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At least 181 records · Page 10

Dynamical Nonlinear Inversion of the Surface Photovoltage at Si(100)

A surface photovoltage (SPV) is observed whenever a doped semiconductor with non-negligible band bending is illuminated by light and charge carriers are excited across the band gap. The sign of the SPV depends on the nature of the doping, the amplitude of the SPV increases with the fluence of the light illumination up to a saturation value, which is determined by the doping concentration. We have investigated Si(100) samples with well-characterized doping levels over a wide range of illumination fluences. Surprisingly, the sign of the SPV upon illumination with 532 nm photons reverses for some p-doping concentrations at high fluences. This is a new effect associated with a crossover between electronic excitations in the bulk and at the surface of the semiconductor.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Evaluation of the Reliability of Passive Infrared (PIR) Occupancy Sensors for Residential Indoor Lighting

Solid-state lighting (SSL) technologies have penetrated the general illumination market in recent years, largely replacing conventional technologies such as incandescent and fluorescent lighting. Most of the initial excitement about light-emitting diode (LED) sources for SSL devices focused on their energy savings potential resulting from vast improvements in source efficiency and luminous efficacy compared with conventional illumination products. More recently, the focus has shifted toward other aspects of lighting application efficiency, namely intensity effectiveness and spectral efficiency, because of the ease of controlling both the light intensity of LEDs with drive voltage and the color properties of the LED-based illuminators. To capitalize on the energy savings of increased intensity effectiveness and spectral efficiency, a lighting control system (LCS) is often used. While the current penetration of LCSs is relatively modest, it is anticipated that lighting controls (i.e., connected lighting, controls and LED and conventional lighting) could have an installed penetration as higher as 46% by the year 2035, saving an additional 1.3 quads of energy. Despite the large energy savings that can be gained from using LCSs, standard test methods for evaluating sensors employed in LCSs and reliability data of the LCSs and their components are generally lacking. The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) developed the only standard, NEMA WD 7-2011 (R2016), to test occupancy and motion sensor performance (herein referred to as “the NEMA protocol”). In a previous U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) effort, some concerns of the NEMA protocol were identified (e.g., strict height and weight limits on test subjects, large amounts of manual effort, sometimes inconsistent repeatability). During the current work, a consistent detection length test (DLT) and a Robotic Sensor Evaluation System (RoboSES) were developed to alleviate some of these concerns. RoboSES acts as a human surrogate by using thermal pads on a mannequin and a remote-controlled mobile base to test a sensor’s field of view (FOV). This report builds on the earlier DOE efforts to understand sensor technologies used in LCSs for general illumination. Specifically, this report describes the optimization of RoboSES, characterizes and establishes test methods to assess the reliability of multiple passive infrared (PIR) sensors, and reports the findings of robustness and reliability testing on two commercial PIR sensors intended for residential applications. The information presented in this report is gained from up to 4,000 hours (hrs) of accelerated stress tests (ASTs).

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

X-Ray Performance of Critical-angle Transmission Grating Prototypes for the Arcus Mission

Arcus is a proposed Explorer Class soft X-ray grating spectrometer. It aims to explore cosmic feedback by mapping hot gases within and between galaxies and galaxy clusters and characterizing jets and winds from supermassive black holes and to investigate the dynamics of protoplanetary disks and stellar accretion. Arcus features 12 m focal-length grazing-incidence silicon pore optics (SPO) developed for the Athena mission. Critical-angle transmission (CAT) gratings efficiently disperse high diffraction orders onto CCDs. We report new and improved X-ray performance results for Arcus-like CAT gratings, including a record resolving power for two coaligned CAT gratings. Multiple Arcus prototype grating facets were illuminated by an SPO at the PANTER facility. The facets consist of 32 × 32.5 mm 2 patterned silicon membranes, bonded to metal frames. The bonding angle is adjusted according to the measured average tilt angle of the grating bars in the membrane. Two simultaneously illuminated facets show a minor broadening of the Al-K α doublet in the 18th and 21st orders with the best-fit record effective resolving power of ${R}_{G}\approx {1.3}_{-0.5}^{+\infty }\times {10}^{4}$ (3σ), about three to four times the Arcus requirement. We measured the diffraction efficiency of quasi-fully illuminated gratings at O-K wavelengths in orders 4–7 in an Arcus-like configuration and compare results with synchrotron spot measurements. After corrections for geometrical effects and bremsstrahlung continuum, we find agreement between full and spot illumination at the two different facilities, as well as with the models used for Arcus effective area predictions. We find that these flight-like gratings meet the diffraction efficiency and greatly exceed the resolving power Arcus requires.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Non-contact rapid reader system for reflective particle tags

