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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 865 records · Page 48
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

A method to precisely identify the afterpulses when using the S9717 avalanche photodiode

The detection ratio of an avalanche photodiode (APD) biased in Geiger-mode increases versus the excess voltage; the afterpulsing rate increases too. The last one can be reduced by inserting an artificial dead time and accepting a lower measuring top rate. So, in order to tune a single-photon detector system, it is necessary to exactly identify afterpulses and measure their rate; the experimental results are presented. When using the S9717 APD in Geiger-mode, the cathode to ground voltage waveform reveals the existence of a particular sequence of pulses: a usual one followed, within 1μs, by a least one appearing to have been generated for negative excess voltage values. All these characteristics are the signature of the afterpulsing generation. Based on this observation, we were able to precisely measure the afterpulsing rate.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Frequency-comb-assisted precision laser spectroscopy of CHF{sub 3} around 8.6 μm

We report a high-precision spectroscopic study of room-temperature trifluoromethane around 8.6 μm, using a CW quantum cascade laser phase-locked to a mid-infrared optical frequency comb. This latter is generated by a nonlinear down-conversion process starting from a dual-branch Er:fiber laser and is stabilized against a GPS-disciplined rubidium clock. By tuning the comb repetition frequency, several transitions falling in the υ{sub 5} vibrational band are recorded with a frequency resolution of 20 kHz. Due to the very dense spectra, a special multiple-line fitting code, involving a Voigt profile, is developed for data analysis. The combination of the adopted experimental approach and survey procedure leads to fractional accuracy levels in the determination of line center frequencies, down to 2 × 10{sup −10}. Line intensity factors, pressure broadening, and shifting parameters are also provided.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Development of a precision reverse offset printing system

In printed electronics technology, the overlay accuracy of printed patterns is a very important issue when applying printing technology to the production of electric devices. In order to achieve accurate positioning of the printed patterns, this study proposes a novel precision reverse offset printing system. Furthermore, the study evaluates the effects of synchronization and printing force on position errors of the printed patterns, and presents methods of controlling synchronization and printing force so as to eliminate positional errors caused by the above-mentioned reasons. Finally, the printing position repeatability of 0.40 μm and 0.32 μm (x and y direction, respectively) at a sigma level is obtained over the dimension of 100 mm under repeated printing tests with identical printing conditions.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2016

A modified time-of-flight method for precise determination of high speed ratios in molecular beams

Time-of-flight (TOF) is a standard experimental technique for determining, among others, the speed ratio S (velocity spread) of a molecular beam. The speed ratio is a measure for the monochromaticity of the beam and an accurate determination of S is crucial for various applications, for example, for characterising chromatic aberrations in focussing experiments related to helium microscopy or for precise measurements of surface phonons and surface structures in molecular beam scattering experiments. For both of these applications, it is desirable to have as high a speed ratio as possible. Molecular beam TOF measurements are typically performed by chopping the beam using a rotating chopper with one or more slit openings. The TOF spectra are evaluated using a standard deconvolution method. However, for higher speed ratios, this method is very sensitive to errors related to the determination of the slit width and the beam diameter. The exact sensitivity depends on the beam diameter, the number of slits, the chopper radius, and the chopper rotation frequency. We present a modified method suitable for the evaluation of TOF measurements of high speed ratio beams. The modified method is based on a systematic variation of the chopper convolution parameters so that a set of independent measurements that can be fitted with an appropriate function are obtained. We show that with this modified method, it is possible to reduce the error by typically one order of magnitude compared to the standard method.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2016

Injection molding of high precision optics for LED applications made of liquid silicone rubber

Light Emitting Diodes (LED) conquer the growing global market of lighting technologies. Due to their advantages, they are increasingly used in consumer products, in lighting applications in the home and in the mobility sector as well as in industrial applications. Particularly, with regard to the increasing use of high-power LED (HP-LED) the materials in the surrounding area of the light emitting semiconductor chip are of utmost importance. While the materials behind the semiconductor chip are optimized for maximum heat dissipation, the materials currently used for the encapsulation of the semiconductor chip (primary optics) and the secondary optics encounter their limits due to the high temperatures. In addition certain amounts of blue UV radiation degrade the currently used materials such as epoxy resins or polyurethanes for primary optics. In the context of an ongoing joint research project with various partners from the industry, an innovative manufacturing method for high precision optics for LED applications made of liquid silicone rubber (LSR) is analyzed at the Institut of Plastics Processing (IKV), Aachen. The aim of this project is to utilize the material-specific advantages of high transparent LSR, especially the excellent high temperature resistance and the great freedom in design. Therefore, a high integrated injection molding process is developed. For the production of combined LED primary and secondary optics a LED board is placed in an injection mold and overmolded with LSR. Due to the integrated process and the reduction of subcomponents like the secondary optics the economics of the production process can be improved significantly. Furthermore combined LED optics offer an improved effectiveness, because there are no losses of the light power at the transition of the primary and secondary optics.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Co on Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}(001): Towards precise control of surface properties

