Showing papers in "Chinese Physics B in 2012"

Surface plasmon wave propagation along single metal wire

Abstract: Recently, the single metal wire (SW) has become attractive for its potential applications in the terahertz and higher frequency range. However, as the most simple and typical surface plasmon polariton (SPP) transmission line, its study seems far from enough. Many important transmission behaviours have not been explained satisfactorily from the viewpoint of physics. In this paper, making use of the modified Drude model (MDM) based on the Sommerfeld theory, the transmission behaviours of SPPs along SW are systemically investigated theoretically. Some important physical phenomena such as the mode transformation, the lifetime of the radiative mode and the resonance frequency are revealed, and their mechanisms are explored. The results obtained in the paper will facilitate a general understanding of the features and the physical essence of the SPP transmission, not only for SW itself but also for other SPP transmission lines.

Spinel lithium titanate (Li4Ti5O12) as novel anode material for room-temperature sodium-ion battery

Abstract: This is the first time that a novel anode material, spinel Li4Ti5O12 which is well known as a "zero-strain" anode material for lithium storage, has been introduced for sodium-ion battery. The Li4Ti5O12 shows an average Na storage voltage of about 1.0 V and a reversible capacity of about 145 mAh/g, thereby making it a promising anode for sodium-ion battery. Ex-situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) is used to investigate the structure change in the Na insertion/deinsertion process. Based on this, a possible Na storage mechanism is proposed.

Exact solutions for nonlinear partial fractional differential equations

Abstract: In this article, we use the fractional complex transformation to convert nonlinear partial fractional differential equations to nonlinear ordinary differential equations. We use the improved (G ′ =G)-expansion function method to calculate the exact solutions to the time- and space-fractional derivative foam drainage equation and the time- and space-fractional derivative nonlinear KdV equation. This method is efficient and powerful for solving wide classes of nonlinear evolution fractional order equations.

An improved interpolating element-free Galerkin method with a nonsingular weight function for two-dimensional potential problems

Abstract: In this paper, an improved interpolating moving least-square (IIMLS) method is presented. The shape function of the IIMLS method satisfies the property of the Kronecker δ function. The weight function used in the IIMLS method is nonsingular. Then the IIMLS method can overcome the difficulties caused by the singularity of the weight function in the IMLS method. The number of unknown coefficients in the trial function of the IIMLS method is less than that of the moving least-square (MLS) approximation. Then by combining the IIMLS method with the Galerkin weak form of the potential problem, the improved interpolating element-free Galerkin (IIEFG) method for two-dimensional potential problems is presented. Compared with the conventional element-free Galerkin (EFG) method, the IIEFG method can directly use the essential boundary conditions. Then the IIEFG method has higher accuracy. For demonstration, three numerical examples are solved using the IIEFG method.

An improved complex variable element-free Galerkin method for two-dimensional elasticity problems

Abstract: In this paper, the improved complex variable moving least-squares (ICVMLS) approximation is presented. The ICVMLS approximation has an explicit physics meaning. Compared with the complex variable moving least-squares (CVMLS) approximations presented by Cheng and Ren, the ICVMLS approximation has a great computational precision and efficiency. Based on the element-free Galerkin (EFG) method and the ICVMLS approximation, the improved complex variable element-free Galerkin (ICVEFG) method is presented for two-dimensional elasticity problems, and the corresponding formulae are obtained. Compared with the conventional EFG method, the ICVEFG method has a great computational accuracy and efficiency. For the purpose of demonstration, three selected numerical examples are solved using the ICVEFG method.

