Frontiers of Physics

ISSN 2095-0462

ISSN 2095-0470(Online)

CN 11-5994/O4

2019 Impact Factor: 2.502

封面图片   2018年, 第13卷 第5期
The authors present a series of invisibility concentrators with simplified material parameters beyond transformation optics. One of them can achieve the perfect invisible effect at frequencies of Fabry–Pérot resonances, while others have very small scattering. The required materials are feasible in practice. Analytical calculations and numerical si [展开] ...
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2018年, 第13卷 第5期 出版日期:2018-10-19

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Dynamics of coherence-induced state ordering under Markovian channels
Long-Mei Yang, Bin Chen, Shao-Ming Fei, Zhi-Xi Wang
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 130310-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0780-4

摘要   PDF (6459KB)

We study the dynamics of coherence-induced state ordering under incoherent channels, particularly four specific Markovian channels: amplitude damping channel, phase damping channel, depolarizing channel and bit flit channel for single-qubit states. We show that the amplitude damping channel, phase damping channel, and depolarizing channel do not change the coherence-induced state ordering by l1 norm of coherence, relative entropy of coherence, geometric measure of coherence, and Tsallis relative α-entropies, while the bit flit channel does change for some special cases.

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Multi-hop teleportation in a quantum network based on mesh topology
Xiao-Qin Gao, Zai-Chen Zhang, Bin Sheng
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 130314-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0766-2

摘要   PDF (935KB)

In this paper, we propose a mesh-topology-based multi-hop teleportation scheme for a quantum network. By using the proposed scheme, quantum communication can be realized between two arbitrary nodes, even when they do not share a direct quantum channel. Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen pairs are used as quantum channels. The source node (initial sender) and all intermediate nodes make Bell measurements independently. They send the results to the destination node (final receiver) by classical channels. The quantum state can be determined from the Bell measurement result, and only the destination node is required for simple unitary transformation. This method of simultaneous measurement contributes significantly to quantum network by reducing the hop-by-hop transmission delay.

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General hyperentanglement concentration for polarizationspatial- time-bin multi-photon systems with linear optics
Hong Wang, Bao-Cang Ren, Ai Hua Wang, Ahmed Alsaedi, Tasawar Hayat, Fu-Guo Deng
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 130315-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0801-3

摘要   PDF (319KB)

Hyperentanglement has attracted considerable attention recently because of its high-capacity for longdistance quantum communication. In this study, we present a hyperentanglement concentration protocol (hyper-ECP) for nonlocal three-photon systems in the polarization, spatial-mode, and timebin partially hyperentangled Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger (GHZ) states using the Schmidt projection method. In our hyper-ECP, the three distant parties must perform the parity-check measurements on the polarization, spatial-mode, and time-bin degrees of freedom, respectively, using linear optical elements and Pockels cells, and only two identical nonlocal photon systems are required. This hyper-ECP can be directly extended to the N-photon hyperentangled GHZ states, and the success probability of this general hyper-ECP for a nonlocal N-photon system is the optimal one, regardless of the photon number N.

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Vortex-pair states in spin-orbit-coupled Bose–Einstein condensates with coherent coupling
Yong-Kai Liu, Hong-Xia Yue, Liang-Liang Xu, Shi-Jie Yang
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 130316-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0821-z

摘要   PDF (4024KB)

Three types of vortex-pair are identified in two-component Bose–Einstein condensates (BEC) of different kinds of spin-orbit coupling. One type holds the two vortices in one component of the twocomponent condensates. Both the other two types hold a vortex in each component of the twocomponent condensates, and exhibit meron-pair textures that have either null or unit topological charge, respectively. The cores of the two vortices are connected by a string of the relative phase jump. These vortex pairs can be generated from a vortex-free wave packet by incorporating different non- Abelian gauge field into the BEC. When a Rabi coupling is introduced, the distance between the two cores is effectively controlled by the Rabi coupling strength and a transition of vortex configurations is observed.

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Precise detection of multipartite entanglement in fourqubit Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger diagonal states
Xiao-Yu Chen, Li-Zhen Jiang, Zhu-An Xu
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 130317-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0799-6

摘要   PDF (351KB)

We propose a method of constructing the separability criteria for multipartite quantum states on the basis of entanglement witnesses. The entanglement witnesses are obtained by finding the maximal expectation values of Hermitian operators and then optimizing over all possible Hermitian operators. We derive a set of tripartite separability criteria for the four-qubit Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger (GHZ) diagonal states. The derived criterion set contains four criteria that are necessary and sufficient for the tripartite separability of the highly symmetric four-qubit GHZ diagonal states; the criteria completely account for the numerically obtained boundaries of the tripartite separable state set. One of the criteria is just the tripartite separability criterion of the four-qubit generalized Werner states.

