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At least 433 records · Page 24
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Energy barriers for Dy and H penetrating graphene on 6 H -SiC(0001) and freestanding bilayer graphene from first-principles calculations

Currently, intercalation of foreign guest atoms into two-dimensional (2D) layered van der Waals materials is an active research area motivated in part by the development of next-generation energy-storage technologies and optoelectronic devices. One such extensively studied 2D material is the graphene-on-SiC system. To realize and control the desired intercalated structures, it is fundamentally important to understand the kinetic process of intercalation. For the intercalation of a guest atom into graphene layers on SiC substrate, a critical kinetic parameter is the energy barrier of a guest atom penetrating the perfect graphene top layer into the gallery under it. However, accurate theoretical calculations for such penetration barriers are unavailable in literature. From our first-principles density functional theory calculations, we obtain the global energy barriers of 3.47 and 1.80 eV for single Dy and H atoms penetrating the graphene top layer on a graphene buffer layer supported by a Si-terminated 6H-SiC(0001) substrate, respectively. Furthermore, for comparison as well as for examining the lateral strain effects, we also obtain the global barriers of 5.05 and 1.50 eV for single Dy and H atoms penetrating freestanding bilayer graphene with a tensile strain of about 8.8% to match our model for supported graphene, as well as the global barriers of 7.21 and 4.18 eV for penetrating unstrained freestanding bilayer graphene, respectively. From corresponding minimum energy paths with multiple energy minima and saddle points, we can also obtain various local energy barriers and the global backward barrier from the graphene gallery back to the top surface.

2D materials↗
DOE OSTI2023

Genomic description of human clinical Aspergillus fumigatus isolates, California, 2020

Abstract Aspergillus fumigatus, an environmental mold, causes life-threatening infections. Studies on the phylogenetic structure of human clinical A. fumigatus isolates are limited. Here, we performed whole genome sequencing of 24 A. fumigatus isolates collected from 18 patients in U.S. healthcare facilities in California. Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) differences between patient isolates ranged from 187 to 70 829 SNPs. For five patients with multiple isolates, we calculated the within-host diversities. Three patients had a within-host diversity that ranged from 4 to 10 SNPs and two patients ranged from 2 to 16 977 SNPs. Findings revealed highly diverse A. fumigatus strains among patients and two patterns of diversity for isolates that come from the same patient, low and extremely high diversity.

Misas, Elizabeth (ORCID:0000000162437716)↗
DOE OSTI2026

Competing magnetic phases in Cr 3+𝛿 ⁢Te 4 are spatially segregated

Cr 1+𝑥⁢ Te 2 is a self-intercalated van der Waals system that is of current interest for its room-temperature room-temperature ferromagnetic (FM) phases and tunable topological properties. In bulk samples, the strain from the interstitial Cr ions leads to distinct structural phases for different ranges of 𝑥. Early neutron powder diffraction (NPD) measurements on the monoclinic phase Cr 3 ⁢Te 4 (𝑥=0.5) presented evidence for competing FM and antiferromagnetic (AFM) phases. Here we apply neutron diffraction to a single crystal of Cr 3+𝛿 ⁢Te 4 with 𝛿=−0.10 and discover that it consists of two distinct monoclinic phases, one with FM order below 𝑇 C ≈321 K and another that develops AFM order below 𝑇 N ≈86 K. In contrast, we find that a crystal with 𝛿=−0.26 exhibits only FM order below 𝑇 C ≈285 K. The single-crystal analysis is complemented by results obtained with NPD, x-ray powder diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements on the 𝛿=−0.10 composition. From observations of spontaneous magnetostriction of opposite sign at 𝑇 C and 𝑇 N , along with the TEM evidence for both monoclinic phases in a single thin ( ≈100 nm) grain, we conclude that the two phases must have a fine-grained ( ≲100 nm) intergrowth character, as might occur from high-temperature spinodal decomposition during the growth process. Calculations of the relaxed lattice structures for the FM and AFM phases with density functional theory provide a rationalization of the observed spontaneous magnetostrictions. Correlations between the magnitude and orientation of the magnetic moments with lattice parameter variation demonstrate that the magnetic orders are sensitive to strain, thus explaining why magnetic ordering temperatures and anisotropies can be different between bulk and thin-film samples, when the latter are subject to epitaxial strain. Our results point to the need to investigate the supposed coexistence FM and AFM phases reported elsewhere in the Cr 1+𝑥 ⁢Te 2 system, such as in the Cr 5 ⁢Te 8 phase (𝑥=0.25).

