We show that atomic Fermi mixtures with density and mass imbalance exhibit a rich diversity of scaling laws for the quasiparticle decay rate beyond the quadratic energy and temperature dependence of conventional Fermi liquids. For certain densities and mass ratios, the decay rate is linear, whereas in other cases, it exhibits a plateau. Remarkably, this plateau extends from the deeply degenerate to the high temperature classical regime of the light species. Many of these scaling laws are analogous to what is found in very different systems, including dirty metals, liquid metals, and high temperature plasmas. The Fermi mixtures can in this sense span a whole range of seemingly diverse and separate physical systems. Our results are derived in the weakly interacting limit, making them quantitatively reliable. The different regimes can be detected with radio-frequency spectroscopy.

Experimental and simulational studies of the dynamics of vortex reconnections in quantum fluids showed that the distance $d$ between the reconnecting vortices is close to a universal time dependence $d=D[\kappa |t_0-t|{]}^{\alpha }$ with $\alpha$ fluctuating around $1/2$ and $\kappa =h/m$ is the quantum of circulation. Dimensional analysis, based on the assumption that the quantum of circulation $\kappa =h/m$ is the only relevant parameter in the problem, predicts $\alpha =1/2$. The theoretical calculation of the dimensionless coefficient $D$ in this formula remained an open problem. In this Letter we present an analytic calculation of $D$ in terms of the given geometry of the reconnecting vortices. We start from the numerically observed generic geometry on the way to vortex reconnection and demonstrate that the dynamics is well described by a self-similar analytic solution which provides the wanted information.

We report on the impact of variable-scale disorder on 3D Anderson localization of a noninteracting ultracold atomic gas. A spin-polarized gas of fermionic atoms is localized by allowing it to expand in an optical speckle potential. Using a sudden quench of the localized density distribution, we verify that the density profile is representative of the underlying single-particle localized states. The geometric mean of the disordering potential correlation lengths is varied by a factor of 4 via adjusting the aperture of the speckle focusing lens. We observe that the root-mean-square size of the localized gas increases approximately linearly with the speckle correlation length, in qualitative agreement with the scaling predicted by weak scattering theory.

We present a new mechanism—discovered using molecular dynamics simulations—that leads to complete healing of nanocracks. This mechanism relies on the generation of crystal defects known as disclinations by migrating grain boundaries. Crack healing by disclinations does not require any compressive loads applied normal to the crack faces and even occurs under monotonic tensile loading. By closing small cracks and suppressing the propagation of others, this mechanism may provide a novel way of mitigating internal damage that influences ductility in nanocrystalline metals.

The use of newly discovered silicene for various optoelectronic applications depends largely on the possibility of controlling its electronic properties by chemical functionalization. To investigate this possibility, we systemically study the structural and electronic properties of chemically functionalized silicene by employing first-principles calculations combined with the cluster expansion approach. Interestingly, we find that chemically functionalized epitaxial silicene is generally accompanied by a spontaneous structural transition, which originates from the preference of $s{p}^3$ hybridization of silicon. To realized continuously tunable band gaps, chemical functionalization of freestanding silicene at $\sim 900\mathrm{K}$ is proposed. Finally, we predict that metastable silicene can also be used as an important host material to produce novel functional materials via substitutional doping. For example, the discovered ordered ${\mathrm{Si}}_8{\mathrm{P}}_4$ could be a strong candidate for thin-film solar cell absorbers beyond bulk Si.

Active Brownian particles (ABPs), when subject to purely repulsive interactions, are known to undergo activity-induced phase separation broadly resembling an equilibrium (attraction-induced) gas-liquid coexistence. Here we present an accurate continuum theory for the dynamics of phase-separating ABPs, derived by direct coarse graining, capturing leading-order density gradient terms alongside an effective bulk free energy. Such gradient terms do not obey detailed balance; yet we find coarsening dynamics closely resembling that of equilibrium phase separation. Our continuum theory is numerically compared to large-scale direct simulations of ABPs and accurately accounts for domain growth kinetics, domain topologies, and coexistence densities.

