Thermal metamaterials represent a transformative paradigm in modern physics, synergizing thermodynamic principles with metamaterial engineering to master heat flow at will. As next-generation technologies demand multi-scale thermal control, this field urgently requires systematic frameworks to unify its multidisciplinary advances. Curated through a global collaboration involving over 50 specialists across 25 subdisciplines, this review primarily summarizes two decades of advancements, ranging from theoretical breakthroughs to functional implementations. The review reveals groundbreaking innovations in heat manipulation through the exploration of both classical and non-classical transport regimes, topological thermal control mechanisms, and quantum-informed phonon engineering strategies. By bridging physical insights like non-Hermitian thermal dynamics and valleytronic phonon transport with cutting-edge applications, we demonstrate paradigm-shifting capabilities: environment-adaptive thermal cloaks, AI-optimized metamaterials, and nonlinear thermal circuits enabling heat-based computation. Experimental milestones include 3D thermal null media with reconfigurable invisibility and thermal designs breaking classical conductivity limits. This collaborative effort establishes an indispensable roadmap for physicists, highlighting pathways to quantum thermal management, entropy-controlled energy systems, and topological devices. As thermal metamaterials transition from laboratory marvels to technological cornerstones, this work provides the foundational lexicon and design principles for the coming era of intelligent thermal matter.
The Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (DMI) plays a crucial role in the formation of chiral magnetic structures, such as chiral domain walls and magnetic skyrmions. Recent studies have revealed that anisotropic DMI can arise in specific systems or conditions, which is essential for the formation of three-dimensional spin textures. However, the impact of anisotropic DMI on magnetic moment switching has not been comprehensively studied. In this work, we systematically investigate the influence of anisotropic DMI on spin-orbit torque (SOT)-driven magnetization switching, employing a macrospin model to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Our findings show that anisotropic DMI introduces a pronounced asymmetry in the magnetization reversal process. Simulations based on the Landau−Lifshitz−Gilbert equation further demonstrate that anisotropic DMI not only breaks the symmetry of the switching trajectory but also enhances switching efficiency by reducing the switching time. Furthermore, we demonstrate the realization of five distinct logic operations (AND, NAND, OR, NOR, NOT) within a single device, exploiting the asymmetric SOT-driven magnetization switching induced by anisotropic DMI. Overall, our results not only provide a comprehensive understanding of the role of anisotropic DMI in SOT-driven magnetic switching, but also open new avenues for the engineering of next-generation spintronic devices leveraging DMI.
Anomalous mobility edges (AMEs), separating localized from multifractal critical states, represent a novel form of localization transition in quasiperiodic systems. However, quasi-periodic models exhibiting exact AMEs remain relatively rare, limiting the understanding of these transitions. In this work, we leverage the geometric structure of flat band models to construct exact AMEs. Specifically, we introduce an anti-symmetric diagonal quasi-periodic mosaic modulation, which consists of both quasi-periodic and constant potentials, into a cross-stitch flat band lattice. When the constant potential is zero, the system resides entirely in a localized phase, with its dispersion relation precisely determined. For non-zero constant potentials, we use a simple method to derive analytical solutions for a class of AMEs, providing exact results for both the AMEs and the system’s localization and critical properties. Additionally, we propose a classical electrical circuit design to experimentally realize the system. This study offers valuable insights into the existence and characteristics of AMEs in quasi-periodic systems.
In this work, an IGZO (In−Ga−Zn−O) 2T0C DRAM (dynamic random access memory) is demonstrated as a cryogenic memory as low as 77 K. The effects of temperature on the IGZO TFTs electrical properties are investigated. We observe that the subthreshold swing (SS) is improved from 161 to 99 mV/dec with no penalty of on-state current (ION) @VTH+1 V reduction when temperature decreased from 300 to 77 K. More importantly, the corresponding VTH shift positively from −1 to 0.5 V, indicating a transition from depletion-mode to enhancement-mode of IGZO TFTs, which is crucial for the low power operation and data retention time (DRT) optimization. By integrating this IGZO TFT to 2T0C DRAM, the retention time of the DRAM cell is significantly enhanced to 8000 s at 77 K, more than 5 times longer than the one at 300 K. The optimized data retention time also results from the lower leakage current (6 × 10−18 A/μm) of at 77 K due to the suppress of carriers thermally excitation and tunneling in IGZO channel at cryogenic temperature. Additionally, a large read current margin (Idata‘1’/Idata‘0’) of approximately 103 is achieved across wide temperature range. This study demonstrates the potential of IGZO 2T0C DRAM cells for future cryogenic computing systems.
