Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “electronic structure”

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 433 records · Page 24
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Effect of single atom Platinum (Pt) doping and facet dependent on the electronic structure and light absorption of Lanthanum Titanium Oxide (La 2 Ti 2 O 7 ): A Density Functional Theory study

Charge generation and separation are two key processes for semiconductor photocatalysis. Here, we use Pt as a single atom catalyst to systematically examine the facet-dependent electronic band structure and light absorption of the layered perovskite-type wide-gap semiconductor, lanthanum titanium oxide (La 2 Ti 2 O 7 , LTO) by means of density functional theory simulations. In this study, it is found that single Pt atom doping of different LTO surfaces (here, (100), (101) and (001)) can not only create states in the bandgap that would promote the formation of recombination centers, but also shift the optical absorption edge to the visible region. Interestingly, the Pt doping forms a heterojunction, with the valence band maximum consisting of Pt states and the conduction band minimum consisting of LTO states, respectively. To study the facet dependent surface activity, acetic acid (CH 3 COOH) was used as a model molecule to investigate the adsorption and charge transfer on the (101), (100) and (001) Pt-LTO surface facets. The results show that the (101) facet could enable stronger adsorption of CH 3 COOH by promoting more electron transfer during the interfacial interaction. Our theoretical findings aim to promote the design and optimization of the single atom catalysts (SACs) for photocatalytic applications and other broad catalysis systems.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Oxygen vacancy induced electronic structure modification of KTaO 3

The observation of a metallic interface between band insulators LaAlO 3 and SrTiO 3 has led to massive efforts to understand the origin of the phenomenon as well as to search for other systems hosting such two-dimensional electron gases (2-DEGs). However, the understanding of the origin of the 2-DEG is very often hindered as several possible mechanisms such as polar catastrophe, cationic intermixing, and oxygen vacancy (OV) can be operative simultaneously. The presence of a heavy element makes the KTaO 3 (KTO) based 2-DEG a potential platform to investigate spin-orbit coupling driven novel electronic and magnetic phenomena. In this work, we investigate the sole effect of OV in KTO, which makes KTO metallic. O K-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements find that OV dopes electrons in Ta t * 2g antibonding states. Photoluminescence measurements reveal the existence of a highly localized deep midgap state in oxygen-deficient KTO. Our detailed ab initio calculations demonstrate that such deep midgap state arises due to the linear clustering of OVs around Ta. Finally, our present work emphasizes that we must pay attention to the possible presence of OVs in interpreting emergent behavior of KTO-based heterostructures.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Synthesis and Crystal and Electronic Structures of the Zintl Phase Sr21Cd4Sb18

Reported herein are the synthesis and crystal chemistry analysis of the Zintl phase Sr21Cd4Sb18. Single crystals of this compound were grown using the Sn-flux method, and structural characterization was carried out using single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Crystal data: Monoclinic space group C2/m (No. 12, Z = 4); a = 18.2536(6) Å, b = 17.4018(5) Å, and c = 17.8979(6) Å, β = 92.024(1)°. The structure is based on edge- and corner-shared CdSb4 tetrahedra, which ultimately form octameric [Cd8Sb22] fragments, where two symmetry-equivalent subunits are connected via a homoatomic Sb–Sb interaction. The electronic band structure calculations contained herein reveal the emergence of a direct gap between the valence and the conduction bands.

Ghosh, Kowsik (ORCID:0000000326227046)↗
NASA NTRS1997

Global Kinetic Modeling of Banded Electron Structures in the Plasmasphere

Significant fluxes of 10 eV to 30 keV electrons have been detected in the plasmasphere, appearing as banded structures in energy with broad spatial extents and slowly evolving over several days. It is thought that these populations are decaying plasma sheet electrons injected into the corotating region of near-Earth space. This capture can occur when the convective electric field drops rapidly and the Alfven boundary suddenly outward, trapping the inner edge of the plasma sheet along closed drift paths. Our bounce-averaged kinetic model of superthermal electron transport is able to simulate this capture and the subsequent drift, diffusion, and decay of the plasma cloud. Results of this simulation will be shown and discussed, from the initial injection during the elevated convection to the final loss of the particles. It is thought that not only Coulomb collisions but also wave-particle interactions play a significant role in altering the plasma cloud. Quasilinear diffusion is currently being incorporated into the model and the importance of this mechanism will be examined. Also, the high anisotropy of the trapped population could be unstable and generate plasma waves. These and other processes will be investigated to determine the final fate of the cloud and to quantify where, how, and when the energy of the plasma cloud is deposited. Comparisons with CRRES observations of these events are shown to verify the model and explain the data.

