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At least 523 records · Page 29

A parallel discrete dislocation dynamics/kinetic Monte Carlo method to study non-conservative plastic processes

Non-conservative processes play a fundamental role in plasticity and are behind important macroscopic phenomena such as creep, dynamic strain aging, loop raft formation, etc. In the most general case, vacancy-induced dislocation climb is the operating unit mechanism. While dislocation/vacancy interactions have been modeled in the literature using a variety of methods, the approaches developed rely on continuum descriptions of both the vacancy population and its fluxes. However, there are numerous situations in physics where point defect populations display heterogeneous concentrations and/or non-smooth kinetics. Here, a kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) approach for modeling vacancy transport in response to arbitrary stress fields is used. Vacancies are treated as point particles and are coupled to the dislocation substructure representing a deformed material via an advection term defined by the local stress gradients. The stress fields and the dislocation substructure are evolved using a discrete dislocation dynamics (DDD) module. To extend the coupled model to the treatment of large systems, we have implemented it in the massively-parallel DDD code ParaDiS. To avoid numerical incompatibilities associated with merging deterministic (DDD) and stochastic (kMC) integration algorithms, we cast the entire elasto-plastic-diffusive problem within a single stochastic framework, taking advantage of a parallel kMC algorithm to evolve the system as a single event-driven process. The large-scale implementation enables the study of the evolution of a variety of dislocation-defect scenarios governed by non-conservative transport kinetics. After carrying out an exhaustive numerical and computational analysis of our parallel algorithm, we show results that emphasize situations where inhomogeneous vacancy dynamics are of relevance, and compare discrete kinetics to continuum solutions for several cases.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

JPL lithium doped solar cell development program

One of the most significant problems encountered in the use of silicon solar cells in space is the sensitivity of the device to electron and proton radiation exposure. The p-diffused-into-n-base solar cells were replaced with the more radiation tolerant n-diffused-into-p-base solar cells. Another advancement in achieving greater radiation tolerance was the discovery that the addition of lithium to n-base silicon resulted in what appeared to be annealing of radiation-induced defects. This phenomenon is being exploited to develop a high efficiency radiation resistant lithium-doped solar cell. Lithium-doped solar cells fabricated from oxygen-lean and oxygen-rich silicon were obtained with average initial efficiencies of 11.9% at air mass zero and 28 C, as compared to state-of-the-art n-p cells fabricated from 10 ohm cm silicon with average efficiencies of 11.3% under similar conditions. Lithium-doped cells demonstrated the ability to withstand three to five times the fluence of 1-MeV electrons before degrading to a power equivalent to state-of-the-art solar cells. The principal investigations are discussed with respect to fabrication of high efficiency radiation resistant lithium-doped cells, including starting material, p-n junction diffusion, lithium source introduction, and lithium diffusion.

Berman, P. A.↗

Coupled Gel/Seeded Growth of Cs2AgBiBr6 Single Crystals for Radiation Detection

Abstract— The all-inorganic lead free Cs2AgBiBr6 perovskite represents a highly promising environment-friendly radiation detector material. The first attempt to grow Cs2AgBiBr6 single crystals using the unique gel growth method is reported in this study. This technique enables controlled reagent diffusion in a gel medium at room temperature, fostering the growth of visible single crystals. It offers advantages over conventional methods, leading to fewer equilibrium and non-equilibrium defects and simplified execution. Interestingly, the as-grown crystals exhibited variations in size and colors within the gel matrix, indicating the influence of Bi solutes in Bi-poor and Bi-rich Cs2AgBiBr6 crystals. Once the crystals were confirmed by powder xray diffraction, a series of comprehensive material characterizations was performed. The resistivity of Cs2AgBiBr6 single crystals was measured at 1.12x107 Ω•cm. Trap density analysis yielded a value of 2.82 x1010 cm-3. The charge carrier mobility was determined to be 32.9 cm2V-1S-1, suggesting the suitability for radiation detector applications. Additional growth optimization is going on and further characterization will be reported during the presentation. Our work helps accelerate the development of lead-free perovskite materials toward radiation detector applications.

