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At least 865 records · Page 48

Numerical simulation of high-efficiency, scalable, all-back-contact Cd(Se,Te) solar cells

In this work, all-back-contact thin film photovoltaic devices in lattice back contact (LBC) configuration are studied by device simulation to set the requirements for achieving efficiency > 20% with lateral contact spacing > 50 µm. The numerical device model is first validated against published data for an LBC perovskite device and extended to predict the performance of Cd(Se,Te)-based polycrystalline devices. Recent advances in the electronic properties of Cd(Se,Te) films have made high efficiency LBC devices feasible with industrially-scalable contact dimensions. Constraints on bulk, interface, and contact properties are quantified and discussed

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Breaking Rayleigh’s Law with Spatially Correlated Disorder to Control Phonon Transport

Controlling thermal transport in insulators and semiconductors is crucial for many technological fields such as thermoelectrics and thermal insulation, for which a low thermal conductivity (κ) is desirable. A major obstacle for realizing low κ materials is Rayleigh’s law, which implies that acoustic phonons, which carry most of the heat, are insensitive to scattering by point defects at low energy. We demonstrate, with large scale simulations on tens of millions of atoms, that isotropic long-range spatial correlations in the defect distribution can dramatically reduce phonon lifetimes of important low-frequency heat-carrying modes, leading to a large reduction of κ—potentially an order of magnitude at room temperature. We propose a general and quantitative framework for controlling thermal transport in complex functional materials through structural spatial correlations, and we establish the optimal functional form of spatial correlations that minimize κ. Finally, we end by briefly discussing experimental realizations of various correlated structures.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Radiation-resilient InAs quantum dot lasers

Displacement damage from particle radiation increases the threshold current of semiconductor lasers, impeding the deployment of photonic systems in harsh radiation environments. Replacing conventional quantum well (QW) gain regions with quantum dots (QDs) has been shown to suppress the radiation-induced increase in threshold current owing to three-dimensional carrier confinement, which effectively segregates charge carriers away from radiation-induced defects. However, radiation-induced change in threshold current is also affected by extrinsic design elements of a laser, such as photon lifetime, and therefore provides only a partial assessment of the radiation hardness. In this work, we advance the understanding of the radiation resiliency of InAs QD lasers by extracting the change in the nonradiative recombination rate after radiation exposure, which provides a more fundamental assessment of the intrinsic radiation hardness of InAs QD gain regions. We find that carriers that populate InAs QD states have a nonradiative recombination rate that is over an order-of-magnitude less sensitive to neutron radiation relative to carriers in InGaAsP QWs. InAs QD lasers must be designed such that carriers primarily occupy QD states, preventing carrier spillover into surrounding barrier layers to obtain the maximum benefit. Furthermore, we show that enhanced radiation hardness is observed in InAs QD lasers grown on both highly lattice-mismatched silicon substrates and native GaAs substrates, further broadening the appeal of InAs QD lasers as reliable light sources for photonic systems operating in harsh radiation environments.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

SU(3) Topology of Magnon-Phonon Hybridization in 2D Antiferromagnets

Magnon-phonon hybrid excitations are studied theoretically in a two-dimensional antiferromagnet with an easy axis normal to the plane. In this work, we show that two magnon bands and one phonon band are intertwined by the magnetoelastic coupling through a nontrivial SU(3) topology, which can be intuitively perceived by identifying a skyrmion structure in the momentum space. Our results are insensitive to lattice details and generally applicable to two-dimensional antiferromagnets. We show this by developing a continuum theory as the long-wavelength approximation to the tight-binding model. The theoretical results can be probed by measuring the thermal Hall conductance as a function of the temperature and the magnetic field. We envision that the magnetoelastic coupling in antiferromagnets can be a promising venue in search of various topological excitations, which cannot be found in magnetic or elastic models alone.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Microstructural evolution in Cu-Nb processed via friction consolidation

