arXiv subjects

Z. Fan

Publications and source records attributed to Z. Fan.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Enhanced electronic correlations and altermagnetic ground state of two-dimensional CsCr3Sb5 monolayers

Recently, layered corrected kagome metal CsCr3Sb5 have garnered significant attention attributed to its flat bands near the Fermi level (EF) and altermagnetic ground state [ Yi Liu et al., Nature 632, 1032 (2024)]. However, the van Hove singularities (vHSs) in bulk CsCr3Sb5 are far away from the EF, while an effective modulation of VHS toward the EF is essential for exploring intriguing electron transport properties. In this work, using first-principles calculations, we investigate electronic structures of two-dimensional (2D) Cr3Sb5 and CsCr3Sb5 monolayers which may be mechanically exfoliated from bulk materials. Notably, it is revealed that both flat bands and vHSs simultaneously reside in close proximity to the EF in Cr3Sb5 monolayer, signifying enhanced electronic correlations. Importantly, a tensile strain further shifts the incipient flat bands and vHSs of two monolayers simultaneously to the vicinity of the EF, suggesting strain tunable electronic correlations and concomitant quantum effects. Furthermore, altermagnetic ground state is also revealed due to retained mirror symmetry between two sublattices in these two monolayers. Thus, this work advances understanding and modulations of electronic properties of 2D CsCr3Sb5 monolayers, strengthening their great potential for exploring unconventional quantum phenomena and altermagnetism.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Latent patterns of urban mixing in mobility analysis across five global cities

This study leverages large-scale travel surveys for over 200,000 residents across Boston, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, and Sao Paulo. With rich individual-level data, we make systematic comparisons and reveal patterns in social mixing, which cannot be identified by analyzing high-resolution mobility data alone. Using the same set of data, inferring socioeconomic status from residential neighborhoods yield social mixing levels 16% lower than using self-reported survey data. Besides, individuals over the age of 66 experience greater social mixing than those in late working life (aged 55 to 65), lending data-driven support to the "second youth" hypothesis. Teenagers and women with caregiving responsibilities exhibit lower social mixing levels. Across the five cities, proximity to major transit stations reduces the influence of individual socioeconomic status on social mixing. Finally, we construct detailed spatio-temporal place networks for each city using a graph neural network. Inputs of home-space, activity-space and demographic attributes are embedded and fed into a supervised autoencoder to predict individual exposure vectors. Results show that the structure of individual activity space, i.e., where people travel to, explains most of the variations in place exposure, suggesting that mobility shapes experienced social mixing more than sociodemographic characteristics, home environment, and transit proximity. The ablation tests further discover that, while different income groups may experience similar levels of social mixing, their activity spaces remain stratified by income, resulting in structurally different social mixing experiences.

cs.AI↗

arXiv2025

Beam-test evaluation of pre-production Low Gain Avalanche Detectors for the ATLAS High Granularity Timing Detector

The High Granularity Timing Detector (HGTD) will be installed in the ATLAS experiment as part of the Phase-II upgrade for the High Luminosity-Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC). It will mitigate pile-up effects in the forward region, and measure per bunch luminosity. The design of HGTD is based on Low Gain Avalanche Detector (LGAD) sensors. This paper presents the results of beam-test campaigns conducted at CERN and DESY in 2023 and 2024 on single LGADs from HGTD pre-production test structures, before and after neutron irradiation up to fluences of $2.5 \times 10^{15}~\mathrm{n_{eq}/cm^2}$. The tested LGADs can meet HGTD requirements in terms of charge collection, time resolution, and hit efficiency, even under HL-LHC end-of-life conditions, supporting their deployment in the final detector.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2025

Thermal Cycling Reliability of Hybrid Pixel Sensor Modules for The ATLAS High Granularity Timing Detector

