Strong Coupling Research Articles

Modeling of partially oriented spring-exchange magnetic composites

PurposeThe presentation refers to simulations of magnetization processes of the spring-exchange magnetic composites containing magnetically soft and ultra-high coercive phases. In particular, the aim of this study is to investigate the possibility of reducing expensive rare earth (RE) in the so-called neodymium magnets and improving their efficiency.Design/methodology/approachIn order to model hysteresis loops, a special disorder-based Monte Carlo procedure, suitable for irregular geometry of the composites, was applied. The chosen system parameters were defined in order to model Nd2Fe14B/Fe composites.FindingsThe results suggest potential for optimizing hard magnetic composites. Magnetization curve parameters are sensitive to grain coupling and easy magnetization axis ordering. Strong coupling for a single-phase hysteresis loop is unachievable for grains above a certain size, i.e. found to be a few hundred nanometers. Considering these factors and their interdependencies, it’s possible to enhance the |BH|max parameter or reduce the RE content.Research limitations/implicationsThe research was carried out using computer simulations, which by their nature are only approximations of physical processes. The next stage of research is to produce the described composites and test their actual properties.Practical implicationsThe research enhances permanent magnets, boosting efficiency in technologies like wind turbines and electric motors, indirectly benefiting the environment. It also reduces RE elements in magnets for environmental, economic and political gains.Originality/valueThe unique approach is to consider the random orientation of the magnetic anisotropy of the hard magnetic grains, which is close to real powder composites. The results provide valuable guidance for the production process of permanent magnets.

Free‐Standing Ultrathin Films of 2D Perovskite for Light‐Emitting Devices Operating at Strong Coupling Regime

Free‐Standing Ultrathin Films of 2D Perovskite for Light‐Emitting Devices Operating at Strong Coupling Regime

Chiral polaritons in semiconductor perovskite metasurface enhanced by bound states in the continuum

Abstract The exploration of novel chiral optical platforms holds both fundamental and practical importance, which have shown great promise towards applications in valleytronics, chiral sensing and nanoscopic chiroptics. In this work, we combine two key concepts — chiral bound states in the continuum and exciton polaritons — to showcase a strong chiral response from polaritons. Using the Finite Element Method, we numerically design a CsPbBr3 based metasurface that supports intrinsically chiral bound states in the continuum and verify the chirality by calculating the reflection spectrum and eigen-polarization mapping. We further demonstrate chirality-dependent exciton polariton angular dispersion arising from the strong coupling between the chiral BIC and excitons in CsPbBr3 through simulating the polariton angle-resolved absorption spectrum. Reciprocity analysis reveals that the polariton photoluminescence in different momentum space locations is selectively enhanced by chiral pumping light. Our results suggest a promising first step towards chiral polaritonics.

Making sense of ghosts

Ghosts have been a stumbling block in the development of a UV complete quantum field theory for gravity. We discuss how difficulties associated with ghosts are overcome in the context of 0+1d QFT. Obtaining a probability interpretation is the key issue, and for this we discuss how an appropriate inner product can be constructed to define a sensible Born rule. Ghost theories are intrinsically unitary and perturbatively stable. They can also display nonperburbative stability even when the corresponding normal theory does not. The spectra and propagators are numerically obtained at both weak and strong coupling. Normalizable wave functions are obtained for the energy eigenstates and they show a violation of normal parity. We discuss connections to PT-symmetric quantum mechanics.

Formation of quasi-bound states in the continuum in a single deformed microcavity

Bound states in the continuum (BICs) hold significant promise in manipulating electromagnetic fields and reducing losses in optical structures, leading to advancements in fundamental research and practical applications. Despite their observation in various optical systems, the behavior of BIC in whispering-gallery-modes (WGMs) optical microcavities, essential components of photonic integrated chips, has yet to be thoroughly explored. In this study, we propose and experimentally identify a robust mechanism for generating quasi-BIC in a single deformed microcavity. By introducing boundary deformations, we construct stable unidirectional radiation channels as leaking continuum shared by different resonant modes and experimentally verify their external strong mode coupling. This results in drastically suppressed leaking loss of one originally long-lived resonance, manifested as more than a threefold enhancement of its quality (Q) factor, while the other short-lived resonance becomes more lossy, demonstrating the formation of Friedrich–Wintgen quasi-BICs as corroborated by the theoretical model and experimental data. This research will provide a practical approach to enhance the Q-factor of optical microcavities, opening up potential applications in the area of deformed microcavities, nonlinear optics, quantum optics, and integrated photonics.