Immiscible alloys, whether in well-mixed or layered forms, are of increasing interest based on their novel structural and functional properties, such as enhanced thermal stability against grain growth or radiation-induced defect trapping at the interfaces. To address the need for new approaches to tailor microstructures, the microstructural development of an immiscible Cu-Nb alloy processed via friction consolidation of elemental powders is investigated. Friction consolidation is a solid-phase processing technique that imparts severe plastic strain into a deforming volume resulting in elevated temperatures below the melting temperature of the alloy. Two distinct processing pathways were chosen to understand the effect of thermomechanical conditions on the final microstructure. The microstructure was characterized using scanning electron microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction techniques. Path 1 exhibited larger strain, strain rate, and temperature as compared with path 2. In path 1, agglomerated Nb particles were present in the recrystallized ultrafine-grained Cu matrix, while in path 2 extremely fine and dispersed Nb particles were present in a highly deformed Cu matrix. In both pathways, supersaturation of Cu in Nb lattices was noted, but not vice-versa. The asymmetry in mixing is explained based on deformation-based, thermodynamic and kinetic factors. These findings provide a pathway for creation of novel tailored microstructures and improved properties in any number of binary immiscible alloy systems.

Cu-Nb alloys, Microstructural refinement, Friction↗

Prospects for n -type doping of (Al x Ga 1– x ) 2 O 3 alloys

Here we systematically explore the properties of group-IV (C, Si, Ge, and Sn) and transition metal (Hf, Zr, and Ta) dopants substituting on the cation site in (Al x Ga 1– x ) 2 O 3 (AlGO) alloys using first-principles calculations with a hybrid functional. In Ga 2 O 3 , each of these dopants acts as a shallow donor. In Al 2 O 3 , they are deep defects characterized by the formation of either DX centers or positive- U (+/0) levels. Combining our calculations of dopant charge-state transition levels with information of the AlGO alloy band structure, we estimate the critical Al composition at which each dopant transitions from being a shallow to a deep donor. We identify Si to be the most efficient dopant to achieve n -type conductivity in high Al-content AlGO alloys, acting as a shallow donor over the entire predicted stability range for AlGO solid solution alloys.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Quantum stabilization and flat hydrogen-based bands of nitrogen-doped lutetium hydride

We explore the electronic and structural properties of Lu-H-N structures with specific N,H ordering due to their remarkably narrow hydrogen-based bands at the Fermi level. Although exhibits a classical instability persisting up to 17 GPa, it is anharmonically stable near ambient pressure when accounting for quantum nuclear effects. The presence of flat bands near is understood to arise from destructive quantum interference between and surrounding orbitals, with certain types of defects leaving the flat bands unaffected. The results suggest that if this system is superconducting, there is an optimal pressure near ambient where the superconducting is maximized by anharmonically stabilized low-frequency and nonadiabatically coupled high-frequency hydrogen modes. Despite the metastability of this structure, its dynamical stability when modeled beyond a classical harmonic approach suggests the narrow bands near do not cause structural distortions in certain Lu-H-N stoichiometries.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Magnetism in Mixed Valence, Defect, Cubic Perovskites: BaIn 1– x Fe x O 2.5+δ , x = 0.25, 0.50, and 0.75. Local and Average Structures

The series BaIn 1–x Fe x O 2.5+δ , x = 0.25, 0.50, and 0.75, has been prepared under air-fired and argon-fired conditions and studied using X-ray diffraction, d.c. and a.c. susceptibility, Mössbauer spectroscopy, neutron diffraction, X-ray near edge absorption spectroscopy (XANES), and X-ray pair distribution (PDF) methods. While Ba 2 In 2 O 5 (BaInO 2.5 ) crystallizes in an ordered brownmillerite structure, Ibm2, and Ba 2 Fe 2 O 5 (BaFeO 2.5 ) crystallizes in a complex monoclinic structure, P2 1 /c, showing seven Fe 3+ sites with tetrahedral, square planar, and octahedral environments, all phases studied here crystallize in the cubic perovskite structure, Pm$\bar{}3}$m, with long-range disorder on the small cation and oxygen sites. 57 Fe Mössbauer studies indicate a mixed valency, Fe 4+ /Fe 3+ , for both the air-fired and argon-fired samples. The increased Fe 3+ content for the argon-fired samples is reflected in increased cubic cell constants and in the increased Mössbauer fraction. It appears that the Pm$\bar{}3}$m phases are only metastable when fired in argon. From a slightly modified percolation theory for a primitive cubic lattice (taking into account the presence of random O atom vacancies), long-range spin order is permitted for the x = 0.50 and 0.75 phases. Instead, the d.c. susceptibility shows only zero-field-cooled (ZFC) and field-cooled (FC) divergences at ~6 K [5 K] for x = 0.50 and at ~22 K [21 K] for x = 0.75, with values for the argon-fired samples in [ ]. Neutron diffraction data for the air-fired samples confirm the absence of long-range magnetic order at any studied temperature. For the air-fired x = 0.50, a.c. susceptibility data show a frequency-dependent χ'(max) and spin glass behavior, while for x = 0.75, χ'(max) is invariant with frequency, ruling out either a spin glass or a superparamagnetic ground state. These behaviors are discussed in terms of competing Fe 3+ –Fe 3+ antiferromagnetic exchange and ferromagnetic Fe 3+ –Fe 4+ exchange. The PDF and 57 Fe Mössbauer data indicate a local structure at short interatomic distances, which deviates strongly from the average Pm$\bar{}3}$m model. Fe Mössbauer, PDF, and XANES data show a systematic dependence on x and indicate that the Fe 3+ sites are largely fourfold-coordinated and Fe 4+ sites are fivefold- or sixfold-coordinated.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Chiral Topological Surface States on a Finite Square Photonic Crystal Bounded by Air