Altermagnetic materials have recently attracted significant attention due to their unique intrinsic crystal symmetry. Breaking the lattice symmetry can yield a non-negligible piezomagnetic effect, which refers to a linear relationship between strain and magnetization. We proposed a method based on
Controlling the spin angular momentum or circular polarization state of waves has crucial applications in circular dichroism spectroscopy, optical communications, and information processing. Traditional chiral metasurfaces, however, have fixed electromagnetic responses and modulation functions post-fabrication, which significantly limits their practical applications. This limitation is particularly evident in their lack of active control and tunability, hindering further development of electromagnetic functional devices. In this work, we propose a Metal−Insulator−Metal (MIM) chiral metasurface (CM) achieve multidimensional control of light based on amplitude modulation along with frequency and temperature adjustments in polarization multiplexing. Based on the design metasurface, we obtain the multi-dimensional switchable images and integrated beam splitter with varying polarization conversion properties. Additionally, a tunable anomalous reflection function also is constructed by leveraging the phase transition characteristics of vanadium dioxide. The multi-dimensionally controllable and multifunctional chiral metasurface introduces new functionalities, offering promising prospects for the design of future integrated functional devices.
Synaptic transistors are regarded as promising components for advanced artificial neural networks and hardware-based learning systems because they can emulate the fundamental biological synapse functions. One-dimensional indium zinc oxide (InZnO) nanowires, owing to their excellent charge transport and trapping properties, demonstrate tremendous potential in synaptic transistors. However, the carrier concentration in InZnO nanowires is susceptible to oxygen vacancies, which can severely influence the performance of the synaptic transistors. Herein, we present a facile and reliable scheme to control the synaptic transistor properties via an Ar plasma-assisted oxygen vacancy defect-tunable strategy. This adjusting strategy is based on the thermal diffusion of oxygen atoms bombarded by Ar ions, which increases the oxygen vacancy concentration on the surface of InZnO nanowires and further regulates the carrier concentration in the device channel. Compared with the untreated devices, the responsivity of the Ar plasma-treated devices is increased by 400%, and the memory effect is also enhanced by 230%. This oxygen vacancy regulation strategy provides a new avenue for fabricating high-performance neuromorphic computing systems.
The shift to clean energy is crucial in mitigating the harmful effects of fossil fuels on the environment. Nevertheless, as we embrace clean energy sources, particularly solar and wind energies, high-energy-density storage devices like lithium and sodium-oxygen batteries are essential. However, challenges such as the irreversibility of lithium and sodium peroxides and their non-conductivity nature on the cathode electrode hinder practical use. 2D materials, particularly
Under external biased magnetic field conditions, magnetic surface plasmon state (MSPs) can be excited on the surfaces of ferrites, endowing them with unidirectional propagation characteristics of surface waves within a certain frequency bandgap. This paper presents an absorbing material based on the non-reciprocity of MSPs of ferrites. Firstly, by utilizing the unidirectional properties of MSPs and the rational design of metal components on the surfaces of ferrites, a unidirectional transmission structure is realized, exhibiting forward transmission and backward cutoff in the non-reciprocal bandgap. Then, by adding a metal plane being added at the bottom of the structure, the entire material exhibits high-efficiency electromagnetic wave absorption within the unidirectional bandgap of the MSPs. Furthermore, by adjusting the bias magnetic field and utilizing ferrites with varying saturation magnetizations, absorptions in different frequency bands, including the P-band, can be realized. To demonstrate the presented design, a prototype is fabricated and tested. The experiment results agree well with the simulation, confirming excellent wave absorption performance. Our study offers a new approach for designing absorbing materials, with potential applications in radar stealth and electromagnetic interference reduction.
High-dimensional quantum systems offer a new playground for quantum information applications due to their remarkable advantages such as higher capacity and noise resistance. We propose potentially practical schemes for remotely preparing four- and eight-level equatorial states in complex Hilbert spaces exactly by identifying a set of orthogonal measurement bases. In these minimal-resource-consuming schemes, both pre-shared maximally and non-maximally entangled states are taken into account. The 3-, 5-, 6-, and 7-level equatorial states in complex Hilbert spaces can also be obtained by adjusting the parameters of the desired states. The evaluations indicate that our high-dimensional RSP schemes might be possible with current technology. The collection operations, necessary for our high-dimensional RSP schemes via partially entangled channels, can be avoided by encoding the computational basis in the spatial modes of single-photon systems.
We investigate the magnon blockade effect in a quantum magnonic system operating in the strong dispersive regime, where a superconducting qubit interacts dispersively with a magnonic mode in a yttrium-iron-garnet sphere. By solving the quantum master equation, we demonstrate that the magnon blockade, characterized by the second-order correlation function
The average output power and peak power scalability are the key motivation of the development of ultrafast laser systems, enabling them for a wide range of applications. The thin-disk ultrafast lasers stand out due to their advantageous geometric design. The SESAM and Kerr-lens thin disk mode-locked oscillators represent the foremost configurations available in this field. They facilitate the direct generation of high average power and high peak power ultrafast pulses at high repetition rates. These compact tabletop systems offer a compelling alternative to bulky amplifier setups and have recently achieved > 0.5 kW average power and > 100 MW peak power at a megahertz repetition rate. With the continuous pursuit of shorter pulse durations and high peak power, the significance of these oscillators is rapidly expanding. This review focuses on the recent advancements and operational trade-offs in different parameters of thin-disk mode-locked oscillators. With this, we will delve into their capabilities for generating few-cycle pulses and achieving gigawatt-level peak powers, particularly investigating their suitability for post-pulse compression. Furthermore, we will explore the potential of these laser systems for generating broadband few-cycle mid-infrared laser sources and optical parametric chirped amplification. The review will also highlight the application of thin disk oscillators for efficient high-harmonic generation and discuss the possible implementation of dual comb TD-oscillators to enable dual comb spectroscopy in less explored spectral regions such as UV and XUV.