Liemohn, M. W.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Protein structure, electron transfer and evolution of prokaryotic photosynthetic reaction centers

Photosynthetic reaction centers from a variety of organisms have been isolated and characterized. The groups of prokaryotic photosynthetic organisms include the purple bacteria, the filamentous green bacteria, the green sulfur bacteria and the heliobacteria as anoxygenic representatives as well as the cyanobacteria and prochlorophytes as oxygenic representatives. This review focuses on structural and functional comparisons of the various groups of photosynthetic reaction centers and considers possible evolutionary scenarios to explain the diversity of existing photosynthetic organisms.

NASA Discipline Exobiology↗
DOE OSTI2020

Correlating structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of epitaxial VSe 2 thin films

The electronic and magnetic properties of transition metal dichalcogenides are known to be extremely sensitive to their structure. In this paper we study the effect of structure on the electronic and magnetic properties of mono- and bilayer VSe 2 films grown using molecular beam epitaxy. VSe 2 has recently attracted much attention due to reports of emergent ferromagnetism in the two-dimensional (2D) limit. To understand this compound, high-quality 1$\textit{T}$ and distorted 1$\textit{T}$ films were grown at temperatures of 200 °C and 450 °C, respectively, and studied using 4 K scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. The measured density of states and the charge density wave (CDW) patterns were compared to band structure and phonon dispersion calculations. Films in the 1$\textit{T}$ phase reveal different CDW patterns in the first layer compared to the second. Interestingly, we find the second layer of the 1$\textit{T}$ film shows a CDW pattern with 4$\textit{a}$ × 4$\textit{a}$ periodicity which is the 2D version of the bulk CDW observed in this compound. We report our phonon dispersion calculations confirm the presence of a soft phonon at the correct wave vector that leads to this CDW. In contrast, the first layer of distorted 1$\textit{T}$ phase films shows a strong stripe feature with varying periodicities, while the second layer displays no observable CDW pattern. Finally, we find that the monolayer 1$\textit{T}$ VSe 2 film is weakly ferromagnetic, with ~3.5 $μ_B$ per unit similar to previous reports.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Electronic structure, magnetic properties, spin orientation, and doping effect in Mn 3 Si 2 Te 6

The layered material Mn 3 Si 2 Te 6 , with alternating stacking honeycomb and triangular layers, is attracting considerable attention due to its rich physical properties. Here, in this study, using density functional theory and classical Monte Carlo (MC) methods, we systematically study this system with the 3d 5 electronic configuration. Near the Fermi level, the states are mainly contributed by Te 5p orbitals hybridized with Mn 3d orbitals, resembling a charge-transfer system. Furthermore, the spin orientations of the ferrimagnetic (FiM) ground state display different conductive behaviors when along the ab plane or out-of-plane directions: insulating vs metallic states. The energy difference between the FiM [110] insulating and FiM [001] metallic phases is very small (~0.71 meV/Mn) . Changing the angle θ of spin orientation from in-plane to out-of-plane directions, the band gaps of this system are gradually reduced, leading to an insulator-metal transition, resulting in an enhanced electrical conductivity, related to the colossal angular magnetoresistance (MR) effect. Although the three main magnetic couplings were found to be antiferromagnetic, overall the ground state is FiM. In addition, we also constructed the magnetic phase diagram using the classical XY spin model studied with the MC method. Three magnetic phases were obtained, including antiferromagnetic order, noncollinear spin patterns, and FiM order. Moreover, we also investigated the Se and Ge doping into the Mn 3 Si 2 Te 6 system: the FiM state has the lowest energy among the magnetic candidates for both Se- and Ge-doped cases. The magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) decreases in the Se-doped case because the Mn orbital moment is reduced as the doping x increases. Due to the small spin-orbit-coupling effect of Se, the insulator-metal transition caused by the spin orientation disappears in the Se-doped case, resulting in an insulating phase in the FiM [001] phase. This causes a reduced colossal angular MR. However, both the MAE and the band gap of the Ge-doped case do not change much with increasing doping x . Our results for Mn 3 Si 2 Te 6 could provide guidance to experimentalists and theorists working on this system or related materials.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

Capturing Coupled Structural and Electronic Motions During Excited-State Intramolecular Proton Transfer via Computational Multiedge Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering

Proton-transfer processes build the foundation of many chemical processes. In Excited State Intramolecular Proton Transfer (ESIPT) processes the proton transfer process is impulsively started through light. Here, in this study, we explore the changes in coupled atomic and electronic motions during and following ESIPT through computational time-resolved Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering (trRIXS). Excited-state Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics (AIMD) simulations combined with Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TDDFT) calculations were performed for 10-hydroxybenzo[h]quinoline to obtain trRIXS signatures. RIXS at both the nitrogen and oxygen K-edges were computed to resolve the dynamics electronic structure from both the proton donor and acceptor perspective. The results show how RIXS can reveal the local electronic structure, the coupling between different electronic states and how electronic structure and coupling change during the proton transfer process. Additionally, we observe a strong correlation between spectral changes and structural changes during ESIPT.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1982

