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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 685 records · Page 38
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2010

Initial Results of DC Electric Fields, Associated Plasma Drifts, Magnetic Fields, and Plasma Waves Observed on the C/NOFS Satellite

Initial results are presented from the Vector Electric Field Investigation (VEFI) on the Air Force Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellite, a mission designed to understand, model, and forecast the presence of equatorial ionospheric irregularities. The VEFI instrument includes a vector DC electric field detector, a fixed-bias Langmuir probe operating in the ion saturation regime, a flux gate magnetometer, an optical lightning detector, and associated electronics including a burst memory. Compared to data obtained during more active solar conditions, the ambient DC electric fields and their associated E x B drifts are variable and somewhat weak, typically < 1 mV/m. Although average drift directions show similarities to those previously reported, eastward/outward during day and westward/downward at night, this pattern varies significantly with longitude and is not always present. Daytime vertical drifts near the magnetic equator are largest after sunrise, with smaller average velocities after noon. Little or no pre-reversal enhancement in the vertical drift near sunset is observed, attributable to the solar minimum conditions creating a much reduced neutral dynamo at the satellite altitude. The nighttime ionosphere is characterized by larger amplitude, structured electric fields, even where the plasma density appears nearly quiescent. Data from successive orbits reveal that the vertical drifts and plasma density are both clearly organized with longitude. The spread-F density depletions and corresponding electric fields that have been detected thus far have displayed a preponderance to appear between midnight and dawn. Associated with the narrow plasma depletions that are detected are broad spectra of electric field and plasma density irregularities for which a full vector set of measurements is available for detailed study. Finally, the data set includes a wide range of ELF/VLF/HF oscillations corresponding to a variety of plasma waves, in particular banded ELF hiss, whistlers, and lower hybrid wave turbulence triggered by lightning-induced sferics. The VEFI data represents a new set of measurements that are germane to numerous fundamental aspects of the electrodynamics and irregularities inherent to the Earth's low latitude ionosphere.

Pfaff, R.↗
NASA NTRS2011

DC Electric Fields, Associated Plasma Drifts, and Irregularities Observed on the C/NOFS Satellite

Results are presented from the Vector Electric Field Investigation (VEFI) on the Air Force Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellite, a mission designed to understand, model, and forecast the presence of equatorial ionospheric irregularities. The VEFI instrument includes a vector DC electric field detector, a fixed-bias Langmuir probe operating in the ion saturation regime, a flux gate magnetometer, an optical lightning detector, and associated electronics including a burst memory. Compared to data obtained during more active solar conditions, the ambient DC electric fields and their associated E x B drifts are variable and somewhat weak, typically < 1 mV/m. Although average drift directions show similarities to those previously reported, eastward/outward during day and westward/downward at night, this pattern varies significantly with longitude and is not always present. Daytime vertical drifts near the magnetic equator are largest after sunrise, with smaller average velocities after noon. Little or no pre-reversal enhancement in the vertical drift near sunset is observed, attributable to the solar minimum conditions creating a much reduced neutral dynamo at the satellite altitude. The nighttime ionosphere is characterized by larger amplitude, structured electric fields, even where the plasma density appears nearly quiescent. Data from successive orbits reveal that the vertical drifts and plasma density are both clearly organized with longitude. The spread-F density depletions and corresponding electric fields that have been detected thus far have displayed a preponderance to appear between midnight and dawn. Associated with the narrow plasma depletions that are detected are broad spectra of electric field and plasma density irregularities for which a full vector set of measurements is available for detailed study. The VEFI data represents a new set of measurements that are germane to numerous fundamental aspects of the electrodynamics and irregularities inherent to the Earth s low latitude ionosphere.

Pfaff, R.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Solar Activity Studies using Microwave Imaging Observations

We report on the status of solar cycle 24 based on polar prominence eruptions (PEs) and microwave brightness enhancement (MBE) information obtained by the Nobeyama radioheliograph. The north polar region of the Sun had near-zero field strength for more than three years (2012-2015) and ended only in September 2015 as indicated by the presence of polar PEs and the lack of MBE. The zero-polar-field condition in the south started only around 2013, but it ended by June 2014. Thus the asymmetry in the times of polarity reversal switched between cycle 23 and 24. The polar MBE is a good proxy for the polar magnetic field strength as indicated by the high degree of correlation between the two. The cross-correlation between the high- and low-latitude MBEs is significant for a lag of approximately 5.5 to 7.3 years, suggesting that the polar field of one cycle indicates the sunspot number of the next cycle in agreement with the Babcock-Leighton mechanism of solar cycles. The extended period of near-zero field in the north-polar region should result in a weak and delayed sunspot activity in the northern hemisphere in cycle 25.

