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Abstract We studied the magnetic excitations in the quasi-one-dimensional (q-1D) ladder subsystem of Sr 14−x Ca x Cu 24 O 41 (SCCO) using Cu L 3 -edge resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS). By comparing momentum-resolved RIXS spectra with high ( x  = 12.2) and without ( x  = 0) Ca content, we track the evolution of the magnetic excitations from collective two-triplon (2 T) excitations ( x  = 0) to weakly-dispersive gapped modes at an energy of 280 meV ( x  = 12.2). Density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) calculations of the RIXS response in the doped ladders suggest that the flat magnetic dispersion and damped excitation profile observed at x  = 12.2 originates from enhanced hole localization. This interpretation is supported by polarization-dependent RIXS measurements, where we disentangle the spin-conserving Δ S  = 0 scattering from the predominant Δ S  = 1 spin-flip signal in the RIXS spectra. The results show that the low-energy weight in the Δ S  = 0 channel is depleted when Sr is replaced by Ca, consistent with a reduced carrier mobility. Our results demonstrate that off-ladder impurities can affect both the low-energy magnetic excitations and superconducting correlations in the CuO 4 plaquettes. Finally, our study characterizes the magnetic and charge fluctuations in the phase from which superconductivity emerges in SCCO at elevated pressures. 

Abstract Investigations of magnetically ordered phases on the femtosecond timescale have provided significant insights into the influence of charge and lattice degrees of freedom on the magnetic sub-system. However, short-range magnetic correlations occurring in the absence of long-range order, for example in spin-frustrated systems, are inaccessible to many ultrafast techniques. Here, we show how time-resolved resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (trRIXS) is capable of probing such short-ranged magnetic dynamics in a charge-transfer insulator through the detection of a Zhang–Rice singlet exciton. Utilizing trRIXS measurements at the O K -edge, and in combination with model calculations, we probe the short-range spin correlations in the frustrated spin chain material CuGeO 3 following photo-excitation, revealing a strong coupling between the local lattice and spin sub-systems. 

High entropy alloys (HEA) are an unusual class of materials where mixtures of elements are stochastically arrayed on a simple crystalline lattice. These systems exhibit remarkable functionality, often along several distinct axes: e.g., the examples [TaNb]_1-x(TiZrHf)_xare high strength and damage resistant refractory metals that also exhibit superconductivity with large upper critical fields. Here we report the discovery of anf-electron containing HEA, [TaNb]_0.31(TiUHf)_0.69, which is the first to include an actinide ion. Similar to the Zr-analogue, this material crystallizes in a body-centered cubic lattice with the lattice constanta = 3.41(1) Å and exhibits phonon mediated superconductivity with a transition temperaturesT_c ≈ 3.2 K and upper critical fieldsH_c2 ≈ 6.4 T. These results expand this class of materials to include actinide elements, shows that superconductivity is robust in this sub-group, and opens the path towards leveraging HEAs as functional waste forms for a variety of radioisotopes.

 

Aging, often considered a result of random cellular damage, can be accurately estimated using DNA methylation profiles, the foundation of pan-tissue epigenetic clocks. Here, we demonstrate the development of universal pan-mammalian clocks, using 11,754 methylation arrays from our Mammalian Methylation Consortium, which encompass 59 tissue types across 185 mammalian species. These predictive models estimate mammalian tissue age with high accuracy (r > 0.96). Age deviations correlate with human mortality risk, mouse somatotropic axis mutations and caloric restriction. We identified specific cytosines with methylation levels that change with age across numerous species. These sites, highly enriched in polycomb repressive complex 2-binding locations, are near genes implicated in mammalian development, cancer, obesity and longevity. Our findings offer new evidence suggesting that aging is evolutionarily conserved and intertwined with developmental processes across all mammals.