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Degradation of Grover’s search under collective phase flips in queries to the oracle
Alexey E. Rastegin
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 130318-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0825-8

摘要   PDF (323KB)

We address the case in which querying the oracle in Grover’s algorithm is exposed to noise including phase distortions. The oracle-box wires can be altered by an opposing party that tries to prevent reception of correct data from the oracle. This situation reflects an experienced truth that any access to prophetic knowledge cannot be common and direct. To study this problem, we introduce a simple model of collective phase distortions on the basis of a phase-damping channel. In the model, the probability of success is not altered via the oracle-box wires per se. Phase distortions of the considered type can hardly be detected via any one-time query to the oracle. However, the probability of success is significantly changed when such errors are introduced as an intermediate step in the Grover iteration. We investigate the probability of success with respect to variations of the parameter that characterizes the amount of phase errors. It turns out that the probability of success decreases significantly even if the error is not very high. Moreover, this probability quickly reduces to the value of one half, which corresponds to the completely mixed state. We also study trade-off relations between quantum coherence and the probability of success in the presence of noise of the considered type.

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Towards quantum entanglement of micromirrors via a two-level atom and radiation pressure
Zhi-Rong Zhong, Xin Wang, Wei Qin
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 130319-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0824-9

摘要   PDF (654KB)

We propose a method to entangle two vibrating microsize mirrors (i.e., mechanical oscillators) in a cavity optomechanical system. In this scheme, we discuss both the resonant and large-detuning conditions, and show that the entanglement of two mechanical oscillators can be achieved with the assistance of a two-level atom and cavity-radiation pressure. In the resonant case, the operation time is relatively short, which is desirable to minimize the effects of decoherence. While in the large-detuning case, the cavity is only virtually excited during the interaction. Therefore, the decay of the cavity is effectively suppressed, which makes the efficient decoherence time of the cavity to be greatly prolonged. Thus, we observe that this virtual-photon process of microscopic objects may induce the entanglement of macroscopic objects. Moreover, in both cases, the generation of entanglement is deterministic and no measurements on the atom and the cavity are required. These are experimentally important. Finally, the decoherence effect and the experimental feasibility of the proposal are briefly discussed.

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Two-qubit entangled state teleportation via optimal POVM and partially entangled GHZ state
Kan Wang, Xu-Tao Yu, Zai-Chen Zhang
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 130320-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0832-9

摘要   PDF (524KB)

Quantum teleportation is of significant meaning in quantum information. In this paper, we study the probabilistic teleportation of a two-qubit entangled state via a partially entangled Greenberger- Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) state when the quantum channel information is only available to the sender. We formulate it as an unambiguous state discrimination problem and derive exact optimal positive-operator valued measure (POVM) operators for maximizing the probability of unambiguous discrimination. Only one three-qubit POVM for the sender, one two-qubit unitary operation for the receiver, and two cbits for outcome notification are required in this scheme. The unitary operation is given in the form of a concise formula, and the fidelity is calculated. The scheme is further extended to more general case for transmitting a two-qubit entangled state prepared in arbitrary form. We show this scheme is flexible and applicable in the hop-by-hop teleportation situation.

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Heralded amplification of single-photon entanglement with polarization feature
Yu-Yu Jin, Sheng-Xian Qin, Hao Zu, Lan Zhou, Wei Zhong, Yu-Bo Sheng
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 130321-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0823-x

摘要   PDF (483KB)

Heralded noiseless amplification is beneficial in overcoming transmission photon loss in a noisy quantum channel. We propose a single-photon-assisted heralded noiseless amplification protocol of the singlephoton entanglement (SPE), where the single-photon qubit has an arbitrary unknown polarization feature. We focus on both the complete and partial photon loss during the transmission process. After the amplification, the parties can recover the pure less-entangled SPE into a maximally entangled SPE and increase its fidelity. Moreover, the polarization feature of the single-photon qubit will be well preserved and not be leaked. Our protocol can be realized under our current experimental condition. Based on the features above, our protocol may be useful in the quantum secure communication schemes that encode information in the polarization degree of freedom of photons.

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Evolution of a two-mode squeezed vacuum for amplitude decay via continuous-variable entangled state approach
Xiang-Guo Meng, Ji-Suo Wang, Bao-Long Liang, Cheng-Xuan Han
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 130322-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0856-1

摘要   PDF (4882KB)

Extending the recent work completed by Fan et al. [Front. Phys. 9(1), 74 (2014)] to a two-mode case, we investigate how a two-mode squeezed vacuum evolves when it undergoes a two-mode amplitude dissipative channel, with the same decay rate κ, using the continuous-variable entangled state approach. Our analytical results show that the initial pure-squeezed vacuum state evolves into a definite mixed state with entanglement and squeezing, decaying over time as a result of amplitude decay. We also investigate the time evolutions of the photon number distribution, the Wigner function, and the optical tomogram in this channel. Our results indicate that the evolved photon number distribution is related to Jacobi polynomials, the Wigner function has a standard Gaussian distribution (corresponding to the vacuum) at long periods, losing its nonclassicality due to amplitude decay, and a larger squeezing leads to a longer decay time.