Chiral, topologically protected, photonic surface states can be found at the boundary between gyrotropic photonic crystals where a changing magnetic field induces different topology across the interface. Typically, photonic crystals with either a suitable band structure on both sides of the interface to provide a band gap and evanescent decay of the surface states away from the interface, or an outer layer with engineered material properties is required. In this paper, we show the emergence of topological, unidirectional surface states at the termination of finite gyrotropic photonic crystals with a simple square lattice and C 4 rotational symmetry bounded by a vacuum, eliminating the need for an outside layer to enable chiral surface modes. Here, we start from an infinite, time-reversal-symmetry-breaking photonic crystal with a band gap associated with bands with nonzero Chern numbers, different from all-zero Chern numbers in air. We then modify the photonic crystal to move this band gap below the light line, while maintaining the Chern-number discontinuities. Band-structure calculations for a supercell approximating a photonic crystal finite in the direction normal to the surface demonstrate the existence, dispersion, and chirality of the surface mode. Extensive direct scattering calculations for a point source and spatial Fourier analysis further reveal a unidirectional free-space topological surface state, which propagates counterclockwise around the surface of a finite photonic crystal, providing a nearly foolproof way to cross-check the surface-mode band structure unaffected by backscattering from local defects. Additionally, scattering simulations allow an independent characterization of the state dispersion and unveil the robustness of the topological plasmonic mode propagation around the 90° bends of the structure, being due to only radiation leakage. In contrast to buried topological surface states, the observed surface modes at the photonic crystal–air interface have the advantage of being accessible to the outside world, allowing one to take advantage of the defect-tolerant backscattering-free surface modes to engineer emission from photonic crystal surfaces into arbitrary free-space beam shapes and directions.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Modeling of Ternary Element Site Substitution in NiAl

It is well recognized that ternary alloying additions can have a dramatic impact on the behavior of ordered intermetallic alloys such as nickel aluminides. Properties as diverse as yield strength, fracture strength, fracture mode, cyclic oxidation resistance, creep strength, and thermal and electrical diffusivity can change by orders of magnitude when a few percent or less of a ternary element is added. Yet our understanding of the resulting point defect structures and the simple site preferences of ternary alloying additions is poor because these are extremely difficult characteristics to determine. This disconnection between the understanding of the structure and properties in ordered alloys is at least in part responsible for the limited development and commercialization of these materials. Theoretical methods have provided useful but limited insight in this area, since most techniques suffer from constraints in the type of elements and the crystallographic structures that can be modeled. In an effort to overcome these limitations, the Bozzolo-Ferrante-Smith (BFS) method for alloys was designed. After a brief description of this approximate quantum mechanical approach, we use BFS to investigate the energetics of Si, Ti, V, Cr, Fe, Co, Cu, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ru, Hf, Ta and W additions to B2-ordered, stoichiometric NiAl. In addition to determining the site preference for these alloying additions over a range of compositions, we include results for the concentration dependence of the lattice parameter. In this introductory paper, we performed our analyses in the absence of constitutional and thermal vacancies for alloys of the form Ni50(Al,X)50. Where data exist, a comparison between experimental, theoretical, and BFS results is also included.

