bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microfluidic switch based on photothermal vortices and tilted fiber Bragg grating
Authors: Kang Weide , Dong Xinyong , Bai Yunlu , Luan Tianyang , Zhou Wei , Li Zongbao , Wang Shiyue , Liu Liping , Ho Ho-Pui , Shou Qian , Xing Xiaobo
Published: February 2025

Microfluidic switches are important operating units in microfluidics that enable controlled fluid flow on the chip, providing more functionality of platform. Most fiber based photofluidic devices mainly modulate temperature gradient and microflow by varying optical power. However, only power regulation limits the diversity of the optical field, which makes it difficult to achieve microfluidic control at different localized regions. Here, optical field of a tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG) can be theoretically modulated by the incident light wavelength and direction based on the finite element method. A photothermal vortices based microfluidic switch is built by TFBG with multiple linear heat sources. In the simulation, when the incident light is coupled in the forward or reverse direction of TFBG, the reflected position of the optical field is positively moved along the grating region as the wavelength increases. In the experiment, the opening of the microfluidic at different positions and directions can be clearly observed when the wavelength-matched laser is incident at the TFBG in the forward or reverse direction. It is believed that the microfluidic switch provides ideas for more flexible operation and functional integration for photothermal microfluidic devices in the future.
Linear analysis of the cylindrical and spherical interface instability in elastic solids
Authors: Liu Yongliu , Zhang Hongping , Li Mu
Published: February 2025

A Lagrangian method is presented for solving linear perturbations of elastic solids in cylindrical and spherical geometry. The model consists of one-dimensional base equations and linearly perturbed modal component equations, and the elasticity constitutive equations and its linearized form are considered. The component equations based on perturbation expansions are described uniformly under different geometries and perturbation assumptions. In the numerical format of a linearly perturbed system, the radial and transverse numerical fluxes based on the Godunov discretization format use the same Riemann solver to ensure the consistency of the numerical scheme, and the time-step constraint scheme is empirical. Based on this method, this paper investigates the Rayleigh–Taylor instability at the interface of elastic solids in cylindrical and spherical geometries, analyzes the differences between the initial and asymptotic phases of perturbation development, and compares it with the two-dimensional theory. Furthermore, we point out the effects of pseudo-three-dimensional perturbations and finite thickness, which cannot be ignored.
Anomalous suppression of large-scale density fluctuations in classical and quantum spin liquids
Authors: Chen Duyu , Samajdar Rhine , Jiao Yang , Torquato Salvatore
Published: February 2025

Classical spin liquids (CSLs) are intriguing states of matter that do not exhibit long-range magnetic order and are characterized by an extensive ground-state degeneracy. Adding quantum fluctuations, which induce dynamics between these different classical ground states, can give rise to quantum spin liquids (QSLs). QSLs are highly entangled quantum phases of matter characterized by fascinating emergent properties, such as fractionalized excitations and topological order. One such exotic quantum liquid is the

Z
2

QSL, which can be regarded as a resonating valence bond (RVB) state formed from superpositions of dimer coverings of an underlying lattice. In this work, we unveil a hidden large-scale structural property of archetypal CSLs and QSLs known as hyperuniformity, i.e., normalized infinite-wavelength density fluctuations are completely suppressed in these systems. In particular, we first demonstrate that classical ensembles of close-packed dimers and their corresponding quantum RVB states are perfectly hyperuniform in general. Subsequently, we focus on a ruby-lattice spin liquid that was recently realized in a Rydberg-atom quantum simulator, and show that the QSL remains effectively hyperuniform even in the presence of a finite density of spinon and vison excitations, as long as the dimer constraint is still largely preserved. Moreover, we demonstrate that metrics based on the framework of hyperuniformity can be used to distinguish the QSL from other proximate quantum phases. These metrics can help identify potential QSL candidates, which can then be further analyzed using more advanced, computationally intensive quantum numerics to confirm their status as true QSLs.
Robust inattentive discrete choice
Authors: Hansen Lars Peter , Miao Jianjun , Xing Hao
Published: February 2025

Rational inattention models characterize optimal decision-making in data-rich environments. In such environments, it can be costly to look carefully at all of the information. Some information is much more salient for the decision at hand and merits closer scrutiny. The inattention decision model formalizes this choice and deduces how best to navigate through the potentially vast array of data when making decisions. In the rational formulation, the decision-maker commits fully to a subjective prior distribution over the possible states of the world that could be realized. We relax this assumption and look for a robustly optimal solution to the inattention problem by allowing the decision-maker to be ambiguity averse with respect to this prior. We feature a setup that is deliberately simple by a) assuming a discrete set of choices, b) using Shannon’s mutual information to quantify attention costs, and c) imposing relative entropy with respect to a baseline probability distribution to quantify prior divergence. We provide necessary and sufficient conditions for the robust solution and develop numerical methods to solve it. In comparison to the rational solution with no prior uncertainty, our decision-maker slants priors in more cautious or pessimistic directions when deducing how to allocate attention over the range of available information. This approach implements a form of robustness to prior misspecification, or equivalently, a form of ambiguity aversion. We explore some examples that show how the robust solution differs from the rational solution with a commitment to a subjective prior distribution and how it differs from imposing risk aversion.
Embodiment matters when establishing eye contact with a robot
Authors: Kompatsiari Kyveli , Ciardo Francesca , Wykowska Agnieszka
Published: February 2025

