Precision test of statistical dynamics with state-to-state ultracold chemistry.

Chemical reactions represent a class of quantum problems that challenge both the current theoretical understanding and computational capabilities1. Reactions that occur at ultralow temperatures provide an ideal testing ground for quantum chemistry and scattering theories, because they can be experimentally studied with unprecedented control2, yet display dynamics that are highly complex3. Here we report the full product state distribution for the reaction 2KRb → K2 + Rb2. Ultracold preparation of the reactants allows us complete control over their initial quantum degrees of freedom, whereas state-resolved, coincident detection of both products enables the probability of scattering into each of the 57 allowed rotational state-pairs to be measured. Our results show an overall agreement with a state-counting model based on statistical theory4-6, but also reveal several deviating state-pairs. In particular, we observe a strong suppression of population in the state-pair closest to the exoergicity limit as a result of the long-range potential inhibiting the escape of products. The completeness of our measurements provides a benchmark for quantum dynamics calculations beyond the current state of the art.

Reaction interferometry with ultracold molecules.

We propose to coherently control the ultracold 2KRb → K2 + Rb2 reaction product state distribution via quantum interference. By leveraging that the nuclear spin degrees of freedom in the reaction maintain coherence, which was demonstrated in Liu, Zhu et al., arXiv, 2023, arXiv:2310.07620, https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2310.07620, we explore the concept of a "reaction interferometer". Such an interferometer involves splitting one KRb molecular cloud into two, imprinting a well-defined relative phase between them, recombining the clouds for reactions, and measuring the product state distribution. We show that the interference patterns provide a mechanism to coherently control the product states, and specific product channels also serve as an entanglement witness of the atoms in the reactant KRb molecule.

A new pepper allergen Zan b 1.01 of 2S albumins: Identification, cloning, characterization, and cross-reactivity.

BACKGROUND: Zanthoxylum bungeanum (Sichuan pepper; in Chinese) is used as a spice worldwide and is a potentially life-threatening allergenic food source, as first reported by our team in 2005. However, its allergen components are unknown. OBJECTIVE: We aim to identify and characterize its major allergen and determine its cross-reactivities with citrus seeds, pistachios, and cashew seeds. METHODS: Ionic exchange and molecular exclusion chromatography were used to isolate the protein components from Sichuan pepper seed. A protein fraction was characterized by SDS-PAGE, analytical ultracentrifugation, mass spectrometry, and circular dichroism spectroscopy. The coding region of it was amplified from the genome. ELISA and competitive ELISA assays were used to investigate the allergenicity and cross-reactivity of allergens. RESULTS: This protein allergen was around 14 kDa. It was a 2S albumin similar to an α-Amylase inhibitor (AAI) domain-containing protein of Citrus sinensis. Circular dichroism spectroscopy showed its thermal stability was high. A 303 bps DNA sequence of the AAI domain was cloned from the genome of the Sichuan pepper. Competitive ELISA assays showed positive cross-reactivities between this allergen and citrus seeds, pistachios, and cashew seeds. CONCLUSION: A major allergen of around 14 kDa from Sichuan pepper seed was confirmed, which belongs to the 2S albumin of plant seed storage proteins. Based on the nomenclature of the IUIS Subcommittee for Allergen Nomenclature, this allergen is designated as Zan b 1.01. The cross-reactivities were demonstrated between Zan b 1.01 and citrus seeds, pistachios, and cashew seeds.

Extended Rotational Coherence of Polar Molecules in an Elliptically Polarized Trap.

We demonstrate long rotational coherence of individual polar molecules in the motional ground state of an optical trap. In the present, previously unexplored regime, the rotational eigenstates of molecules are dominantly quantized by trapping light rather than static fields, and the main source of decoherence is differential light shift. In an optical tweezer array of NaCs molecules, we achieve a three-orders-of-magnitude reduction in differential light shift by changing the trap's polarization from linear to a specific "magic" ellipticity. With spin-echo pulses, we measure a rotational coherence time of 62(3) ms (one pulse) and 250(40) ms (up to 72 pulses), surpassing the projected duration of resonant dipole-dipole entangling gates by orders of magnitude.

Bimolecular Chemistry in the Ultracold Regime.

