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

Extended Calculations with Spectroscopic Accuracy: Energy Levels and Radiative Rates for O-like Ions between Ar XI and Cr XVII

Using the multiconfiguration Dirac-Hartree-Fock and the relativistic configuration interaction methods, a consistent set of transition energies and radiative transition data for the main states of the $2s^2 2p^4$, $2s 2p^5$, $2p^6$, $2s^2 2p^3 3s$, $2s^2 2p^3 3p$, $2s^2 2p^3 3d$, $2s 2p^4 3s$, $2s 2p^4 3p$, and $2s 2p^4 3d$ configurations in O-like Ions between Ar XI ($Z = 18$) and Cr XVII ($Z = 24$) is provided. Our data set is compared with the NIST compiled values and previous calculations. The data are accurate enough for identification and deblending of new emission lines from hot astrophysical and laboratory plasmas. The amount of data of high accuracy is significantly increased for the $n = 3$ states of several O-like ions, where experimental data are very scarce.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2020

Temperature-Induced Lifshitz Transition and Possible Excitonic Instability in ZrSiSe

The nodal-line semimetals have attracted immense interest due to the unique electronic structures such as the linear dispersion and the vanishing density of states as the Fermi energy approaching the nodes. Here, we report temperature-dependent transport and scanning tunneling microscope (spectroscopy) (STM[S]) measurements on nodal-line semimetal ZrSiSe.Our experimental results and theoretical analyses consistently demonstrate that the temperature induces Lifshitz transitions at 80 and 106 K in ZrSiSe, which results in the transport anomalies at the same temperatures. More strikingly, we observe a V-shaped dip structure around Fermi energy from the STS spectrum at low temperature,which can be attributed to co-effect of the spin-orbit coupling and excitonic instability. Our observations indicate the correlation interaction may play an important role in ZrSiSe, which owns the quasi-two-dimensional electronic structures.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Superconducting and Topological Properties in Centrosymmetric PbTaS2 Single Crystals

We report the superconductivity of PbTaS2 single crystals with the centrosymmetric structure. The systematic measurements of magnetization, electric transport and specific heat indicate that PbTaS2 is a weakly coupled type-II superconductor with transition temperature Tc = 2.6 K. Furthermore, the band structure calculations predicted four nodal lines near the Fermi energy with drumhead-like surface states, suggesting centrosymmetric PbTaS2 is a candidate of topological nodal line semimetals. These results demonstrate that PbTaS2 may open up another avenue for further exploring the properties of superconductivity and topological nodal-line states.

cond-mat.supr-con↗