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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 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Strong Photon‐Magnon Coupling Using a Lithographically Defined Organic Ferrimagnet

Abstract A cavity‐magnonic system composed of a superconducting microwave resonator coupled to a magnon mode hosted by the organic‐based ferrimagnet vanadium tetracyanoethylene (V[TCNE] x ) is demonstrated. This work is motivated by the challenge of scalably integrating a low‐damping magnetic system with planar superconducting circuits. V[TCNE] x has ultra‐low intrinsic damping, can be grown at low processing temperatures on arbitrary substrates, and can be patterned via electron beam lithography. The devices operate in the strong coupling regime, with a cooperativity exceeding 1000 for coupling between the Kittel mode and the resonator mode at T≈0.4 K, suitable for scalable quantum circuit integration. Higher‐order magnon modes are also observed with much narrower linewidths than the Kittel mode. This work paves the way for high‐cooperativity hybrid quantum devices in which magnonic circuits can be designed and fabricated as easily as electrical wires.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2020

A Chip-Scale Oscillation-Mode Optomechanical Inertial Sensor Near the Thermodynamical Limits

Modern navigation systems integrate the global positioning system (GPS) with an inertial navigation system (INS), which complement each other for correct attitude and velocity determination. Here, the core of the INS integrates accelerometers and gyroscopes used to measure forces and angular rate in the vehicular inertial reference frame. With the help of gyroscopes and by integrating the acceleration to compute velocity and distance, precision and compact accelerometers with sufficient accuracy can provide small–error location determination. Solid–state implementations, through coherent readout, can provide a platform for high performance acceleration detection. In contrast to prior accelerometers using piezoelectric or capacitive readout techniques, optical readout provides narrow–linewidth high–sensitivity laser detection along with low–noise resonant optomechanical transduction near the thermodynamical limits. Here an optomechanical inertial sensor with an 8.2 µg Hz –1/2 velocity random walk (VRW) at an acquisition rate of 100 Hz and 50.9 µg bias instability is demonstrated, suitable for applications, such as, inertial navigation, inclination sensing, platform stabilization, and/or wearable device motion detection. Driven into optomechanical sustained–oscillation, the slot photonic crystal cavity provides radio–frequency readout of the optically–driven transduction with an enhanced 625 µg Hz –1 sensitivity. Measuring the optomechanically–stiffened oscillation shift, instead of the optical transmission shift, provides a 220× VRW enhancement over pre–oscillation mode detection.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Ultra‐Low‐Loss Silicon Nitride Photonics Based on Deposited Films Compatible with Foundries

Abstract The fabrication processes of silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ) photonic devices used in foundries require low temperature deposition, which typically leads to high propagation losses. Here, it is shown that propagation loss as low as 0.42 dB cm −1 can be achieved using foundry compatible processes by solely reducing waveguide surface roughness. By postprocessing the fabricated devices using rapid thermal anneal (RTA) and furnace anneal, propagation losses down to 0.28 dB cm −1 and 0.06 dB cm −1 , respectively, are achieved. These low losses are comparable to the conventional devices using high temperature, high‐stress LPCVD films. The dispersion of the devices is also tuned, and it is proved that these devices can be used for linear and nonlinear applications. Low threshold parametric oscillation, broadband frequency combs, and narrow‐linewidth laser are demonstrated. This work demonstrates the feasibility of scalable photonic systems based on foundries.

Ji, Xingchen↗
DOE OSTI2025

Omni‐Resonant Imaging Across the Visible

Resonant field enhancement in optical cavities is provided over only narrow linewidths and for specific spatial modes. Consequently, spectrally restrictive planar Fabry-Pérot cavities have not contributed to date to white-light imaging, which necessitates a highly multimoded broadband field to satisfy the resonance condition. It is shown that introducing judicious angular-dispersion circumvents the fundamental trade-off between cavity linewidth and finesse in a Fabry-Pérot cavity by exciting a 130-nm-bandwidth achromatic resonance across the visible spectrum, which far exceeds the finesse-limited linewidth (0.5 nm), and even exceeds the free spectral range (45 nm). This omni-resonant configuration enables broadband color-imaging over a 100-nm-bandwidth in the visible with minimal spherical and chromatic aberrations. Omni-resonant imaging is demonstrated using coherent and incoherent light, and spatially extended and localized fields comprising stationary and moving objects. This work paves the way to harnessing broadband resonant enhancements for spatially structured fields, as needed for example in solar windows.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Lines of Bound States in the Continuum in Monodisperse Microsphere Structures

