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At least 829 records · Page 46
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Low-temperature thermal conductivity of antiferromagnetic S = 1/2 chain material CuCl{sub 2}·2((CH{sub 3}){sub 2}SO)

We study the heat transport of S = 1/2 chain compound CuCl{sub 2}·2((CH{sub 3}){sub 2}SO) along the b axis (vertical to the chain direction) at very low temperatures. The zero-field thermal conductivity (κ) shows a distinct kink at about 0.9 K, which is related to the long-range antiferromagnetic (AF) transition. With applying magnetic field along the c axis, κ(H) curves also show distinct changes at the phase boundaries between the AF and the high-field disordered states. These results indicate a strong spin-phonon interaction and the magnetic excitations play a role in the b-axis heat transport as phonon scatterers.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Polarization switching characteristics of 0.5BaTi{sub 0.8}Zr{sub 0.2}O{sub 3}-0.5Ba{sub 0.7}Ca{sub 0.3}TiO{sub 3} lead free ferroelectric thin films by pulsed laser deposition

We report on the ferroelectricity for morphotropic-phase-boundary lead (Pb) free 0.5BaTi{sub 0.8}Zr{sub 0.2}O{sub 3}-0.5Ba{sub 0.7}Ca{sub 0.3}TiO{sub 3} (0.5BZT-0.5BCT) thin films. Thin films were grown on Pt/Ti/SiO{sub 2}/Si substrate using pulsed laser deposition. Raman spectroscopic data combined with the X-ray diffraction analyses confirm body centered tetragonal crystallographic structure 0.5BZT-0.5 BCT thin films on Pt/Ti/SiO{sub 2}/Si. Polarization studies demonstrate that these 0.5BZT-0.5BCT films exhibit a large remnant and saturation polarization of 37 μC/cm{sup 2} and 40 μC/cm{sup 2}, respectively, with a coercive field of 140 kV/cm. A correlation between polarization dynamics, structural distortion, and phonon vibration is established. The splitting of X-ray diffraction peak of the thin film in the 2θ range of 44.5° to 46.5° represents high degree of tetragonality. The tetragonality factor calculated by Rietveld analysis was found to be 0.006 and can be a major cause for the increased remnant polarization value. It is established from Raman spectra that the non-centrosymmetricity due to the displacement of Ti/Zr ions from its octahedral position is related to the peak position as well as the broadening of the A{sub 1} (LO) optical phonon mode. This increase of broadness in the thin film causes an increase in the dipole moment of the unit cell and, hence, the net increase in polarization values.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Photoluminescence in Pb{sub 0.95}Sr{sub 0.05}(Zr{sub 1−x}Ti{sub x}){sub 1−y}Cr{sub y}O{sub 3} ferroelectric ceramic system

Over the past several years, there has been a remarkable growth and development in new ceramic and/or composite materials to be used in the electro-electronic industry. Ferroelectric materials have been recognized for their multifunctional physical properties; also, their optical properties are a subject of intense research effort due to their possible electro-optic applications. In this work, the visible photoluminescence effect is analyzed at room temperature in a sintered Pb{sub 0.95}Sr{sub 0.05}(Zr{sub 1−x}Ti{sub x}){sub 1−y}Cr{sub y}O{sub 3} perovskite-type structure system, doped with Sr and Cr. The excitation bands used were 267, 325, 373, 457, 635, and 680 nm, but the best result was obtained at 373 nm. The intensity and energy of such emission in this system have been studied by changing the molar Cr concentration (0 < y < 0.005) and the Ti content (x), with x = 0.20, 0.40, 0.53, 0.60, and 0.80, on both sides of the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) zone. The principal emission bands are at the energies 1.73, 1.87, and 3.03 eV. The changes that were caused by Zr or Ti ions in the symmetry presented in the rhombohedral or tetragonal side of the MPB are more important. Additionally, structural and micro-structural measurements were performed by the x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy techniques, respectively. The micro-Raman technique is also used in the study of this set of samples, which allows finding the Raman shift modes and the influence on the structural changes of the dopants.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Low defect InGaAs quantum well selectively grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition on Si(100) 300 mm wafers for next generation non planar devices

