arXiv subjects

Zijing Ding

Publications and source records attributed to Zijing Ding.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Tracking the boundary between absolute/convective instability using adjoint equations

Determining absolute/convective instability boundaries conventionally requires repeated saddle searches in the complex-wavenumber plane and a subsequent scan of the physical parameter space to locate zero absolute growth. Such nested calculations become costly and sensitive to modal branch association for large non-normal eigenvalue problems. This work develops a direct continuation method for neutral stationary-saddle boundaries of frequency-affine generalised eigenvalue problems. The zero-group-velocity condition is expressed as an adjoint solvability residual and solved together with the direct and adjoint eigenproblems, complex gauge constraints and the neutral-growth condition. The resulting one-dimensional solution manifold in the combined state--parameter space is tracked by scaled pseudo-arclength continuation, allowing parameter folds to be crossed without switching the physical continuation variable. The formulation recovers the analytical Ginzburg--Landau boundary and, for a Gaussian-wake Orr--Sommerfeld problem, agrees with separately formulated finite-difference saddle corrections to approximately $10^{-8}$ in relative critical Reynolds number. Compared with nested complex-wavenumber and parameter-plane saddle scanning, the tested scans require $8.1$--$52.2$ times the wall time of the direct adjoint continuation. Extrapolation of the measured cost--accuracy trend to a boundary error of $E_H\sim10^{-6}$ suggests an estimated cost ratio of approximately $1.8\times10^{4}$ in favour of the direct continuation. Application to a coupled Oldroyd--B free-surface film reveals genuine folds of the neutral-saddle manifold and a re-entrant CI--AI--CI boundary geometry for the selected saddle family.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2026

Optimal heat transport at the edge of energy stability

High heat transfer in Rayleigh--B\'enard convection is commonly associated with vigorous turbulent motion, but turbulence intensity alone does not explain how a limiting transport state is selected. We propose that such limiting states are organized by marginal energy stability. Starting from the exact perturbation-energy balance, we determine, for a prescribed mean temperature profile, the smallest neutral Rayleigh number over the balance parameter and all admissible disturbances. The corresponding marginal modes are then coupled to the exact mean-temperature equation, producing a self-consistent profile and heat flux. At large $Ra$, the selected branch gives $Nu\simeq0.0245Ra^{1/2}$ and develops conductive inner layers, logarithmic-like intermediate regions and a weakly stably stratified core. An equivalent background-field formulation yields the same governing equations and establishes uniqueness of the selected mean profile. Three-dimensional simulations at $10^6\le Ra\le10^8$ show that distributed thermal forcing based on this profile suppresses convective motion while retaining a large wall heat flux.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2025

A novel IR-SRGAN assisted super-resolution evaluation of photothermal coherence tomography for impact damage in toughened thermoplastic CFRP laminates under room temperature and low temperature

Evaluating impact-induced damage in composite materials under varying temperature conditions is essential for ensuring structural integrity and reliable performance in aerospace, polar, and other extreme-environment applications. As matrix brittleness increases at low temperatures, damage mechanisms shift: impact events that produce only minor delaminations at ambient conditions can trigger extensive matrix cracking, fiber/matrix debonding, or interfacial failure under severe cold loads, thereby degrading residual strength and fatigue life. Precision detection and quantification of subsurface damage features (e.g., delamination area, crack morphology, interface separation) are critical for subsequent mechanical characterization and life prediction. In this study, infrared thermography (IRT) coupled with a newly developed frequency multiplexed photothermal correlation tomography (FM-PCT) is employed to capture three-dimensional subsurface damage signatures with depth resolution approaching that of X-ray micro-computed tomography. However, the inherent limitations of IRT, including restricted frame rate and lateral thermal diffusion, reduce spatial resolution and thus the accuracy of damage size measurement. To address this, we develop a new transfer learning-based infrared super-resolution generative adversarial network (IR-SRGAN) that enhances both lateral and depth-resolved imaging fidelity based on limited thermographic datasets.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2025

