Charge order from structured coupling in VSe₂

Charge order -- ubiquitous among correlated materials -- is customarily described purely as an instability of the electronic structure. However, the resulting theoretical predictions often do not match high-resolution experimental data. A pertinent case is 1T-VSe2, whose single-band Fermi surface and weak-coupling nature make it qualitatively similar to the Peierls model underlying the traditional approach. Despite this, its Fermi surface is poorly nested, the thermal evolution of its charge density wave (CDW) ordering vectors displays an unexpected jump, and the CDW gap itself evades detection in direct probes of the electronic structure. We demonstrate that the thermal variation of the CDW vectors is naturally reproduced by the electronic susceptibility when incorporating a structured, momentum-dependent electron-phonon coupling, while the evasive CDW gap presents itself as a localized suppression of spectral weight centered above the Fermi level. Our results showcase the general utility of incorporating a structured coupling in the description of charge ordered materials, including those that appear unconventional

Superconductivity and hybrid soft modes in TiSe2_2

The competition between superconductivity and other ground states of solids is one of the challenging topics in condensed matter physics. Apart from high-temperature superconductors [1,2] this interplay also plays a central role in the layered transition-metal dichalcogenides, where superconductivity is stabilized by suppressing charge-density-wave order to zero temperature by intercalation [3] or applied pressure [4-7]. 1T-TiSe$_2$ forms a prime example, featuring superconducting domes on intercalation as well as under applied pressure. Here, we present high energy-resolution inelastic x-ray scattering measurements of the CDW soft phonon mode in intercalated Cu$_x$TiSe$_2$ and pressurized 1T-TiSe$_2$ along with detailed ab-initio calculations for the lattice dynamical properties and phonon-mediated superconductivity. We find that the intercalation-induced superconductivity can be explained by a solely phonon-mediated pairing mechanism, while this is not possible for the superconducting phase under pressure. We argue that a hybridization of phonon and exciton modes in the pairing mechanism is necessary to explain the full observed temperature-pressure-intercalation phase diagram. These results indicate that 1T-TiSe$_2$ under pressure is close to the elusive state of the excitonic insulator

Chemical ecology of antibiotic production by actinomycetes

Actinomycetes are a diverse family of filamentous bacteria that produce a plethora of natural products relevant for agriculture, biotechnology and medicine, including the majority of the antibiotics we use in the clinic. Rather than as free-living bacteria, many actinomycetes have evolved to live in symbiosis with among others plants, fungi, insects and sponges. As a common theme, these organisms profit from the natural products and enzymes produced by the actinomycetes, for example, for protection against pathogenic microbes, for growth promotion or for the degradation of complex natural polymers such as lignocellulose. At the same time, the actinomycetes benefit from the resources of the hosts they interact with. Evidence is accumulating that these interactions control the expression of biosynthetic gene clusters and have played a major role in the evolution of the high chemical diversity of actinomycete-produced secondary metabolites. Many of the biosynthetic gene clusters for antibiotics are poorly expressed under laboratory conditions, but they are likely expressed in response to host-specific demands. Here, we review the environmental triggers and cues that control natural product formation by actinomycetes and provide pointers as to how these insights may be harnessed for drug discovery

An Alternative Interpretation of Recent ARPES Measurements on TiSe2

Recently there has been a renewed interest in the charge density wave transition of TiSe2, fuelled by the possibility that this transition may be driven by the formation of an excitonic insulator or even an excitonic condensate. We show here that the recent ARPES measurements on TiSe2 can also be interpreted in terms of an alternative scenario, in which the transition is due to a combination of Jahn-Teller effects and exciton formation. The hybrid exciton-phonons which cause the CDW formation interpolate between a purely structural and a purely electronic type of transition. Above the transition temperature, the electron-phonon coupling becomes ineffective but a finite mean-field density of excitons remains and gives rise to the observed diffuse ARPES signals.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Pressure tuning of competing magnetic interactions in intermetallic CeFe_2

We use high-pressure magnetic x-ray diffraction and numerical simulation to determine the low-temperature magnetic phase diagram of stoichiometric CeFe_2. Near 1.5 GPa we find a transition from ferromagnetism to antiferromagnetism, accompanied by a rhombohedral distortion of the cubic Laves crystal lattice. By comparing pressure and chemical substitution we find that the phase transition is controlled by a shift of magnetic frustration from the Ce-Ce to the Fe-Fe sublattice. Notably the dominant Ce-Fe magnetic interaction, which sets the temperature scale for the onset of long-range order, remains satisfied throughout the phase diagram but does not determine the magnetic ground state. Our results illustrate the complexity of a system with multiple competing magnetic energy scales and lead to a general model for magnetism in cubic Laves phase intermetallic compounds

Resolving magnetic frustration in a pyrochlore lattice

CeFe$_2$ is a geometrically frustrated ferromagnet that lies close to an instability at which a subtle change in the lattice symmetry couples to a transition to antiferromagnetism. We use x-ray diffraction, diamond-anvil-cell techniques, and numerical simulation to identify the ground states and to quantitatively illustrate effects of competing magnetic energy scales and geometrical frustration on the magnetic phase diagram. Comparison of phase transitions under both chemical substitution and applied pressure suggests a general solution to the physics of pyrochlore rare earth inter-metallic magnets.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Occurrence, Fate, and Related Health Risks of PFAS in Raw and Produced Drinking Water

This study investigates human exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) via drinking water and evaluates human health risks. An analytical method for 56 target PFAS, including ultrashort-chain (C2–C3) and branched isomers, was developed. The limit of detection (LOD) ranged from 0.009 to 0.1 ng/L, except for trifluoroacetic-acid and perfluoropropanoic-acid with higher LODs of 35 and 0.24 ng/L, respectively. The method was applied to raw and produced drinking water from 18 Dutch locations, including groundwater or surface water as source, and applied various treatment processes. Ultrashort-chain (300 to 1100 ng/L) followed by the group of perfluoroalkyl-carboxylic-acids (PFCA, ≥C4) (0.4 to 95.1 ng/L) were dominant. PFCA and perfluoroalkyl-sulfonic-acid (≥C4), including precursors, showed significantly higher levels in drinking water produced from surface water. However, no significant difference was found for ultrashort PFAS, indicating the need for groundwater protection. Negative removal of PFAS occasionally observed for advanced treatment indicates desorption and/or degradation of precursors. The proportion of branched isomers was higher in raw and produced drinking water as compared to industrial production. Drinking water produced from surface water, except for a few locations, exceed non-binding provisional guideline values proposed; however, all produced drinking waters met the recent soon-to-be binding drinking-water-directive requirements