A novel approach to incorporate cobalt atoms into a magnetite single crystal is demonstrated by a combination of x-ray spectro-microscopy, low-energy electron diffraction, and density-functional theory calculations. Co is deposited at room temperature on the reconstructed magnetite (001) surface filling first the subsurface octahedral vacancies and then occupying adatom sites on the surface. Progressive annealing treatments at temperatures up to 733 K diffuse the Co atoms into deeper crystal positions, mainly into octahedral ones with a marked inversion level. The oxidation state, coordination, and magnetic moments of the cobalt atoms are followed from their adsorption to their final incorporation into the bulk, mostly as octahedral Co{sup 2+}. This precise control of the near-surface Co atoms location opens up the way to accurately tune the surface physical and magnetic properties of mixed spinel oxides.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Precise measurement of single carbon nanocoils using focused ion beam technique

We have developed a precise resistivity measurement system for quasi-one-dimensional nanomaterials using a focused ion beam. The system enables the resistivity of carbon nanocoils (CNCs) to be measured and its dependence on coil geometry to be elucidated. At room temperature, the resistivity of CNCs tended to increase with coil diameter, while that of artificially graphitized CNCs remained constant. These contrasting behaviors indicate coil-diameter-induced enhancement in structural disorder internal to CNCs. Low-temperature resistivity measurements performed on the CNCs revealed that electron transport through the helical axis is governed by the variable range hopping mechanism. The characteristic temperature in variable range hopping theory was found to systematically increase with coil diameter, which supports our theory that the population of sp{sup 2}-domains in CNCs decreases considerably with coil diameter.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

High precision tilt stage as a key element to a universal test mirror for characterization and calibration of slope measuring instruments

The ultimate performance of surface slope metrology instrumentation, such as long trace profilers and auto-collimator based deflectometers, is limited by systematic errors that are increased when the entire angular range is used for metrology of significantly curved optics. At the ALS X-Ray Optics Laboratory, in collaboration with the HZB/BESSY-II and PTB (Germany) metrology teams, we are working on a calibration method for deflectometers, based on a concept of a universal test mirror (UTM) [V. V. Yashchuk et al., Proc. SPIE 6704, 67040A (2007)]. Potentially, the UTM method provides high performance calibration and accounts for peculiarities of the optics under test (e.g., slope distribution) and the experimental arrangement (e.g., the distance between the sensor and the optic under test). At the same time, the UTM calibration method is inherently universal, applicable to a variety of optics and experimental arrangements. In this work, we present the results of tests with a key component of the UTM system, a custom high precision tilt stage, which has been recently developed in collaboration with Physik Instrumente, GmbH. The tests have demonstrated high performance of the stage and its capability (after additional calibration) to provide angular calibration of surface slope measuring profilers over the entire instrumental dynamic range with absolute accuracy better than 30 nrad. The details of the stage design and tests are presented. We also discuss the foundation of the UTM method and calibration algorithm, as well as the possible design of a full scale UTM system.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2016

Impact of LF and HF noises of HeNe lasers on the operation of precise interferometers

In the paper there are analyzed factors limiting resolution of precise laser interferometers working either in low frequency LF or in high frequency HF range. It is shown that the influence of the laser tube noises, although substantial, is not the most important. The influence of the electronic circuitry and signal processing is also evaluated.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

SOLARIS 3-axis high load, low profile, high precision motorized positioner

A 3-axis optical table, shown in Figure 1, was designed, fabricated, and assembled for the SOLARIS synchrotron facility at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. To accommodate the facility, the table was designed to be very low profile, as seen in Figure 2, and bear a high load. The platform has degrees of freedom in the vertical (Z) direction as well as horizontal transversal (X and Y) directions. The table is intended to sustain loads as large as 1500 kg which will be sufficient to support a variety of equipment to measure and facilitate synchrotron radiation. After assembly, the table was tested and calibrated to find its position error in the vertical direction. ADC has extensive experience designing and building custom complex high precision motion systems [1,2].

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2016

Development of a compact, fiber-coupled, six degree-of-freedom measurement system for precision linear stage metrology

A compact, fiber-coupled, six degree-of-freedom measurement system which enables fast, accurate calibration, and error mapping of precision linear stages is presented. The novel design has the advantages of simplicity, compactness, and relatively low cost. This proposed sensor can simultaneously measure displacement, two straightness errors, and changes in pitch, yaw, and roll using a single optical beam traveling between the measurement system and a small target. The optical configuration of the system and the working principle for all degrees-of-freedom are presented along with the influence and compensation of crosstalk motions in roll and straightness measurements. Several comparison experiments are conducted to investigate the feasibility and performance of the proposed system in each degree-of-freedom independently. Comparison experiments to a commercial interferometer demonstrate error standard deviations of 0.33 μm in straightness, 0.14 μrad in pitch, 0.44 μradin yaw, and 45.8 μrad in roll.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2016

Invited Article: A precise instrument to determine the Planck constant, and the future kilogram

