Future High Energy Research Articles

High gravimetric energy density lead acid battery with titanium-based negative grids employing expanded mesh sandwich structure

Addressing the low gravimetric energy density issue caused by the heavy grid mass and poor active material utilization, a titanium-based, sandwich-structured expanded mesh grid (Ti/Cu/Pb) for lead-acid battery negative electrode is introduced. Titanium was chosen for its advantageous properties such as low density, high mechanical strength, and good electrical conductivity, which reduces the electrode mass and enhances battery gravimetric energy density. However, titanium's use in battery negative grids is limited due to its passivation in sulfuric acid and poor adhesion to the active material. To overcome these drawbacks, a copper layer is added to prevent passivation, and a lead layer is applied to improve the adhesion between the titanium matrix and the active material. This innovative Ti/Cu/Pb negative grid reduces electrode mass and increases current density, boosting active material utilization. Electrode with Ti/Cu/Pb negative grid achieves an gravimetric energy density of up to 163.5 Wh/kg, a 26 % increase over conventional lead-alloy electrode. With Ti/Cu/Pb negative grid, battery cycle life extends to 339 cycles under a 0.5C 100 % depth of discharge, marking a significant advance over existing lightweight negative grid batteries. This research not only demonstrates a significant step in lead-acid battery enhancement but also proposes a methodological approach for future high gravimetric energy density battery design.

Triply charm and bottom tetraquarks in a constituent quark model

Singly, doubly, and fully charmed tetraquark candidates, e.g., Tcs¯(2900), Tcc+(3875), and X(6900) have been recently reported by the LHCb collaboration. Therefore, it is timely to implement a theoretical investigation on triply heavy tetraquark systems; herein, the S-wave triply charm and bottom tetraquarks, Q¯Qq¯Q (q=u,d,s;Q=c,b), with spin-parity JP=0+, 1+, and 2+, isospin I=0 and 12, are systematically studied in a constituent quark model. Besides, all tetraquark configurations, i.e., meson-meson, diquark-antidiquark, and K-type arrangements, along with any allowed color structure, are comprehensively considered. The Gaussian expansion method (GEM), in combination with the complex-scaling method (CSM), which is quite ingenious in dealing with either bound or resonances, is the approach adopted in solving the complex scaled Schrödinger equation. This theoretical framework has already been applied in various tetra- and pentaquark systems. In a fully coupled-channel calculation within the GEM+CSM, narrow resonances are found in each I(JP) channel of the charm and bottom sector. In particular, triply charm and bottom tetraquark resonances are obtained in 5.6–5.9 GeV and 15.3–15.7 GeV, respectively. We provide also some insights of the compositeness of these exotic states, such as the inner quark distance, magnetic moment and dominant wave function component. All this may help to distinguish them in future high energy nuclear and particle experiments. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

A Time-over-Threshold based analog front-end in 28 nm CMOS for pixel detectors in future colliders

This work is concerned with the design, in a 28 nm CMOS technology, of an analog front-end processor for the readout of pixel detectors in future high energy physics experiments. The front-end circuit being developed consists of a shaper-less architecture which leverages the Time-Over-Threshold (ToT) technique for the analog-to-digital conversion of the signal from the detector. Post-layout simulation results show that the circuit, operated with a nominal current close to 4 uA and a supply voltage of 0.9 V, is able to operate at a threshold below 1000 electrons.

Tunability of the electronic structure of GaN third generation semiconductor for enhanced band gap: The influence of B concentration

To meet the demand of the future high energy, high voltage, high frequency, high temperature and high power electronic devices, the improvement of wide band gap is very significance for the applications of the third generation semiconductor material. To improve the band gap of GaN, the influence of B-doped concentration on the electronic and optical properties of GaN semiconductor is studied by the first-principles method. Four B-doped concentrations (3.125 at%, 6.25 at%, 12.5 at% and 25 at %) are investigated. The calculated results show that these B-doped GaN are thermodynamic stability because of the negative doped formation energy. In particular, the thermodynamic stability of the B-doped GaN becomes better with increasing B concentration. Importantly, the band gap follows the order of 25 at% B-doping > 12.5 at% B-doping > 6.25 at% B-doping > 3.125 at% B-doping > GaN. The band gap of 25 at% B-doped GaN increases about 70 % compared to GaN. Essentially, the B-doping induces the conduction band to move from the EF to the high energy region, which enhances the difficult of electronic transfer between the valence band and conduction band near the Fermi level. The semiconductor properties of the B-doped GaN are demonstrated by the dielectric functional. In addition, the B-doping is beneficial to improve the storage optical properties of GaN. Therefore, we believe that the B-doping can improve band gap and optical properties of GaN, which is potentially used in the high power, high voltage, low loss devices and deep ultraviolet optoelectronics.