Eye contact constitutes a strong social signal in humans and affects various attentional processes. However, eye
contact with another human evokes different responses compared with a direct gaze of an image on a screen. The question of
interest is whether this holds also for eye contact with a robot. Previous experiments with physically present iCub humanoid robot
showed that eye contact affects participants’ orienting of attention. In the present study, we investigated whether a robot’s eye
contact on the screen could show similar effects. Specifically, in two experiments we examined the impact of eye contact on the
gaze-cueing effect (orienting of attention in response to a directional gaze shift) while we varied the timing of the events
within a trial sequence. Our results showed that the robot’s eye contact did not modulate the gaze-cueing effect (gaze-cueing
effect present in all conditions), thereby suggesting that eye contact gaze presented in a 2D format on the screen has less impact
on observers than its 3D embodied version in a physically present robot. Overall, our findings stress the importance of embodied
interactions for understanding the mechanisms of social cognition.
Designing socially assistive robots
Authors: Green Matthew , Dao Dzung , Moyle Wendy
Published: February 2025

Objectives

This study aimed to understand stakeholders’ views on design choices associated with socially assistive
robots for people with dementia.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 informal carers, one formal carer, one care centre
manager, and one person with dementia. Individual semi-structured interviews lasted 45 minutes and were conducted online via
the Microsoft Teams app or telephone. Interview transcripts were thematically analysed.

Results

Thematic analysis resulted in four main themes: physical design characteristics, functional features and
abilities, data management and operational practicalities. Animal-like robots for companionship were likely to be accepted by
people with dementia. Telepresence and service robots integrated into smart networks were viewed as communication and safety
tools. Integrating multiple robots and smart devices could provide the level of functionality required to care for people with
dementia.
Phase-restoring subpixel image registration: enhancing motion detection performance in Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography
Authors: Li Huakun , Tan Bingyao , Pandiyan Vimal Prabhu , Barathi Veluchamy Amutha , Sabesan Ramkumar , Schmetterer Leopold , Ling Tong
Published: February 2025

Phase-sensitive Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) enables in-vivo, label-free imaging of cellular movements with detection sensitivity down to the nanometer scale, and it is widely employed in emerging functional imaging modalities, such as optoretinography (ORG), Doppler OCT, and optical coherence elastography. However, when imaging tissue dynamics in vivo, inter-frame displacement introduces decorrelation noise that compromises motion detection performance, particularly in terms of sensitivity and accuracy. Here, we demonstrate that the displacement-related decorrelation noise in FD-OCT can be accurately corrected by restoring the initial sampling points using our proposed Phase-Restoring Subpixel Image Registration (PRESIR) method. Derived from a general FD-OCT model, the PRESIR method enables translational shifting of complex-valued OCT images over arbitrary displacements with subpixel precision, while accurately restoring phase components. Unlike conventional approaches that shift OCT images either in the spatial domain at the pixel level or in the spatial frequency domain for subpixel correction, our method reconstructs OCT images by correcting axial displacement in the spectral domain (k domain) and lateral displacement in the spatial frequency domain. We validated the PRESIR method through simulations, phantom experiments, and in-vivo ORG in both rodents and human subjects. Our approach significantly reduced decorrelation noise during the imaging of moving samples, achieving phase sensitivity close to the fundamental limit determined by the signal-to-noise ratio.
Thermoelectric properties of marcasite-type compounds MSb2 (M = Ta, Nb): a combined experimental and computational study
Authors: Sk Shamim , Sato Naoki , Mori Takao
Published: February 2025

Here, we investigate the thermoelectric properties of the marcasite-type compounds MSb2 (M = Ta, Nb) in the temperature range of 310–730 K. These compounds were synthesized by a solid-state reaction followed by the spark plasma sintering process. The Rietveld refinement method confirms the monoclinic phase with space group C2/m for both compounds. The observed values of Seebeck coefficients exhibit non-monotonic behaviour in the studied temperature range, with the maximum magnitude of −14.4 and −22.7 µV K−1 for TaSb2 and NbSb2, respectively at ∼444 K. The negative sign of S in the full temperature window signifies the n-type behaviour of these compounds. Both electrical and thermal conductivities show decreasing trends with increasing temperature. The experimentally observed thermoelectric properties are understood through the first-principles DFT and Boltzmann transport equation. A pseudogap in the density of states around the Fermi level characterizes the semimetallic behaviour of these compounds. The multi-band electron and hole pockets were found to be mainly responsible for the temperature dependence of transport properties. The experimental power factors are found to be ∼0.09 and ∼0.42 mW m−1 K−2 at 300 K for TaSb2 and NbSb2, respectively. We found that there is much room for improvement of power factor by tuning carrier concentration. The DFT-based calculations predict the maximum possible power factors at fairly high doping concentrations. The present study suggests that the combined DFT and Boltzmann transport theory are found to be reasonably good at explaining the experimental transport properties, and moderate power factors are predicted.
A ConvLSTM-based model for predicting thermal damage during laser interstitial thermal therapy
Authors: Gao Tingting , Liang Libin , Ding Hui , Zhang Chao , Wang Xiu , Hu Wenhan , Zhang Kai , Wang Guangzhi
Published: February 2025