Tribochemical reactions are chemical processes, usually involving lubricant or environment molecules, activated at the interface between two solids in relative motion. They are difficult to be monitored in situ, which leaves a gap in the atomistic understanding required for their control. Here we report the real-time atomistic description of the tribochemical reactions occurring at the interface between two diamond films in relative motion, by means of large scale ab initio molecular dynamics. We show that the load-induced confinement is able to catalyze diamond passivation by water dissociative adsorption. Such passivation decreases the energy of the contacting surfaces and increases their electronic repulsion. At sufficiently high coverages, the latter prevents surface sealing, thus lowering friction. Our findings elucidate effects of the nanoscale confinement on reaction kinetics and surface thermodynamics, which are important for the design of new lubricants.

The rotational and vibrational transitions of a hydrogen molecule weakly adsorbed on the Au(110) surface at 10 K were detected by inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy with a scanning tunneling microscope. The energies of the $j=0$ to $j=2$ rotational transition for para-${\mathrm{H}}_2$ and HD indicate that the molecule behaves as a three-dimensional rigid rotor trapped within the tunnel junction. An increase in the bond length of ${\mathrm{H}}_2$ was precisely measured from the downshift in the rotational energy as the tip-substrate distance decreases.

We report on the two-dimensional gap-soliton nature of exciton-polariton macroscopic coherent phases (PMCP) in a square lattice with a tunable amplitude. The resonantly excited PMCP forms close to the negative mass $M$ point of the lattice band structure with energy within the lattice band gap and its wave function localized within a few lattice periods. The PMCPs are well described as gap solitons resulting from the interplay between repulsive polariton-polariton interactions and effective attractive forces due to the negative mass. The solitonic nature accounts for the reduction of the PMCP coherence length and optical excitation threshold with increasing lattice amplitude.

Combining an analytical and numerical approach we investigate the dispersion of the topologically protected spin-filtered edge states of the quantum spin Hall state on honeycomb and ruby nets with zigzag (ZZ) and armchair (AC) edges. We show that the Fermi velocity of the helical edge states on ZZ edges increases linearly with the strength of the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) whereas for AC edges the Fermi velocity is independent of the SOC. Also the decay length of edge states into the bulk is dramatically different for AC and ZZ edges, displaying an inverse functional dependence on the SOC.

The experimental observation of the long-sought quantum anomalous Hall effect was recently reported in magnetically doped topological insulator thin films [Chang et al., Science 340, 167 (2013)]. An intriguing observation is a rapid decrease from the quantized plateau in the Hall conductance, accompanied by a peak in the longitudinal conductance as a function of the gate voltage. Here, we present a quantum transport theory with an effective model for magnetic topological insulator thin films. The good agreement between theory and experiment reveals that the measured transport originates from a topologically nontrivial conduction band which, near its band edge, has concentrated Berry curvature and a local maximum in group velocity. The indispensable roles of the broken structure inversion and particle-hole symmetries are also revealed. The results are instructive for future experiments and transport studies based on first-principles calculations.

Using density functional electronic structure calculations, we establish the consequences of surface termination and modification on protected surface states of metacinnabar ($\beta \mathrm{\text{−}}\mathrm{HgS}$). Whereas we find that the Dirac cone is isotropic and well separated from the valence band for the (110) surface, it is highly anisotropic at the pure (001) surface. We demonstrate that the anisotropy is modified by surface passivation because the topological surface states include contributions from dangling bonds. Such dangling bonds exist on all pure surfaces within the whole class $\mathrm{Hg}X$ with $X=\mathrm{S}$, Se, or Te and directly affect the properties of the Dirac cone. Surface modifications also alter the spatial location (depth and decay length) of the topologically protected edge states, which renders them essential for the interpretation of photoemission data.

We show that the solid phase between the $1/5$ and $2/9$ fractional quantum Hall states arises from an extremely delicate interplay between type-1 and type-2 composite fermion crystals, clearly demonstrating its nontrivial, strongly correlated character. We also compute the phase diagram of various crystals occurring over a wide range of filling factors and demonstrate that the elastic constants exhibit nonmonotonic behavior as a function of the filling factor, possibly leading to distinctive experimental signatures that can help mark the phase boundaries separating different kinds of crystals.

Finite-temperature local dynamical spin correlations $S_{nn}(\omega )$ are studied numerically within the random spin-$1/2$ antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chain. The aim is to explain measured NMR spin-lattice relaxation times in ${\mathrm{BaCu}}_2({\mathrm{Si}}_{0.5}{\mathrm{Ge}}_{0.5}{)}_2{\mathrm{O}}_7$, which is the realization of a random spin chain. In agreement with experiments we find that the distribution of relaxation times within the model shows a very large span similar to the stretched-exponential form. The distribution is strongly reduced with increasing $T$, but stays finite also in the high-$T$ limit. Anomalous dynamical correlations can be associated with the random singlet concept but not directly with static quantities. Our results also reveal the crucial role of the spin anisotropy (interaction), since the behavior is in contrast with the ones for the $XX$ model, where we do not find any significant $T$ dependence of the distribution.