James, Ralph B.↗

Hydrogen defects in LaBi 2 O 4 X (X = Cl, Br, and I) Sillén oxyhalide phases and their impacts on ionic transport

Sillén oxyhalides have recently emerged as promising materials for both photocatalytic and ionic transport applications, yet the role of likely-ubiquitous hydrogen-related defects in these layered compounds remains largely unexplored. Here, we employ first-principles defect calculations to investigate incorporation energetics for hydrogen- and oxygen-related defects, as well as their migration barriers in LaBi 2 O 4 X (X = Cl, Br, I) phases. We find that hydrogen interstitials, particularly protonic species (H i + ), are readily accommodated within the open Bi–O layers. Protons compete with oxygen vacancy donors (V O 2+ ) and charge-compensate with oxygen interstitial acceptors (O i 2− ). By linking hydrogen defect formation to water- and oxygen-related redox equilibria, we reveal that V O 2+ facilitates H i + incorporation, while O i 2− promotes interstitial hydroxide formation, establishing a direct connection between proton and oxide-ion transport. Calculated migration barriers indicate that ionic diffusion is confined to Bi–O layers with low barriers of 0.20–0.25 eV for H i + and 0.14–0.25 eV for V O 2+ , suggesting that the materials contain intrinsic pathways for mixed ionic conduction. These results provide a microscopic picture of hydrogen behavior in Sillén oxyhalides and point to design strategies for integrating protonic and oxide-ion transport in layered oxyhalide electrolytes. Band-edge alignment analysis shows that LaBi 2 O 4 I provides the optimal combination of hydrogen solubility, oxygen defect stability, and mixed ionic conductivity, highlighting its potential for low-temperature electrochemical and energy-conversion applications. Overall, this work establishes the defect-driven origin of hydrogen transport in Sillén oxyhalides and expands their applicability beyond photocatalysis to mixed ionic conduction and hydrogen electrochemistry.

Energy - Conversion↗

Defect characterization and charge transport measurements in high-resolution Ni/n-4H-SiC Schottky barrier radiation detectors fabricated on 250 μ m epitaxial layers

Advances in the growth processes of 4H-SiC epitaxial layers have led to the continued expansion of epilayer thickness, allowing for the detection of more penetrative radioactive particles. In this work, we report the fabrication and characterization of high-resolution Schottky barrier radiation detectors on 250 μm thick n-type 4H-SiC epitaxial layers, the highest reported thickness to date. Several 8 × 8 mm 2 detectors were fabricated from a diced 100 mm diameter 4H-SiC epitaxial wafer grown on a conductive 4H-SiC substrate with a mean micropipe density of 0.11 cm -2 From the Mott–Schottky plots, the effective doping concentration was found to be in the range (0.95–1.85) × 10 14 cm -3 , implying that full depletion could be achieved at ~5.7 kV (0.5 MV/cm at the interface). The current-voltage characteristics demonstrated consistently low leakage current densities of 1–3 nA/cm 2 at a reverse bias of -800 V. This resulted in the pulse-height spectra generated using a 241Am alpha source (5486 keV) manifesting an energy resolution of less than 0.5% full width at half maximum (FWHM) for all the detectors at -200 V. The charge collection efficiencies (CCEs) were measured to be 98–99% with no discernable correlation to the energy resolution. A drift-diffusion model fit to the variation of CCE as a function of bias voltage, revealed a minority carrier diffusion length of ~10 μm. Deep level transient spectroscopy measurements on the best resolution detector revealed that the excellent performance was the result of having ultralow concentrations of the order of 1011 cm-3 lifetime limiting defects—Z 1/2 and EH 6/7 .