Objective. Accurate prediction of thermal damage extent is essential for effective and precise thermal therapy, especially in brain laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT). Immediate postoperative contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging (CE-T1WI) is the primary method for clinically assessing in vivo thermal damage after image-guided LITT. CE-T1WI reveals a hyperintense enhancing rim surrounding the target lesion, which serves as a key radiological marker for evaluating the thermal damage extent. Although widely used in clinical practice, traditional thermal damage models rely on empirical parameters from in vitro experiments, which can lead to inaccurate predictions of thermal damage in vivo. Additionally, these models predict only two tissue states (damaged or undamaged), failing to capture three tissue states observed on post-CE-T1WI images, highlighting the need for improved thermal damage prediction methods. Approach. This study proposes a novel convolutional long short-term memory-based model that utilizes intraoperative temperature distribution history data measured by magnetic resonance temperature imaging (MRTI) during LITT to predict the enhancing rim on post-CE-T1WI images. This method was implemented and evaluated on retrospective data from 56 patients underwent brain LITT. Main results. The proposed model effectively predicts the enhancing rim on postoperative images, achieving an average dice similarity coefficient of 0.82 (

±

0.063) on the test dataset. Furthermore, it generates real-time predicted thermal damage area variation trends that closely resemble those of the traditional thermal damage model, suggesting potential for real-time prediction of thermal damage extent. Significance. This method could provide a valuable tool for visualizing and assessing intraoperative thermal damage extent.
Insights into the crystallization, topographical, and tribological properties of sustainable PEO-mica based triboelectric nanogenerators
Authors: Johnson Aliesha D , Barri Nima , Salari Meysam , Mohseni Taromsari Sara , Rastegardoost Mohammad M , Filleter Tobin , Saadatnia Zia , Naguib Hani E
Published: February 2025

Contact electrification is the primary mechanism dictating electron transfer and surface charge density for triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), making intrinsic material and physical surface properties key parameters for the interfacial charge transfer phenomena. Surface properties are governed by the morphological and textural microstructural features, including tribological interactions, topographical profiling, surface roughness, and real contact area. Therefore, understanding surface morphological effects on the triboelectric performance aids development towards adapting and optimizing surface properties. Particularly, in polymer-based composites TENGs, the surface morphology relies on polymer crystallization and interactions with reinforcing additives. This comprehensive study evaluated the effects of isothermal crystallization and the incorporation and dispersibility of raw and few-layer exfoliated muscovite mica fillers, insightfully realizing and tuning polyethylene oxide’s intrinsic properties and semi-crystalline microstructure. The full material characterization presented dramatic variations in polymer growth kinetics, chain dynamics, lamellae profiling, surface roughness, and work functions, allowing the development of a constructive triboelectric surface microstructural design guide. The crystallization temperature of 65 °C with raw mica demonstrated the greatest dielectric properties and triboelectric performance resulting in a peak-to-peak voltage, peak-to-peak current density, transferred charge density, and power density of respectively, 488 V, 45.5 mA m−2, 152 μC m−2, and 24.0 W m−2 at a load resistance of 6 MΩ. The TENG device demonstrated stable long-term voltage outputs over the duration of 12 000 contact-separation cycles and successfully self-powered natural resource environmental monitoring sensors.
Large-scale tuning of exciton binding energy and reconfiguration in van der Waals heterostructures
Authors: Chen Yingda , Lou Wenkai , Yang Wen , Chang Kai
Published: February 2025

We present an explicit framework for large-scale, in-situ control of exciton binding energy and ground-state reconfiguration in arbitrary multi-layer van der Waals heterostructures through screening effects induced by unbiased electrode gates. This method enables a reduction in exciton binding energy by up to an order of magnitude and facilitates zero-field reconfiguration of intralayer excitons. Furthermore, by applying a weak in-plane electric field, enhanced by the electrode screening, we achieve efficient intralayer-interlayer exciton reconfiguration. This approach significantly lowers the required critical field strength—by an order of magnitude compared to conventional out-of-plane fields—due to enhanced electron–hole dissociation. Our findings open new avenues for the flexible and efficient control of excitonic devices.
Perfect Fluid Kantowski-Sachs and Bianchi Type-III Spacetimes and Their ConcircularSymmetry in f(T) theory of gravity
Authors: Ali Ahmad Tawfik , Khan Suhail , Shah Syed Majid
Published: February 2025