Hydrogen diffusion and electronic structure in crystalline and amorphous Ti/sub y/CuH/sub x/

Hydrogen diffusion behavior and electronic properties of crystalline TiCuHo94, Ti2CuH1.90, and Ti2CuH2.63 and amorphous a-TiCuH1.4 were studied using proton relaxation times, proton Knight shifts, and magnetic susceptibilities. Crystal structure and hydrogen site occupancy have major roles in hydrogen mobility. The density of electron states at E sub F is reduced in amorphous a-TiCuH1.4 compared to the crystalline hydrides.

Bowman, R. C., Jr.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Electronic structure, dimer physics, orbital-selective behavior, and magnetic tendencies in the bilayer nickelate superconductor $\mathrm{La_3Ni_2O_7}$under pressure

Motivated by the recently reported high-temperature superconductivity in the bilayer La 3 Ni 2 O 7 (LNO) under pressure, we comprehensively study this system using ab initio techniques. The Ni 3d orbitals have a large bandwidth at ambient pressure, increasing by ~22% at 29.5 GPa. Without electronic interactions, the Ni d 3z 2 -r 2 orbitals form a bonding-antibonding molecular orbital state via the O p z inducing a “dimer” lattice in the LNO bilayers. The Fermi surface consists of two-electron sheets with mixed e g orbitals and a hole pocket defined by the d 3z 2 -r 2 orbital, suggesting a Ni two-orbital minimum model. Different from the infinite-layer nickelate, we obtained a large interorbital hopping between d 3z 2 -r 2 and d x 2 -y 2 states in LNO, caused by the ligand “bridge” of in-plane O p x or p y orbitals connecting those two orbitals, inducing d-p σ-bonding characteristics. The competition between the intraorbital and interorbital hoppings leads to an interesting dominant spin stripe (π,0) order because of bond ferromagnetic tendencies via the recently discussed “half-empty” mechanism.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

Tuning the electronic structure of Ag-Pd alloys to enhance performance for alkaline oxygen reduction

Alloying is a powerful tool that can improve the electrocatalytic performance and viability of diverse electrochemical renewable energy technologies. Herein, we enhance the activity of Pd-based electrocatalysts via Ag-Pd alloying while simultaneously lowering precious metal content in a broad-range compositional study focusing on highly comparable Ag-Pd thin films synthesized systematically via electron-beam physical vapor co-deposition. Cyclic voltammetry in 0.1 M KOH shows enhancements across a wide range of alloys; even slight alloying with Ag (e.g. Ag 0.1 Pd 0.9 ) leads to intrinsic activity enhancements up to 5-fold at 0.9 V vs. RHE compared to pure Pd. Based on density functional theory and x-ray absorption, we hypothesize that these enhancements arise mainly from ligand effects that optimize adsorbate–metal binding energies with enhanced Ag-Pd hybridization. This work shows the versatility of coupled experimental-theoretical methods in designing materials with specific and tunable properties and aids the development of highly active electrocatalysts with decreased precious-metal content.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

First principles study of the electronic structure of the Ni 2 MnIn / InAs and Ti 2 MnIn / InSb interfaces

We present a first principles study of the electronic and magnetic properties of epitaxial interfaces between the Heusler compounds, Ti 2 MnIn and Ni 2 MnIn, and the III-V semiconductors, InSb and InAs, respectively. We use density functional theory (DFT) with a machine-learned Hubbard U correction determined by Bayesian optimization. Here, we evaluate these interfaces for prospective applications in Majorana-based quantum computing and spintronics. In both interfaces, states from the Heusler penetrate into the gap of the semiconductor, decaying within a few atomic layers. The magnetic interactions at the interface are weak and local in space and energy. Magnetic moments of less than 0.1 µB are induced in the two atomic layers closest to the interface. The induced spin polarization around the Fermi level of the semiconductor decays within a few atomic layers. The decisive factor for the induced spin polarization around the Fermi level of the semiconductor is the spin polarization around the Fermi level in the Heusler, rather than the overall magnetic moment. As a result, the ferrimagnetic narrow-gap semiconductor Ti 2 MnIn induces a more significant spin polarization in the InSb than the ferromagnetic metal Ni 2 MnIn induces in the InAs. This is explained by the position of the transition metal d states in the Heusler with respect to the Fermi level. Based on our results, these interfaces are unlikely to be useful for Majorana devices but could be of interest for spintronics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