Plasmon-Enhanced Photoelectrochemistry of Photosystem II on a Hierarchical Tin Oxide Electrode for Ultrasensitive Detection of 17β-Estradiol.

Despite its excellent efficiency in natural photosynthesis, the utilization of photosystem II (PSII)-based artificial photoelectrochemical (PEC) systems for analytical purposes is hindered due to the low enzyme loading density and ineffective electron transfer (ET) processes. Here, we present a straightforward and effective approach to prepare a PSII-based biohybrid photoanode with remarkable photoresponse, enabled by the use of a hierarchically structured inverse-opal tin oxide (IO-SnO2) electrode combined with gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). The porous, carbon-containing IO-SnO2 structure allows for a high density and photoactivity loading of PSII complexes, while also providing strong electrical coupling between the protein film and the electrode. A new electron transfer pathway mediated by Au NPs was identified at the protein-electrode interface, which efficiently shuttles the photogenerated electrons from the enzyme to the IO-SnO2 electrode. Furthermore, the PEC response of the electrode was significantly enhanced by the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect of Au NPs. Upon light irradiation, this PSII-based photoanode exhibited an impressively high and stable photocurrent output, which was utilized to fabricate an aptasensor for 17β-Estradiol (E2) detection. Under optimal conditions, a detection limit of 0.33 pM was obtained, along with a broad detection range from 15 pM to 30 nM. The applicability of the aptasensor was assessed by measuring E2 in water and urine samples, demonstrating its feasibility in environmental monitoring and clinical tests.

Biological Cavity Quantum Electrodynamics via Self-Aligned Nanoring Doublets: QED-SANDs.

Quantum mechanics is applied to create numerous electronic devices, including lasers, electron microscopes, magnetic resonance imaging, and quantum information technology. However, the practical realization of cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED) in various applications is limited due to the demanding conditions required for achieving strong coupling between an optical cavity and excitonic matter. Here, we present biological cavity QED with self-aligned nanoring doublets: QED-SANDs, which exhibit robust room-temperature strong coupling with a biomolecular emitter, chlorophyll-a. We observe the emergence of plasmon-exciton polaritons, which manifest as a bifurcation of the plasmonic scattering peak of biological QED-SANDs into two distinct polariton states with Rabi splitting up to ∼200 meV. We elucidate the mechanistic origin of strong coupling using finite-element modeling and quantify the coupling strength by employing temporal coupled-mode theory to obtain the coupling strength up to approximately 3.6 times the magnitude of the intrinsic decay rate of QED-SANDs. Furthermore, the robust presence of the polaritons is verified through photoluminescence measurements at room temperature, from which strong light emission from the lower polariton state is observed, while emission from the upper polariton state is quenched. QED-SANDs present significant potential for groundbreaking insights into biomolecular behavior in nanocavities, especially in the context of quantum biology.

Cu-doped nanocomposite Pr2Fe14B/α-Fe ribbons with high (BH)max

Abstract The melt-spun ribbons of nominal composition Pr9Fe84.2-xB6.2P0.3Zr0.3Cux (x=0, 0.5, 1, 2) were prepared at wheel speeds of 21, 27, 30, and 33 ms-1. The XRD patterns show that as the wheel speed increases, the crystallinity of the 2:14:1 hard phase decreases, while that of the α-Fe soft phase increases. The (BH)max, remanence, and coercivity are improved from 63 kJm-3, 0.85 T, and 515 kAm-1 for the Cu-free ribbons to 171 kJm-3, 1.08 T, and 684 kAm-1 with x=0.5. The high squareness ratio of Jr/Js ~ 0.82 at 0.5 at. % Cu (27 ms-1) indicates strong exchange coupling due to small grain sizes of 15 and 30 nm for soft and hard magnetic phases, respectively. The SEM images revealed smooth morphology and uniform element distribution at 0.5 at. % Cu (27 ms-1), contributing to the high magnetic properties. The low recoil permeability (μ rec ) value of 5.466×10-4 to 1.970×10-4 $\frac{T}{k A m^{-1}}$ confirms the strong exchange coupling with x=0.5 (27 ms-1). The initial magnetization curves show that the coercivity mechanism of the Cu-free alloy evolves from the nucleation of the reverse domain to the domain wall pinning as the wheel speed increases, resulting in a high coercivity value of 818 kAm-1 (33 ms-1). Conversely, for the Cuadded alloy, the coercivity mechanism changes from pinning to the nucleation of the reverse domain from low to high wheel speed.

