Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “WINDOWS”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 325 records · Page 18

Selective excitation of window and buffer layers in chalcopyrite devices and modules

Window and buffer layers in chalcopyrite devices are well known to affect junctions, conduction, and photo-absorption properties of the device. Some of these layers, particularly 'buffers,' which are deposited directly on top of the absorber, exhibit metastable effects upon exposure to light. Thus, to understand device performance and/or metastability, it is sometimes desirable to selectively excite different layers in the device stack. Absorption characteristics of various window and buffer layers used in chalcopyrite devices are measured. These characteristics are compared with emission spectra of common and available light sources that might be used to optically excite such layers. Effects of the window and buffer absorption on device quantum efficiency and metastability are discussed. For the case of bath-deposited Zn(O,S) buffers, we conclude that this layer is not optically excited in research devices or modules. Furthermore, this provides a complimentary mechanism to the chemical differences that may cause long time constants (compared to devices with CdS buffers) associated with reaching a stable 'light-soaked' state.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Electrochemical Window of the Li-Ion Solid Electrolyte Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O 12

The recent discovery of fast ion-conducting solid electrolytes could enable solid-state and other advanced battery chemistries with higher energy densities and enhanced safety. In addition to high ionic conductivity, a viable electrolyte should also exhibit an electrochemical window that is wide enough to suppress undesirable electronic transport (i.e., self-discharge and/or short circuiting) arising from charge injection or extraction from the electrodes. Here, direct current chronoamperometry, alternating current electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and optical absorption band gap measurements are combined with first-principles calculations to systematically characterize the electrochemical window of the promising superionic conductor Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 (LLZO). Negligible electronic current was measured within LLZO for a wide range of voltages relevant for high-voltage cathodes. This auspicious behavior is consistent with both the large band gap (~6 eV) predicted for LLZO and the absolute positions of its band edges. These features imply that a wide electrochemical window is an intrinsic property of LLZO, facilitating its use in next-generation batteries.

Thompson, Travis↗

A More Transparent Infrared Window

The infrared window region (780–1,250 cm –1 , 12.8 to 8.0 μm) is of great importance to Earth's climate due to its high transparency and thermal energy. We present here a new investigation of the transparency of this spectral region based on observations by interferometers of downwelling surface radiance at two DOE Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program sites. We focus on the dominant source of absorption in this region, the water vapor continuum, and derive updated values of spectral absorption coefficients for both the self and foreign continua. Our results show that the self continuum is too strong in the previous version of Mlawer-Tobin_Clough-Kneizys-Davies (MT_CKD) water vapor continuum model, a result that is consistent with other recent analyses, while the foreign continuum is too weak in MT_CKD. In general, the weaker self continuum derived in this study results in an overall increase in atmospheric transparency in the window, although in atmospheres with low amounts of water vapor the transparency may slightly decrease due to the increase in foreign continuum absorption. These continuum changes lead to a significant decrease in downwelling longwave flux at the surface for moist atmospheres and a modest increase in outgoing longwave radiation. The increased fraction of surface-leaving radiation that escapes to space leads to a notable increase (~5–10%) in climate feedback, implying that climate simulations that use the new infrared window continuum will show somewhat less warming than before. This study also points out the possibly important role that aerosol absorption may play in the longwave radiative budget.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Nanostructured electrochromic smart windows: traditional materials and NIR-selective plasmonic nanocrystals

Electrochromic devices, which dynamically change colour under applied potential, are widely studied for use in energy-efficient smart windows. To improve the viability of smart windows, many researchers are utilizing nanomaterials, which can provide electrochromic devices with improved colouration efficiencies, faster switching times, longer cycle lives, and potentially reduced costs. In an effort to demonstrate a new type of electrochromic device that goes beyond the capabilities of commonly used electrochromic materials, researchers have turned to plasmonic transparent conductive oxide (TCO) nanocrystals. Electrochemical injection of electrons into plasmonic TCO nanocrystal films induces a shift in the plasmon frequency and gives rise to the new functionality of selective optical modulation in the near-infrared region of the solar spectrum. These nanocrystals can be used as building blocks to enable creation of advanced electrochromic devices containing mesoporous electrodes or nanocrystal-in-glass composites. Such devices have been important in advancing the field towards achieving the ideal smart window with independent control over visible and NIR transmittance.