Metal organic chemical vapor deposition of GaAs, InGaAs, and AlGaAs on nominal 300 mm Si(100) at temperatures below 550 °C was studied using the selective aspect ratio trapping method. We clearly show that growing directly GaAs on a flat Si surface in a SiO{sub 2} cavity with an aspect ratio as low as 1.3 is efficient to completely annihilate the anti-phase boundary domains. InGaAs quantum wells were grown on a GaAs buffer and exhibit room temperature micro-photoluminescence. Cathodoluminescence reveals the presence of dark spots which could be associated with the presence of emerging dislocation in a direction parallel to the cavity. The InGaAs layers obtained with no antiphase boundaries are perfect candidates for being integrated as channels in n-type metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), while the low temperatures used allow the co-integration of p-type MOSFET.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Diffusive and quantum effects of water properties in different states of matter

The enthalpy, entropy, and free energy of water are important physical quantities for understanding many interesting phenomena in biological systems. However, conventional approaches require different treatments to incorporate quantum and diffusive effects of water in different states of matter. In this work, we demonstrate the use of the two-phase thermodynamic (2PT) model as a unified approach to obtain the properties of water over the whole phase region of water from short (∼20 ps) classical molecular dynamics trajectories. The 2PT model provides an effective way to separate the diffusive modes (gas-like component) from the harmonic vibrational modes (solid-like component) in the vibrational density of states (DoS). Therefore, both diffusive and quantum effect can be properly accounted for water by applying suitable statistical mechanical weighting functions to the DoS components. We applied the 2PT model to systematically examine the enthalpy, entropy, and their temperature dependence of five commonly used rigid water models. The 2PT results are found to be consistent with those obtained from more sophisticated calculations. While the thermodynamic properties determined from different water models are largely similar, the phase boundary determined from the equality of free energy is very sensitive to the small inaccuracy in the values of enthalpy and absolute entropy. The enthalpy, entropy, and diffusivity of water are strongly interrelated, which challenge further improvement of rigid water model via parameter fitting. Our results show that the 2PT is an efficient method for studying the properties of water under various chemical and biological environments.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Hot-stage transmission electron microscopy study of (Na, K)NbO{sub 3} based lead-free piezoceramics

Hierarchical nanodomains assembled into micron-sized stripe domains, which is believed to be associated with outstanding piezoelectric properties, were observed at room temperature in a typical lead free piezoceramics, (Na{sub 0.52}K{sub 0.48−x})(Nb{sub 0.95−x}Ta{sub 0.05})-xLiSbO{sub 3}, with finely tuned polymorphic phase boundaries (x = 0.0465) by transmission electron microscopy. The evolution of domain morphology and crystal structure under heating and cooling cycles in the ceramic was investigated by in-situ hot stage study. It is found that the nanodomains are irreversibly transformed into micron-sized rectangular domains during heating and cooling cycles, which lead to the thermal instability of piezoelectric properties of the materials.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Effects of composition and temperature on the large field behavior of [011]{sub C} relaxor ferroelectric single crystals

The large field behavior of [011]{sub C} cut relaxor ferroelectric lead indium niobate–lead magnesium niobate–lead titanate, xPb(In{sub 1/2}Nb{sub 1/2})O{sub 3}-(1-x-y)Pb(Mg{sub 1/3}Nb{sub 2/3})O{sub 3}-yPbTiO{sub 3}, single crystals was experimentally characterized in the piezoelectric d{sub 322}-mode configuration under combined mechanical, electrical, and thermal loading. Increasing the concentration of lead indium niobate and decreasing the concentration of lead titanate in compositions near the morphotropic phase boundary resulted in a decrease of mechanical compliance, dielectric permittivity, and piezoelectric coefficients as well as a shift from a continuous to a discontinuous transformation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Interfacial structure in epitaxial perovskite oxides on (001) Ge crystal

We investigated the interfacial structure of hetero-epitaxial SrZr{sub 0.68}Ti{sub 0.32}O{sub 3} thin film deposited on (001) Ge single crystal via transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results from high-resolution scanning TEM and electron energy-loss spectroscopy show an atomically abrupt interface without secondary phase. We found misfit dislocations with Burgers vector of 1/2a 〈111〉 and threading dislocations with Burgers vector of a 〈100〉. Furthermore, we observed the coupling between dislocation half-loop and anti-phase boundary induced by the lattice terrace of Ge along 〈100〉 direction and their decoupling after annealing. We proposed models based on half-loop theory to interpret the coupling and the dislocation reactions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Large piezoelectricity in Pb-free 0.96(K{sub 0.5}Na{sub 0.5}){sub 0.95}Li{sub 0.05}Nb{sub 0.93}Sb{sub 0.07}O{sub 3}−0.04BaZrO{sub 3} ceramic: A perspective from microstructure