Incorporating epitaxially grown active semiconductor media into self-assembled microsphere crystals has remained a major challenge as the curved geometry of the spheres is incompatible with conventional planar growth and patterning techniques. As a result, active photonic devices based on such self-assembled structures, which have other desirable properties such as enabling the rapid assembly of large area systems, have been elusive. Here, we numerically demonstrate an alternative route to creating high-Q resonances in microsphere-based nanophotonic assemblies compatible with standard optical gain materials. We show that close-packed layers of monodisperse microspheres can exhibit symmetry bandgaps, regardless of their layer stacking order. Thus, this microsphere environment can be used to create lines of bound states in the continuum (BICs) of an embedded slab made of active material. Using a realistic ZnS@SiO 2 (core-shell) architecture and sphere diameters compatible with scalable colloidal assembly, we predict sharp spectral features in angle-resolved transmission that trace these lines of BICs and persist in the presence of some fabrication disorder. Altogether, in enabling the integration of unpatterned epitaxial gain slabs with large-area colloidal microsphere assemblies, this approach opens a practical path toward active, dynamically reconfigurable photonic devices that leverage BIC physics for narrow-linewidth lasing and enhanced light–matter interactions.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2026

Calibration-free analysis of Li isotope ratios using laser ablation and laser absorption spectroscopy

We introduce a rapid, calibration-free, all-optical method for high-precision lithium isotope ratio measurements in solid materials using laser ablation combined with tunable laser absorption spectroscopy. A new asynchronous acquisition method is used to acquire time-resolved, high-resolution spectra of the 6Li and 7Li D1 and D2 transitions near 671 nm. Isotope ratios and atomic column densities are extracted from measured spectra via a physics-based fitting model including hyperfine structure. Under 1 Torr air, spectra recorded = 0.75 ms after plasma onset exhibit narrow linewidths corresponding to Doppler temperatures = 400 K, enabling resolution of the isotope peaks with high signal-to-noise ratios. Analysis of LiAlO2 samples with varying 6Li:7Li ratios demonstrates isotopic precisions of 0.6–1.7% for spectra acquired in 30 s. Isotope ratios determined from the spectral fits show accuracy within –0.3% to –1.7% of reference ICP-MS measurements without requiring calibration to external standards. By eliminating sample preparation and enabling spatially resolved isotopic mapping, this method offers a rapid analysis approach to lithium isotope determination in solid materials relevant to nuclear energy, safeguards, and geochemistry.

Phillips, Mark C.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Strontium Tris(cyclopentadienyl) Complexes: Isostructural f0/d0 Analogues of Divalent Lanthanides

Isostructural, diamagnetic diluents are commonly used in magnetic investigations to eliminate interactions between neighboring electron spins. For divalent lanthanides, these diluents are currently limited to closed-shell ytterbium(II) complexes; ytterbium(II), however, is a poor size-match for the large early- and mid-lanthanides, precluding access to certain ligand frameworks. To aid in the study of lanthanide(II) complexes with unconventional electronic structures and magnetic properties, three strontium tris-cyclopentadienyl complexes, [K(2.2.2-cryptand)][SrCpR3], with common substituted cyclopentadienyl ligands, CpR = C5Me4H (Cptet), C5H4(SiMe3) (Cp'), and C5H3(SiMe3)2 (Cp″) were synthesized, characterized, and examined as diamagnetic diluents. En route to their synthesis, two new Sr metallocenes, [SrCpR2] CpR = Cptet, Cp', were also prepared. [K(2.2.2-cryptand)][SrCptet3] was used to dilute the new complex [K(2.2.2-cryptand)][EuIICptet3], and the EPR spectra of the diluted material shows narrower linewidths than those of pure [K(2.2.2-cryptand)][EuIICptet3], suggesting an increase in the spin-spin relaxation time that enables determination of the europium hyperfine coupling constant.

