Condense matter

Identifying topological phases for a strongly correlated theory remains a non-trivial task, as defining order parameters, such as Berry phases, is not straightforward. Quantum information theory is capable of identifying topological phases for a theory that exhibits quantum phase transition with a suitable definition of order parameters that are related to different entanglement measures for the system. In this work, we study entanglement entropy for a coupled SSH model, both in the presence and absence of Hubbard interaction and at varying interaction strengths...

Modulating interlayer coupling modes can effectively enhance the thermoelectric properties of nano materials or nanoscale devices. By using density functional theory (DFT) combined with non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) method, we investigate the thermoelectric properties of zigzag-type black arsenic nanoscale devices with varying interlayer coupling modes. Our results show that altering the interlayer coupling mode significantly modulates the thermoelectric properties of the system. Specifically, we consider four coupling modes with different strengths, by modulating different interlayer overlap patterns...

Here, we report the influence of Jahn-Teller active Cu substitution on the charge-ordering characteristics of one of the well-known manganite Pr0.45 Sr0.55 MnO3 (S55) which exhibits distorted tetragonal structure ( I4/mcm symmetry).Magnetization studies reveal that S55 exhibitsferromagnetic (FM) ordering with Curie temperature, TC ~220.5 K, antiferromagnetic (AFM) ordering below the Néel temperature TN ~ 207.6 K, and charge-ordering (CO) transition TCO ~ 210 K which are in-line with the specific heat CP (T) data...

Modern microscopy techniques can be used to investigate soft nano-objects at the nanometer scale. However, time-consuming microscopy measurements combined with low numbers of observable polydisperse objects often limit the statistics. We propose a method for identifying the most representative objects from their respective point clouds. These point cloud data are obtained, for example, through the localization of single emitters in super-resolution fluorescence microscopy. External stimuli, such as temperature, can cause changes in the shape and properties of adaptive objects...

Chirality as an asymmetric property is prevalent in nature. In physics, the chirality of the elementary particles that make up matter has been widely studied and discussed, and nowadays, the concept has developed into the field of phonons. As an important fundamental excitation in condensed matter physics, phonons are traditionally considered to be linearly polarized and nonchiral. However, in recent years, the chirality of phonons has been revealed and further experimentally verified. The discovery has triggered a series of new explorations and developments in phonon-related physical processes...

Sericin protein possesses excellent biocompatibility, antioxidation, and processability. Nevertheless, manufacturing large quantities of strong and tough pure regenerated sericin materials remains a significant challenge. Herein, we design a lightweight structural sericin film with high ductility by combining radical chain polymerization reaction and liquid-solid phase inversion method. The resulting polyacrylonitrile grafted sericin films exhibit the ability to switch between high strength and high toughness effortlessly, the maximum tensile strength and Young's modulus values are 21...

Graphene rings have great prospects in the fields of biological modulators, electrochemical biosensors, and resonators, but are prone to wrinkling which can affect their physical properties. This work establishes a theoretical model predicting the torsional wrinkling behavior of defective monolayer graphene rings, which provides direct understanding and reliable accuracy of the wrinkle levels. Then the thermal conductivity of wrinkled graphene rings is studied considering different wrinkle levels, defect concentrations and radii...

Bottom-up synthesis from molecular precursors is a powerful route for the creation of novel synthetic carbon-based low-dimensional materials, such as planar carbon lattices. The wealth of conceivable precursor molecules introduces a significant number of degrees-of-freedom for the design of materials with defined physical properties. In this context, a priori knowledge of the electronic, vibrational and optical properties provided by modern ab initio simulation methods can act as a valuable guide for the design of novel synthetic carbon-based building blocks...

Novel hyperuniform materials are emerging as an active field of applied and basic research since they can be designed to have exceptional physical properties. This ubiquitous state of matter presents a hidden order that is characterized by the density of constituents of the system being uniform
at large scales, as in a perfect crystal, although they can be isotropic and disordered like a liquid. In the quest for synthesizing hyperuniform materials in experimental conditions, the impact of finite-size effects remains as an open question to be addressed...

Disorder hyperuniformity is a recently discovered exotic state of many-body systems that possess a hidden order in between that of a perfect crystal and a completely disordered system. Recently, this novel disordered state has been observed in a number of quantum materials including amorphous 2D graphene and silica, which are endowed with unexpected electronic transport properties. Here, we numerically investigate 1D atomic chain models, including perfect crystalline, disordered stealthy hyperuniform (SHU) as well as randomly perturbed atom packing configurations to obtain a quantitative understanding of how the unique stealthy hyperuniform disorder affects the vibrational properties of these low-dimensional materials...

