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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 577 records · Page 32
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

The effect of Cu-Zn disorder on charge carrier mobility and lifetime in Cu2ZnSnSe4

Cu-Zn disorder is one possible origin for the limited efficiencies of kesterite solar cells and its impact on the band gap and band tails have been intensively studied. However, the effect on charge transport and recombination, which are key properties for solar cells, has not been investigated so far. Therefore, we probe the impact of the Cu-Zn order on charge carrier mobility and lifetime. To this end, we change the Cu-Zn order of a co-evaporated Cu2ZnSnSe4 thin film by sequential annealing and probe the impact by time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy. Aside from of the well-known band gap shift, we find no significant change in mobility and lifetime with Cu-Zn order. This finding indicates that Cu-Zn disorder is not limiting efficiencies of kesterite solar cells at their current status by means of charge carrier recombination and transport.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Rashba Spin–Orbit Coupling Enhanced Carrier Lifetime in CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3

Organometal halide perovskites are promising solar-cell materials for next-generation photovoltaic applications. The long carrier lifetime and diffusion length of these materials make them very attractive for use in light absorbers and carrier transporters. While these aspects of organometal halide perovskites have attracted the most attention, the consequences of the Rashba effect, driven by strong spin-orbit coupling, on the photovoltaic properties of these materials are largely unexplored. In this work, taking the electronic structure of CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 (methylammonium lead iodide) as an example, we propose an intrinsic mechanism for enhanced carrier lifetime in three-dimensional (3D) Rashba materials. On the basis of first-principles calculations and a Rashba spin-orbit model, we demonstrate that the recombination rate is reduced due to the spin-forbidden transition. These results are important for understanding the fundamental physics of organometal halide perovskites and for optimizing and designing the materials with better performance. The proposed mechanism including spin degrees of freedom offers a new paradigm of using 3D Rashba materials for photovoltaic applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Harnessing the Spin-Flip Radiative Lifetimes of Optically Addressable Molecular Qubits

Optically addressable molecular qubits based on spin-flip (SF) emissive transitions are promising candidates for quantum technologies due to their sharp luminescence lines and tunable optical-spin interfaces. Yet, the microscopic mechanisms controlling the spin-flip radiative lifetime of SF emitters, a key property for efficient spin readout, remain largely unexplored. Here, we present a computational study of several Cr 4+ and Mo 4+ pseudotetrahedral molecular qubits, and we identify chemical and structural features that influence the transition dipole moment associated with the SF emission, which, in turn, governs the SF radiative lifetime. We find that the magnitude of the dipole moment is governed by the multireference character of the spin-flip excited-state wave function, which can be modulated by tuning the energy separation between the d orbitals of the metal and the spin-pairing energy. Both parameters are sensitive to molecular symmetry, metal–ligand bond covalency, and bond anisotropy and leave room for modulation via ligand and metal design, as well as applied strain, which is relevant for sensing applications. Our findings provide a mechanistic framework for understanding and tuning the spin-flip radiative behavior of molecular qubits and SF emitters that may guide future advances in quantum information science.

molecular qubits↗
DOE OSTI2012

Constraining cloud lifetime effects of aerosols using A-Train satellite observations

Aerosol indirect effects have remained the largest uncertainty in estimates of the radiative forcing of past and future climate change. Observational constraints on cloud lifetime effects are particularly challenging since it is difficult to separate aerosol effects from meteorological influences. Here we use three global climate models, including a multi-scale aerosol-climate model PNNL-MMF, to show that the dependence of the probability of precipitation on aerosol loading, termed the precipitation frequency susceptibility (S{sub pop}), is a good measure of the liquid water path response to aerosol perturbation ({lambda}), as both Spop and {lambda} strongly depend on the magnitude of autoconversion, a model representation of precipitation formation via collisions among cloud droplets. This provides a method to use satellite observations to constrain cloud lifetime effects in global climate models. S{sub pop} in marine clouds estimated from CloudSat, MODIS and AMSR-E observations is substantially lower than that from global climate models and suggests a liquid water path increase of less than 5% from doubled cloud condensation nuclei concentrations. This implies a substantially smaller impact on shortwave cloud radiative forcing (SWCF) over ocean due to aerosol indirect effects than simulated by current global climate models (a reduction by one-third for one of the conventional aerosol-climate models). Further work is needed to quantify the uncertainties in satellite-derived estimates of S{sub pop} and to examine S{sub pop} in high-resolution models.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

Measurement of carrier lifetime in micron-scaled materials using resonant microwave circuits