Analysis of the wave properties of a new two-lane continuum model with the coupling effect

Abstract: A multilane extension of the single-lane anisotropic continuum model (GK model) developed by Gupta and Katiyar for traffic flow is discussed with the consideration of the coupling effect between the vehicles of different lanes in the instantaneous traffic situation and the lane-changing effect. The conditions for securing the linear stability of the new model are presented. The shock and the rarefaction waves, the local cluster effect and the phase transition are investigated through simulation experiments with the new model and are found to be consistent with the diverse nonlinear dynamical phenomena observed in a real traffic flow. The analysis also focuses on empirically observed two-lane phenomena, such as lane usage inversion and the density dependence of the number of lane changes. It is shown that single-lane dynamics can be extended to multilane cases without changing the basic properties of the single-lane model. The results show that the new multilane model is capable of explaining some particular traffic phenomena and is in accordance with real traffic flow.

Analysis of the Chinese air route network as a complex network

Abstract: The air route network, which supports all the flight activities of the civil aviation, is the most fundamental infrastructure of air traffic management system. In this paper, we study the Chinese air route network (CARN) within the framework of complex networks. We find that CARN is a geographical network possessing exponential degree distribution, low clustering coefficient, large shortest path length and exponential spatial distance distribution that is obviously different from that of the Chinese airport network (CAN). Besides, via investigating the flight data from 2002 to 2010, we demonstrate that the topology structure of CARN is homogeneous, howbeit the distribution of flight flow on CARN is rather heterogeneous. In addition, the traffic on CARN keeps growing in an exponential form and the increasing speed of west China is remarkably larger than that of east China. Our work will be helpful to better understand Chinese air traffic systems.

Fault tolerant quantum secure direct communication with quantum encryption against collective noise

Abstract: We present two novel quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) protocols over different collective-noise channels. Different from the previous QSDC schemes over collective-noise channels, which are all source-encrypting protocols, our two protocols are based on channel-encryption. In both schemes, two authorized users first share a sequence of EPR pairs as their reusable quantum key. Then they use their quantum key to encrypt and decrypt the secret message carried by the decoherence-free states over the collective-noise channel. In theory, the intrinsic efficiencies of both protocols are high since there is no need to consume any entangled states including both the quantum key and the information carriers except the ones used for eavesdropping checks. For checking eavesdropping, the two parties only need to perform two-particle measurements on the decoy states during each round. Finally, we make a security analysis of our two protocols and demonstrate that they are secure.

Parameter estimation for chaotic systems using the cuckoo search algorithm with an orthogonal learning method

Abstract: We study the parameter estimation of a nonlinear chaotic system, which can be essentially formulated as a multidimensional optimization problem In this paper, an orthogonal learning cuckoo search algorithm is used to estimate the parameters of chaotic systems This algorithm can combine the stochastic exploration of the cuckoo search and the exploitation capability of the orthogonal learning strategy Experiments are conducted on the Lorenz system and the Chen system The proposed algorithm is used to estimate the parameters for these two systems Simulation results and comparisons demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is better or at least comparable to the particle swarm optimization and the genetic algorithm when considering the quality of the solutions obtained

Chaos in a fractional-order micro-electro-mechanical resonator and its suppression

Abstract: The present paper investigates the existence of chaos in a non-autonomous fractional-order micro-electromechanical resonator system (FOMEMRS). Using the maximal Lyapunov exponent criterion, we show that the FOMEMRS exhibits chaos. Strange attractors of the system are plotted to validate its chaotic behavior. Afterward, a novel fractional finite-time controller is introduced to suppress the chaos of the FOMEMRS with model uncertainties and external disturbances in a given finite time. Using the latest version of the fractional Lyapunov theory, the finite time stability and robustness of the proposed scheme are proved. Finally, we present some computer simulations to illustrate the usefulness and applicability of the proposed method.