Electronic Correlations Control Interlayer Coupling and Magnetic Transition in MnBi$_2$Te$_4$/MnBr$_3$ Heterostructure

Bulk MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ (MBT) is an intrinsic antiferromagnetic topological insulator. However, its low N\'eel temperature of $\sim 25\,\mathrm{K}$ severely restricts its practical applications. Here, we propose a van der Waals heterostructure composed of monolayer MBT (ML-MBT) and monolayer MnBr$_3$, an intrinsic Chern insulator possessing a high Curie temperature ($T_\mathrm{C} \sim 200\,\mathrm{K}$). By employing density functional theory calculations and Monte Carlo simulations, we demonstrate that interfacing ML-MBT with MnBr$_3$ significantly enhances the $T_\mathrm{C}$ of ML-MBT by a factor of four to five. Electronic correlations characterized by the Hubbard parameter $U_2$ for Mn-$d$ orbitals in MnBr$_3$ play a crucial role in governing magnetic coupling within the system. At a moderate correlation strength of $U_2 = 3.0\,\mathrm{eV}$, slight structural distortions in MnBr$_3$ break intralayer symmetry, enabling robust interlayer ferromagnetic coupling and yielding a single, unified magnetic transition. Increasing $U_2$ reduces these structural distortions, weakens interlayer coupling, and induces two distinct magnetic transitions, indicating interlayer magnetic decoupling. Thus, the MBT/MnBr$_3$ heterostructure offers a novel approach for controlling magnetic order and enhancing the performance of spintronic devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Ultrafast Polarization Switching via Laser-activated Ionic Migration in Ferroelectric CuInP$_2$S$_6$

As a layered ferroelectric material, CuInP2S6 has garnered significant attention for its robust ferroelectric state and potential applications in memory devices. In this work, we demonstrate that with short laser pulses ultrafast reversible polarization switching within hundreds of femtoseconds can be achieved in ferroelectric CuInP$_2$S$_6$. Specifically, photoexcitation triggers collective ionic migration and ferroelectricity reversal in CuInP$_2$S$_6$, revealing a novel pathway to access different ferroelectric phases through optical excitation. Our findings indicate that laser pulses substantially alter the transition barriers, promoting ionic transport facilitated by the photodoping effect. This laser-induced ionic migration proves critical for enabling polarization transitions, offering a novel pathway to explore and control exotic quantum phases. These insights open exciting possibilities for manipulating ferroelectric states and electronic properties on an unprecedented ultrafast timescale.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Capillary nanowaves on surfactant-laden liquid films with surface viscosity and elasticity

Thermal motions of molecules can generate nanowaves on the free surface of a liquid film. As nanofilms are susceptible to the contamination of surfactants, this work investigates the effects of surfactants on dynamics of nanowaves on a bounded film with a finite depth, using both molecular dynamics simulations and analytical theories. In molecular simulations, a bead-spring model is adopted to simulate surfactants, where beads are connected by the finite extensive nonlinear elastic potentials. Fourier transforms of the film surface profiles $h(x,t)$ extracted from molecular simulations are performed to obtain the static spectrum $|h_q|_{\mathrm{rms}}$ and temporal correlations of surface modes $ $. It is shown that the spectral amplitude is increased for the contaminated liquid surface compared to the clean surface because surfactants can decrease surface tension. A higher concentration of surfactants on the surface not only decreases the surface tension but also causes elastic energy to the free surface, as the scaling of spectral amplitude with wavenumbers changes from $|h_q|_{\mathrm{rms}}\sim q^{-1}$ to $|h_q|_{\mathrm{rms}}\sim q^{-2}$ for modes with large wavenumbers. Regarding the temporal correlations of surface modes, it is observed that the presence of surfactants leads to a slower decay, which, however, cannot be predicted by only considering the decreased surface tension. Based on the Boussinesq Scriven model for surface viscosity, a linear stability analysis of Stokes flow for films with arbitrary depth is conducted and the obtained dispersion relation considering surface viscosity can justify the simulation results.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2022