Runnerstrom, EL↗

Infrared Emissivity of Tin upon Release of a 25 GPa Shock into a LiF Window

We measured the emissivity of a tin sample at its interface with a lithium-fluoride window upon release of a 25 GPa shock wave from the tin into the window. Measurements were made over four wavelength bands between 1.2 and 5.4 μm. Thermal emission backgrounds from the tin, glue, and lithium fluoride were successfully removed from the reflectance signals. Emissivity changes for the sample, which was initially nearly specular, were small except for the longest wavelength band, where uncertainties were high because of poor signal-to-noise ratio at that wavelength. A thin glue layer, which bonds the sample to the window, was found to heat from reverberations of the shock wave between the tin and the lithium fluoride. At approximately 3.4 μm the thermal emission from the glue was large compared to the tin, allowing a good estimate of the glue temperature from the thermal radiance. The glue appears to remain slightly colder than the tin, thereby minimizing heat conduction into or out of the tin immediately after the shock passage.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Excitation wavelength dependence of water-window line emissions from boron-nitride laser-produced plasmas

We investigated the effects of laser excitation wavelength on water-window emission lines of laser-produced boron-nitride plasmas. Plasmas are produced by focusing 1064 nm and harmonically generated 532 and 266 nm radiation from a Nd:YAG laser on BN target in vacuum. Soft x-ray emission lines in the water-window region are recorded using a grazing-incidence spectrograph. Filtered photodiodes are used to obtain complementary data for water-window emission intensity and angular dependence. Spectral emission intensity changes in nitrogen Ly-{alpha} and He-{alpha} are used to show how laser wavelength affects emission. Our results show that the relative intensity of spectral lines is laser wavelength dependent, with the ratio of Ly-{alpha} to He-{alpha} emission intensity decreasing as laser wavelength is shortened. Filtered photodiode measurements of angular dependence showed that 266 and 532 nm laser wavelengths produce uniform emission.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

A method for eliminating Faraday rotation in cryostat windows in longitudinal magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements

A solution to the problem of disturbing effect of the background Faraday rotation in the cryostat windows on longitudinal magneto-optical Kerr effect (LMOKE) measured under vacuum conditions and/or at low temperatures is proposed. The method for eliminating the influence of Faraday rotation in cryostat windows is based on special arrangement of additional mirrors placed on sample holder. In this arrangement, the orientation of the cryostat window is perpendicular to the light beam direction and parallel to an external magnetic field generated by the H-frame electromagnet. The operation of the LMOKE magnetometer with the special sample holder based on polarization modulation technique with a photo-elastic modulator is theoretically analyzed with the use of Jones matrices, and formulas for evaluating of the actual Kerr rotation and ellipticity of the sample are derived. The feasibility of the method and good performance of the magnetometer is experimentally demonstrated for the LMOKE effect measured in Fe/Au multilayer structures. The influence of imperfect alignment of the magnetometer setup on the Kerr angles, as derived theoretically through the analytic model and verified experimentally, is examined and discussed.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

The effects of high temperature processing on the structural and optical properties of oxygenated CdS window layers in CdTe solar cells

High efficiency CdTe solar cells typically use oxygenated CdS (CdS:O) window layers. We synthesize CdS:O window layers at room temperature (RT) and 270 °C using reactive sputtering. The band gaps of CdS:O layers deposited at RT increase when O{sub 2}/(O{sub 2} + Ar) ratios in the deposition chamber increase. On the other hand, the band gaps of CdS:O layers deposited at 270 °C decrease as the O{sub 2}/(O{sub 2} + Ar) ratios increase. Interestingly, however, our high temperature closed-space sublimation (CSS) processed CdTe solar cells using CdS:O window layers deposited at RT and 270 °C exhibit very similar cell performance, including similar short-circuit current densities. To understand the underlying reasons, CdS:O thin films deposited at RT and 270 °C are annealed at temperatures that simulate the CSS process of CdTe deposition. X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and UV-visible light absorption spectroscopy characterization of the annealed films reveals that the CdS:O films deposited at RT undergo grain regrowth and/or crystallization and exhibit reduced band gaps after the annealing. Our results suggest that CdS:O thin films deposited at RT and 270 °C should exhibit similar optical properties after the deposition of CdTe layers, explaining the similar cell performance.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

The suppression effect of external magnetic field on the high-power microwave window multipactor phenomenon

To suppress the surface multipactor phenomenon and improve the transmitting power of the high-power microwave window, the application of external magnetic fields is theoretically analyzed and simulated. A Monte Carlo algorithm is used to track the secondary electron trajectories and study the multipactor scenario on the surface of a cylinder window. It is confirmed that over-resonant magnetic fields (an external magnetic field whose magnitude is slightly greater than that of a resonant magnetic field) will generate a compensating trajectory and collision, which can suppress the secondary electron avalanche. The optimal value of this external magnetic field that will avoid the multipactor phenomenon on cylinder windows is discussed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

