Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Pressure effects”

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 361 records · Page 20

High-pressure synthesis and thermodynamic stability of PdH 1±ε up to 8 GPa

Palladium hydride alloys are superconductors and hydrogen storage materials. One synthesis route is compression of Pd to high pressure in a hydrogen-rich environment. Here we report the evolution of the unit cell volume of PdH x synthesized by compressing Pd in a pure H 2 medium to pressures from 0.2 to 8 GPa in a diamond anvil cell at room temperature. The volume of the face-centered cubic unit cell changes nonmonotonically with pressure, increasing upon compression from 0.2 to 1 GPa and decreasing upon compression from 1 to 8 GPa. Volume is reversible upon decompression and is independent of whether the sample was heated to 600 K at low pressure (P < 2 GPa). The x-ray diffraction data show no evidence for a phase transition between 0.2 and 8 GPa. The volume maximum at 1 GPa must be caused by progressive hydrogenation from 0 to 1 GPa. Assuming a pressure-volume-composition equation of state derived from previously published data, the [H]:[Pd] ratio in this study increases to a maximum value of x = 1 ± 0.02 at 2 ± 0.5 GPa and remains stable upon further compression to and from 8 GPa. These results add to a mounting body of evidence that PdH 1±ϵ is in thermodynamic equilibrium with pure H 2 at room temperature from 2 GPa to at least 8 GPa. Here, the simplest interpretation is that H atoms occupy all octahedral sites and no tetrahedral sites in face-centered cubic PdH 1.0 .

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Formation of short-range magnetic order and avoided ferromagnetic quantum criticality in pressurized LaCrGe 3

LaCrGe 3 has attracted attention as a paradigm example of the avoidance of ferromagnetic (FM) quantum criticality in an itinerant magnet. In this work, we combined thermodynamic (specific heat and thermal expansion), transport, x-ray, and neutron scattering as well as μSR measurements to obtain insights on the temperature-pressure phase diagram of LaCrGe 3 . Consistent with previous studies of the phase diagram by transport measurements, our thermodynamic data shows clearly that the FM transition at T FM changes its character from second order to first order when it is suppressed to low temperatures by pressure. In addition, previous studies demonstrated that for high pressures a new phase occurs below T 2 , which was proposed to be a long-wavelength antiferromagnetic state (AFM q ). In this paper, we provide evidence from our thermodynamic data that this phase transition is preceded by yet another phase transition at T 1 >T 2 . Our μSR data indicate that full magnetic volume fraction is only established below T 2 , but that this magnetism is characterized by a short correlation length. Within the experimental resolution, our neutron-scattering data is not able to identify any magnetic Bragg peaks. Overall, the microscopic magnetic data is therefore consistent with the formation of FM clusters in the proximity of the avoided FM quantum critical point in LaCrGe 3 . This conclusion is at odds with the previous proposal of AFM q order and raises questions on the role of disorder in this stochiometric compound.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Microscopic Phase Diagram of Eu(Fe 1-x Ni x )As 2 ( x = 0,0.04) Under Pressure

This study will go to establish the microscopic P-T phase diagram of recent 112-type iron-pnictides Eu(Fe 1-x Ni x )As- 2 (x = 0,0.04), high-pressure synchrotron Mossbauer spectroscopy experiments in 151 Eu and 57 Fe have been performed. In EuFeAs 2 application of pressure completely suppresses the itinerant electron magnetism from the Fe sublattice and the local-moment magnetism in Eu ions at similar to ~10 and similar to ~11.6 GPa, respectively. High-pressure x-ray diffraction experiments in EuFeAs 2 reveal an anomalous change in the lattice parameters and a discontinuity in volume around 10 GPa, suggesting an isostructural transition at this pressure. With Ni-doping (x = 0.04), a collapse of local magnetic order occurs at similar to ~8GPa, a lower critical pressure compared with the parent compound. In both systems, the suppression of local-moment magnetism is associated with a significant increase of mean valence in Eu ions.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