Effects of family non-universal Z ′ model in angular observables of decays* *Supported by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan through (NRPU/20-15142)

We present the angular distribution of the four-fold and decays in the Standard Model and family non-universal model. At the quark level, these decays are governed by the transition. Along with different angular observables, we provide predictions of differential branching ratios, forward-backward asymmetry, and longitudinal polarization fractions of and mesons. Our analysis shows that the signatures of the family non-universal model are more distinct in the observables associated with the decay than in those associated with the decay. Future measurements of the predicted angular observables, both at current and future high energy colliders, will provide useful complementary data required to clarify the structure of the family non-universal model in = processes.

Higgs boson decays h→MZ in the TNMSSM* *Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NNSFC) (12075074, 12235008), Natural Science Foundation of Guangxi Autonomous Region (2022GXNSFDA035068), Hebei Natural Science Foundation (A2022201017, A2023201041), the youth top-notch talent support program of the Hebei Province

We study the SM-like Higgs boson decays in the triplet extended NMSSM (TNMSSM), where M is a vector meson . Compared to the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM), the TNMSSM includes two new (2) triplets with hypercharge ±1 and an SM gauge singlet, which are coupled to each other. The indirect contributions to the decays are produced from the effective vertex, and they are more important than the direct contributions. The results of this work could encourage a detection on at the future high energy colliders for exploring new physics beyond the SM.

Pressure resistance characterisation of vascular networks embedded in carbon composites for high energy physics applications

In state-of-the-art tracking detectors, lightweight carbon composite structures support the pixel or micro-strip sensors and provide the main thermal path between the silicon and a network of metallic or plastic pipes containing a cooling fluid. Despite the good results obtained with this design approach, the challenges associated with future high energy physics (HEP) experiments demand even lighter and more efficient technologies. In this regard, replacing the existing piping with a network of channels directly embedded in the composite laminates represents a promising solution to improve the thermal coupling, which also offers additional gains in terms of mass and thermo-elastic stability.While some research has been devoted to assessing the mechanical and thermal performance of such laminates, limited information about their resistance to internal pressure is currently available in the literature. This lack of data constitutes an important obstacle for the use of vascular networks in future HEP applications, which the present paper aims to address.Experimental methods were used to investigate the pressure resistance of channels embedded in carbon composite laminates. Modified poly (lactic) acid (PLA) preforms were embedded in carbon-fibre epoxy laminates. A post-cure vaporization technique removed the PLA, thus producing plates with longitudinal channels. Destructive tests were conducted to determine the burst pressure of the plates depending on the lay-up and the cross-section geometry of the channels. Both circular and oblong channels were evaluated, and various reinforcement techniques were explored to enhance the pressure resistance of the laminates. Micro-graphic examinations and X-ray micro-computed tomography were employed to gain a better understanding of the microstructure and the failure mechanisms of the plates.Plates with circular channels measuring 1.75 mm in diameter, embedded in [0/90/0]S laminates and reinforced with 2 mm lay length fuzzy carbon fibre over-braids, achieved burst pressures exceeding 45 MPa. This result, which is approximately an order of magnitude greater than that obtained for the equivalent non-reinforced laminates, demonstrates the enormous potential of this technology for future particle detectors.

Construction of controllable multicomponent ZnO-ZnCo/MOF-PANI composites for supercapacitor applications

Supercapacitors, as new electrochemical energy storage (EES) devices, with the lower energy density seriously hinder their realization of the requirements for future high energy storage devices. Thus, It is crucial to develop straightforward and efficient approaches to address the aforementioned challenges in future EES devices. In this paper, controllable multi-component composites are designed and ZnO is used as a conductive carrier in preparing layered structured ZnO-Zn/Co-metal-organic framework-polyaniline (ZnO-Zn/Co-MOF-PANI, ZZCMP) electrode materials by solvothermal and electrodeposition methods. The abundant active sites and the high specific surface area of the MOF are used to create the conditions for the loading of PANI, while it can establish an effective ion/electron transport channel with PANI to enhance the material utilisation and the electrochemical performance of the overall material. Add to that, the advantages of flexibility and rigidity of pristine MOF are made use of to provide sufficient space during the process of long-term charging and discharging, thus facilitating resistance to the structural deformation and enhancing the mechanical stability of the material. The optimized integrated electrode ZZCMP-10 exhibits a capacitance of 458.9 F.g−1 when operated at a current density of 1 A.g−1. The asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) is constructed with ZZCMP-10 as the positive electrode material and active carbon is used as the material for the negative electrode, which shows an energy density of 26 Wh.kg−1 at a current density of 1 A.g−1 and a retention of 75.3 % capacitance is achieved after 5000 cycles of long-term charging and discharging. This study provides a reasonable exploration for designing high-energy-density electrochemical energy storage devices.

