Tri-Hexagonal charge order in kagome metal CsV3Sb5 revealed by 121Sb NQR

We report 121Sb nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) measurements on kagome superconductor CsV3Sb5 with T c = 2.5 K. 121Sb NQR spectra split after a charge density wave (CDW) transition at 94 K, which demonstrates a commensurate CDW state. The coexistence of the high temperature phase and the CDW phase between 91 K and 94 K manifests that it is a first order phase transition. The CDW order exhibits Tri-Hexagonal deformation with a lateral shift between the adjacent kagome layers, which is consistent with 2×2×2 superlattice modulation. The superconducting state coexists with CDW order and shows a conventional s-wave behavior in the bulk state.

Improvement of simulated nuclear quadrupole resonance signals from explosive detection via a Red-Pitaya board

In Nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR), the interaction of the nuclear magnetic moments of quadrupolar nuclei (spin greater than 1/2) with the electric field gradient of the surrounding molecular orbitals produces an energy splitting. Because the resonant frequency is very specific to the molecular structure, the NQR can be used to detect explosive materials very accurately and it is extremely useful for detecting modern bombs whose containers made from plastics and wood instead of metals. However, NQR signals are generally very weak so they are difficult to be detected. Recently, Red-Pitaya boards, a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) on Single Board Computers, have been being utilized in many electronic applications due to their small size and low cost. Since the boards can generate and acquire radio frequency signals, they can be taken as the console of portable bomb detectors. In this work, we study an improvement of the NQR signals of an explosive, ammonium nitrate with a resonant frequency of 423.6 kHz, acquired by using a Red-Pitaya board (STEMlab 125-14). To construct the NQR signals, we simulate free induction decay (FID) signals (exponential decay of sinusoidal functions) and add real measured noises from an input port of the Red-Pitaya board. To mimic real situations, the FID amplitude is varied, frequency fluctuations and phase shifts are added. The results show that averaging of signals from repeat measurements can improve the signals in all cases. To distinguish the signals from the noises, a minimal number of measurements is required. This necessary number of repeat measurements increases with frequency fluctuations and phase shifts but decreases when the FID amplitude grows.

Implementation of the Configuration Structure of an Integrated Computational Core of a Pulsed NQR Sensor Based on FPGA

This paper presents a method for implementing the configuration structure of an integrated computational core of a pulsed nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) sensor based on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), which comprises the following modules: a three-channel direct digital synthesizer (DDS), a pulse sequence shaper and a software-defined radio. Experimental studies carried out using the in-circuit analyzer SignalTap Logic Analyzer have confirmed the reliability of the correct and stable operation of the functional modules of the configuration structure at all stages of signal transformations, starting from the formation of the envelope of the excitation pulses and ending with the obtainment of low-frequency quadrature signals at the outlet of the compensating filters. The time and frequency dependences of the amplitude of the output signals generated using the DDS based on a 48 bit phase accumulator are investigated. This development can be used when creating pulsed coherent NQR sensors in the frequency range of 1 MHz–50 MHz.