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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 271 records · Page 15
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Lithium's low-temperature phase transitions: Insights into quantum lattice dynamics and superconductivity

The large lattice dynamics of lithium, driven by its low atomic mass, results in energetically similar structures and significant isotope effects under pressure, posing challenges to current theoretical models. Above 20 GPa and at low temperatures, lithium's electronic properties deviate from simple metallic behavior, with superconductivity emerging in a complex, pressure-dependent manner, alongside an unusual isotope effect. The structural phases of 7 Li reported under these conditions are inconsistent across studies, and the structures of 6 Li remain unexamined. These gaps limit our understanding of the effects of pressure on lithium's electronic properties and the role of quantum lattice effects on its structural behavior under pressure. Here, we integrate experimental and theoretical approaches to investigate the low-temperature structural phase boundaries in lithium isotopes. We map the structural phase diagram of 7 Li from 5 to 55 GPa and 15–75 K, identifying the sequence fcc → ℎ⁡R⁢1 → cI16. A pronounced isotope effect is observed, with 6 Li shifting the fcc → ℎ⁡R⁢1 phase boundary to lower pressures at 15 K. Density functional theory calculations further clarify how these structural changes affect superconducting properties, particularly emphasizing the role of the fcc → ℎ⁡R⁢1 transition in lithium's superconductivity. Furthermore, our findings offer insights into the unique behavior of lithium isotopes under pressure.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Search for neutrinoless β-plus-EC decay of 120 Te with CUORE

The Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE) is a large-scale cryogenic experiment searching for neutrinoless double-beta decay (0νββ) in 130 Te. The CUORE detector is made of natural tellurium, providing the possibility of rare event searches on isotopes other than 130 Te. In this work we describe a search for neutrinoless positron-emitting electron capture (β + EC ) decay in 120 Te with a total TeO 2 exposure of 355.7 kg yr, corresponding to 0.2405 kg yr of 120 Te. Albeit 0νββ with two final-state electrons represents the most promising channel, the emission of a positron and two 511-keV γ 's make 0νβ + EC decay signature extremely clear. To fully exploit the potential offered by the detector modularity we include events with different topology and perform a simultaneous fit of five selected signal signatures. Using blinded data we extract a median exclusion sensitivity of 3.4 × 10 22 yr at 90% credibility interval (C.I.). After unblinding we find no evidence of 0νβ + EC signal and set a 90% C.I. Bayesian lower limit of 2.9 × 10 22 yr on 120 Te half-life. This result improves by an order of magnitude the existing limit from the combined analysis of CUORE-0 and Cuoricino.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2023

New measurement of double- β decays of Mo 100 to excited states of Ru 100 with the CUPID-Mo experiment

The CUPID-Mo experiment, located at Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane (France), was a demonstrator experiment for CUPID. It consisted of an array of 20 Li 2 100 MoO 4 (LMO) calorimeters each equipped with a Ge light detector (LD) for particle identification. In this work, we present the result of a search for two-neutrino and neutrinoless double beta decays of 100 Mo to the first 0 + and 2 + excited states of 100 Ru using the full CUPID-Mo exposure (2.71 kg yr of LMO). We measure the half-life of 2νββ decay to the $0^+_1$ state as $T^{2ν→0^+_1}_{1/2}$ = (7.5 ± 0.8 (stat.) $^{+0.4}_{-0.3}$ (syst.)) × 10 20 yr. The bolometric technique enables measurement of the electron energies as well as the gamma rays from nuclear de-excitation and this allows us to set new limits on the two-neutrino decay to the $2^+_1$ state of $T^{2ν→2^+_1}_{1/2}$ > 4.4×10 21 yr (90% c.i.) and on the neutrinoless modes of $T^{0ν→2^+_1}_{1/2}$ > 2.1×10 23 yr (90% c.i.), $T^{0ν→0^+_1}_{1/2}$ > 1.2 × 10 23 yr (90% c.i.). Information on the electrons spectral shape is obtained which allows us to make the first comparison of the single state (SSD) and higher state (HSD) 2νββ decay models for the $0^+_1$ excited state of 100 Ru.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Data-driven background model for the CUORE experiment

Here, we present the model we developed to reconstruct the CUORE radioactive background based on the analysis of an experimental exposure of 1038.4 kg yr. The data reconstruction relies on a simultaneous Bayesian fit applied to energy spectra over a broad energy range. The high granularity of the CUORE detector, together with the large exposure and extended stable operations, allow for an in-depth exploration of both spatial and time dependence of backgrounds. We achieve high sensitivity to both bulk and surface activities of the materials of the setup, detecting levels as low as 10 nBq kg −1 and 0.1 nBq cm −2 , respectively. We compare the contamination levels we extract from the background model with prior radio-assay data, which informs future background risk mitigation strategies. The results of this background model play a crucial role in constructing the background budget for the CUPID experiment as it will exploit the same CUORE infrastructure.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Improved Limit on Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay in Te 130 with CUORE

