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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 631 records · Page 35
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

A path to scaling helium-3 spin-exchange optical pumping

Polarized 3 He has contributed to breakthroughs in particle physics, neutron scattering, and lung imaging, mostly by optical pumping of liter quantities in valved cells or in sealed cells pumped in situ. Only metastability exchange optical pumping currently meets the demand for delivering large quantities of highly polarized 3 He to external volumes. Our development program is under way to achieve medium to large-scale spin-exchange optical pumping of 3 He. Thin-walled aluminosilicate cells placed in contact with thermal reservoirs inside a pressure vessel were optically pumped with kilowatt-scale lasers spectrally narrowed to match pressure-broadened absorption linewidths. We report here the key elements of this program and significant milestones: multi-liter volume valved cells that provide long longitudinal lifetimes that reached polarization as high as 85% inside a thermally stable and pressurized environment.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Preparation, Properties, and Application of Lignocellulosic-Based Fluorescent Carbon Dots

We report that carbon dots (CDs) are a relatively new type of fluorescent carbon material with excellent performance and widespread application. As the most readily available and widely distributed biomass resource, lignocellulosics are a renewable bioresource with great potential. Research into the preparation of CDs with lignocellulose (LC-CDs) has become the focus of numerous researchers. Compared with other carbon sources, lignocellulose is low cost, rich in structural variety, exhibits excellent biocompatibility, and the structures of CDs prepared by lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose are similar. This Review summarized research progress in the preparation of CDs from lignocellulosics in recent years and reviewed traditional and new preparation methods, physical and chemical properties, optical properties, and applications of LC-CDs, providing guidance for the formation and improvement of LC-CDs. In addition, the challenges of synthesizing LC-CDs were also highlighted, including the interaction of different lignocellulose components on the formation of LC-CDs and the nucleation and growth mechanism of LC-CDs; from this, current trends and opportunities of LC-CDs were examined, and some research methods for future research were put forward.

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

Hybrid Basis and Multi-Center Grid Method for Strong-Field Processes

We present a time-dependent framework that combines a hybrid basis, consisting of Gaussian-type orbitals (GTOs) and finite-element discrete-variable representation (FEDVR) functions, with a multicenter grid to simulate strong-field and attosecond dynamics in atoms and molecules. The method incorporates the construction of the orthonormal hybrid basis, the evaluation of electronic integrals, a unitary time-propagation scheme, and the extraction of optical and photoelectron observables. Its accuracy and robustness are benchmarked on one-electron systems such as atomic hydrogen and the dihydrogen cation (H$^+_2$) through comparisons with essentially-exact reference results for bound-state energies, high-harmonic generation spectra, photoionization cross sections, and photoelectron momentum distributions. This work establishes the groundwork for its integration with quantum-chemistry methods, which is already operational but will be detailed in future work, thereby enabling ab initio simulations of correlated polyatomic systems in intense ultrafast laser fields.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Perturbative Diagonalization for Time-Dependent Strong Interactions

We present a systematic method to implement a perturbative Hamiltonian diagonalization based on the time-dependent Schrieffer-Wolff transformation. Applying our method to strong parametric interactions we show how, even in the dispersive regime, full Rabi model physics is essential to describe the dressed spectrum. Our results unveil several qualitatively different results, including realization of large energy-level shifts, tunable in magnitude and sign with the frequency and amplitude of the pump mediating the parametric interaction. Crucially, Bloch-Siegert shifts, typically thought to be important only in the ultrastrong or deep-strong coupling regimes, can be rendered large even for weak dispersive interactions to realize points of exact cancelation of dressed shifts (“blind spots”) at specific pump frequencies. The framework developed here highlights the rich physics accessible with time-dependent interactions and serves to significantly expand the functionalities for control and readout of strongly interacting quantum systems.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2024

Simulating cosmological evolution by quantum quench of an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate

In cosmological evolution, it is the homogeneous scalar field (inflaton) that drives the universe to expand isotropically and to generate standard model particles. However, to simulate cosmology, atomic gas research has focused on the dynamics of Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC) with continuously applied forces. In this paper we argue that a complementary approach needs also to be pursued; we thus consider the analog BEC experiments in a nondriven and naturally closed atomic system. We implement this using a BEC in an optical lattice which, after a quench, freely transitions from an unstable to a stable state. Furthermore, this dynamical evolution displays the counterpart “preheating,” “reheating,” and “thermalization” phases of cosmology. Importantly, our studies of these analog processes yield tractable analytic models. Additionally, of great utility to the cold atom community, such understanding elucidates the dynamics of nonadiabatic condensate preparation. Indeed, the dynamical processes discussed here are generic and in future cold atom reequilibration experiments it will be important to observe both the preheating stage, corresponding to a fragmented condensate, and the reheating stage, corresponding to a particle cloud.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Demonstration of yellow (568 nm) stimulated emission from optically pumped InGaN/GaN multi-quantum wells

We demonstrate room-temperature stimulated emission at 568 nm from low dislocation density InGaN/GaN multi-quantum wells. For a 1.4 mm long and a 50 $μ$4m wide ridge bar optically pumped by a high-power pulsed laser, we observed an emission peak at 568 nm with a narrow spectral width of less than 2 nm at room temperature. The measured pumping threshold is less than 1.5 MW/cm 2 , and the polarization ratio of the emission is over 90%. In conclusion, this demonstration paves the way for the future development of electrically injected InGaN semiconductor yellow laser diodes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Morphology Control of Self-Assembled Three-Phase Au-BaTiO 3 –ZnO Hybrid Metamaterial for Tunable Optical Properties

Microstructural control in metal-dielectric hybrid metamaterials presents enormous opportunities in tailoring the physical properties including the magnetic and optical properties. In this paper, we demonstrate a strong tunability achieved in the microstructure of self-assembled ordered three-phase Au-BaTiO 3 –ZnO hybrid metamaterial along with its optical properties, grown by a pulsed laser deposition method. Varying the growth temperature, deposition frequency, and template thickness evolves the microstructure by tuning the Au and ZnO pillar geometry as well as the shape and size of the Au nanoparticles capping the ZnO nanowires. The three-phase hybrid metamaterials exhibit unique optical properties, including enhanced nonlinear optical properties, hyperbolic dispersion in the visible and near-infrared wavelength region, and tuned epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) wavelength upon varying the deposition parameters. This study suggests that the three-phase hybrid metamaterials present great potential in the microstructure and optical property tuning that can also be applied to other two-phase and three-phase nanocomposite systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Mutual optical intensity propagation through non-ideal two-dimensional mirrors

The mutual optical intensity (MOI) model is a partially coherent radiation propagation tool that can sequentially simulate beamline optics and provide beam intensity, local degree of coherence and phase distribution at any location along a beamline. This paper extends the MOI model to non-ideal twodimensional (2D) optical systems, such as ellipsoidal and toroidal mirrors with 2D figure errors. Simulation results show that one can tune the trade-off between calculation efficiency and accuracy by varying the number of wavefront elements. The focal spot size of an ellipsoidal mirror calculated with 100 $\times$ 100 elements gives less than 0.4% deviation from that with 250 $\times$ 250 elements, and the computation speed is nearly two orders of magnitude faster. Effects of figure errors on 2D focusing are also demonstrated for a non-ideal ellipsoidal mirror and by comparing the toroidal and ellipsoidal mirrors. Finally, the MOI model is benchmarked against the multi-electron Synchrotron Radiation Workshop (SRW) code showing the model’s high accuracy.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Raman-induced mode coupling in temporal waveguides formed by short solitons

We study the propagation of optical pulses trapped inside a temporal waveguide formed by two solitons in a dispersive nonlinear medium such as an optical fiber. The solitons are short enough that they decelerate as their spectra shift continuously toward the red side because of intrapulse Raman scattering. We show that the shape of a probe pulse trapped between the two solitons evolves in a periodic fashion, while its spectrum shifts toward the blue side. We develop a coupled-mode theory showing that such changes occur because of mode coupling induced by the deceleration of the short solitons, resulting in a curved waveguide. Here, a simplified two-mode model is used to introduce a single-parameter governing modal coupling and to find the condition under which coupling becomes weak enough that the probe pulse blue-shifts its spectrum without changes in its pulse shape.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2022