First-principles study of the structural, elastic, electronic, optical, and vibrational properties of intermetallic Pd 2 Ga

Abstract: The structural, elastic, electronic, optical, and vibrational properties of the orthorhombic Pd2Ga compound are investigated using the norm-conserving pseudopotentials within the local density approximation in the frame of density functional theory. The calculated lattice parameters have been compared with the experimental values and found to be in good agreement with these results. The second-order elastic constants and the other relevant quantities, such as the Young's modulus, shear modulus, Poisson's ratio, anisotropy factor, sound velocity, and Debye temperature, have been calculated. It is shown that this compound is mechanically stable after analysing the calculated elastic constants. Furthermore, the real and imaginary parts of the dielectric function and the optical constants, such as the optical dielectric constant and the effective number of electrons per unit cell, are calculated and presented. The phonon dispersion curves are derived using the direct method. The present results demonstrate that this compound is dynamically stable.

Tunable broadband metamaterial absorber consisting of ferrite slabs and a copper wire

Abstract: A tunable broadband metamaterial absorber is demonstrated at microwave frequencies in this paper. The metamaterial absorber is composed of ferrite slabs with large resonance beamwidths and a copper wire. The theoretical analysis for the effective media parameters is presented to show the mechanism for achieving the perfect absorptivity characteristic. The numerical results of transmission, reflectance, and absorptivity indicate that the metamaterial absorber exhibits a near perfect impedance-match to free space and a high absorptivity of 98.2% for one layer and 99.97% for two layers at 9.9 GHz. The bandwidth with the absorptivity above 90% is about 2.3 GHz. Moreover, the absorption band can be shifted linearly in a wide frequency range by adjusting the magnetic bias. This metamaterial absorber opens a way to prepare perfectly matched layers for engineering applications.

Image encryption based on a delayed fractional-order chaotic logistic system

Abstract: A new image encryption scheme is proposed based on a delayed fractional-order chaotic logistic system. In the process of generating a key stream, the time-varying delay and fractional derivative are embedded in the proposed scheme to improve the security. Such a scheme is described in detail with security analyses including correlation analysis, information entropy analysis, run statistic analysis, mean-variance gray value analysis, and key sensitivity analysis. Experimental results show that the newly proposed image encryption scheme possesses high security.

Implementation of an analogue model of a memristor based on a light-dependent resistor

Abstract: In this paper, an analogue model of a memristor using a light-dependent resistor (LDR) is presented. This model can be simplified into two parts: a control circuit and a variable resistor. It can be used to easily verify theoretical presumptions about the switching properties of memristors. This LDR-based memristor model can also be used in both simulations and experiments for future research into memristor applications. The paper includes mathematical models, simulations, and experimental results.

A simple way to fabricate an aluminum sheet with superhydrophobic and self-cleaning properties

Abstract: A superhydrophobic aluminum sheet is fabricated via a hot water immersing process and subsequently surface modification with heptadecafluorodecyltrimethoxy-silane (HTMS). As revealed by the scan electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR) results, a rough pseudoboehmite film is formed on the aluminum sheet, and HTMS molecules are grafted on the film surface successfully. These two factors make the treated aluminum sheet present superhydrophobicity with a water contact angle larger than 160° and sliding angle less than 5°, and possess a self-cleaning property. Furthermore, the flexible superhydrophobic aluminum sheet could be pasted to a cylinder surface without destroying its superhydrophobicity. At the end, the effect of hot water treatment time on superhydrophobicity is investigated.

Generalized thermoelasticity of the thermal shock problem in an isotropic hollow cylinder and temperature dependent elastic moduli

Abstract: In this paper, we construct the equations of generalized thermoelasticity for a non-homogeneous isotropic hollow cylider with a variable modulus of elasticity and thermal conductivity based on the Lord and Shulman theory. The problem has been solved numerically using the finite element method. Numerical results for the displacement, the temperature, the radial stress, and the hoop stress distributions are illustrated graphically. Comparisons are made between the results predicted by the coupled theory and by the theory of generalized thermoelasticity with one relaxation time in the cases of temperature dependent and independent modulus of elasticity.