A reflective particle tag reader system includes a read head assembly having a camera, illuminators, and a rigid frame portion for supporting the camera and the illuminators. The illuminators illuminate a focal point located opposite the camera where a reflective particle tag is placed. A computer in data communication with the camera receives and store images of the reflective particle tag that are acquired by the camera. The computer is programmed to process video images and to quantify a positional alignment parameter and an angular alignment parameter of the reader with respect to the reflective particle tag. A rapid burst of image frames is obtained in response to the positional alignment and the angular alignment parameters being within a predetermined tolerance and identity of the reflective tag is established between a first image set and a second image set.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Soft X-ray quantum efficiency of a commercial CMOS imaging sensor

The demonstrated performance and cost-effectiveness of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) sensors make them a potentially attractive option for low-cost space-based X-ray observatories. We have previously reported on the performance of a commercially available backside-illuminated Sony IMX290LLR-C CMOS sensor and found it to offer X-ray spectral resolutions comparable to the charged coupled devices (CCDs) aboard Suzaku and Chandra and to have a sufficient radiation hardness for use in low Earth orbit. Here, in this work, we report on the quantum efficiency (QE) of this sensor, an essential metric for modeling the sensitivity of an instrument as an X-ray detector. Using the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory, we measure the soft X-ray QE of this CMOS sensor to be 0.28 ± 0.02 at a photon energy of 490.5 eV. This energy was chosen for its proximity to the astrophysically important O VII triplet emission lines (~574 eV) studied by the HaloSat mission. Although not surpassing that of the back-illuminated CCDs aboard Suzaku and Chandra, this QE compares favorably to that of the front-illuminated CCDs aboard the same observatories and is competitive with that of the silicon drift detectors used aboard HaloSat, making it a strong candidate for use on future X-ray small satellite (SmallSat) missions.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Atomistic Probing of Defect-Engineered 2H-MoTe 2 Monolayers

Point defects dictate various physical, chemical, and optoelectronic properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials, and therefore, a rudimentary understanding of the formation and spatial distribution of point defects is a key to advancement in 2D material-based nanotechnology. In this work, we performed the demonstration to directly probe the point defects in 2H-MoTe 2 monolayers that are tactically exposed to (i) 200 °C-vacuum-annealing and (ii) 532 nm-laser-illumination; and accordingly, we utilize a deep learning algorithm to classify and quantify the generated point defects. We discovered that tellurium-related defects are mainly generated in both 2H-MoTe 2 samples; but interestingly, 200 °C-vacuum-annealing and 532 nm-laser-illumination modulate a strong n-type and strong p-type 2H-MoTe 2 , respectively. While 200 °C-vacuum-annealing generates tellurium vacancies or tellurium adatoms, 532 nm-laser-illumination prompts oxygen atoms to be adsorbed/chemisorbed at tellurium vacancies, giving rise to the p-type characteristic. This work significantly advances the current understanding of point defect engineering in 2H-MoTe 2 monolayers and other 2D materials, which is critical for developing nanoscale devices with desired functionality.