Zlotnikov, Samuel B↗
DOE OSTI2021

The role of chalcogen vacancies for atomic defect emission in MoS 2

For two-dimensional (2D) layered semiconductors, control over atomic defects and understanding of their electronic and optical functionality represent major challenges towards developing a mature semiconductor technology using such materials. Here, we correlate generation, optical spectroscopy, atomic resolution imaging, and ab initio theory of chalcogen vacancies in monolayer MoS 2 . Chalcogen vacancies are selectively generated by in-vacuo annealing, but also focused ion beam exposure. The defect generation rate, atomic imaging and the optical signatures support this claim. We discriminate the narrow linewidth photoluminescence signatures of vacancies, resulting predominantly from localized defect orbitals, from broad luminescence features in the same spectral range, resulting from adsorbates. Vacancies can be patterned with a precision below 10 nm by ion beams, show single photon emission, and open the possibility for advanced defect engineering of 2D semiconductors at the ultimate scale.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Ultranarrow bright single-photon emitters in diamond with strong broadband phonon decoupling

Single-photon emitters are fundamental building blocks for quantum information processing, communication and sensing. However, unwanted interactions with bulk phonons in their host environment strongly limit their coherence and controllability. We report single color centers in nanodiamonds that are strongly and comprehensively decoupled from the bulk phononic environment. The color centers feature record-narrow linewidths down to 0.3 nm at room temperature and stable, bright emission, exceeding 10 Mcps in saturation. Notably, the bulk phonon sideband is almost entirely suppressed, revealing the presence of a single localized vibrational mode outside the diamond phonon band. Our observations and simulations point towards a unique mechanism for phonon decoupling in common wide-gap materials, based on a strongly radiative orbital transition coupled to a localized vibrational mode. The new color center enables qualitatively higher performance for applications in quantum networks and nanoscale sensing, and the exploration of new physical resources associated with vibrational states.

Sahoo, Swetapadma [ORNL]↗
DOE OSTI2021

Moiré trions in MoSe 2 /WSe 2 heterobilayers

Transition metal dichalcogenide moiré bilayers with spatially periodic potentials have emerged as a highly tunable platform for studying both electronic and excitonic phenomena. The power of these systems lies in the combination of strong Coulomb interactions with the capability of controlling the charge number in a moiré potential trap. Electronically, exotic charge orders at both integer and fractional fillings have been discovered. However, the impact of charging effects on excitons trapped in moiré potentials is poorly understood. Here, we report the observation of moiré trions and their doping-dependent photoluminescence polarization in H-stacked MoSe 2 /WSe 2 heterobilayers. We find that as moiré traps are filled with either electrons or holes, new sets of interlayer exciton photoluminescence peaks with narrow linewidths emerge about 7 meV below the energy of the neutral moiré excitons. Circularly polarized photoluminescence reveals switching from co-circular to cross-circular polarizations as moiré excitons go from being negatively charged and neutral to positively charged. Furthermore, this switching results from the competition between valley-flip and spin-flip energy relaxation pathways of photo-excited electrons during interlayer trion formation. Our results offer a starting point for engineering both bosonic and fermionic many-body effects based on moiré excitons.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Continuous-wave planar laser induced fluorescence with a fast camera

We present planar, laser induced fluorescence (PLIF) measurements of the velocity-resolved distribution function of ions in a plasma using a modulated, narrow linewidth, continuous-wave laser. Plasma emission is acquired with a high frame rate camera, and the laser light is spread into a thin sheet so that an entire plane of the plasma is imaged at each interrogation wavelength. Fourier analysis is conducted on each pixel of the images to separate the modulated fluorescent emission from the background light. Argon ion temperatures and bulk flow maps are reported in a helicon plasma source, and standard single-point LIF measurements provide validation of the PLIF measurement.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2021

