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At least 829 records · Page 46
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Vacuum laser acceleration of super-ponderomotive electrons using relativistic transparency injection

Abstract Intense lasers can accelerate electrons to very high energy over a short distance. Such compact accelerators have several potential applications including fast ignition, high energy physics, and radiography. Among the various schemes of laser-based electron acceleration, vacuum laser acceleration has the merits of super-high acceleration gradient and great simplicity. Yet its realization has been difficult because injecting free electrons into the fast-oscillating laser field is not trivial. Here we demonstrate free-electron injection and subsequent vacuum laser acceleration of electrons up to 20 MeV using the relativistic transparency effect. When a high-contrast intense laser drives a thin solid foil, electrons from the dense opaque plasma are first accelerated to near-light speed by the standing laser wave in front of the solid foil and subsequently injected into the transmitted laser field as the opaque plasma becomes relativistically transparent. It is possible to further optimize the electron injection/acceleration by manipulating the laser polarization, incident angle, and temporal pulse shaping. Our result also sheds light on the fundamental relativistic transparency process, crucial for producing secondary particle and light sources.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Ultrafast hot-hole injection modifies hot-electron dynamics in Au/p-GaN heterostructures

A fundamental understanding of hot-carrier dynamics in photo-excited metal nanostructures is needed to unlock their potential for photodetection and photocatalysis. Despite numerous studies on the ultrafast dynamics of hot electrons, so far, the temporal evolution of hot holes in metal-semiconductor heterostructures remains unknown. Here, we report ultrafast (t < 200 fs) hot-hole injection from Au nanoparticles into the valence band of p-type GaN. The removal of hot holes from below the Au Fermi level is observed to substantially alter the thermalization dynamics of hot electrons, reducing the peak electronic temperature and the electron-phonon coupling time of the Au nanoparticles. First-principles calculations reveal that hot-hole injection modifies the relaxation dynamics of hot electrons in Au nanoparticles by modulating the electronic structure of the metal on timescales commensurate with electron-electron scattering. Overall, these results advance our understanding of hot-hole dynamics in metal-semiconductor heterostructures and offer additional strategies for manipulating the dynamics of hot carriers on ultrafast timescales. Photo-excited gold nanoparticles are shown to provide ultrafast and efficient hot-hole injection to the valence band of p-type GaN, substantially altering hot-electron dynamics in the nanoparticles and forming a basis to design hot-hole-based optoelectronics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Injectable Silica–Permanganate Gel as a Slow-Release MnO 4 - Source for Groundwater Remediation. Rheological Properties and Release Dynamics

Injectable slow-release permanganate gel (ISRPG), formed by mixing KMnO 4 solution with fumed silica powder, may have a potential application in remediating chlorinated solvent plumes in groundwater. A series of batch, column, and flow cell experiments has been completed to test the gel behavior under a variety of conditions. The experiments have provided information on ISRPG rheology, permanganate (MnO 4 - ) release dynamics and distribution, and trichloroethene (TCE) degradation by ISRPG-released oxidant. The gel possesses remarkable shear thinning characteristics, resulting in a relative low viscosity during mixing, and facilitating its subsurface injection and distribution. Batch tests revealed that MnO 4 - was diffused out from ISRPG into water while the gel did not dissolve or disperse into water but maintained its initial shape. Column experiments showed that MnO 4 - release from ISRPG lasted considerably longer than the release from aqueous solution. TCE degradation by ISRPG-released MnO 4 - was much more effective than that when MnO 4 - was delivered using aqueous solution injection. In two-dimensional flow cell experiments, it was demonstrated that ISRPG slowly released a long-lasting low concentration MnO 4 - plume sufficient for remediation and sustainable in an aquifer for a long period of time.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

In situ transformation of hydraulic fracturing surfactants from well injection to produced water

Chemical changes to hydraulic fracturing fluids (HFFs) within fractured unconventional reservoirs may affect hydrocarbon recovery and, in turn, the environmental impact of unconventional oil and gas development. Ethoxylated alcohol surfactants, which include alkyl ethoxylates (AEOs) and polyethylene glycols (PEGs), are often present in HFF as solvents, non-emulsifiers, and corrosion inhibitors. We present detailed analysis of polyethoxylates in HFF at the time of injection into three hydraulically fractured Marcellus Shale wells and in the produced water returning to the surface. Despite the addition of AEOs to the injection fluid during almost all stages, they were rarely detected in the produced water. Conversely, while PEGs were nearly absent in the injection fluid, they were the dominant constituents in the produced water. Similar numbers of ethoxylate units support downhole transformation of AEOs to PEGs through central cleavage of the ethoxylate chain from the alkyl group. We also observed a decrease in the average ethoxylate (EO) number of the PEG–EOs in the produced water over time, consistent with biodegradation during production. Our results elucidate an overlooked surfactant transformation pathway that may affect the efficacy of HFF to maximize oil and gas recovery from unconventional shale reservoirs.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2011