The reliability of bump connection structures has become a critical aspect of future silicon detectors for particle physics. The High Granularity Timing Detector (HGTD) for the ATLAS experiment at the High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider will require 8032 hybrid pixel sensor modules, composed of two Low Gain Avalanche Diode sensors bump-bonded to two readout ASICs and glued to a passive PCB. The detector will operate at low temperature (-30 degrees Celsius) to mitigate the impact of irradiation. The thermomechanical reliability of flip-chip bump connections in HGTD modules is a critical concern, particularly due to their characteristically lower bump density (pixel pitch dimensions of 1.3 mm by 1.3 mm). This paper elaborates on the challenges arising from this design characteristic. Finite element analysis and experimental testing were employed to investigate failure modes in the flip-chip bump structures under thermal cycling from -45 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius and to guide the module redesign. The optimized design demonstrates significantly enhanced robustness and is projected to fulfill the full lifetime requirements of the HGTD.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2025

Einstein Probe Discovery of EP J182730.0-095633: A New Black Hole X-ray Binary Candidate in Faint Outburst?

Black hole X-ray binaries (candidates) currently identified in our galaxy are mainly transient sources, with the majority discovered through the detection of their X-ray outbursts. Among these, only four were found during faint outbursts exhibiting peak X-ray luminosities $L_{\rm X}\lesssim10^{36}~{\rm erg~s^{-1}}$, likely due to the previous lack of sensitive, wide-field monitoring instruments in the X-ray band. In this Letter, we present the discovery of an intriguing X-ray transient, EP J182730.0-095633, via the Einstein Probe (EP) and subsequent multi-wavelength follow-up studies. This transient, located on the Galactic plane, experienced a faint and brief X-ray outburst lasting about 20 days. Its X-ray spectrum is non-thermal and consistent with a power-law model with a nearly constant photon index of $\Gamma \sim2$ throughout the outburst. A long-lasting millihertz quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) signal was detected in its X-ray light curve, centered around a frequency of $\sim0.04$ Hz. A transient near-infrared source was identified as its counterpart, although no optical emission was detectable, likely due to significant extinction. A radio counterpart was also observed, displaying an inverted radio spectrum with $\alpha\sim0.45$. The X-ray spectral and temporal characteristics, along with the multi-wavelength properties, indicate that the source is a faint low-mass X-ray binary, with the compact object likely being a black hole. This work demonstrates the potential of the EP in discovering new X-ray binaries by capturing faint-level X-ray outbursts.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

An Intermediate-mass Black Hole Lurking in A Galactic Halo Caught Alive during Outburst

Stellar-mass and supermassive black holes abound in the Universe, whereas intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) of ~10^2-10^5 solar masses in between are largely missing observationally, with few cases found only. Here we report the real-time discovery of a long-duration X-ray transient, EP240222a, accompanied by an optical flare with prominent H and He emission lines revealed by prompt follow-up observations. Its observed properties evidence an IMBH located unambiguously in the halo of a nearby galaxy and flaring by tidally disrupting a star -- the only confirmed off-nucleus IMBH-tidal disruption event so far. This work demonstrates the potential of sensitive time-domain X-ray surveys, complemented by timely multi-wavelength follow-ups, in probing IMBHs, their environments, demographics, origins and connections to stellar-mass and supermassive black holes.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

A fast X-ray transient from a weak relativistic jet associated with a type Ic-BL supernova

Massive stars end their lives as core-collapse supernovae, amongst which some extremes are broad-lined type Ic supernovae from Wolf-Rayet stars associated with long-duration gamma-ray bursts (LGRBs) having powerful relativistic jets. Their less-extreme brethren make unsuccessful jets that are choked inside the stars, appearing as X-ray flashes or low-luminosity GRBs. On the other hand, there exists a population of extragalactic fast X-ray transients (EFXTs) with timescales ranging from seconds to thousands of seconds, whose origins remain obscure. Here, we report the discovery of the bright X-ray transient EP240414a detected by the Einstein Probe (EP), which is associated with the type Ic supernova SN 2024gsa at a redshift of 0.401. The X-ray emission evolution is characterised by a very soft energy spectrum peaking at $< 1.3$ keV, which makes it different from known LGRBs, X-ray flashes, or low-luminosity GRBs. Follow-up observations at optical and radio bands revealed the existence of a weak relativistic jet that interacts with an extended shell surrounding the progenitor star. Located on the outskirts of a massive galaxy, this event reveals a new population of explosions of Wolf-Rayet stars characterised by a less powerful engine that drives a successful but weak jet, possibly owing to a progenitor star with a smaller core angular momentum than in traditional LGRB progenitors.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