We employ transmission electron microscopy to explore the reason for large piezoelectricity (d{sub 33}≈400pC/N) in a Pb-free 0.96(K{sub 0.5}Na{sub 0.5}){sub 0.95}Li{sub 0.05}Nb{sub 0.93}Sb{sub 0.07}O{sub 3} −0.04BaZrO{sub 3} ceramic from microstructure. The result shows that the high piezoelectricity corresponds to a miniaturized nanodomain configuration in a domain hierarchy. The nanodomains disappear on heating accompanied by a reduction in d{sub 33} value. Further convergent beam electron diffraction study reveals a coexistence of tetragonal and orthorhombic phase, which indicates that large piezoelectricity of KNLNS{sub 0.07}-BZ may stem from easy polarization rotation due to low polarization anisotropy on the tetragonal-orthorhombic phase boundary.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Non-intrusive, high-resolution, real-time, two-dimensional imaging of multiphase materials using acoustic array sensors

Two parallel multi-element ultrasonic acoustic arrays combined with sets of focal laws for acoustic signal generation and a classical tomographic inversion algorithm are used to generate real-time two-dimensional micro seismic acoustic images of multiphase materials. Proof of concept and calibration measurements were performed for single phase and two phase liquids, uniform polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plates, and aluminum cylinders imbedded in PVC plates. Measurement artefacts, arising from the limited range of viewing angles, and the compromise between data acquisition rate and image quality are discussed. The angle range of scanning and the image resolution were varied, and the effects on the quality of the reproduction of the speed of sound profiles of model solids and liquids with known geometries and compositions were analysed in detail. The best image quality results were obtained for a scanning angle range of [−35°, 35°] at a step size of 2.5° post processed to generate images on a 40 μm square grid. The data acquisition time for high quality images with a 30 mm × 40 mm view field is 10 min. Representation of two-phase solids with large differences in speed of sound between phases and where one phase is dispersed in the form of macroscopic objects (greater than 1 mm in diameter) proved to be the most difficult to image accurately. Liquid-liquid and liquid-vapor phase boundaries, in micro porous solids by contrast, were more readily defined. Displacement of air by water and water by heptane in natural porous limestone provides illustrative kinetic examples. Measurement results with these realistic cases demonstrate the feasibility of the technique to monitor in real time and on the micrometer length scale local composition and flow of organic liquids in inorganic porous media, one of many envisioned engineering applications. Improvement of data acquisition rate is an area for future collaborative study.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

Distinctive uniaxial magnetic anisotropy and positive magnetoresistance in (110)-oriented Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} films

Magnetite (Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}) films were synthesized on (110)-oriented MgO, MgAl{sub 2}O{sub 4}, and SrTiO{sub 3} substrates for comparative studies of the substrates' effects on magnetic and magnetoresistance properties of the films. For the [-110] direction, the hysteresis loops of the Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} film on MgAl{sub 2}O{sub 4} exhibited a good squareness with the largest coercivity of ∼1090 Oe, and the ratio of remanent magnetization to saturation magnetization was ∼0.995. For the [001] direction, positive magnetoresistance in weak magnetic fields was most distinct for the (110) SrTiO{sub 3} substrate with the largest lattice mismatch. Positive magnetoresistance in the (110) Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} films was presumably affected by imperfect atomic arrangements at anti-phase boundaries.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Enhanced tunable magnetoresistance properties over a wide temperature range in epitaxial (La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3}){sub 1−x}:(CeO{sub 2}){sub x} nanocomposites

Vertically aligned nanocomposite (VAN) (La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3}){sub 1−x}:(CeO{sub 2}){sub x} (LSMO:CeO{sub 2}) thin films have been grown on SrTiO{sub 3} (001) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. Tunable magnetoresistance properties as well as microstructures are demonstrated in these VAN films by modulating the film composition (x = 0, 0.3, 0.4, 0.45, 0.5, and 0.55). The sample of x = 0.3 shows a large low-field magnetoresistance (LFMR) in a high temperature range, i.e., over 10% at the range of 280 K to 320 K under 1 T and with a peak value of ∼13.5% at 310 K. In addition, a vast enhancement of LFMR in a low temperature range of 20–150 K with peak of ≈34.3% at 45 K for 1 T could be achieved with x = 0.5. The enhanced LFMR properties can be attributed to both the phase boundary induced spin fluctuation and the magnetic tunneling effect through vertical ferromagnetic/insulator/ferromagnetic structures. The observed enhanced LFMR performance, especially at high temperatures, as well as its simple growth method, offers a great potential for LSMO:CeO{sub 2}nanocomposites to be used in spintronic devices in a large temperature range.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Reference Correlation for the Viscosity of Ethane