We report new results from the search for neutrinoless double-beta decay in $^{130}$Te with the CUORE detector. This search benefits from a four-fold increase in exposure, lower trigger thresholds and analysis improvements relative to our previous results. We observe a background of $(1.38\pm0.07)\cdot10^{-2}$ counts$/($keV$\cdot$kg$\cdot$yr$)$ in the $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay region of interest and, with a total exposure of 372.5 kg$\cdot$yr, we attain a median exclusion sensitivity of $1.7\cdot10^{25}$ yr. We find no evidence for $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay and set a $90\%$ CI Bayesian lower limit of $3.2\cdot10^{25}$ yr on the $^{130}$Te half-life for this process. In the hypothesis that $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay is mediated by light Majorana neutrinos, this results in an upper limit on the effective Majorana mass of 75-350 meV, depending on the nuclear matrix elements used.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

New Limit for Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay of 100 Mo from the CUPID-Mo Experiment

The CUPID-Mo experiment at the Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane (France) is a demonstrator for CUPID, the next-generation ton-scale cryogenic $0\nu\beta\beta$ experiment. It consists of a 4.2 kg array of 20 enriched Li$_{2}$$^{100}$MoO$_4$ scintillating bolometers to search for the lepton number violating process of $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay in $^{100}$Mo. With more than one year of operation (2.16 kg$\times$yr of physics data), no event in the region of interest and hence no evidence for $0\nu\beta\beta$ is observed. We report a new limit on the half-life of $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay in $^{100}$Mo of $T_{1/2} > 1.5 \times 10^{24}\,$yr at 90 % C.I. The limit corresponds to an effective Majorana neutrino mass $\langle m_{\beta\beta} \rangle$ $<$ (0.3--0.5)$\,$eV, dependent on the nuclear matrix element in the light Majorana neutrino exchange interpretation.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

New Direct Limit on Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay Half-Life of 128 $\mathrm{Te}$ with CUORE

The Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE) at Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso of INFN in Italy is an experiment searching for neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay. Its main goal is to investigate this decay in 130 Te, but its ton-scale mass and low background make CUORE sensitive to other rare processes as well. Here, in this Letter, we present our first results on the search for 0νββ decay of 128 Te, the Te isotope with the second highest natural isotopic abundance. We find no evidence for this decay, and using a Bayesian analysis we set a lower limit on the 128 Te 0νββ decay half-life of T 1/2 > 3.6 x 10 24 yr (90% CI). This represents the most stringent limit on the half-life of this isotope, improving by over a factor of 30 the previous direct search results, and exceeding those from geochemical experiments for the first time.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Measurement of the 2 ν β β Decay Rate and Spectral Shape of Mo 100 from the CUPID-Mo Experiment

Neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) is a yet unobserved nuclear process that would demonstrate Lepton number violation, a clear evidence of beyond standard model physics. The process two neutrino double beta decay (2νββ) is allowed by the standard model and has been measured in numerous experiments. In this Letter, we report a measurement of 2νββ decay half-life of 100 Mo to the ground state of 100 Ru of [7.07±0.02(stat)±0.11(syst)]×10 18 yr by the CUPID-Mo experiment. With a relative precision of ±1.6% this is the most precise measurement to date of a 2νββ decay rate in 100 Mo. In addition, we constrain higher-order corrections to the spectral shape, which provides complementary nuclear structure information. We report a novel measurement of the shape factor ξ 3,1 =0.45±0.03(stat)±0.05(syst) based on a constraint on the ratio of higher-order terms from theory, which can be reliably calculated. This is compared to theoretical predictions for different nuclear models. Finally, we also extract the first value for the effective axial vector coupling constant obtained from a spectral shape study of 2νββ decay.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Search for Fractionally Charged Particles with CUORE

The Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE) is a detector array comprised by 988 5 cm × 5 cm × 5 cm TeO 2 crystals held below 20 mK, primarily searching for neutrinoless double-beta decay in 130 Te. Unprecedented in size among cryogenic calorimetric experiments, CUORE provides a promising setting for the study of exotic throughgoing particles. Using the first tonne year of CUORE’s exposure, we perform a search for hypothesized fractionally charged particles (FCPs), which are well-motivated by various standard model extensions and would have suppressed interactions with matter. Across the searched range of charges 𝑒/24−𝑒/2 no excess of FCP candidate tracks is observed over background, setting leading limits on the underground FCP flux with charges 𝑒/24 −𝑒/5 at 90% confidence level. Using the low background environment and segmented geometry of CUORE, we establish the sensitivity of tonne-scale subkelvin detectors to diverse signatures of new physics.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Pulsed studies of intervalley transfer in Al 0.35 In 0.65 As: A paradigm for valley photovoltaics