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

First-Principles Modeling of Sodium Ion and Water Intercalation into Titanium Disulfide Interlayers for Water Desalination

Recent experiments revealed the possibility of using titanium disulfide (TiS 2 ) as the cathode material in capacitive deionization (CDI) devices for water desalination. Although it performed stably up to 70 cycles with a salt removal capacity of 14 mg/g (corresponding to a sodium ion removal capacity of 35.8 mg/g) at high molar concentration (600 mM NaCl), the maximum capacity of TiS 2 as a CDI electrode was much lower (~70 mAh/g) than as a supercapacitor (239 mAh/g). Understanding why the ion capacities of these two configurations of the same material differ will entail elucidating detailed charge/discharge mechanisms at the atomic scale. Here, we present density functional theory simulations of sodium intercalation into TiS 2 interlayers in order to gain such understanding. We systematically investigated TiS 2 stacking patterns and ion intercalation sites, energetics of the intercalated compounds, and phase transformation during sodium intercalation. The calculated structural evolution and capacitance–voltage curve agree quite well with previous measurements. We conclude that the different maximum capacities of TiS 2 measured in aqueous and dry environments originate from weaker interlayer interactions with respect to shear strain after ~33% intercalation of Na + –H 2 O pairs, which is detrimental to the mechanical stability of TiS 2 . In conclusion, this study sheds light on the underlying mechanisms of ion intercalation into layered materials and contributes to understanding requirements for future design and optimization of CDI electrode materials for water desalination.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Intrinsic origin and enhancement of topological responses in ferrimagnetic antiperovskite Mn 4 N

Using first-principles calculations here we investigate the intrinsic origins of the anomalous Hall effect (AHE) and the anomalous Nernst effect (ANE) in antiperovskite ferrimagnet Mn 4 N. We predict that the AHE is significantly enhanced under both compressive and tensile strain; however, the ANE generally decreases under epitaxial strain, except for 1% compressive strain. We connect this behavior to the evolution of the Berry curvature with strain, suggesting similar strategies for achieving large AHE and ANE changes with modest amounts of strain. Finally, we find that the nonmonotonic characteristics of the AHE and ANE stem from the formation and movement of new Weyl points at the periphery of the Brillouin zone under compressive and tensile strains.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2025

Machine-learning-informed scattering correlation analysis of sheared colloids

We have carried out theoretical analysis, Monte Carlo simulations and machine-learning analysis to quantify microscopic rearrangements of dilute dispersions of spherical colloidal particles from coherent scattering intensity. Both monodisperse and polydisperse dispersions of colloids were created and underwent a rearrangement consisting of an affine simple shear and non-affine rearrangement using the Monte Carlo method. We calculated the coherent scattering intensity of the dispersions and the correlation function of intensity before and after the rearrangement and generated a large data set of angular correlation functions for varying system parameters, including number density, polydispersity, shear strain and non-affine rearrangement. Singular value decomposition of the data set shows the feasibility of machine-learning inversion from the correlation function for the polydispersity, shear strain and non-affine rearrangement using only three parameters. A Gaussian process regressor is then trained on the data set and can retrieve the affine shear strain, non-affine rearrangement and polydispersity with relative errors of 3%, 1% and 6%, respectively. Altogether, our model provides a framework for quantitative studies of both steady and non-steady microscopic dynamics of colloidal dispersions using coherent scattering methods.

Gaussian process regression↗
DOE OSTI2023

Prediction of topological phases in metastable ferromagnetic $MPX_3$ monolayers

Density functional theory calculations are carried out to study the electronic and topological properties of MPX 3 (M = Mn, Fe, Co,Ni; X = S, Se) monolayers in the ferromagnetic (FM) metastable magnetic state. Here we find that FM MnPSe 3 monolayers host topological semimetal signatures that are gapped out when spin-orbit coupling is included. These findings are supported by explicit calculations of the Berry curvature and the Chern number. The choice of the Hubbard-U parameter to describe the d-electrons is thoroughly discussed, as well as the influence of using a hybrid-functional approach. The presence of band inversions and the associated topological features are found to be formalism-dependent. Nevertheless, routes to achieve the topological phase via the application of external biaxial strain are demonstrated. Within the hybrid-functional picture, topological band structures are recovered under a pressure of 15% (17 GPa). The present work provides a potential avenue for uncovering new topological phases in metastable ferromagnetic phases.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