The aim of this research is to classify Kantowski-Sachs (KS) and Bianchi type-III spacetimes through concircular vector fields in $f(T)$ gravity theory. In order to achieve our goal we first obtained field equations for KS and Bianchi type-III spacetimes with perfect fluid as source in $f(T)$ theory of gravity and then obtained the concircular symmetry equations. All these equations are solved simultaneously to obtain the vector field components. The whole process enabled us to obtain particular form of the metric functions and conformal factors. It has been found that perfect fluid KS and Bianchi type-III spacetimes allow concircular vector fields of 4-, 5-, 6-, 7- and 15-dimensions in $f(T)$ gravity theory. The torsion scalar $T$, fluid pressure and energy density are all computed in each case. It has been shown that in all cases except one case pressure and density are constants. It has been observed that pressure and density are linked as $p\,=\,-\rho$ in all the cases except two case, indicating that these spacetime metrics may represent a vacuum universe or a universe with dark energy. In one case $p\,=\,\rho$, means that the spacetime has an ordinary matter and in other case the pressure of the fluid and density are functions of the cosmic time $t$. By choosing particular values of the constants in this case, an equation of state $p\,=\,-\rho$ can be achieved.
High gain SIW integrated reconfigurable MIMO antenna in THz regime
Authors: Kulshreshtha Mayuri , Bhattacharya Rajarshi
Published: February 2025

A new design of a reconfigurable multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna with dual-band/triple-band response is presented in this article. The graphene strips are placed above the decoupling structure near the ports to create additional resonance. Graphene changes the surface current arrangement, resulting in a reconfigurable antenna response. The proposed antenna without graphene strip resonates at resonating bands (1.66–1.81 THz), and (4.11–4.69 THz) with impedance bandwidths of 8.7%, and 13.06% respectively. The proposed antenna with graphene strip resonates at (1.62–1.77 THz), (2.55–2.70 THz), and (4.16–4.79 THz) frequencies with impedance bandwidth of 4.73%, 5.7%, and 14.12% respectively. The designed antenna offers high gain (9.6 dBi) with maximum efficiency (70%). The area of the proposed antenna is 100 × 80 μm2. The proposed structure shows excellent diversity performance including ECC, DG, TARC, and channel capacity loss across all operating bands.
Influence of spread of the Josephson junction parameters on the radiation characteristics of active Josephson antennas
Authors: Galin M A , Shereshevsky I A , Vdovicheva N K , Kurin V V
Published: February 2025

The influence of spread of the Josephson junction parameters on the emission spectrum and on radiation power of the active Josephson antenna has been analyzed using direct numerical simulation. Active Josephson antennas represent superwavelength open systems with a large number of Josephson junctions radiating into open space. Critical currents and normal resistances of junctions have been considered as parameters with the spreads. It has been shown that the spread of parameters does not distort a general form of spectrum consisting from a narrow monochromatic line and a wide pedestal underneath. The dependence of the power in this line on the spread of parameters at different number of junctions in the antenna has been studied. It has been shown that the radiation power generally decreases with the increase of the spread and the greater the number of junctions in the array the less the rate of this decrease.
Phosphor-converted laser-based solid-state lighting device in transmission mode using transparent conducting oxide substrate.
Authors: Soni Aayushi , mulaveesala Ravibabu , Dubey Satish Kumar , Mehta Dalip Singh
Published: February 2025

Laser excitation of phosphorescent material (inorganic phosphor) to produce super-bright white light leads to thermal quenching. This article presents an innovative thermal heat reduction scheme that addresses the issue of phosphor heating. This study demonstrates a transparent conducting oxide film on a glass substrate under three conditions: low laser power with a heat sink, high laser power, and increased glass thickness. The characteristics of produced white light are examined in detail, and a thermal equivalent circuit is devised. Indium-tin oxide (ITO) film mitigates thermal and color instability issues, along with the flickering of a light source in transmission mode. Owing to the elevated conductivity of ITO film, it functions as a heat sink, absorbing thermal energy from the phosphor (luminescent material). It disperses to the underlying glass substrate via diffusion and into the ambient air more effectively than a conventional glass substrate. It is more economical than utilizing diamond, gold, or sapphire substrates. This work is expected to boost the applications of transmissive laser lighting. Experimental results of laser-based solid-state lighting (LBSSL) devices in transmission mode are presented utilizing indium-tin-oxide coated glass (ITOG). We observed substantial heat conduction through ITOG and reduced thermal quenching of the photoluminescent spectrum compared to standard glass.
Temperature-controlled metasurface terahertz wave modulator based on high-temperature magnetron-sputtered strontium titanate
Authors: Zhang Yong Gang , Zhang Xing Yu , Li Zhen Hua , Liang Lan Ju , Yan Xin , Yao Hai Yun , Wang Zi Qun , Hu Xiao Fei , Shi Zhao Yang , Huai Fei , Wu Jin Tao , Wang Qing Yi , Chen Yong Zhen
Published: February 2025