First principles calculations of alloying element diffusion coefficients in Ni using the five-frequency model

Abstract: The diffusion coefficients of several alloying elements (Al, Mo, Co, Ta, Ru, W, Cr, Re) in Ni are directly calculated using the five-frequency model and the first principles density functional theory. The correlation factors provided by the five-frequency model are explicitly calculated. The calculated diffusion coefficients show their excellent agreement with the available experimental data. Both the diffusion pre-factor (D0) and the activation energy (Q) of impurity diffusion are obtained. The diffusion coefficients above 700 K are sorted in the following order: DAl > DCr > DCo > DTa > DMo > DRu > DW > DRe. It is found that there is a positive correlation between the atomic radius of the solute and the jump energy of Ni that results in the rotation of the solute-vacancy pair (E1). The value of E2−E1 (E2 is the solute diffusion energy) and the correlation factor each also show a positive correlation. The larger atoms in the same series have lower diffusion activation energies and faster diffusion coefficients.

Complex variable element-free Galerkin method for viscoelasticity problems

Abstract: Based on the complex variable moving least-square (CVMLS) approximation, the complex variable element-free Galerkin (CVEFG) method for two-dimensional viscoelasticity problems under the creep condition is presented in this paper. The Galerkin weak form is employed to obtain the equation system, and the penalty method is used to apply the essential boundary conditions, then the corresponding formulae of the CVEFG method for two-dimensional viscoelasticity problems under the creep condition are obtained. Compared with the element-free Galerkin (EFG) method, with the same node distribution, the CVEFG method has higher precision, and to obtain the similar precision, the CVEFG method has greater computational efficiency. Some numerical examples are given to demonstrate the validity and the efficiency of the method.

Electronic structures and optical properties of TiO 2 : Improved density-functional-theory investigation

Abstract: TiO2 has been recently used to realize high-temperature ferromagnetic semiconductors. In fact, it has been widely used for a long time as white pigment and sunscreen because of its whiteness, high refractive index, and excellent optical properties. However, its electronic structures and the related properties have not been satisfactorily understood. Here, we use Tran and Blaha's modified Becke-Johnson (TB-mBJ) exchange potential (plus a local density approximation correlation potential) within the density functional theory to investigate electronic structures and optical properties of rutile and anatase TiO2. Our comparative calculations show that the energy gaps obtained from mBJ method agree better with the experimental results than that obtained from local density approximation (LDA) and generalized gradient approximation (GGA), in contrast with substantially overestimated values from many-body perturbation (GW) calculations. As for optical dielectric functions (both real and imaginary parts), refractive index, and extinction coefficients as functions of photon energy, our mBJ calculated results are in excellent agreement with the experimental curves. Our further analysis reveals that these excellent improvements are achieved because mBJ potential describes accurately the energy levels of Ti 3d states. These results should be helpful to understand the high temperature ferromagnetism in doped TiO2. This approach can be used as a standard to understand electronic structures and the related properties of such materials as TiO2.

Effects of variable properties on MHD heat and mass transfer flow near a stagnation point towards a stretching sheet in a porous medium with thermal radiation

Abstract: The effect of variable viscosity and thermal conductivity on steady magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) heat and mass transfer flow of viscous and incompressible fluid near a stagnation point towards a permeable stretching sheet embedded in a porous medium are presented, taking into account thermal radiation and internal heat genberation/absorbtion. The stretching velocity and the ambient fluid velocity are assumed to vary linearly with the distance from the stagnation point. The Rosseland approximation is used to describe the radiative heat flux in the energy equation. The governing fundamental equations are first transformed into a system of ordinary differential equations using a scaling group of transformations and are solved numerically by using the fourth-order Rung?Kutta method with the shooting technique. A comparison with previously published work has been carried out and the results are found to be in good agreement. The results are analyzed for the effect of different physical parameters, such as the variable viscosity and thermal conductivity, the ratio of free stream velocity to stretching velocity, the magnetic field, the porosity, the radiation and suction/injection on the flow, and the heat and mass transfer characteristics. The results indicate that the inclusion of variable viscosity and thermal conductivity into the fluids of light and medium molecular weight is able to change the boundary-layer behavior for all values of the velocity ratio parameter ? except for ? = 1. In addition, the imposition of fluid suction increases both the rate of heat and mass transfer, whereas fluid injection shows the opposite effect.