A precise instrument, called a watt balance, compares mechanical power measured in terms of the meter, the second, and the kilogram to electrical power measured in terms of the volt and the ohm. A direct link between mechanical action and the Planck constant is established by the practical realization of the electrical units derived from the Josephson and the quantum Hall effects. We describe in this paper the fourth-generation watt balance at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and report our initial determination of the Planck constant obtained from data taken in late 2015 and the beginning of 2016. A comprehensive analysis of the data and the associated uncertainties led to the SI value of the Planck constant, h = 6.626 069 83(22) × 10{sup −34} J s. The relative standard uncertainty associated with this result is 34 × 10{sup −9}.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Precise mass detector based on carbon nanooscillator

Precise mass detectors based on an amorphous carbon nanowires, which localized on the top of a tungsten tip were fabricated and investigated. The nanowires were grown in the scanning electron microscope (SEM) chamber using focused electron beam technique. The movement trajectories and amplitude-frequency characteristics of the carbon nanowire oscillators were visualized at low and ambient pressure using SEM and confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM), respectevely. The SiO{sub 2} and TiO{sub 2} nanospheres were clamped on the top of the carbon nanowires. The manipulations of nanospheres were provided by means of dielectrophoretic force in SEM. The sensitivity of the mass detector based on the carbon nanowire oscillator was estimated.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Precise control of polymer coated nanopores by nanoparticle additives: Insights from computational modeling

Polymer-nanoparticle composites are a promising new class of materials for creation of controllable nano-patterned surfaces and nanopores. We use coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations augmented with analytical theory to study the structural transitions of surface grafted polymer layers (brushes) induced by infiltration of nanoparticles that are attracted to the polymers in the layer. We systematically compare two different polymer brush geometries: one where the polymer chains are grafted to a planar surface and the other where the chains are grafted to the inside of a cylindrical nanochannel. We perform a comprehensive study of the effects of the material parameters such as the polymer chain length, chain grafting density, nanoparticle size, strength of attraction between nanoparticles and polymer monomers, and, in the case of the cylindrically grafted brush, the radius of the cylinder. We find a very general behavioral motif for all geometries and parameter values: the height of the polymer brush is non-monotonic in the nanoparticle concentration in solution. As the nanoparticle concentration increases, the brush height first decreases and after passing through a minimum value begins to increase, resulting in the swelling of the nanoparticle infused brush. These morphological features may be useful for devising tunable “smart” nano-devices whose effective dimensions can be reversibly and precisely adjusted by changing the nanoparticle concentration in solution. The results of approximate Self-Consistent Field Theory (SCFT) calculations, applicable in the regime of strong brush stretching, are compared to the simulation results. The SCFT calculations are found to be qualitatively, even semi-quantitatively, accurate when applied within their intended regime of validity, and provide a useful and efficient tool for modeling such materials.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Precision atomic beam density characterization by diode laser absorption spectroscopy

We provide experimental and theoretical details of a simple technique to determine absolute line-of-sight integrated atomic beam densities based on resonant laser absorption. In our experiments, a thermal lithium beam is chopped on and off while the frequency of a laser crossing the beam at right angles is scanned slowly across the resonance transition. A lock-in amplifier detects the laser absorption signal at the chop frequency from which the atomic density is determined. The accuracy of our experimental method is confirmed using the related technique of wavelength modulation spectroscopy. For beams which absorb of order 1% of the incident laser light, our measurements allow the beam density to be determined to an accuracy better than 5% and with a precision of 3% on a time scale of order 1 s. Fractional absorptions of order 10{sup −5} are detectable on a one-minute time scale when we employ a double laser beam technique which limits laser intensity noise. For a lithium beam with a thickness of 9 mm, we have measured atomic densities as low as 5 × 10{sup 4} atoms cm{sup −3}. The simplicity of our technique and the details we provide should allow our method to be easily implemented in most atomic or molecular beam apparatuses.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2017

Enhancement of voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy through precise control of Mg insertion thickness at CoFeB|MgO interface

We studied the impact of different insertion layers (Ta, Pt, and Mg) at the CoFeB|MgO interface on voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy (VCMA) effect and other magnetic properties. Inserting a very thin Mg layer of 0.1–0.3 nm yielded a VCMA coefficient of 100 fJ/V-m, more than 3 times higher than the average values of around 30 fJ/V-m reported in Ta|CoFeB|MgO-based structures. Ta and Pt insertion layers also showed a small improvement, yielding VCMA coefficients around 40 fJ/V-m. Electrical, magnetic, and X-ray diffraction results reveal that a Mg insertion layer of around 1.2 nm gives rise to the highest perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, saturation magnetization, as well as the best CoFe and MgO crystallinity. Other Mg insertion thicknesses give rise to either under- or over-oxidation of the CoFe|MgO interface; a strong over-oxidation of the CoFe layer leads to the maximum VCMA effect. These results show that precise control over the Mg insertion thickness and CoFe oxidation level at the CoFeB|MgO interface is crucial for the development of electric-field-controlled perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions with low write voltage.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

All-optical lithography process for contacting nanometer precision donor devices

In this article, we describe an all-optical lithography process that can make electrical contact to nanometer-precision donor devices fabricated in silicon using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). This is accomplished by implementing a cleaning procedure in the STM that allows the integration of metal alignment marks and ion-implanted contacts at the wafer level. Low-temperature transport measurements of a patterned device establish the viability of the process.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