Bozzolo, Guillermo↗

Naval Research Laboratory's programs in advanced indium phosphide solar cell development

The Naval Research Laboratory has been involved in developing InP solar cell technology since 1988. The purpose of these programs was to produce advanced cells for use in very high radiation environments, either as a result of operating satellites in the Van Allen belts or for very long duration missions in other orbits. Richard Statler was technical representative on the first program, with Spire Corporation as the contractor, which eventually produced several hundred, high efficiency 2 x 2 sq cm single crystal InP cells. The shallow homojunction technology which was developed in this program enabled cells to be made with AMO, one sun efficiencies greater than 19%. Many of these cells have been flown on space experiments, including PASP Plus, which have confirmed the high radiation resistance of InP cells. NRL has also published widely on the radiation response of these cells and also on radiation-induced defect levels detected by DLTS, especially the work of Rob Walters and Scott Messenger. In 1990 NRL began another Navy-sponsored program with Tim Coutts and Mark Wanlass at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), to develop a one sun, two terminal space version of the InP-InGaAs tandem junction cell being investigated at NREL for terrestrial applications. These cells were grown on InP substrates. Several cells with AM0, one sun efficiencies greater than 22% were produced. Two 2 x 2 sq cm cells were incorporated on the STRV lA/B solar cell experiment. These were the only two junction, tandem cells on the STRV experiment. The high cost and relative brittleness of InP wafers meant that if InP cell technology were to become a viable space power source, the superior radiation resistance of InP would have to be combined with a cheaper and more robust substrate. The main technical challenge was to overcome the effect of the dislocations produced by the lattice mismatch at the interface of the two materials. Over the last few years, NRL and Steve Wojtczuk at Spire have been developing a single junction InP on Si cell, in an ONR-sponsored SBIR program. Both cell polarities were investigated and the best efficiencies to date (approximately 13% on a 2 x 4 sq cm cell) were achieved with n/p cells. Earlier this year NRL began a program with ASEC to develop a two terminal InP-InGaAs tandem cell on a Ge substrate. RTI and NREL are subcontractors on this program. The results of an ONR-sponsored study of the potential market for InP/Si cells will be discussed. Also the technical status of both the InP/Si and the InP-InGaAs/Ge programs will be given. The technical challenges still remaining will be briefly described.

Summers, Geoffrey P.↗

The role of water vapor during the synthesis of hydrogen doped In 2 O 3

Hydrogen-doped In 2 O 3 synthesized using magnetron sputtering or atomic layer deposition in the presence of water vapor has high transparency in the near infra-red region and mobility values that are almost three to four times of those in commercially used In 2 O 3 :Sn at a much lower carrier concentration. However, simple questions like what happens when water molecules enter In 2 O 3 or why the dominant charge carrier changes from an oxygen vacancy in In 2 O 3 :Sn to H + in In 2 O 3 are not clear. Using hybrid functional based density functional theory calculations, in this study we show that water molecules spontaneously split into H + and OH – . The H + interstitial bonds with an oxygen in In 2 O 3 , and the OH – interstitial occupies a vacant lattice site or is trapped by an oxygen vacancy. Thus, in agreement with experimental findings, our results suggest that the concentration of oxygen vacancies decreases as the partial pressure of water increases. The charge transition level, ϵ ( – / + ) , of a hydrogen interstitial and the Fermi level at which the formation energies of OH – and H + are equal lie above the conduction band minimum, suggesting that the H + interstitial has a lower formation energy. In addition, water molecules do not exhibit any propensity to form clusters, meaning that H + ions can diffuse and remain spatially separated from each other.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Interface creation on a mixed-terminated perovskite surface

In the field of complex oxide heterostructures, understanding of the initial substrate surface can be critical to fundamental studies regarding the development of emergent properties at the film–substrate interface. For this reason, a considerable amount of effort has gone into the development of techniques to achieve surfaces with single termination for a variety of perovskite single crystals. However, a decisive understanding of how an interface is created when epitaxial growth occurs on a mixed terminated surface remains lacking. Employing in situ synchrotron X-ray scattering during thin film growth by molecular beam epitaxy, we investigate the initial stages of growth on (LaAlO 3 )(Sr 2 AlTaO 6 ) (001) substrates with mixed termination. Using LaNiO 3 as a model system, we find that the surface layers of the substrate restructure during deposition such that while a NiO 2 monolayer is weakly bound, a LaO monolayer bonds strongly, effectively incorporating with (Al, Ta)O 2 from the surface and forming a La(Al, Ta)O 3 ultrathin film. <!--/abstract content--><!--fulltext content--> With regard to the synthesis of high-quality complex oxide heterostructures, it is important that the substrate meet an array of criteria related to the crystal structure, lattice parameter, thermodynamic properties, electrical and optical properties, and so on. In particular, the surface of the substrate should be atomically smooth and exhibit the step-terrace structure ideal for epitaxial thin film growth. Perovskite oxides with the formula ABO 3 have two possible (001) surfaces: AO (A-site termination) and BO 2 (B-site termination). The ability to consistently achieve one of these surface terminations on SrTiO 3 , i.e., TiO 2 , has helped SrTiO 3 become the predominant oxide in the field.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