Soft X-ray prompt emission from a high-redshift gamma-ray burst EP240315a

Long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are believed to originate from core collapse of massive stars. High-redshift GRBs can probe the star formation and reionization history of the early universe, but their detection remains rare. Here we report the detection of a GRB triggered in the 0.5--4 keV band by the Wide-field X-ray Telescope (WXT) on board the Einstein Probe (EP) mission, designated as EP240315a, whose bright peak was also detected by the Swift Burst Alert Telescope and Konus-Wind through off-line analyses. At a redshift of $z=4.859$, EP240315a showed a much longer and more complicated light curve in the soft X-ray band than in gamma-rays. Benefiting from a large field-of-view ($\sim$3600 deg$^2$) and a high sensitivity, EP-WXT captured the earlier engine activation and extended late engine activity through a continuous detection. With a peak X-ray flux at the faint end of previously known high-$z$ GRBs, the detection of EP240315a demonstrates the great potential for EP to study the early universe via GRBs.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

Controllable magnon frequency comb in synthetic ferrimagnets

Magnon frequency comb provides opportunities for exploring magnon nonlinear effects and measuring the transmission magnon frequency in magnets, whose controllability becomes vital for modulating the operating frequency and improving the measurement accuracy. Nevertheless, such controllable frequency comb remains to be explored. In this work, we investigate theoretically and numerically the skyrmion-induced magnon frequency comb effect generated by interaction between the magnon excitation mode and skyrmion breathing mode in synthetic ferrimagnets. It is revealed that both the skyrmion breathing mode and the magnon frequency gap closely depend on the net angular momentum {\delta}s, emphasizing the pivotal role of {\delta}s as an effective control parameter in governing the comb teeth. With the increase of {\delta}s, the skyrmion size decreases, which results in the enlargement of the breathing frequency and the distance between the comb teeth. Moreover, the dependences of the magnon frequency gap on {\delta}s and the inter-layer coupling allow one to modulate the comb lowest coherent frequency via structural control. Consequently, the coherent modes generated by the comb may range from gigahertz to terahertz frequencies, serving as a bridge between microwave and terahertz waves. Thus, this work represents a substantial advance in understanding the magnon frequency comb effect in ferrimagnets.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2023

Optical-controlled ultrafast dynamics of skyrmion in antiferromagnets

Optical vortex, a light beam carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) has been realized in experiments, and its interactions with magnets show abundant physical characteristics and great application potentials. In this work, we propose that optical vortex can control skyrmion ultrafast in antiferromagnets using numerical and analytical methods. Isolated skyrmion can be generated/erased in a very short time ~ps by beam focusing. Subsequently, the OAM is transferred to the skyrmion and results in its rotation motion. Different from the case of ferromagnets, the rotation direction can be modulated through tuning the light frequency in antiferromagnets, allowing one to control the rotation easily. Furthermore, the skyrmion Hall motion driven by multipolar spin waves excited by optical vortex is revealed numerically, demonstrating the dependence of the Hall angle on the OAM quantum number. This work unveils the interesting optical-controlled skyrmion dynamics in antiferromagnets, which is a crucial step towards the development of optics and spintronics.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2022

Dynamics of hybrid magnetic skyrmion driven by spin-orbit torque in ferrimagnets

Magnetic skyrmions are magnetic textures with topological protection, which are expected to be information carriers in future spintronic devices. In this work, we propose a scheme to implement hybrid magnetic skyrmions (HMS) in ferrimagnets, and we study theoretically and numerically the dynamics of the HMS driven by spin-orbit torque. It is revealed that the skyrmion Hall effect depends on the skyrmion helicity and the net angular momentum ({\delta}s), allowing the effective modulation of the HMS motion through tuning Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and {\delta}s. Thus, the Hall effect can be suppressed through selecting suitable materials to better control the HMS motion. Moreover, Magnus force for finite {\delta}s suppresses the transverse motion and enhances the longitudinal propagation, resulting in the HMS dynamics in ferrimagnets faster than that in antiferromagnets.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2022

