Synthetic Field Research Articles

Realization of all-band-flat photonic lattices

Flatbands play an important role in correlated quantum matter and have promising applications in photonic lattices. Synthetic magnetic fields and destructive interference in lattices are traditionally used to obtain flatbands. However, such methods can only obtain a few flatbands with most bands remaining dispersive. Here we realize all-band-flat photonic lattices of an arbitrary size by precisely controlling the coupling strengths between lattice sites to mimic those in Fock-state lattices. This allows us to go beyond the perturbative regime of strain engineering and group all eigenmodes in flatbands, which simultaneously achieves high band flatness and large usable bandwidth. We map out the distribution of each flatband in the lattices and selectively excite the eigenmodes with different chiralities. Our method paves a way in controlling band structure and topology of photonic lattices.

Enhancing the resolution of three‐dimensional migration images based on space‐variant point spread function deconvolution

AbstractImproving the resolution of seismic migration images plays an important role for geophysical interpreters to characterize underground reservoirs. However, the classical image domain least‐squares migration method based on the local‐stationary assumption cannot obtain a satisfactory high‐resolution seismic image due to the significant spatial variant characteristics of the point spread function. To mitigate this problem, we proposed a high‐resolution point spread function deconvolution method and applied it to two‐dimensional cases. Nevertheless, extending the two‐dimensional method to three‐dimensional problems directly would fail due to the intrinsic complexity in three‐dimensional cases. In this study, we resolve the differences encountered in the point spread function deconvolution method for two‐ and three‐dimensional cases and provide specific strategies for achieving high‐resolution imaging with low computational cost when extending the point spread function deconvolution method to three‐dimensional cases. The main schemes include (1) incorporating the analytical expression of the point spread function to guide the generation of three‐dimensional point spread function distributions, (2) extending the point spread function filter calculation method from a two‐dimensional square to a three‐dimensional rectangular prism and (3) interpolating to obtain more compact point spread functions for reducing migration artefacts. Results from the three‐dimensional synthetic Overthrust model and field data set demonstrate that our techniques could effectively enhance the spatial resolution of the migration images with reduced migration artefacts. With these specific strategies, the space‐variant point spread function deconvolution algorithm shows superior performance on three‐dimensional cases at a much lower computational cost compared with the classical least‐squares migration method and the local‐stationary deblurring method. Synthetic tests and real data applications confirm that the space‐variant point spread function deconvolution method has distinct advantages over both two‐ and three‐dimensional problems and can be widely adopted in practice.

Research on electromagnetic field characteristics of rotating-magnet based mechanical antenna through the earth

Conventional low-frequency electromagnetic wave (LFEM) transmitting antennas are enormous in size, which limits the application of LFEM in underground space. Rotating-magnet Based Mechanical Antennas can realize the miniaturization of low-frequency antennas, which is expected to bring new possibilities for underground electromagnetic detection or ground penetration communication. Firstly, this paper establishes a synthetic field method for solving the electromagnetic field of a rotating permanent magnet in the air-earth cross-domain case. The method equates the magnet as an orthogonal superposition of vertical and horizontal dipole sources, and the phase difference between vertical and horizontal dipole sources is 𝜋/2. Based on the half-space theory of multilayer planar media, the quasi-analytical solution of the electromagnetic field of the magnetic dipole in the case of air-earth trans dimensionality can be found by superposition. Secondly, based on the finite element numerical model, the trans-earth propagation characteristics of the electromagnetic field excited by the rotating permanent magnet across the air-earth dual domain are studied. At the same time, the radiation characteristics in the rotating plane of the permanent magnet are also studied. Again, this paper systematically investigates the influence of parameters such as earth conductivity, emission frequency, and propagation distance on the electromagnetic field propagation. Finally, the principle prototype is developed and experiments are carried out. The results show that the finite element numerical model established in this paper is correct, the experimental results are consistent with the theoretical values, and a field strength signal of 0.9 nT can be received at 20 m. The research work in this paper lays the foundation for the future use of mechanical antennas for electromagnetic detection and ground penetration communication.