The formation of topological defects in phase transitions

It was argued, and fought through numerical work that the results of non-dynamical Monte Carlo computer simulations cannot be applied to describe the formation of topological defects when the correlation length at the Ginzburg temperature is significantly smaller than the horizon size. To test the current hypothesis that infinite strings at formation are essentially described by Brownian walks of size the correlation length at the Ginzburg temperature, fields at the Ginzburg temperature were equilibrated. Infinite structure do not exist in equilibrium for reasonable definitions of the Ginzburg temperature, and horizons must be included in a proper treatment. A phase transition, from small-scale to large-scale string or domain wall structure, is found to occur very close to the Ginzburg temperature, in agreement with recent work. The formation process of domain walls and global strings were investigated through the breaking of initially ordered states. To mimic conditions in the early Universe, cooling times are chosen so that horizons exist in the sample volume when topological structure formation occurs. The classical fields are evolved in real-time by the numerical solution of Langevin equations of motion on a three dimensional spatial lattice. The results indicate that it is possible for most of the string energy to be in small loops, rather than in long strings, at formation.

Hodges, Hardy M.↗

Recent Results from Epitaxial Growth on Step Free 4H-SiC Mesas

This paper updates recent progress made in growth, characterization, and understanding of high quality homoepitaxial and heteroepitaxial films grown on step-free 4H-SiC mesas. First, we report initial achievement of step-free 4H-SiC surfaces with carbon-face surface polarity. Next, we will describe further observations of how step-free 4H-SiC thin lateral cantilever evolution is significantly impacted by crystal faceting behavior that imposes non-uniform film thickness on cantilever undersides. Finally, recent investigations of in-plane lattice constant mismatch strain relief mechanisms observed for heteroepitaxial growth of 3C-SiC as well as 2H-AlN/GaN heterofilms on step-free 4H-SiC mesas will be reviewed. In both cases, the complete elimination of atomic heterointerface steps on the mesa structure enables uniquely well-ordered misfit dislocation arrays to form near the heterointerfaces with remarkable lack of dislocations threading vertically into the heteroepilayers. In the case of 3C-SiC heterofilms, it has been proposed that dislocation half-loops nucleate at mesa edges and glide laterally along the step-free 3C/4H interfaces. In contrast, 3C-SiC and 2H-AlN/GaN heterofilms grown on 4H-SiC mesas with steps exhibit highly disordered interface misfit dislocation structure coupled with 100X greater density of dislocations threading through the thickness of the heteroepilayers. These results indicate that the presence of steps at the heteroepitaxial interface (i.e., on the initial heteroepitaxial nucleation surface) plays a highly important role in the defect structure, quality, and relaxation mechanisms of single-crystal heteroepitaxial films.

Neudeck, Philip G.↗

Twinning microstructure in the solid-phase epitaxial crystallization of BaTiO 3

Amorphous BaTiO 3 layers deposited on SrTiO 3 (001) substrates at room temperature were subsequently crystallized using solid phase epitaxy (SPE). Heating an initially amorphous BaTiO 3 layer in air at 650 °C for 3 h resulted in crystallization with components in two distinct crystallographic orientation relationships with respect to the substrate. Part of the volume of the BaTiO 3 layer crystallized in a cube-on-cube relationship with the substrate. Other volumes crystallized in four variants of a 70.5° rotation about $\langle$110$\rangle$, resulting in a $\langle$221$\rangle$ surface normal in each case. Each of these four variants forms a Σ = 3 coincident site lattice with respect to the SrTiO 3 substrate and the cube-on-cube oriented BaTiO 3 . Heating for the same duration and temperature in a reducing gas atmosphere resulted in the formation of polycrystalline BaTiO 3 with no preferred crystallographic orientation. The dependence on the gas atmosphere indicates that it may be possible to tune the annealing time, temperature, and atmosphere to produce a single crystalline BTO on STO by SPE or produce a desired distribution of orientations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Assessment of exchange-correlation functionals on oxygen vacancy formation energies of metal oxides