microwave radio emission↗
DOE OSTI2020

Reconfigurable Pinwheel Artificial-Spin-Ice and Superconductor Hybrid Device

The ability to control the potential landscape in a medium of interacting particles could lead to intriguing collective behavior and innovative functionalities. In this work, we utilize spatially reconfigurable magnetic potentials of a pinwheel artificial-spin-ice (ASI) structure to tailor the motion of superconducting vortices. The reconstituted chain structures of the magnetic charges in the pinwheel ASI and the strong interaction between magnetic charges and superconducting vortices allow significant modification of the transport properties of the underlying superconducting thin film, resulting in a reprogrammable resistance state that enables a reversible and switchable vortex Hall effect. Our results highlight an effective and simple method of using ASI as an in situ reconfigurable nanoscale energy landscape to design reprogrammable superconducting electronics, which could also be applied to the in situ control of properties and functionalities in other magnetic particle systems, such as magnetic skyrmions.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
NASA NTRS2004

Progress on the Plasmoid Thruster Experiment (PTX)

A plasmoid is a compact plasma structure with an integral magnetic field, that may be categorized according to the relative strength of the poloidal and toroidal magnetic field (B(sub p) and B(sub t), respectively). An object with B(sub p)/B(sub t), much much more than 1 is called a Field Reverse Configuration (FRC); if B(sub p) approximately equal to B(sub t), it is called a Spheromak. The thruster operates by repetitively producing plasmoids that are accelerated and ejected at high velocity. As this process is inductive, there are no electrodes. Also, the magnetic structure of the plasmoid should suppress thermal and mass losses to the wall, and improve detachment of the plasma exhaust from the thruster. This concept should be capable of producing an Isp in the range of 5,000 - 10,000 s with thrust densities of order 10(exp 5) N per square meters. The current experiment is designed to produce jet powers in the range of 5-10 kW, although the concept should be scalable into the MW range. In PTX, the plasmoid is formed inside of a single turn conical theta-pinch coil (17.58 cone angle). The coil is driven by a 640 nF, 35 kV capacitor bank, which rings at a frequency of 500 kHz. Previous experiments on PTX were conducted with a static-fill of propellant gas (6% H2 in He), and demonstrated reliable ionization over a pressure range of 40 - 200 mTorr. We are now adding a fast gas-puff valve to load the propellant, and a ringing pre-ionization circuit (f = 5 Mhz) to better control the plasmoid formation. An alternate coil (8.58 cone angle) will also be used, so as to investigate the effect of coil shape on performance. In addition, a variety of propellants will be used, including hydrogen, nitrogen, and argon. The plasmoid mass and velocity will be measured with a variety of diagnostics, including external B-dot probes and flux loops, a high-speed framing camera, and a HeNe laser interferometer. Internal B-dot probes and a quadruple Langmuir probe will provide additional measurements of the plasmoid shape and structure, as well as density, and will be described in a companion paper. The experimental results will be compared to calculations made using a 0-D coil-gun model and also a 2-D time dependent MHD code.

Martin, Adam↗
DOE OSTI2023

Deterministic Current–Induced Perpendicular Switching in Epitaxial Co/Pt Layers without an External Field

Current–induced spin–orbit torques (SOTs) have emerged as a powerful tool to control magnetic elements and non–uniform magnetic textures such as domain walls and skyrmions. SOT–induced switching of perpendicular magnetization generally requires an external field to break the rotational symmetry of the spin–orbit effective fields responsible for the deterministic reversal. The proposed mechanisms to eliminate this requirement often rely on complex multilayer structures that necessitate laborious optimization in the material and spin transport properties, making them less attractive for applications. Herein, current–induced, external field–free switching of an epitaxial MgO/Pt/Co trilayer with an extremely large perpendicular anisotropy in excess of 3 Tesla is reported. It is found that switching occurs due to the interplay of strong SOTs, local anisotropy fluctuations, and the Dzyaloshinkii–Moriya interaction inherent to this epitaxial system. Finally, given that these layers constitute the base stack of a magnetic tunnel junction, this switching mechanism offers the most technologically viable path toward devices such as field–free SOT–based magnetic random–access memories.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Observation of Persistent Zero Modes and Superconducting Vortex Doublets in UTe 2

