The Putative Liquid-Liquid Transition is a Liquid-Solid Transition in Atomistic Models of Water

We use numerical simulation to examine the possibility of a reversible liquid-liquid transition in supercooled water and related systems. In particular, for two atomistic models of water, we have computed free energies as functions of multiple order parameters, where one is density and another distinguishes crystal from liquid. For a range of temperatures and pressures, separate free energy basins for liquid and crystal are found, conditions of phase coexistence between these phases are demonstrated, and time scales for equilibration are determined. We find that at no range of temperatures and pressures is there more than a single liquid basin, even at conditions where amorphous behavior is unstable with respect to the crystal. We find a similar result for a related model of silicon. This result excludes the possibility of the proposed liquid-liquid critical point for the models we have studied. Further, we argue that behaviors others have attributed to a liquid-liquid transition in water and related systems are in fact reflections of transitions between liquid and crystal

Controlling magnetism

Manipulation of the magnetic state in spin valve structures by superconductivity has now been achieved, opening a new route for the development of ultra-fast cryogenic memories. Spintronics is a rapidly developing field that allows insight into fundamental spin-dependent physical properties and the development of practical applications, such as the read head sensors for hard drives in computers. superconducting spintronics, which involves structures formed by ferromagnetic (FM) and superconducting (SC) layers, has emerged, promising advances in the fundamental understanding of the competition between superconducting and magnetic ordering, as well as new device functionalities.<br/