arXiv subjects

W. He

Publications and source records attributed to W. He.

82 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2019

Evidence for a Parity Broken Monoclinic Ground State in the S = 1/2 Kagomé Antiferromagnet Herbertsmithite

Nearest-neighbor interacting S = 1/2 spins on the ideal Kagomé lattice are predicted to form a variety of novel quantum entangled states, including quantum spin-liquid (SL) and valence bond solid (VBS) phases. In real materials, the presence of additional perturbative spin interactions may further expand the variety of entangled states, which recent theoretical analyses show are identifiable through the spontaneous loss of particular discrete point group symmetries. Here we comprehensively resolve the ground state point group symmetries of the prototypical Kagomé SL candidate ZnCu$_3$(OH)$_6$Cl$_2$ (Herbertsmithite) using a combination of optical ellipsometry and wavelength-dependent multi-harmonic optical polarimetry. We uncover a subtle parity breaking monoclinic structural distortion at a temperature above the nearest-neighbor exchange energy scale. Surprisingly, the parity-breaking order parameter is dramatically enhanced upon cooling and closely tracks the build-up of nearest-neighbor spin correlations, suggesting that it is energetically favored by the SL state. The refined low temperature symmetry group greatly restricts the number of viable ground states, and, in the perturbative limit, points toward the formation of a nematic $Z_2$ striped SL ground state - a SL analogue of a liquid crystal.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Beam-energy dependence of identified two-particle angular correlations in Au+Au collisions at RHIC

The two-particle angular correlation functions, $R_2$, of pions, kaons, and protons in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=$ 7.7, 11.5, 14.5, 19.6, 27, 39, 62.4, and 200 GeV were measured by the STAR experiment at RHIC. These correlations were measured for both like-sign and unlike-sign charge combinations and versus the centrality. The correlations of pions and kaons show the expected near-side ({\it i.e.}, at small relative angles) peak resulting from short-range mechanisms. The amplitudes of these short-range correlations decrease with increasing beam energy. However, the proton correlation functions exhibit strong anticorrelations in the near-side region. This behavior is observed for the first time in an A+A collision system. The observed anticorrelation is $p_{T}$-independent and decreases with increasing beam energy and centrality. The experimental results are also compared to the Monte Carlo models UrQMD, Hijing, and AMPT.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2018

Supramolecular transmission of soliton-encoded bit streams over astronomical distances

A stream of optical pulses, transmitted over long distances in optical fiber, will be affected by a variety of noise sources, leading to degradation in the signal-to-noise ratio. This noise accumulation sets generic capacity limits of all fiber-based optical signal transmission systems and has long been regarded as unavoidable. We report that by tailoring long-range, non-covalent inter-pulse interactions, optical solitons in a fiber laser loop can robustly couple to each other and self-assemble into supramolecular structures that exhibit long-term stability, elementary diversity and the possibility of information encoding. We demonstrate error-free transmission of such self-assembled solitonic structures over many astronomical units without any active retiming, opening up the possibility of using bit-bit interactions to overcome noise accumulation in optical fiber telecommunications and bit-storage systems.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2018

Non-covalent bonds between optical solitons in an optoacoustically mode-locked fiber laser: Analysis & modelling

Binding of particles through weak (non-covalent) interactions plays a central role in multiple modern disciplines, from Cooper pairing of electrons in superconductivity to formation of supramolecules in biochemistry. Optical solitons, which are analogous in many ways to particles, arise from a balance between nonlinearity and dispersion and have only been known to be able to form molecule-like, localized structures through covalent interactions due to direct overlapping. Non-covalent binding of optical solitons that based on long-rang interactions have, however, so far escaped experimental observations. Long-range interactions between optical solitons have proven almost impossible to control, generally leading to disorder. In this paper, however we show that by tailoring weak, long-range soliton interactions, a large population of optical solitons in an optoacoustic mode-locking fiber laser can assemble into stable, highly-ordered structures that resemble biochemical supramolecules. We demonstrate here a theoretical model of the non-covalent binding mechanism, and provide some experimental results supporting this model.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2017

Revisiting $^{63}$Cu NMR evidence for charge order in superconducting La$_{1.885}$Sr$_{0.115}$CuO$_4$

The presence of charge and spin stripe order in the La2CuO4-based family of superconductors continues to lead to new insight on the unusual ground state properties of high Tc cuprates. Soon after the discovery of charge stripe order at T(charge)=65K in Nd3+ co-doped LSCO ($T_{c}\simeq6$~K) [Tranquada et al., Nature {\bf 375} (1995) 561], Hunt et al. demonstrated that La$_{1.48}$Nd$_{0.4}$Sr$_{0.12}$CuO$_4$ and superconducting LSCO with x~1/8 (Tc ~ 30K) share nearly identical NMR anomalies near $T_{charge}$ of the former [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 82} (1999) 4300]. Their inevitable conclusion that LSCO also undergoes charge order at a comparable temperature became controversial, because diffraction measurements at the time were unable to detect Bragg peaks associated with charge order. Recent advances in x-ray diffraction techniques finally led to definitive confirmations of the charge order Bragg peaks in LSCO with an onset at as high as T(charge)=80K. Meanwhile, improved instrumental technology has enabled routine NMR measurements that were not feasible two decades ago. Motivated by these new developments, we revisit the charge order transition of a LSCO single crystal based on 63Cu NMR techniques. We demonstrate that 63Cu NMR properties of the nuclear spin $I_{z}$ = -1/2 to +1/2 central transition below T(charge) exhibit unprecedentedly strong dependence on the measurement time scale set by the NMR pulse separation time $τ$; a new kind of anomalous, very broad wing-like 63Cu NMR signals gradually emerge below T(charge) only for extremely short $τ\lesssim 4~μ$s, while the spectral weight of the normal NMR signals is progressively wiped out. The NMR linewidth and relaxation rates depend strongly on $τ$ below T(charge), and their enhancement in the charge ordered state indicates that charge order turns on strong but inhomogeneous growth of Cu spin-spin correlations.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2016