Development of a Load Model Validation Framework Applied to Synthetic Turbulent Wind Field Evaluation

The validation of aeroelastic load models used for load calculations on wind turbines substantially increases the confidence in the accuracy and correctness of these models. In this contribution, we introduce a framework for the validation of these models, integrating a normalized area metric as an objective, quantifiable validation metric that considers the entire statistical distribution of a model and a benchmark and additionally enables a comparison of model accuracy between sensors of different physical units. The framework is applied to test cases that evaluate varying synthetic turbulent wind fields. Two test cases with a focus on turbulence parameters and abnormal shear conditions based on comprehensive wind measurements at the Testfeld Bremerhaven are used to demonstrate the workflow with four different members using IEC-compliant and measurement-derived wind field parameters, respectively. Along with these measurements, an uncertainty model for synthetic wind fields is introduced to quantify propagated wind measurement uncertainties associated with the measured boundary conditions during a validation campaign. The framework is presented as a straightforward and concise methodology to not only find but also quantify mismatches of load models. Major mismatches are found for wind fields associated with larger uncertainties in the mean wind field due to a reduced spatial resolution of measurements.

Electromagnetic interference compensation method of TMR current sensor

TMR current sensor has excellent characteristics such as high sensitivity, good temperature characteristics, and wide dynamic range, which can meet the new needs of smart grid development. However, the measured value of the output of the TMR current sensor changes with the change in the spatial magnetic field strength. External electromagnetic interference will bring large errors and DC bias to the measurement of the sensor, resulting in a narrowing of the measurement current range. Therefore, an electromagnetic interference compensation method for TMR current sensor is proposed. Two TMR chips are used to measure the synthetic magnetic field signal and the interference magnetic field signal, respectively. Then the output signals of the two TMR chips are compensated and reduced by the signal conditioning unit. The final output analog signal is the magnetic field intensity signal generated by the current of the line to be tested without interference. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by field tests.

3-D probability density imaging of Euler solutions using gravity data: a case study of Mount Milligan, Canada

Euler deconvolution is a widely used automatic or semi-automatic method for potential field data. However, it yields many spurious solutions that complicate interpretation and must be reduced, eliminated, recognized, or ignored during interpretation. This study proposes a post-processing algorithm that converts Euler solutions produced by tensor Euler deconvolution of gravity data with an unprescribed structural index into probability values (p values) using the B-spline series density estimation (BSS) method. The p values of the Euler solution set form a probability density distribution on the estimation grid. The BSS method relies on the fact that while spurious solutions are sparse and ubiquitous, Euler deconvolution yields many similar or duplicate solutions, which may tightly cluster near real sources. The p values of the Euler solution clusters form multi-layered isosurfaces that can be used to discriminate neighboring target sources because the p values of spurious solutions are vanishingly small, making it simple to remove their interference from the probability density distribution. In all synthetic cases, the geometric outlines of anomaly sources are estimated from probability density isosurfaces approximating synthetic model parameters. The BSS method was then applied to airborne gravity data from Mount Milligan, British Columbia, Canada. Subsequently, results from synthetic models and field data show that the proposed method can successfully localize meaningful geological targets.

Synthetic Non-Abelian Gauge Fields for Non-Hermitian Systems

Synthetic Non-Abelian Gauge Fields for Non-Hermitian Systems

Gauge‐Flux‐Induced Anti‐Pt Phase Transitions for Extreme Control of Channel‐Drop Tunneling

AbstractParity‐time (PT) and anti‐parity‐time (anti‐PT) symmetries have provided important guiding principles in the research of non‐Hermitian physics. However, realizations of anti‐PT symmetry in photonic systems usually rely on optical nonlinearities and indirect‐coupling approaches. Here, they apply the channel interference principle mediated by synthetic gauge‐flux biasing in open‐cavity systems to construct anti‐PT symmetries. It is shown that a specific π‐flux biasing into a looped‐resonator array can force a frequency degeneracy between pairwise Bloch modes therein. By further coupling the array into two external waveguides with tailored positions of ports, the system near the degeneracy point can be described by an anti‐PT‐symmetric Hamiltonian. When a real gauge‐flux detuning is introduced, the system undergoes a spontaneous transition between anti‐PT and anti‐PT‐broken phases, through which the two extreme cases of complete channel‐drop tunneling and complete tunneling suppression can be switched. Finally, by superimposing a PT‐symmetric term onto the anti‐PT‐symmetric Hamiltonian via applying an imaginary gauge‐flux biasing, extreme channel‐drop amplifying effects can be further realized by exciting the “lasing” mode under the critical‐coupling condition. The work bridges the physical connection between synthetic gauge field and anti‐PT symmetry. This paradigm may also find many applications from optical routing, and switching to buffering and amplifying on a chip–scale platform.

Spin-orbit-coupled fractional oscillators and trapped Bose-Einstein condensates.

