104 research outputs found
Theory of Second-Order Topological Superconductors
Topological superconductors are a class of unconventional superconducting
materials featuring sub-gap zero-energy Majorana bound modes that hold promise
as a building block for topological quantum computing. In this work, we study
the realization of second-order topology that defines anomalous gapless
boundary modes in a two-orbital superconductor with spin-orbital couplings. We
reveal a time-reversal symmetry-breaking second-order topological
superconducting phase with -wave orbital-dependent paring without the
need for the external magnetic field. Remarkably, this orbital-active -wave
paring gives rise to anomalous zero-energy Majorana corner modes, which is in
contrast to conventional chiral -wave pairing, accommodating one-dimensional
Majorana edge modes. Our work not only reveals a unique mechanism of
time-reversal symmetry breaking second-order topological superconductors but
also bridges the gap between second-order topology and orbital-dependent
pairings.Comment: 5+ pages, 5 figure
Visualizing the elongated vortices in -Ga nanostrips
We study the magnetic response of superconducting -Ga via low
temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. The magnetic vortex
cores rely substantially on the Ga geometry, and exhibit an unexpectedly-large
axial elongation with aspect ratio up to 40 in rectangular Ga nano-strips
(width 100 nm). This is in stark contrast with the isotropic circular
vortex core in a larger round-shaped Ga island. We suggest that the unusual
elongated vortices in Ga nanostrips originate from geometric confinement effect
probably via the strong repulsive interaction between the vortices and Meissner
screening currents at the sample edge. Our finding provides novel conceptual
insights into the geometrical confinement effect on magnetic vortices and forms
the basis for the technological applications of superconductors.Comment: published in Phys. Rev. B as a Rapid Communicatio
Disorder induced multifractal superconductivity in monolayer niobium dichalcogenides
The interplay between disorder and superconductivity is a subtle and
fascinating phenomenon in quantum many body physics. The conventional
superconductors are insensitive to dilute nonmagnetic impurities, known as the
Anderson's theorem. Destruction of superconductivity and even
superconductor-insulator transitions occur in the regime of strong disorder.
Hence disorder-enhanced superconductivity is rare and has only been observed in
some alloys or granular states. Because of the entanglement of various effects,
the mechanism of enhancement is still under debate. Here we report
well-controlled disorder effect in the recently discovered monolayer NbSe
superconductor. The superconducting transition temperatures of NbSe
monolayers are substantially increased by disorder. Realistic theoretical
modeling shows that the unusual enhancement possibly arises from the
multifractality of electron wave functions. This work provides the first
experimental evidence of the multifractal superconducting state
A multiphase-field model for simulating the hydrogen-induced multi-spot corrosion on the surface of polycrystalline metals: Application to uranium metal
Hydrogen-induced multi-spot corrosion on the surface of polycrystalline rare
metals is a complex process, which involves the interactions between phases
(metal, hydride and oxide), grain orientations, grain boundaries, and corrosion
spots. To accurately simulate this process and comprehend the underlying
physics, a theoretical method is required that includes the following
mechanisms: i) hydrogen diffusion, ii) phase transformation, iii) elastic
interactions between phases, especially, the interactions between the oxide
film and the hydride, iv) elastic interactions between grains, and v)
interactions between hydrogen solutes and grain boundaries. In this study, we
report a multiphase-field model that incorporates all these requirements, and
conduct a comprehensive study of hydrogen-induced spot corrosion on the uranium
metal surface, including the investigation of the oxide film, multi-spot
corrosion, grain orientation, and grain boundary in the monocrystal, bicrystal,
and polycrystal systems. The results indicate that the oxide film can inhibit
the growth of hydrides and plays a crucial role in determining the correct
morphology of the hydride at the triple junction of phases. The elastic
interaction between multiple corrosion spots causes the merging of corrosion
spots and promotes the growth of hydrides. The introduction of grain
orientations and grain boundaries results in a variety of intriguing
intracrystalline and intergranular hydride morphologies. The model presented
here is generally applicable to the hydrogen-induced multi-spot corrosion on
any rare metal surface.Comment: 22 pages (text), 16 figures (text), 2 table (text), 8 pages (SI), 12
figures (SI
Acute effect of breathing exercises on muscle tension and executive function under psychological stress
IntroductionIntensive and long-lasting office work is a common cause of muscular and mental disorders due to workplace stressors. Mindful and slow breathing exercises decrease psychological stress and improve mental health, whereas fast breathing increases neuronal excitability. This study aimed to explore the influence of 5 min of mindful breathing (MINDFUL), slow breathing (SLOW), fast breathing (FAST), and listening to music (MUSIC) on muscle tension and executive function during an intensive psychological task.MethodsForty-eight participants (24 men and 24 women) were enrolled. Muscle tension was recorded using surface electromyography, and executive function was assessed using the Stroop Color and Word Test (Stroop Test). The respiration rate (RR), oxygen saturation (SpO2), end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO2), and the subjects' preferred method were also recorded. During the experiment, participants performed a one-time baseline test (watching a neutral video for 5 min) and then completed 5 min of MUSIC, MINDFUL, SLOW, and FAST in a random sequence. The Stroop Test was performed after each intervention, including the baseline test, and was followed by a 5 min rest before performing the next intervention.ResultsNone of the methods significantly influenced muscular activity and performance of the Stroop Test in both men and women, based on the average 5 min values. However, at the fifth minute, men's accuracy rate in the Stroop Test was significantly higher after SLOW than after MUSIC and FAST, and the reaction time after the SLOW was the shortest. SpO2 was significantly higher during SLOW than during MUSIC, and RR was relatively lower after SLOW than after MUSIC. Most men preferred SLOW, and most women preferred MUSIC, whereas FAST was the most unfavorable method for both men and women.ConclusionBrief breathing exercises did not substantially affect muscle tension under psychological stress. SLOW demonstrated greater potential for sustaining executive function in men, possibly via its superior respiration efficiency on SpO2 and inhibition of RR