Advances in atomic, molecular, and optical physics techniques allowed the cooling of simple molecules down to the ultracold regime ([Formula: see text]1 mK) and opened opportunities to study chemical reactions with unprecedented levels of control. This review covers recent developments in studying bimolecular chemistry at ultralow temperatures. We begin with a brief overview of methods for producing, manipulating, and detecting ultracold molecules. We then survey experimental works that exploit the controllability of ultracold molecules to probe and modify their long-range interactions. Further combining the use of physical chemistry techniques such as mass spectrometry and ion imaging significantly improved the detection of ultracold reactions and enabled explorations of their dynamics in the short range. We discuss a series of studies on the reaction KRb + KRb → K2 + Rb2 initiated below 1 µK, including the direct observation of a long-lived complex, the demonstration of product rotational state control via conserved nuclear spins, and a test of the statistical model using the complete quantum state distribution of the products.

Patterns and abiotic drivers of soil organic carbon in perennial tea (Camellia sinensis L.) plantation system of China.

Understanding soil organic carbon (SOC), the largest carbon (C) pool of a terrestrial ecosystem, is essential for mitigating climate change. Currently, the spatial patterns and drivers of SOC in the plantations of tea, a perennial leaf crop, remain unclear. Therefore, the present study surveyed SOC across the main tea-producing areas of China, which is the largest tea producer in the world. We analyzed the soil samples from tea plantations under different scenarios, such as provinces, regions [southwest China (SW), south China (SC), south Yangtze (SY), and north Yangtze (NY)], climatic zones (temperate, subtropical, and tropical), and cultivars [large-leaf (LL) and middle or small-leaf (ML) cultivars]. Preliminary analysis revealed that most tea-producing areas (45%) had SOC content ranging from 10 to 20 g kg-1. The highest SOC was recorded for Yunnan among the various provinces, the SW tea-producing area among the four regions, the tropical region among the different climatic zones, and the areas with LL cultivars compared to those with ML cultivars. Further Pearson correlation analysis demonstrated significant associations between SOC and soil variables and random forest modeling (RF) identified that total nitrogen (TN) and available aluminum [Ava(Al)] of soil explained the maximum differences in SOC. Besides, a large indirect effect of geography (latitude and altitude) on SOC was detected through partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) analysis. Thus, the study revealed a high spatial heterogeneity in SOC across the major tea-producing areas of China. The findings also serve as a basis for planning fertilization strategies and C sequestration policies for tea plantations.

Long-term nitrogen addition increases denitrification potential and functional gene abundance and changes denitrifying communities in acidic tea plantation soil.

The response of soil denitrification to nitrogen (N) addition in the acidic and perennial agriculture systems and its underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Therefore, a long-term (12 years) field trial was conducted to explore the effects of different N application rates on the soil denitrification potential (DP), functional genes, and denitrifying microbial communities of a tea plantation. The study found that N application to the soil significantly increased the DP and the absolute abundance of denitrifying genes, such as narG, nirK, norB, and nosZ. The diversity of denitrifying communities (genus level) significantly decreased with increasing N rates. Moreover, the denitrifying communities composition significantly differed among the soils with different rates of N fertilization. Further variance partitioning analysis (VPA) revealed that the soil (39.04%) and pruned litter (32.53%) properties largely contributed to the variation in the denitrifying communities. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and soil pH, pruned litter's total crude fiber (TCF) content and total polyphenols to total N ratio (TP/TN), and narG and nirK abundance significantly (VIP >1.0) influenced the DP. Finally, partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) revealed that N addition indirectly affected the DP by changing specific soil and pruned litter properties and functional gene abundance. Thus, the findings suggest that tea plantation is a major source of N2O emissions that significantly enhance under N application and provide theoretical support for N fertilizer management in an acidic tea plantation system.

Nitrogen addition reduces phosphorus availability and induces a shift in soil phosphorus cycling microbial community in a tea (Camellia sinensis L.) plantation.

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are two important nutrient elements that limit the growth of plants and microorganisms. The effect of the N supply on soil P cycling and its mechanism remain poorly known. Here, we characterized the effects of different N application rates on soil P availability, the abundances of P-cycling functional genes, and microbial communities involved in P-cycling following the application of N for 13 years in a tea plantation. Soil available P (AP) decreased significantly under N application. The opposite pattern was observed for the activity of soil phosphatases including alkaline (ALP) and acid phosphatase (ACP). Furthermore, N addition increased the abundance of ppa but decreased the abundance of phoD in soil. Both ppa- and phoD-harboring communities varied with N application levels. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that soil pH was a key variable modulating ppa-harboring and phoD-harboring microbial communities. Partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) revealed that long-term N application indirectly reduced soil P availability by altering the abundances of phoD-harboring biomarker taxa. Overall, our findings indicated that N-induced reductions in AP increased microbial competition for P by selecting microbes with P uptake and starvation response genes or those with phosphatases in tea plantation system. This suggests that tea plantations should be periodically supplemented with P under N application, especially under high N application levels.