Colliding Laser Pulses for Laser-Plasma Accelerator Injection Control

Decoupling injection from acceleration is a key challenge to achieve compact, reliable, tunable laser-plasma accelerators (LPA). In colliding pulse injection the beat between multiple laser pulses can be used to control energy, energy spread, and emittance of the electron beam by injecting electrons in momentum and phase into the accelerating phase of the wake trailing the driver laser pulse. At LBNL, using automated control of spatiotemporal overlap of laser pulses, two-pulse experiments showed stable operation and reproducibility over hours of operation. Arrival time of the colliding beam was scanned, and the measured timing window and density of optimal operation agree with simulations. The accelerator length was mapped by scanning the collision point.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Effects of self-focusing on tunnel-ionization-induced injection in a laser wakefield accelerator

We report on the study of the self-focusing effects on the tunnel-ionization-induced injection in a laser wakefield accelerator. Targets composed of a gas mixture of 94% helium and 6% oxygen were used. The energy, energy spread, and charge of the generated electron beams can be adjusted by changing the input laser intensity and the plasma density, but the different aspects of the properties of the electron beams were not independent. It was inferred that the K-shell electrons of oxygen were ionized and injected into the plasma wake for acceleration when the laser intensity was increased beyond the threshold for generating O{sup 7+} by tunnel-ionization, due to the relativistic self-focusing in the propagation. Controlling the self-focusing of the laser beam by adjusting the input laser energy to shorten the distance over which the electrons were injected into the wake, quasi-monoenergetic electron beams were observed.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Tuning the interfacial hole injection barrier between p-type organic materials and Co using a MoO{sub 3} buffer layer

We demonstrate that the interfacial hole injection barrier {Delta}{sub h} between p-type organic materials (i.e., CuPc and pentacene) and Co substrate can be tuned by the insertion of a MoO{sub 3} buffer layer. Using ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy, it was found that the introduction of MoO{sub 3} buffer layer effectively reduces the hole injection barrier from 0.8 eV to 0.4 eV for the CuPc/Co interface, and from 1.0 eV to 0.4 eV for the pentacene/Co interface, respectively. In addition, by varying the thickness of the buffer, the tuning effect of {Delta}{sub h} is shown to be independent of the thickness of MoO{sub 3} interlayer at both CuPc/Co and pentacene/Co interfaces. This Fermi level pinning effect can be explained by the integer charge-transfer model. Therefore, the MoO{sub 3} buffer layer has the potential to be applied in p-type organic spin valve devices to improve the device performance via reducing the interfacial hole injection barrier.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

Control of light polarization using optically spin-injected vertical external cavity surface emitting lasers

We fabricated and characterized an optically pumped (100)-oriented InGaAs/GaAsP multiple quantum well Vertical External Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VECSEL). The structure is designed to allow the integration of a Metal-Tunnel-Junction ferromagnetic spin-injector for future electrical injection. We report here the control at room temperature of the electromagnetic field polarization using optical spin injection in the active medium of the VECSEL. The switching between two highly circular polarization states had been demonstrated using an M-shaped extended cavity in multi-modes lasing. This result witnesses an efficient spin-injection in the active medium of the LASER.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

The direct injection of intense ion beams from a high field electron cyclotron resonance ion source into a radio frequency quadrupole