We study the ensemble of pseudo-spin 1/2 ultracold bosons, performing Lévy flights, confined in a parabolic potential. The (pseudo-) spin-orbit coupling (SOC) is additionally imposed on these particles. We consider the structure and dynamics of macroscopic pseudospin qubits based on Bose-Einstein condensates, obtained from the above "fractional" bosons. Under "fractional" we understand the substitution of the ordinary second derivative (kinetic energy term) in the Gross-Pitaevskii equationby a so-called fractional Laplacian, characterized by the Lévy index μ. We show that the joint action of interparticle interaction, SOC, and Zeeman splitting in a synthetic magnetic field makes the dynamics of corresponding qubit highly nontrivial with evident chaotic features at both strong interactions and Lévy indices μ→1 when the Lévy trajectories of bosons with long jumps dominated over those derived from ordinary Gaussian distribution, corresponding to μ=2. Using analytical and numerical arguments, we discuss the possibilities to control the above qubit using the synergy of SOC, interaction strength, and "fractionality," characterized by the Lévy index μ.

Are volatile methylsiloxanes in downcycled tire microplastics? Levels and human exposure estimation in synthetic turf football fields

Downcycled rubber, derived from end-of-life tires (ELTs), is frequently applied as crumb rubber (CR) as infill of synthetic turf in sports facilities. This practice has been questioned in recent years as numerous studies have reported the presence of potentially hazardous chemicals in this material. CR particles fall into the category of microplastics (MPs), making them possible vectors for emerging micropollutants. A preliminary study where volatile methylsiloxanes (VMSs) were found in CR originated the hypothesis that VMSs are present in this material worldwide. Consequently, the present work evaluates for the first time the levels and trends of seven VMSs in CR from synthetic turf football fields, while attempting to identify the main sources and impacts of these chemicals. A total of 135 CR samples and 12 other of alternative materials were analyzed, employing an ultrasound-assisted dispersive solid-phase extraction followed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and the presence of VMSs was confirmed in all samples, in total concentrations ranging from 1.60 to 5089 ng.g−1. The levels were higher in commercial CR (before field application), a reflection of the use of VMS-containing additives in tire production and/or the degradation of silicone polymers employed in vehicles. The VMSs generally decreased over time on the turf, as expected given their volatile nature and the wearing of the material. Finally, the human exposure doses to VMSs in CR (by dermal absorption and ingestion) for people in contact with synthetic turf in football fields were negligible (maximum total exposure of 20.5 ng.kgBW−1.year−1) in comparison with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) reference doses: 1.35 × 109 ng.kgBW−1.year−1 for D4 and 1.83 × 109 ng.kgBW−1.year−1 for D5. Nevertheless, more knowledge on exposure through inhalation and the combined effects of all substances is necessary to provide further corroboration. This work proved the presence of VMSs in CR from ELTs, another family of chemical of concern to take into account when studying MPs as vectors of other contaminants.

Gauge violation spectroscopy of synthetic gauge theories

Recently synthetic gauge fields have been implemented on quantum simulators. Unlike the gauge fields in the real world, in synthetic gauge fields, the gauge charge can fluctuate and gauge invariance can be violated, which leads to rich physics unexplored before. In this work, we first propose the gauge violation spectroscopy as a powerful experimentally accessible measurement of synthetic gauge theories. We show that the gauge violation spectroscopy exhibits no dispersion. Using three models as examples, two of which can be exactly solved by bosonization, and one that has been realized in experiment, we further demonstrate the gauge violation spectroscopy can be used to detect the confinement and deconfinement phases. In the confinement phase, it shows a δ-function behavior, while in the deconfinement phase, it has a finite width. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Two-dimensional synchrosqueezing transform and its application to tight channel sandstone reservoir characterization

Spectral analyses can effectively highlight the morphological characteristics of tight-channel sandstone reservoirs, which are crucial development targets in the field of unconventional oil and gas. A majority of these methods focus on trace-by-trace analyses of seismic data without lateral constraints. However, they do not depict the morphological characteristics of the channels in detail. Therefore, this study proposes a novel time-frequency (TF) analysis (TFA) method: two-dimensional synchrosqueezing transform (TDSST). The TDSST introduces a space-time window to capture the lateral variation of seismic signals. Then, from a two-dimensional (2D) purely harmonic signal, the instantaneous frequency (IF) and instantaneous wavenumber (IK) estimation formulas were strictly derived in the two-dimensional short-time Fourier transform domain. Furthermore, we define a new two-dimensional synchrosqueezing operator (TDSTO) that can squeeze the TF coefficients into the estimated IF and IK trajectories. Finally, the TDSST can effectively reflect the vertical and horizontal changes, and according to the relationship between the wave number and frequency, the wave number parameter can be determined by maximizing the energy of the TDSST. TDSST can provide a highly energy-concentrated TF representation (TFR) while allowing the reconstruction of signals. Compared to other TFA methods, TDSST can provide a more laterally continuous spectral decomposition that clearly describes tight-channel sandstone reservoirs, even in a strongly noisy environment. The reliability of TDSST is validated through the utilization of both synthetic model and seismic field data.