In this study, a series of temperature-controlled terahertz (THz) wave modulators based on a combination of magnetron-sputtered strontium titanate (STO) thin films and metasurfaces have been proposed. As the sputtering temperature increased from 25 to 600°C, the STO thin films exhibited an evolution from amorphous to polycrystalline states and thus different dielectric responses were observed in the THz band. Differences in the performance of the THz wave modulators such as differences in the variation trends of the amplitude and frequency of the resonance peaks as a function of the heating temperature were observed in the THz transmission spectra. The variation in the permittivity as a function of heating also exhibited different trends for the as-deposited STO films and fabricated modulators when the sputtering temperature was increased. Although a maximum amplitude modulation depth of 29.8% was obtained for the modulator with STO sputtered at 25°C, the frequency-shift exhibited nearly no regular variation on heating. On the contrary, amplitude as well as frequency modulations were achieved for the THz wave when the sputtering temperature of STO for the modulator exceeded 200°C. This study presents a high-temperature sputtering method for fabricating STO temperature-controlled modulators that can provide simultaneous modulation of amplitude and frequency of THz waves.
Flexible regulation for broadband of flexural wave by solid-liquid reconfigurable metastructure
Authors: Nan Xulei , Li Lixia
Published: February 2025

Metastructures have shown good application prospects in wavefront manipulation. By studying the reconfigurable characteristics of metastructure, the great potential of metastructures in the multi-functional flexible control of flexural waves can be revealed. In this paper, a broadband flexible reconfigurable elastic solid–liquid-type metastructure is proposed. By filling cylindrical cavities with different volumes of liquid, the flexural wave band structure of the solid–liquid metastructure unit cell is regulated. Based on the functional relationship between the flexural wave frequency dispersion curve and the phase, the 0–2π accurate phase change of the flexural wave over a broadband range is realized. The design of subwavelength elastic metastructure based on the generalized Snell’s law realizes the specified angular refraction of flexural waves over a wide range of frequencies without the need to remanufacture the metastructure. In addition, based on the bandgap properties of metamaterials, a metastructure for bidirectional selective transmission of flexural waves is designed. Finally, by changing the height of the liquid surface, the multiple functions of the solid–liquid reconfigurable metastructure in beam focusing and the phenomenon of generating non-diffracting Bessel beam are demonstrated. And when focusing the beam, we find a phenomenon, which uses a fixed phase profile to achieve flexural wave focusing at different frequencies. The reconfigurable solid–liquid type metastructure proposed in this paper provide a modulation for the active regulating of elastic flexural waves within a wide range of frequency, and provides a new idea for the development of reconfigurable elastic metastructure.
Isolation enhancement and RCS reduction MIMO antenna using polarization conversion metasurface
Authors: Li Yujun , Tang Ziyue , Zhang Di , Chen Qiang , Zhu Zhenbo , Huang Min , Cheng Houyuan
Published: February 2025

An isolation enhancement and radar cross section (RCS) reduction multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna is proposed with the simple rectangular polarization conversion metasurface (PCM). The distance between the compact antenna elements is only 0.19λ. In order to enhance antenna isolation and reduce RCS, PCM unit and its image are loaded in the middle area, floor area and patch area of the antenna. The PCM not only weakens the coupling field between the ports, enhances the isolation of the antenna, but also affects the propagation of the incoming wave reflection wave and reduces the RCS of the antenna. Loading PCM to solve both coupling and scattering problems is an innovation in this paper. The relative size of the antenna is1.27 × 0.64 × 0.07λ
0
3, the working band is 4.28 GHz to 9.48 GHz, the relative bandwidth is 75.58%, and the isolation is increased to more than 16 dB. Other MIMO diversity parameters, such as envelope correlation coefficient (ECC), diversity gain (DG), mean effective gain (MEG), total active reflection coefficient (TARC), and channel capacity loss (CCL) are calculated and determined within the limits. The monostatic RCS reduction frequency band includes the in-band 6 GHz to 9.48 GHz and out-of-band 9.48 GHz to 22 GHz of the antenna, and the total relative bandwidth reaches 114.29%. In this paper, the metasurface improves the performance of antenna mutual coupling and scattering, and realizes the integrated design of metasurface antenna radiation and scattering, which is of great significance for antenna design.
Vibrational properties and lattice thermal conductivity of bulk and monolayer ZrS2 at finite temperatures
Authors: Li Wei , Xue Feng-ning , Zhao Peng-bo , Lu Yong
Published: February 2025

The traditional three-phonon scattering approach cannot adequately reflect the anharmonic phonon properties of the ZrS2 system due to its strong intrinsic anharmonicity. In this study, the vibrational properties and lattice thermal conductivity of both bulk and monolayer ZrS2 were investigated using large-scale machine learning force field molecular dynamics simulations and the anharmonic phonon approach, where all orders of anharmonic interactions between phonons caused by temperature were considered. At finite temperatures, the predicted Raman-active in-plane E
g
mode of the bulk phase ZrS2 decreases, while the inter-plane A1g
mode shifts to the blue, in agreement with experimental observations. Due to the competition between the chemical bond ionicity and phonon anharmonicity, the vibrational stiffness and frequency of the A1g
mode in monolayer ZrS2 exhibit inverse temperature-dependent behavior compared to the bulk phase. Phonon linewidths and scattering rates increase significantly with temperature, indicating stronger anharmonic interactions in ZrS2. The lattice thermal conductivity of bulk ZrS2 is significantly reduced when anharmonic phonon scattering beyond three-phonon processes is considered, with an average value of 1.91 ± 0.08 Wm−1K−1 at 300 K, which aligns with experimental results. Acoustic phonon modes dominate heat transport, with the lifetime of the TA mode being particularly temperature-sensitive. Monolayer ZrS2 exhibits enhanced lattice thermal conductivity, more than twice that of the bulk, due to the reduced unit cell volume and increased phonon lifetimes.
Sub-nanosecond threshold switching dynamics in GeTe4 ovonic threshold switching selector devices
Authors: Panneerselvam Sakthikumaran , Khan Salman , Manivannan Anbarasu
Published: February 2025