Impacting Non-Covalent Interactions through Vibrational Strong Coupling.

Light-matter strong coupling, especially Vibrational Strong Coupling (VSC), has become a significant research focus due to its potential to alter materials' inherent physical and chemical properties. Remarkably, VSC operates even in the absence of light, harnessing subtle quantum fluctuations to influence material characteristics. Vibro-polaritonic states, which are half photonic and half material, are introduced in the molecular/material energy ladder under VSC conditions. Although the underlying mechanism remains elusive, it is proposed that these hybrid states may modify chemical reactivity and other properties by altering factors such as polarity, polarizability, and Van der Waals interactions. This evolving field, vibro-polaritonic chemistry, holds vast potential for deeper exploration, particularly within molecular sciences. This Review examines VSC's observed effects on non-bonding interactions, including hydrogen bonding and π-π interactions, typically governed by dispersive forces.

Analytic amplitudes for a pair of Higgs bosons in association with three partons

The pair production of Higgs bosons at the LHC can give information about the triple Higgs boson coupling. We perform an analytic one-loop calculation of the amplitudes for a pair of Higgs bosons in association with three partons, retaining the exact dependence on the quark mass circulating in the loop. These amplitudes constitute the real radiation corrections in the calculation of Higgs boson pair production at next-to-leading order in the strong coupling. The results of an analytic generalised-unitarity computation are simplified via analytic reconstruction in spinor variables. Compact ansätze for kinematic pole residues are iteratively fitted via p-adic evaluations near said poles and subtracted until no pole remains. A new ansatz construction is introduced to minimally parametrise coefficients of amplitudes with multiple massive external legs. The simplified expressions are faster to evaluate than automatic codes and can lead to more stable results near singular regions.

Magnetic Field-Induced Polar Order in Monolayer Molybdenum Disulfide Transistors.

In semiconducting monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (ML-TMDs), broken inversion symmetry and strong spin-orbit coupling result in spin-valley lock-in effects so that the valley degeneracy may be lifted by external magnetic fields, potentially leading to real-space structural transformation. Here, magnetic field (B)-induced giant electric hysteretic responses to back-gate voltages are reported in ML-MoS2 field-effect transistors (FETs) on SiO2/Si at temperatures <20 K. The observed hysteresis increases with |B| up to 12 T and is tunable by varying the temperature. Raman spectroscopic and scanning tunneling microscopic studies reveal significant lattice expansion with increasing |B| at 4.2 K, and this lattice expansion becomes asymmetric in ML-MoS2 FETs on rigid SiO2/Si substrates, leading to out-of-plane mirror symmetry breaking and the emergence of a tunable out-of-plane ferroelectric-like polar order. This broken symmetry-induced polarization in ML-MoS2 shows typical ferroelectric butterfly hysteresis in piezo-response force microscopy, adding ML-MoS2 to the single-layer material family that exhibits out-of-plane polar order-induced ferroelectricity, which is promising for such technological applications as cryo-temperature ultracompact non-volatile memories, memtransistors, and ultrasensitive magnetic field sensors. Moreover, the polar effect induced by asymmetric lattice expansion may be further generalized to other ML-TMDs and achieved by nanoscale strain engineering of the substrate without magnetic fields.

Quasi-bound states in the continuum with stable dual-resonance wavelengths in mid-infrared metasurface for ultrasensitive refractive index sensing and molecular vibrations of strong coupling

In this paper, a dual-resonances mid-infrared all-dielectric metasurface sensor based on asymmetric cross dimer, which is driven by quasi-bound states in the continuum (QBIC), is proposed and investigated. The metasurface sensor maintains the total permittivity constant when the asymmetric parameter is adjusted, thereby ensuring the stability of the QBIC resonance wavelengths, which exhibit Q-factors of 6351 and 13561, respectively. The multiple decompositions and electromagnetic field distributions reveal that the toroidal dipole is the dominant component of the dual-resonance modes. The sensitivities to the refractive index are 3559 nm/RIU and 1146 nm/RIU, with corresponding figures of merit of 4449 RIU−1 and 2453 RIU−1, respectively. Further numerical simulations have demonstrated a strong coupling phenomenon between the QBIC and the molecular vibrations of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), resulting in a significant enhancement of the infrared absorption signal. With the 50-nm-thick PMMA layer, the enhancement of molecular signal is 90.614%.