High-pressure study of the low- Z rich superconductor Be 22 Re

With T c ~ 9.6K, Be 22 Re exhibits one of the highest critical temperatures among Be-rich compounds.We have carried out a series of high-pressure electrical resistivity measurements on this compound to 30 GPa. The data show that the critical temperature T c is suppressed gradually at a rate of dT c /dP = –0.05K/GPa. Using density functional theory (DFT) calculations of the electronic and phonon density of states (DOS) and the measured critical temperature, we estimate that the rapid increase in lattice stiffening in Be 22 Re overwhelms a moderate increase in the electron-ion interaction with pressure, resulting in the decrease in T c . Furthermore, high-pressure x-ray diffraction measurements show that the ambient pressure crystal structure of Be 22 Re persists to at least 154 GPa.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Model of ramp compression of diamond from ab initio simulations

Ramp compression experiments characterize high-pressure states of matter at temperatures well below those present in shock compression. However, because temperature is typically not directly measured during ramp compression, it is uncertain how much heating occurs under these shock-free conditions. Here, we performed a series of ab initio simulations on carbon in order to match the density-stress measurements of Smith et al. [Smith et al., Nature (London) 511, 330 (2014)]. We considered isotropically as well as uniaxially compressed solid carbon in the diamond and BC8 phases, with and without defects, as well as liquid carbon. Our idealized model ascribes heating during ramp compression to an initially uniaxially compressed cell transforming isochorically into an isotropically (hydrostatic equivalent) compressed state having lower internal energy, hence higher temperature so as to conserve energy. Multiple such heating events can occur during a single ramp experiment, leading to higher temperatures than with isentropic compression. Comparison with experiments shows that heating alone does not explain the equation of state measurements on diamond, instead implying that a significant uniaxial stress component remains present at high compression. The temperature predictions of our ramp compression model remain to be verified with future laboratory measurements.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Pressure-induced superconductivity in the hydrogen-rich pseudobinary CaB - H n compounds

Here, the crystal structures of CaB – Hn compounds with n = 1 – 12 in a pressure range of 50–300 GPa were studied using the genetic algorithm method and first-principles density-function theory calculations. Stable structures with stoichiometry of CaB H 6 and CaB H 7 were predicted in different pressure range. BH 4 , BH 5 , and BH 6 units were found to be the main motifs in these compounds. Moreover, metastable Imm2 CaB H 7 is dynamically stable above 180 GPa, with the formation of tetrahedral BH 4 unit surrounded by Ca atom and H 3 unit. Electron-phonon coupling (EPC) calculations reveal that the superconducting properties are closely related to the strong hydrogen-boron bonding of the BH 4 unit in Imm2, and T c can reach ~200 K at 200 GPa. As the major units, BH 4 , BH 5 , and BH 6 units exist in the Imm2, P 2 , and P2 1 /m phases of CaB H 7 at 300 GPa, respectively; the corresponding EPC parameter λ decreases with the increase of hydrogen content in CaB H 7 .

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Thermal conductivity of CaSiO 3 perovskite at lower mantle conditions

Thermal conductivity (κ) of mantle minerals is key to understanding dynamics in the deep Earth. It controls the style of mantle convection and the timescale of cooling both the mantle and the core. Cubic CaSiO 3 perovskite (CaPv) is the third most abundant mineral in the lower mantle (7 vol %). Despite its importance, no theoretical or experimental estimate of CaPv's κ is available. Theoretical investigations of its properties are challenging because of its strong anharmonicity. Experimental measurements at relevant pressures and temperatures are equally challenging. Here we present ab initio results for CaPv's κ obtained using the phonon quasiparticle approach to address its strong anharmonicity. We also offer experimental measurements of κ up to 67 GPa and 1950 K. Predictions and measurements are in good agreement and reveal a surprisingly large κ for cubic CaPv that can be explained on the basis of its high crystal structure symmetry. Despite its relatively low abundance, CaPv's κ increases the lower mantle κ by ~10 %, if accounted for. κ of mantle regions enriched in subducted crustal materials will be more strongly impacted.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Structural and vibrational properties of methane up to 71 GPa

Single-crystal synchrotron x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and first principles calculations have been used to identify the structure of the high-pressure (HP) phase of molecular methane above 20 GPa up to 71 GPa at room temperature. The structure of the HP phase is trigonal R3, which can be represented as a distortion of the cubic phase B, previously documented at 7–15 GPa and confirmed here. The positions of hydrogen atoms in the HP phase have been obtained from first principles calculations, which also demonstrated the stability of this structure above 260 K at 25 GPa. The molecules occupy four different crystallographic sites in phase B and 11 sites in the HP phase, which result in splitting of molecular stretching modes detected in Raman spectroscopy and assigned here based on a good agreement with the Raman spectra calculated from the first principles. Furthermore, our study points out to a single HP phase unlike up to three HP phases proposed previously based on the Raman spectroscopy results only.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Candidate structure for the H 2 -PRE phase of solid hydrogen

