Observation of Berry curvature in non-Hermitian system from far-field radiation

Berry curvature that describes local geometrical properties of energy bands can elucidate many fascinating phenomena in solid-state, photonic, and phononic systems, given its connection to global topological invariants such as the Chern number. Despite its significance, the observation of Berry curvature poses a substantial challenging since wavefunctions are deeply embedded within the system. Here, we theoretically propose a correspondence between the geometry of far-field radiation and the underneath band topology of non-Hermitian systems, thus providing a general method to fully capture the Berry curvature without strongly disturbing the eigenstates. We further experimentally observe the Berry curvature in a honeycomb photonic crystal slab from polarimetry measurements and quantitatively obtain the non-trivial valley Chern number. Our work reveals the feasibility of retrieving the bulk band topology from escaping photons and paves the way to exploring intriguing topological landscapes in non-Hermitian systems

Flutter reliability analysis of Xiangshan Harbor Highway Cable-Stayed Bridges in Service

With the development of bridge structures towards being light weight and having a large span , the overall flexibility, and, hence, wind sensitivity, of the bridge increases. Flutter is one of the pivotal factors considered in the design and operation stage for long-span cable-stayed bridges due to its devastating impact, often intrigued by relatively low instability caused by wind speed. This paper presents a reliability theory-based numerical analysis on bridge flutter stability and its influence law of key parameters using a real bridge, the Xiangshan Harbor highway cable-stayed bridge in China. The analysis starts with creating a full scale of finite element model for the bridge in service to calculate the flutter derivative and time-dominated combining rational function in order to obtain the critical-flutter wind speed, and then the aerodynamic self-excited forces on the bridge and flutter time-history response are calculated to identify the flutter critical wind speed. Further, the influence of key parameters for flutter reliability, including the stiffness of the main girder, wire breaking rate, damping ratio and cable breakage location are analyzed comprehensively to achieve the change law of critical flutter wind speed with these parameters. Considering the uncertainty of the actual parameters, these parameters are taken as random variables, and the reliability index and failure probability of bridge flutter are calculated according to their probability distribution and the Latin hypercube sampling method. On this basis, a few suggestions are put forward for flutter risk-control during the service of this cable-stayed bridge, which can further enhance the design theory for long-span flexible bridges

Interface design for high energy density polymer nanocomposites

This review provides a detailed overview on the latest developments in the design and control of the interface in polymer based composite dielectrics for energy storage applications. The methods employed for interface design in composite systems are described for a variety of filler types and morphologies, along with novel approaches employed to build hierarchical interfaces for multi-scale control of properties. Efforts to achieve a close control of interfacial properties and geometry are then described, which includes the creation of either flexible or rigid polymer interfaces, the use of liquid crystals and developing ceramic and carbon-based interfaces with tailored electrical properties. The impact of the variety of interface structures on composite polarization and energy storage capability are described, along with an overview of existing models to understand the polarization mechanisms and quantitatively assess the potential benefits of different structures for energy storage. The applications and properties of such interface-controlled materials are then explored, along with an overview of existing challenges and practical limitations. Finally, a summary and future perspectives are provided to highlight future directions of research in this growing and important area

High Performance Capacitors Using BaTiO₃ Nanowires Engineered by Rigid Liquid-crystalline Polymers

Capacitors that provide high power density have attracted scientific and commercial interest, while often suffering from low energy density. Preparing a core-shell structured ceramic is regarded as a kind of effective method to improve the energy density, which is largely determined by the shell in the interfacial region. However, the current state-of-the-art of interfacial layer modification is predominantly based on utilizing flexible polymers, which are random polymer coils that collapse on the surface of any modified ceramic nanoparticles. Because of the characteristic properties of rigidity and orientation, the liquid-crystalline polymer poly{2,5-bis[(4-methoxyphenyl)oxycarbonyl]styrene} (PMPCS) is utilized to engineer the interfacial layer thickness on BaTiO3 nanowire surfaces via surface-initiated reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT) method, in this paper. As a result, a high discharged energy density of 7.5 J/cm3 and an energy efficiency of 55.1% at 300 MV/m are achieved, respectively. The findings proved that rigid liquid-crystalline polymer is a promising modifier to prepare high performance capacitors and to explore the interfacial effect in dielectric nanocomposites.</p

Experimental research on fatigue performance of reinforced concrete t-shaped beams under corrosion-Fatigue coupling action