Effect of Interactions between Phosphorus and Light Intensity on Metabolite Compositions in Tea Cultivar Longjing43.

Light intensity influences energy production by increasing photosynthetic carbon, while phosphorus plays an important role in forming the complex nucleic acid structure for the regulation of protein synthesis. These two factors contribute to gene expression, metabolism, and plant growth regulation. In particular, shading is an effective agronomic practice and is widely used to improve the quality of green tea. Genotypic differences between tea cultivars have been observed as a metabolic response to phosphorus deficiency. However, little is known about how the phosphorus supply mediates the effect of shading on metabolites and how plant cultivar gene expression affects green tea quality. We elucidated the responses of the green tea cultivar Longjing43 under three light intensity levels and two levels of phosphorus supply based on a metabolomic analysis by GC×GC-TOF/MS (Two-dimensional Gas Chromatography coupled to Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry) and UPLC-Q-TOF/MS (Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry), a targeted analysis by HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography), and a gene expression analysis by qRT-PCR. In young shoots, the phosphorus concentration increased in line with the phosphate supply, and elevated light intensities were positively correlated with catechins, especially with epigallocatechin of Longjing43. Moreover, when the phosphorus concentration was sufficient, total amino acids in young shoots were enhanced by moderate shading which did not occur under phosphorus deprivation. By metabolomic analysis, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis (PTT) were enriched due to light and phosphorus effects. Under shaded conditions, SPX2 (Pi transport, stress, sensing, and signaling), SWEET3 (bidirectional sugar transporter), AAP (amino acid permeases), and GSTb (glutathione S-transferase b) shared the same analogous correlations with primary and secondary metabolite pathways. Taken together, phosphorus status is a crucial factor when shading is applied to increase green tea quality.

Ecological management model for the improvement of soil fertility through the regulation of rare microbial taxa in tea (Camellia sinensis L.) plantation soils.

Agricultural management is essential to enhance soil ecosystem service function through optimizing soil physical conditions and improving nutrient supply, which is predominantly regulated by soil microorganisms. Several studies have focused on soil biodiversity and function in tea plantation systems. However, the effects of different agriculture managements on soil fertility and microbes remain poorly characterized, especially for what concerns perennial agroecosystems. In this study, 40 soil samples were collected from 10 tea plantation sites in China to explore the effects of ecological and conventional managements on soil fertility, as well as on microbial diversity, community composition, and co-occurrence network. Compared with conventional management, ecological management was found to significantly enhance soil fertility, microbial diversity, and microbial network complexity. Additionally, a significant difference in community composition was clearly observed under the two agriculture managements, especially for rare microbial taxa, whose relative abundance significantly increased under ecological management. Random forest modeling revealed that rare taxa (e.g., Rokubacteria and Mortierellomycota), rather than dominant microbial taxa (e.g., Proteobacteria and Ascomycota), were key variables for predicting soil fertility. This indicates that rare taxa might play a fundamental role in biological processes. Overall, our results suggest that ecological management is more efficient than conventional management in regulating rare microbial taxa and maintaining a good soil fertility in tea plantation systems.

Assembly of a Rovibrational Ground State Molecule in an Optical Tweezer.

We demonstrate the coherent creation of a single NaCs molecule in its rotational, vibrational, and electronic (rovibronic) ground state in an optical tweezer. Starting with a weakly bound Feshbach molecule, we locate a two-photon transition via the |c^{3}Σ_{1},v^{'}=26⟩ excited state and drive coherent Rabi oscillations between the Feshbach state and a single hyperfine level of the NaCs rovibronic ground state |X^{1}Σ,v^{''}=0,N^{''}=0⟩ with a binding energy of D_{0}=h×147044.63(11) GHz. We measure a lifetime of 3.4±1.6 s for the rovibronic ground state molecule, which possesses a large molecule-frame dipole moment of 4.6D and occupies predominantly the motional ground state. These long-lived, fully quantum-state-controlled individual dipolar molecules provide a key resource for molecule-based quantum simulation and information processing.

Rotational Coherence Times of Polar Molecules in Optical Tweezers.

Qubit coherence times are critical to the performance of any robust quantum computing platform. For quantum information processing using arrays of polar molecules, a key performance parameter is the molecular rotational coherence time. We report a 93(7) ms coherence time for rotational state qubits of laser cooled CaF molecules in optical tweezer traps, over an order of magnitude longer than previous systems. Inhomogeneous broadening due to the differential polarizability between the qubit states is suppressed by tuning the tweezer polarization and applied magnetic field to a "magic" angle. The coherence time is limited by the residual differential polarizability, implying improvement with further cooling. A single spin-echo pulse is able to extend the coherence time to nearly half a second. The measured coherence times demonstrate the potential of polar molecules as high fidelity qubits.