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Black ring entropy from the Weyl tensor
Ze-Wei Zhao, Chun-Kai Yu, Nan Li
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 130401-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0789-8

摘要   PDF (178KB)

A black ring is an asymptotically flat vacuum solution of the n-dimensional Einstein equations with an event horizon of topology S1×Sn−3. In this study, a connection between the black ring entropy and the Weyl tensor Cμνλρ is explored by interpreting the Weyl scalar invariant CμνλρCμνλρ as the entropy density in five-dimensional space-time. It is shown that the proper volume integral of CμνλρCμνλρ for a neutral black ring is proportional to the black ring entropy in the thin-ring limit. Similar calculations are extended to more general cases: a black string, a black ring with two angular momenta, and a black ring with a cosmological constant. The proportionality is also found to be valid for these complex black objects at the leading order.

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Cluster synchronization in complex network of coupled chaotic circuits: An experimental study
Ben Cao, Ya-Feng Wang, Liang Wang, Yi-Zhen Yu, Xin-Gang Wang
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 130505-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0775-1

摘要   PDF (3014KB)

By a small-size complex network of coupled chaotic Hindmarsh-Rose circuits, we study experimentally the stability of network synchronization to the removal of shortcut links. It is shown that the removal of a single shortcut link may destroy either completely or partially the network synchronization. Interestingly, when the network is partially desynchronized, it is found that the oscillators can be organized into different groups, with oscillators within each group being highly synchronized but are not for oscillators from different groups, showing the intriguing phenomenon of cluster synchronization. The experimental results are analyzed by the method of eigenvalue analysis, which implies that the formation of cluster synchronization is crucially dependent on the network symmetries. Our study demonstrates the observability of cluster synchronization in realistic systems, and indicates the feasibility of controlling network synchronization by adjusting network topology.

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Dynamics of clustering patterns in the Kuramoto model with unidirectional coupling
Xia Huang, Jin Dong, Wen-Jing Jia, Zhi-Gang Zheng, Can Xu
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 130506-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0783-1

摘要   PDF (2152KB)

We study the synchronization transition in the Kuramoto model by considering a unidirectional coupling with a chain structure. The microscopic clustering features are characterized in the system. We identify several clustering patterns for the long-time evolution of the effective frequencies and reveal the phase transition between them. Theoretically, the recursive approach is developed in order to obtain analytical insights; the essential bifurcation schemes of the clustering patterns are clarified and the phase diagram is illustrated in order to depict the various phase transitions of the system. Furthermore, these recursive theories can be extended to a larger system. Our theoretical analysis is in agreement with the numerical simulations and can aid in understanding the clustering patterns in the Kuramoto model with a general structure.

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Machine learning of frustrated classical spin models (II): Kernel principal component analysis
Ce Wang, Hui Zhai
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 130507-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0798-7

摘要   PDF (2044KB)

In this work, we apply a principal component analysis (PCA) method with a kernel trick to study the classification of phases and phase transitions in classical XY models of frustrated lattices. Compared to our previous work with the linear PCA method, the kernel PCA can capture nonlinear functions. In this case, the Z2 chiral order of the classical spins in these lattices is indeed a nonlinear function of the input spin configurations. In addition to the principal component revealed by the linear PCA, the kernel PCA can find two more principal components using the data generated by Monte Carlo simulation for various temperatures as the input. One of them is related to the strength of the U(1) order parameter, and the other directly manifests the chiral order parameter that characterizes the Z2 symmetry breaking. For a temperature-resolved study, the temperature dependence of the principal eigenvalue associated with the Z2 symmetry breaking clearly shows second-order phase transition behavior.

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Cross and joint ordinal partition transition networks for multivariate time series analysis
Heng Guo, Jia-Yang Zhang, Yong Zou, Shu-Guang Guan
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 130508-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0805-0

摘要   PDF (12303KB)

We propose the construction of cross and joint ordinal pattern transition networks from multivariate time series for two coupled systems, where synchronizations are often present. In particular, we focus on phase synchronization, which is a prototypical scenario in dynamical systems. We systematically show that cross and joint ordinal pattern transition networks are sensitive to phase synchronization. Furthermore, we find that some particular missing ordinal patterns play crucial roles in forming the detailed structures in the parameter space, whereas the calculations of permutation entropy measures often do not. We conclude that cross and joint ordinal partition transition network approaches provide complementary insights into the traditional symbolic analysis of synchronization transitions.