Dual use driver for high speed links transmitters in the future high energy physics experiments

The paper presents the Dual Use Driver (DUDE) for high speed links, a circuit designed for the Demonstrator ASIC for Radiation-Tolerant Transmitter in 28 nm CMOS (DART28) developed under the EP-R&D programme on technologies for future high energy physics experiments. The driver operates at 25.6 Gbps and it allows driving both 100 Ω transmission lines and optical Ring Modulators (RMs) integrated in a photonics integrated circuit (PIC). The driver includes configurable pre-emphasis. The device will allow to demonstrate the feasibility of wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical links operating with bandwidths in excess of 100 Gbps per fiber that are capable of sustaining total ionizing radiation doses up to 10 MGy.

Improving Fast-Charging Capability of High-Voltage Spinel LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 Cathode under Long-Term Cyclability through Co-Doping Strategy.

Co-free spinel LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (LNMO) is emerging as a promising contender for designing next generation high-energy-density and fast-charging Li-ion batteries, due to its high operating voltage and good Li+ diffusion rate. However, further improvement of the Li+ diffusion ability and simultaneous resolution of Mn dissolution still pose significant challenges for their practical application. To tackle these challenges, a simple co-doping strategy is proposed. Compared to Pure-LNMO, the extended lattice in resulting LNMO-SbF sample provides wider Li+ migration channels, ensuring both enhanced Li+ transport kinetics, and lower energy barrier. Moreover, Sb creating structural pillar and stronger TM─F bond together provides a stabilized spinel structure, which stems from the suppression of detrimental irreversible phase transformation during cycling related to Mn dissolution. Benefiting from the synergistic effect, the LNMO-SbF material exhibits a superior reversible capacity (111.4mAhg-1 at 5C, and 70.2mAhg-1 after 450cycles at 10C) and excellent long-term cycling stability at high current density (69.4% capacity retention at 5C after 1000cycles). Furthermore, the LNMO-SbF//graphite full cell delivers an exceptional retention rate of 96.9% after 300cycles, and provides a high energy density at 3C even with a high loading. This work provides valuable insight into the design of fast-charging cathode materials for future high energy density lithium-ion batteries.

Flavor-violating Higgs and Z boson decays at a future circular lepton collider

Recent advances in b, c, and s quark tagging coupled with novel statistical analysis techniques will allow future high energy and high statistics electron-positron colliders, such as the FCC-ee, to place phenomenologically relevant bounds on flavor violating Higgs and Z decays to quarks. We assess the FCC-ee reach for Z/h→bs,cu decays as a function of jet tagging performance. We also update the standard model (SM) predictions for the corresponding branching ratios, as well as the indirect constraints on the flavor violating Higgs and Z couplings to quarks. Using the type III two Higgs doublet model as an example of beyond the standard model physics, we show that the searches for h→bs,cu decays at FCC-ee can probe new parameter space not excluded by indirect searches. We also reinterpret the FCC-ee reach for Z→bs,cu in terms of the constraints on models with vectorlike quarks. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

The SMARTHEP European Training Network

The SMARTHEP European Training Network

Multi-Functionalized High Ionic Conductive Soft Matter for Separator-Free All Solid-State Lithium-Ion Battery