LaAlO{sub 3} thickness window for electronically controlled magnetism at LaAlO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} heterointerfaces

Complex-oxide heterostructures exhibit rich physical behavior such as emergent conductivity, superconductivity, and magnetism that are intriguing for scientific reasons as well as for potential technological applications. It was recently discovered that in-plane magnetism at the LaAlO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} (LAO/STO) interface can be electronically controlled at room temperature. Here, we employ magnetic force microscopy to investigate electronically controlled ferromagnetism at the LAO/STO interface with LAO thickness t varied from 4 unit cell (u.c.) to 40 u.c. Magnetic signatures are observed only within a thickness window 8 u.c. ≤ t ≤ 25 u.c. Within this window, the device capacitance corresponds well to the expected geometric value, while for thicknesses outside this window, the capacitance is strongly suppressed. The ability to modulate electronic and magnetic properties of LAO/STO devices depends on the ability to control carrier density, which is in turn constrained by intrinsic tunneling mechanisms.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Accurate measurements and temperature dependence of the water vapor self-continuum absorption in the 2.1 μm atmospheric window

In spite of its importance for the evaluation of the Earth radiative budget, thus for climate change, very few measurements of the water vapor continuum are available in the near infrared atmospheric windows especially at temperature conditions relevant for our atmosphere. In addition, as a result of the difficulty to measure weak broadband absorption signals, the few available measurements show large disagreements. We report here accurate measurements of the water vapor self-continuum absorption in the 2.1 μm window by Optical Feedback Cavity Enhanced Absorption Spectroscopy (OF-CEAS) for two spectral points located at the low energy edge and at the center of the 2.1 μm transparency window, at 4302 and 4723 cm{sup −1}, respectively. Self-continuum cross sections, C{sub S}, were retrieved with a few % relative uncertainty, from the quadratic dependence of the spectrum base line level measured as a function of water vapor pressure, between 0 and 16 Torr. At 296 K, the C{sub S} value at 4302 cm{sup −1} is found 40% higher than predicted by the MT-CKD V2.5 model, while at 4723 cm{sup −1}, our value is 5 times larger than the MT-CKD value. On the other hand, these OF-CEAS C{sub S} values are significantly smaller than recent measurements by Fourier transform spectroscopy at room temperature. The temperature dependence of the self-continuum cross sections was also investigated for temperatures between 296 K and 323 K (23-50 °C). The derived temperature variation is found to be similar to that derived from previous Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) measurements performed at higher temperatures, between 350 K and 472 K. The whole set of measurements spanning the 296-472 K temperature range follows a simple exponential law in 1/T with a slope close to the dissociation energy of the water dimer, D{sub 0} ≈ 1100 cm{sup −1}.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Plasma window performance and scaling for an accelerator-based neutron source

A “plasma window” was developed for use with a SHINE accelerator-based neutron source. In this work, the design of the plasma window is presented along with results demonstrating successful operation in deuterium over a range of aperture diameters (5–12 mm), gas flow rates (3.5 to 12.5 slm), and input powers (10–55 kW). Here, an empirically determined relationship between the aperture diameter, deuterium gas flow rate, input power, and plasma window pressure differential is also presented.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

The role of sample–window coupling in shock temperature experiments

Radiometric studies of opaque materials under shock compression probe a sample–window interface that may be very different than the bulk state. Subtle experimental details, particularly an initial sample–window gap vs an adhesively bonded stack, have tremendous influence on measured temperature. This work experimentally tests gapped vs bonded targets and theoretically investigates observed differences in the measured temperature. The results indicate that perturbations created by a thin adhesive are smaller than those suggested by a previous work, whereas sample–window gaps alter the measured state more significantly than that previously realized.

Adhesives↗

Prevention of Residual Gas Condensation on the Laser Entry Hole Windows on Cryogenic NIF Targets Using a Protective Warm Film

Many of the early cryogenic shots on NIF were plagued by buildup of considerable mass of extraneous ice on the LEH windows, a consequence of condensation of the residual air in the surrounding chamber. Thickness of this ice depended on the exact chamber pressure and the target fielding time duration, both extremely difficult to keep constant given the broad range of target types being shot. In this paper, we describe our work in designing a robust solution in the form of a second thin film that shielded the LEH window from the contaminating ice. Several detailed cryogenic considerations were required to ensure the proper functioning of this new window, which were simulated and verified experimentally. Data from numerous subsequent shots showed marked improvement in performance, which made this new feature an essential component for all cryogenic NIF targets.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Fabrication of flat SiGe heterostructure nanomembrane windows via strain-relief patterning