The measurement of minority carrier lifetimes is vital to determining the material quality and operational bandwidth of a broad range of optoelectronic devices. Typically, these measurements are made by recording the temporal decay of a carrier-concentration-dependent material property following pulsed optical excitation. Such approaches require some combination of efficient emission from the material under test, specialized collection optics, large sample areas, spatially uniform excitation, and/or the fabrication of ohmic contacts, depending on the technique used. In contrast, here we introduce a technique that provides electrical readout of minority carrier lifetimes using a passive microwave resonator circuit. We demonstrate >10 5 improvement in sensitivity, compared with traditional photoemission decay experiments and the ability to measure carrier dynamics in micron-scale volumes, much smaller than is possible with other techniques. The approach presented is applicable to a wide range of 2D, micro-, or nano-scaled materials, as well as weak emitters or non-radiative materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

DPUNS--A Differential-Plunger For Lifetime Measurements Of Tagged Exotic/Unbound Nuclear States

This contribution focused on research to measure the lifetimes of unbound nuclear states using a differential-plunger technique combined with recoil-proton decay tagging. The results of the first lifetime measurements of unbound states in the spherical proton emitter, {sup 109}I, were discussed along with the limits to the technique. In order to proceed further, a new differential-plunger device, DPUNS, has been designed and is currently being built at the University of Manchester. DPUNS has been optimised to work with the GREAT/RITU/TDR setup at the University of Jyvaeskylae and the status of the new device is discussed.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Picosecond carrier lifetimes in dilute GaInNAs grown on InP substrate

We study the carrier relaxation dynamics in Ga{sub 1-y}In{sub y} N{sub 0.03}As{sub 0.97} layers grown on InP substrate by molecular beam epitaxy. This dilute nitride semiconductor is a potential candidate for ultrafast components such as photoconductive terahertz devices driven at 1.55 {mu}m wavelength. Carrier lifetimes are measured by pump-probe experiments at 1550 nm wavelength and the shortest carrier lifetime is 2.6 ps under photoexcitation with {approx}4.2 {mu}J/cm{sup 2}. We observe two contributions in the differential transmittance decay. These contributions are discussed in terms of photocarrier recombination processes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

K-shell Auger lifetime variation in doubly ionized Ne and first row hydrides

We consider 1s Auger decay in doubly (core-core and core-valence) ionized Ne and in the isoelectronic first row element hydrides. We show theoretically that the presence of the spectator inner valence vacancy leads to Auger lifetime variation of up to about a factor of 2, relative to the Auger lifetimes in the singly ionized species. The origin of this effect is traced to spin selection rules. Implications on the modelling of the radiation damage in strong x-ray fields are discussed.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2011

Lifetime Measurements of Tagged Exotic- and Unbound Nuclear States

A new Differential Plunger device for measuring pico-second lifetimes of Unbound Nuclear States (DPUNS) is being built at The University of Manchester. DPUNS has been designed to work with alpha-, beta- and isomer-tagging methods using the existing JUROGAM II--RITU--GREAT infrastructure at the University of Jyvaskyla, Finland. The importance of proton emission from nuclei is that it provides valuable nuclear-structure information as direct input to nuclear models beyond the drip line. New experimental data beyond the drip line can provide new extensions to these models especially with the possible coupling of weakly bound and unbound states to the continuum. The results of the first experiments to measure lifetimes of unbound nuclear states with this method was discussed along with possible future experiments which can be addressed with DPUNS using proton-, isomer- and alpha-tagging.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Lifetime measurement in the proton-unbound nucleus {sup 109}I

The Recoil-Distance Doppler-shift method has been combined with Recoil-Decay Tagging for the first time to measure a lifetime in the proton-unbound nucleus {sup 109}I. The lifetime value was determined using the Differential Decay-Curve method in singles mode. The result has been compared to theoretical shell-model calculations in order to better understand the nature of unbound valence nucleons at the proton drip line.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

A new differential plunger to measure lifetimes of unbound states in tagged exotic nuclei

A new differential plunger is being designed and built at the University of Manchester to measure lifetimes of unbound states in exotic nuclei approaching the proton drip-line. The device is designed to work in both vacuum and gas environments and will primarily be used in conjunction with the gas filled separator RITU at the University of Jyvaeskylae, Finland. This will enable the accurate measurement of excited state lifetimes identified via isomer and charged-particle tagging. The plunger will be used to address many key facets of nuclear structure physics with particular emphasis on the effect of deformation on proton emission rates.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Lifetime measurements in an electrostatic ion beam trap using image charge monitoring