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Fluctuation relations for heat exchange in the generalized Gibbs ensemble
Bo-Bo Wei
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 130510-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0822-y

摘要   PDF (423KB)

In this work, we investigate the heat exchange between two quantum systems whose initial equilibrium states are described by the generalized Gibbs ensemble. First, we generalize the fluctuation relations for heat exchange discovered by Jarzynski and Wójcik to quantum systems prepared in the equilibrium states described by the generalized Gibbs ensemble at various generalized temperatures. Secondly, we extend the connections between heat exchange and the Rényi divergences to quantum systems under generic initial conditions. These relations are applicable for quantum systems with conserved quantities and universally valid for quantum systems in the integrable and chaotic regimes.

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Perfect invisibility concentrator with simplified material parameters
Meng-Yin Zhou, Lin Xu, Lu-Chan Zhang, Jiang Wu, Yan-Bo Li, Huan-Yang Chen
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 134101-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0764-4

摘要   PDF (1313KB)

We present a series of invisibility concentrators with simplified material parameters beyond transformation optics. One of them can achieve the perfect invisible effect at frequencies of Fabry–Pérot resonances, while others have very small scattering. The required materials are feasible in practice. Analytical calculations and numerical simulations confirm the functionalities of these devices.

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Blueprints for real-world invisibility
Philip Ball
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 134102-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0816-9

摘要   PDF (91KB)
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Three-dimensional atom localization via spontaneous emission in a four-level atom
Fei Song, Jin-Yu Chen, Zhi-Ping Wang, Ben-Li Yu
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 134208-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0817-8

摘要   PDF (1238KB)

We investigate high-precision three-dimensional (3D) atom localization in a coherently-driven, fourlevel atomic system via spontaneous emission. Space-dependent atom-field interactions allow atomic position information to be obtained by measuring spontaneous emission. By properly varying system parameters, atoms within a certain range can be localized with nearly a probability of 100% and a maximal resolution of ~0.04λ. This scheme may be useful for the high-precision measurement of the center-of-mass wave functions of moving atoms and in atom nanolithography.

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Engineering multipartite steady entanglement of distant atoms via dissipation
Zhao Jin, S.-L. Su, Ai-Dong Zhu, Hong-Fu Wang, Shou Zhang
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 134209-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0826-7

摘要   PDF (2432KB)

We propose a scheme for generating an entangled state for three atoms trapped in separate optical cavities that are coupled to each other through two optical fibers based on coherent driving and dissipation, which are induced by the classical fields and the decay of non-local bosonic modes, respectively. In our scheme, the interaction time need not be controlled strictly in the overall dynamics process, and the cavity field decay can be changed into a vital resource. The numerical simulation shows that the fidelity of the target state is insensitive to atomic spontaneous emission, and our scheme is good enough to generate the W state of distant atoms with a high fidelity and purity. In addition, the present scheme can also be generalized to prepare the N-partite W state of distant atoms.

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Discrete Boltzmann model for implosion- and explosion-related compressible flow with spherical symmetry
Ai-Guo Xu, Guang-Cai Zhang, Yu-Dong Zhang, Pei Wang, Yang-Jun Ying
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 135102-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0777-z

摘要   PDF (6562KB)

To kinetically model implosion- and explosion-related phenomena, we present a theoretical framework for constructing a discrete Boltzmann model (DBM) with spherical symmetry in spherical coordinates. To achieve this goal, a key technique is to use localCartesian coordinates to describe the particle velocity in the kinetic model. Therefore, geometric effects, such as divergence and convergence, are described as a “force term”. To better access the nonequilibrium behavior, even though the corresponding hydrodynamic model is one-dimensional, the DBM uses a discrete velocity model (DVM) with three dimensions. A new scheme is introduced so that the DBM can use the same DVM regardless of whether or not there are extra degrees of freedom. As an example, a DVM with 26 velocities is formulated to construct the DBM at the Navier–Stokes level. Via the DBM, one can study simultaneously the hydrodynamic and thermodynamic nonequilibrium behaviors in implosion and explosion processes that are not very close to the spherical center. The extension of the current model to a multiple-relaxation-time version is straightforward.