Solid state battery (SSB) with its promising advantages such as extreme light weight, thin film manufacturing, and compact structure, which leads to a possibility of high energy density design (up to 400-500 Wh/kg). The most important key for the development of SSB is the solid electrolyte (SE). Nowadays, there are several SEs been studied to overcome many drawbacks that are being investigated. Those problems are low ionic conductivity at room temperature, low electrochemical stability, low interfacial compatibility, and low mechanical property, respectively. Although several SEs like sulfide, halide, oxide, and polymer-based materials are developed, but there are still big challenges for further commercialization.In this research, multi-functionalized high ionic soft matters have been synthesized successfully. These soft matters are siloxane polyelectrolytes that contains two functions of single ion transfer and lithium-ion compensation. With the single ion transfer design, the ionic conductivity of siloxane polyelectrolyte is achieved to 4*10-4 S/cm at room temperature and the electrochemical stability is illustrated to a window of 0-5.5V. This soft matter provides outstanding interfacial compatibility to solid-solid interface owing to its unique function of lithium-ion compensation by directly coverage on cathode active materials. According to the results, the impedance of SSB with siloxane polyelectrolytes is decreased by 50% as well as the initial capacity on NMC811 cathode is 213.3 mAh/g (CE: 91.4%). The cycle ability on this separator-free polymer based SSB shows almost no fading in 50 cycles (at 60oC) without any assistances, the SSB only has NMC811 cathode, SE, and lithium metal anode. Fig. 1 shows the SEM images of pristine and siloxane polyelectrolyte covered NMC811. According to the results, the NMC811 is homogeneously covered by thin film siloxane polyelectrolyte, which is used to transfer lithium ions.This research demonstrates a separator-free all SSB by multi-functionalized siloxane polyelectrolyte. High ionic conductivity, high interfacial compatibility, lithium-ion compensation, and high mechanical property are provided to a future high energy density battery. Figure 1

Future high energy colliders and options for the U.S.

The United States has a rich history in high energy particle accelerators and colliders — both lepton and hadron machines, which have enabled several major discoveries in elementary particle physics. To ensure continued progress in the field, U.S. leadership as a key partner in building next generation collider facilities abroad is essential; also critically important is to prepare to host an energy frontier collider in the U.S. once the construction of the LBNF/DUNE project is completed. In this paper, we briefly discuss the ongoing and potential U.S. engagement in proposed collider projects abroad and present a number of future collider options we have studied for hosting an energy frontier collider in the U.S. We also call for initiating an integrated national R&D program in the U.S. now, focused on future colliders.

Reducing Luminescence Intensity and Suppressing Irradiation‐induced Darkening of Bi4Ge3O12 by Ce‐doping for Radiation Detection

AbstractDue to its short radiation length, moderate light output (8000‐9000 photons/MeV), high density (7.13 g cm−3), and non‐hygroscopicity, etc., Bi4Ge3O12 (BGO) material has been widely utilized as an advanced scintillator for irradiation detection. However, pure BGO cannot meet the requirements for future physics experiments and state‐of‐art industrial facilities coupled with a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) due to its slow response time, poor radiation resistance, and excessive light output. Herein, a Ce‐doping strategy is reported for efficiently improving the overall performance (e.g., irradiation resistance, decay time, radioluminescence, and light output) of BGO that can be expectedly applied in future high energy physics detection. Ce‐doped BGO (BGO:Ce) displays higher radiation resistance ability under 10 h UV irradiation (97% of original) and a faster fluorescence lifetime (269 ns), superior to pure BGO. Furthermore, BGO:Ce shows ≈30% luminescence intensity of pure BGO, well eliminating the oversaturation of SiPM coupled with scintillation detectors. Theoretical calculations imply that an intense competition between electron or hole traps and Ce ions (Ce3+, Ce4+) can effectively reduce the concentration of color centers, thus enhancing irradiation resistance ability.

Grid-scale demand-side flexibility services using commercial buildings lighting loads

Flexibility Services can be used to account for the high variability in electricity generation due to increasing renewable energy sources such as wind and solar energy. As buildings become smarter with the adoption of new technologies for sensing and control, more integration between buildings and the electric grid is possible. Building loads such as air conditioning and lighting in commercial buildings have the potential to provide these Flexibility Services. In commercial buildings, lighting accounts for approximately 10–15 % of the load at time. Past studies have shown that lighting can be dimmed by 15–20 % without causing visual discomfort to the occupants. Overall, this study aims to estimate the instantaneous demand reduction that can be provided due to lighting loads using prototypical building models aggregated across electric grid nodes in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) region in the United States. Findings suggest, in a future case with 100 % LED fixtures and 30 % technology penetration for smart lighting controls, lighting loads can provide around 250 to 475 MW (0.21 to 0.39 % of MISO’s peak load) of Flexibility Services in the MISO region. The results can be used as inputs for grid levels models to predict future generation, transmission, and distribution investments for future high renewable energy scenarios.