Multifractal analysis of complex networks

Abstract: Complex networks have recently attracted much attention in diverse areas of science and technology. Many networks such as the WWW and biological networks are known to display spatial heterogeneity which can be characterized by their fractal dimensions. Multifractal analysis is a useful way to systematically describe the spatial heterogeneity of both theoretical and experimental fractal patterns. In this paper, we introduce a new box-covering algorithm for multifractal analysis of complex networks. This algorithm is used to calculate the generalized fractal dimensions Dq of some theoretical networks, namely scale-free networks, small world networks, and random networks, and one kind of real network, namely protein—protein interaction networks of different species. Our numerical results indicate the existence of multifractality in scale-free networks and protein—protein interaction networks, while the multifractal behavior is not clear-cut for small world networks and random networks. The possible variation of Dq due to changes in the parameters of the theoretical network models is also discussed.

Recent advance on the efficiency at maximum power of heat engines

Abstract: This review reports several key advances on the theoretical investigations of efficiency at maximum power of heat engines in the past five years. The analytical results of efficiency at maximum power for the Curzon—Ahlborn heat engine, the stochastic heat engine constructed from a Brownian particle, and Feynman's ratchet as a heat engine are presented. It is found that: the efficiency at maximum power exhibits universal behavior at small relative temperature differences; the lower and the upper bounds might exist under quite general conditions; and the problem of efficiency at maximum power comes down to seeking for the minimum irreversible entropy production in each finite-time isothermal process for a given time.

A new complex variable element-free Galerkin method for two-dimensional potential problems

Abstract: In this paper, based on the element-free Galerkin (EFG) method and the improved complex variable moving least-square (ICVMLS) approximation, a new meshless method, which is the improved complex variable element-free Galerkin (ICVEFG) method for two-dimensional potential problems, is presented. In the method, the integral weak form of control equations is employed, and the Lagrange multiplier is used to apply the essential boundary conditions. Then the corresponding formulas of the ICVEFG method for two-dimensional potential problems are obtained. Compared with the complex variable moving least-square (CVMLS) approximation proposed by Cheng, the functional in the ICVMLS approximation has an explicit physical meaning. Furthermore, the ICVEFG method has greater computational precision and efficiency. Three numerical examples are given to show the validity of the proposed method.

A new complex variable meshless method for transient heat conduction problems

Abstract: In this paper, based on the improved complex variable moving least-square (ICVMLS) approximation, a new complex variable meshless method (CVMM) for two-dimensional (2D) transient heat conduction problems is presented. The variational method is employed to obtain the discrete equations, and the essential boundary conditions are imposed by the penalty method. As the transient heat conduction problems are related to time, the Crank-Nicolson difference scheme for two-point boundary value problems is selected for the time discretization. Then the corresponding formulae of the CVMM for 2D heat conduction problems are obtained. In order to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method, numerical examples are given to show the high convergence rate, good accuracy, and high efficiency of the CVMM presented in this paper.

A reliable acoustic path: Physical properties and a source localization method

Abstract: The physical properties of a reliable acoustic path (RAP) are analysed and subsequently a weighted-subspace-fitting matched field (WSF-MF) method for passive localization is presented by exploiting the properties of the RAP environment. The RAP is an important acoustic duct in the deep ocean, which occurs when the receiver is placed near the bottom where the sound velocity exceeds the maximum sound velocity in the vicinity of the surface. It is found that in the RAP environment the transmission loss is rather low and no blind zone of surveillance exists in a medium range. The ray theory is used to explain these phenomena. Furthermore, the analysis of the arrival structures shows that the source localization method based on arrival angle is feasible in this environment. However, the conventional methods suffer from the complicated and inaccurate estimation of the arrival angle. In this paper, a straightforward WSF-MF method is derived to exploit the information about the arrival angles indirectly. The method is to minimize the distance between the signal subspace and the spanned space by the array manifold in a finite range-depth space rather than the arrival-angle space. Simulations are performed to demonstrate the features of the method, and the results are explained by the arrival structures in the RAP environment.