Multi-scale free oscillations and resonances over the continental shelf of the East China Sea from the 2011 Tohoku-Oki tsunami

A number of coastal tide gauges and offshore Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART) buoys across the Pacific Basin recorded persistent oscillations excited by the 2011 Tohoku-Oki tsunami. The hazardous persistent oscillations prompted authorities to maintain a tsunami warning for dozens of hours. Tsunami waves reached the eastern China coast about five hours after the earthquake. The duration of detected prolonged oscillations was more than 80 h. In this study, we accurately reproduced tsunami generation and its evolution over the shallow and wide continental shelf of the East China Sea (ECS). For resonance analysis, we used an advanced numerical model that can consider simultaneously the effects of kinematic rupture process, horizontal displacement on tsunami generation, and Earth elasticity, seawater compressibility, and wave dispersion on tsunami propagation. The consistency of the simulated results was validated with both coastal and offshore tsunami records. In addition, we performed a combined spectral analysis of the observed tsunami records, background noise, and synthetic tsunami wave fields to identify tsunami oscillation modes and estimate their spatial distribution, including the spectral amplitude and phase angles. Eight main oscillation modes of the 2011 Tohoku tsunami were determined with periods of 24, 28, 37, 47, 57, 93, 136, and 157 min. They were all constrained within the 200-m isobaths for dozens of hours. The 57 min oscillations mode had the highest energy amplification across most of eastern China's coast. The spatial patterns of the resonance oscillations were used to propose hazard-prone areas. Based on the comprehensive spectral analysis results, the local and shelf topography properties played a key role in the dominant resonance modes of 136, 57, and 37 min. Identification of the shelf resonance oscillations coupled with the nearshore basin oscillations can provide valuable information for coastal tsunami hazard mitigation.

Impact Deceleration Differences on Natural Grass Versus Synthetic Turf High School Football Fields

American football has the highest rate of concussions in United States high school sports. Within American football, impact against the playing surface is the second-most common mechanism of injury. The objective of this study was to determine if there is a difference in impact deceleration between natural grass and synthetic turf high school football fields. A Century Body Opponent Bag (BOB) manikin was equipped with a Riddell football helmet and 3 accelerometers were placed on the forehead, apex of the head, and right ear. The manikin was dropped from a stationary position onto its front, back, and left side onto natural grass (n = 10) and synthetic turf (n = 9) outdoor football fields owned and maintained by public and private institutions on O‘ahu, Hawai‘i. Data was collected on 1,710 total drops. All accelerometers in forward and backward falls, and 1 accelerometer in side falls showed significantly greater impact deceleration on synthetic turf compared to the natural grass surfaces (P < .05). The results of this study provide evidence-based rationale to inform youth sports policies, particularly those aimed at injury prevention through safer playing environments and equipment.

On the transport of tracer particles in two-dimensional plasma edge turbulence

Shear flows in turbulent fluids have been known to act as transport barriers for some time. An example of a shear flow generating mechanism is the E×B shear in plasma, which has a substantial impact on the dynamics of magnetic confinement fusion devices. The influence of this may be seen in the scrape-off layer where blobs or filaments may be sheared and velocity impacted, and in the edge and core of the plasma, where the formation of transport barriers and suppression of turbulence is strongly associated with such shearing effects. A dynamical picture of transport through these effects has been elusive—the development of a reduced model would be beneficial. We consider the application of an “observational” random walk to such transport, in order to determine whether it is a suitable approach upon which to base the development of reduced models. The observational random walk is modification of the random walk approach, introducing an intrinsic time separating observations, which reproduces the basic results of previous random walk models given a Gaussian jump function, assuming spatially homogenous jump function. We demonstrate that the jump function can be inferred from the statistics of passive particles propagated by E×B drift on a synthetic turbulence field and that the transport equation found from the jump function matches the expected diffusive transport very well. We, then, consider passive particles on simulations of the classic and modified Hasagawa–Wakatani equations in a statistical steady state for a variety of adiabaticity values and find normal transport in the near-hydrodynamic limit. When zonal flows appear, we find jump functions with non-Gaussian features, which result in transport equations with fractional differential terms in addition to, or in place of, diffusion terms. We surmise that the non-local fractional terms are related to the zonal flows acting as transport barriers. Overall, we find that the approach developed is a suitable starting point for the development of reduced models.