The lattice mismatch between SiGe and Si in heteroepitaxial Si/SiGe/Si trilayers leads to buckling when confined nanomembrane windows formed from these heterostructures are released from silicon-on-insulator substrates. We demonstrate that large areas in which the curvature and curvature-induced strain are reduced by an order of magnitude can be produced by patterning the windows to concentrate buckling in narrow arms with low flexural rigidity supporting a flat central region. Synchrotron x-ray thermal diffuse scattering shows that the improved flatness of patterned windows permits fundamental studies with fidelity similar to what can be achieved with flat single-component Si nanomembranes.

buckling↗

Observational window effects on multi-object reverberation mapping

ABSTRACT Contemporary reverberation mapping campaigns are employing wide-area photometric data and high-multiplex spectroscopy to efficiently monitor hundreds of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). However, the interaction of the window function(s) imposed by the observation cadence with the reverberation lag and AGN variability time-scales (intrinsic to each source over a range of luminosities) impact our ability to recover these fundamental physical properties. Time dilation effects due to the sample source redshift distribution introduce added complexity. We present comprehensive analysis of the implications of observational cadence, seasonal gaps, and campaign baseline duration (i.e. the survey window function) for reverberation lag recovery. We find that the presence of a significant seasonal gap dominates the efficacy of any given campaign strategy for lag recovery across the parameter space, particularly for those sources with observed-frame lags above 100 d. Using the Australian Dark Energy Survey as a baseline, we consider the implications of this analysis for the 4MOST/Time-Domain Extragalactic Survey campaign providing concurrent follow-up of the Legacy Survey of Space and Time deep-drilling fields, as well as upcoming programmes. We conclude that the success of such surveys will be critically limited by the seasonal visibility of some potential field choices, but show significant improvement from extending the baseline. Optimizing the sample selection to fit the window function will improve survey efficacy.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Data-driven results for light-quark connected and strange-plus-disconnected hadronic g − 2 short- and long-distance windows

A key issue affecting the attempt to reduce the uncertainty on the Standard Model prediction for the muon anomalous magnetic moment is the current discrepancy between lattice-QCD and data-driven results for the hadronic vacuum polarization. Progress on this issue benefits from precise data-driven determinations of the isospin-limit light-quark-connected (lqc) and strange-plus-light-quark-disconnected ( s + lqd ) components of the related RBC/UKQCD windows. In this paper, using a strategy employed previously for the intermediate window, we provide data-driven results for the lqc and s + lqd components of the short- and long-distance RBC/UKQCD windows. Comparing these results with those from the lattice, we find significant discrepancies in the lqc parts but good agreement for the s + lqd components. We also explore the impact of recent CMD- 3 e + e − → π + π − cross section results, demonstrating that an upward shift in the ρ -peak region of the type seen in the CMD-3 data serves to eliminate the discrepancies for the lqc components without compromising the good agreement between lattice and data-driven s + lqd results. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

Benton, Genessa (ORCID:0009000515763654)↗

Hadronic vacuum polarization for the muon 𝑔 − 2 from lattice QCD: Complete short and intermediate windows

We present complete results for the hadronic vacuum polarization (HVP) contribution to the muon anomalous magnetic moment 𝑎 𝜇 in the short- and intermediate-distance window regions, which account for roughly 10% and 35% of the total HVP contribution to 𝑎 𝜇 , respectively. In particular, we perform lattice-QCD calculations for the isospin-symmetric connected and disconnected contributions, as well as corrections due to strong-isospin breaking. For the short-distance window observables, we investigate the so-called log-enhancement effects as well as the significant oscillations associated with staggered quarks in this region. For the dominant, isospin-symmetric light-quark-connected contribution, we obtain 𝑎$^{𝑙⁢𝑙,SD}_{𝜇⁡}$(conn) = 48.139⁢(11) stat ⁢(91) syst ⁢[92] total × 10 −10 and 𝑎$^{𝑙⁢𝑙,W}_{𝜇}$⁡(conn) = 206.90⁢(14) stat ⁢(61) syst ⁢[63] total × 10 −10 . We use Bayesian model averaging to fully estimate the covariance matrix between the individual contributions. Our determinations of the complete window contributions are 𝑎$^{SD}_{𝜇}$ = 69.05⁢(1) stat⁢ (21) syst ⁢[21] total × 10 −10 and 𝑎$^{W}_{𝜇}$ = 236.45⁢(17) stat⁢ (83) syst ⁢[85] total × 10 −10 . This work is part of our ongoing effort to compute all contributions to HVP with an overall uncertainty at the few-permille level.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