Oxygen vacancies are a common defect in oxides and play vital roles in many technological applications such as oxygen separation, catalytic reactors, solid oxide fuel cells, and solar thermochemical water splitting. The oxygen vacancy formation energy is directly related to the oxide reduction enthalpy and the vacancy concentration and, therefore, is a key quantity underlying these applications. The complexity of measuring oxygen vacancy formation energies experimentally suggests the utility of calculations based on density functional theory (DFT). However, the calculated results are strongly dependent on the exchange-correlation functionals and other parameters such as the Hubbard U . In this work, we compare the performance of the meta-GGA strongly constrained and appropriately normed (SCAN) functional and the commonly used semilocal generalized gradient approximation (GGA) functionals with experimental values of structural parameters, band gaps, magnetic structures, and oxygen vacancy formation energies for six representative oxides, i.e., CaMnO 3 , SrMnO 3 , LaMnO 3 , YMnO 3 , LaFeO 3 , and CeO 2 . Further, our results show that SCAN usually has better agreement with the experimental lattice constants and band gaps and larger magnetic moments than the commonly used GGA functionals. Although SCAN overestimates the oxygen vacancy formation energies of transition metal oxides and therefore requires unusually large Hubbard U values to reproduce the experimental reduction enthalpies, it does predict the correct oxygen vacancy formation energy of CeO 2 , which challenges the commonly used GGA and hybrid functionals. Our results underscore the challenges that exist in describing these complex oxides by DFT and may shed light on developing more accurate exchange-correlation functionals for oxygen vacancy formation energy calculations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Functional Photoresists for Energy Applications. Final Report

Monolithic ultralow-density porous bulk materials have recently attracted much interest due to many emerging applications in the areas of catalysis, energy storage and conversion, and thermal insulation. They are also important components of high energy density (HED) and inertial confinement fusion (ICF) targets. However, despite tremendous progress that has been made in the synthesis of porous materials, deterministic and independent control over microscopic architecture, density and composition remain key issues, and their integration in high precision devices requires cost and time-intensive mechanical machining that not only reduces reproducibility by generating debris but also limits the complexity of the 3D shapes that can be realized. In this project, we overcame these limitations by developing a universal templating capability that provides deterministic and independent control over density, composition, architecture, and macroscopic sample shape. This was achieved by developing the technology to 1) 3D print ultrahigh resolution, ultra-high precision polymeric micro-lattice templates, 2) coat these templates with the desired materials, and 3) removing the template (Fig. 1a). Atomic layer deposition (ALD) provides the atomic scale coating thickness accuracy required for precisely controlling density. While this templating approach had been demonstrated in prior work, limitations in suitable photoresists, 3D print technologies, print design, and template removal techniques did not allow the fabrication of millimeter-sized high-precision parts with sub-micron resolution. To enable this technology, we developed 1) two-photon polymerization (TPP) print designs that enable the fabrication of millimeter-sized, mechanically robust polymeric templates with sub-micron resolution and 2) a continuum level TPP printing simulation capability for additional print design guidance; 3) atomistic models to study photoresist polymerization kinetics and network topography, 4) refractive index matched polymeric and preceramic TPP photoresists, and 5) functional TPP photoresists including porous voxel structures and self-immolative polymer photoresist chemistries; and 6) damage free template removal techniques that enable the fabrication of defect-free high-precision low-density foam components. We also developed a templating approach for pure carbon microlattices with a unique tube-in-tube ligament morphology. As a test platform, we pursued the fabrication of foam liners that promise to further increase the neutron yield in indirect drive ICF experiments by improving implosion symmetry control and coupling between the laser and the deuterium-tritium fuel. This application requires fabrication and integration of a ultra-high precision, millimeter-sized, thin-walled (200-400 micrometer thick), low-density (10-30 mg/cc), high atomic number (high Z) cylindrical foam tube into the gold hohlraum of an indirect drive ICF target (Fig. 1b). While our hohlraum liner test case will mainly find application in HED and ICF experiments, the underlying science will also directly apply to previously developed nanoparticle and additive manufacturing technologies and will advance those techniques as well.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