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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 469 records · Page 26
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Magnetic domain wall manipulation in (Ga,Mn)As nanostructures for spintronic applications

Ring-shaped nanostructures have been designed and fabricated by electron-beam lithography patterning and chemical etching from thin epitaxial layers of the ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga,Mn)As. The nanostructures, in a form of planar rings with a slit, were supplied with four electrical terminals and subjected to magneto-transport studies under planar weak magnetic field. Magnetoresistive effects caused by manipulation of magnetic domain walls and magnetization reversal in the nanostructures have been investigated and possible applications of the nanostructures as four-terminal spintronic devices are discussed.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Structural and optical characterization of Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanostructures: Evaluation of its dielectric properties

The structural, optical and dielectric properties of as-grown Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanostructures are demonstrated in this paper. Powder X-ray diffractometry analysis confirmed the rhombohedral structure of the material with lattice parameter, a = b = 4.953 Å; c = 13.578 Å, and average crystallize size (62.40 ± 21.3) nm. FE-SEM image illustrated the mixture of different shapes (disk, particle and rod) of as-grown nanostructures whereas; EDS spectrum confirmed the elemental purity of the material. FTIR spectroscopy, revealed the characteristic peaks of Cr–O bond stretching vibrations. Energy band gap (3.2 eV) of the nanostructures has been determined using the results of UV-VIS-NIR spectrophotometer. The dielectric properties of the material were checked in the wide frequency region (100Hz-30 MHz). In the low frequency region, the matrix of the dielectric behaves like source as well as sink of electrical energy within the relaxation time. Low value of dielectric loss exhibits that the materials posses good optical quality with lesser defects. The ac conductivity of the material in the high frequency region was found according to frequency power law. The physical-mechanism and the theoretical-interpretation of dielectric-properties of Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanostructures attest the potential candidature of the material as an efficient dielectric medium.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Enhanced out-coupling efficiency of organic light-emitting diodes using an nanostructure imprinted by an alumina nanohole array

We demonstrate organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with enhanced out-coupling efficiency containing nanostructures imprinted by an alumina nanohole array template that can be applied to large-emitting-area and flexible devices using a roll-to-roll process. The nanostructures are imprinted on a glass substrate by an ultraviolet nanoimprint process using an alumina nanohole array mold and then an OLED is fabricated on the nanostructures. The enhancement of out-coupling efficiency is proportional to the root-mean-square roughness of the nanostructures, and a maximum improvement of external electroluminescence quantum efficiency of 17% is achieved. The electroluminescence spectra of the OLEDs indicate that this improvement is caused by enhancement of the out-coupling of surface plasmon polaritons.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Enhanced anomalous photo-absorption from TiO{sub 2} nanostructures

Two dimensional nanostructures have been created on the rutile TiO{sub 2} (110) surfaces via ion irradiation technique. Enhanced anomalous photo- absorption response is displayed, where nanostructures of 15 nm diameter with 0.5 nm height, and not the smaller nanostructures with larger surface area, delineate highest absorbance. Comprehensive investigations of oxygen vacancy states, on ion- irradiated surfaces, display a remarkable result that the number of vacancies saturates for higher fluences. A competition between the number of vacancy sites on the nanostructure in conjunction with its size is responsible for the observed anomalous photo-absorption.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Optimization of the optical properties of nanostructured silicon surfaces for solar cell applications

Surface nanostructuration is an important challenge for the optimization of light trapping in solar cell. We present simulations on both the optical properties and the efficiency of micro pillars—MPs—or nanocones—NCs—silicon based solar cells together with measurements on their associated optical absorption. We address the simulation using the Finite Difference Time Domain method, well-adapted to deal with a periodic set of nanostructures. We study the effect of the period, the bottom diameter, the top diameter, and the height of the MPs or NCs on the efficiency, assuming that one absorbed photon induces one exciton. This allows us to give a kind of abacus involving all the geometrical parameters of the nanostructured surface with regard to the efficiency of the associated solar cell. We also show that for a given ratio of the diameter over the period, the best efficiency is obtained for small diameters. For small lengths, MPs are extended to NCs by changing the angle between the bottom surface and the vertical face of the MPs. The best efficiency is obtained for an angle of the order of 70°. Finally, nanostructures have been processed and allow comparing experimental results with simulations. In every case, a good agreement is found.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2014