Experimental progress finally reached the metallic solid hydrogen phase, which was predicted by Wigner and Huntington over 80 years ago. However, the different structures in the phase diagram are still being debated due to the difficulty of diffraction experiments for high-pressured hydrogen. The determination of crystal structures under extreme condition is both of the basic condensed matter physics, and in planetary science: the behavior of giant gaseous planets (e.g., Jupiter and Saturn) strongly depends on the properties of inner high-pressured hydrogen. This work describes possible structures appearing under high pressures of 400~600 GPa. We applied a structural search using particle swarm optimization with density functional theory (DFT) to propose several candidate structures. For these structures, we performed fixed-node diffusion Monte Carlo simulations combined with DFT zero-point energy corrections to confirm their relative stability. We found P2 1 /c-8 as a promising candidate structure for the H 2 -PRE phase. P2 1 /c-8 is predicted the most stable at 400 and 500 GPa. P2 1 /c-8 reproduces qualitatively the IR spectrum peaks observed in the H 2 -PRE phase.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

High-pressure phase transitions and melt structure of Pb O 2 : An analog for silica

In situ x-ray diffraction measurements and inverse Monte Carlo simulations of pair distribution functions were used to study the structural response of PbO 2 under pressure and to characterize the local structure of liquid PbO 2 . Two phase transitions are observed upon room-temperature compression of crystalline PbO 2 up to ~65 GPa. Here, the starting mixture of rutile structured β– PbO 2 and orthorhombic α– PbO 2 undergoes a transition to a ZrO 2 -type orthorhombic phase with space group Pbca at ~21 GPa. Above 42 GPa, the Pbca phase transforms to a cotunnite-type phase with space group Pnam. In this paper, we also report short-range order in liquid PbO 2 , showing ~8–9-fold and 4–5-fold coordination around Pb and O atoms, respectively.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Hybridization-driven strong anharmonicity in Yb-filled skutterudites

A high-pressure study of the structural and thermal transport properties is carried out on one of the most efficient filled skutterudites, $\mathrm{Yb_{0.3}Co_4Sb_{12}}$, to understand the relatively low thermal conductivity behavior in this family. By combining x-ray diffraction and Raman scattering measurements, we detect a phase transition at around 12.4 GPa. The mode Grüneisen parameters of the observed phonon modes are obtained from the determined bulk modulus and the phonon frequency shifts with pressure. The strong anharmonicity in this material is demonstrated by the obtained large average Grüneisen parameter. We also find the depressed group velocity within the low-frequency range, the flat guest mode avoided crossing with the acoustic-phonon mode, and the significant contribution of optical phonons. The hybridization of the guest atom and host lattice and the related enhanced anharmonicity are suggested to account for the low lattice thermal conductivity in the studied system. So, these findings provide new insight into how phonon-phonon interactions lower lattice thermal conductivity in this important thermoelectric family.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Pressure-induced creation and annihilation of Weyl points in T d - Mo 0.5 W 0.5 Te 2 and 1 T " - Mo 0.5 W 0.5 Te 2

By means of first-principles density-functional theory calculations, we investigate the role of hydrostatic pressure in the electronic structure of the T d (Pmn2 1 ) and 1T" (Pm) phases of the Weyl semimetal Mo 0.5 W 0.5 Te 2 , which is a promising material for phase-change memory technology and superconductivity. We particularly focus on changes occurring in the distribution of the gapless Weyl points (WPs) within the 0 to 45 GPa pressure range. Here we further investigate the structural phase transition and lattice dynamics of the T d and 1T" phases within the aforementioned pressure range. Our calculations suggest that both the T d and 1T" phases of Mo 0.5 W 0.5 Te 2 host four WPs in their full Brillouin zone at zero pressure. The total number of WPs increases to 44 (36) with increasing pressure via pair creation up to 20 (15) GPa for the T d (1T") phase, and beyond this pressure pair annihilation of WPs starts occurring, leaving only 16 WPs at 45 GPa in both phases. The enthalpy versus pressure data reveal that the 1T" phase is more favorable below the critical pressure of 7.5 GPa; however, beyond this critical pressure the T d phase becomes enthalpically favorable. We also provide the calculated x-ray diffraction spectra along with the calculated Raman- and infrared-active phonon frequencies to facilitate the experimental identification of the studied phases