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Synergetic Effect of Aluminum Oxide and Organic Halide Salts on Two‐Dimensional Perovskite Layer Formation and Stability Enhancement of Perovskite Solar Cells

Long-chain organic halide salts are widely used in perovskite-based optoelectronic devices for surface passivation owing to their capability to interact with the surface defects of perovskites. Here, aluminum oxide (AlO x ) is introduced via atomic layer deposition onto octylammonium iodide (OAI) to exploit the benefits of organic halide salts without generating undesired defects. The devices incorporating AlO x on OAI-treated perovskite (OAI/AlO x ) show enhancement in both device performance and photo-stability compared to those with only treatment. A diffusion of aluminum from AlO x into the perovskite through surface characterization contributes to a uniform photo-generated carrier transport in both the surface and the bulk of the perovskite absorber. In addition, it is revealed that light-induced two-dimensional perovskite formation on OAI/AlO x . This may be ascribed to preventing the loss of OA cations due to the presence of AlO x , leading to a decrease in the number of iodine anions which suppresses the light-induced degradation of corresponding devices. Consequently, the devices show over 24% efficiency and retain their efficiency over 1000 hours under continuous light illumination.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Hole Polaron Transport in Bismuth Vanadate BiVO 4 from Hybrid Density Functional Theory

In this paper, we address the chemical character and the mobility of hole polarons in BiVO 4 (BVO). Two distinct structures for hole polarons in BVO have been reported in the literature to date. “Standard” hybrid density functional theory (DFT) calculations have predicted hole polarons to be (BiO 8 ) dodecahedron-centered polarons, while Hubbard U-DFT (DFT + U) calculations have predicted single oxygen atom-centered polarons. Resolving these contrasting findings is critical to validate theory in materials research. We investigated the structure of hole polarons in BVO using hybrid DFT with varying fractions (α) of the exact exchange interaction that enters hybrid functionals. For values of the fraction α, from α = 0.25 to α = 0.45, we obtained both structures, the h + (BiO 8 ) hole structure and the h + (O) hole structure. For the smaller values of α, the h + (BiO 8 ) structure is lower in energy, while for the larger values of α, the h+(O) structure is more stable. The piece-wise linearity of DFT energies E(q) with respect to a point defect charge q is maintained satisfactorily in all cases, although the deviation is the smallest for hybrid DFT with a small exact exchange fraction. For α = 0.25, we determined the diffusivity of h + (BiO 8 ) holes from the Marcus/Holstein two-state model. The activation barrier for Bi-to-Bi hops (ΔG # ~76 meV) and mobility (μ ~0.029 cm2 V –1 s –1 ) are found to be in close agreement with the published THz experimental data (ΔG # ~90 meV and μ exp ~0.02 cm2 V –1 s –1 , respectively). In h + (BiO 8 ) structures, nearly 25% of the hole charge and unpaired spin reside on the Bi atom and the rest is divided among the eight O atoms. The hole is best described as a Bi-centered hole, rather than a Bi 6s hole. In contrast, in h + (O) structures, about 75% of the unpaired spin population resides on the O atom. These findings suggest that if one wishes to resolve this theoretical dichotomy, there remains a need for further experimental characterization of hole polarons in BVO with techniques that could identify the oxidation state of Bi and O atoms in operando conditions and help validate theoretical results of structure and transport.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Understanding the Effect of Lead Iodide Excess on the Performance of Methylammonium Lead Iodide Perovskite Solar Cells

The presence of unreacted lead iodide in organic-inorganic lead halide perovskite solar cells is widely correlated with an increase in power conversion efficiency. We investigate the mechanism for this increase by identifying the role of surfaces and interfaces present between methylammonium lead iodide perovskite films and excess lead iodide. We show how type I and II band alignments arising under different conditions result in either passivation of surface defects or hole injection. Through first-principles simulations of solid-solid interfaces, we find that lead iodide captures holes from methylammonium lead iodide and modulates the formation of defects in the perovskite, affecting recombination. Using surface-sensitive optical spectroscopy techniques, such as transient reflectance and time-resolved photoluminescence, we show how excess lead iodide affects the diffusion and surface recombination velocity of charge carriers in methylammonium lead iodide films. Our coupled experimental and theoretical results elucidate the role of excess lead iodide in perovskite solar cells.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Electropolishing-induced topographic defects in niobium: insights and implications for superconducting radio frequency applications