Grammian and Pfaffian solutions as well as Pfaffianization for a (3+1)-dimensional generalized shallow water equation

Abstract: Based on the Grammian and Pfaffian derivative formulae, Grammian and Pfaffian solutions are obtained for a (3+1)-dimensional generalized shallow water equation in the Hirota bilinear form. Moreover, a Pfaffian extension is made for the equation by means of the Pfaffianization procedure, the Wronski-type and Gramm-type Pfaffian solutions of the resulting coupled system are presented.

Fractional-order permanent magnet synchronous motor and its adaptive chaotic control

Abstract: In this paper we investigate the chaotic behaviors of the fractional-order permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM). The necessary condition for the existence of chaos in the fractional-order PMSM is deduced. And an adaptive-feedback controller is developed based on the stability theory for fractional systems. The presented control scheme, which contains only one single state variable, is simple and flexible, and it is suitable both for design and for implementation in practice. Simulation is carried out to verify that the obtained scheme is efficient and robust against external interference for controlling the fractional-order PMSM system.

Effect of post-thermal annealing on the structural and optical properties of ZnO thin films prepared from a polymer precursor

Abstract: ZnO thin films were synthesised by a new method which uses polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as the polymer precursor. The films are annealed at different temperatures and for different annealing times. The structural parameters, like grain size, lattice constants, optical band gap, and Urbach energy, depend on the annealing temperature and time. All the films possess tensile strain, which relaxes as the annealing temperature and time increase. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra contain only ultraviolet (UV) peaks at low temperature, but as the annealing temperature and time increase, we observe peaks at the blue and green regions with a variation in the intensities of these peaks with annealing temperature and time.

Structure and electronic structure of S-doped graphitic C 3 N 4 investigated by density functional theory

Abstract: The structures of the heptazine-based graphitic C3N4 and the S-doped graphitic C3N4 are investigated by using the density functional theory with a semi-empirical dispersion correction for the weak long-range interaction between layers The corrugated structure is found to be energetically favorable for both the pure and the S-doped graphitic C3N4 The S doptant is prone to substitute the N atom bonded with only two nearest C atoms The band structure calculation reveals that this kind of S doping causes a favorable red shift of the light absorption threshold and can improve the electroconductibility and the photocatalytic activity of the graphitic C3N4

Canted antiferromagnetic and optical properties of nanostructures of Mn2O3 prepared by hydrothermal synthesis

Abstract: We have reported new magnetic and optical properties of Mn2O3 nanostructures. The nanostructures have been synthesized by the hydrothermal method combined with the adjustment of pH values in the reaction system. The particular characteristics of the nanostructures have been analyzed by employing X-Ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Raman spectroscopy (RS), UV—visible spectroscopy, and the vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Structural investigation manifests that the synthesized Mn2O3 nanostructures are orthorhombic crystal. Magnetic investigation indicates that the Mn2O3 nanostructures are antiferromagnetic and the antiferromagnetic transition temperature is at TN = 83 K. Furthermore, the Mn2O3 nanostructures possess canted antiferromagnetic order below the Neel temperature due to spin frustration, resulting in hysteresis with large coercivity (1580 Oe) and remnant magnetization (1.52 emu/g). The UV—visible spectrophotometry was used to determine the transmittance behaviour of Mn2O3 nanostructures. A direct optical band gap of 1.2 eV was acquired by using the Davis—Mott model. The UV—visible spectrum indicates that the absorption is prominent in the visible region, and transparency is more than 80% in the UV region.