The threshold switching (TS) dynamics of Ovonic Threshold Switching (OTS) selector devices play a pivotal role in the programming speeds of Phase Change Random Access Memory (PCRAM) and Selector Only Memory (SOM). The TS phenomenon in amorphous selector devices rapidly reduces the initial high-resistance state to a low-resistance state within nanoseconds. In this work, we present a detailed experimental study of the time-resolved transient threshold switching characteristics of GeTe4 OTS devices, including measurements of delay time and holding voltage. The voltage-dependent delay time analysis reveals an exponential decrease in the delay time for the increase in the applied voltage above the threshold voltage. Moreover, the delay time rapidly decreased by an order for 10% increase over the steady-state threshold voltage. Furthermore, the lowest delay time of approximately 300 picoseconds was observed for the input voltage of 1.8 V, i.e. 50% higher than the steady state threshold voltage. These experimental findings on sub-nanosecond threshold switching dynamics in GeTe4 OTS devices pave the way for the development of high-speed PCRAM and SOM devices.
A practically oriented, efficient alternative to the Monte Carlo method for measurement uncertainty estimation
Authors: Degenhardt Johannes , Tutsch Rainer , Hu Xiukun , Dai Gaoliang
Published: February 2025

This paper addresses the problem of uncertainty estimation for measurements made with computationally expensive numerical models, which are increasingly applied today. Typically, the Monte Carlo method (MCM) is used for uncertainty propagation in these cases. However, due to its stochastic nature, the MCM is inefficient, requiring a large number of model evaluations and thus resulting in long computation times. In this paper, an efficient alternative to the MCM is introduced. By using systematic samples of the influence quantities which are individually propagated through the measurement model, the overall number of required model evaluations can by drastically reduced. Additionally, the new method offers the possibility to simplify the measurement model for further reduced computational effort. The distributions of the propagated samples are reconstructed using a method specifically designed for systematic samples and combined to the uncertainty distribution of the measurand using convolution. The new method does not only offer increased computational efficiency but also a high information yield, as it estimates the uncertainty distribution of the measurand and the uncertainty contribution of individual influence quantities.
Method of Detecting Beta Radiation Using 3D-Printed Porous Plastic Scintillator
Authors: Zhang Haiying , Huang Yanjun , Guo Guiyin , Sun Xuefeng
Published: February 2025

The novel porous plastic scintillator (PPS) material has potential application prospects in the field of radioactivity detection. In this paper, the PPS columns were printed with Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology, which was applied to β detection in a liquid scintillation counter. The efficiency can reach 3.3% for 3H, 43.5% for 14C, and 67.6% for 90Sr, respectively. The memory effect could be reduced to less than 0.5% with a round of rinsing. It proposes a new solution for β detection, which demonstrates significant value in the field of radionuclide detection in the future.
Experimental Study on the Directional and Graded Conversion of Ferrous Oxalate and Ferric Hydroxide from Red Mud
Authors: Zhang Xingying , Chen Wei , Fu Shiyi , Liu Hongpan
Published: February 2025

Red mud is a highly alkaline industrial solid waste generated by the alumina industry. Its stacking and disposal not only occupy land resources, but also cause environmental pollution. It is of great significance to separate and purify target compounds from complex mixtures of red mud based on their resource utilization properties. Ferrous oxalate and ferric hydroxide were prepared by oriented conversion based on redox reaction and chemical precipitation in this research. The products prepared were characterized by XRD, SEM and IR under different conditions (iron powder, ascorbic acid and photocatalysis). The results show that the two-stage acid leaching process can improve the leaching rate of iron from red mud significantly, and the experimental of oriented conversion of ferrous oxalate and ferric hydroxide from red mud with reproducibility. The sample prepared with ascorbic acid as reducing agent has the best effect. The development of this experiment provides a new idea for the directional classification and purification of ferrous oxalate and iron hydroxide from red mud.
Influence of Rubber Powder Content on the Rheological Properties of Rubber Asphalt
Authors: Wang Long , Wang Kai , Lu Han , Sun Chao , Meng Huilin , Luan Yang
Published: February 2025