KSSOLV 2.0: An efficient MATLAB toolbox for solving the Kohn-Sham equations with plane-wave basis set

KSSOLV (Kohn-Sham Solver) is a MATLAB toolbox for performing Kohn-Sham density functional theory (DFT) calculations with a plane-wave basis set. KSSOLV 2.0 preserves the design features of the original KSSOLV software to allow users and developers to easily set up a problem and perform ground-state calculations as well as to prototype and test new algorithms. Furthermore, it includes new functionalities such as new iterative diagonalization algorithms, k-point sampling for electron band structures, geometry optimization and advanced algorithms for performing DFT calculations with local, semi-local, and hybrid exchange-correlation functionals. It can be used to study the electronic structures of both molecules and solids. We describe these new capabilities in this work through a few use cases. We also demonstrate the numerical accuracy and computational efficiency of KSSOLV on a variety of examples.

physics.comp-ph↗

arXiv2020

Designing a minimal baffle to destabilise turbulence in pipe flows

Motivated by the results of recent experiments (Kühnen et al., Flow Turb. Combust., vol. 100, 2018, pp. 919-943), we consider the problem of designing a baffle (an obstacle to the flow) to relaminarise turbulence in pipe flows. Modelling the baffle as a spatial distribution of linear drag $\mathbf{f}(\mathbf{x},t)=-χ(\mathbf{x})\mathbf{u}_{tot}(\mathbf{x},t)$ within the flow ($\mathbf{u}_{tot}$ is the total velocity field and $χ\ge 0$ a scalar field), two different optimisation problems are considered to design $χ$ at a Reynolds number $Re=3000$. In the first, the smallest baffle defined in terms of a $L_1 $ norm of $χ$ is sought which minimises the viscous dissipation rate of the flow. In the second, a baffle which minimises the total energy consumption of the flow is treated. Both problems indicate that the baffle should be axisymmetric and radially localised near the pipe wall, but struggle to predict the optimal streamwise extent. A manual search finds an optimal baffle one radius long which is then used to study how the amplitude for relaminarisation varies with $Re$ up to $15\,000$. Large stress reduction is found at the pipe wall, but at the expense of an increased pressure drop across the baffle. Estimates are then made of the break even point downstream of the baffle where the stress reduction at the wall due to the relaminarised flow compensates for the extra drag produced by the baffle.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2019

Exhausting the background approach for bounding the heat transport in Rayleigh-Bénard convection

We revisit the optimal heat transport problem for Rayleigh-Bénard convection in which a rigorous upper bound on the Nusselt number, $Nu$, is sought as a function of the Rayleigh number $Ra$. Concentrating on the 2-dimensional problem with stress-free boundary conditions, we impose the full heat equation as a constraint for the bound using a novel 2-dimensional background approach thereby complementing the `wall-to-wall' approach of Hassanzadeh \etal \,(\emph{J. Fluid Mech.} \textbf{751}, 627-662, 2014). Imposing the same symmetry on the problem, we find correspondence with their result for $Ra \leq Ra_c:=4468.8$ but, beyond that, the optimal fields complexify to produce a higher bound. This bound approaches that by a 1-dimensional background field as the length of computational domain $L\rightarrow\infty$. On lifting the imposed symmetry, the optimal 2-dimensional temperature background field reverts back to being 1-dimensional giving the best bound $Nu\le 0.055Ra^{1/2}$ compared to $Nu \le 0.026Ra^{1/2}$ in the non-slip case. % We then show via an inductive bifurcation analysis that imposing the full time-averaged Boussinesq equations as constraints (by introducing 2-dimensional temperature {\em and} velocity background fields) is also unable to lower this bound. This then exhausts the background approach for the 2-dimensional (and by extension 3-dimensional) Rayleigh-Benard problem with the bound remaining stubbornly $Ra^{1/2}$ while data seems more to scale like $Ra^{1/3}$ for large $Ra$. % Finally, we show that adding a velocity background field to the formulation of Wen \etal\, (\emph{Phys. Rev. E.} \textbf{92}, 043012, 2015), which is able to use an extra vorticity constraint due to the stress-free condition to lower the bound to $ Nu \le O(Ra^{5/12})$, also fails to improve the bound.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2018