Moiré-pattern-based potential engineering has become an important way to explore exotic physics in a variety of two-dimensional condensed matter systems. While these potentials have induced correlated phenomena in almost all commonly studied 2D materials, monolayer graphene has remained an exception. We demonstrate theoretically that a single layer of graphene, when placed between two bulk boron nitride crystal substrates with the appropriate twist angles, can support a robust topological ultraflat band emerging as the second hole band...

Liquid protein condensates play important roles in orchestrating subcellular organization and as biochemical reaction hubs. Recent studies have linked lipid membranes to proteins capable of forming liquid condensates, and shown that biophysical parameters, like protein enrichment and restricted diffusion at membranes, regulate condensate formation and size. However, the impact of membrane topography on liquid condensates remains poorly understood. Here, we devised a cell-free system to reconstitute liquid condensates on lipid membranes with microstructured topographies and demonstrated that lipid membrane topography is a significant biophysical regulator...

We theoretically study pairing (double-strand complexation) of semiflexible wormlike chains (WLC) due to their side-to-side attraction. Considering binding of two WLCs of high stiffness we start with the case of infinite stiffness of one chain which is replaced with a straight bar. A combination of the quantitative transfer matrix approach with scaling arguments in terms of trains, loops of different sizes, tails and supertrains allowed us to characterize all the regimes of semiflexible chain adsorption on a bar...

In recent years, higher-order topological phases have attracted great interest in various fields of physics. These phases have protected boundary states at lower-dimensional boundaries than the conventional first-order topological phases due to the higher-order bulk-boundary correspondence. In this review, we summarize current research progress on higher-order topological phases in both crystalline and non-crystalline systems. We firstly introduce prototypical models of higher-order topological phases in crystals and their topological characterizations...

Cell-matrix adhesions connect the cytoskeleton to the extracellular environment and are essential for maintaining the integrity of tissue and whole organisms. Remarkably, cell adhesions can adapt their size and composition to an applied force such that their size and strength increases proportionally to the load. Mathematical models for the clutch-like force transmission at adhesions are frequently based on the assumption that mechanical load is applied tangentially to the adhesion plane. Recently, we suggested a molecular mechanism that can explain adhesion growth under load for planar cell adhesions...

Previous studies on the generalized XY model have concentrated on the equilibrium phase diagram and the equilibrium nature of distinct phases under varying parameter conditions. We direct our attention towards examining the system's evolution towards equilibrium states across different parameter values, specifically by varying the relative strengths of ferromagnetic and nematic interactions. We study the kinetics of the system, using the temporal annihilation dynamics of defects at varying temperatures and its impact on the coarsening behavior of the system...

We performed a comprehensive study on the electrical characteristics, lattice dynamics, and structural stability of Cs2 SnBr6 double perovskites. The origin and symmetry of the four phonon modes active in Raman scattering are clearly identified by combining mirco-Raman spectroscopy and first-principle calculations, that is, one external translational mode of the Cs+ lattice with T2g symmetry and three internal modes of the octahedral with A1g, Eg, and T2g symmetries. Our results show a significant correlation with first-principles calculations, validating using a band-structured electronic approach to understanding the behavior of charge carriers, and electron-phonon interactions in Cs2 SnBr6 ...

The presence of hematite (Fe2O3) clusters at low coverage on titanium dioxide (TiO2) sur-
face has been observed to enhance photocatalytic activity, while excess loading of hematite is
detrimental. We conduct a comprehensive density functional theory study of Fe2O3 clusters
adsorbed on the anatase TiO2 (101) surface to investigate the effect of Fe2O3 on TiO2. Our
study shows that TiO2 exhibits improved photocatalytic properties with hematite clusters at
low coverage, as evidenced by a systematic study conducted by increasing the number of cluster
adsorbates...

We present the ab-initio temperature and pressure dependent thermoelastic properties of body-centered cubic tungsten. The temperature dependent quasi-harmonic elastic constants are computed at several reference volumes including both the phonon and the electronic excitations contribution to the free energy and interpolated at different temperatures and pressures. Good agreement with the experimental elastic constants on a single crystal at ambient pressure is found.
The pressure and temperature dependence of the shear sound velocity measured on polycrystalline tungsten by Qi et al...

Flexible photodetectors have exotic significance in recent years due to their enchanting potential in future optoelectronics. Moreover, paper-based fabricated photodetectors with outstanding flexibility unlock new avenues for future wearable electronics. Such photodetector has captured scientific interest for its efficient photoresponse properties due to the extraordinary assets like significant absorptive efficiency, surface morphology, material composition, affordability, bendability, and biodegradability...