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High-pressure polymorphs of LiPN2: A first-principles study
Jian Lv, Xin Yang, Dan Xu, Yu-Xin Huang, Hong-Bo Wang, Hui Wang
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 136104-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0774-2

摘要   PDF (10843KB)

In this work, high-pressure phase behavior of LiPN2 within 0–300 GPa was studied by using an unbiased structure searching method in combination with first-principles calculations. Three pressureinduced phase transitions were predicted, as tI16→hR4→cF64→oP8 at 44, 136, and 259 GPa, respectively. The six-fold coordination environments were found for all high-pressure polymorphs, which are substantially different from the four-fold coordination environments observed in the tI16 structure. The hR4 and cF64 structures consist of close-packed PN6 and LiN6 octahedra connected by edge-sharing, whereas the oP8 structure is built up from edge- and face-sharing PN6 and LiN6 octahedra with N lying in the center of the trigonal prisms. The electronic structure analysis reveals that LiPN2 is a semiconductor within the pressure range studied and P-N and Li-N bonds are covalent and ionic, respectively. The results obtained are expected to provide insight and guidance for future experiments on LiPN2 and other alkali metal nitridophosphates.

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A novel hybrid sp-sp2 metallic carbon allotrope
Qun Wei, Quan Zhang, Mei-Guang Zhang, Hai-Yan Yan, Li-Xin Guo, Bing Wei
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 136105-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0787-x

摘要   PDF (2603KB)

In this paper, we propose a novel hybrid sp-sp2 monoclinic carbon allotrope mC12. This allotrope is a promising light metallic material, the mechanical and electronic properties of which are studied based on first-principles calculations. The structure of this new mC12 is mechanically and dynamically stable at ambient pressure and has a low equilibrium density due to its large cell volume. Furthermore, calculations of the elastic constants and moduli reveal that mC12 has a rigid mechanical property. Finally, it exhibits metallic characteristics, owing to the mixture of sp-sp2 hybrid carbon atoms.

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Analytic calculation of high-order corrections to quantum phase transitions of ultracold Bose gases in bipartite superlattices
Zhi Lin, Wanli Liu
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 136402-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0811-1

摘要   PDF (918KB)

We clarify some technical issues in the present generalized effective-potential Landau theory (GEPLT) to make the GEPLT more consistent and complete. Utilizing this clarified GEPLT, we analytically study the quantum phase transitions of ultracold Bose gases in bipartite superlattices at zero temperature. The corresponding quantum phase boundaries are analytically calculated up to the third-order hopping, which are in excellent agreement with the quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) simulations.

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Controlled growth of complex polar oxide films with atomically precise molecular beam epitaxy
Fang Yang, Yan Liang, Li-Xia Liu, Qing Zhu, Wei-Hua Wang, Xue-Tao Zhu, Jian-Dong Guo
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 136802-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0769-z

摘要   PDF (3297KB)

At heterointerfaces between complex oxides with polar discontinuity, the instability-induced electric field may drive electron redistribution, causing a dramatic change in the interfacial charge density. This results in the emergence of a rich diversity of exotic physical phenomena in these quasi-two-dimensional systems, which can be further tuned by an external field. To develop novel multifunctional electronic devices, it is essential to control the growth of polar oxide films and heterointerfaces with atomic precision. In this article, we review recent progress in control techniques for oxide film growth by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). We emphasize the importance of tuning the microscopic surface structures of polar films for developing precise growth control techniques. Taking the polar SrTiO3 (110) and (111) surfaces as examples, we show that, by keeping the surface reconstructed throughout MBE growth, high-quality layer-by-layer homoepitaxy can be realized. Because the stability of different reconstructions is determined by the surface cation concentration, the growth rate from the Sr/Ti evaporation source can be monitored in real time. A precise, automated control method is established by which insulating homoepitaxial SrTiO3 (110) and (111) films can be obtained on doped metallic substrates. The films show atomically well-defined surfaces and high dielectric performance, which allows the surface carrier concentration to be tuned in the range of ~1013/cm2. By applying the knowledge of microstructures from fundamental surface physics to film growth techniques, new opportunities are provided for material science and related research.

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Ferroelectric polarization reversal tuned by magnetic field in a ferroelectric BiFeO3/Nb-doped SrTiO3 heterojunction
Pei Li, Zhao-Meng Gao, Xiu-Shi Huang, Long-Fei Wang, Wei-Feng Zhang, Hai-Zhong Guo
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 136803-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0819-6

摘要   PDF (13070KB)

Interfacial resistive switching of a ferroelectric semiconductor heterojunction is highly advantageous for the newly developed ferroelectric memristors. Moreover, the interfacial state in the ferroelectric semiconductor heterojunction can be gradually modified by polarization reversal, which may give rise to continuously tunable resistive switching behavior. In this work, the interfacial state of a ferroelectric BiFeO3/Nb-doped SrTiO3 junction was modulated by ferroelectric polarization reversal. The dynamics of surface screening charges on the BiFeO3 layer was also investigated by surface potential measurements, and the decay of the surface potential could be speeded up by the magnetic field. Moreover, ferroelectric polarization reversal of the BiFeO3 layer was tuned by the magnetic field. This finding could provide a method to enhance the ferroelectric and electrical properties of ferroelectric BiFeO3 films by tuning the magnetic field.