A new representation of the viscosity for the fluid phase of ethane includes a zero-density correlation and a contribution for the critical enhancement, initially both developed separately, but based on experimental data. The higher-density contributions are correlated as a function of the reduced density δ = ρ/ρ{sub c} and of the reciprocal reduced temperature τ = T{sub c}/T (ρ{sub c}—critical density and T{sub c}—critical temperature). The final formulation contains 14 coefficients obtained using a state-of-the-art linear optimization algorithm. The evaluation and choice of the selected primary data sets is reviewed, in particular with respect to the assessment used in earlier viscosity correlations. The new viscosity surface correlation makes use of the reference equation of state for the thermodynamic properties of ethane by Bücker and Wagner [J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data 35, 205 (2006)] and is valid in the fluid region from the melting line to temperatures of 675 K and pressures of 100 MPa. The viscosity in the limit of zero density is described with an expanded uncertainty of 0.5% (coverage factor k = 2) for temperatures 290 < T/K < 625, increasing to 1.0% at temperatures down to 212 K. The uncertainty of the correlated values is 1.5% in the range 290 < T/K < 430 at pressures up to 30 MPa on the basis of recent measurements judged to be very reliable as well as 4.0% and 6.0% in further regions. The uncertainty in the near-critical region (1.001 < 1/τ < 1.010 and 0.8 < δ < 1.2) increases with decreasing temperature up to 3.0% considering the available reliable data. Tables of the viscosity calculated from the correlation are listed in an appendix for the single-phase region, for the vapor–liquid phase boundary, and for the near-critical region.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Communication: Cosolvency and cononsolvency explained in terms of a Flory-Huggins type theory

Standard Flory-Huggins (FH) theory is utilized to describe the enigmatic cosolvency and cononsolvency phenomena for systems of polymers dissolved in mixed solvents. In particular, phase boundaries (specifically upper critical solution temperature spinodals) are calculated for solutions of homopolymers B in pure solvents and in binary mixtures of small molecule liquids A and C. The miscibility (or immiscibility) patterns for the ternary systems are classified in terms of the FH binary interaction parameters (χ{sub αβ}) and the ratio r = ϕ{sub A}/ϕ{sub C} of the concentrations ϕ{sub A} and ϕ{sub C} of the two solvents. The trends in miscibility are compared to those observed for blends of random copolymers (A{sub x}C{sub 1−x}) with homopolymers (B) and to those deduced for A/B/C solutions of polymers B in liquid mixtures of small molecules A and C that associate into polymeric clusters (A{sub p}C{sub q}){sub i}, (i = 1, 2, …, ∞). Although the classic FH theory is able to explain cosolvency and cononsolvency phenomena, the theory does not include a consideration of the mutual association of the solvent molecules and the competitive association between the solvent molecules and the polymer. These interactions can be incorporated in refinements of the FH theory, and the present paper provides a foundation for such extensions for modeling the rich thermodynamics of polymers in mixed solvents.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

Incorporation of indium on cubic GaN epitaxially induced on a nanofaceted Si(001) substrate by phase transition

Here, the incorporation of In on the non-polar, piezoelectric-free (001) facet of cubic (c-) GaN epitaxially grown over a Si(001) substrate by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy is reported. Relying on a hexagonal (h-) to c-phase transformation during epitaxy on an 800 nm-wide, Si(111)-faceted v-groove patterned into the substrate, the GaN epilayer at cross sectional view retains a triangular c-phase inside a chevron-shaped h-phase that results in a top surface bounded by a (001) facet parallel to Si(001) at the center and (11¯01) facets at both edges. A stack of five, ~3 nm-thick, In x Ga 1–x N/GaN quantum wells (QWs) was deposited on the double-phased top surface. The c-phase region up to the QWs keeps extremely small misfit (~0.002) to the fully relaxed h-GaN underneath it and is in tensile stress implying undefected by the h-c phase interface. Lastly, the In incorporation on a strained non-polar (001) of c-GaN is comparable with that on totally relaxed semi-polar (11¯01) of h-GaN without noticeable adatom migration across the phase boundary, and sufficient to provide the room-temperature green emission at 496 nm from the c-In x Ga 1–x N/GaN QWs on Si(001) in photoluminescence.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Persistent monolayer-scale chemical ordering in Si{sub 1−x}Ge{sub x} heteroepitaxial films during surface roughening and strain relaxation