Rubber asphalt has excellent durability and can maintain excellent performance under harsh service conditions. In order to further promote the application of rubber asphalt, the dynamic rheological shear test was used to test the complex shear modulus G *, rutting factor G */sin δ, fatigue dissipation factor G * sin δ of rubber asphalt under different test temperatures and loading frequencies. The conclusions are as follows: (1) For the dynamic rheological properties of rubber asphalt, the content of rubber powder is an important factor. When the rubber powder content is 30%, the rheological properties of rubber asphalt are optimal. (2) For the rutting factor and fatigue dissipation factor of rubber asphalt, temperature and frequency are the primary influencing factors. The rutting factor and fatigue dissipation factor of rubber asphalt samples in each group decrease with increasing temperature and increases with increasing frequency. (3) Among the three types of rubber powder-mixed rubber asphalt, the 30% rubber asphalt has higher high-temperature performance and fatigue performance, which can meet the performance requirements of the pavement surface layer.
Fracture Analysis of Cylinder Support Bolt of Natural Gas Compressor
Authors: Wang Shuai , Qi You , An Chao , Xian Jun , Qin Zhenjie , Fang Yan , Xiong Xinmin
Published: February 2025

Failure of accessories of high-pressure natural gas compressors is harmful. In this paper, taking the fracture accident of the cylinder support bolt of a natural gas compressor in an oil field as an example, the causes of the fracture failure of the bolt are studied, as the chemical composition, hardness, metallographic structure, and inclusions of the bolt are tested and analyzed, the macro morphology of the fracture is observed and analyzed, the micromorphology of the fracture is observed by scanning electron microscope and energy spectrum analysis, and the installation structure and operating conditions of the bolt are studied. The results show that the fatigue fracture of the bolt at the stress concentration at the root of the thread under the vibration alternating load of the compressor is the reason for the fracture failure of the bolt. It is suggested to strengthen compressor vibration monitoring and take appropriate vibration reduction measures to reduce the impact of compressor vibration.
Suspension Parameter Optimization and Simulation of Wheel-Edge Electric Vehicle
Authors: Shi Peilei , Xu Guanjun
Published: February 2025

The wheel-edge drive mechanism is a forward-looking technology of new energy electric vehicles, but the wheel-edge drive mechanism increases the unsprung mass due to the addition of the hub drive motor and the planetary wheel reducer, which deteriorates vehicle smoothness and grounding. In light of the problems above, the worm gear two-stage reducer wheel edge drive mechanism is adopted. The 1/4 vehicle vibration model was established in MATLAB/Simulink and simulated for improving the ride comfort of the vehicle and the grounding of the wheel, based on the considerations of the influence of damping coefficient, suspension stiffness, and unsprung mass on smoothness and grounding. The stiffness and damping coefficient of the suspension was optimized in consideration of the calculation results and relevant evaluation indicators. The results indicate that the optimization of suspension system parameters effectively reduces the impact of vertical vibration on vehicle ride comfort.
Degradation of Sulfadiazine in Water Using Bismuth Molybdate Under Visible Light
Authors: Xiao Ling , Li Yu , Xin Jie , Wang Xuan
Published: February 2025

As a clean and efficient means of pollutant degradation, photocatalysis has received widespread attention and application in the degradation of wastewater pollutants and residual antibiotics, with promising prospects. In this paper, bismuth molybdate was prepared through the hydrothermal method under mild conditions, and the products were characterized. This study explored the key factors affecting the photocatalytic degradation of dimethoxy-sulfadiazine by bismuth molybdate, aiming to provide insights into the photocatalytic degradation of residual antibiotics in wastewater. The findings indicate that bismuth molybdate, when used as a photocatalyst with hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant, effectively degrades sulfonamide in water.
Synthesis and Characterization of Nitrogen-Doped Porous Carbon Materials for Enhanced Adsorption Performance
Authors: Wang ShaSha , Tian Zhi , Xu Yuelong
Published: February 2025

Carbon materials are highly effective for CO2 adsorption due to their large surface area and porosity. In this study, we developed a carbon-based material (C/N-0) featuring a high specific surface area of 1095 cm2/g and a pore volume of 0.67 cm3/g by utilizing a synthesis process involving polypotassium aspartic acid, chitosan, and melamine. The resulting C/N-0 material exhibits significant potential for CO2 capture applications, demonstrating a high adsorption capacity of 3.09 mmol/g at 273 K, along with a low initial adsorption heat, making it an efficient candidate for practical CO2 sequestration.
Study on the Correlation Between the Black Sludge and Chemical Oxygen Demand in Wastewater from Cold Rolling Pickling Lines
Authors: Xu Xianglai , Li Donghui , Yan Cui , Tian Peng , Liu Yongyue , Ren Xueping , Gao Jiangtao , Jia Qingwei , Wang Baolei
Published: February 2025

Black sludge is commonly found in the acid tanks of cold rolling pickling lines and in the pipelines of acid regeneration units, impacting system efficiency and causing negative effects on equipment and the environment. To address this issue, a method combining black sludge composition analysis and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) measurement of rinse water was proposed to study its origin and formation mechanisms. The results showed that the black sludge mainly contains carbon, chlorine, oxygen, and small amounts of iron, with significant organic matter loss between 300-400°C, indicating a high content of alkanes and cycloalkanes. The COD value of rinse water is higher when fresh acid is used, and alkanes and cycloalkanes are the main contributors to the formation of black sludge and the increase in COD values. Strengthening the management of fresh acid can help reduce sludge formation.
Experiment and Durability Decision of Dry Cutting 316L Stainless Steel with Coated Circular Saw Knife
Authors: Li Biwen , Chen Jun , Dong Yunqiao , Gu Jiantao , Peng Hongzhe
Published: February 2025