Superconducting vortices can reveal electron pairing details and nucleate topologically protected states. Yet, vortices of bulk spin-triplet superconductors have never been visualized at the atomic scale. Recently, UTe 2 has emerged as a prime spin-triplet superconductor, but its superconducting order parameter is elusive, and whether time-reversal symmetry (TRS) is broken remains unsettled. Here, in this work, we visualize vortices on the (011) surface of ultraclean UTe 2 single crystals (T c = 2.1 K) using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). We introduce $\frac{d^{2}𝐼}{d𝑉^{2}}$ imaging as an effective technique for vortex visualization in superconductors with substantial residual zero-energy density of states (DOS), as in UTe 2 . Anisotropic single-flux-quantum vortices, with coherence lengths of ∼12 nm (4 nm) parallel (perpendicular) to the a -axis, form a triangular vortex lattice (VL) under a small out-of-plane magnetic field. The invariance of vortex structures and VL under changes of field polarity and cooling history strongly supports time-reversal invariant superconductivity under zero field. At vortex cores (VCs), nonsplit, spectrally sharp zero-bias conductance peaks (ZBPs) persist up 8 T that are consistent with symmetry-protected Majorana zero modes (MZMs) in a topological vortex line. Close examination of vortex structures reveals a mirror-asymmetric doublet─one with ZBPs and another with an enhanced apparent gap, possibly originating from a field-induced multicomponent order parameter.

UTe2↗
DOE OSTI2025

Universal Magnetic Phases in Twisted Bilayer MoTe 2

Twisted bilayer MoTe 2 (tMoTe 2 ) has emerged as a robust platform for exploring correlated topological phases, yet the evolution of its magnetism and topology with twist angle remains an open question. Here, we systematically map the magnetic phase diagram of tMoTe 2 by using local optical spectroscopy and scanning nanoSQUID-on-tip magnetometry. We identify spontaneous ferromagnetism at filling factors ν = −1 and −3 across twist angles from 2.1° to 3.7°, revealing a universal, twist-angle-insensitive ferromagnetic phase. At 2.1°, we further observe robust ferromagnetism at ν = −5, absent at larger twist angles. Temperature-dependent measurements reveal a contrasting twist-angle dependence of the Curie temperatures between ν = −1 and −3, indicating a distinct interplay between the exchange interactions and bandwidth for the two Chern bands. Despite broken time-reversal symmetry, no topological gap is detected at ν = −3. Furthermore, our results establish a global framework for understanding and controlling magnetic order in tMoTe 2 .

Insulators↗
DOE OSTI2024

Investigation of two-dimensional radio-frequency sheath properties using a microscale fluid model

Abstract In previous work (Kohno and Myra 2023 Comput. Phys. Commun. 291 108841), we developed a numerical scheme based on a two-dimensional microscale radio-frequency (RF) sheath model with periodically curved wall boundaries. Here, we expand the capability of this scheme through modification of the boundary conditions (BCs) on the conducting walls, which allows the ion flow to turn back to the plasma at locations on the walls where the electromagnetic force on the ions is reversed from its usual direction. Numerical simulations are carried out to investigate the dependences of the surface-integrated admittances on the wall bump height, ion magnetization, ion mobility, and the magnetic field angle, and to visualize the sheath structures in several cases. One of the main results is the ion cyclotron admittance resonance observed under the condition of low ion mobility (high normalized frequency). It is shown that the amplitude of the resonance peak depends on the wall bump height and the ion velocity is reversed on the sides of the bump in an RF cycle for the resonance cases. Furthermore, the differences in the admittances between the one- and two-dimensional microscale models are assessed for the purpose of understanding non-locality of the sheath near the wall surface for the parameters considered in this study. This information will be essential for improving the sheath BC for macroscale calculations in the future.

Kohno, H. (ORCID:0000000332690010)↗
NASA NTRS1976

Ion and electron pulses observed in the magnetotail and rapid annihilation of magnetic field lines

Hydrogen, helium, and CNO ion and electron pulses were detected in the magnetotail, and in the upstream region from the earth's bow shock. It was found that, in the magnetotail, ions appeared more frequently in the dusk than in the dawn quarter whereas the electron population had a reversed asymmetry. This spatial distribution - a polarization in the same direction as the electric field in the neutral sheet - suggests that these particles are accelerated by the electric field induced by a rapid annihilation of magnetic field lines. From the observed particle energies, the annihilation speed was estimated and found to be as high as 0.2 times the Alfven speed.