Chemical ordering in semiconductor alloys could modify thermal and electronic transport, with potential benefits to thermoelectric properties. Here, metastable ordering that occurs during heteroepitaxial growth of Si{sub 1−x}Ge{sub x} thin film alloys on Si(001) and Ge(001) substrates is investigated. A parametric study was performed to study how strain, surface roughness, and growth parameters affect the order parameter during the alloy growth. The order parameter for the alloy films was carefully quantified using x-ray diffraction, taking into account an often-overlooked issue associated with the presence of multiple spatial variants associated with ordering along equivalent <111> directions. Optimal ordering was observed in the films having the smoothest surfaces. Extended strain relaxation is suggested to reduce the apparent order through creation of anti-phase boundaries. Ordering surprisingly persists even when the film surface extensively roughens to form (105) facets. Growth on deliberately miscut Si(001) surfaces does not affect the volume-averaged order parameter but does impact the relative volume fractions of the equivalent ordered variants in a manner consistent with geometrically necessary changes in step populations. These results provide somewhat self-contradictory implications for the role of step edges in controlling the ordering process, indicating that our understanding is still incomplete.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Interface modulated currents in periodically proton exchanged Mg doped lithium niobate

Conductivity in Mg doped lithium niobate (Mg:LN) plays a key role in the reduction of photorefraction and is therefore widely exploited in optical devices. However, charge transport through Mg:LN and across interfaces such as electrodes also yields potential electronic applications in devices with switchable conductivity states. Furthermore, the introduction of proton exchanged (PE) phases in Mg:LN enhances ionic conductivity, thus providing tailorability of conduction mechanisms and functionality dependent on sample composition. To facilitate the construction and design of such multifunctional electronic devices based on periodically PE Mg:LN or similar ferroelectric semiconductors, fundamental understanding of charge transport in these materials, as well as the impact of internal and external interfaces, is essential. In order to gain insight into polarization and interface dependent conductivity due to band bending, UV illumination, and chemical reactivity, wedge shaped samples consisting of polar oriented Mg:LN and PE phases were investigated using conductive atomic force microscopy. In Mg:LN, three conductivity states (on/off/transient) were observed under UV illumination, controllable by the polarity of the sample and the externally applied electric field. Measurements of currents originating from electrochemical reactions at the metal electrode–PE phase interfaces demonstrate a memresistive and rectifying capability of the PE phase. Furthermore, internal interfaces such as domain walls and Mg:LN–PE phase boundaries were found to play a major role in the accumulation of charge carriers due to polarization gradients, which can lead to increased currents. The insight gained from these findings yield the potential for multifunctional applications such as switchable UV sensitive micro- and nanoelectronic devices and bistable memristors.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Effect of Fe doping on structural and impedance properties of PZTFN ceramics

An attempts have been made to synthesis the ceramics Pb{sub 1-3x/2} Fe{sub x}(Zr{sub 0.52}Ti{sub 0.48}){sub 1-5y/4} NbyO{sub 3} abbreviated as (PFZTN) for x = 1-6 mol% and y = 5.5 mol% by a semi-wet route. In the present paper, we have investigated the effect of Fe doping on structural and electrical properties of the PFZTN ceramics. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns reveal that PFZTN ceramics are single phase in nature. However, for x = 0.05 and 0.06, a secondary phase appears as discernible from the XRD profiles. Rietveld analysis of the powder diffraction data shows the presence of coexistence of tetragonal (P4mm space group) and rhombohedral phases (R3c space group) occurs near the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) at x ≥ = 0.05. The log-log plots show that the conductivity increases with increase of temperature. The ac conductivity becomes sensitive at high frequency region and shifted towards higher frequency side with increasing temperature. It is observed that the activation energy (Ea) decreases with increasing frequency. This complex perovskite structure can be used as a multilayer ceramic capacitors and electromechanical transducers.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