Melting and decontamination of decommissioned waste metals from nuclear power plants requires cutting and disintegration first, dry cutting process can effectively avoid the generation of waste liquid and aerosol in large amounts and a complex treatment process. Low-level radioactive 316 L austenitic stainless steel decommissioned from nuclear power plants has a large amount and poor cutting performance, decontamination enterprises need to balance and improve productivity, cost, and waste knife disposal in the sawing disintegration process. Taking AlCrN coating circular saw knife and TiN thin coating circular saw knife as the research object, the durability test of dry sawing 316L stainless steel pipe with two factors and two levels was carried out. The tool wear mechanism and the applicability of the maximum durability of AlCrN coated circular saw knife are analyzed, the empirical formula of tool durability in the form of a selective subset equation is established, a list algorithm of maximum productivity durability and minimum cost durability based on TableCurve 3D interpolation function is proposed. The results show that under the cutting conditions of low rotational speed and large feed rate, the two kinds of coated knives have the highest productivity durability and the lowest cost durability, at this time, the AlCrN coated tool has slightly better durability and slightly worse economy. The empirical formula of tool durability in the form of a selective subset equation has the advantages of fewer sample points, diverse expressions, and high model accuracy. The list algorithm overcomes the limitations of the traditional algorithm that the feed per tooth needs to be selected first, the relationship between cutting speed and durability must be expressed as a power function, the calculation results need to be rounded, and the equation is likely to have no solution. The calculation results are in line with engineering practice.
Quantitative Analysis on Altitude Affecting Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicle Real Driving Emissions Based on Engine-in-the-Loop Methodology
Authors: Wang Xiaowei , Zhang Lin , Gao Tao , Huo Yongzhan , Li Guangyou
Published: February 2025

A dump truck with a maximum designed total mass of 25000 kg was selected to measure the real driving emission characteristics of pollutants and carbon dioxide (CO2) under different altitudes of 0 meters, 800 meters and 1600 meters, with the same simulated road, driver and vehicle model but different vehicle loading of 0% and 40% by using the engine-in-the-loop (EIL) methodology. The results indicate that the EIL methodology can qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the impact of altitude on real driving emissions. The emissions of carbon monoxide (CO) and total hydrocarbons (THC) show a trend of first decreasing and then increasing with increasing altitude, while the emissions of particulate number (PN) show a trend of first sharply increasing and then slightly decreasing with increasing altitude. The variation pattern of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions with altitude is not significant. Under different altitude conditions, the specific emissions of CO2 and THC decrease with increasing vehicle loading, while the specific emissions of PN and CO increase with increasing vehicle loading. However, the variation pattern of NOx emissions with vehicle loading is not obvious. In addition to being strongly correlated with exhaust temperature, the peak value of NOx emissions is highly correlated with road slope and vehicle acceleration. Cold start increases the specific emissions of CO2 and pollutants, especially for PN and CO.
Study on the Morphological Structure Characteristics of the Modified Preparation Fe-N/BC Catalysts
Authors: Yang Yang , Zhou Ting , Du Tianxing , Dong Wenyi , Wang Hongjie
Published: February 2025

In this study, the citric acid iron and melamine was used to modify the selected biomass, preparing Fe-N/BC iron-nitrogen co-doped biochar catalyst. The BC, N/BC, and Fe-N/BC were characterized by SEM, XRD, FTIR, Raman, XPS, etc., to research the aspects of micromorphology, crystal structure, surface functional group types, and element composition. The results showed that Fe and N elements could be doped into the biochar successfully, making the particle size of Fe-N/BC smaller than that of BC, possessing a bigger surface area with a more abundant pore structure. Additionally, the graphitization degree of Fe-N/BC was enhanced, introducing active sites including pyridinic nitrogen, graphitic nitrogen, and Fe-Nx, enhancing the catalytic activity and electron transfer performance of the catalyst, enabling Fe-N/BC to simultaneously act on catalytic reduction and catalytic oxidation systems.
A FRP Rebar Winding Method and Experimental Research on Fiber Stretching
Authors: Li Shuai , Gan Guorong , Lai Daohui , Wang Zhengcui
Published: February 2025

In order to improve the efficiency of basalt fiber tendon preparation, a basalt fiber winding scheme is provided. To solve the singularity of current winding methods and optimize the flexibility of basalt tendons to cope with various types of environment winding. Four groups of fibers were tested in tensile testing using a fiber material tensile testing machine. The results showed that the single tensile force was 47.88 N and the elongation at break was 0.61. The winding device of FRP bars was then designed, and the winding pitch, spiral lift angle, and winding density of FRP bars were adjusted by adjusting the rotating nut scale, and the laws and connections between the three physical quantities were identified.