2H-MoTe 2↗

Light-enhanced oxygen degradation of MAPbBr 3 single crystal

Organometal halide perovskites are promising materials for optoelectronic applications, whose commercial realization depends critically on their stability under multiple environmental factors. In this study, a methylammonium lead bromide (MAPbBr 3 ) single crystal was cleaved and exposed to simultaneous oxygen and light illumination under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV). The exposure process was monitored using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) with precise control of the exposure time and oxygen pressure. It was found that the combination of oxygen and light accelerated the degradation of MAPbBr 3 , which could not be viewed as a simple addition of that by oxygen-only and light-only exposures. The XPS spectra showed significant loss of carbon, bromine, and nitrogen at an oxygen exposure of 10 10 Langmuir with light illumination, approximately 17 times of the additive effects of oxygen-only and light-only exposures. It was also found that the photoluminescence (PL) emission was much weakened by oxygen and light co-exposure, while previous reports had shown that PL was substantially enhanced by oxygen-only exposure. Measurements using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and focused ion beam (FIB) demonstrated that the crystal surface was much roughened by the co-exposure. Furthermore, Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed the formation of superoxide and oxygen induced gap state, suggesting the creation of oxygen radicals by light illumination as a possible microscopic driving force for enhanced degradation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Lasing dynamics of diode-pumped Yb – Er laser with a passive Q switch exposed to high-power external light

The temporal dynamics of diode-side-pumped Yb – Er laser, with a passive Co{sup 2+} : MgAl{sub 2}O{sub 4} Q switch illuminated by a light beam (total fluence of 0.15 – 0.16 J cm{sup −2}) from a semiconductor pulsed module, is investigated. It is shown that, using this external illumination, one can change the lasing onset delay and the time jitter ΔT{sub gi}. The dependence of ΔT{sub gi} on the interval between the instant of switching the illumination module on and the lasing peak position t{sub i} has a minimum at |t{sub i}| ≈ 10 μs. The decrease in ΔT{sub gi} with a change in |t{sub i}| from 90 to 10 μs indicates that instant of lasing peak occurrence for the Yb – Er laser is partially controlled by the pulse from the highly stable semiconductor module. If |t{sub i}| < 10 μs, the enhanced luminescence fluence in the cavity of Yb – Er laser exceeds 0.16 J cm{sup −2}; the light beam from the module does not affect much the lasing process in the ytterbium – erbium laser; and, as a consequence, the time jitter recovers the initial value. (paper)

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Imaging Photonic Resonances within an All‐Dielectric Metasurface via Photoelectron Emission Microscopy

Dielectric metasurfaces, through volume‐type photonic resonances, enable precise control of light‐matter interactions for applications including imaging, holography, and sensing. The application space of dielectric metasurfaces has extended from infrared to visible wavelengths by incorporating high refractive index materials, such as titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ). Understanding the fundamental and fabrication limits for these applications requires metrology with nanoscale resolution, sensitivity to electromagnetic fields within the meta‐atom volume, and far‐field excitation. In this work, photoelectron emission microscopy (PEEM) is used to image field distributions of photonic resonances in a TiO 2 metasurface excited with far‐field, visible‐wavelength illumination. The local volumetric field variations within the meta‐atoms are analyzed as a function of illumination angle and polarization by comparing photoelectron images to finite‐difference time‐domain simulations. This study determines the inelastic mean free path of very low‐energy (<1 eV) photoelectrons to be 35 ± 10 nm, which is comparable to the meta‐atom height thereby highlighting PEEM sensitivity to resonances within the volume. Additionally, the simulations reveal high sensitivity of PEEM images to an in‐plane component of the illumination k ‐vector. These results demonstrate that photoelectron imaging with subwavelength resolution offers unique advantages for examining light‐matter interactions in volume‐type (as opposed to surface) photonic modes within dielectric nanophotonic structures.

electron inelastic mean free path↗

Degradation and Accelerated Recovery of Surface Passivation in n+, p+, and Intrinsic Poly-Si/SiOx Passivating Contacts for Silicon Solar Cells