Highway bridges in coastal areas are seriously affected by the marine environment, while most of the existing test methods for bridge-reinforced concrete beams considering both corrosion and fatigue factors are carried out in an alternating manner, which cannot reflect the actual service conditions of the bridge structure. This paper focuses on an experimental study of the coupled influence of reinforcement corrosion and fatigue loading in reinforced concrete T-shaped beams. A novel loading test device that can realize the corrosion–fatigue coupling effect is designed, and then six reinforced concrete T-shaped beams are fabricated and tested. For the corrosion–fatigue coupling test beams, the variation law of beam cracks, failure modes, steel strain development law, load-deflection relationship, and fatigue life are analyzed and compared with that of the simple fatigue test beams. The test results show that the cracks of the test beam develop continuously with the fatigue loading times under the corrosion–fatigue coupling environment. The fatigue failure modes are all brittle fractures of the main steel bars, which present the shape of uneven oblique section tearing. The new testing device and approach can provide direct insights into the interaction of reinforcement corrosion and cyclic loading on the fatigue behavior of T-shaped RC beams, which can be further used to understand the long-term performance of bridge structures under complex marine environments

HfO₂-based ferroelectrics:From enhancing performance, material design, to applications

Nonvolatile memories are in strong demand due to the desire for miniaturization, high-speed storage, and low energy consumption to fulfill the rapid developments of big data, the Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence. Hafnia (HfO2)-based materials have attracted significant interest due to the advantages of complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) compatibility, large coercive voltage, and superior ferroelectricity at an ultra-thin thickness. The comparable ferroelectricity to that of traditional perovskite materials and size advantage of HfO2 result in fascinating storage performance, which can be readily applicable to the fields of integrated non-volatile memories. This Review provides a comprehensive overview of recent developments in HfO2-based ferroelectrics with attention to the origin of ferroelectricity, performance modulation, and recent achievements in the material. Moreover, potential solutions to existing challenges associated with the materials are discussed in detail, including the wake-up effect, long-term fatigue behavior, and imprint challenges, which pave the way for obtaining HfO2-based ferroelectric materials and devices with long service life and high stability. Finally, the range of potential applications for these fascinating new materials is presented and summarized, which include non-volatile memories and neuromorphic systems. This Review intends to present the state-of-the-art HfO2-based ferroelectrics and to highlight the current challenges, possible applications, and future opportunities and can act as an update for recent developments in these intriguing materials and provide guidance for future researchers in the design and optimization of HfO2-based ferroelectric materials and devices. </p

Enhanced photo-piezo-catalytic properties of Co-doped Ba_0.85Ca_0.15Zr_0.1(Ti_1-xCo_x)_0.9 ferroelectric ceramics for dye degradation

This paper provides a detailed evaluation of the photo-piezo-catalytic properties of lead-free Ba0.85Ca0.15Zr0.1(Ti1-xCox)0.9(BCZT-xCo,x = 0–0.025) ferroelectric ceramics prepared by a solid-state process. By control of the Co doping level, the band gap was reduced to 2.40 eV at the composition x = 0.02, which improved the generation of photo-generated charges and enhanced the photocatalytic activity. When a solution containing BCZT-0.02Co particles was subjected to both ultrasound and illumination, the degree of degradation of Rhodamine B reached 99% within 60 min, which was grater than when subjected to illumination or ultrasound alone. Examination of the dielectric properties, photoelectrochemical measurements and band energy structure of the materials provided new insights into the catalytic mechanism, where a strong coupling between piezoelectricity and photoexcitation was clearly observed. This work therefore highlights the attractive photo-piezo-catalytic properties of BCZT-xCo doped ceramics and is the first demonstration that Co substitution in these lead-free ferroelectric ceramics provides significant potential for photo-piezo-catalysis applications.</p

Enhanced photo-piezo-catalytic properties of Co-doped Ba_0.85Ca_0.15Zr_0.1(Ti_1-xCo_x)_0.9 ferroelectric ceramics for dye degradation

This paper provides a detailed evaluation of the photo-piezo-catalytic properties of lead-free Ba0.85Ca0.15Zr0.1(Ti1-xCox)0.9(BCZT-xCo,x = 0–0.025) ferroelectric ceramics prepared by a solid-state process. By control of the Co doping level, the band gap was reduced to 2.40 eV at the composition x = 0.02, which improved the generation of photo-generated charges and enhanced the photocatalytic activity. When a solution containing BCZT-0.02Co particles was subjected to both ultrasound and illumination, the degree of degradation of Rhodamine B reached 99% within 60 min, which was grater than when subjected to illumination or ultrasound alone. Examination of the dielectric properties, photoelectrochemical measurements and band energy structure of the materials provided new insights into the catalytic mechanism, where a strong coupling between piezoelectricity and photoexcitation was clearly observed. This work therefore highlights the attractive photo-piezo-catalytic properties of BCZT-xCo doped ceramics and is the first demonstration that Co substitution in these lead-free ferroelectric ceramics provides significant potential for photo-piezo-catalysis applications.</p