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

High-pressure inelastic neutron scattering study of the anisotropic S = 1 spin chain [ Ni ( HF 2 ) ( 3 - Clpyradine ) 4 ] B F 4

[Ni(HF 2 )(3-Clpyradine) 4 ]BF 4 (NBCT) is a one-dimensional, S=1 spin-chain material that shows no long-range magnetic order down to thermometer temperatures of 0.1 K. Previous ambient pressure inelastic neutron scattering experiments identified NBCT to be in the large-D quantum paramagnetic phase of the D/J phase diagram, where D is the axial single-ion anisotropy and J is the intrachain superexchange. In this work, we extend the previous experiments to a hydrostatic pressure of 0.9 GPa. By comparing to density matrix renormalization group calculations, we find D/J increases from 1.5 to 3.2 as pressure increases from 0 GPa to 0.9 GPa, which pushes the system further into the large-D phase.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Colossal piezoresistance in narrow-gap Eu 5 In 2 Sb 6

Piezoresistance, the change of the electrical resistance (R) of a material in response to an applied mechanical stress (σ), is the driving principle of electromechanical devices such as strain gauges, accelerometers, and cantilever force sensors. Enhanced piezoresistance has been traditionally observed in two classes of uncorrelated materials: nonmagnetic semiconductors and composite structures. In this study, we report the discovery of a remarkably large piezoresistance in Eu 5 In 2 Sb 6 single crystals, wherein anisotropic metallic clusters naturally form within a semiconducting matrix due to electronic interactions. Eu 5 In 2 Sb 6 shows a highly anisotropic piezoresistance, and uniaxial pressure along [001] of only 0.4 GPa leads to a resistivity drop of >99.95%, which results in a colossal piezoresistance factor of 5000×10 –11 Pa –1 . Our result not only reveals the role of interactions and phase separation in the realization of colossal piezoresistance, but it also highlights a route to multifunctional devices with large responses to both pressure and magnetic field.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Pressure-temperature phase diagram of CaK ( Fe 1 – x Mn x ) 4 As 4 ( x = 0.024 )

Resistance measurements on single crystals of CaK(Fe 1–x Mn x ) 4 As 4 (x = 0.024) were performed under hydrostatic pressure up to 5.15 GPa. The pressure dependence of the magnetic and superconducting transition temperatures and that of the superconducting upper critical field are reported. Furthermore, our results show that upon increasing pressure, the magnetic transition temperature T N is suppressed, whereas the superconducting transition temperature T c first increases and then decreases, exhibiting a maximum at a pressure p c corresponding to the intersection of the T N (p) and T c (p) lines. In addition, a minimum in the normalized slope of the superconducting upper critical field as well as a change in the pressure dependence of the inferred superconducting coherence length are observed at p c , suggesting a difference in the Fermi surface of the paramagnetic and antiferromagnetic states. Finally, CaK(Fe 1–x Mn x ) 4 As 4 (x = 0.024) likely goes through a half-collapsed tetragonal phase transition at ~4.3 GPa, further demonstrating that the half-collapsed tetragonal transition pressure in the CaKFe 4 As 4 system is relatively insensitive to transition metal substitution.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Pressure-induced charge-transfer and structural transition in hexagonal multiferroic HoMnO 3

The structural properties of the hexagonal multiferroic ℎ-HoMnO 3 under high pressure have been explored using synchrotron x-ray diffraction and x-ray absorption spectroscopy in diamond anvil cells. The structure was found to undergo a pressure-induced phase transition at ~24 GPa to a rhombohedrally distorted superstructure, which is isostructural to the oxygen-loaded h-RMnO 3+δ (R = Y,Dy,Ho,Er; δ ≈ 0.28) phases found in the same systems. The driving force behind the phase transition is the highly compressible ab plane which facilitates a gradual charge disproportionation of Mn(III) with pressure. We speculate this stabilizes the spin-liquid phase due to ferromagnetic coupling between neighboring Mn(II)/Mn(IV) and Mn(III). In addition, we demonstrate that the structural behavior is highly susceptible to nonhydrostatic conditions and the choice of pressure medium should be carefully made.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