The ion current achievable from high intensity ECR sources for highly charged ions is limited by the high space charge. This makes classical extraction systems for the transport and subsequent matching to a radio frequency quadrupole (RFQ) accelerator less efficient. The direct plasma injection (DPI) method developed originally for the laser ion source avoids these problems and uses the combined focusing of the gap between the ion source and the RFQ vanes (or rods) and the focusing of the rf fields from the RFQ penetrating into this gap. For high performance ECR sources that use superconducting solenoids, the stray magnetic field of the source in addition to the DPI scheme provides focusing against the space charge blow-up of the beam. A combined extraction/matching system has been designed for a high performance ECR ion source injecting into an RFQ, allowing a total beam current of 10 mA from the ion source for the production of highly charged {sup 238}U{sup 40+} (1.33 mA) to be injected at an ion source voltage of 60 kV. In this design, the features of IGUN have been used to take into account the rf-focusing of an RFQ channel (without modulation), the electrostatic field between ion source extraction and the RFQ vanes, the magnetic stray field of the ECR superconducting solenoid, and the defocusing space charge of an ion beam. The stray magnetic field is shown to be critical in the case of a matched beam.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Cavity morphology in a Ni based superalloy under heavy ion irradiation with cold pre-injected helium. I

In order to understand radiation damage in the nickel based superalloy Inconel X-750 in thermal reactors, where (n, α) transmutation reaction also occurred in addition to fast neutron induced atomic displacement, heavy ion (1 MeV Kr{sup 2+}) irradiation with pre-injected helium was performed under in-situ observations of an intermediate voltage electron microscope at Argonne National Laboratory. By comparing to our previous studies using 1 MeV Kr{sup 2+} irradiation solely, the pre-injected helium was found to be essential in cavity nucleation. Cavities started to be visible after Kr{sup 2+} irradiation to 2.7 dpa at ≥200 °C in samples containing 200 appm, 1000 appm, and 5000 appm helium, respectively, but not at lower temperatures. The cavity growth was observed during the continuous irradiation. Cavity formation appeared along with a reduced number density of stacking fault tetrahedra, vacancy type defects. With higher pre-injected helium amount, a higher density of smaller cavities was observed. This is considered to be the result of local trapping effect of helium which disperses vacancies. The average cavity size increases with increasing irradiation temperatures; the density reduced; and the distribution of cavities became heterogeneous at elevated temperatures. In contrast to previous characterization of in-reactor neutron irradiated Inconel X-750, no obvious cavity sink to grain boundaries and phase boundaries was found even at high doses and elevated temperatures. MC-type carbides were observed as strong sources for agglomeration of cavities due to their enhanced trapping strength of helium and vacancies.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Analysis of dominant carrier recombination mechanisms depending on injection current in InGaN green light emitting diodes

Two kinds of green InGaN light emitting diodes (LEDs) have been investigated in order to understand the different slopes in logarithmic light output power-current (L-I) curves. Through the analysis of the carrier rate equation and by considering the carrier density-dependent the injection efficiency into quantum wells, the slopes of the logarithmic L-I curves can be more rigorously understood. The low current level, two as the tunneling current is initially dominant. The high current level beyond the peak of the external quantum efficiency (EQE) diminishes below one as the carrier overflow becomes dominant. In addition, the normalized carrier injection efficiency can be obtained by analyzing the slopes of the logarithmic L-I curves. The carrier injection efficiency decreases after the EQE peak of the InGaN LEDs, determined from the analysis of the slopes of the logarithmic L-I curves.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Mitigation of rotational instability of high-beta field-reversed configuration by double-sided magnetized plasmoid injection

Active control of destructive rotational instability in a high-beta field-reversed configuration (FRC) plasma was demonstrated by using double-sided plasmoid injection technique. The elliptical deformation of the FRC's cross section was mitigated as a result of substantial suppression of spontaneous spin-up by the plasmoid injection. It was found that the injected plasmoid provided better stability against the rotational mode, suggesting that the compensation of the FRC's decaying magnetic flux might help to suppress its spin-up.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Observation of the inverse spin Hall effect in ZnO thin films: An all-electrical approach to spin injection and detection

The inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE) is a newly discovered, quantum mechanical phenomenon where an applied spin current results in the generation of an electrical voltage in the transverse direction. It is anticipated that the ISHE can provide a more simple way of measuring spin currents in spintronic devices. The ISHE was first observed in noble metals that exhibit strong spin-orbit coupling. However, recently, the ISHE has been detected in conventional semiconductors (such as Si and Ge), which possess weak spin-orbit coupling. This suggests that large-spin orbit coupling is not a requirement for observing the ISHE. In this paper, we are reporting the observation of the ISHE in an alternative semiconductor material, zinc oxide (ZnO) using all-electrical means. In our study, we found that when a spin-polarized current is injected into the ZnO film from a NiFe ferromagnetic injector via an MgO tunnel barrier layer, a voltage transverse to both the direction of the current as well as its spin-polarization is generated in the ZnO layer. The polarity of this voltage signal was found to flip on reversing the direction of the injected current as well as on reversing the polarization of the current, consistent with the predictions of the ISHE process. Through careful analysis of the ISHE data, we determined a spin-Hall angle of approximately 1.651 × 10{sup −2} for ZnO, which is two orders of magnitude higher than that of silicon. Observation of a detectable room-temperature ISHE signal in ZnO via electrical injection and detection is a groundbreaking step that opens a path towards achieving transparent spin detectors for next-generation spintronic device technology.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Injected-charge-driven increase in electro-optic effect of KTN crystals