Reduction of laser intensity noise over 1 MHz band for single atom trapping.

We reduce the intensity noise of laser light by using an electro-optic modulator and acousto-optic modulator in series. The electro-optic modulator reduces noise at high frequency (10 kHz to 1 MHz), while the acousto-optic modulator sets the average power of the light and reduces noise at low frequency (up to 10 kHz). The light is then used to trap single sodium atoms in an optical tweezer, where the lifetime of the atoms is limited by parametric heating due to laser noise at twice the trapping frequency. With our noise eater, the noise is reduced by up to 15 dB at these frequencies and the lifetime of the atom in the optical tweezer is increased by an order of magnitude to around 6 seconds. Our technique is general and acts directly on the laser beam, expanding laser options for sensitive optical trapping applications.

Observation of Collisions between Two Ultracold Ground-State CaF Molecules.

We measure inelastic collisions between ultracold CaF molecules by combining two optical tweezers, each containing a single molecule. We observe collisions between ^{2}Σ CaF molecules in the absolute ground state |X,v=0,N=0,F=0⟩, and in excited hyperfine and rotational states. In the absolute ground state, we find a two-body loss rate of 7(4)×10^{-11} cm^{3}/s, which is below, but close to, the predicted universal loss rate.

Forming a Single Molecule by Magnetoassociation in an Optical Tweezer.

We demonstrate the formation of a single NaCs molecule in an optical tweezer by magnetoassociation through an s-wave Feshbach resonance at 864.11(5) G. Starting from single atoms cooled to their motional ground states, we achieve conversion efficiencies of 47(1)%, and measure a molecular lifetime of 4.7(7) ms. By construction, the single molecules are predominantly [77(5)%] in the center-of-mass motional ground state of the tweezer. Furthermore, we produce a single p-wave molecule near 807 G by first preparing one of the atoms with one quantum of motional excitation. Our creation of a single weakly bound molecule in a designated internal state in the motional ground state of an optical tweezer is a crucial step towards coherent control of single molecules in optical tweezer arrays.

Probing ultracold chemistry using ion spectrometry.

Rapid progress in atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) physics techniques enabled the creation of ultracold samples of molecular species and opened opportunities to explore chemistry in the ultralow temperature regime. In particular, both the external and internal quantum degrees of freedom of the reactant atoms and molecules are controlled, allowing studies that explored the role of the long-range potential in ultracold reactions. The kinetics of these reactions have typically been determined using the loss of reactants as proxies. To extend such studies into the short-range, we developed an experimental apparatus that combines the production of quantum-state-selected ultracold KRb molecules with ion mass and kinetic energy spectrometry, and directly observed KRb + KRb reaction intermediates and products [M.-G. Hu and Y. Liu, et al., Science, 2019, 366, 1111]. Here, we present the apparatus in detail. For future studies that aim for detecting the quantum states of the reaction products, we demonstrate a photodissociation based scheme to calibrate the ion kinetic energy spectrometer at low energies.

Biased Lewis Pairs: A General Catalytic Approach to Ether-Ester Block Copolymers with Unlimited Ordering of Sequences.

Polymerizing epoxides after cyclic esters remains a major challenge, though their block copolymers have been extensively studied and used for decades. Reported here is a simple catalytic approach based on a metal-free Lewis pair that addresses the challenge. When the Lewis acid is used in excess of a base, selective (transesterification-free) polymerization of epoxides occurs in the presence of esters, while selectivity toward cyclic esters is achieved by an oppositely biased catalyst. Hence, one-pot block copolymerization can be performed in both ester-first and ether-first orders with selectivity being switchable at any stage, yielding ether-ester-type block copolymers with unlimited ordering of sequences as well as widely variable compositions and architectures. The selectivity can also be switched back and forth several times to generate a multiblock copolymer. Experimental and calculational results indicate that the selectivity originates mainly from the state of catalyst-activated hydroxy species.

Elliptical polarization for molecular Stark shift compensation in deep optical traps.

In optical dipole traps, the excited rotational states of a molecule may experience a very different light shift than the ground state. For particles with two polarizability components (parallel and perpendicular), such as linear 1Σ molecules, the differential shift can be nulled by choice of elliptical polarization. When one component of the polarization vector is ±i2 times the orthogonal component, the light shift for a sublevel of excited rotational states ±approaches that of the ground state at high optical intensity. In this case, fluctuating trap intensity need not limit coherence between ground and excited rotational states.