We report on the degradation and recovery of surface passivation of fired poly-Si/SiOx passivating contacts with hydrogen containing Al2O3 during annealing in the dark and under illumination. Upon firing to a peak temperature of 670 degrees C, the iVoc for symmetric test structures with n+, p+, and intrinsic poly-Si/SiOx contacts decreases due to a loss of surface passivation. Upon further annealing over the temperature range of 200-350 degrees C in the dark, depending on the type of doping, the surface passivation either shows further degradation followed by recovery, or direct recovery to the initial iVoc. Annealing at higher temperatures and/or higher illumination intensities accelerates the kinetics for both degradation and recovery processes. We show that the degradation and recovery processes are thermally activated and proceed identically in subsequent firing and annealing steps showing their cyclic nature. We present a series reaction model to explain the kinetics of degradation and recovery processes for n+ and intrinsic poly-Si/SiOx contacts. By fitting the model's rate expressions to the data, the determined effective activation energy barriers for degradation and recovery for n+ poly-Si/SiOx contacts in the dark are 1.24 and 1.51 eV, which are lowered under 7.5 Suns illumination to 0.76 and 1.15 eV, respectively.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Benchmarking image processing techniques for porosity measurement in polymer additive manufacturing: Review and experimental analysis

An image processing workflow is proposed for porosity measurement in polymer additive manufacturing. Various techniques, including global and local thresholding, region growing, and K-means clustering, were applied to microscopic images of carbon fiber reinforced acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (CF-ABS) and benchmarked for their ability to accurately measure porosity. Global methods included Otsu, minimum error, iterative, and entropy-based thresholding, while local methods included Niblack, Bernsen, Sauvola, and Bradley-Roth algorithms. Artificial uneven illumination was introduced to test local adaptive thresholds. Results showed significant differences in porosity values across methods. Otsu, region growing, and K-means clustering excelled under uniform illumination, while Sauvola and Bradley-Roth performed better with uneven illumination. Comparison with X-ray computed tomography (XCT) revealed slightly lower porosity values (2.55 %) than optimized methods (2.73–2.79 %) due to XCT's lower resolution excluding smaller pores. While XCT offers finer pore detection, it limits sample volume and underestimates porosity due to spatial variation. Validation using artificial grayscale images with 5 % porosity confirmed that Otsu, Bradley-Roth, region growing, and Sauvola algorithms produced accurate results. Although tested on a single material system, these methods can be adapted to others with optimization. In conclusion, given XCT's high computational and time costs, this study highlights suitable image processing techniques as cost-effective alternatives for porosity analysis in polymer composites.

Additive manufacturing↗

Investigating feasible light configurations for fish restoration: an ethological insight

Light environment significantly impacts the effectiveness of fish population restoration in developed watersheds, subserving fish passage reconstruction in hydraulic complex and habitat rehabilitation. To develop an interior connection between light-related fish response from the laboratory and field fish conservation practice, we employed a new indexing system, consisting of phototaxis rate, relative swimming speed (RSS), and optic evasion coefficient (OEC), to quantify the light-induced behaviors in Ptychobarbus kaznakovi, a representative rare cyprinid in Tibet, China, at four experimental illuminance levels (15 lx, 30 lx, 60 lx, 120 lx) and four wavelengths (red, yellow, green, blue). The fish showed negative phototaxis at all given illuminances and wavelengths. Under red light, the OEC increased significantly from 0.642 at 15 lx to 0.782 at 30 lx (P = 0.029), while the RSS decreased significantly from 3.752 to 2.383 (P < 0.001). Behaviorally, the fish shifted from sprint to wandering around, indicating the alteration of dominant physiological activity from behavioral stress response to negative phototaxis. Under the green treatment, P. kaznakovi swam around quickly and presented slight negative phototaxis, and OEC values were uniform among all illuminances, probably because of the similarity of green light to the ambient color of the habitat. Accordingly, ecologists and fisheries practitioners can utilize red light to exclude fish from dangerous waters and green light to guide them to ideal habitats, laying the necessary groundwork for the light-driven fish recovery effort. Furthermore, the appropriate light configuration can yield economic benefits through the tradeoff among fish protection, power generation, and investment costs.