Fan, C. Y.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Space-Charge-Limited van der Waals Spin Transistor

Integrating semiconducting and magnetic materials could combine transistorlike operation with nonvolatility and enable architectures such as logic in memory. Here, in this work, we employ correlated electrical transport and scanning nitrogen-vacancy center magnetic imaging to elucidate a spin transistor concept that amalgamates vertical and lateral hopping transport inside a 2D antiferromagnetic semiconductor, mechanistically distinct from vertical tunneling devices. Our device, based on a monolayer-bilayer junction in CrSBr, displays giant, gate-tunable magnetoresistance driven by the dual action of electrostatic doping on space-charge-limited lateral conduction and interlayer exchange coupling. Moreover, we visualize a field-trainable, layer-sharing effect that selects between coherent or domain-wall reversal at the spin-flip transition, enabling multilevel, memristive conductance states. Our layer-dependent space charge mechanism for convergent electrical and magnetic control opens opportunities to address limitations in contemporary computing.

2-dimensional systems↗
DOE OSTI2025

Hetero-Orbital Two-Component Fractional Quantum Hall States in Bilayer Graphene

A two-dimensional electron system exposed to a strong magnetic field produces a plethora of strongly interacting fractional quantum Hall (FQH) states, the complex topological orders of which are revealed through exotic emergent particles, such as composite fermions, and fractionally charged Abelian and non-Abelian anyons. Much insight has been gained by the study of multicomponent FQH states, where spin and pseudospin indices of the electron contribute additional correlation. Traditional multicomponent FQH states develop in situations where the components share the same orbital states and the resulting interactions are pseudospin independent; this homo-orbital nature is also crucial to their theoretical understanding. Here, we study “hetero-orbital” two-component FQH states, in which the orbital index is part of the pseudospin, rendering the multicomponent interactions strongly SU(2) anisotropic in the pseudospin space. Such states, obtained in bilayer graphene at the isospin transition between 𝑁 = 0 and 𝑁 = 1 electron Landau levels, are markedly different from previous homo-orbital two-component FQH states. In particular, we observe strikingly different behaviors for the parallel-vortex and reverse-vortex attachment composite fermion states, and an anomalously strong two-component 2/5 state over a wide range of magnetic field before it abruptly disappears at a high field. Our findings, combined with detailed theoretical calculations, reveal the surprising robustness of the hetero-orbital FQH effects, significantly enriching our understanding of FQH physics in this novel regime.

Bilayer graphene↗
DOE OSTI2021

Observation of magnetic adatom-induced Majorana vortex and its hybridization with field-induced Majorana vortex in an iron-based superconductor

Braiding Majorana zero modes is essential for fault-tolerant topological quantum computing. Iron-based superconductors with nontrivial band topology have recently emerged as a surprisingly promising platform for creating distinct Majorana zero modes in magnetic vortices in a single material and at relatively high temperatures. The magnetic field-induced Abrikosov vortex lattice makes it difficult to braid a set of Majorana zero modes or to study the coupling of a Majorana doublet due to overlapping wave functions. Here we report the observation of the proposed quantum anomalous vortex with integer quantized vortex core states and the Majorana zero mode induced by magnetic Fe adatoms deposited on the surface. We observe its hybridization with a nearby field-induced Majorana vortex in iron-based superconductor FeTe 0.55 Se 0.45 . We also observe vortex-free Yu-Shiba-Rusinov bound states at the Fe adatoms with a weaker coupling to the substrate, and discover a reversible transition between Yu-Shiba-Rusinov states and Majorana zero mode by manipulating the exchange coupling strength. The dual origin of the Majorana zero modes, from magnetic adatoms and external magnetic field, provides a new single-material platform for studying their interactions and braiding in superconductors bearing topological band structures.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

Fabrication of single-crystalline YFeO3 films with large antiferromagnetic domains