We realize an efficient one-dimensional Raman cooling of 6Li atoms using
Thouless pumping of soliton under cyclic and slow modulation of potential opens a window to understand the interplay between topology and interaction. The dynamics of a soliton change from quantized displacement per pumping cycle to its breakdown to self-trap as time-independent nonlinearity increases. Since nonlinearity can be dynamically and flexibly tuned in ultracold atomic systems, time-dependent nonlinearity can be a new degree of freedom to control behaviors of solitons in a Thouless pump. Leveraging time-dependent nonlinearity, we can not only restore quantized displacement of soliton by avoiding self-crossing structures, but also combine topological pumping and self-trap to effectively realize fractional displacement of soliton per cycle. Surprisingly, even when time translation symmetry is broken by linearly changing nonlinearity, we can still achieve the topological transport of a soliton when the initial soliton is symmetrically distributed. Our work provides a new way for dynamical and topological control of solitons.
As an optical structure characterized by modulations in both transverse and longitudinal directions, the curved photonic lattice has been widely utilized to mimic the behaviors of electrons that are challenging to observe directly. Within the framework of quantum-optical analogies, such a mimicking approach offers additional degrees of freedom for manipulating the dynamics of light. Here, we report the realization of curved photonic lattices in atomic vapors by employing the phase difference in a two-beam interference configuration. The phase difference is introduced via an electro-optic modulator. A weak Gaussian probe field is sent into the curved photonic lattice to image the constructed structure in the context of electromagnetically induced transparency both experimentally and theoretically. In the case of sinusoidal modulation of the phase difference, the transverse oscillation of the output probe pattern is observed clearly, indicating the instantaneous and accurate control of the curved photonic lattice. It is also found that the modulation frequency can play an important role in synthesizing flat bands. This work not only presents a convenient way for producing curved photonic lattices with reconfigurability, but also puts forward a promising platform to investigate quantum-optical analogies in atomic vapors.
We conduct particle-in-cell simulations to estimate the effects of circularly and linearly polarized SEL 100 PW lasers on flat Th targets with thicknesses of 50 nm, 100 nm and 250 nm, as well as easy to manufacture conical Th targets with angularity either on the left or right. As the thickness of the three types of targets increases and under the same polarized laser, the average energy, maximum energy and energy conversion efficiency of Th ions decrease as it is well-known, and except for the circularly polarized laser hit on the conical target with angularity on the left, the Th ion beam emittance also decreases, while its beam intensity increases conversely. The linearly polarized laser, compared to the circularly polarized laser with the same laser intensity, exhibits higher beam intensity, beam emittance and energy conversion efficiency for the same type and thickness of Th target. The conical Th target with angularity on the left and intermediate thickness, compared to the flat target and conical target with angularity on the right of the same thickness, possesses both higher ion average energy up to 7 GeV and virtually the same beam intensity up to 0.8 MA under the linearly polarized laser. The results lead us to an easier way of controlling laser-accelerated high-quality heavy ion beam by switching to an optimal laser-target configuration scheme, which may enable the synthesis of superheavy nuclei in a high-temperature and high-density extreme plasma environment in astronuclear physics.
In the present paper we address the general problem of selective electrodynamic interactions between DNA and protein, which is motivated by decades of theoretical study and our very recent experimental findings providing a first evidence for their activation. Inspired by the Davydov and Holstein−Fröhlich models describing electron motion along biomolecules, and using a model Hamiltonian written in second quantization, the time-dependent variational principle is used to derive the dynamical equations of the system. We demonstrate the efficacy of this second-quantized model for a well-documented biochemical system consisting of a restriction enzyme, EcoRI, which binds selectively to a palindromic six-base-pair target within a DNA oligonucleotide sequence to catalyze a DNA double-strand cleavage. The time-domain Fourier spectra of the electron currents numerically computed for the DNA fragment and for the EcoRI enzyme, respectively, exhibit a cross-correlation spectrum with a sharp co-resonance peak. When the target DNA recognition sequence is randomized, this sharp co-resonance peak is replaced with a broad and noisy spectrum. Such a sequence-dependent charge transfer phenomenology is suggestive of a potentially rich variety of selective electrodynamic interactions influencing the coordinated activity of DNA substrates, enzymes, transcription factors, ligands, and other proteins under realistic biochemical conditions characterized by electron−phonon excitations.