Nanoscale Mg–B via Surfactant Ball Milling of MgB 2 : Morphology, Composition, and Improved Hydrogen Storage Properties

Metal borides have attracted the attention of researchers due to their useful physical properties and unique ability to form high hydrogen-capacity metal borohydrides. We demonstrate improved hydrogen storage properties of a nanoscale Mg–B material made by surfactant ball milling MgB 2 in a mixture of heptane, oleic acid, and oleylamine. Transmission electron microscopy data show that Mg–B nanoplatelets are produced with sizes ranging from 5 to 50 nm, which agglomerate upon ethanol washing to produce an agglomerated nanoscale Mg–B material of micron-sized particles with some surfactant still remaining. X-ray diffraction measurements reveal a two-component material where 32% of the solid is a strained crystalline solid maintaining the hexagonal structure with the remainder being amorphous. Fourier transform infrared shows that the oleate binds in a “bridge-bonding” fashion preferentially to magnesium rather than boron, which is confirmed by density functional theory calculations. The Mg–B nanoscale material is deficient in boron relative to bulk MgB 2 with a Mg–B ratio of ~1:0.75. The nanoscale MgB 0.75 material has a disrupted B–B ring network as indicated by X-ray absorption measurements. Hydrogenation experiments at 700 bar and 280 °C show that it partially hydrogenates at temperatures 100 °C below the threshold for bulk MgB 2 hydrogenation. In addition, upon heating to 200 °C, the H–H bond-breaking ability increases ~10-fold according to hydrogen–deuterium exchange experiments due to desorption of oleate at the surface. This behavior would make the nanoscale Mg–B material useful as an additive where rapid H–H bond breaking is needed.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Valence Electron Distributions from Sub-Angstrom Convergent Beam Electron Diffraction

Modern aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopes can acquire four-dimensional data sets (“4D STEM”) by recording convergent beam electron diffraction (CBED) patterns, using precisely positioned, sub-angstrom probes. Here, we demonstrate that these patterns can probe the site symmetry, atomic displacements, and valence electron distributions at individual atomic columns. To this end, 4D STEM CBED patterns were acquired from SrTiO 3 single crystals and compared with patterns calculated using scattering potentials derived from density functional theory. Here, we show that an aspherical valence electron charge build-up at the oxygen sites causes intensity asymmetries in the low-angle scattering portion of the patterns. Using strained SrTiO 3 films containing subtle polar displacements within nanometer-sized domains, it is shown that the high-angle scattering portion in each pattern is sensitive to atomic displacements.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Symmetry-driven persistent spin texture for the two-dimensional nonsymmorphic CdTe and ZnTe crystal structures

In this paper, two nonsymmorphic two-dimensional structures of CdTe and ZnTe are modeled, and using state-of-the-art density functional theory with the group theory of solids, their symmetry-enforced electronic properties are studied. The in-plane ferroelectricity coupled with strong spin-orbit coupling induces a unidirectional out-of-plane Rashba spin-orbit field that can host a momentum-independent uniform spin configuration known as persistent spin texture (PST) at the Brillouin zone center. PST in these structures is found to be robust against external perturbations such as strain, structural distortion, and independent of layer thickness. These unprecedented intrinsic spin transport properties hold utmost importance in spintronics, as the experimental stringent condition of equal Rashba and Dresselhaus constants [Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 146801 (2003)] is eliminated. The calculated persistent spin helix wavelength of <~5 nm paves the way for developing next-generation nanosized nonballistic spin field-effect transistors compared with micrometer-sized GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells. Further, these materials exhibit finite spin Hall conductivity at the band edges and hence can be used in ferromagnet-free spin Hall transistors. Although CdTe and ZnTe systems have been widely studied for photocatalysis and solar cell applications over the past few decades, their potential application in spintronic devices has not been explored. Mono/few layers of CdTe and ZnTe synthesized from (110) facets of bulk zinc-blende crystals [Nat. Commun. 3, 1057 (2012)] satisfy all symmetry operations of the nonsymmorphic space group and hence can be considered ideal materials to verify our theoretical results experimentally.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