Laser-induced fluorescence of filament-produced plasmas

Self-guided ultrafast laser filaments are a promising method for laser beam delivery and plasma generation for standoff and remote detection of elements and isotopes via filament-induced breakdown spectroscopy (FIBS). Yet, there are several challenges associated with the practical application of FIBS, including delivery of sufficient laser energy at the target for generating plasma with a copious amount of emission signals for obtaining a high signal-to-noise ratio. Here, in this study, we use laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) to boost the emission signal and reduce self-reversal in the spectral profiles. Ultrafast laser filaments were used to produce plasmas from an Al 6061 alloy target at various standoff distances from 1 to 10 m. For LIF emission enhancement, a narrow linewidth continuous-wave laser was used in resonance with a 394.40 nm Al I resonant transition, and the emission signal was monitored from the directly coupled transition at 396.15 nm. Emission signal features of Al I are significantly enhanced by resonant excitation. In addition, LIF of filament ablation plumes reduces the self-reversal features seen in the thermally excited spectral profiles. Time-resolved two-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy was performed for evaluating the optical saturation effects, which are found to be non-negligible due to high Al atomic densities in the filament-produced plasmas.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Vibrational modes and crystallographic structure of Cd 3 As 2 and (Cd 1-x Zn x ) 3 As 2 epilayers

Low-temperature Raman scattering is used to study the crystal structure of molecular-beam epitaxially grown layers of the Dirac semimetal Cd 3 As 2 and its related alloy (Cd 1-x Zn x ) 3 As 2 . The combination of narrow-linewidth spectra, multiple growth directions and full polarization analysis allows improved accuracy in identifying the irreducible representation of over 57 Raman-active vibrations. Several disagreements with previous identifications are found. Structurally, the results agree with the centrosymmetric I41/acd space group of bulk-grown Cd 3 As 2 and are clearly distinct from the Raman spectra of nanoscale platelets and wires. Three-fold twinning is seen in (112) Cd 3 As 2 grown on (111) zincblende substrates corresponding to the three possible tetragonal orientations. In dilute (Cd 1-x Zn x ) 3 As 2 , phonons have a frequency and scattering amplitude dependence on Zn concentration that is continuous with Cd 3 As 2 but at least one frequency is absent at the alloy endpoint, preventing a simple one-mode description of the alloy phonon.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Singly occupied 4⁢𝑓 antiferromagnetic insulators: CePO 4 and CeVO 4

Rare-earth containing wide band gap oxides, which provide spin-photon interface and narrow linewidth optical emission, are getting significant attention as the most promising candidate materials in advancing quantum transduction and memories. Here, in this work, from ab initio calculations, we identify antiferromagnetic ground states in structurally preferred monoclinic CePO 4 and tetragonal CeVO 4 exhibiting localized occupied and unoccupied Ce 4⁢𝑓 states with 4⁢𝑓−4⁢𝑓 transition characteristics. Interestingly, in CePO 4 , O 2⁢𝑝 and P 3⁢𝑝 states hybridize negligibly with Ce 4⁢𝑓 states, while in CeVO 4 , V 3⁢𝑑 and O 2⁢𝑝 states hybridize and appear as extended states in between the occupied and unoccupied Ce 4⁢𝑓 states. Here, phonon calculations and analysis identify and differentiate Raman active phonon modes along with the spin phonon coupling of Ce in both CePO 4 and CeVO 4 that ultimately lead to different 4⁢𝑓 ground-state crystal-field multiplets, which are critical to accurately describe electronic transitions for foundational quantum transduction and memories. Further, the identified 𝐶 1 site symmetry of Ce, lacking inversion symmetry in CePO 4 , is relevant for quantum memories and 𝐷 2⁢𝑑 site symmetry of Ce exhibiting inversion symmetry in CeVO 4 is relevant for quantum transduction.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

High-resolution spectroscopy of neutral Yb atoms in a solid Ne matrix

Here, we present an experimental and theoretical study of the absorption and emission spectra of Yb atoms in a solid Ne matrix at a resolution of 0.025 nm. Five absorption bands were identified as due to transitions from the 4 f 14 5 d 0 6 s 2 1 S 0 ground-state configuration to 4 f 14 5 d 0 6 s 6 p and 4 f 13 5 d 1 6 s 2 configurations. The two lowest-energy bands were assigned to outer-shell transitions to 6 s 6 p 3 P 1 and 1 P 1 atomic states and displayed the structure of a broad doublet and an asymmetric triplet, respectively. The remaining three higher-frequency bands were assigned to inner-shell transitions to distinct J = 1 states arising from the 4 f 13 5 d 1 6 s 2 configuration and were highly structured with narrow linewidths. A classical simulation was performed to identify the stability and symmetry of possible trapping sites in the Ne crystal. It showed that the overarching 1 + 2 structure of the high-frequency bands could be predominantly ascribed to crystal-field splitting in the axial field of a 10-atom vacancy of C 4 v symmetry. Their prominent substructures were shown to be manifestations of phonon sidebands associated with the zero-phonon lines on each crystal-field state. Unprecedented for a metal–rare-gas system, resolution of individual phonon states on an allowed electronic transition was possible under excitation spectroscopy which reflects the semiquantum nature of solid Ne. In contrast to the absorption spectra, emission spectra produced by steady-state excitation into the 1 P 1 absorption band consisted of simple, unstructured fluorescence bands.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Distinguishing erbium dopants in Y 2 O 3 by site symmetry: Ab initio theory of two spin-photon interfaces