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First-principles study of electronic structure and magnetic properties of SrTi1−xMxO3 (M= Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, or Ni)
Xin-Long Dong, Kun-Hua Zhang, Ming-Xiang Xu
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 137106-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0807-x

摘要   PDF (3745KB)

We used first-principles calculations to conduct a comparative study of the structure and the electronic and magnetic properties of SrTiO3 doped with a transition metal (TM), namely, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, or Ni. The calculated formation energies indicate that compared with Sr, Ti can be substituted more easily by the TM ions. The band structures show that SrTi0.875Cr0.125O3 and SrTi0.875Co0.125O3 are half metals, SrTi0.875Fe0.125O3 is a metal, and SrTi0.875Mn0.125O3 is a semiconductor. The 3d TM-doped SrTiO3 exhibits various magnetic properties, ranging from ferromagnetism (Cr-, Fe-, and Co-doped SrTiO3) to antiferromagnetism (Mn-doped SrTiO3) and nonmagnetism (Ni-doped SrTiO3). The total magnetic moments are 4.0μB, 6.23μB, and 2.0μB for SrTi0.75Cr0.25O3, SrTi0.75Fe0.25O3, and SrTi0.75Co0.25O3, respectively. Room-temperature ferromagnetism can be expected in Cr-, Fe-, and Co-doped SrTiO3, which agrees with the experimental observations. The electronic structure calculations show that the spin polarizations of the 3d states of the TM atoms are responsible for the ferromagnetism in these compounds. The magnetism of TM-doped SrTiO3 is explained by the hybridization between the TM-3d states and the O-2p states.

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Pressure-induced superconducting ternary hydride H3SXe: A theoretical investigation
Da Li (李达), Yan Liu (刘妍), Fu-Bo Tian (田夫波), Shu-Li Wei (魏书丽), Zhao Liu (刘召), De-Fang Duan (段德芳), Bing-Bing Liu (刘冰冰), Tian Cui (崔田)
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 137107-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0818-7

摘要   PDF (15109KB)

In general, heavy elements contribute only to acoustic phonon modes, which are less important for the superconductivity of hydrides. However, it was revealed that the heavier elements could enhance the phonon-mediated superconductivity in ternary hydrides. In the H3S–Xe system, a novel H3SXe compound was discovered by first-principle calculations. The structural phase transitions of H3SXe under high pressures were studied. The R-3m phase of H3SXe was predicted to appear at pressures above 80 GPa, which transitions to C2/m, P-3m1, and Pm-3m phases at pressures of 90, 160, and 220 GPa, respectively. It has been anticipated that the Pm-3m-H3SXe phase with a similar structural feature as that of Im-3m-H3S is a potential high-temperature superconductor with a Tc of 89 K at 240 GPa. The Tc value of H3SXe is lower than that of H3S at high pressure. The “H3S” host lattice of Pm- 3m-H3SXe is a crucial factor influencing the Tc value. The Xe atoms could accelerate the hydrogen-bond symmetrization. With the increase of the atomic number, the Tc value linearly increases in the H3S–noble-gas-element system. This indicates that the superconductivity can be modulated by changing the relative atomic mass of the noble-gas element.

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Efimov effect in Dirac semi-metals
Pengfei Zhang, Hui Zhai
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 137204-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0800-4

摘要   PDF (1123KB)

The Efimov effect is defined as a quantum state with discrete scaling symmetry and a universal scaling factor. It has attracted considerable interests from nuclear to atomic physics communities. In a Dirac semi-metal, when an electron interacts with a static impurity through a Coulombic interaction, the same kinetic scaling and the interaction energy results in the Efimov effect. However, even when the Fermi energy lies exactly at the Dirac point, the vacuum polarization of the electron-hole pair fluctuation can still screen the Coulombic interaction, which leads to deviations from the scaling symmetry and eventually breaks down of the Efimov effect. This energy distortion of the Efimov states due to vacuum polarization is a relativistic electron analogy of the Lamb shift for the hydrogen atom. Motivated by the recent experimental observations in two- and three-dimensional Dirac semi-metals, we herein investigate this many-body correction to the Efimov effect and the conditions that allow some of the Efimov-like quasi-bound states to be observed in these condensed matter experiments.