Development of a strontium optical lattice clock for the SOC mission on the ISS

The ESA mission "Space Optical Clock" project aims at operating an optical lattice clock on the ISS in approximately 2023. The scientific goals of the mission are to perform tests of fundamental physics, to enable space-assisted relativistic geodesy and to intercompare optical clocks on the ground using microwave and optical links. The performance goal of the space clock is less than $1 \times 10^{-17}$ uncertainty and $1 \times 10^{-15} τ^{-1/2}$ instability. Within an EU-FP7-funded project, a strontium optical lattice clock demonstrator has been developed. Goal performances are instability below $1 \times 10^{-15} τ^{-1/2}$ and fractional inaccuracy $5 \times 10^{-17}$. For the design of the clock, techniques and approaches suitable for later space application are used, such as modular design, diode lasers, low power consumption subunits, and compact dimensions. The Sr clock apparatus is fully operational, and the clock transition in $^{88}$Sr was observed with linewidth as small as 9 Hz.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2015

Development of a strontium optical lattice clock for the SOC mission on the ISS

Ultra-precise optical clocks in space will allow new studies in fundamental physics and astronomy. Within an European Space Agency (ESA) program, the Space Optical Clocks (SOC) project aims to install and to operate an optical lattice clock on the International Space Station (ISS) towards the end of this decade. It would be a natural follow-on to the ACES mission, improving its performance by at least one order of magnitude. The payload is planned to include an optical lattice clock, as well as a frequency comb, a microwave link, and an optical link for comparisons of the ISS clock with ground clocks located in several countries and continents. Within the EU-FP7-SPACE-2010-1 project no. 263500, during the years 2011-2015 a compact, modular and robust strontium lattice optical clock demonstrator has been developed. Goal performance is a fractional frequency instability below 1x10^{-15}, tau^{-1/2} and a fractional inaccuracy below 5x10^{-17}. Here we describe the current status of the apparatus' development, including the laser subsystems. Robust preparation of cold {88}^Sr atoms in a second stage magneto-optical trap (MOT) is achieved.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2014

Proton radiography of magnetic field produced by ultra-intense laser irradiating capacity-coil target

Ultra-intense ultra-short laser is firstly used to irradiate the capacity-coil target to generate magnetic field. The spatial structure and temporal evolution of huge magnetic fields were studied with time-gated proton radiography method. A magnetic flux density of 40T was measured by comparing the proton deflection and particle track simulations. Although the laser pulse duration is only 30fs, the generated magnetic field can last for over 100 picoseconds. The energy conversion efficiency from laser to magnetic field can reach as high as ~20%. The results indicate that tens of tesla (T) magnetic field could be produced in many ultra intense laser facilities around the world, and higher magnetic field could be produced by picosecond lasers.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2001

A note on radial basis function computing

This note carries three purposes involving our latest advances on the radial basis function (RBF) approach. First, we will introduce a new scheme employing the boundary knot method (BKM) to nonlinear convection-diffusion problem. It is stressed that the new scheme directly results in a linear BKM formulation of nonlinear problems by using response point-dependent RBFs, which can be solved by any linear solver. Then we only need to solve a single nonlinear algebraic equation for desirable unknown at some inner node of interest. The numerical results demonstrate high accuracy and efficiency of this nonlinear BKM strategy. Second, we extend the concepts of distance function, which include time-space and variable transformation distance functions. Finally, we demonstrate that if the nodes are symmetrically placed, the RBF coefficient matrices have either centrosymmetric or skew centrosymmetric structures. The factorization features of such matrices lead to a considerable reduction in the RBF computing effort. A simple approach is also presented to reduce the ill-conditioning of RBF interpolation matrices in general cases.

cs.CE↗

arXiv1999

The application of special matrix product to differential quadrature solution of geometrically nonlinear bending of orthotropic rectangular plates

The Hadamard and SJT product of matrices are two types of special matrix product. The latter was first defined by Chen. In this study, they are applied to the differential quadrature (DQ) solution of geometrically nonlinear bending of isotropic and orthotropic rectangular plates. By using the Hadamard product, the nonlinear formulations are greatly simplified, while the SJT product approach minimizes the effort to evaluate the Jacobian derivative matrix in the Newton-Raphson method for solving the resultant nonlinear formulations. In addition, the coupled nonlinear formulations for the present problems can easily be decoupled by means of the Hadamard and SJT product. Therefore, the size of the simultaneous nonlinear algebraic equations is reduced by two-thirds and the computing effort and storage requirements are alleviated greatly. Two recent approaches applying the multiple boundary conditions are employed in the present DQ nonlinear computations. The solution accuracies are improved obviously in comparison to the previously given by Bert et al. The numerical results and detailed solution procedures are provided to demonstrate the superb efficiency, accuracy and simplicity of the new approaches in applying DQ method for nonlinear computations.

cs.CE↗