Editor’s Choice Articles

Editor’s Choice articles are based on recommendations by the scientific editors of MDPI journals from around the world. Editors select a small number of articles recently published in the journal that they believe will be particularly interesting to readers, or important in the respective research area. The aim is to provide a snapshot of some of the most exciting work published in the various research areas of the journal.

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12 pages, 1360 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Spectroscopic Experiment Calibration through Differentiable Programming
by Fabrizio Napolitano
Condens. Matter 2024, 9(2), 26; https://doi.org/10.3390/condmat9020026 - 5 Jun 2024
Viewed by 607
Abstract
In this work, we present an innovative calibration technique leveraging differentiable programming to enhance energy resolution and reduce the energy scale systematic uncertainty in X-ray spectroscopic experiments. This approach is demonstrated using synthetic data and is applicable in general to various spectroscopic measurements. [...] Read more.
In this work, we present an innovative calibration technique leveraging differentiable programming to enhance energy resolution and reduce the energy scale systematic uncertainty in X-ray spectroscopic experiments. This approach is demonstrated using synthetic data and is applicable in general to various spectroscopic measurements. This method extends the scope of differentiable programming for calibration, employing Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) to achieve a target Probability Density Function (PDF) for a fully differentiable model of the calibration. To assess the effectiveness of the calibration, we conduct a toy simulation replicating the entire detector response chain and compare it with a standard calibration. This ensures a robust and reliable calibration methodology, holding promise for improving energy resolution and providing a more versatile and efficient approach without the need for extensive fine-tuning. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Precision X-ray Measurements 2023)
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8 pages, 252 KiB  
Article
On the Importance of Future, Precise, X-ray Measurements in Kaonic Atoms
by Sławomir Wycech and Kristian Piscicchia
Condens. Matter 2024, 9(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/condmat9010004 - 11 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1365
Abstract
Progress in the construction of precise X-ray detectors allows measurements of energies and widths of “upper levels” in K mesic atoms. These can be used to determine sub-threshold Kaon-nucleon amplitudes, which are important in investigations of nuclear states of these mesons. The [...] Read more.
Progress in the construction of precise X-ray detectors allows measurements of energies and widths of “upper levels” in K mesic atoms. These can be used to determine sub-threshold Kaon-nucleon amplitudes, which are important in investigations of nuclear states of these mesons. The special case of the 2P state in Kaonic Helium is discussed and used to check the properties of the K proton quasi-bound state. Similar attempts in other elements indicate a need for new, precise measurements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Precision X-ray Measurements 2023)
11 pages, 1505 KiB  
Article
Comparison of Different Methods for Evaluating Quantitative X-ray Fluorescence Data in Copper-Based Artefacts
by Eleni Konstantakopoulou, Annalaura Casanova Municchia, Loredana Luvidi and Marco Ferretti
Condens. Matter 2024, 9(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/condmat9010005 - 11 Jan 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2162
Abstract
Handheld X-ray Fluorescence devices (HH-XRF) have given archaeologists and conservators the opportunity to study a wide range of materials encountered in their work with great accessibility and flexibility. The investigation of copper-based artefacts is a frequent application of these instruments in the field [...] Read more.
Handheld X-ray Fluorescence devices (HH-XRF) have given archaeologists and conservators the opportunity to study a wide range of materials encountered in their work with great accessibility and flexibility. The investigation of copper-based artefacts is a frequent application of these instruments in the field of cultural heritage as it gives direct and rapid quantitative results that can provide very important information about them, such as their fabrication technology. This paper discusses the comparison of quantitative results, obtained by a commercial handheld XRF device “Bruker Tracer 5g” on certified standards, compositionally significant in copper-based alloys of interest in the field of cultural heritage. The measured elemental concentrations were derived using three different calibrations, which were examined for their accuracy. Two of them were based on the empirical coefficients approach, performed by the built-in calibration/software (copper alloy calibrations provided by Bruker manufacturer and the Bruker EasyCal software), while the third one was performed off-line by processing the spectra with an independent fundamental parameters (FP) software (PyMca version 5.9.2., a X-ray fluorescence analysis software developed at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility). The results highlight that although HH-XRF devices simplify data collection, for optimal quantitative results, the correct choice of analysis conditions and calibration method still requires a detailed understanding of the principles of X-ray spectrometry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Precision X-ray Measurements 2023)
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9 pages, 1663 KiB  
Article
The Superconducting Dome in Artificial High-Tc Superlattices Tuned at the Fano–Feshbach Resonance by Quantum Design
by Gennady Logvenov, Nicolas Bonmassar, Georg Christiani, Gaetano Campi, Antonio Valletta and Antonio Bianconi
Condens. Matter 2023, 8(3), 78; https://doi.org/10.3390/condmat8030078 - 6 Sep 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1790
Abstract
While the search for new high-temperature superconductors had been driven by the empirical “trials and errors” method for decades, we now report the synthesis of Artificial High-Tc Superlattices (AHTS) designed by quantum mechanics theory at the nanoscale. This discovery paves the [...] Read more.
While the search for new high-temperature superconductors had been driven by the empirical “trials and errors” method for decades, we now report the synthesis of Artificial High-Tc Superlattices (AHTS) designed by quantum mechanics theory at the nanoscale. This discovery paves the way for engineering a new class of high-temperature superconductors, following the predictions of the Bianconi Perali Valletta (BPV) theory recently implemented in 2022 by Mazziotti et al. including Rashba spin-orbit coupling to create nanoscale AHTS composed of quantum wells. The high-Tc superconducting properties within these superlattices are controlled by a conformational parameter of the superlattice geometry, specifically, the ratio L/d which represents the thickness of La2CuO4 layers (L) relative to the superlattice period (d). Using molecular beam epitaxy, we have successfully grown numerous AHTS samples. These samples consist of initial layers of stoichiometric La2CuO4 units with a thickness L, doped by interface space charge, and intercalated with second layers of non-superconducting metallic material, La1.55Sr0.45CuO4 with thickness denoted as W = d − L. This configuration forms a quantum superlattice with periodicity d. The agreement observed between the experimental dependence Tc (the superconducting transition temperature) versus L/d ratio and the predictions of the BPV theory for AHTS in the form of the superconducting dome validates the hypothesis that the superconducting dome arises from the Fano–Feshbach or shape resonance in multigap superconductivity driven by quantum nanoscale confinement. Full article
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