Electropolishing (EP) is the premier surface preparation method for high-Q, high-gradient superconducting RF cavities made of Nb. This leaves behind an apparently smooth surface, yet the achievable peak magnetic fields fall well below the superheating field of Nb, in most cases. Here, in this work, the ultimate surface finish of EP was investigated by studying its effect on highly polished Nb samples. EP introduces high slope angle sloped-steps at grain boundaries. The magnetic field enhancement and superheating field suppression factors associated with such a geometry are calculated in the London theory. Despite the by-eye smoothness of electropolished Nb, such defects compromise the stability of the low-loss Meissner state, likely limiting the achievable peak accelerating fields in superconducting RF cavities. Finally, the impact of surface roughness on impurity diffusion is investigated which can link surface roughness to the effectiveness of heat treatments like low-temperature baking or nitrogen infusion in the vortex nucleation or hydride hypotheses. Surface roughness tends to decrease the effective dose of impurities as a result of the expansion of impurities into regions with greater internal angle. The effective dose of impurities can be protected by minimizing slope angles and step heights, ensuring uniformity.

Hryhorenko, Oleksandr [Thomas Jefferson National A↗

Reversible to irreversible transitions for ac driven skyrmions on periodic substrates

Abstract Using atomistic simulations, we investigate the dynamical behavior of magnetic skyrmions in dimer and trimer molecular crystal arrangements, as well as bipartite lattices at 3/2 and 5/2 fillings, under ac driving over a square array of anisotropy defects. For low ac amplitudes, at all fillings reversible motion appears in which the skyrmions return to their original positions at the end of each ac drive cycle and the diffusion is zero. We also identify two distinct irreversible regimes. The first is a translating regime in which the skyrmions form channels of flow in opposing directions and translate by one substrate lattice constant per ac drive cycle. The translating state appears in the dimer and trimer arrangements, and produces pronounced peaks in the diffusivity in the direction perpendicular to the external drive. For larger ac amplitudes, we find chaotic irreversible motion in which the skyrmions can randomly exchange places with each other over time, producing long-time diffusive behavior both parallel and perpendicular to the ac driving direction.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A New Low-Temperature Approach for Efficient and Low-Cost Group V Doping in CdTe Thin Film Solar Cells (Final Technical Report)

The goal of this project is to develop a highly efficient low-temperature ex-situ Group V diffusion doping approach in the CdCl 2 treated polycrystalline CdTe film using the group V chlorides (i.e., PCl 3 , AsCl 3 , SbCl 3 , and BiCl 3 ) as dopants source. For the first time, our innovative doping strategies through the low-temperature ex-situ Group V doping process in polycrystalline CdSeTe successfully demonstrated a promising power conversion efficiency of ~19% compared to the Cu-doped counterparts. Our newly developed low-temperature ex-situ group V doping allows dedicated control of group V diffusion amount, generates a desirable depth profile, and is completely compatible with commercial CdTe module manufacturing. We built the partnership with the largest CdTe solar module manufacturing in the US, e.g., First Solar, Inc to further develop these low-temperature diffusion doped CdSeTe solar cells. Our technology was granted US Patent No. US11257977B2. In this project, we systematically investigate and characterize the new ex-situ group V doping mechanisms, defect chemistry, microstructure, and device physics in CdTe solar cells by combining experimental and theoretical means to pave the way to achieve lower cost toward $\$$0.02/kWh and higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) toward 25% in polycrystalline CdTe solar technology. This project will benefit the public by providing more affordable solar electricity and provide an effective way to address climate change.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Electropolishing-induced topographic defects in niobium: Insights and Implications for SRF