We report a significant increase in the electro-optic (EO) effect of KTa{sub x}Nb{sub 1-x}O{sub 3} (KTN) crystals that we achieved by injecting carriers into them. The dielectric constant of KTN was increased approximately twofold by carrier injection. The EO beam scanning performance was effectively improved by the increase in the EO effect resulting from the increased dielectric constant. The estimated densities of the trapped electrons were as small as 5.8 × 10{sup 20}m{sup -3}. The very small quantity of injected electrons greatly affected the dielectric constant and EO effect of the KTN crystals.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Role of stochastic heating in wakefield acceleration when optical injection is used

The dynamics of an electron in two counterpropagating waves is investigated. Conditions for stochastic acceleration are derived. The possibility of stochastic heating is confirmed when two waves interact with low density plasma by performing PIC (Particle In Cell) code simulations. It is shown that stochastic heating can play an important role in laser wakefield acceleration. When considering low density plasma interacting with a high intensity wave perturbed by a low intensity counterpropagating wave, stochastic heating can provide electrons with the right momentum for trapping in the wakefield. The influence of stochastic acceleration on the trapping of electrons is compared to the one of the beatwave force which is responsible for cold injection. To do so, several polarizations for the colliding pulses are considered. For some value of the plasma density and pulse duration, a transition from an injection due to stochastic acceleration to a cold injection dominated regime—regarding the trapped charge—has been observed from 2D and 3D PIC code simulations. This transition is ruled by the ratio of the interaction length of the pulses to the longitudinal size of the bubble. When the interaction length of the laser pulses reaches the radius of the accelerating cavity stochastic heating becomes dominant, and might be necessary to get electrons trapped into the wakefield, when wakefield inhibition grows with plasma density.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Control of emitted light polarization in a 1310 nm dilute nitride spin-vertical cavity surface emitting laser subject to circularly polarized optical injection

We experimentally demonstrate the control of the light polarization emitted by a 1310 nm dilute nitride spin-Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) at room temperature. This is achieved by means of a combination of polarized optical pumping and polarized optical injection. Without external injection, the polarization of the optical pump controls that of the spin-VCSEL. However, the addition of the externally injected signal polarized with either left- (LCP) or right-circular polarization (RCP) is able to control the polarization of the spin-VCSEL switching it at will to left- or right-circular polarization. A numerical model has been developed showing a very high degree of agreement with the experimental findings.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Dynamical spin injection at a quasi-one-dimensional ferromagnet-graphene interface

We present a study of dynamical spin injection from a three-dimensional ferromagnet into two-dimensional single-layer graphene. Comparative ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) studies of ferromagnet/graphene strips buried underneath the central line of a coplanar waveguide show that the FMR linewidth broadening is the largest when the graphene layer protrudes laterally away from the ferromagnetic strip, indicating that the spin current is injected into the graphene areas away from the area directly underneath the ferromagnet being excited. Our results confirm that the observed damping is indeed a signature of dynamical spin injection, wherein a pure spin current is pumped into the single-layer graphene from the precessing magnetization of the ferromagnet. The observed spin pumping efficiency is difficult to reconcile with the expected backflow of spins according to the standard spin pumping theory and the characteristics of graphene, and constitutes an enigma for spin pumping in two-dimensional structures.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Solitary pulse-on-demand production by optical injection locking of passively Q-switched InGaN diode laser near lasing threshold

In this letter, we investigate the behavior of a Q-switched InGaN multi-section laser diode (MSLD) under optical injection from a continuous wave external cavity diode laser. We obtain solitary optical pulse generation when the slave MSLD is driven near free running threshold, and the peak output power is significantly enhanced with respect to free running configuration. When the slave laser is driven well above threshold, optical injection reduces the peak power. Using standard semiconductor laser rate equation model, we find that both power enhancement and suppression effects are the result of partial bleaching of the saturable absorber by externally injected photons.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