Estimation of the internal electric field inside (11-22) semipolar GaN/Al{sub 0.5}Ga{sub 0.5}N nanostructures and the radiative efficiency at low temperature

We report on time-integrated and resolved photoluminescence data on self-assembled semipolar (11-22) GaN nanostructures embedded in Al{sub 0.5}Ga{sub 0.5}N. It is confirmed that the internal electric field is reduced for semipolar (11-22) orientation. It is shown in particular that the value of the electric field is 450–500 kV/cm for this orientation. The photoluminescence decay time of excitons is used as a probe of the reduction of the internal electric field in the case of semipolar GaN nanostructures. The measured decays are not only controlled by radiative lifetimes, which depend on the fields inside GaN nanostructures, but also on the nonradiative escape of carriers through barriers. The correspondent decay time is found equal to 330 ps. By the study of the decay time as a function of the emission energy, we can determine the evolution of the internal quantum efficiency as a function of the nanostructures height (energy) and to have access to the nonradiative lifetime at low temperature.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

The impacts of electronic state hybridization on the binding energy of single phosphorus donor electrons in extremely downscaled silicon nanostructures

We present the density functional theory calculations of the binding energy of the Phosphorus (P) donor electrons in extremely downscaled single P-doped Silicon (Si) nanorods. In past studies, the binding energy of donor electrons was evaluated for the Si nanostructures as the difference between the ionization energy for the single P-doped Si nanostructures and the electron affinity for the un-doped Si nanostructures. This definition does not take into account the strong interaction of donor electron states and Si electron states explicitly at the conductive states and results in a monotonous increase in the binding energy by reducing the nanostructure's dimensions. In this paper, we introduce a new approach to evaluate the binding energy of donor electrons by combining the projected density of states (PDOS) analysis and three-dimensional analysis of associated electron wavefunctions. This enables us to clarify a gradual change of the spatial distribution of the 3D electron wavefunctions (3DWFs) from the donor electron ground state, which is fully localized around the P donor site to the first conductive state, which spreads over the outer Si nanorods contributing to current conduction. We found that the energy of the first conductive state is capped near the top of the atomistic effective potential at the donor site with respect to the surrounding Si atoms in nanorods smaller than about 27 a{sub 0}. This results in the binding energy of approximately 1.5 eV, which is virtually independent on the nanorod's dimensions. This fact signifies a good tolerance of the binding energy, which governs the operating temperature of the single dopant-based transistors in practice. We also conducted the computationally heavy transmission calculations of the single P-doped Si nanorods connected to the source and drain electrodes. The calculated transmission spectra are discussed in comparison with the atomistic effective potential distributions and the PDOS-3DWFs method.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Fabrication of nanostructure by physical vapor deposition with glancing angle deposition technique and its applications

A nanostructural thin film is one of the highly exploiting research areas particularly in applications in sensor, photocatalytic, and solar-cell technologies. In the past two decades, the integration of glancing-angle deposition (GLAD) technique to physical vapor deposition (PVD) process has gained significant attention for well-controlled multidimensional nanomorphologies because of fast, simple, cost-effective, and mass-production capability. The performance and functional properties of the coated thin films generally depend upon their nanostructural compositions, i.e., large aspect ratio, controllable porosity, and shape. Such structural platforms make the fabricated thin films very practical for several realistic applications. We therefore present morphological and nanostructural properties of various deposited materials, which included metals, i.e., silver (Ag), and oxide compounds, i.e., tungsten oxide (WO{sub 3}), titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}), and indium tin oxide (ITO). Different PVD techniques based on DC magnetron sputtering and electron-beam evaporation, both with the integrated GLAD component, were discussed. We further explore engineered nanostructures which enable controls of optical, electrical, and mechanical properties. These improvements led to several practical applications in surface-enhanced Raman, smart windows, gas sensors, self-cleaning materials and transparent conductive oxides (TCO)