Enhanced UV Light Responsivity in -Oriented 2D Perovskites Realized by Pressure-induced Ultrafast Exciton Transport.

Two-dimensional (2D) <100>-oriented perovskites exhibit superior optoelectronic properties, offering significant potential in photovoltaic, light-emitting, and photodetection applications. Nevertheless, their enlarged interlayer spacing restricts longitudinal carrier transport, thereby limiting its potential applications. While <110>-oriented 2D perovskites provide a prospective solution with their compact interlayer spacing, their inherent structure, characterized by octahedra tilting, indirectly hinders carrier transport due to the generation of self-trapped excitons (STEs) caused by strong electron-phonon coupling. Here, we adeptly regulate the photoluminescence (PL) from STEs to free excitons (FEs) emission within the 2D <110>-oriented (API)PbBr4 single crystal through structure optimization under pressure treatment. Besides, we observed anisotropic FE transport with an anisotropy ratio of 4.97. The exciton mobility reaches a peak of 93.6 cm2V-1s-1 at 2.7 GPa, a value comparable to those of their three-dimensional (3D) counterparts, which is attributed to a reduction in electron-phonon coupling and exciton reduced mass. Additionally, this ultrafast exciton transport significantly enhances UV light responsivity, exhibiting an increase of approximately 5000 times at 2.7 GPa in comparison to ambient conditions. These findings highlight the prospective application of 2D <110>-oriented perovskites in high-performance optoelectronic devices through intrinsic structural modulation.

QCD Running Coupling in the Nonperturbative and Near-Perturbative Regimes

We use analytic continuation to extend the gauge-gravity duality nonperturbative description of the strong force coupling into the transition, near-perturbative, regime where perturbative effects become important. By excluding the unphysical region in coupling space from the flow of singularities in the complex plane, we derive a specific relation between the scales relevant at large and short distances; this relation is uniquely fixed by requiring maximal analyticity. The unified effective coupling model gives an accurate description of the data in the nonperturbative and the near-perturbative regions. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Measurements of jet cross-section ratios in 13 TeV proton-proton collisions with ATLAS

Measurements of jet cross-section ratios between inclusive bins of jet multiplicity are performed in 140 fb−1 of proton-proton collisions with s=13 TeV center-of-mass energy, recorded with the ATLAS detector at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. These ratios are constructed from double-differential cross-section measurements that are made in bins of jet multiplicity and other observables that are sensitive the energy scale and angular distribution of radiation due to the strong interaction in the final state. Additionally, the scalar sum of the two leading jets’ transverse momenta is measured triple differentially, in bins of the third jet’s transverse momentum and of jet multiplicity. These measurements are unfolded to account for acceptance and detector-related effects. The measured distributions are used to construct ratios of the inclusive jet-multiplicity bins, which have been shown to be sensitive to the strong coupling αS while being less sensitive than other observables to systematic uncertainties and parton distribution functions. The measured distributions are compared with state-of-the-art QCD calculations, including next-to-next-to-leading-order predictions for two- and three-jet events. These predictions are generally found to model the data well and perform best in bins with a modest requirement on the third jet’s transverse momentum. Significant differences between data and Monte Carlo predictions are observed in events with large rapidity gaps and invariant masses of the leading jet pair. Studies leading to reduced jet energy scale uncertainties significantly improve the precision of this work and are documented herein. © 2024 CERN, for the ATLAS Collaboration 2024 CERN

Impact of Cavity Length Non-uniformity on Reaction Rate Extraction in Strong Coupling Experiments.

Reports of altered chemical phenomena under vibrational strong coupling, including reaction rates, product distributions, intermolecular forces, and cavity-mediated vibrational energy transfer, have been met with a great deal of skepticism due to several irreproducible results and the lack of an accepted theoretical framework. In this work, we add some insight by identifying a UV-vis measurement artifact that distorts observed absorption peak positions, amplitudes, and consequently, chemical reaction rates extracted in optical microcavities. We predict and characterize the behavior of this artifact using the Transfer Matrix (TM) method and confirm its presence experimentally. We then present a correction technique whereby an effective molar absorption coefficient is assigned to an absorbing species within the cavity. These revelations have important implications for many existing examples of cavity-modified chemistry and establishing best practices for carrying out robust future investigations.