Halogen bonding and mechanochemistry combined: synthesis, characterization, and application of N-iodosaccharin pyridine complexes

Triturating N-iodosaccharin with electron-donating 4-substituted pyridines leads to either charge-neutral XB or cationic iodine(i) complexes, offering promising alternatives to the ubiquitous Barluenga's reagent as electrophilic iodination reagents.

Predicting the turbulent transport of cosmic rays via neural networks

A fast artificial neural network is developed for the prediction of cosmic ray transport in turbulent astrophysical magnetic fields. The setup is trained and tested on bespoke datasets that are constructed with the aid of test-particle numerical simulations of relativistic cosmic ray dynamics in synthetic stochastic fields. The neural network uses, as input, particle and field properties and estimates transport coefficients 107 faster than standard numerical simulations with an overall error of ∼5%.

In-situ material damping measurements using the crosshole seismic method

Crosshole seismic testing is commonly used to determine detailed and reliable wave velocity profiles. Material damping measurements can also be performed in crosshole seismic testing, but these measurements require a window function to maintain similar amplitude shapes over the frequency range of interest for the calculation. In-situ seismic testing, including downhole and seismic cone penetration testing (SCPT), also requires a window function for the material damping calculations. However, the length of the window function has the largest influence on the material damping calculation. Therefore, the half-power bandwidth method is introduced to determine the material damping ratio without the window function in crosshole testing by replicating the unconfined, free-free, resonant column (Fr-Fr) test. To demonstrate the influence in the length of the window function, the first cycle of the signal is used in the material damping calculation. The half- power bandwidth method is verified using synthetic signals and field data. Two sets of crosshole and downhole tests were performed, one at a backfill test pad and the second at a Hornsby Bend research site operated by the University of Texas at Austin. The in-situ material damping ratio calculated from these two sets of crosshole tests using the half-power bandwidth method are compare with the Spectral Ratio Slope (SRS) method applied to the downhole testing at these sites. The material damping calculated from the half-power bandwidth method using the full signal results in a reliable and precise damping value compared to the SRS method applied to the downhole data.

Multiscale and anisotropic characterization of images based on complexity: An application to turbulence

This article presents a multiscale, non-linear and directional statistical characterization of images based on the estimation of the skewness, flatness, entropy and distance from Gaussianity of the spatial increments. These increments are characterized by their magnitude and direction; they allow us to characterize the multiscale properties directionally and to explore anisotropy. To describe the evolution of the probability density function of the increments with their magnitude and direction, we use the skewness to probe the symmetry, the entropy to measure the complexity, and both the flatness and distance from Gaussianity to describe the shape. These four quantities allow us to explore the anisotropy of the linear correlations and non-linear dependencies of the field across scales. First, we validate the methodology on two-dimensional synthetic scale-invariant fields with different multiscale properties and anisotropic characteristics. Then, we apply it on two synthetic turbulent velocity fields: a perfectly isotropic and homogeneous one, and a channel flow where boundaries induce inhomogeneity and anisotropy. Our characterization unambiguously detects the anisotropy in the second case, where our quantities report scaling properties that depend on the direction of analysis. Furthermore, we show in both cases that turbulent velocity fluctuations are isotropic, when the mean velocity profile is adequately removed.

A Novel RNA Aptamer as Synthetic Inducer of DasR Controlled Transcription.

Progress in the synthetic biology field is driven by the development of new tools for synthetic circuit engineering. Traditionally, the focus has relied on protein-based designs. In recent years, the use of RNA-based tools has tremendously increased, due to their versatile functionality and applicability. A promising class of molecules is RNA aptamers, small, single-stranded RNA molecules that bind to a target molecule with high affinity and specificity. When targeting bacterial repressors, RNA aptamers allow one to add a new layer to an established protein-based regulation. In the present study, we selected an RNA aptamer binding the bacterial repressor DasR, preventing its binding to its operator sequence and activating DasR-controlled transcription in vivo. This was made possible only by the combination of an in vitro selection and subsequent in vivo screening. Next-generation sequencing of the selection process proved the importance of the in vivo screening for the discovery of aptamers functioning in the cell. Mutational and biochemical studies led to the identification of the minimal necessary binding motif. Taken together, the resulting combination of bacterial repressor and RNA aptamer enlarges the synthetic biology toolbox by adding a new level of regulation.