A compact cold-atom interferometer with a high data-rate grating magneto-optical trap and a photonic-integrated-circuit-compatible laser system

Abstract The extreme miniaturization of a cold-atom interferometer accelerometer requires the development of novel technologies and architectures for the interferometer subsystems. Here, we describe several component technologies and a laser system architecture to enable a path to such miniaturization. We developed a custom, compact titanium vacuum package containing a microfabricated grating chip for a tetrahedral grating magneto-optical trap (GMOT) using a single cooling beam. In addition, we designed a multi-channel photonic-integrated-circuit-compatible laser system implemented with a single seed laser and single sideband modulators in a time-multiplexed manner, reducing the number of optical channels connected to the sensor head. In a compact sensor head containing the vacuum package, sub-Doppler cooling in the GMOT produces 15 μK temperatures, and the GMOT can operate at a 20 Hz data rate. We validated the atomic coherence with Ramsey interferometry using microwave spectroscopy, then demonstrated a light-pulse atom interferometer in a gravimeter configuration for a 10 Hz measurement data rate and T = 0–4.5 ms interrogation time, resulting in Δ g / g = 2.0 × 10 −6 . This work represents a significant step towards deployable cold-atom inertial sensors under large amplitude motional dynamics.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Narrowband microwave-photonic notch filters using Brillouin-based signal transduction in silicon

Abstract The growing demand for bandwidth makes photonic systems a leading candidate for future telecommunication and radar technologies. Integrated photonic systems offer ultra-wideband performance within a small footprint, which can naturally interface with fiber-optic networks for signal transmission. However, it remains challenging to realize narrowband (∼MHz) filters needed for high-performance communications systems using integrated photonics. In this paper, we demonstrate all-silicon microwave-photonic notch filters with 50× higher spectral resolution than previously realized in silicon photonics. This enhanced performance is achieved by utilizing optomechanical interactions to access long-lived phonons, greatly extending available coherence times in silicon. We use a multi-port Brillouin-based optomechanical system to demonstrate ultra-narrowband (2.7 MHz) notch filters with high rejection (57 dB) and frequency tunability over a wide spectral band (6 GHz) within a microwave-photonic link. We accomplish this with an all-silicon waveguide system, using CMOS-compatible fabrication techniques.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2020

Lifetime-Limited Interrogation of Two Independent 27 Al + Clocks Using Correlation Spectroscopy

Laser decoherence limits the stability of optical clocks by broadening the observable resonance linewidths and adding noise during the dead time between clock probes. Correlation spectroscopy avoids these limitations by measuring correlated atomic transitions between two ensembles, which provides a frequency difference measurement independent of laser noise. Here, we apply this technique to perform stability measurements between two independent clocks based on the 1 S 0 ↔ 3 P 0 transition in 27 Al + . By stabilizing the dominant sources of differential phase noise between the two clocks, we observe coherence between them during synchronous Ramsey interrogations as long as 8 s at a frequency of 1.12 × 10 15 Hz. Here, the observed contrast in the correlation spectroscopy signal is consistent with the 20.6 s 3 P 0 state lifetime and represents a measurement instability of (1.8 ± 0.5) × 10 –16 /√τ/s for averaging periods longer than the probe duration when dead time is negligible.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Simulating non-native cubic interactions on noisy quantum machines

As a milestone for general-purpose computing machines, we demonstrate that quantum processors can be programed to efficiently simulate dynamics that are not native to the hardware. Moreover, on noisy devices without error correction, we show that simulation results are significantly improved when the quantum program is compiled using modular gates instead of a restricted set of standard gates. We demonstrate the general methodology by solving a cubic interaction problem, which appears in nonlinear optics, gauge theories, as well as plasma and fluid dynamics. To encode the non-native Hamiltonian evolution, we decompose the Hilbert space into a direct sum of invariant subspaces in which the nonlinear problem is mapped to a finite-dimensional Hamiltonian simulation problem. Furthermore, in a three-states example, the resultant unitary evolution is realized by a product of approximately 20 standard gates, using which approximately ten simulation steps can be carried out on state-of-the-art quantum hardware before results are corrupted by decoherence. In comparison, the simulation depth is improved by more than an order of magnitude when the unitary evolution is realized as a single cubic gate, which is compiled directly using optimal control. Alternatively, parametric gates may also be compiled by interpolating control pulses. Modular gates thus obtained provide high-fidelity building blocks for quantum Hamiltonian simulations.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2026