Lin, Chenyu↗

Electro and electro-photo plasticity of CdZnTeSe and CdZnTe

In this work, we studied the influence of applied bias on of the Vickers microhardness HV 0.025 of CdZnTeSe and CdZnTe semi-insulating samples without and with the illumination of light at 870 nm. We observed that a small applied bias results in the hardening of the material. The effect is strongest at a bias of ± 0.5 V and is further strengthened by additional illumination. We suggest that the observed positive electro and electro-photo plastic effects in CdZnTeSe and CdZnTe can be explained by an increase in the concentration of free electrons and holes injected from contacts in a biased sample or generated by illumination. These free carriers can be trapped at dislocations and induce a reconstruction of bonds at the dislocation core. The necessity to break the bonds before dislocation glide results in an increase of microhardness.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Experimental demonstration and performance evaluation of a complex fenestration system for daylighting and thermal harvesting

Two significant design strategies for mitigating building energy consumption are daylight redirection and solar energy harvesting. Effective daylighting implementation enhances the amount of useful natural light within a space and offsets the need for electric lighting. Solar energy harvesting systems can mitigate energy costs from mechanical systems by managing incoming thermal loads or capturing solar energy that can be used to supplement thermal systems in the building. While there are many available façade-based technologies that can perform daylighting or solar thermal energy harvesting, there remains a limitation in available systems that can perform both of them simultaneously. This paper, describes the design and experimental demonstration of a Liquid Filled Prismatic Louver (LFPL) system, which combines both energy-saving strategies. The LFPL system was installed in a south-facing room in New York City and evaluated for indoor daylight penetration and potential for thermal energy harvesting. Daylight redirection is achieved through the prismatic louver geometry and proper orientation, whereas thermal energy harvesting is achieved through IR absorption from the liquid (e.g., water) within the prisms. Daylighting performance was evaluated by illuminance measurements at key locations within the space, whereas thermal harvesting performance was evaluated through temperature measurements and thermal imaging analysis. We show that the LFPL system, with all prismatic elements oriented at the same angle, achieve a 2-fold and 8-fold enhancement in daylight redirection to the ceiling, for prism orientations of 10° and 20°, respectively. We also demonstrate the system’s capability to adjust to specific lighting needs, within the space, through the dynamic individual orientation of prismatic elements; thus, achieving a concentrated ceiling illuminance enhancement of ~100 times and ~200 times at 2.5 and 4.3 m away from the window sill, providing workplane illuminance enhancement of 6 and 2 times more than in the case of the control room with regular windows. Furthermore, we illustrate a reduction of potential heating loads at locations close to the window from the combination of infrared absorption in the water volume and the redirection of the incoming solar radiation, leading to a reduction of the workplane temperature by an average of 7–10 °C.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Lighting and visual comfort performance of commercially available tubular daylight devices

Tubular daylight devices (TDDs) require a much smaller roof opening than conventional skylights and, because of their highly reflective tube, they can deliver daylight farther away from the building envelope. This can provide lighting energy savings, increasing resilience in new and existing buildings. Different types and configurations are available amongst commercially available TDDs, including domes/diffusers with varying optical properties and the diameter of the TDD. This paper presents a comprehensive experimental evaluation of the lighting and visual comfort performance of multiple configurations of commercially available TDDs, varying dome type (prismatic and clear), diffuser type (Fresnel and prismatic), and diameter (53 and 35 cm), under a range of environmental conditions (different times of day/year, sky cover). Based on illuminance measurements, estimated lighting energy use is also presented. Results indicate that, for clear sky, light levels increase and energy use decreases with solar altitude (e.g., 16 Wh/m 2 daily energy use intensity on a high maximum daily solar altitude (MDSA) day and 34 Wh/m 2 on a low MDSA day) and TDD diameter (e.g., 34 Wh/m 2 and 69 Wh/m 2 for 53 cm and 35 cm TDDs, respectively, for low MDSA). The daily illuminance profile is more rounded for prismatic domes and has higher peaks for clear domes; this translates into a somewhat higher average daily useful daylight illuminance (DUDI) for prismatic domes (86 %) when compared to clear domes (80 %). No clear impact of diffuser type was apparent. In conclusion, measurements indicated no discomfort glare for any of the conditions tested.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Understanding and Controlling the Performance-Limiting Steps of Catalyst-Modified Semiconductors