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A critical path approach for elucidating the temperature dependence of granular hopping conduction
Tsz Chun Wu, Juhn-Jong Lin, Ping Sheng
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 137205-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0814-y

摘要   PDF (511KB)

We revisit the classical problem of granular hopping conduction’s σ∝exp[–(T0/T)] temperature dependence, where σ denotes conductivity, T is temperature, and T0 is a sample-dependent constant. By using the hopping conduction formulation in conjunction with the incorporation of the random potential that has been shown to exist in insulator-conductor composites, it is demonstrated that the widely observed temperature dependence of granular hopping conduction emerges very naturally through the immediate-neighbor critical-path argument. Here, immediate-neighbor pairs are defined to be those where a line connecting two grains does not cross or by-pass other grains, and the critical-path argument denotes the derivation of sample conductance based on the geometric percolation condition that is marked by the critical conduction path in a random granular composite. Simulations based on the exact electrical network evaluation of finite-sample conductance show that the configurationaveraged results agree well with those obtained using the immediate-neighbor critical-path method. Furthermore, the results obtained using both these methods show good agreement with experimental data on hopping conduction in a sputtered metal-insulator composite Agx(SnO2)1–x, where x denotes the metal volume fraction. The present approach offers a relatively straightforward and simple explanation for the temperature behavior that has been widely observed over diverse material systems, but which has remained a puzzle in spite of the various efforts made to explain this phenomenon.

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Quantum anomalous Hall effect and giant Rashba spin-orbit splitting in graphene system co-doped with boron and 5d transition-metal atoms
Xinzhou Deng, Hualing Yang, Shifei Qi, Xiaohong Xu, Zhenhua Qiao
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 137308-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0806-y

摘要   PDF (13516KB)

Quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE) is a fundamental quantum transport phenomenon in condensed matter physics. Until now, the QAHE has only been experimentally realized for Cr/V-doped (Bi, Sb)2Te3 but at an extremely low observational temperature, thereby limiting its potential application in dissipationless quantum electronics. By employing first-principles calculations, we study the electronic structures of graphene co-doped with 5d transition metal and boron atoms based on a compensated np co-doping scheme. Our findings are as follows: i) The electrostatic attraction between the n- and p-type dopants effectively enhances the adsorption of metal adatoms and suppresses their undesirable clustering. ii) Hf-B and Os-B co-doped graphene systems can establish long-range ferromagnetic order and open larger nontrivial band gaps because of the stronger spin-orbit coupling with the non-vanishing Berry curvatures to host the high-temperature QAHE. iii) The calculated Rashba splitting energies in Re–B and Pt–B co-doped graphene systems can reach up to 158 and 85 meV, respectively, which are several orders of magnitude higher than the reported intrinsic spin-orbit coupling strength.

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Alkali-metal-induced topological nodal line semimetalin layered XN2 (X= Cr, Mo, W)
Ali Ebrahimian, Mehrdad Mehrdad Dadsetaniz
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 137309-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0815-x

摘要   PDF (7576KB)

Based on first principles calculations and the K·p effective model, we propose that alkali metal deposition on the surface of hexagonal XN2 (X= Cr, Mo, W) nanosheets induces topologically nontrivial phases in these systems. When spin orbit coupling (SOC) is disregarded, the electron-like conduction band from N-pz orbitals can be considered to cross the hole-like valence band from X-d2z orbitals, thereby giving rise to a topological nodal line state in lithium-functionalized XN2 sheets (Li2MoN2 and Li2WN2). Such band crossing is protected by the existence of mirror reflection and time reversal symmetry. More interestingly, the bands cross exactly at the Fermi level, and the linear dispersion regions of such band crossings extend to as high as 0.9 eV above the crossing. For Li2CrN2, the results reveal the emergence of a Dirac cone at the Fermi level. Our calculations show that lattice compression decreases the thickness of a Li2CrN2 nanosheet, leading to phase transition to a nodal line semimetal. The evolution of the band gap of Li2XN2 at the Γ point indicates that the nontrivial topological character of Li2XN2 nanolayers is stable over a large strain range. When SOC is included, the band crossing point is gapped out giving rise to quantum spin Hall states in Li2CrN2 nanosheets, while for Li2MoN2, the SOC-induced gap at the crossing points is negligible.

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Enhancing the magnetoelectric coupling of Co4Nb2O9[100] by substituting Mg for Co
Zhen Li, Yi-Ming Cao, Yin Wang, Ya Yang, Mao-Lin Xiang, You-Shuang Yu, Bao-Juan Kang, Jin-Cang Zhang, Shi-Xun Cao
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 137503-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0827-6

摘要   PDF (2267KB)

We report experimental studies on enhancing the magnetoelectric (ME) coupling of Co4Nb2O9 by substituting the non-magnetic metal Mg for Co. A series of single crystal Co4−xMgxNb2O9 (x = 0, 1, 2, 3) with a single-phase corundum-type structure are synthesized using the optical floating zone method, and the good quality and crystallographic orientations of the synthesized samples are confirmed by the Laue spots and sharp XRD peaks. Although the Néel temperatures (TN) of the Mg substituted crystals decrease slightly from 27 K for pure Co4Nb2O9 to 19 K and 11 K for Co3MgNb2O9 and Co2Mg2Nb2O9, respectively, the ME coupling is doubly enhanced by Mg substitution when x = 1. The ME coefficient αME of Co3MgNb2O9 required for the magnetic field (electric field) control of electric polarization (magnetization) is measured to be 12.8 ps/m (13.7 ps/m). These results indicate that the Mg substituted Co4−xMgxNb2O9 (x = 1) could serve as a potential candidate material for applications in future logic spintronics and logic devices.