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Catalyst-free growth of Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} nanostructures by molecular beam epitaxy

We present the catalyst-free growth of binary Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} topological insulator nanostructures on c-plane sapphire substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. Dense arrays of single-crystalline nanostructures, growing along the [110] direction, are obtained for substrate temperatures ranging from ∼180 °C to 260 °C. The growth rate and shape of the nanostructures are highly temperature-dependent. The microscopic study of the nanostructures and their relationship to the underlying Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} thin film gives an insight into the growth mechanism.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Two-color beam improvement of the colloidal particle lens array assisted surface nanostructuring

We consider laser nanostructuring of the material surface by means of a colloidal particle lens array. Here, the monolayer of dielectric micro- or nanospheres placed on the surface acts as an array of near-field lenses that focus the laser radiation into the multitude of distinct spots, allowing the formation of many structures in a single stage. We show that conversion of a small part of the energy of the femtosecond beam into the second harmonic (SH) is an efficient way to increase the surface density of obtained nanostructures. By combining the fundamental frequency and the SH, one benefits both from the power of the former and from the focusing ability of the latter. This combination provides an efficient nanostructuring with sphere diameter close to the wavelength of the second harmonic. The possibility to create arrays of nanostructures with surface density above 5×10{sup 8} cm{sup −2} with femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser operating at 800 nm was demonstrated by employing 0.45 μm spheres.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Alignment of graphene oxide nanostructures between microgap electrodes via dielectrophoresis for hydrogen gas sensing applications

Graphene oxide (GO) nanostructures have been aligned between conducting electrodes via dielectrophoresis (DEP) with different electrical configurations. The arrangement of ground with respect to peak-to-peak voltage (V{sub pp}) plays a crucial role in manipulating the GO nanostructures. Grounds on both sides of the V{sub pp} electrode give an excellent linking of GO nanostructures which is explained by scanning electron microscopy and current-voltage characteristics. A finite element method simulation explains the electric field and voltage variation profile during DEP process. The optimized aligned GO nanostructures are used as hydrogen gas sensor with a sensitivity of 6.0% for 800 ppm hydrogen gas.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

LPG ammonia and nitrogen dioxide gas sensing properties of nanostructured polypyrrole thin film

Nanostructured Polypyrrole thin film was synthesized by easy and economic chemical oxidative polymerization technique on glass at room temperature. The prepared thin film of Polypyrrole was characterized by optical absorbance study by UV-visible spectroscopy and electrical study by I-V measurement system. The optical absorbance spectrum of Polypyrrole shows two fundamental peaks in region of 420 and 890 nm, which confirms the formation of Polypyrrole on glass substrate. The I-V graph of nanostructured Polypyrrole represents the Ohmic nature. Furthermore, the thin film of Polypyrrole was investigated by Scanning electron microscopy for surface morphology study. The SEM micrograph represents spherical nanostructured morphology of Polypyrrole on glass substrate. In order to investigate gas sensing properties, 100 ppm of LPG, Ammonia and Nitrogen Dioxide were injected in the gas chamber and magnitude of resistance has been recorded as a function of time in second. It was observed that nanostructured Polypyrrole thin film shows good sensing behavior at room temperature.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Facile synthesis of one dimensional ZnO nanostructures for DSSC applications