Electropolishing (EP) is the premier surface preparation method for high-Q, high-gradient superconducting RF cavities made of Nb. This leaves behind an apparently smooth surface, yet the achievable peak magnetic fields fall well below the superheating field of Nb, in most cases. In this work, the ultimate surface finish of EP was investigated by studying its effect on highly polished Nb samples. EP introduces high slope angle sloped-steps at grain boundaries. The magnetic field enhancement and superheating field suppression factors associated with such a geometry are calculated in the London theory. Despite the by-eye smoothness of electropolished Nb, such defects compromise the stability of the low-loss Meissner state, likely limiting the achievable peak accelerating fields in superconducting RF cavities. Finally, the impact of surface roughness on impurity diffusion is investigated which can link surface roughness to the effectiveness of heat treatments like low-temperature baking or nitrogen infusion in the vortex nucleation or hydride hypotheses. Surface roughness tends to decrease the effective dose of impurities as a result of the expansion of impurities into regions with greater internal angle. The effective dose of impurities can be protected by minimizing slope angles and step heights, ensuring uniformity.

Lechner, Eric [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerat↗

Combined environmental effects on polymers

A series of space simulation tests on FEP Teflon and other polymeric thermal control coatings was conducted using UV, electrons, protons and Lyman-alpha wavelength vacuum UV radiation. Interest was centered on simulating synchronous altitude radiation environment conditions. Physical changes in materials included loss of specularity and introduction of a high density of photographable tracking defects on a microscopic scale. An example shows the discharge of trapped electrons when dielectric strength is exceeded. This leaves a portion of the Teflon volume no longer clear, but diffusely transmitting and reflecting. Thermophysical changes included degradation of solar absorptance coefficients as much as five-fold. The situation that prevails for earth orbit contrasted with polymer performance in the solar wind. It is suggested that conductive overcoatings be developed for polymers and other flexible materials, comparable or superior to those available for fused silica SSMs.

Fogdall, L. B.↗

Tritium adsorption and absorption on (100) and (001) surfaces of pure and tin defective zirconium

Zirconium alloys such as zircaloy-4 are used as tritium (T) getter materials in tritium-producing burnable absorber rods (TPBARs) due to their ability to capture T, thereby forming metal hydrides. Developing an understanding of T adsorption onto zircaloy prior to diffusion into the subsurface is relevant for rational tritium getter and TPBAR design, to improve material properties for nuclear applications. Herein, density functional theory calculations revealed the preferred binding sites for T adsorption on Zr(001) and Zr(100). The energy barriers of T transfer, along the surface and from the surface to the subsurface were computed. The adsorption properties of Zr(001) were found to be superior to those of Zr(100). Surface tin impurities were found to strongly repel T. The presence of subsurface and surface tin resulted in higher absorption energy barriers for both the forward and reverse processes. Based on the calculated energy barriers, a surface to surface T diffusion coefficient of 9.53 × 10 -10 m 2 s -1 is expected for pristine Zr(001). Finally, a surface to subsurface T diffusion coefficient on the order of 10 -13 m 2 s -1 is predicted in pristine Zr, decreasing to 10 -19 m 2 s -1 for the transfer with a subsurface tin impurity.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Ce- and Ni-Codoped Double PrBaMn 2 O 5 Perovskite as a Ceramic SOFC Anode

This study explores the efficacy of cerium introduction, both on its own and in combination with nickel, into PrBaMn 2 O 5+δ (PBM) structures to enhance solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) anodes. We synthesized Pr 1–x Ce x BaMn 2 O 5+δ compositions for x values of 0.05 (PrCe5) and 0.1 (PrCe10), as well as a nickel-doped variant (PrCe5Ni), assessing their performance under H 2 – 3% H 2 O reducing conditions pertinent to SOFC anode operations. Our findings reveal that the PrCe5 composition exhibits a thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) that not only improves upon that of the Ce-free counterpart but also aligns closely with the TEC standards of prevalent SOFC electrolytes. A notable advancement was achieved with the application of a 3.5 μm gadoliniadoped ceria (GDC) buffer layer through physical vapor deposition, effectively mitigating chemical interactions between PBM-based anodes and yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolytes, a concern highlighted by in situ neutron diffraction analyses. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, conducted over 220 h in a H 2 –3% H 2 O atmosphere at 750 °C, demonstrated that the optimal 3.5 μm thickness of the GDC buffer layer significantly minimizes the area-specific resistance (ASR) degradation rate to 0.002 Ω cm 2 /h, markedly outperforming both thinner (1 μm) and thicker (8 μm) GDC layers, which showed higher degradation rates of 0.15–0.2 Ω cm 2 /h due to the diffusion of Ba ions or delamination. Moreover, cerium doping fosters superior microstructural stability and obviates barium diffusion, thereby suggesting an enhanced durability of the doped anodes over their lifespan. Integrating nickel into the PrCe5 structure halved the ASR to 0.5 Ω cm 2 at 750 °C, situating it well within the ideal performance range for SOFC anodes. Furthermore, the enhancement brought about by simultaneously doping PBM with cerium and nickel, which fundamentally relies on the critical contributions of defect chemistry and crystal structure, highlights the significance of these fields in creating sophisticated materials for energy related applications.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Long-Term 13 C Uptake by 12 C-Enriched Calcite