Polarization transmission in the Hadron Storage Ring of the Electron-Ion Collider

The successful operation of the future Electron-Ion Collider is contingent on maintaining high hadron beam polarization up to 275 GeV. The Hadron Storage Ring lattice, however, features a symmetry-breaking interaction region that excites strong, nonsystematic spin resonances, posing a significant threat to polarization preservation. This paper systematically investigates two complementary strategies to ensure high polarization transmission. The first method involves optimizing the vertical betatron phase advance between Siberian snakes to orchestrate a cancellation of depolarizing kicks across the ring. We demonstrate through simulations that both dynamic and fixed-optics solutions based on this principle can successfully preserve polarization through the strongest resonances. The second, more powerful approach involves optimizing the snake rotation axes to suppress resonance driving terms at their source. We revisit established symmetric configurations, such as the Lee-Courant schemes, and introduce a novel, highly symmetric “Doubly Lee-Courant” (DLC) scheme, which enforces a local 𝜋 spin phase advance across every consecutive pair of snakes. Our analysis reveals a clear performance hierarchy, with the DLC configuration providing an exceptionally robust and energy-insensitive baseline for polarization preservation. We conclude that a hybrid strategy, using a DLC snake scheme as a symmetric foundation and betatron phase tuning for fine corrections, offers the most effective path forward for the EIC and future high-energy polarized-beam facilities.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

All Optical Neural Networks for Low Power Edge Computing

We developed a simplistic physics-based model of an all-optical neural network that mimics the encoder part of an autoencoder neural network for image compression. Our approach relies on the generation of a MATLAB-based model for both data compression and decompression and utilizes MATLAB's built-in autoencoder networks in combination with simple propagation of optical fields between layers constituting phase elements via Fourier transform. We optimize the phase elements using the particle swarm optimization technique and using our model, we demonstrate a compression ratio of 25% for 2828-pixel input images containing numeric digits from 0 to 9.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Optical quantum memory for noble-gas spins based on spin-exchange collisions

Optical quantum memories, which store and preserve the quantum state of photons, rely on a coherent mapping of the photonic state onto matter states that are optically accessible. Here we outline and characterize schemes to map the state of photons onto long-lived but optically inaccessible collective states of noble-gas spins. The mapping employs coherent spin-exchange interaction arising from random collisions with alkali vapor. We propose efficient storage strategies in two operating regimes and analyze their performance for several proposed experimental configurations.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2025

Quantifying uncertainty in uranium concentration measurements via K-edge densitometry

This study quantifies the uncertainty in uranium concentration predictions of fluoride and chloride-based salts within a steel pipe using K-edge densitometry. Modeling and simulation was conducted with the Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport (MCNP) code. The quality of of this technique’s prediction in a pipe requires proper characterization of the pipe’s thickness, which is dependent on the source size and axial offset from the pipe centerline. The thickness was determined as either the center-line thickness seen by the X-ray source or an average value determined through random sampling. Generally, the predicted concentrations were slightly better at lower offset with the random sampling thickness and using the center-line thickness for the highest offsets. For a line-beam source and varying axial offsets, the relative error of concentration was within 1% of the true value but uncertainty increased by 2 orders of magnitude. Similarly, for no axial offset, the relative error was significantly less than 1% while no trend for uncertainty was found. However, at the largest possible offset for a given source size, the concentrations become erroneous and greater than the allowable 1% relative error. Furthermore, high offsets tended to increase the variance of the transmission spectra by 3 orders of magnitude.

Characterization and Analytical Technique↗