Development of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructure based third generation dye sensitized solar cell is interesting compared to conventional silicon solar cells. ZnO nanostructured thin films were electrochemically deposited onto fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrate. The effect of ethylene-diamine-tetra-acetic acid (EDTA) on structural, morphological and optical properties is investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) meter, field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and micro Raman spectroscopy. XRD patterns reveal that the prepared nanostructures are hexagonal wutrzite structures with (101) plane orientation, the nanostructure prepared using EDTA exhibits better crystallinity. FE-SEM images illustrate that the morphological changes are observed from nanorod structure to cauliflower like structure as EDTA is added. Micro Raman spectra predict that cauliflower like structure possesses a higher crystalline nature with less atomic defects compared to nanorod structures. Dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) is constructed for the optimized cauliflower structure, and open circuit voltage, short circuit density, fill factor and efficiency are estimated from the J-V curve.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Structural and spectroscopic study of mechanically synthesized SnO{sub 2} nanostructures

We report the single step synthesis of SnO{sub 2} nanostructures using high energy mechanical attrition method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern reveals the single phase rutile structure with appreciable broadening of diffraction peaks, which is a signature of nanostructure formation. The average crystallite size of SnO{sub 2} nanostructures has been calculated to be ~15 nm. The micro-Raman study reveals the shifting of A{sub 1g} Raman mode towards lower wave number, which is correlated with the nanostructure formation.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2010

Generation of nanostructures on metals by laser ablation in liquids: new results

Surface nanostructuring of titanium, nickel, molybdenum, and tungsten by ablation with pico- and femtosecond laser pulses in liquids is studied experimentally for the first time. The morphology and properties of obtained nanostructures are investigated using a field emission scanning electron microscope and Raman spectroscopy. The size of nanostructures depends on the laser pulse duration and energy density and on the target material. As a rule, the size distribution of structures is bimodal. Potential applications of such nanostructured substrates are discussed. (photonics and nanotechnology)

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2011

Surface nanostructuring of Ni/Cu foils by femtosecond laser pulses

This work examines the effect of high-power femtosecond laser pulses on Ni/Cu bilayer foils produced by electrodeposition. We consider nanostructures formed at different laser beam parameters and under different ambient conditions. The surface nanostructures obtained in air and water have mostly the form of quasi-periodic ripples with a characteristic period of 400 - 450 and 370 - 390 nm, respectively, at a laser wavelength of 744 nm, whereas the nanostructures produced in ethanol and benzine have the form of spikes, typically spaced 400 - 700 nm apart. Femtosecond laser nanostructuring of metals is for the first time proposed, and experimentally tested, as a viable approach to producing anti-reflective coatings on the surface of polymer replicas. (laser nanotechnologies)

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2012

Au-coated ZnO nanostructures for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy applications

Thin ZnO nanostructured films were produced by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) studies. The experimental conditions used for preparation of the samples were chosen to obtain different types of ZnO nanostructures. The Raman spectra of rhodamine 6G (R6G) were measured at an excitation wavelength of 785 nm after coating the ZnO nanostructures with a thin Au layer. The influence of the surface morphology on the Raman signal obtained from the samples was investigated. High SERS signal enhancement was observed from all Au-coated ZnO nanostructures.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2010

INTERSTELLAR ANALOGS FROM DEFECTIVE CARBON NANOSTRUCTURES ACCOUNT FOR INTERSTELLAR EXTINCTION

Because interstellar dust is closely related to the evolution of matter in the galactic environment and many other astrophysical phenomena, the laboratory synthesis of interstellar dust analogs has received significant attention over the past decade. To simulate the ultraviolet (UV) interstellar extinction feature at 217.5 nm originating from carbonaceous interstellar dust, many reports focused on the UV absorption properties of laboratory-synthesized interstellar dust analogs. However, no general relation has been established between UV interstellar extinction and artificial interstellar dust analogs. Here, we show that defective carbon nanostructures prepared by high-energy collisions exhibit a UV absorption feature at 220 nm which we suggest accounts for the UV interstellar extinction at 217.5 nm. The morphology of some carbon nanostructures is similar to that of nanocarbons discovered in the Allende meteorite. The similarity between the absorption feature of the defective carbon nanostructures and UV interstellar extinction indicates a strong correlation between the defective carbon nanostructures and interstellar dust.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