Here, we present a first-principles study of the defect formation and electronic structure of erbium (Er)–doped yttria (Y 2 O 3 ). This is an emerging material for spin-photon interfaces in quantum information science due to the narrow-linewidth optical emission from Er dopants at standard telecommunication wavelengths and their potential for quantum memories and transducers. We calculate formation energies of neutral and negatively and positively charged Er dopants and find the charge-neutral configuration to be the most stable, consistent with experiment. Of the two substitutional sites of Er for Y, the C 2 (more relevant for quantum memories) and C 3i (more relevant for quantum transduction), we identify the former as possessing the lowest formation energy. The electronic properties are calculated using the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof functional along with the Hubbard U parameter and spin-orbit coupling, which yields a ~ 6 μ B orbital and a ~ 3 μ B spin magnetic moment, and 11 electrons in the Er 4 f shell, confirming the formation of charge-neutral Er 3+ . This standard density functional theory approach underestimates the band gap of the host and lacks a first-principles justification for U . To overcome these issues we performed screened hybrid functional calculations, including a negative U for the 4 f orbitals, with mixing (α) and screening (w) parameters. These produced robust electronic features with slight modifications in the band gap and the 4 f splittings depending on the choice of tuning parameters. We also computed the many-particle electronic excitation energies and compared them with experimental values from photoluminescence.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Dispersive Dark Excitons in van der Waals Ferromagnet CrI 3

Spin-flip dark excitons are optical-dipole-forbidden quasiparticles with remarkable potential in optoelectronics, especially when they are realized within cleavable van der Waals materials. Despite this potential, dark excitons have not yet been definitively identified in ferromagnetic van der Waals materials. Here, we report two dark excitons in a model ferromagnetic material CrI 3 using high-resolution resonant inelastic x-ray scattering and show that they feature narrower linewidths compared to the bright excitons previously reported in this material. These excitons are shown to have spin-flip character, to disperse as a function of momentum, and to change through the ferromagnetic transition temperature. Given the versatility of van der Waals materials, these excitons hold promise for new types of magneto-optical functionality.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2026

Modeling frequency instability in high-quality resonant experiments

Modern resonant sensing tools can achieve increasingly high quality factors, which correspond to extremely narrow linewidths. In such systems, time variation of the resonator’s natural frequency can potentially impact its ability to accumulate power and its resulting sensitivity. One such example is the Dark SRF experiment, which utilizes superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities with quality factors of Q ∼ 10 10 . Microscopic deformations of the cavity lead to stochastic jittering of its resonant frequency with amplitude 20 times its linewidth. Naively, one may expect this to lead to a large suppression in accumulated power. In this work, we study in detail the effects of frequency instability on high-quality resonant systems, utilizing the Dark SRF experiment as a case study. We show that the timescale of jittering is crucial to determining its effect on power accumulation. Namely, when the resonant frequency varies sufficiently quickly, the system accumulates power as if there were no jittering at all. This implies that the sensitivity of a jittering resonator is comparable to that of a stable resonator. In the case of Dark SRF, we find that jittering only induces a ∼ 10 % loss in power. Our results allow the dark-photon exclusion bound from Dark SRF’s pathfinder run to be refined, leading to a constraint that is an order of magnitude stronger than previously reported (corresponding to a signal-to-noise ratio that is four orders of magnitude larger). This result represents the world-leading constraint on dark photons over a wide range of masses below 6 μ eV and translates to the best laboratory-based limits on the photon mass m γ < 2.9 × 10 - 48 g .

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