Al 0.35 In 0.65 As is a direct semiconductor whose multivalley conduction-band structure has been proposed for use in so-called valley photovoltaics. In such hot-carrier solar cells, energetic (hot) photocarriers are stored in satellite valleys away from the Γ point, allowing them to be extracted prior to thermalization and to thereby increase power-conversion efficiency. While prior theoretical work has highlighted the potential of Al 0.35 In 0.65 As—a widely used barrier material in electronic and optoelectronic devices, for use in valley photovoltaics—surprisingly little is known about its electrical properties, especially how these are impacted by the application of high fields. In this work, we therefore undertake a detailed characterization of the electrical properties of Te-doped ($\textit{n}$-type) Al 0.35 In 0.65 As, over wide ranges of temperature (3–400 K) and electric field (<50 kV/cm). Using pulsed measurements to suppress the influence of Joule heating, we reveal the presence of clear negative-differential conductance in the current-voltage characteristics of the films, suggestive of the intervalley transfer of hot electrons. This conclusion is supported by the results of ensemble Monte Carlo simulations of the hot-carrier action, which confirm the connection of the observed negative-differential conductance to hot-electron transfer from the conduction-band (Γ) minimum, to the side valleys at the $\textit{L}$ point. Further, the quantitative features of the experimentally determined velocity-field curves are found to be in good agreement with the results of these calculations, providing further confidence in the role of the implied intervalley transfer mechanism. Overall, these results confirm the excellent potential of Al 0.35 In 0.65 As for use as the absorber material in hot-carrier solar cell technology.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Ferroelectricity in boron-substituted aluminum nitride thin films

This manuscript demonstrates ferroelectricity in B-substituted AlN thin films and a complementary set of first-principles calculations to understand their structure-property relationships. Al 1–x B x N films are grown by dual-cathode reactive magnetron sputtering on (110)W/(001)Al 2 O 3 substrates at 300°C at compositions spanning x = 0 to x = 0.20. X-ray diffraction studies indicate a decrease in both the c and a lattice parameters with increasing B concentration, resulting in a decrease in unit cell volume and a constant c/a axial ratio of 1.60 over this composition range. Films with 0.02 ≤ x ≤ 0.15 display ferroelectric switching with remanent polarizations exceeding 125 μCcm –2 while maintaining band gap energies of > 5.2eV. The large band gap allows low frequency hysteresis measurement (200 Hz) with modest leakage contributions. At B concentrations of x > 0.15, c-axis orientation deteriorates and ferroelectric behavior is degraded. Furthermore, density-functional theory calculations corroborate the structural observations and provide predictions for the wurtzite u parameter, polarization reversal magnitudes, and composition-dependent coercive fields.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Outdoor Testing of c-Si Photovoltaic Modules with Spectrally-Selective Mirrors for Operating Temperature Reduction

The efficiency of a c-Si cell drops with increasing cell temperature. A typical photovoltaic module with a c-Si cell will operate 20-30K above ambient temperature. Spectrally-selective photonic mirrors which reflect sub-bandgap light can reduce waste heat generated by parasitic absorption in the module and reduce module operating temperature. Here, a spectrally selective 4-layer and 12-layer mirror are designed and fabricated on module cover glass. When integrated into modules, these mirrors reduce the operating temperature of the module by 0.16K and 1.5K, respectively when compared to a module with bare outer glass.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Constraints on lepton number violation with the 2 tonne · year CUORE dataset

Matter-antimatter asymmetry underlines the incompleteness of the current understanding of particle physics. Neutrinoless double-beta decay (0νββ) may help explain this asymmetry while unveiling the Majorana nature of the neutrino. The CUORE (Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events) experiment searches for 0νββ of 130 Te using a tonne-scale cryogenic calorimeter operated at milli-kelvin temperatures. We report no evidence of 0νββ and place a lower limit on the half-life of T 1/2 > 3.5 × 10 25 years (90% credibility interval) with over 2 tonne·years of TeO 2 exposure. Finally, the tools and techniques developed for this result and the 5-year stable operation of nearly 1000 detectors demonstrate crucial infrastructure for future-generation experiments capable of searching for 0νββ across multiple isotopes.

Adams, D. Q. [Department of Physics and Astronomy,↗
DOE OSTI2020

Precise measurement of $2νββ$ decay of $^{100}$Mo with the CUPID-Mo detection technology

We report the measurement of the two-neutrino double-beta ($2\nu\beta\beta$) decay of $^{100}$Mo to the ground state of $^{100}$Ru using lithium molybdate (\crystal) scintillating bolometers. The detectors were developed for the CUPID-Mo program and operated at the EDELWEISS-III low background facility in the Modane underground laboratory. From a total exposure of $42.235$ kg$\times$d, the half-life of $^{100}$Mo is determined to be $T_{1/2}^{2\nu}=[7.12^{+0.18}_{-0.14}\,\mathrm{(stat.)}\pm0.10\,\mathrm{(syst.)}]\times10^{18}$ years. This is the most accurate determination of the $2\nu\beta\beta$ half-life of $^{100}$Mo to date. We also confirm, with the statistical significance of $>3\sigma$, that the single-state dominance model of the $2\nu\beta\beta$ decay of $^{100}$Mo is favored over the high-state dominance model.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