Soliton metacrystals: topology and chirality

Designing metamaterials with the required band structure, topology and chirality using nano-fabrication technology revolutionises modern science and impacts daily life. The approach of this work is, however, different. We take a periodic sequence, i.e., metacrystal, of the dissipative optical solitons rotating in a single ring microresonator and demonstrate its properties as of the electromagnetic metamaterial acting in the radio to terahertz frequency range. The metacrystal unit cell consists of the bound pair of solitons, and the distance between them is used as a control parameter. We are reporting the soliton metacrystal band structure and its topological properties. The latter is confirmed by the existence of the $\pi$ steps experienced by the crystal phonons' geometrical (Zak) phase. Furthermore, we found the phononic edge states in the metacrystals with defects made by removing several solitons. Optical frequency combs corresponding to the soliton metacrystals reveal the spectral butterfly pattern serving as a signature of the spatio-temporal chirality and bearing a resemblance to the butterfly wings illustrating natural occurrences of chirality.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2022

Predicting the location of shear band initiation in a metallic glass

We report atomistic simulation results which indicate that the location of shear banding in a metallic glass (MG) can be ascertained with reasonably high accuracy solely from the undeformed static structure. Correlation is observed between the location of the initiation of shear bands in a simulated MG and the initial distribution of the density of fertile sites (DFS) for stress-driven shear transformations identified a priori based on a deep learning model devised in our recent work [Fan and Ma, Nat. Commun. 12, 1506 (2021)]. In addition, we demonstrated that one can judge whether a glass is brittle or ductile solely based upon its initial DFS distribution. These validate that shear bands in MG arise from non-linear instabilities, and that the as-quenched glass structure contains inhomogeneities that influence these instabilities. This work also reveals an important subtlety regarding the non-deterministic nature of athermal quasistatic shear simulations.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Handedness-filter and Doppler shift of spin waves in ferrimagnetic domain walls

Excitation and propagation of spin waves inside magnetic domain walls has received attention because of their potentials in spintronic and communication applications. Besides wave amplitude and frequency, spin-wave has its third character: handedness, whose manipulation is certainly of interest. We propose in this Letter that the handedness of low energy spin-wave excitations can be controlled by tuning the net angular momentum {\delta}s in a ferrimagnetic (FiM) domain wall, attributing to the inequivalent magnetic sublattices. The results indicate that the spin-wave dispersion depends on both {\delta}s and wave handedness. For a positive (negative) {\delta}s, a gapless dispersion is observed for the left-handed (righ-handed) spin waves, while a frequency gap appears for the right-handed (left-handed) spin waves. Thus a FiM wall could serve as a multifold filter of low energy spin-wave in which only spin waves with particular handedness can propagate. Furthermore, the energy consumption loss for spin-wave excitation in the wall is much lower than that inside the domain, while the group velocity is much faster too, demonstrating the advantages of domain walls serving as spin waveguides. Moreover, the current-induced spin-wave Doppler shift in the FiM wall is also revealed, and can be controlled by {\delta}s. This work unveils for the first time the interesting spin-wave dynamics in FiM domain walls, benefiting future spin-wave applications.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2021

Spin-wave-driven skyrmion dynamics in ferrimagnets: Effect of net angular momentum