Understanding and controlling factors that restrict the rates of fuel-forming reactions are essential to designing effective catalyst-modified semiconductors for applications in solar-to-fuel technologies. Herein, we describe GaAs semiconductors featuring a polymeric coating that contains cobaloxime-type catalysts for photoelectrochemically powering hydrogen production. The activities of these electrodes (limiting current densities >20 mA cm –2 under 1-sun illumination) enable identification of fundamental performance-limiting bottlenecks encountered at relatively high rates of fuel formation. Experiments conducted under varying bias potential, pH, illumination intensity, and scan rate reveal two distinct mechanisms of photoelectrochemical hydrogen production. At relatively low polarization and pH, the limiting photoactivity is independent of illumination conditions and is attributed to a mechanism involving reduction of substrate protons. At relatively high polarization or pH, the limiting photoactivity shows a linear response to increasing photon flux and is attributed to a mechanism involving reduction of substrate water. Furthermore, this work illustrates the complex interplay between transport of photons, electrons, and chemical substrates in photoelectrosynthetic reactions and highlights diagnostic tools for better understanding these processes.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Kinetic Suppression of Photoinduced Halide Migration in Wide Bandgap Perovskites via Surface Passivation

In this work, we study the kinetics of photoinduced halide migration in FA 0.8 Cs 0.2 Pb(I 0.8 Br 0.2 ) 3 wide (~1.69 eV) bandgap perovskites and show that halide migration slows down following surface passivation with (3-aminopropyl) trimethoxysilane (APTMS). We use scanning Kelvin probe microscopy (SKPM) to probe the contact potential difference (CPD) shift under illumination and the kinetics of surface potential relaxation in the dark. Our results show that APTMS-passivated perovskites exhibit a smaller CPD shift under illumination and a slower surface potential relaxation in the dark. We compare the evolution of the photoluminescence spectra of APTMS-passivated and unpassivated perovskites under illumination. We find that APTMS-passivated perovskites exhibit more than 5 times slower photoluminescence red-shift, consistent with the slower surface potential relaxation as observed by SKPM. In conclusion, these observations provide evidence for kinetic suppression of photoinduced halide migration in APTMS-passivated samples, likely due to reduced halide vacancy densities, opening avenues to more efficient and stable devices.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

The Molybdenum Oxide Interface Limits the High-Temperature Operational Stability of Unencapsulated Perovskite Solar Cells

Here, we report on the improved operational stability of unencapsulated perovskite solar cells (PSCs) aged in an ambient atmosphere at elevated temperatures (70 °C) for >1000 h under constant illumination and bias at 30–50% relative humidity. We identify a previously unseen interfacial degradation mechanism concerning the use of a MoO x interlayer, which was originally added to increase operational stability. Specifically, the hole-transport layer/MoO x interface buckles under illumination at 70 °C, which leads to delamination and rapid losses of short-circuit current density corresponding to an average $t_{80}$ of ~55 h. By judiciously evaluating various hole-transport layers, interlayers, and contacts, we find that replacing the MoO x with a VO x interlayer, regardless of the other components in the solar cell, alleviates this buckling issue due to its higher activation barrier toward crystallization, leading to significant gains in PSC operational stability. Unencapsulated devices aged in an ambient atmosphere with a VO x interlayer retain 71% of their initial PCE on average after constant illumination and bias at 70 °C for 1100 h ($t_{80}$ ~ 645 h). Currently, this is the highest temperature reported for the operational stability of unencapsulated n-i-p PSCs aged in air. Identification of a new facet of the complex degradation mechanisms in PSCs will allow for targeted acceleration testing to speed the deployment of low-cost, long-lasting electricity generation under realistic operating temperatures.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