Strong Coupling from Inclusive Semi-leptonic Decay of Charmed Mesons

Abstract Employing the heavy quark expansion model with the kinetic scheme, we evaluate αS(mc 2), the strong coupling constant at the charm quark mass mc with data on inclusive semileptonic decays of charmed mesons. Using the experimental values of semileptonic decay widths of the D0 and the D+, the value of αS(mc 2) is determined to be 0.445±0.009±0.114, where the first uncertainty is experimental and the second systematic. This reported αS(mc 2) is in good agreement with the value of αS(mc 2) calculated by running αS(mZ 2) at the Z0 boson mass mZ with the renormalization group evolution equation. In addition, values of αS(mc 2) obtained individually from each of the D0, D+, and D+ s mesons are found to be consistent being of the same origin.Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI. Article funded by SCOAP3 and published under licence by Chinese Physical Society and the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Science and the Institute of Modern Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and IOP Publishing Ltd.

Inverse design of polaritonic devices

Polaritons, arising from the strong coupling between excitons and photons within microcavities, hold promise for optoelectronic and all-optical devices. They have found applications in various domains, including low-threshold lasers and quantum information processing. To realize complex functionalities, non-intuitive designs for polaritonic devices are required. In this contribution, we use finite-difference time-domain simulations of the dissipative Gross–Pitaevskii equation, written in a differentiable manner, and combine it with an adjoint formulation. Such a method allows us to use topology optimization to engineer the potential landscape experienced by polariton condensates to tailor its characteristics on demand. The potential directly translates to a blueprint for a functional device, and various fabrication and optical control techniques can experimentally realize it. We inverse-design a selection of polaritonic devices, i.e., a structure that spatially shapes the polaritons into a flat-top distribution, a metalens that focuses a polariton, and a nonlinearly activated isolator. The functionalities are preserved when employing realistic fabrication constraints such as minimum feature size and discretization of the potential. Our results demonstrate the utility of inverse design techniques for polaritonic devices, providing a stepping stone toward future research in optimizing systems with complex light–matter interactions.

Study of the strong coupling constants, α&lt;sub&gt;s&lt;/sub&gt; (q&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; ) of π- and K&lt;sup&gt;0&lt;/sup&gt; mesons from π&lt;sup&gt;-&lt;/sup&gt;+p and π&lt;sup&gt;-&lt;/sup&gt;+C interactions at 40 GeV/c

This paper is devoted to the production of π-and K0 mesons from π-+p→π-+X and π-+C→π-,K0+X interactions at 40 GeV/c as a function of the square of four momentum transfer. The cut parameter of the strong coupling constant is taken as Λac2=ma2+mc2. Values of the strong coupling constant are then compared to leading-order and next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD calculations for the first time. Agreement between the experimental data and theory is good, thus providing a precision test of QCD at large momentum transfers (q). The strong coupling constant αs is extracted as a function of q, showing a good agreement with the renormalisation group equation and with previous analyses. As the momentum transfers increases, the running coupling constant decreases. For each high-energy interaction, a quantity called the cut parameter is chosen differently depending on the secondary particles produced by the reaction. For each high-energy interaction, a quantity called the cut parameter is chosen differently depending on the secondary particles produced by the reaction.

From Weak- to Strong-Coupling Superconductivity in the AlB2-Type Solid Solution SrGa1-xAlxGe with Honeycomb Layers.

We report on the structure and the superconducting properties of 9-electron 111 compounds with honeycomb layers, namely SrGaGe, SrAlGe, and the SrGa1-x AlxGe solid solution. By means of single-crystal X-ray diffraction we show that, on one hand, SrGaGe &#xD; crystallizes into the centrosymmetric P6/mmm space group (a = 4.2555(2) ˚A, c = 4.7288(2) ˚A) with statistical disorder in the [GaGe]2- 6 honeycomb layers. On the other hand, we confirm that SrAlGe crystallizes in a non-centrosymmetric space group, namely P6m2 (a = 4.2942(1) ˚A, c = 4.7200(2) ˚A) with fully ordered [AlGe]2- 6 honeycomb layers. By using magnetization and specific heat measurements, we show that the superconducting properties of SrGaGe and SrAlGe differ significantly from each other. SrGaGe is a superconductor with a critical temperature of Tc = 2.6 K falling into the weak coupling limit, while SrAlGe has a Tc = 6.7 K and can be classified in the strong coupling limit. By realizing the SrGa1-x AlxGe solid solution, we were able to investigate the transition between &#xD; the different crystal structures as well as the evolution of the electronic properties. We show that the transition from the weak to the strong coupling superconductivity in this system is likely associated with the disorder-to-order transition of the honeycomb layer, along with the loss of the inversion center in the crystal structure.