Searching for low-power-consuming and high-efficient methods for well controllable driving of skyrmion motion is one of the most concerned issues for future spintronic applications, raising high concern with an appreciated choice of magnetic media and driving scenario. In this work, we propose a novel scenario of spin wave driven skyrmion motion in a ferrimagnetic (FiM) lattice with the net angular momentum {\delta}s. We investigate theoretically the effect of both {\delta}s and the circular polarization of spin wave on the skyrmion dynamics. It is revealed that the momentum onto the skyrmion imposed by the excited spin wave can be partitioned into a ferromagnetic term plus an antiferromagnetic term. The ratio of these two terms and consequently the Hall angle of skyrmion motion can be formulated as the functions of {\delta}s, demonstrating the key role of {\delta}s as an effective control-parameter for the skyrmion motion. Moreover, the spin wave frequency dependent skyrmion motion is discussed, predicting the frequency enhanced skyrmion Hall motion. This work thus represents an essential contribution to understand the skyrmion dynamics in a FiM lattice.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2021

Magnon-driven dynamics of frustrated skyrmion in synthetic antiferromagnets: Effect of skyrmion precession

A theoretical study on the interplay of frustrated skyrmion and magnons is useful for revealing new physics and future experiments design. In this work, we investigated the magnon-driven dynamics of frustrated skyrmion in synthetic antiferromagnets, focusing on the effect of skyrmion precession. It is theoretically revealed that the scattering cross section of the injected magnons depends on the skyrmion precession, which in turn effectively modulates the skyrmion Hall motion. Specifically, the Hall angle decreases as the precession speed increases, which is also verified by the atomistic micromagnetic simulations. Moreover, the precession speed and the Hall angle of the frustrated skyrmion depending on the magnon intensity and damping constant are simulated, demonstrating the effective suppression of the Hall motion by the skyrmion precession. This work provides a comprehensive understanding of the magnon-skyrmion scattering in frustrated magnets, benefiting future spintronic and magnonic applications.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2021

Magnon driven skyrmion dynamics in antiferromagnets: The effect of magnon polarization

The controllable magnetic skyrmion motion represents a highly concerned issue in preparing advanced skyrmion-based spintronic devices. Specifically, magnon-driven skyrmion motion can be easily accessible in both metallic and insulating magnets, and thus is highly preferred over electric current control further for the ultra-low energy consumption. In this work, we investigate extensively the dynamics of skyrmion motion driven by magnon in an antiferromagnet using the collective coordinate theory, focusing on the effect of magnon polarization. It is revealed that the skyrmion Hall motion driven by circularly polarized magnon becomes inevitable generally, consistent with earlier report. Furthermore, the elastic scattering theory and numerical results unveil the strong inter-dependence between the linearly polarized magnon and skyrmion motion, suggesting the complicated dependence of the skyrmion motion on the polarization nature of driving magnon. On the reversal, the scattering from the moving skyrmion may lead to decomposition of the linearly polarized magnon into two elliptically polarized magnon bands. Consequently, a net transverse force acting on skyrmion is generated owing to the broken mirror symmetry, which in turn drives a skyrmion Hall motion. The Hall motion can be completely suppressed only in some specific condition where the mirror symmetry is preserved. The present work unveils non-trivial skyrmion-magnon scattering behavior in antiferromagnets, advancing the antiferromagnetic spintronics and benefiting to high-performance devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Dynamics of antiferromagnetic skyrmion in absence and presence of pinning defect

A theoretical study on the dynamics of an antiferromagnetic (AFM) skyrmion is indispensable for revealing the underlying physics and understanding the numerical and experimental observations. In this work, we present a reliable theoretical treatment of the spin current induced motion of an AFM skyrmion in the absence and presence of pinning defect. For an ideal AFM system free of defect, the skyrmion motion velocity as a function of the intrinsic parameters can be derived, based on the concept that the skyrmion profile agrees well with the 360 domain wall formula, leading to an explicit description of the skyrmion dynamics. However, for an AFM lattice containing a defect, the skyrmion can be pinned and the depinning field as a function of damping constant and pinning strength can be described by the Thiele approach. It is revealed that the depinning behavior can be remarkably influenced by the time dependent oscillation of the skyrmion trajectory. The present theory provides a comprehensive scenario for manipulating the dynamics of AFM skyrmion, informative for future spintronic applications based on antiferromagnets.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