Metabolomic Analysis Uncovers Energy Supply Disturbance as an Underlying Mechanism of the Development of Alcohol‐Associated Liver Cirrhosis
Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is caused by alcohol metabolism's effects on the liver. The underlying mechanisms from a metabolic view in the development of alcohol-associated liver cirrhosis (ALC) are still elusive. We performed an untargeted serum metabolomic analysis in 14 controls, 16 patients with ALD without cirrhosis (NC), 27 patients with compensated cirrhosis, and 79 patients with decompensated ALC. We identified two metabolic fingerprints associated with ALC development (38 metabolites) and those associated with hepatic decompensation (64 metabolites) in ALC. The cirrhosis-associated fingerprint (eigenmetabolite) showed a better capability to differentiate ALC from NC than the aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index score. The eigenmetabolite associated with hepatic decompensation showed an increasing trend during the disease progression and was positively correlated with the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score. These metabolic fingerprints belong to the metabolites in lipid metabolism, amino acid pathway, and intermediary metabolites in the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Conclusion: The metabolomic fingerprints suggest the disturbance of the metabolites associated with cellular energy supply as an underlying mechanism in the development and progression of alcoholic cirrhosis
Out-of-season spawning of largemouth bass in a controllable recirculating system
Largemouth bass (LMB) production exceeded 0.7 million tons in 2021 and has become one of the most important freshwater aquaculture species in China. The stable and fixed culture cycle led to regular and drastic price fluctuation during the past decade. Strong price fluctuation provides opportunities and challenges for the LMB industry, and out-of-season spawning (OSS) and culture will provide technical support for the opportunities. To induce OSS at a low cost, we established a controllable recirculating system that allows precise thermo-photoperiod manipulation. In the system, four experimental groups were assigned, 18NP (18°C overwintering water temperature, natural photoperiod), 18CP (18°C overwintering water temperature, controlled photoperiod), 16CP (16°C overwintering water temperature, controlled photoperiod), and NTNP (natural water temperature and natural photoperiod), to determine the effects of chilling temperature and photoperiod on spawning performance. OSS was observed in all the experimental groups without significant differences, except NTNP. The manipulated broodstock can re-spawn 3 months later in the next spring in advance. Further analysis of the volume percentage of different stages of oocytes provides a base for excellent regression between the volume percentage of the primary growth stage, cortical alveoli stage, vitellogenesis/maturation stage, and gonadal development/maturation. The results suggest that the volume percentage of oocytes is a better indicator of gonadal development and maturation than the gonadosomatic index. We also found that LMB prefers palm fiber as a spawning nest over gravel. The findings of this work provide important technique guidance for practical OSS of the LMB aquaculture industry and standardization of ovary development and maturation in fish with asynchronous developmental oocytes
Synchrotron Radiation Dominates the Extremely Bright GRB 221009A
The brightest Gamma-ray burst, GRB 221009A, has spurred numerous theoretical
investigations, with particular attention paid to the origins of ultra-high
energy TeV photons during the prompt phase. However, analyzing the mechanism of
radiation of photons in the MeV range has been difficult because the high
flux causes pile-up and saturation effects in most GRB detectors. In this
letter, we present systematic modeling of the time-resolved spectra of the GRB
using unsaturated data obtained from Fermi/GBM (precursor) and
SATech-01/GECAM-C (main emission and flare). Our approach incorporates the
synchrotron radiation model, which assumes an expanding emission region with
relativistic speed and a global magnetic field that decays with radius, and
successfully fits such a model to the observational data. Our results indicate
that the spectra of the burst are fully in accordance with a synchrotron origin
from relativistic electrons accelerated at a large emission radius. The lack of
thermal emission in the prompt emission spectra supports a
Poynting-flux-dominated jet composition.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in ApJ
Charge-changing cross section measurements of 300 MeV/nucleon Si on carbon and data analysis
Charge-changing cross section () measurements via the
transmission method have made important progress recently aiming to determine
the charge radii of exotic nuclei. In this work, we report a new
measurement of 304(9) MeV/nucleon Si on carbon at
the second Radioactive Ion Beam Line in Lanzhou (RIBLL2) and describe the data
analysis procedure in detail. This procedure is essential to evaluate the
systematic uncertainty in the transmission method. The determined
of 1125(11) mb is found to be consistent with the
existing data at similar energies. The present work will serve as a reference
in the determinations at RIBLL2.Comment: 9 pages, 13 figures, to be published in Chinese Physics
Corrigendum to: The TianQin project: current progress on science and technology
In the originally published version, this manuscript included an error related to indicating the corresponding author within the author list. This has now been corrected online to reflect the fact that author Jun Luo is the corresponding author of the article
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