A technique for mass-selective lifetime measurements of keV ions in a linear electrostatic ion beam trap is presented. The technique is based on bunching the ions using a weak RF potential and non-destructive ion detection by a pick-up electrode. This method has no mass-limitation, possesses the advantage of inherent mass-selectivity, and offers a possibility of measuring simultaneously the lifetimes of different ion species with no need for prior mass-selection.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Analysis of the radiative lifetime of Pr{sup 3+} d-f emission

The radiative lifetime of excited states is governed by Fermi's Golden Rule. For many applications, the radiative decay rate is an important parameter. For example, for scintillators materials in PET scanners, a short response time is crucial and it has been realized that the d-f emission of Pr{sup 3+} is faster than for the widely applied d-f emission from Ce{sup 3+}. In this paper, the radiative decay rate of d-f emission from Pr{sup 3+} is systematically investigated in a wide variety of host lattices, including scintillators materials. The variation in the decay rate is analyzed based on Fermi's Golden Rule. The trend observed is best described using a full cavity model to correct for local-field effects and a {lambda}{sup 3} factor to account for the energy of the transition. Still, there is a considerable scatter of the experimental data around the best fit to these data. The variation is explained by uncertainties in the refractive indices and a variation in the transition dipole moment of the d-f transition for Pr{sup 3+}. Based on the results, the shortest radiative lifetime that can be achieved for Pr{sup 3+} d-f emission is predicted to be {approx}6 ns.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Determination of electron and hole lifetimes of rutile and anatase TiO{sub 2} single crystals

The dynamical behavior of photoexcited states of TiO{sub 2} governs the activities of TiO{sub 2}-based solar cells and photocatalysts. We determined the lifetimes of photoexcited electrons and holes in rutile and anatase TiO{sub 2} single crystals by combining advantages of time-resolved photoluminescence, photoconductance, and transient absorption spectroscopy. Electrons and holes in rutile show exponential decays with the lifetime of a few tens of nanoseconds, while non-exponential decays are observed in anatase, indicating the presence of multiple carrier trapping processes. We revealed the generic features of the carrier recombination processes in rutile and anatase TiO{sub 2}.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2012

Nuclear matrix elements from direct lifetime or cross-section measurements

The method of simultaneous lifetime and g factor measurements using a plunger device and the RDDS and TDRIV techniques is introduced. Results on lifetimes and hyperfine-interaction parameters for 2{sup +}{sub 1} states in {sup 104-108}Pd, {sup 96,98,104}Ru, and {sup 92,94}Zr, using a plunger device. Another method to obtain electromagnetic matrix elements is direct cross section measurements using NRF. The method is outlined, and some recent results on {sup 76}Se are shown.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Correlated evolution of barrier capacitance charging, generation, and drift currents and of carrier lifetime in Si structures during 25 MeV neutrons irradiation

The in situ examination of barrier capacitance charging, of generation and drift currents, and of carrier lifetime in Si structures during 25 MeV neutrons irradiation has been implemented to correlate radiation induced changes in carrier recombination, thermal release, and drift characteristics and to clarify their impact on detector performance. It has been shown that microwave probed photo-conductivity technique implemented in contact-less and distant manner can be a powerful tool for examination in wide dynamic range of carrier lifetime modified by radiation defects and for rather precise prediction of detector performance.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Shockley-Read-Hall lifetimes in CdTe

A combination of first principles electronic structure calculations, Green's function method, and empirical tight-binding Hamiltonian method is used to evaluate the minority carrier lifetimes of CdTe due to recombination via native point defects in CdTe. For defect energy levels near mid-gap, our calculated value of the Shockley-Read-Hall capture cross section for both electrons and holes is ~10⁻¹³ cm², which is considerably different from the most commonly employed values. We further find that minority carrier lifetimes in doped CdTe are affected more by defect levels closer to the Fermi level than those in the mid-gap.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

In situ monitoring of stacking fault formation and its carrier lifetime mediation in p-type 4H-SiC

Using the fine control of an electron beam (e-beam) in scanning electron microscopy with the capabilities of both electrical and optical imaging, the stacking fault (SF) formation together with its tuning of carrier lifetime was in situ monitored and investigated in p-type 4H-SiC homoepitaxial films. The SFs were formed through engineering basal plane dislocations with the energy supplied by the e-beam. The e-beam intensity required for the SF formation in the p-type films was ∼100 times higher than that in the n-type ones. The SFs reduced the minority-carrier lifetime in the p-type films, which was opposite to that observed in the n-type case. The reason for the peculiar SF behavior in the p-type 4H-SiC is discussed with the cathodoluminescence results.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