Electric Field Response Research Articles

Hybrid 2D/3D carbon framework confined Si with optimized reaction kinetics for highly stable Li-Ion storage

Three-dimensional (3D) conductive skeletons can optimize electron/Li-ion migration kinetics and alleviate stress accumulation for silicon (Si)-based electrodes. In this study, the modified carbon nanotubes (MCNs) are used as a stress-buffering and high-speed conducting framework, and a hierarchical structure of 3D MCNs interspersed with flour-derived 2D N-doped C layer is designed for Si anode via molecular self-assembly and in-situ carbonization strategies. Experimental and theoretical calculations show that the charge redistribution occurred in the fabricated SiOx and N-doped C interfaces, which induced an electric field response and increased the interfacial electron/Li-ion transfer rate. Multiphysics simulations show that the 2D/3D hierarchical structures of carbon can optimize the physicochemical properties, such as a favorable local electronic environment, flexible stress dissipation mechanisms and good thermal stability. The prepared electrode with 77.1 wt% Si@SiOx shows a low volume expansion rate of 23 % and has an excellent Li-ion storage capability (972.1 mAh g−1 at 4000 mA g−1). Moreover, the structural stability of fabricated Si-based electrodes is enhanced, achieving 0.04 % per cycle capacity decay for 500 cycles at 2000 mA g−1. Such integrating the 2D/3D carbon framework to manipulate Si interfacial properties provides fundamental research for other electrodes plagued by significant volume expansion.

Numerical experiment on data assimilation for geothermal doublets using production data and electromagnetic observations

The data assimilation process for geothermal reservoirs often relies on well data, which primarily offer insights into the immediate vicinity of the borehole. However, integrating geophysical methods can provide valuable information beyond well proximity, possibly enhancing reservoir predictions. Current methods of monitoring geothermal reservoirs struggle to maintain a good signal-to-noise ratio for deep reservoirs. Diffusive electromagnetic (EM) methods can be sensitive to the decreasing conductivity from heat extraction in geothermal reservoirs and offer promising additional value. To test their potential effectiveness, numerical examples are simulated. A scheme to incorporate diffusive EM observations into a data assimilation process for geothermal reservoirs is presented and implemented in this study. First, an ensemble of prior models representing the reservoir uncertainty is used to determine the moments of the resulting temperature field using a forward geothermal simulation. Subsequently, a conductivity model is calculated from the temperature field using an empirical relationship. The expected electric field response can then be simulated using an EM forward model. EM sources are placed on the surface around the expected cold plume location. The receiver is placed at reservoir depth. To assimilate the data, the ensemble smoother with multiple data assimilation method is used. The findings demonstrate that the incorporation of EM data provides valuable information regarding the temperature field. This improves the accuracy of the temperature forecast of the entire reservoir when combined with the localized data from the production well and, therefore, helps to resolve the complex migration of the cold front. These results highlight the monitoring potential of EM observations for geothermal reservoirs.

Characterization of Electric Field Fluctuations in the High-Latitude Ionosphere Using a Dynamical Systems Approach: CSES-01 Observations

We present an analysis of the ionospheric electric field dynamics at high latitudes during periods of quiet and disturbed geomagnetic activity by exploiting recent advancements in dynamical systems and extreme value theory. Specifically, we employed two key indicators: the instantaneous dimension d, which evaluates the degrees of freedom within the system, and the extremal index θ, which quantifies the system’s persistence in a given state. Electric field measurements were obtained from the CSES-01 satellite at mid- and high latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere. Our analysis revealed that the instantaneous dimension increases upon crossing specific ionospheric regions corresponding to the auroral oval boundaries. Outside these regions, the instantaneous dimension fluctuates around the state-space dimension, suggesting an ergodic nature of the system. As geomagnetic activity intensifies, differences in the properties of various ionospheric regions persist, albeit with an increased system instability characterized by higher θ values, thus indicating the externally driven nature of the electric field response to geomagnetic activity. This study provides new insights into the spatial and temporal variability of electric field fluctuations in the ionosphere, highlighting the complex interplay between geomagnetic conditions and ionospheric dynamics.

Cavity Born-Oppenheimer approximation for molecules and materials via electric field response.

We present an abinitio method for computing vibro-polariton and phonon-polariton spectra of molecules and solids coupled to the photon modes of optical cavities. We demonstrate that if interactions of cavity photon modes with both nuclear and electronic degrees of freedom are treated on the level of the cavity Born-Oppenheimer approximation, spectra can be expressed in terms of the matter response to electric fields and nuclear displacements, which are readily available in standard density functional perturbation theory implementations. In this framework, results over a range of cavity parameters can be obtained without the need for additional electronic structure calculations, enabling efficient calculations on a wide range of parameters. Furthermore, this approach enables results to be more readily interpreted in terms of the more familiar cavity-independent molecular electric field response properties, such as polarizability and Born effective charges, which enter into the vibro-polariton calculation. Using corresponding electric field response properties of bulk insulating systems, we are also able to obtain the Γ point phonon-polariton spectra of two dimensional (2D) insulators. Results for a selection of cavity-coupled molecular and 2D crystal systems are presented to demonstrate the method.

Widely tunable reflection by a hybrid ion-doped positive-negative chiral nematic liquid crystal under an electric field.

In this study, a new methodology, in which the cation and chiral agent are doped in positive and negative nematic liquid crystal mixture to form cation-doped positive-negative chiral nematic liquid crystals (PN-CNLCs), is proposed. These PN-CNLCs are capable of achieving a wide wavelength tuning range close to 90 nm under the action of a high-frequency electric field. The dielectric interaction between these two liquid crystals with different dielectric anisotropies in the electric field allows for the effective change of the pitch of the CLCs. We discovered the tilting of the pitch in the PN-CNLCs by a series of well-designed validation experiments. The experimental results prove the symmetrical helix is formed along the alignment direction in PN-CNLCs. Furthermore, the experiments demonstrated that an increase in voltage does not directly affect the pitch, but it increases the tilt angle of the helix axis with respect to the normal of the LC cell. This study offers, to our knowledge, a novel perspective on the tuning performance of CLCs under electric field conditions, by integrating the properties of positive and negative liquid crystals. This finding not only contributes to the understanding of the electric field response mechanism of CLCs but also provides new avenues for the application of CLCs in fields such as wavelength tuning.

Synthesis and electric field response of titanium dioxide nano-particles dispersed in hydrophobic solvents.

We present a novel synthesis method for producing stable titanium dioxide nanoparticles (<10 nm) dispersed in hydrophobic solvents using organophosphates. Our approach enables the control of nanoparticles' electric field responsiveness by altering the dispersing medium's composition, expanding their potential applications in electronics, photovoltaics, and photocatalysis.

Multiple-Band Electric Field Response to the Geomagnetic Storm on 4 November 2021

This paper investigates the impact characteristics of the 4 November 2021 magnetic storm across different frequency bands based on the electric field data (EFD) from the China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES), categorized into four frequency bands: ULF (Ultra-Low-Frequency, DC to 16 Hz), ELF (Extremely Low-Frequency, 6 Hz to 2.2 kHz), VLF (Very Low-Frequency, 1.8 to 20 kHz), and HF (High-Frequency, 18 kHz to 3.5 MHz). The study reveals that in the ULF band, magnetic storm-induced electric field disturbances are primarily in the range of 0 to 5 Hz, with a significant disturbance frequency at 3.9 ± 1.0 Hz. Magnetic storms also enhance Schumann waves in the ULF band, with 8 Hz Schumann waves dominating in the southern hemisphere and 13 Hz Schumann waves dominating in the northern hemisphere. In the ELF band, the more pronounced anomalies occur at 300 Hz–900 Hz and above 1.8 kHz, with the 300 Hz–900 Hz band anomalies around 780 Hz being the most significant. In the VLF band, the electric field anomalies are mainly concentrated in the 3–15 kHz range. The ELF and VLF bands exhibit lower absolute and relative disturbance increments compared to the ULF band, with the relative perturbation growth rate in the ULF band being approximately 10% higher than in the ELF and VLF bands. Magnetic storm-induced electric field disturbances predominantly occur in the ULF, ELF, and VLF bands, with the most significant disturbances in the ULF band. The electric field perturbations in these three frequency bands exhibit hemispheric asymmetry, with strong perturbations in the northern hemisphere occurring earlier than in the southern hemisphere, corresponding to different Dst minima. No electric field disturbances were observed in the HF band (above 18 kHz). The conclusions of this paper are highly significant for future anti-jamming designs in spacecraft and communication equipment, as well as for the further study of magnetic storms.

Machine learning the electric field response of condensed phase systems using perturbed neural network potentials

The interaction of condensed phase systems with external electric fields is of major importance in a myriad of processes in nature and technology, ranging from the field-directed motion of cells (galvanotaxis), to geochemistry and the formation of ice phases on planets, to field-directed chemical catalysis and energy storage and conversion systems including supercapacitors, batteries and solar cells. Molecular simulation in the presence of electric fields would give important atomistic insight into these processes but applications of the most accurate methods such as ab-initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) are limited in scope by their computational expense. Here we introduce Perturbed Neural Network Potential Molecular Dynamics (PNNP MD) to push back the accessible time and length scales of such simulations. We demonstrate that important dielectric properties of liquid water including the field-induced relaxation dynamics, the dielectric constant and the field-dependent IR spectrum can be machine learned up to surprisingly high field strengths of about 0.2 V Å−1 without loss in accuracy when compared to ab-initio molecular dynamics. This is remarkable because, in contrast to most previous approaches, the two neural networks on which PNNP MD is based are exclusively trained on molecular configurations sampled from zero-field MD simulations, demonstrating that the networks not only interpolate but also reliably extrapolate the field response. PNNP MD is based on rigorous theory yet it is simple, general, modular, and systematically improvable allowing us to obtain atomistic insight into the interaction of a wide range of condensed phase systems with external electric fields.

Probing the Electric Field Response of a Water Molecule Confined in Small Carbon Nanocages: A Density Functional Theory Investigation.

We consider a water molecule under tight confinement in the small-sized fullerenes (C28, C30, C32) within the density functional theory (DFT) calculations with suitable exchange-correlation functionals. Such nanoscopic molecular cages provide an ideal setup to study their characteristic properties not present in the condensed phase. The water molecule entirely loses its feature of typical water when it is confined in small fullerenes of size equal to C30or smaller, in which the asymmetric O-H stretching vibration occurs at a lower wavenumber than the symmetric stretching. We study the response of the confined water molecule to the applied electric fields in terms of change in geometrical parameters, NMR spin-spin coupling constants, dipole moment, HOMO-LUMO (HL) gap, and vibrational frequency shift. The electric field shielding property of small-sized fullerene cages is explored and found to be strongly correlated with the HL gap. Since the electric field modulates the gap to decrease generally, shielding efficiency varies with field strength, thereby making large fields better shielded than small fields for the small penetration factor at large fields. The results that hold significance for technological applications are discussed.

First-principles study of Ni-adsorption on non-metal atom-doped MoSe2

In this paper, the effect of C, N and O atom doping of intrinsic MoSe2 on the adsorption capacity of Ni is investigated based on first-principle research methods. The aim is to analyze whether intrinsic MoSe2 can be doped and modified to improve its adsorption capacity of Ni so that it can be used as a new type of adsorbent material. By calculating and analyzing the energy band structure, density of states, differential charge and optical properties of each system, the conclusions are as follows: the O-doped MoSe2 system has the best adsorption capacity for Ni, and the adsorption capacities of the three systems are in the following order: O&gt;N&gt;C. The bandgap value of intrinsic MoSe2 adsorbed Ni-atom decreases, while the Fermi energy level of the C-doped MoSe2 adsorbed Ni-atom system is located in the valence band, which shows p-type doping. The differential charge of the system was analyzed and the charge transfer of the adsorbed system was increased by C, N and O atom doping, and the O-doped system had the strongest adsorption capacity for Ni. It was shown that the charge distribution between the system and the adsorbed Ni-atom changed considerably after atomic doping, and the bonds between the Ni-atom and the dopant atoms of the C-, N- and O-doped adsorption system were strongly ionic. Optical analysis reveals that C, N and O atom doping improves the charge binding ability of Ni-adsorbed MoSe2 material, which gives it a higher polarization rate and faster electric field response. The absorption of ultraviolet light is greatly enhanced, which can improve the efficiency of solar cells and convert solar energy into electricity more effectively. Overall, the Ni adsorption capacity of atomically doped MoSe2 is improved, indicating that doping can be an effective means to improve the adsorption of Ni-atom by intrinsic MoSe2. It is hoped that the research results in this paper can provide some theoretical guidance for the application of MoSe2 in optoelectronic devices.

Study on the changing law of three-dimensional electric field during the evolution of seepage field in earth and rock embankment dams

Seepage is a common disease of earth and rock embankment dams, but due to the complex geological conditions, its location and seepage diameter are more difficult to be accurately detected. In order to accurately determine the seepage damage state of earth and rock dam materials during the evolution of seepage field, and to clarify the change rule of three-dimensional electric field of earth and rock embankment dams during the evolution of seepage field, this paper establishes a correlation model between seepage field and electric field based on porosity. Based on the model, the relationship between resistivity and critical hydraulic ratio drop during the infiltration damage of soil and rock dam is determined, focusing on the study of the three-dimensional electric field in the infiltration process of soil and rock dam body with the seepage field change characteristics and change rules, and obtaining the electric field response characteristics of the seepage field of the different hidden bodies, which provides a diagnostic basis for the realization of the subsequent leakage diagnostic technology of soil and rock dams.

Response Properties of Electrorheological Composite Hydrophilic Elastomers Based on Different Morphologies of Magnesium-Doped Strontium Titanate.

As smart materials, electrorheological elastomers (EREs) formed by pre-treating active electrorheological particles are attracting more and more attention. In this work, four Mg-doped strontium titanate (Mg-STO) particles with spherical, dendritic, flake-like, and pinecone-like morphologies were obtained via hydrothermal and low-temperature co-precipitation. XRD, SEM, Raman, and FT-IR were used to characterize these products. The results showed that Mg-STOs are about 1.5-2.0 μm in size, and their phase structures are dominated by cubic crystals. These Mg-STOs were dispersed in a hydrogel composite elastic medium. Then, Mg-STO/glycerol/gelatin electrorheological composite hydrophilic elastomers were obtained with or without an electric field. The electric field response properties of Mg-doped strontium titanate composite elastomers were investigated. We concluded that dendritic Mg-STO composite elastomers are high-performance EREs, and the maximum value of their energy storage was 8.70 MPa. The significant electrorheological performance of these products is helpful for their applications in vibration control, force transducers, smart structures, dampers, and other fields.

Response characteristics and detectability of pegmatitic rare-metal deposits using different grounded-wire configurations

The differential electrical dipole (DED) and differentially normalized electromagnetic method (DNME) have a stronger transverse magnetic field than the horizontal electric dipole (HED) and, thus, have been successfully used for resource exploration in conductive ocean environments. However, which of these two is more suitable for the exploration of resistive targets on land, such as pegmatite veins and ore-related mafic and ultramafic intrusions in mineral deposits, remains unknown. Thus, we conduct a comparative study of the DED, DNME, and HED based on forward modeling and application to a field survey. The signal amplitude of the horizontal electric field measured using the DED and DNME is substantially weaker than that obtained via the HED with the same source length and transmitting current. The lateral variation in the horizontal electric field response observed via the DNME reflects the change in the shallow electrical structure, indicating the spatial distribution of pegmatite veins, as verified by the 3D simulation results and data obtained in a field survey of pegmatitic rare-metal deposits in Lushi County, China. The DED and DNME exhibit similar abilities for detecting resistive targets. Both methods show higher detectability than HED based on 3D synthetic modeling. Our results indicate that the DNME, with its higher responses and better lateral resolution, is a better choice in field surveys on land than the DED.

Electric field response of ferroelectric domains near non-polar precipitates in BaTiO3-based ceramics

Precipitates have recently been found to significantly enhance the mechanical quality factor in piezoelectric ceramics. Such a piezoelectric hardening effect was attributed to strong interactions between ferroelectric domains and precipitates. In the present work, the response of domains to applied electric fields is observed in situ via transmission electron microscopy in aged (Ba, Ca)TiO3 ceramics with precipitates to reveal the underlying mechanism of this phenomenon. Ferroelectric domains in the Ba-rich matrix grain are observed to be more concentrated near non-polar Ca-rich precipitates. With increasing applied voltage, domains separate from precipitates merge together first, while those near precipitates persist to higher voltages. During ramping down, domains nucleate from precipitates. These direct observations confirm the strong interactions between ferroelectric domains and precipitates in piezoelectric ceramics.

3-D forward modeling of shale gas fracturing dynamic monitoring using the borehole-to-ground transient electromagnetic method

The borehole-ground transient electromagnetic method enhances the detection range and resolution by placing the transmitter electrode within the borehole, allowing for close-proximity excitation of subsurface targets and compensating for the shortcomings of traditional ground-based methods. Utilizing an unstructured vector finite element method combined with a second-order backward Euler variable time-stepping difference scheme and the MUMPS solver, we have achieved three-dimensional forward modeling simulation of the transient electromagnetic field for a borehole-ground electric source. Based on the validation of its accuracy, we analyzed the effectiveness of this method for dynamic monitoring of shale gas reservoir fracturing. Through forward modeling, we examined the characteristics of the radial electric field response during shale gas reservoir fracturing monitoring and evaluated the effectiveness of the borehole-ground TEM method in dynamic monitoring of shale gas reservoirs. The research results indicate that this method can meet the requirements for reservoir fracturing dynamic monitoring and has a promising application prospect.

Carrier Transport Switching of Ferroelectric BTBT Derivative.

Alkylamide-substituted [1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (BTBT) derivative of BTBT-NHCOC14H29 (1), which has ferroelectric N-H···O= hydrogen-bonding network of alkylamide group and two-dimensional (2D) electric structure of BTBT π-cores, was prepared to design the external electric field-responsive organic semiconductors. The short-chain derivative of BTBT-NHCOC3H7 (1') revealed the coexistence of a 2D electronic band structure based on the herringbone BTBT arrangement and the one-dimensional (1D) hydrogen-bonding chain. 1 formed a smectic E (SmE) liquid crystal phase above 412 K and showed ferroelectric hysteresis in the electric field-polarization (P-E) curves at 403-433 K. The remanent polarization (Pr) and coercive electric field (Ec) of 1 at 408 K, 0.1 Hz were 24.0 μC cm-2 and 5.54 V μm-1, respectively. By thermal annealing of thin-film 1 at 443 K, the molecular assembly structure of 1 changed from a monolayer to a bilayer structure with high crystallinity, resulting in conducting layers of BTBT parallel to the substrate surface. The organic field-effect transistor (OFET) device with thermally annealed thin-film 1 showed p-type semiconducting behavior with the hole mobility of 1.0 × 10-3 cm2 V-1 s-1. Furthermore, device 1 showed switching behavior of semiconducting properties by electric field poling and thermal annealing cycle. The electric field response of ferroelectrics modulated the molecular orientation and conduction properties of organic semiconductors, resulting in external electric field control of carrier transport properties.

RESnet: 3D direct-current resistivity simulation using the equivalent resistor network circuit

Thin and highly conductive objects are challenging to model in 3D direct-current (DC) problems because they often require excessive mesh refinement that leads to a significant increase in computational costs. RESistor network (RESnet) is a novel algorithm that converts any 3D geo-electric simulation to solving an equivalent 3D resistor network circuit. Two features of RESnet make it an attractive choice in the DC modeling of thin and conductive objects. First, in addition to the conductivity with units of Siemens per meter (S/m) defined at the cell centers (cell conductivity), RESnet allows conductive properties defined on mesh faces and edges as face conductivity with units of S and edge conductivity with units of S·m, respectively. Face conductivity is the thickness-integrated conductivity, which preserves the electric effect of sheet-like conductors without an explicit statement in the mesh. Similarly, edge conductivity is the product of the cross-sectional area and the intrinsic conductivity of a line-like conductive object. Modeling thin objects using face and edge conductivity can avoid extremely small mesh grids if the DC problem concerns electric field responses at a much larger scale. Second, once the original simulation is transformed into an equivalent resistor network, certain types of infrastructure, similar to above-ground metallic pipes, can be conveniently modeled by directly connecting the circuit nodes, which cannot interact with each other in conventional modeling programs. Bilingually implemented in MATLAB and Python, the algorithm has been made open source to promote wide use in academia and industry. Three examples are provided to validate its numerical accuracy, demonstrate its capability in modeling steel well casings, and indicate how it can be used to simulate the effect of complex metallic infrastructure on DC resistivity data.

Plasmonic Alloys Enhanced Metabolic Fingerprints for the Diagnosis of COPD and Exacerbations.

Accurate diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and exacerbations by metabolic biomarkers enables individualized treatment. Advanced metabolic detection platforms rely on designed materials. Here, we design mesoporous PdPt alloys to characterize metabolic fingerprints for diagnosing COPD and exacerbations. As a result, the optimized PdPt alloys enable the acquisition of metabolic fingerprints within seconds, requiring only 0.5 μL of native plasma by laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry owing to the enhanced electric field, photothermal conversion, and photocurrent response. Machine learning decodes metabolic profiles acquired from 431 individuals, achieving a precise diagnosis of COPD with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.904 and an accurate distinction between stable COPD and acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) with an AUC of 0.951. Notably, eight metabolic biomarkers identified accurately discriminate AECOPD from stable COPD while providing valuable information on disease progress. Our platform will offer an advanced nanoplatform for the management of COPD, complementing standard clinical techniques.

Imaging the Quantum Capacitance of Strained MoS2 Monolayers by Electrostatic Force Microscopy.

We implemented radio frequency-assisted electrostatic force microscopy (RF-EFM) to investigate the electric field response of biaxially strained molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) monolayers (MLs) in the form of mesoscopic bubbles, produced via hydrogen (H)-ion irradiation of the bulk crystal. MoS2 ML, a semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenide, has recently attracted significant attention due to its promising optoelectronic properties, further tunable by strain. Here, we take advantage of the RF excitation to distinguish the intrinsic quantum capacitance of the strained ML from that due to atomic scale defects, presumably sulfur vacancies or H-passivated sulfur vacancies. In fact, at frequencies fRF larger than the inverse defect trapping time, the defect contribution to the total capacitance and to transport is negligible. Using RF-EFM at fRF = 300 MHz, we visualize simultaneously the bubble topography and its quantum capacitance. Our finite-frequency capacitance imaging technique is noninvasive and nanoscale and can contribute to the investigation of time- and spatial-dependent phenomena, such as the electron compressibility in quantum materials, which are difficult to measure by other methods.

Large and nonlinear electric field response in a two-dimensional ferroelectric Rashba material

The achievement of electrical spin control is highly desirable. One promising strategy involves electrically modulating the Rashba spin orbital coupling effect in materials. A semiconductor with high sensitivity in its Rashba constant to external electric fields holds great potential for short channel lengths in spin field-effect transistors, which is crucial for preserving spin coherence and enhancing integration density. Hence, two-dimensional (2D) Rashba semiconductors with large Rashba constants and significant electric field responses are highly desirable. Herein, by employing first-principles calculations, we design a thermodynamically stable 2D Rashba semiconductor, YSbTe&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;, which possesses an indirect band gap of 1.04 eV, a large Rashba constant of 1.54 eV·Å and a strong electric field response of up to 4.80 e·Å&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;. In particular, the Rashba constant dependence on the electric field shows an unusual nonlinear relationship. At the same time, YSbTe&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; has been identified as a 2D ferroelectric material with a moderate polarization switching energy barrier (~ 0.33 eV per formula). By changing the electric polarization direction, the Rashba spin texture of YSbTe&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; can be reversed. These outstanding properties make the ferroelectric Rashba semiconductor YSbTe&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; quite promising for spintronic applications.