2021 Summer SPE Project

SPE is a project in order to develop new, more physics-based, seismic models of explosions (see Nelson et al. 2013). One key component of this effort is numerical modeling enabled by modern state-of-art code/software. Accurate modeling of the shape and amplitude of seismic waves from their generation to their propagation to remote monitoring seismic stations is important to our ability to determine the origin and strength of the source from remote recording. In this project, the modeling is performed by coupling two codes HOSS and SPECFEM3D. HOSS models the dynamic nonlinear processes happening near the explosion. SPECFEM3D computes the propagation of seismic waves as they travel through 3D complex Earth models. SPECFEM3D was modified in order to be driven by a set of time-series calculated by HOSS in lieu of a seismic source. The goal of this summer project is the investigation of several questions pertinent to the establishment of a full end-to-end modeling capability from the high-rate strain regime area to remote distances where seismic station record seismic waves generated by explosions. The investigated questions are: (1) How to perform proper filtering? Direct-solution modeling only sustains a limited range of frequency depending on the grid size. As we go from one modeling domain to the other via coupling, the mesh size is getting coarser to allow modeling at large scale but also to account for the fact that high-frequency waves do not physically travel to large distances. So filtering of the time-series generated by the near-field hydrodynamic modeling is a current practice often employed but its effects on the modeled waveforms has to be investigated. (2) Quantitative assessment of the efficiency of attenuation to remove high-frequency content of the wavefield. This assessment will allow to create meshes with a grid size appropriate to the actual physics of wave propagation for a given explosion. (3) Checking that the coupling process and the two codes respect the cylindrical symmetry that is expected in the case of a pure explosion in a half-space. (4) The effect of the state-of-stress in the near-source area on the modeled seismic waveforms. These questions will be investigated through the modeling of SPE-4P, the fourth explosion of this series because it was designed to have little interaction with the geologic surrounding and the free surface of the Earth so that it is the most explosion-like experiment, with the most symmetries to be verified.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Telecom-Wavelength Single-Photon Emitters in Multilayer InSe

The development of robust and efficient single-photon emitters (SPEs) at telecom wavelengths is critical for advancements in quantum information science. Two-dimensional (2D) materials have recently emerged as promising sources for SPEs, owing to their high photon extraction efficiency, facile coupling to external fields, and seamless integration into photonic circuits. In this study, we demonstrate the creation of SPEs emitting in the 1000–1550 nm near-infrared range by coupling 2D indium selenide (InSe) with strain-inducing nanopillar arrays. The emission wavelength exhibits a strong dependence on the number of layers. Hanbury Brown and Twiss experiments conducted at 10 K reveal clear photon antibunching, confirming the single-photon nature of the emissions. In conclusion, density-functional-theory calculations and scanning-tunneling-microscopy analyses provide insights into the electronic structures and defect states, elucidating the origins of the SPEs.

2D Material↗
DOE OSTI2020

Genome-Wide Analysis of RNA Decay in the Cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. Strain PCC 7002

ABSTRACT RNA degradation is an important process that influences the ultimate concentration of individual proteins inside cells. While the main enzymes that facilitate this process have been identified, global maps of RNA turnover are available for only a few species. Even in these cases, there are few sequence elements that are known to enhance or destabilize a native transcript; even fewer confer the same effect when added to a heterologous transcript. To address this knowledge gap, we assayed genome-wide RNA degradation in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 7002 by collecting total RNA samples after stopping nascent transcription with rifampin. We quantified the abundance of each position in the transcriptome as a function of time using RNA-sequencing data and later analyzed the global mRNA decay map using machine learning principles. Half-lives, calculated on a per-ORF (open reading frame) basis, were extremely short, with a median half-life of only 0.97 min. Despite extremely rapid turnover of most mRNA, transcripts encoding proteins involved in photosynthesis were both highly expressed and highly stable. Upon inspection of these stable transcripts, we identified an enriched motif in the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) that had similarity to Rho-independent terminators. We built statistical models for half-life prediction and used them to systematically identify sequence motifs in both 5′ and 3′ UTRs that correlate with stabilized transcripts. We found that transcripts linked to a terminator containing a poly(U) tract had a longer half-life than both those without a poly(U) tract and those without a terminator. IMPORTANCE RNA degradation is an important process that affects the final concentration of individual mRNAs, affecting protein expression and cellular physiology. Studies of how RNA is degraded increase our knowledge of this fundamental process as well as enable the creation of genetic tools to manipulate RNA stability. By studying global transcript turnover, we searched for sequence elements that correlated with transcript (in)stability and used these sequences to guide tool design. This study probes global RNA turnover in a cyanobacterium, Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 7002, that both has a unique array of RNases that facilitate RNA degradation and is an industrially relevant strain that could be used to convert CO 2 and sunlight into useful products.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Shear band velocity and activation volume during shear deformation by acoustic emission in a Zr-based bulk metallic glass