Liquid-solid surface phase transformation of fluorinated fullerene on monolayer tungsten diselenide

Hybrid van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures constructed by the integration of organic molecules and two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) materials have useful tunable properties for flexible electronic devices. Due to the chemically inert and atomically smooth nature of the TMD surface, well-defined crystalline organic films form atomically sharp interfaces facilitating optimal device performance. Here, the surface phase transformation of the supramolecular packing structure of fluorinated fullerene (C60F48) on single-layer (SL) tungsten diselenide (WSe2) is revealed by low-temperature (LT) scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM), from thermally stable liquid to solid phases as the coverage increases. Statistical analysis of the intermolecular interaction potential reveals that the repulsive dipole-dipole interaction induced by interfacial charge transfer and substrate-mediated interactions play important roles in stabilizing the liquid C60F48 phases. Theoretical calculations further suggest that the dipole moment per C60F48 molecule varies with the surface molecule density, and the liquid-solid transformation could be understood from the perspective of the thermodynamic free energy for open systems. This study offers new insights into the growth behaviour at 2D organic/TMD hybrid heterointerfaces.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2016

Engineering bandgaps of monolayer MoS2 and WS2 on fluoropolymer substrates by electrostatically tuned many-body effects

Intrinsic electrical and excitonic properties of monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides are studied on CYTOP fluoropolymer substrates with greatly suppressed unintentional doping and dielectric screening. Ambipolar transport behavior is observed in monolayer WS2 by applying solid states backdates. The excitonic properties of monolayer MoS2 and WS2 are determined by intricate interplays between the bandage renormalization, Pauli blocking and carrier screening against carrier doping.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2012

Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking and Dynamic Phase Transition in Monolayer Silicene

The (r3xr3)R30° honeycomb of silicene monolayer on Ag(111) was found to undergo a phase transition to two types of mirror-symmetric boundary-separated rhombic phases at temperatures below 40 K by scanning tunneling microscopy. The first-principles calculations reveal that weak interactions between silicene and Ag(111) drive the spontaneous ultra buckling in the monolayer silicene, forming two energy-degenerate and mirror-symmetric (r3xr3)R30° rhombic phases, in which the linear band dispersion near Dirac point (DP) and a significant gap opening (150 meV) at DP were induced. The low transition barrier between these two phases enables them interchangeable through dynamic flip-flop motion, resulting in the (r3xr3)R30° honeycomb structure observed at high temperature.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2012

Evidence for Dirac Fermions in a honeycomb lattice based on silicon

Silicene, a sheet of silicon atoms in a honeycomb lattice, was proposed to be a new Dirac-type electron system similar as graphene. We performed scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy studies on the atomic and electronic properties of silicene on Ag(111). An unexpected $\sqrt{3}\times \sqrt{3}$ reconstruction was found, which is explained by an extra-buckling model. Pronounced quasi-particle interferences (QPI) patterns, originating from both the intervalley and intravalley scattering, were observed. From the QPI patterns we derived a linear energy-momentum dispersion and a large Fermi velocity, which prove the existence of Dirac Fermions in silicene.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2012

Evidence of silicene in honeycomb structures of silicon on Ag(111)

In the search for evidence of silicene, a two-dimensional honeycomb lattice of silicon, it is important to obtain a complete picture for the evolution of Si structures on Ag(111), which is believed to be the most suitable substrate for growth of silicene so far. In this work we report the finding and evolution of several monolayer superstructures of silicon on Ag(111) depending on the coverage and temperature. Combined with first-principles calculations, the detailed structures of these phases have been illuminated. These structure were found to share common building blocks of silicon rings, and they evolve from a fragment of silicene to a complete monolayer silicene and multilayer silicene. Our results elucidate how silicene formes on Ag(111) surface and provide methods to synthesize high-quality and large-scale silicene.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