Quantum simulation of artificial Abelian gauge field using nitrogen-vacancy center ensembles coupled to superconducting resonators

We propose a potentially practical scheme to simulate artificial Abelian gauge field for polaritons using a hybrid quantum system consisting of nitrogen-vacancy center ensembles (NVEs) and superconducting transmission line resonators (TLR). In our case, the collective excitations of NVEs play the role of bosonic particles, and our multiport device tends to circulate polaritons in a behavior like a charged particle in an external magnetic field. We discuss the possibility of identifying signatures of the Hofstadter "butterfly" in the optical spectra of the resonators, and analyze the ground state crossover for different gauge fields. Our work opens new perspectives in quantum simulation of condensed matter and many-body physics using hybrid spin-ensemble circuit quantum electrodynamics system. The experimental feasibility and challenge are justified using currently available technology.Comment: 6 papes+supplementary materia

Topological Insulators-Based Magnetic Heterostructure

The combination of magnetism and topology in magnetic topological insulators (MTIs) has led to unprecedented advancements of time reversal symmetry-breaking topological quantum physics in the past decade. Compared with the uniform films, the MTI heterostructures provide a better framework to manipulate the spin-orbit coupling and spin properties. In this review, we summarize the fundamental mechanisms related to the physical orders host in (Bi,Sb)2(Te,Se)3-based hybrid systems. Besides, we provide an assessment on the general strategies to enhance the magnetic coupling and spin-orbit torque strength through different structural engineering approaches and effective interfacial interactions. Finally, we offer an outlook of MTI heterostructures-based spintronics applications, particularly in view of their feasibility to achieve room-temperature operation.Comment: 33 pages, 11 figure

Spatiotemporal variations and its driving factors of soil conservation services in the Three Gorges Reservoir area in China

Soil conservation services play a vital role in regulating ecosystem services to prevent soil erosion and ensure regional ecological security. Therefore, effective evaluation and quantification of soil conservation services in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA) are conducive to sustainable management under future global change. In this study, based on a basic database, including land use/cover data, soil data, topographic data, meteorological data, and NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) data as the basic databases, to evaluate the temporal and spatial changes of soil conservation services in the TGRA from 1990 to 2015 at a regional-scale level using the general soil loss equation. The results showed that forest ecosystems (including coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests, coniferous forests, shrub forests, and broad-leaved forests) made a greater contribution (69%) to regulating soil conservation in TGRA, followed by farmland ecosystems (29%). In total TGRA, large spatial variation in soil conservation, such as the highest appeared in the northern hinterland, whereas the lowest was mostly shown in the northwest with relatively frequent human activities and developed industry and agriculture. In general, soil conservation in the TGRA ecosystem gradually increased from 1990 to 2015, with a total increase of 6%. In this period, with the effective implementation of ecological projects, such as the conversion of farmland to forest and natural forest protection, the distributed proportion of forest land area in total TGRA showed a significant increase. In the meantime, the increase of vegetation coverage also helps the restoration of ecosystem structure and function and the improvement of soil conservation services. Our findings will aid our knowledge regarding the ecosystem services of the TGRA and provide implications for future sustainable land management and ecological protection

Mutual-Chern-Simons effective theory of doped antiferromagnets

A mutual-Chern-Simons Lagrangian is derived as a minimal field theory description of the phase-string model for doped antiferromagnets. Such an effective Lagrangian is shown to retain the full symmetries of parity, time-reversal, and global SU(2) spin rotation, in contrast to conventional Chern-Simons theories where first two symmetries are usually broken. Two ordered phases, i.e., antiferromagnetic and superconducting states, are found at low temperatures as characterized by dual Meissner effects and dual flux quantization conditions due to the mutual-Chern-Simons gauge structure. A dual confinement in charge/spin degrees of freedom occurs such that no true spin-charge separation is present in these ordered phases, but the spin-charge separation/deconfinement serves as a driving force in the unconventional phase transitions of these ordered states to disordered states.Comment: 16 pages, 2 figures; published versio

Cobrotoxin from Naja naja atra

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) becomes a global health problem with high morbidity and mortality. Adriamycin- (ADR-) induced rodent chronic nephropathy is a classic experimental model of human minimal lesion nephrotic syndrome. The present study investigated the effect of cobrotoxin (CTX) on ADR-induced nephropathy. Rats were given 6 mg/kg ADR once through the tail vein to replicate ADR nephropathy model. CTX was administered to rats daily by placing a fast dissolving CTX membrane strip under the tongue starting from 5 days prior to ADR administration until the end of experiment. The results showed that CTX ameliorated the symptoms of ADR nephropathy syndrome with reduced body weight loss, proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia, dyslipidemia, serum electrolyte imbalance, oxidative stress, renal function abnormities, and kidney pathological lesions. Anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 expression was elevated after CTX administration in ADR nephropathy model. CTX inhibited the phosphorylation of IκB-α and NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation. Meanwhile, CTX upregulated the protein level of podocyte-specific nephrin and downregulated the level of fibrosis-related TGF-β. These findings suggest that CTX may be a potential drug for chronic kidney diseases

The Sand Removal Performance and Erosion Characteristics of Shale Gas Wellhead Desander

In the process of shale gas extraction, fracturing technology is often used, and the extracted gas contains large amounts of sand, resulting in the risk of blockage and erosion of surface gathering equipment, which seriously affects safe production. To address this problem, this paper presents a numerical study of the sand removal performance and erosion characteristics of the filter desander used in Sichuan shale gas fields under different operating conditions (flow velocity, sand mass flow rate, operating pressure, and sand particle size) using CFD method. The results show that the increase of shale gas velocity is not conducive to the efficient operation of the filter desander. So the flow velocity should be controlled within 10 m/s as much as possible to avoid the rapid drawdown of separation efficiency and overly high erosion rate. When the sand size increases from 10μm to 100μm, the erosion area of the filter desander changes to sheet-like distribution, and the separation efficiency increases to 85%, a 2.3-fold increase. In addition, the change in operating pressure has a relatively small impact on the erosion wear of the desander

(E)-3-(4-Hydr­oxy-3-methoxy­benzyl­idene)-4-(4-hydroxy­phen­yl)pyrrolidin-2-one

The title compound, C18H17NO4, was isolated from an ethanol extract of Ophiopogon japonicus. The dihedral angle between the 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl ring and the pyrrolidine ring is 17.4 (1)°. The 4-hydroxyphenyl ring makes a dihedral angle of 69.74 (6)° with the least-squares plane through the 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl ring and the pyrrolidine ring. The conformation of the pyrrolidine fragment is similar to a T-form. The crystal structure is stabilized by inter­molecular N—H⋯O and O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds