Fourfold Symmetry Research Articles

The relationship between the spatial heterogeneity of the microstructure and the glass-forming ability of Al85Ni10Fe5 metallic glass

Abstract Spatial heterogeneity of the microstructure is an inherent characteristic of metallic glasses, which significantly influences their glass-forming ability (GFA) and thermal stability. In this study, we employ molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the evolution of spatial heterogeneity in the microstructure of the Al85Ni10Fe5 alloy during the glass transition process. Our results reveal that the Al85Ni10Fe5 metallic glass exhibits much higher spatial heterogeneity in terms of five-fold symmetry compared to the Al85Ni15 alloy. Furthermore, the spatial heterogeneity of the five-fold symmetry increases more dramatically during the cooling process in the Al85Ni10Fe5 system, while the spatial heterogeneity of the four-fold symmetry, which is associated with the crystalline phase, is lower in Al85Ni10Fe5 than in Al85Ni15. Interestingly, the spatial heterogeneity of the four-fold symmetry in Al85Ni10Fe5 first increases with decreasing temperature and then rapidly decreases near the glass transition temperature. These structural characteristics, which benefit the formation of higher five-fold symmetric clusters and their spatial aggregation, thus suppressing the growth of the crystalline structure in the liquid, contribute to the larger GFA of the Al85Ni10Fe5 alloy compared to the Al85Ni15 alloy. Our findings provide valuable insights into understanding the glass-forming ability of Al-based metallic glasses.

Entanglement Smectic and Stripe Order

Spontaneous symmetry breaking and more recently entanglement are two cornerstones of quantum matter. We introduce the notion of anisotropic entanglement ordered phases, where the spatial profile of spin-pseudospin entanglement spontaneously lowers the fourfold rotational symmetry of the underlying crystal to a twofold one, while the charge density retains the full symmetry. The resulting phases, which we term and , exhibit a rich Goldstone mode spectrum and a set of phase transitions as a function of underlying anisotropies. We discuss experimental consequences of such anisotropic entanglement phases distinguishing them from more conventional charge or spin stripes. Our discussion of this interplay between entanglement and spontaneous symmetry breaking focuses on multicomponent quantum Hall systems realizing textured Wigner crystals, as may occur in graphene or possibly also in moiré systems, highlighting the rich landscape and properties of possible entanglement ordered phases. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Enhanced edge - intrude triangle metamaterial absorber with polarization insensitivity for S, C, X and Ku band applications

This paper presents a novel metamaterial absorber designed to function effectively across the S, C, X, and Ku frequency bands (2–18 GHz). The unit cell of the metamaterial absorber is derived from an edge-intruded triangular structure, exhibiting multiple resonances. It is thoughtfully designed to achieve fourfold symmetry, ensuring polarization insensitivity. The proposed structure, fabricated on an FR4 substrate with a metallic ground plane, demonstrates exceptional absorption peaks at 2.5 GHz (97%), 3.4 GHz (96.5%), 5.2 GHz (99%), 9.07 GHz (98.8%), 12 GHz (98.1%), 13.66 GHz (89.1%), and 16 GHz (98.9%). The absorber’s four-fold symmetric design ensures polarization insensitivity, while its ultra-thin profile (0.013λ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\lambda$$\\end{document}) offers several practical benefits. By harnessing the unique properties of near-zero refractive index (NZRI) metamaterials, this absorber has the capability for precise control over electromagnetic waves. Its outstanding performance and versatility position it as a strong candidate for applications such as wavefront shaping, beam steering, sensing, and electromagnetic cloaking.

Graphene pixel based broadband polarization insensitive THz absorber

Abstract Suppressing undesired radiation and eliminating stray radiation in a high-frequency circuit might be challenging. Ultra-high frequency (UHF) electromagnetic wave absorbers are finding new applications in both the military and civilian domains. Obtaining an ultra-wide absorption band in a thin, single-layer Terahertz absorber becomes difficult. Also, achieving perfect absorption bandwidth on transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) mode is very sensitive. This paper presents a polarization-independent graphene-based absorbers with a near unity absorption band of 2.32 THz and 3.78 THz in a lower mid-infrared regime. The structure’s unit cell consists of cross-slot circular patches with Au as a ground separated by SiO2. To improve the absorption band another graphene layer was placed between the top and dielectric material. The absorber is polarization independent under normal incidence because of the deposited graphene structure’s fourfold symmetry. Both TE and TM polarizations were investigated, with wide-band absorption observed up to 60° incident angles in both cases. In terms of the lowest frequency of absorption, the prototype is deemed to be as thin as ∼ 0.1 λ max for both absorbers. Similarly, the effective homogeneity criteria in the subwavelength region are supported by the unit cell’s period of ∼ 0.1 λ max . The proposed absorber-2 shows 10 % higher FBW than existing work.

Anisotropy and symmetry in the elastoplastic deformation of single crystals under scratching: Unravelling the microscopic deformation mechanisms

The nanoscratch test, as an established technique for assessing material tribological properties has received significant attention. However, the symmetry and anisotropy in scratching performances as well as the quantitative correlation between the orientation-dependent deformation and inherent microscopic deformation mechanism remain unexplored. Herein, crystal plasticity simulations can quantitatively capture scratching forces, elastic recovery, and surface pile-ups, as well as accurately describe inner deformation fields and lattice rotation patterns, as confirmed by experimental results. The simulation results reveal that surface pile-up and elastic recovery mappings on (001)-, (011)-, and (111)-oriented samples exhibit eight-fold, four-fold, and six-fold symmetries, respectively. The orientation-dependent location and intension of both slip activities and lattice rotation, determine the features of macroscopic elastoplastic deformation under scratching.

3D-printed polarization-independent low-cost flexible frequency selective surface based dual-band microwave absorber

Abstract A 3D-printed polarization-independent low-cost lightweight and flexible frequency selective surface based dual-band microwave absorber is presented in this paper. Two concentric square loops fabricated at different heights using 3D printing technology are responsible for exhibiting dual-band responses at 3.32 GHz (S-band) and 5.46 GHz (C-band) with more than 97% absorptivities. The corresponding full widths at half maximum bandwidths are observed as 230 MHz (3.21–3.44 GHz) and 450 MHz (5.27–5.72 GHz). The proposed topology is polarization-insensitive owing to the four-fold symmetry. The absorption phenomenon is explained with the analysis of current distributions at the surface and impedance curves at the frequencies of resonance. Further, the performance has been evaluated for both planar and curved surfaces with different angles of curvature, and the good agreement between the measured and simulated responses confirms the flexible behavior of the proposed structure.

The Formation Criteria of LPSO Phase in Type I LPSO Mg-Y-X Alloy from the Perspective of Liquid-Solid Correlation.

The formation criteria of the LPSO phase are important for the design of long-period stacking-ordered (LPSO) Mg alloys. This work focuses on Type I LPSO Mg-Y-X alloys and attempts to explore the formation criteria of the LPSO phase from the perspective of liquid-solid correlation. With the aid of ab-initio molecular dynamics simulation, liquid Mg-Y-X alloys are investigated to obtain the common liquid characteristics from the reported Type I LPSO Mg-Y-X alloys. Following the liquid characteristics, a new Type I LPSO alloy, i.e., Mg-Y-Au, is experimentally confirmed. The discovery of a new Type I LPSO alloy supports liquid-solid correlation, and hence, the formation criteria of the LPSO phase in Type I LPSO alloys can be developed based on the common liquid characteristics of Type I LPSO Mg-Y-X alloys as follows: X should result in the reduction in equilibrium volume and cohesive energy; Y should repulse Y and be attracted by both Mg and X, and X should be repulsed by both Mg and X; X should enhance the threefold and fourfold symmetries and weaken the fivefold and sixfold ones so that the local structural symmetries are distributed close to liquid pure Mg.

Design and architecting of a broadband bullet-diamond shaped integrated frequency selective meta-surface absorber for aero-stealth platform.

The work report on architecture of integrated frequency selective meta-surface (IFSMS) absorbers for aerospace stealth applications. Fabricated IFSMS comprised of a pattern metasurface integrated with dielectric interlayer and conducting ground. Initially, a supercell (2 × 2-unit cell: 24 × 24 mm2) was designed with a fourfold topological symmetry. Supercell produces impedances (R), inductances (L), and capacitances (C) in tune with design on its interaction with microwave. RC performance was tested at variable incident transverse electric/magnetic (TE/TM) modes over, Θ, 0°-60° and at the normal incidence (TE), against a planer, clockwise rotation over, Φ, 0°-90°. The mode stability and rotational invariance was analyzed for displacement current- and power-density distributions. The impedance behavior and phase reversal S11 reflection coefficient studies revealed the emergence of mid-band Fabry-Perot mode distinguishing LC behavior of the circuit. The meta-pattern was manufactured by mask lithography using a customized resistive micro-carbon ink and imprinted onto dielectric/ground tile (dimension: 30 × 30 cm2). Structure-property relationship of the ink material was investigated using SEM, XRD, FTIR, UV-visible spectroscopy to reveled surface properties of imprinted material. The absorber was subjected to the free space measurements over C (4-8), X (8-12), and Ku (12-18GHz) bands, including pristine interlayer dielectrics. The simulated and experimental RC data was found to be in excellent agreement. The proposed IFSMS design is a potential candidate for the stealth application.

Electronic structure investigation and anisotropic phonon anharmonicity in ternary ZrGeTe4 single crystals

Ternary two-dimensional (2D) transition metal chalcogenides have gained immense attention because of their ability to overcome the intrinsic limitations of their binary counterparts. Layered 2D materials are important for future electronic and photonic devices owing to their low structural symmetry and in-plane anisotropy with tunable bandgap. Herein, the electronic structure and detailed vibrational properties of bulk ZrGeTe4 layered single crystals were investigated using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and Raman scattering (RS). The ARPES results revealed an anisotropic Fermi surface of different momentum along kx and ky from the zone center and an anisotropic band structure with varying band curvatures along the high-symmetry directions. Furthermore, the RS of ZrGeTe4 was investigated under different polarizations and varying temperatures. The polarized RS exhibited twofold and fourfold symmetry orientations in different configurations, revealing the anisotropic phonon dispersions for bulk ZrGeTe4. The observed softening of Raman modes was corroborated with the anharmonic phonon dispersion, which was further supported by our third-order force constant calculations of thermal transport using density functional theory. Low lattice thermal conductivity with increasing temperature is linked with enhanced phonon–phonon scattering, which is evident from the decreased phonon lifetime and peak linewidth. In addition to these fundamental aspects, the anisotropic nature and unique layered structure of such materials reveal their bright future for next-generation nanoelectronic applications.

An investigation on anisotropic FMR linewidth in Fe ultrathin film grown on GaAs substrate

Understanding the dynamic properties of magnetic films with the thickness down to nanometer scale is of both fundamental interests, as well as of great importance for the development of spintronic devices. In this study, we report the emergence of anisotropic magnetization dynamics by exploring a quasi-two-dimensional single-crystalline Fe/GaAs(001) interface with varying Fe layer thicknesses ranging from 0.7 to 3.0 nm using ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) technique. Various linewidth contributions, including intrinsic isotropic Gilbert damping, extrinsic inhomogeneous broadening and anisotropic two-magnon scattering are considered for the accurate fitting. We analyze and discuss the different mechanisms of linewidth and its field orientation dependence. Especially we propose a phenomenological expression for the anisotropic two-magnon scattering linewidth consisting of two-fold and four-fold symmetry parameters, which achieves a better understanding of the mechanism of anisotropic two-magnon scattering linewidth in the single crystal ultrathin film. Our analytical methods and results not only provide an effective approach for spin dynamic study in spintronics, but also enrich the understanding of the mechanisms of magnetization relaxation in other ferromagnetic metal/semiconductor interface systems.

In-plane anisotropic magnetoresistance and planar Hall effect in off-stoichiometric single crystal Mn3Ga

We report the observation of in-plane anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) and planar Hall effect in our recently discovered kagome antiferromagnetic off-stoichiometric single crystal of Mn3Ga. We found that the in-plane AMR is dominated by a sixfold symmetry at low temperature due to the kagome lattice magnetocrystalline anisotropy. However, an unusual fourfold symmetry is also revealed by the angular-dependent AMR measurements, which originates from the little distortion of the crystal accompanying the slight ferromagnetic transition. Moreover, we also found a clear planar Hall effect signal in off-stoichiometric single crystal of Mn3Ga, which may be related to the chiral anomaly, one of the signatures of the magnetic Weyl fermions.

Micromagnetic study of exchange bias effect in sub-micron dots of Co2MnSi interfaced with uncompensated IrMn

Owing to its crucial role in spintronics devices, the exchange bias (EB) phenomenon has been extensively investigated in various ferromagnet (FM) and antiferromagnet (AFM) bilayers since its discovery in Co/CoO core–shell nanoparticles. In this study, we present the emergence of negative EB for the first time in the Co2MnSi Heusler alloy interfacing with an uncompensated AFM, exhibiting analogous anisotropy to the IrMn. Due to the high pinning and IrMn anisotropy values, EB is stronger here. Investigation into the influence of ferromagnetic layer thickness (tFM) on exchange bias reveals an inverse relationship, while coercivity displays a non-monotonic increase. The analysis of spin canting angles suggests the presence of a maximum canting angle in the Co2MnSi layer close to the interface. We thoroughly analyze the spin configurations at the interface as well as away from it in the Co2MnSi (25 nm)/IrMn (5 nm) bilayer to better understand the mechanism of magnetization reversal. Interestingly, our findings unveiled distinct spin behaviors for the first and second reversals. In cases of small AFM thicknesses (tAFM), the exchange field is proportionate to the tAFM, contrasting with large tAFM, where it scales as 1/tAFM. Notably, coercivity demonstrates an increasing behavior across all tAFM variations. The angular dependence of the Heusler alloy revealed a four-fold symmetry indicative of cubic anisotropy and a two-fold symmetry representative of uniaxial anisotropy. The angular dependency study of exchange bias indicated similar clockwise (CW) and counterclockwise (CCW) rotations, with cos (θ) unidirectional dependence. However, loop shifting revealed that the lower pinning ability at 0° was due to a low Meiklejohn-Bean parameter (R) value. Additionally, through the manipulation of the R-parameter, we can tune the magnitude of the coercive field and EB. All these results are crucial for the utilization of the Co2MnSi/IrMn heterostructures for various applications in spintronics-based devices.

Simultaneous control of ferromagnetism and ferroelasticity by oxygen octahedral backbone stretching

Abstract Coexistence of ferromagnetism and ferroelasticity in a single material is an intriguing phenomenon, but has been rarely found. Here we studied both the ferromagnetism and ferroelasticity in a group of LaCoO3 films with systematically tuned atomic structures. We found that all films exhibit ferroelastic domains with four-fold symmetry and the larger domain size (higher elasticity) is always accompanied by stronger ferromagnetism. We performed synchrotron x-ray diffraction studies to investigate the backbone structure of the CoO6 octahedra, and found that both the ferromagnetism and the elasticity are simultaneously enhanced when the in-plane Co–O–Co bond angles are straightened. Therefore the study demonstrates the inextricable correlation between the ferromagnetism and ferroelasticity mediated through the octahedral backbone structure, which may open up new possibilities to develop multifunctional materials.

Highly birefringent anti-resonant hollow-core fiber with meniscoid nested structure.

We propose a meniscoid nested anti-resonant hollow-core fiber (MAF), wherein the fourfold rotational symmetry structure enables high birefringence and low loss in dual-wavelength range. Numerical investigation and simulation for variations in wall thickness along orthogonal directions are conducted, through which a formulated optimization criterion revealing the relationship between minimum difference in wall thickness and birefringence of 10-5 is obtained. A parameter of beat length to loss ratio η is defined to evaluate MAF performance with respect to birefringence and confinement loss (CL). With optimized MAF structure, the birefringence and CL are improved to 3.62 × 10-5 and 8.5 dB/km at 1.06 µm, 9.83 × 10-5 and 204.1 dB/km at 1.55 µm, respectively. Meanwhile, the bandwidths extend to 172 nm at 1.06 µm and 216 nm at 1.55 µm, and the superior bending resistance characteristics are validated. Our work offers valuable guidance for designing and optimizing highly birefringent anti-resonant hollow-core fiber (ARF), and the proposed MAF has great potential in polarization-dependent transmission and interferometric fiber gyroscopes.

Growth and properties of full Heusler Co2TiSn epitaxial thin films

Full Heusler Co2TiSn thin film were grown by DC magnetron sputtering on MgO(001) substrates at temperatures from ambient up to 800°C. The epitaxial films with full Heusler structure and high purity were achieved at 700°C with thickness ranging from ∼ 20 nm to over 1000 nm enabling deeper study of the film growth and the effect of the thickness on film properties. The state of films was investigated by wide range of techniques including atomic force and electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and photoelectron spectroscopy, magnetometry, and magnetooptical ellipsometry supported by ab initio calculation. Structural diffraction study and magnetooptical spectral analysis reveal that under suitable deposition conditions at 700°C almost perfect L21 ordering can be attained with the [100] film direction along diagonal of cubic MgO substrate. Photoelectron spectroscopy indicated the purity of the deposited material and the fourfold symmetry of deposited films in agreement with XRD. The only downside of these films is a relatively high surface roughness as indicated by SEM and measured by AFM. Saturation magnetization at 10 K and Curie point at 370 K was comparable to bulk. The ordering as well as agreement between experimental and calculated Kerr spectra improve with increasing film thickness. In comparison the properties of Co2TiSn are similar to other alloys in the family such as Co2FeSi and Co2FeGa.

Crystalline finite-size topology

Topological phases stabilized by crystalline point group symmetry protection are a large class of symmetry-protected topological phases subjected to considerable experimental scrutiny. Here, we show that the canonical three-dimensional (3D) crystalline topological insulator protected by time-reversal symmetry T and fourfold rotation symmetry C4 individually or the product symmetry C4T, generically realizes finite-size crystalline topological phases in thin film geometry [a quasi-(3−1)-dimensional, or q(3−1)D, geometry]: response signatures of the 3D bulk topology coexist with topologically protected, quasi-(3−2)D, and quasi-(3−3)D boundary modes within the energy gap resulting from strong hybridization of the Dirac cone surface states of the underlying 3D crystalline topological phase. Importantly, we find qualitative distinctions between these gapless boundary modes and those of strictly 2D crystalline topological states with the same symmetry protection and develop a low-energy, analytical theory of the finite-size topological magnetoelectric response. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Effects of void geometry on two-dimensional monolithic porous phononic crystals

Phononic crystals are renowned for their distinctive wave propagation characteristics, notably bandgaps that offer precise control over vibration phenomena, positioning them as a critical material in advanced vibro-elastic engineering and design. We investigate how pore shapes influence the bandgap in continuum two-dimensional phononic crystals made from a single material. Using the square lattice and unit cells with fourfold symmetry, our numerical analyses reveal that the normalized gap size is highly dependent on the minimum ligament width in the structure. Additionally, we find that fine geometric features represented by higher-order Fourier coefficients decrease the gap size. This study offers insight into the design of phononic crystals and vibro-elastic metamaterials for precise wave control through void patterning.

Resistive switching and synaptic simulation behaviors of epitaxial ZnO/Nb-doped SrTiO3 heterojunction controlled by the substrate orientation

Zinc oxide (ZnO) films were grown epitaxially on Nb-doped SrTiO3 (NSTO) substrates with different orientations using laser pulse deposition to create the (112¯0)ZnO/(100)NSTO, (0002)ZnO/(110)NSTO and (0002)ZnO/(111)NSTO heterojunctions. Epitaxial ZnO films on the (100) NSTO had two orthorgonal domains, resembling the fourfold symmetry of the (100) NSTO substrate. This good matching between the grown ZnO film and NSTO substrate resulted in a lower growth rate, smoother and denser surface, and a higher density of interface defect states. The interface state density was approximately 4.4 × 1012 eV−1cm−2, which was notably higher than that of the other two heterojunctions. Electrical transport studies revealed that ZnO/(100)NSTO heterojunction demonstrated bipolar resistive switching and negative differential resistance (NDR) due to a higher density of donor interface states from contributions of oxygen vacancies, while both the ZnO/(110)NSTO and ZnO/(111)NSTO heterojunction exhibited typical rectifying behavior. The preliminary investigation into synaptic behaviors suggested that (112¯0) ZnO/(100)NSTO heterojunction holds significant potential in brain-inspired neuromorphic computing systems.

Computational design of non-porous pH-responsive antibody nanoparticles

Programming protein nanomaterials to respond to changes in environmental conditions is a current challenge for protein design and is important for targeted delivery of biologics. Here we describe the design of octahedral non-porous nanoparticles with a targeting antibody on the two-fold symmetry axis, a designed trimer programmed to disassemble below a tunable pH transition point on the three-fold axis, and a designed tetramer on the four-fold symmetry axis. Designed non-covalent interfaces guide cooperative nanoparticle assembly from independently purified components, and a cryo-EM density map closely matches the computational design model. The designed nanoparticles can package protein and nucleic acid payloads, are endocytosed following antibody-mediated targeting of cell surface receptors, and undergo tunable pH-dependent disassembly at pH values ranging between 5.9 and 6.7. The ability to incorporate almost any antibody into a non-porous pH-dependent nanoparticle opens up new routes to antibody-directed targeted delivery.

Penta-band polarization insensitive ultra-thin metamaterial absorber suitable for flux shielding in WPT

This study introduces a novel multi-band, polarization-insensitive metamaterial absorber, designed by combining a dual-band and a triple-band resonator structures. Through the amalgamation of discrete absorption responses from these structures, the resulting design exhibits five absorption peaks at frequencies: 1.5 GHz (80%), 3.6 GHz (88%), 5.46 GHz (95%), 7.17 GHz (95%), and 9.17 GHz (95%). One of the standout features of the proposed design lies in its four-fold symmetry, endowing it with polarization insensitivity. This ensures robust performance regardless of the incident polarization, enhancing the versatility and applicability of the absorber in various scenarios. The design’s compact nature is noteworthy, with a unit cell dimension of only 0.125λ. This compactness not only contributes to space-efficient deployment but also underscores the efficiency of the metamaterial in achieving multiple absorption peaks within a limited spatial footprint. In addition to its compactness, the absorber is ultra-thin, with a dielectric thickness of merely 0.008λ. This characteristic is particularly advantageous for applications where a low-profile and lightweight solution is essential, such as in the development of inconspicuous communication devices or electromagnetic shielding.