The antiferromagnetic orthoferrite YFeO3 possesses fascinating magnetic properties for spintronics, such as terahertz spin dynamics, ultrafast domain wall motion, and long magnon decay length. YFeO3 belongs to a special family of antiferromagnets that show an unusually strong non-trivial Kerr response due to its weak ferromagnetism. The highly stable antiferromagnetic domains without any spontaneous spin rotation transitions below the 645 K Néel temperature may be useful for nanoscale device applications. We report the successful fabrication of high-quality twinning-free (110)-oriented YFeO3 films by pulsed laser deposition. Detailed structural and magnetic characterization revealed that the crystal structure and magnetic properties of the YFeO3 films are comparable to bulk single crystals. We show that the spin rotation under high magnetic fields follows the two-sublattice approximation model. The film surface is atomically flat with step-terrace surface morphology. A longitudinal magneto-optic Kerr (MOKE) rotation of 10 mdeg was observed at room temperature, which is consistent with earlier reports on bulk single crystals. The in-plane anisotropy of the Kerr response corresponds to the obtained magnetic anisotropy from the SQUID measurement. The large MOKE signal enables the imaging of antiferromagnetic domains and their reversal. The domain size was found to be larger than 100 μm. These high-quality YFeO3 thin films facilitate the fabrication of antiferromagnetic spintronic devices and provide a convenient platform for studying various spin-related phenomena in thin films and at interfaces.

Physics↗
DOE OSTI2023

Nodeless superconductivity in the noncentrosymmetric compound ThIrSi

The superconductor ThIrSi, with Tc=6.5K, is expected to show unusual features in view of its noncentrosymmetric structure and the presence of heavy elements featuring a sizable spin-orbit coupling. Here, we report a comprehensive study of its electronic properties by means of magnetization, muon-spin rotation and relaxation (μ⁢SR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements. Both the superfluid density ρ sc ⁡(T) (determined via transverse-field μ⁢SR) and the spin-lattice relaxation rate T–1 1⁡(T) (determined via NMR) suggest a nodeless superconductivity. Furthermore, the absence of spontaneous magnetic fields below T c , as evinced from zero-field μ⁢SR measurements, indicates a preserved time-reversal symmetry in the superconducting state of ThIrSi. Finally, temperature-dependent upper critical fields as well as field-dependent superconducting muon-spin relaxations suggest the presence of multiple superconducting gaps in ThIrSi.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Neutral Silicon Vacancy Centers in Undoped Diamond via Surface Control

Neutral silicon vacancy centers (SiV 0 ) in diamond are promising candidates for quantum applications; however, stabilizing SiV 0 requires high-purity, boron-doped diamond, which is not a readily available material. Here, we demonstrate an alternative approach via chemical control of the diamond surface. We use low-damage chemical processing and annealing in a hydrogen environment to realize reversible and highly stable charge state tuning in undoped diamond. The resulting SiV 0 centers display optically detected magnetic resonance and bulklike optical properties. Controlling the charge state tuning via surface termination offers a route for scalable technologies based on SiV 0 centers, as well as charge state engineering of other defects.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1985

Collisional tearing in a field-reversed sheet pinch assuming nonparallel propagation

Linear tearing in a collisional reversed-field sheet pinch is examined assuming that the wave vector k is not parallel to the equilibrium magnetic field. Equilibrium and magnetic geometry are defined, and a set of perturbed moment equations is derived assuming quasi-parallel propagation. It is shown that the usual expression for collisional growth is recovered, assuming that k sub y = 0. It is shown that the y component of momentum balance requires the generation of nonzero dJ sub x well away from the null, and an interial coupling when z not equal to 0. The effects of k sub y not equal to 0 on the growth rate are discussed.

Quest, K. B.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Wave Driven Non-linear Flow Oscillator for the 22-Year Solar Cycle

In the Earth's atmosphere, a zonal flow oscillation is observed with periods between 20 and 32 months, the Quasi Biennial Oscillation. This oscillation does not require external time dependent forcing but is maintained by non-linear wave momentum deposition. It is proposed that such a mechanism also drives long-period oscillations in planetary and stellar interiors. We apply this mechanism to generate a flow oscillation for the 22-year solar cycle. The oscillation would occur just below the convective envelope where waves can propagate. Using scale analysis, we present results from a simplified model that incorporates Hines' gravity wave parameterization. Wave amplitudes less than 10 m/s can produce reversing zonal flows of 25 m/s that should be sufficient to generate a corresponding oscillation in the poloidal magnetic field. Low buoyancy frequency and the associated increase in turbulence help to produce the desired oscillation period of the flow.

Mayr, Hans G.↗