Knowledge of the exchange of carbon isotopes between dissolved inorganic carbon and calcite minerals is of long-standing importance for the interpretation of sedimentary paleoclimate records and 14 C transport in the geosphere. To assess the mechanism and rates of carbon isotope exchange, we equilibrated 12 C-pure synthetic calcite particles in water, first in a glovebox and then in contact with atmospheric P CO 2 and 13 C/ 12 C ratio, at two different temperatures. Cavity ring-down infrared spectroscopy δ 13 C measurements of the solid revealed sustained 13C incorporation for over a period of 500 days (21 °C) and 125 days (50 °C). We developed a quantitative model for recrystallization and isotope exchange, assuming that the interfacial free energy provides a thermodynamic driving force for the growth of larger particles at the expense of smaller ones. Furthermore, this Ostwald ripening model did not reproduce the kinetics of 13C uptake and required greater coarsening than observed. Rather, the data were best explained by a mechanism involving surface exchange and solid-phase diffusion of 13C into the particles with an inferred effective diffusion constant at 21 °C of about 10 –25 m 2 /s. Although this work cannot rule out the possibility that structural or chemical aspects of the synthetic particles enabled faster 13 C uptake than could be observed in natural systems, this study adds to the body of the recent work, suggesting that fast exchange processes are possible, likely through grain boundaries and other defects.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Bayesian SegNet for Semantic Segmentation with Improved Interpretation of Microstructural Evolution During Irradiation of Materials

Understanding the relationship between the evolution of microstructures of irradiated LiAlO2pellets and tritium diffusion, retention and release could improve predictions of tritium performance. Given expert-labeled segmented images of irradiated and unirradiated pellets, we trained Deep Convolutional Neural Networks to segment images into defect, grain, and boundary classes. Qualitative microstructural information was calculated from these segmented images to facilitate the comparison of unirradiated and irradiated pellets. We tested modifications to improve the sensitivity of the model, including incorporating meta-data into the model and utilizing uncertainty quantification. The predicted segmentation was similar to the expert-labeled segmentation for most methods of microstructural qualification, including pixel proportion, defect area, and defect density. Overall, the high performance metrics for the best models for both irradiated and unirradiated images shows that utilizing neural network models is a viable alternative to expert-labeled images.

Oostrom, Marjolein T.↗

Anomalous interfacial dynamics of single proton charges in binary aqueous solutions

Our understanding of the dynamics of charge transfer between solid surfaces and liquid electrolytes has been hampered by the difficulties in obtaining interface, charge, and solvent-specific information at both high spatial and temporal resolution. Here, we measure at the single charge scale the dynamics of protons at the interface between an hBN crystal and binary mixtures of water and organic amphiphilic solvents (alcohols and acetone), evidencing a marked influence of solvation on interfacial dynamics. Applying single-molecule localization microscopy to emissive crystal defects, we observe correlated activation between adjacent ionizable surface defects, mediated by the transport of single excess protons along the solid/liquid interface. Solvent content has a nontrivial effect on interfacial dynamics, leading at intermediate water fraction to an increased surface diffusivity, as well as an increased affinity of the proton charges to the solid surface. Our measurements evidence the notable role of solvation on interfacial proton charge transport.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