A twelve-electron conversion iodine cathode enabled by interhalogen chemistry in aqueous solution

The battery chemistry aiming for high energy density calls for the redox couples that embrace multi-electron transfer with high redox potential. Here we report a twelve-electron transfer iodine electrode based on the conversion between iodide and iodate in aqueous electrolyte, which is six times than that of the conventional iodide/iodine redox couple. This is enabled by interhalogen chemistry between iodine (in the electrode) and bromide (in the acidic electrolyte), which provides an electrochemical-chemical loop (the bromide-iodate loop) that accelerates the kinetics and reversibility of the iodide/iodate electrode reaction. In the deliberately designed aqueous electrolyte, the twelve-electron iodine electrode delivers a high specific capacity of 1200 mAh g−1 with good reversibility, corresponding to a high energy density of 1357 Wh kg−1. The proposed iodine electrode is substantially promising for the design of future high energy density aqueous batteries, as validated by the zinc-iodine full battery and the acid-alkaline decoupling battery.

(Invited) Electrocatalysis and Surface Chemistry in Lithium Sulfur Batteries

This talk will focus on the application of electrocatalysis and surface/interface chemistry to solve the cycling stability problem of lithium sulfur batteries, which are a type of future high energy rechargeable battery that can deliver a few times more energy than the prevalent lithium ion batteries of the same mass. One critical problem is the adsorption of lithium polysulfides, the key reaction intermediates that control the electrochemical performance of the sulfur cathode. We find that 3d transition metal oxides effectively bind polysulfides via oxygen-lithium or metal-sulfur bonding, whereas metal phosphides and chalcogenides only do so with their oxidized surfaces. When the electrolyte/sulfur ratio is lowered for even higher energy density (lean electrolyte condition), we discover that catalysis is needed to overcome the potential limiting reaction barrier associated with the conversion of reaction intermediates. With this understanding, we have developed high capacity sulfur cathode materials achieving hundreds of stable charging-discharging cycles. This surface/interface chemistry approach also enables us to analyze the cycling behavior of the lithium/sodium metal anode and to develop electrode/electrolyte interphases for improving the charging-discharging efficiency and cycling stability, including lithium metal electrodes working with solid-state electrolyte.

Preparation of nanoporous SiO2/C derived from rice husk as anode material in SiO2/C||LiFePO4 full-cell through alkaline activation treatment

Silicon-based materials such as pure silicon (Si), silicon monoxide (SiO), silica (SiO2), are considered promising anode for future high power energy Li-ion batteries. Among them, SiO2 has garnered attention owing to its outstanding features such as high theoretical capacity (1961 mAh g−1), abundant reserve, and low-cost processing. However, the large expansion and shrinkage of the Si and SiO2 volume during lithiation/delithiation reaction are still the main barriers for practical application. In this study, SiO2 derived from rice husks and activated by KOH displayed a nanoporous structure with a porous matrix carbon that can absorb the volume expansion during lithiation process and facilitate the diffusion of Li+ ion along the pores to minimise the dendrite growth at the local area. Through activation treatment, the surface area of SiO2 increases up to 278.875 m2 g−1 with a pore volume of 0.191 cm3 g−1 and the average pore diameter is about 0.771 nm. The cycling results showed that rice husk ash mixed with KOH at a ratio of 1:0.5 offered the best capacity retention of SiO2/C anode material in half-cell. In full-cell configuration of SiO2/C||LiFePO4, the the negative electrode/positive electrode capacity ratio (N/P) ratio of 1.2 exhibited the most stable performance with the highest capacity retention.

Implementation of extreme ultraviolet spectroscopy on a sheared-flow-stabilized Z pinch

A diagnostic for extreme ultraviolet spectroscopy was fielded on the sheared-flow-stabilized (SFS) fusion Z-pinch experiment (FuZE-Q) for the first time. The spectrometer collected time-gated plasma emission spectra in the 5–40 nm wavelength (30–250 eV) range for impurity identification, radiative power studies, and for plasma temperature and density measurements. The unique implementation of the diagnostic included fast (10 ns risetime) pulsed high voltage electronics and a multi-stage differential pumping system that allowed the vacuum-coupled spectrometer to collect three independently timed spectra per FuZE-Q shot while also protecting sensitive internal components. Analysis of line emission identifies oxygen (N-, C-, B-, Be-, Li-, and He-like O), peaking in intensity shortly after maximum current (>500 kA). This work provides a foundation for future high energy spectroscopy experiments on SFS Z-pinch devices.