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Wideband high-efficient linear polarization rotators
Zheng-Yong Song, Qiong-Qiong Chu, Xiao-Peng Shen, Qing Huo Liu
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 137803-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0779-x

摘要   PDF (9604KB)

We demonstrate a wideband polarization rotator with characteristics of high efficiency and large-range incidence angle by using a very simple anisotropic reflective metasurface. The calculated results show that reflection coefficient of cross polarization is larger than 71% over an octave frequency bandwidth from ~4.9 GHz to ~10.4 GHz. The proposed metasurface can still work very well even at incidence angle of 60?. The experiment at microwave frequencies is carried out and its results agree well with the simulated ones.

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Molecular dynamics study of nanodroplet diffusion on smooth solid surfaces
Zhao-Xia Niu, Tao Huang, Yong Chen
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 137804-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0772-4

摘要   PDF (4359KB)

We perform molecular dynamics simulations of Lennard–Jones particles in a canonical ensemble to study the diffusion of nanodroplets on smooth solid surfaces. Using the droplet-surface interaction to realize a hydrophilic or hydrophobic surface and calculating the mean square displacement of the center-of-mass of the nanodroplets, the random motion of nanodroplets could be characterized by shorttime subdiffusion, intermediate-time superdiffusion, and long-time normal diffusion. The short-time subdiffusive exponent increases and almost reaches unity (normal diffusion) with decreasing droplet size or enhancing hydrophobicity. The diffusion coefficient of the droplet on hydrophobic surfaces is larger than that on hydrophilic surfaces.

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Molecular-scale processes affecting growth rates of ice at moderate supercooling
Rui Wang, Li-Mei Xu, Feng Wang
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 138116-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0808-9

摘要   PDF (5578KB)

The growth kinetics of ice are modeled using the Water Potential from Adaptive Force Matching for Ice and Liquid (WAIL) potential with molecular dynamics. The all-atom WAIL model provides a good description of the properties of both ice and liquid with an equilibrium temperature of 270 K at 1 bar. The growth kinetics captured by this model can thus reflect those of real ice. Our simulation indicates that the growth rate of ice on the basal plane is fastest at approximately 20 K supercooling, consistent with experimental findings, where the growth rate increases monotonically as the supercooling increases to 18 K. The key factors that control the growth kinetics leading to the optimal growth temperature are investigated. The simulation revealed a bilayer-by-bilayer growth mechanism on the basal plane that proceeds in two steps. Whereas water molecules lose translational motion and become ice-like quickly, the establishment of orientational order to form ice is a slow and activated process. Enhanced by the templating effect of sublayers, the rapid reduction in translational motion in the formation of the prefreezing layer might explain the significantly faster growth rate relative to the nucleation rate of water. Whereas remelting of the prefreezing layer is observed at low supercooling and may be responsible for the lower growth rate close to the melting temperature, the slow orientational ordering of the prefreezing layer into the final ice conformation is partly responsible for the reduced growth rate at deeper supercooling.

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Reconceptualizing kinesin’s working cycle as separate chemical and mechanical processes
Hui-Juan Xu, Tong Tong, Rui-Zheng Hou, Hong-Rong Li
Frontiers of Physics. 2018, 13 (5): 138206-.  
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0776-0

摘要   PDF (1211KB)

The biomolecular motor kinesin uses chemical energy released from a fuel reaction to generate directional movement and produce mechanical work. The underlying physical mechanism is not fully understood yet. To analyze the energetics of the motor, we reconceptualize its chemomechanical cycle in terms of separate fuel reaction and work production processes and introduce a thermodynamic constraint to optimize the cycle. The model predicts that the load dependences of the motor’s velocity, stepping ratio, and dwell time are determined by the mechanical parameters of the motor–track system rather than the fuel reaction rate. This behavior is verified using reported experimental data from wild-type and elongated kinesins. The fuel reaction and work production processes indicate that kinesin is driven by switching between two chemical states, probably following a general pattern for molecular motors. The comparison with experimental data indicates that the fuel reaction processes are close to adiabatic, which is important for efficient operation of the motor. The model also suggests that a soft, short neck linker is important for the motor to maintain its load transport velocity.

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