We study the dipolar spin-ice model at fixed density of single excitations, $\rho$, using a Monte Carlo algorithm where processes of creation and annihilation of such excitations are banned. In the limit of $\rho$ going to zero, this model coincides with the usual dipolar spin-ice model at low temperatures, with the additional advantage that a negligible number of monopoles allows for equilibration even at the lowest temperatures. Thus, the transition to the ordered fundamental state found by Melko, den Hertog, and Gingras in 2001 is reached using simple local spin flip dynamics. As the density is increased, the monopolar nature of the excitations becomes apparent: the system shows a rich $\rho$ vs $T$ phase diagram with “charge” ordering transitions analogous to that observed for Coulomb charges in lattices. A further layer of complexity is revealed by the existence of order both within the charges and their associated vacuum, which can only be described in terms of spins—the true microscopic degrees of freedom of the system.

We study the persistence of a geometrically frustrated local order inside partially crystallized packings of equal-sized spheres. Measurements by x-ray tomography reveal previously unseen grain scale rearrangements occurring inside large three-dimensional packings as they crystallize. Three successive structural transitions are detected by a statistical description of the local volume fluctuations. These compaction regimes are related to the disappearance of densely packed tetrahedral patterns of beads. Amorphous packings of monodisperse spheres are saturated with these tetrahedral clusters at Bernal’s limiting density ($\varphi \approx 64\%$). But, no periodic lattice can be built upon these patterns; they are geometrically frustrated and are thus condemned to vanish while the crystallization occurs. Remarkably, crystallization-induced grain rearrangements can be interpreted in terms of the evolution of key topological features of these aggregates.

The outermost layer of skin comprises rigid nonviable cells (corneocytes) in a layered lipid matrix. Using atomistic simulations we find that the equilibrium phase of the skin lipids is inverse micellar. A model of the corneocyte is used to demonstrate that lamellar layering is induced by the patterned corneocyte wall. The inverse micellar phase is consistent with in vivo observations in regions where corneocyte walls are well separated (lacunar spaces) and in the inner layers of skin, and suggests a functional role in the lipid synthesis pathway in vivo.

We prove two theorems concerning the time evolution in general isolated quantum systems. The theorems are relevant to the issue of the time scale in the approach to equilibrium. The first theorem shows that there can be pathological situations in which the relaxation takes an extraordinarily long time, while the second theorem shows that one can always choose an equilibrium subspace, the relaxation to which requires only a short time for any initial state.

A novel method is employed to compute the pion electromagnetic form factor, $F_{\pi }(Q^2)$, on the entire domain of spacelike momentum transfer using the Dyson-Schwinger equation (DSE) framework in QCD. The DSE architecture unifies this prediction with that of the pion’s valence-quark parton distribution amplitude (PDA). Using this PDA, the leading-order, leading-twist perturbative QCD result for $Q^2{F}_{\pi }(Q^2)$ underestimates the full computation by just 15% on $Q^2\gtrsim 8{\mathrm{GeV}}^2$, in stark contrast to the result obtained using the asymptotic PDA. The analysis shows that hard contributions to the pion form factor dominate for $Q^2\gtrsim 8{\mathrm{GeV}}^2$, but, even so, the magnitude of $Q^2{F}_{\pi }(Q^2)$ reflects the scale of dynamical chiral symmetry breaking, a pivotal emergent phenomenon in the standard model.

We study mixing of two fluids of different viscosity in a microfluidic channel or porous medium. We show that the synergetic action of alternating injection and viscous fingering leads to a dramatic increase in mixing efficiency at high Péclet numbers. Based on observations from high-resolution simulations, we develop a theoretical model of mixing efficiency that combines a hyperbolic mixing model of the channelized region ahead and a mixing-dissipation model of the pseudosteady region behind. Our macroscopic model quantitatively reproduces the evolution of the average degree of mixing along the flow direction and can be used as a design tool to optimize mixing from viscous fingering in a microfluidic channel.