Here, an analysis is presented for the shear band velocity of plastic deformation and activation volume of the shear transformation zone (STZ) in a Zr 60 Cu 30 Al 10 bulk metallic glass (BMG). Compared to the values calculated by the stick-slip model, the values of shear band velocity calculated after optimization by the acoustic emission technique are much larger than those reported previously. Plastic flow in BMGs is found to be described by a power-law correlation between the maximum velocity of the shear band and the strain rates. Combining the free volume theory and the STZ theory, the relationship between the volume change in the STZ and the shear band velocity is derived as $Ω=A$(27–ln$v/l$). The value of A, which is a material dependent constant, is 5.43 × 10 –3 for the current BMG at room temperature.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Magnetic compressibility of layered ferromagnet under pressure

This study systematically investigates the magnetic properties of the layered ferromagnet MnPt 5 As under pressure through a combination of experimental measurements and theoretical simulations. MnPt 5 As exhibits a ferromagnetic transition at approximately 301 K. Neutron diffraction measurements under applied pressures up to ∼4.9 GPa were performed over a temperature range from 320 to 100 K to probe its magnetic behavior. The results confirm that the Mn atoms maintain a ferromagnetic order under applied pressures, consistent with the ambient-pressure findings. However, magnetic anisotropy is notably suppressed. To further elucidate the compressibility of magnetic anisotropy in MnPt 5 As, x-ray diffraction under pressure was conducted. The results reveal that the c-axis undergoes a greater and more rapid compression compared to the ab -plane, which may contribute to the observed suppression of Mn ferromagnetic ordering along the c -axis. Additionally, theoretical calculations indicate that magnetic ordering exhibits a similar pressure-induced trend under applied pressure, supporting the experimental observations. These findings offer insights into the pressure-dependent magnetic properties and anisotropy of MnPt 5 As, with potential implications for strain engineering in Mn-based magnetic devices.

Electronic band structure↗
DOE OSTI2025

Magnetic polaron formation in EuZn2P2

Colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) has been observed across many Eu2+-based materials; however, its origin is not completely understood. Here we investigate the antiferromagnetic insulator EuZn2⁢P2 through single crystal x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, electrical transport, magnetization, dilatometry, and electron spin resonance measurements complemented by density functional theory calculations. Our electrical resistivity data reveal a large negative magnetoresistance, MR=[𝑅⁡(𝐻)−𝑅⁡(0)]/𝑅⁡(0), that reaches MR=−99.7% at 9 T near the antiferromagnetic ordering temperature 𝑇𝑁=23K. Dilatometry measurements show an accompanying field-induced lattice strain. Additionally, Eu2+ electron spin resonance reveals a strong ferromagnetic exchange interaction between Eu2+ and conduction electrons. Our experimental results in EuZn2⁢P2 are consistent with a magnetic polaron scenario and suggest magnetic polaron formation as a prevailing explanation of CMR in Eu2+-based compounds.

Cook, Matt [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000288777505)↗
DOE OSTI2020

Computational thermodynamics and its applications

Thermodynamics is a science concerning the state of a system, whether it is stable, metastable or un- stable, when interacting with the surroundings. In this overview, fundamentals of thermodynamics are briefly reviewed through the combination of first and second laws of thermodynamics for open and nonequilibrium systems to demonstrate that the reversible equilibrium and irreversible nonequilibrium thermodynamics can be integrated to enhance the power and utilities of thermodynamics. The recent progresses in computational thermodynamics, the remaining challenges, and potential impacts in broad scientific fields are discussed here. It is shown that computational thermodynamics enables the modeling of thermodynamics of a state as a function of both external and internal variables and quantitative calculations of a broad range of properties of a multicomponent system in terms of first and second derivatives of energy, including not only equilibrium states when there are no driving forces for any internal processes and but also non-equilibrium states with driving forces for internal processes. Consequently, external constraints such as fixed strain and internal degree of freedoms such as ordering and defects can be described in a coherent framework and applied to materials design. Furthermore, two important but largely overlooked aspects in thermodynamics will be discussed, i.e. the rigorous application of statistical thermodynamics with the probability of configurations and their contributions to system properties, and the applications of second derivatives of energy with respect to either two extensive variables or two potentials or a mixture of them in terms of understanding and predicting emergent behaviors, critical phenomena, kinetic coefficients, and mechanical properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